KDXU Sunrise Stories for March 18, 2024: Former Utah State Football Analyst Accused of Murder

KDXU Sunrise Stories: Volume 173 

Statewide News – 03/18/24 

Former Utah State Football Analyst Accused of Murder 

Blaise Allen Taylor, a former defensive analyst for the Utah State University football team, has been accused of poisoning his pregnant girlfriend in Tennessee. 

The crime, which took place in February 2023, saw Taylor’s 25-year-old girlfriend and unborn child die from what was initially thought to be an allergic reaction, but later investigations concluded she was poisoned. 

Taylor was arrested on suspicion of murder on March 14 in Logan and booked into jail with court proceedings to take place soon. 

Southern Utah/St. George News – 03/18/24 

Kidnapping Victim Calls for Help in Southern Utah 

Officers from the St. George Police Department were able to rescue a woman in an alleged kidnapping case on March 15 after the victim made several attempts to contact police for help. 

The woman said she was being held in a white van at a specific location in Southern Utah, but a search of the address found no one was on the property. Police were able to locate the woman by pinging her phone from when she sent messages to 911. 

Officers arrested a 50-year-old male suspect near the Arizona border South of St. George and found the victim had suffered injuries related to domestic violence. The suspect arrested was previously convicted of kidnapping and domestic violence charges. 

RV Fire Kills Two Pet Dogs in Washington  

A RV fire in Washington resulted in the deaths of two pet dogs on the morning of March 17. 

It’s unknown what caused the fire, but the flames were reportedly threatening a structure near 925 South 1775 East. Fortunately, the flames were extinguished before the fire could spread any further thanks to a quick response from both the Washington City and St. George Fire Departments. 

A search of the motorhome uncovered the two dogs who unfortunately died during the accident. No human casualties were reported. 

Southern Utah Veteran Turns 107 

A Utah veteran just celebrated his 107th birthday. Friends and family of Clift Spendlove held a celebration for the veteran at the Southern Utah Veteran’s Home in Ivins. 

Spendlove served in World War II, the Korean War, and was also enlisted during the Vietnam War. Spendlove’s daughter told a member of the press that he always joked about Hitler surrendering because he heard Spendlove was on his way. 

New Spring Exhibits Open at St. George Art Musuem 

The St. George Art Museum is now showcasing three new exhibits until May 25 which are free to view for visitors. 

The first exhibit is a dive into the world of visual media with new paintings, 3-D works, and mixed media called Integrated Aesthetics: The Breadth and Depth of Visual Media. 

The second exhibit is titled Crossroads: Change in Rural America, and features works from artist Dave Becker and pioneering photojournalist Dorothea Lange. 

The last exhibit, titled Splash of Color: Dixie Watercolor Spring Exhibition, features various watercolor paintings from local artists with a theme of showcasing the beauty of Spring in Southern Utah. 

Other 

Fun fact about Stockton Myers, the writer of Sunrise Stories. 

Stockton made an oopsie. He’d previously mentioned how he was upgrading his home office. One of these upgrades was a second monitor for a dual screen setup. The issue is that Stockton forgot to check if the new monitor had the proper port to connect to his computer...it didn’t. So now Stockton has to order another monitor and pretend like he didn’t just waste $100. Double check everything! 

Happy Monday!