KDXU Sunrise Stories for September 1, 2023: Southern Utah YouTuber Arrested, Disqualified City Council Cadidates, and Constitution Month

KDXU Sunrise Stories: Volume 45 

Statewide News – 09/01/23 

Governor Cox and “Constitution Month” 

Utah Governor Spencer Cox gave a speech at the state capitol on August 31 to kick off “Constitution Month.” 

Gov. Cox signed a law earlier this year, designating September as a month to celebrate the U.S. Constitution.  

Gov. Cox said celebrating the Constitution is just as important as celebrating the Declaration of Independence on the 4th of July.  

Bomb Threat Under Investigation at West Point 

Authorities are investigating a bomb threat at West Point Junior High School, causing the evacuation of the school on August 31. 

Faculty learned of the bomb threat in the afternoon, prompting all the staff to evacuate the students. 

Police arrived on the scene but didn’t find any sort of bomb at the school. It’s unknown who issued the threat. 

Southern Utah/St. George News – 09/01/23 

Southern Utah “Youtuber” Arrested on Child Abuse Charges 

Two women were arrested in Ivins on August 30 for suspected child abuse, including Ruby Franke, who is an influencer on YouTube who makes videos giving parenting advice. 

This arrest comes after Franke’s 12-year-old son escaped a home in Ivins to ask for food and water from a neighbor in the area.  

The son was malnourished and had duct tape on his wrist and arms.  

The neighbor called the authorities after seeing the severity of the child’s malnourishment. 

Two other children were found at the home in Ivins with similar issues as the 12-year-old son. 

You can find all the details in our full article. 

Anasazi Road Fire Swiftly Extinguished 

Fire crews in Ivins responded to a brush fire near Anasazi Road, but it could’ve have been much worse. 

The fire was extinguished in a fast manner thanks to the response from the fire fighters, but as soon as they finished mopping up the hot spots, a storm hit the area. 

Heavy winds and rain hit the area hard. If the fire was still active when the storm hit, the heavy winds may have turned the flames into something much larger. 

Thank you to the fire crews for their fast response to the situation. 

2 City Council Candidates Disqualified in St. George 

Two vying St. George City Council candidates have been disqualified due to the lack of financial information provided. 

Marilyn Rigby and Fabian Ortiz didn’t file their campaign finance disclosures, which were due by August 29 including a 24-hour grace period.  

Even though they’ve been disqualified, the ballots for the primary election have already been mailed out. Any votes counted toward Rigby and Ortiz will not be counted, but they are on the ballot. 

The primary election for the St. George City Council will take place on September 5. 

14 candidates will be narrowed down to 6 through this election process. 

Other 

PSA: A flood watch has been issued across Southern Utah for Labor Day weekend. Please remember to not take any risks while driving in heavy rain, and please Turn Around, Don’t Drown. 

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

Labor Day is a funny time for Stockton because his birthday happens so close after the holiday. The problem is that it’s not soon enough. Stockon’s birthday is September 8, and Labor Day occurs on the first Monday of September. If you do the math, then you’ll know that it’s physically impossible for Stockton to have his birthday on Labor Day. It’s always bothered him. 

FYI: Sunrise Stories will be taking a break for Labor Day, but we’ll be back on Tuesday, September 5. Primary elections are also on that day, so get your votes in ASAP. 

Happy Labor Day weekend!