3-9-21 Transcript Bulletin
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Grantsville opens baseball season with victory See B1 TOOELETRANSCRIPT S T C BULLETIN S TUESDAY March 9, 2021 www.TooeleOnline.com Vol. 127 No. 81 $1.00 County scores transportation funding and more during Legislature CLAYTON DUNN/TTB PHOTO Upon arrival at Deseret Peak, drivers are given instructions on how to proceed. Age drops for COVID-19 vaccine CEILLY SUTTON people with a body mass index of 30 or Johnson and Johnson vaccine being STAFF WRITER higher. approved, Utah has begun receiving Utah Governor, Spencer Cox Previously, the BMI threshold was 40 shipments of this vaccine, along with announced that beginning Monday, or higher. the other two vaccines from Pfizer and individuals aged 50 and older and Other qualifying conditions can be Moderna.” Utahns over the age of 16 with cer- found at coronavirus.gov The Tooele County Health tain health conditions are qualified to “The state wanted to expand the Department is working with Macey’s FILE PHOTO receive a vaccine, during his March 4 eligibility to be able to vaccinate more Grocery Store in Tooele City. Rep. Doug Sagers discusses legislative issues with local leaders. weekly media briefing. people, because there are enough vac- “We are giving them 100 of the doses The new qualifying conditions are cines available,” said Amy Bate, pub- that we receive, so they can provide BY SCOTT FROEHLICH loans for inland port projects diabetes, type one or two, chronic lic information officer at the Tooele STAFF WRITER INTERN Construction of the infra- kidney disease and obesity including County Health Department. “With the SEE VACCINES PAGE A7 ® Last week, the Utah legisla- structure projects are still wait- tive session wrapped up and ing for mitigation and other several bills proposed by Rep. components to be hashed out, Doug Sagers passed and were but Sagers believes the major- signed by Gov. Spencer Cox. ity of them will be completed Most consequential among within two to three years. those was a $4.2 billion As a result of the new high- Infrastructure and General ways and industry brought Government bill. Included in to Tooele County, Sagers County Commission approves the bill, which amounted to believes there will be a boom 18% of the state’s $23 billion in employment opportunities. budget, was a swath of roads “Over the next three years and highways to be built in we’ll see huge improvement rezone on Pine Canyon Road Tooele County in the coming in job opportunities in Tooele years. Sagers estimated $10 County,” he said. million will directly benefit the In addition to creating new TIM GILLIE residential development, in accordance south and west. It’s attached to Tooele area. jobs, the changes in the county EDITOR with the County’s general plan. Howard County on the east side. Projects passed: will bring about a larger tax The Tooele County Council approved requested that the zoning for the prop- “With the city’s plan for relatively Third lane added from Lake base which Sagers asserts is a general plan amendment and rezone erty be changed from rural residential higher density in the surrounding resi- Point to Stansbury Park, creat- nearly nonexistent. “What for an 8.28-acre parcel that lies between with a 5-acre minimum lots size to dential neighborhoods I thought the ing a three-lane highway. we need is a strong industrial the western end of Pine Canyon Road commercial-general. neighbors might need a place to store A third lane added from complex that will create high and the railroad tracks during their In order to change the use of the an RV,” Howard told the planning com- Lake Point to 2100 South in paying jobs that will [make] a March 2 meeting. property to commercial from residential mission when they were considering his SLC. difference,” he said. Samuel Howard, of Erda, the prop- the general plan recommendation for request. Installment of an overpass at Further benefits to the new erty owner, requested the change so he the property must be changed first. The County Engineer indicated that 2100 S. and I-80. industry coming over the next can build an RV storage facility on the The property has no water, sewer, or traffic counts for the anticipated use Creation of a “bank” to to property. storm drain infrastructure. Tooele City help distribute $75 million in SEE CHANGES PAGE A7 ® The property is currently zoned for surrounds the property to the north, SEE REZONE PAGE A7 ® Wet February provides brief relief to water situation MARK WATSON October 1, total precipitation moisture conditions improved CORRESPONDENT for Tooele is at 3.10 inches during the month of February; Tooele received more pre- compared to a normal of 7.38 they are now back up to cipitation in February than inches. around the minimum levels it did in the previous four Snowpack in Tooele Valley previously observed during the months combined, according and West Desert Basin is below last decade. Given the current to Ned Bevan, weather observ- normal at 88%, compared situation, this is good news, er for the National Weather to 114% last year, accord- according to the report. Service. ing to the March 1 “Climate Utah’s drought conditions Total precipitation for and Water Report” published improved slightly in February, February was 1.59 inches com- by the Natural Resources with roughly a 10% drop in pared to normal precipitation Conservation Service. the area of the state in the for the month of 1.33 inches. Grantsville Reservoir is at Exceptional Drought (D4) cat- Total snowfall tallied 16.2 51% capacity compared to egory. All of Utah still remains inches compared to a normal 77% last year while Settlement in drought. 14. 1 inches. Canyon is at 50% capacity Snow water equiva- TIM GILLIE/TTB PHOTO After five months into the compared to 66% last year. Fishing at snow lined Settlement Canyon Reservoir on the morning of Feb. 15. weather year which started Statewide average soil SEE FEBRUARY PAGE A7 ® BULLETIN BOARD B6 CLASSIFIEDS B4 Legislators go OBITUARIES A6 CORONAVIRUS TRACKER home OPEN FORUM A4 See A2 SPORTS B1 Data as of March 8, 2021. Source: Utah Department of Health TOOELE COUNTY- Known Cases: 6,624 UTAH- Known Cases: 375,109 Hospitalizations: 204 • Deaths: 37 Hospitalizations: 14,913 • Deaths: 1,977 A2 TOOELE TRANSCRIPT BULLETIN TUESDAY March 9, 2021 Utah Legislature wrapping up business for the year SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — in most cases. tax-relief bills involving fami- confinement without clothes The Utah Legislature is wrap- lies with children, veterans and as punishment. ping up its business for the CONCEALED CARRY older residents receiving Social year Friday. Lawmakers have Gun owners no longer need Security. MUG SHOTS already tackled a number of a permit to carry a concealed The bills were supported by Police in Utah may soon be issues this year during a ses- gun in Utah under a bill Republican Senate President banned from releasing mug sion that was conducted par- that easily passed the GOP- Stuart Adams and House shots until a person has been tially remotely because of the dominated Utah Legislature Speaker Brad Wilson. They convicted of a crime under coronavirus pandemic. and was quickly signed into came after new revenue esti- a bill that passed the full Here’s a look at some of the law. mates showed that lawmakers Legislature this week. big issues this year: The state had previously had an additional $1.5 billion The Utah Senate unani- required people to take a to spend this year because the mously voted in favor of the LIFTING MASK MANDATE weapons course, undergo a economy is improving faster bill Wednesday that aims to Utah’s statewide mask man- background check and get a than predications despite the make mug shots a private date will be lifted on April 10 permit to legally carry a gun in pandemic. record to limit their impact on under a measure that passed public hidden under a jacket or Most of that money, though, people’s lives — especially for the full Legislature Friday inside a purse. was one-time cash and not those who are falsely accused night. Utah was at least the 16th available for next year’s bud- or never found guilty. Republican Gov. Spencer state to allow permitless get. The Associated Press is a Cox has said he plans to sign carry, and several other states member of the Utah Media the bill. are considering similar mea- TROUBLED TEENS Coalition, which has raised The bill lays out a new time- sures backed by gun-rights INDUSTRY objections to the mug shot line for when Utah’s COVID-19 groups like the National Rifle Lawmakers passed rules proposal. restrictions applying to busi- Association. regulating treatment centers The bill now moves to the nesses, events and schools for troubled teens, weeks after governor’s desk for consider- would end. The mask mandate TRANSGENDER YOUTH Paris Hilton gave emotional ation. would still apply to gatherings A push to ban transgender testimony in support of the Florida, Delaware and North of more than 50 people. athletes from girls sports teams bill. Dakota introduced similar A previous version of the bill in Utah passed the state House The legislation for facili- measures this year after Illinois would have lifted the state’s this session, but it was halted ties that treat teens with passed one in 2020. mask order immediately. in the Senate after the gover- behavioral and mental health nor raised doubts. COURTESY UTAH GOVERNOR’S OFFICE issues gained final approval in PORN FILTERS EMERGENCY POWERS About two dozen other The 2021 Legislature worked on legislation that defines and restricts the House on Tuesday and is New cellphones and tablets Emergency powers for states are considering similar emergency powers for the governor, mayors and local health departments.