KDXU up to the minute news

Are we prepared for a mass shooting

Are we prepared to handle a mass shooting here in Southern Utah. St. George has its own share of outdoor events both large and small, from the monthly Georgefest to the Iron man and St. George Marathon. According to officials, Law Enforcement agencies throughout Washington County constantly train for large scale mass-shooting situations.

Governor calls for more school counseling

Governor Gary Herbert says adding more funding for school counseling could deter some mass shootings in the U.S.  Herbert said yesterday that he's noticed a trend in many of the shootings that have happened around the country.

Senator Romney calling for government action

Senator Mitt Romney is calling for government action in the wake of the mass shootings in California, Texas and Ohio.  On Monday, Romney said lawmakers on both sides would have to come together and reach a consensus.  He said that the states rather than the federal government should enact gun laws and institute better security in schools.

Former school teacher pleads no contest

A former St. George school teacher responds to charges that he molested several students.  On Monday, Curtis William Payne pleaded no contest to four of six counts of sexual abuse of a child.  The two remaining counts and other pending cases were dismissed in the deal.  Each count carries a minimum sentence of 15 years to life in prison.

Arsonist in Parowan sentenced 

An Iron County judge has sentenced the man found guilty of setting a fire that destroyed a home in Parowan last year to a minimum of five years in prison. The defendant, 32-year-old Douglas Jack Carter, was found guilty of first-degree felony aggravated arson during a two-day trial in June.

I-15 traffic stop nets 25 pounds of meth

A traffic stop on I-15 near Cedar City Sunday night led to two people being arrested and the confiscation of 24 pounds of Methanphetamine.  23-year-old Aurina Renee Lopez from Long Beach, California, and Edgar Miguel Perez-Medina from Fontana, California, were arrested and booked into jail.

Utah inmate appeal denied

A federal court has rejected an appeal from a Utah inmate because he missed the filing deadline by more than two decades.  Lyndal Ritterbush was convicted in 1984 for sexual abuse of a child, but then escaped from prison in 1985, and spent the next 20 years living under an assumed name before he was captured in Oregon.

Man accused of causing fatal crash to stand trial for murder

A man accused of causing a crash that killed a 14-year-old girl in Taylorsville last year will stand trial for murder.  A judge ruled that 20-year-old Casey Cook-Ziemelis is competent to stand trial.  Prosecutors say Cook-Ziemelis was drunk when he was speeding in SUV with five other passengers in his car near 45th South and 11th West, and intentionally hit another car driving in the opposite direction.

Finance director pleads guilty to embezzling six million dollars

A former finance director plead guilty to charges of embezzling more than six-million dollars from her employer.  Alexis Carr worked at an electric supply company in Salt Lake City from 2005 to 2018.  She made a vendor profile for a business she owned in the company's accounting system, then created fake invoices that generated checks made out to the business.