KDXU Up To The Minute News
Romney Weighs in on Boeing 737 MAX Airliners
Boeing is defending its 737 MAX planes as more countries ground them. But Utah Republican Senator Mitt Romney says out of an abundance of caution and common sense, the aircraft should be grounded in the U.S. after being involved in two accidents that were months apart.
Zion Park Rangers Searching for Thief
Park Rangers at Zion National Park are investigating the recent theft of funds from the fee drop box in Watchman Campground, located in Zion Canyon. At approximately 2:00 AM on January 25 security cameras captured footage of an individual entering the campground, tampering with surveillance equipment, and removing funds from a National Park Service facility. This person of interest is a white male, approximately 6’02” tall, approximately 200 pounds, with a shaved or bald head. He was driving a white pickup truck with an open bed and California plates.
Parowan Mayor Facing Charges
The mayor of Parowan, is facing charges after he bought discounted items from a hardware store where he used to work. The Cedar City Police Department says Preston Griffiths was charged with theft after he got unauthorized discounted prices on a variety of items in December from the Parowan True Value Hardware Store, including some ammunition. Griffiths' first court appearance is March 26th.
U of U LGBTQ Students Want Apology
L-G-B-T-Q students at the University of Utah are looking for an apology from a lawmaker who gutted a conversion-therapy bill last week. The substitute bill only bans abusive practices, so therapists can still try to verbally persuade people to change their sexual orientation. On Monday, students delivered letters outlining their objections to the house majority and minority leadership.
DNA Test Confirms Ted Bundy as Murderer in Bountiful in 1974
Police are announcing that D-N-A testing has helped them confirm that Ted Bundy killed a 17-year-old Bountiful girl in 1974. Sergeant Shane Alexander said that the Netflix series "Conversations With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes," spurred them to announce the results. The D-N-A testing was done on the remains of Debra Kent three years ago.
Man Buys 250 Boxes of Girl Scout Cookies
A group of Utah Girl Scouts still can't believe the generosity of a man who bought hundreds of boxes of cookies and then told them to give them all away. But it turns out Daryl Smith was completely serious. He made the donation to the girls of Troop 455 as they sold cookies outside a grocery store in West Jordan last Friday. The money covered 250 boxes of cookies, which the girls gave away to disbelieving customers who came past their booth over the course of two days.
Utah Senator Proposing 3 Month Paid Family Leave
A Utah senator is proposing a plan to fund paid family leave for American workers through the use of their Social Security benefits. Republican Senator Mike Lee announced the proposal yesterday with his co-sponsor, Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa. The plan would allow parents to get about 70-percent of their wages covered for up to three months. But it also specifies that those parents would have to delay the start of Social Security payments when they reach retirement age to repay the leave payout.
Governor to Sign Historic Hate Crime Bill
Governor Gary Herbert says he will sign a historic hate crime bill into law when it reaches his desk later this week. The bill's sponsor, Republican state Senator Daniel Thatcher, said he was relieved after the Utah House passed the bill on a vote of 64-to-9 last night. The bill was amended on the House floor, adding a provision protecting political expression to a long list of other groups included in the bill.