KDXU up to the minute news

New state laws in Utah

With the new year comes several new state laws.  Starting yesterday, anyone visiting Utah must buy a 30-dollar permit to drive their ATV on public land.  The vehicles are still banned in national parks.  Also new this year, the cost to get a new driver's license is going up from 32 to 52-dollars.  Licenses will now be good for eight years instead of five.

Mitt Romney weighs in on U.S. airstrike

Utah Senator Mitt Romney is speaking out following the U.S. airstrike that killed a top Iranian military commander.  In a statement last night, the Republican called the commander a depraved terrorist who had the blood of hundreds of American servicemen and women on his hands.

Parts of Arizona can now receive emergency text messages

Arizona's northwestern most county can now receive emergency text messages.  The Mohave County Sheriff's office says its dispatch center can receive the messages from certain areas, though Kingman and Bullhead City are not included.  Those in need of help can simply type 911 in the "to" field and then give a brief explanation including their location.

DWR warning Utahn's

The Division of Wildlife Resources is warning Utahns to not keep wild animals as pets after an incident involving a raccoon.  According to DWR, a five-year-old boy underwent surgery last month after he was seriously scratched by his family's pet raccoon in their home in Uintah County.

Candidates for Utah governor planning to gather signatures

Several candidates in the Utah governor's race plan to gather signatures to get on their party's primary ballot.  Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox, businessman Jeff Buringham, Salt Lake County Councilwoman Aimee Winder Newton and former Utah Republican Party Chairman Thomas Wright have all filed the paperwork with the Utah Elections Office.

Washington City man sentenced to prison

A Washington City man was sentenced to prison after multiple images of child pornography were discovered on his phone during an unrelated missing persons case two years ago. 29 year old Anthony Tarchick, appeared in Court for sentencing where he pleaded guilty to three second-degree felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.

Tax reform referendum not doing well

The effort to put a citizen's referendum on reforming Utah's tax code on the statewide ballot is not showing a lot of progress so far.  The Office of the Lieutenant Governor says only 549 of the nearly 116-thousand signatures needed to get the referendum on the November ballot have been turned in so far.

UDOT trying to reduce avalanche danger on Utah roads

The Utah Department of Transportation is doing what it can to reduce the danger of avalanches following the latest winter storm.  The agency closed Little Cottonwood Canyon yesterday so they could trigger an avalanche before it could become a hazard to drivers on State Route 210.

Kids fall through ice of a pond

A group of kids is staying warm after they fell through the ice of a pond in Lehi yesterday afternoon.  Police say six kids were crossing a pond near Willow Park when the ice collapsed beneath them. Luckily they were in waist deep water and close to shore.

Identity confirmed of man killed at Park City Mountain Resort
The Summit County Sheriff's office is confirming the identity of a 20-year-old man from California who died while on a skiing trip at Park City Mountain Resort.  The sheriff's office identified the victim as Charlie Noxon, the son of "Orange Is the New Black" creator Jenji Kohan.