Sunrise Stories: “Eyes Hurt” Trends Following Solar Eclipse Seen in Utah

KDXU Sunrise Stories: Volume 188 

Statewide News – 04/09/24 

Utah Residents Gather to View Last Solar Eclipse Until 2044 

Residents across Utah stepped outside to view the last total solar eclipse in North America for the next 20 years, sort of.  

The eclipse was only 50% totality from Utah as the eclipse was mainly visible from the path starting in Texas and ending in Maine.  

Despite the constant warnings from health officials, “my eyes hurt” began to trend on Google as the eclipse lasted from about 11:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 

Libertarian Presidential Candidates to Debate in Salt Lake 

Three presidential candidates from the Libertarian Party will meet for a debate on April 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel at the Salt Lake City International Airport. 

Former police officer Mike ter Maat, tech entrepreneur Lars Mapstead, and ENT doctor Charles Ballay will be in attendance. 

The Libertarian Party will host its national convention over Memorial Day weekend in Washington D.C. 

Southern Utah/St. George News – 04/09/24 

Washington City Drug Bust Leads to Arrest of 2 People 

Two people were arrested following a drug bust in Washington City on April 3. Nathaniel Colt Albrecht, 48, and Melinda Lark Albrecht, 54, were arrested following the approval of a search warrant for the suspect's home. 

Agents from the Washington County Task Force found 15 one-gallon bins of illegal mushrooms, amounts of marijuana, MDMA, ketamine, and LSD. 

The task force later concluded the two people were conducting a drug dealing operation from the home as they found a printer meant for shipping labels along with various other packaging materials. 

Back-to-Back Incidents Halt Traffic Near Kanarraville 

Two incidents that occurred one after another caused traffic to halt on I-15 near Kanarraville on the morning of April 8. 

The first incident involved a gray Dodge Ram pickup truck that caught fire for an undetermined reason while towing a flatbed U-Haul trailer. Fire workers were able to extinguish the fire, and nobody was injured. 

The second incident occurred on the opposite side of the freeway when a white Ford F-150 reportedly rear-ended a Chevrolet Silverado. One person was sent to the hospital with minor injuries. 

Ivins Rollover Crash Sends Driver to Hospital 

According to a statement from Santa Clara-Ivins Fire and Rescue on Facebook, a person was sent St. George Regional Hospital following a rollover crash on Old Highway 91 in the evening hours of April 7. 

No details were given beyond that, but the statement advised residents to be careful when using the two new roundabouts that were recently built in Ivins. 

Other 

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

Stockton’s been reminiscing about his high school days, specifically his sophomore year at Dixie High School. Stockton attempted to do theater, choir, and band all in the same semester and was successful in doing so; However, a school counselor called him in and told him he needed to drop one of the classes to make way for the required curriculum that was missing from his schedule. Stockton chose to get rid of band class, and he hasn’t picked up an alto saxophone since. 

Happy Tuesday!