KDXU Sunrise Stories for September 20, 2023: Kouri Richins Developments, A St. George Death in Oregon, and New Affordable Housing

KDXU Sunrise Stories: Volume 57 

Statewide News – 09/20/23 

Man with Explosive Home Sentenced 

A man from South Jordan has been sentenced after authorities found his home to be filled with explosives in 2020.  

Ryan McMonigle entered a standoff with the police in 2020, firing a gun at the officers when they tried to enter the home. 

Authorities found 20 pounds of explosives in the home, causing an evacuation of about 600 homes and 30 businesses in the area. 

McMonigle has been sentenced to 11 years to life in prison on two counts of assault on a piece officer, and six counts of weapons of mass destruction. 

Kouri Richins and False Testimony 

Kouri Richins, a Utah mom who’s been accused of murdering her husband with an overdose of fentanyl, continues to have more allegations brought up against her in court. 

Prosecutors reported the discovery of a handwritten letter from Richins to her mother and brother, requesting them to give false testimony during her trial. 

The prosecutors have asked the judge presiding over the child to restrict Richins’ contact with her family to stop her from “further engaging in witness tampering.” 

National Blue Ribbon for 2 Northern Utah Schools 

Wasatch Elementary School and Milford Elementary School in Northern Utah have both been named National Blue Ribbon Schools of 2023. 

Schools awarded a blue ribbon thrive on academic performance or closing achievement gaps among students on tests. 

New Affordable Homes in 7 Utah Cities 

A joint partnership called Housing for Impact will pay for more than 850 affordable homes to be built across seven Utah cities within the next three years. 

The cities include Salt Lake City, South Jordan, Draper, Magna, Lehi, Francis, and Park City. 

The price of living in these homes will be lower than their respective county’s median income. Meaning, it should be more affordable than most apartments or homes on the market. 

Southern Utah/St. George News – 09/20/23 

St. George Man Dead After Highway Tree Collision in Oregon 

A man from St. George has passed away after crashing into a tree off a highway in the state of Oregon. 

Oregon State Police responded to the incident on September 16 at about noon, where a single vehicle with a trailer ran off the road, broke through a fence, and collided with a tree. 

Authorities pronounced 62-year-old Victor Lee Jones of St. George dead after arriving on the scene of the crash. 

Hildebrandt Surrenders Therapist License 

Jodi Hildebrandt, the business partner of Utah YouTuber Ruby Franke, has surrendered her therapist license after being requested to do so by the Utah Division of Professional Licensing. 

Hildebrandt and Franke were both arrested on charges of felony child abuse on August 30, after one of Franke’s children escaped from Hildebrandt’s home in Southern Utah, exposing the duo. 

DOPL agents negotiated the surrender of the therapist license with Hildebrandt’s lawyer.  

Hildebrandt’s professional license may be revoked as well, since the Utah Attorney General’s Office has been working to do just that. Even if Hildebrandt is released from jail, these license confiscations will stop her from practicing. 

Read the full story here.

Other 

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

Stockton used to host an audio sketch comedy show called “Bright Nights” when he worked as a production manager at Southern Utah University’s radio station. 

Stockton would bring guests onto the show for themed episodes centered around a single topic. While he absolutely loved doing it, he shrivels up like a raisin when he listens to some of his sketches.  

Happy Wednesday!