KDXU up to the minute news

Voters not happy about voter approved Medicaid expansion plan

A Utah Department of Health committee is hearing criticism from the public over the way state lawmakers handled a voter-approved Medicaid expansion plan.  The advisory committee held a public hearing yesterday and every speaker criticized the Utah Legislature's decision to replace Proposition Three with their own plan in a move cap costs.  Utah is seeking waivers from the Trump administration to help limit the cost to the state, even though the administration has never granted those waivers in the past.

Criticism over U of U police awards ceremony

University of Utah police are responding to backlash after they held an awards ceremony praising officers for their handling of the Lauren McCluskey case.  Police spokesman Dan Metcalf said the intent was to honor people who do their jobs well.  Lauren's parents don't think that they did.  This week Lauren's father, Matt McCluskey, said the ceremony showed a lack of accountability.  An independent probe last year revealed officers never did a background check on Melvin Rowland, and ignored calls from Lauren and her mother.  Rowland killed Lauren last October.

Five people rescued from Virgin River

Washington City officials say five people were rescued from a sandbank in the Virgin River.  The group was stranded Thursday south of the Sullivan Virgin River Soccer Park.  Rescuers said a couple of people had life vests and there were two inner tubes.  Nobody needed medical help.  Fire Department Captain Julio Reyes praised the group for calling 9-1-1.  He warned the public not to get into the river because currents are hard to judge.

Pleasant Grove may have to pay medical bills

The city of Pleasant Grove, Utah may have to pay the hospital bills of 50 people who needed medical care, after being exposed to chlorine gas in a public pool.  Dr. Nathan Miller of the American Fork Hospital says chlorine gas exposure can cause respiratory problems. It happened Tuesday afternoon when a pump malfunctioned at the Pleasant Grove Veterans Memorial Pool.  Witnesses said children were foaming at the mouth and vomiting.  At least two children were still in the hospital Wednesday night.  Pleasant Grove Police Captain Britt Smith told 2-News that an investigation would be conducted.

West Bountiful mom accusing police officer of racism

A West Bountiful mom is accusing a police officer of racism after he reportedly pointed his gun at her ten-year-old son during a suspect search.  Jerri Hrubes [[ ROO-bez ]] says she was stunned when she found the Woods Cross police officer in her yard yesterday. The Woods Cross Police Department says the officer was aiding in the search for two possibly armed suspects yesterday when he came across the young man and drew his weapon.  After realizing the child was not the suspect he was seeking, the officer holstered his gun and left the scene.  Hrubes believes the fact her son is black played a role in the officer's actions.

St. George man gets six years in prison

A Saint George man gets six years in prison after being accused of sexually abusing two children.  Twenty-year-old Kaden Luwayne Barber pleaded guilty to rape of a child and aggravated sex abuse in April.  Barber is accused of sexually abusing one of the victims repeatedly and giving her drugs and alcohol.  A second victim said Barber raped her while she was at his house to watch a movie.  A parent testified Wednesday that her daughter, happy and outgoing before the rapes, had become withdrawn and suicidal.

UHP revives man after crash

The Utah Highway Patrol says a man is recovering after a crash into the Logan River caused him to stop breathing.  The UHP said the crash happened around 6:30 p.m. yesterday on U.S. 89 near milepost 473.  The car rolled after the crash and wound up on its wheels in the river.  Bystanders pulled four people from the car and troopers began doing CPR on a male who wasn't breathing.  The man was revived and all four people from the car were taken to Logan Regional Hospital for treatment.