$4.9 million for University TRAX line approved
WASHINGTON -- Federal funding has left the station and is on its way to Utah to help extend the TRAX line from Salt Lake City's Main Street to the University of Utah.Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, said Nuria Fernandez, acting administrator of the Federal Transit Administration, notified him her agency is releasing $4.9 million for that line's preliminary design and engineering and preparations of its final environmental impact statement.
Bennett said the transit administration also is releasing $5.9 million to help buy 26 buses for both replacement and expansion of the UTA fleet and $788,553 for the design and construction of two new park-and-ride lots and ongoing construction of a previously approved lot.
Fire at Orem school damages slides
OREM -- A playground fire at an Orem elementary school shortly after school let out Monday caused about $20,000 damage.
Orem Police Lt. Doug Edwards said the fire started about 3:30 p.m. at Cherry Hills Elementary, 250 E. 1650 South. The blaze started under some plastic slides. It destroyed one slide and severely damaged another.
It took firefighters about an hour to extinguish the plastic material, and the blaze sent black smoke into the air. No children were injured in the blaze.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Police received one report that two boys started a fire under one of the slides.
Fraud symposiums for Utah postponed
The U.S. Attorney's Office has postponed two symposiums on health-care-fraud issues in St. George and Price this week.
The symposium, "Bridging the Gap Between Law Enforcement and Health Care Providers," was scheduled for May 17 in St. George and May 18 in Price. The U.S. Attorney's Office has been forced to reschedule the events for late September or early October due to conflicts with other conferences, a press release stated.
Sewer hookup fees to jump tenfold
New sewer hookups in Big Cottonwood Canyon are going to cost more -- a lot more -- come July 1.
The sewer connection fee will undergo a tenfold increase on that date, from $250 to $2,500. Older customers have been paying high monthly fees to retire bonds issued to construct the sewer in 1995. The new connection fee is so that new customers, who haven't been paying the monthly fees, will also pay a share of the bonds.
3 medals awarded in library shootings
The Utah Society of the Sons of the American Revolution presented three heroism medals Saturday to employees of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for their actions in the shootings at the Family History Library April 15, 1999.
Honored were Donald Thomas, the security guard who was killed in the incident, and Michael J. Hall and Stephen C. Young, who were in charge of the evacuation of library patrons from the main floor of the library where the shootings occurred.
The awards were presented at the group's annual meeting and awards banquet, held at the Lion House.
Cedar Breaks road opens for summer
CEDAR CITY -- The road to Cedar Breaks National Monument in Iron County is open for the summer.
The Utah Department of Transportation announced the opening of U-148 Wednesday. The highway connects U-14 east of Cedar City and U-143 near the northeast corner of the monument.