KDXU Sunrise Stories for March 19, 2024: Solar Panel Battery Starts Vehicle Fire Near Zion National Park

KDXU Sunrise Stories: Volume 174 

Statewide News – 03/19/24 

Space-X Launch Seen in Utah 

Many residents of Utah looked toward the Western sky on the evening of March 18 to see a large streak of smoke. As with many phenomena that occur in the sky these days, you can thank Elon Musk of Space-X. 

Space-X launched a Falcon-9 rocket into California airspace with 22 Starlink satellites in tow. The subsequent launch could be seen across many regions of Utah as the rocket left Earth’s atmosphere. 

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen residuals from Space-X rocket launches with similar operations occurring in July 2023 and October 2022. 

Utah Ski Resorts Extend Season as Spring Begins 

Although today marks the first day of Spring, many ski resorts across the state are extending their season thanks to a record-breaking Winter. 

Park City Mountain will extend to April 22, Snowbasin will extend to April 23, and even Brian Head in Southern Utah will extend their season to May 5. 

This means you could technically celebrate the beginning of Summer vacation in Southern Utah by skiing. 

Southern Utah/St. George News – 03/19/24 

Virginia Fugitive Charged with Human Trafficking in Southern Utah 

Denzel Jerome Waddy, a Virginia fugitive who was arrested at a motel in Southern Utah, has been charged with aggravated human trafficking and other crimes related to prostitution. 

Waddy appeared in Utah’s 5th District Court on March 15 where he was charged with the first-degree felony of aggravated human trafficking, a second-degree felony of aggravated exploitation of prostitution, and several charges related to drug possession. 

The woman found in Waddy’s hotel room in St. George told police she was forced to engage in sex work and said she had been physically assaulted by Waddy. 

Southern Utah Robbery Suspects Appear in Court 

Three of five suspects who reportedly robbed a Well Fargo ATM on South River Road in St. George in December appeared in court on March 18. 

Domnick Nicholas Snell, 20, Jarvus Keith Lewis, 31, and Aaron Taylor Adams, 28, will continue their trial process in the coming months. No sentence has been issued yet. 

The other two suspects, Ronald Edward Charles, 27, Justin Renard Leonard, 37, will appear in court later this month. 

Solar Panel Battery Starts Vehicle Fire Near Zion 

Workers with Hurricane Valley Fire and Rescue responded to reports of a vehicle fire at the Zion Visitor Center on March 18. 

Fire fighters found smoke and flames coming from a van with a solar panel installed on the roof of the vehicle. The fire reportedly started from a faulty battery connected to the solar panel. 

The first responders had to break the rear door of the van to extinguish the flames and minimize the damage to just the van. No injuries were reported. 

Other 

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

Stockton has been working tirelessly on losing weight by focusing on his diet. Fortunately, it seems to be paying off since his oldest brother, without any prompt from his family, told him he’s trimming up. Stockton has a hard time taking compliments, but this was one compliment he was more than happy to receive. 

Happy Tuesday!