www.tooeletranscript.com TUESDAY Vernon teacher still rings the bell at rural school See B1 TOOELETRANSCRIPT BULLETIN February 6, 2007 SERVING TOOELE COUNTY SINCE 1894 VOL. 113 NO. 75 50¢ Super Bowl party ends with brutal brawl Man beaten by brother-in-law remains on life support by Suzanne Ashe According to Grantsville after an argument between Cunningham suffered a bro- and abrasions at MWMC and Police Sgt. Steve Barrett, the two men became physi- ken nose and a collapsed sinus STAFF WRITER released into police custody. Troy Russell Jones, 33, of cal. cavity, according to Barrett. An altercation between two He was arrested on suspicion Grantsville, had just left “The fight began in the mid- He was taken to Mountain of aggravated assault and pub- brothers-in-law after a Super a party at about 10:30 p.m. dle of the street and moved to West Medical Center and later Bowl party in Granstville Sunday at a home on Hale the side of the road,” Barrett airlifted to University Hospital lic intoxication. ended with one man on life Street with his brother-in- said. where he remains on life sup- As of press time, Jones was support and the other in the law Gary Cunningham, 32, of Emergency medical crews port. being held without bail. Photo/ Tooele County Sheriff’s Department Tooele County Jail. Springville. Police were called were called to treat both men. Jones was treated for cuts [email protected] Troy Jones County behind on notifying delinquent taxpayers Approximately $848,000 in 2006 property taxes still unpaid by Mark Watson list in the newspaper costs 10 times STAFF WRITER more than mailing the cards. Tooele County is more than five “There is really no way to judge weeks behind in collecting $848,000 which method is more effective. A in delinquent property taxes and lot of the people who are delinquent hasn’t yet notified any of the delin- live out of town and don’t get the quent taxpayers it’s time to pay up. newspaper,” Lee said. Adjusting to a new computer Tooele Transcript Bulletin adver- software program installed in June tising manager Clayton Dunn said has created a delay for the county in the newspaper is capable of negoti- notifying those delinquent on pay- ating a better rate with the county if ing property taxes for 2006, accord- cost is the problem. He said the list ing to the county treasurer’s office. used to take up to seven pages in Because of the computer difficul- the newspaper. He added that put- ties, the postcard notices the county ting the notices in the paper is much sends to delinquent taxpayers had more effective in helping the county not been mailed as of Tuesday. They collect unpaid taxes. should have been mailed by Dec. “Utah statute requires that the 31, 2006. last known owner of record be noti- “We’re positive that we can get fied of delinquency on or before photography / Troy Boman those out this week,” said Tooele Dec. 31,” said Craig Jolley, assistant In 2006, there were 14,384 drunk drivers arrested in Utah. Of those, 453 were in Tooele County. The Tooele County attorney’s office County Treasurer Valerie Lee. director for the Utah Property Tax prosecuted 54 DUI felony cases last year. In addition to mailing the post- Division. “In addition, the delin- cards, the county prints the names quency appears on the tax notice of delinquent taxpayers on its Web in subsequent years each Nov. 1 Despite warnings and costs, drunk site as a backup method to notify until it is paid. Or, after four years, taxpayers. Lee said the County can the property goes to tax sale in May choose to publish the names in the or June. At that time, the auditor newspaper instead of mailing out driving arrests aren’t declining the postcards, but that printing the SEE TAXPAYERS ON A5 by Suzanne Ashe Arrests are only part of the picture, county courthouse, said Tooele County however. Drunk drivers took up 22.3 Attorney Doug Hogan. STAFF WRITER percent of the 1,281 total cases Hogan’s In 2006, the county attorney’s office Despite billboards, television spots Fan attacks referee on office dealt with last year. At any given and magazine ads, people are still time there are 40 open DUI cases at the SEE DRUNK ON A6 drinking and driving. Of the 14,384 drivers arrested in Utah court at Jr. Jazz game in 2006 for driving under the influence, by Mark Watson nesses, police learned where 453 were in Tooele County, according Tia lived and met him later UTAH Drunk driving arrests STAFF WRITER to a report by the Utah Commission on 16,422 Tooele City Police charged a in the day at his house in Criminal and Juvenile Justice. This was Stansbury Park man with dis- Stansbury Park where they a sharp drop in numbers from previous in Tooele County issued the citations. 15,463 orderly conduct and assault years, but a look back at the past seven Source: Department of Public Safety, Driver License Division Saturday after he attacked a Witnesses told officers that years reveals that the total number of referee at a Jr. Jazz basketball an unpopular call by West DUI arrests in the county has not var- 14,531 had been made during the 14,430 14,384 game at Clarke Johnsen Jr. ied much. 14,182 14,187 High School. game and several fans in the Statewide, 79 percent of DUI drivers According to police reports, stands began to shout at West. were male and 11 percent of offenders at least two witnesses saw Witnesses said Tia was sitting were under the legal drinking age of Iosua Tia, 31, of Stansbury on the front row and yelled 21. DUI drivers between the ages of 21 Park, punch referee Tim West, at West several times. Finally, and 36 accounted for 55 percent of all 20, of Stockton, during the West called a technical foul arrests. TOOELE COUNTY game. The blow caused West on Tia and penalized the team Utah maintained the lowest rate of to fall to the floor. Tia was supporting. Witnesses 524 568 595 556 587 alcohol-related fatalities in the nation, 462 435 The incident occurred said Tia told West he could not at 13 percent. The average nationwide give a fan a technical foul. 4.12% Saturday afternoon at a fifth- 3.39% 3.46% 3.18% 3.92% 4.14% was 39 percent. 3.15% sixth grade Tooele Junior Jazz Police were told Tia became In Tooele County, with 3 percent of boys basketball game. Police angry and rushed out on the 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 the state’s total population, the drunk responded to the school about floor, attacking West. After Tia driving arrests in the county have held Graphic by John Hamilton 1 p.m. and were told by wit- threw a punch, West fell to the steady at between 3 and 4 percent over Drunk driving arrests in Tooele County make up roughly 4 percent of the state’s total drunk nesses that Tia had left the the past seven years. driving arrests annually. building. After talking to wit- SEE JR. JAZZ ON A6 Superintendent ends hand-stamping practice in Tooele School District Students who owe lunch money will now get reminder letters by Alleen Lang stamping was criticized by reminder stamps on children’s make it necessary to change. tary schools in Tooele County ing the 2006-07 school year. CORRESPONDENT some educators and parents hands. While hand stamping has have been marking the hands Without hand stamping, A long-standing practice of because it embarrassed some Johnsen said he had not never been a policy, the prac- of children who owed lunch the process of collecting stamping the hands of chil- students. personally received any com- tice has been in place in the money. Several schools decid- lunch money “becomes very dren who owe lunch money “I didn’t know we were plaints about the practice of district for more than 20 years. ed against the practice after a challenging,” Johnsen said, in some Tooele County School doing it,” said Mike Johnsen, reminding children their lunch Johnsen said he did away with lunchroom managers meeting because letters sent home District schools has been Tooele County School District money was due by marking the practice in order to avoid in the fall of 2006, said Ruth with children often get mis- eliminated after stories last superintendent, who said their hands with a stamp. But, singling out children who Dunn, lunchroom manager placed. However, he agreed week by the Tooele Transcript as he started to look at the he added, “it only takes one” might be uncomfortable with at West Elementary. Dunn concerns over embarrassing Bulletin and ABC 4 directed practice he told food service child or parent who is uncom- the stamp. stopped marking the hands of SEE DISTRICT ON A6 attention to the practice. Hand employees to stop placing the fortable with the practice to About half of the elemen- children in her classroom dur- OPEN FORUM A4 HOMETOWN B1 INSIDE WEATHER Cloudy Tuesday and Wednesday. OBITUARIES A8 THE BULLETIN BOARD B2 Tooele swim team disappointed Rain and snow starts Thursday CROSSWORD A9 TV LISTINGS B3 with state results Complete Forecast: A2 See A10 SPORTS A10 CLASSIFIEDS B4 A2 TOOELE TRANSCRIPT-BULLETIN TUESDAY February 6, 2007 Utah & The West Valley Weather Forecast Local Weather Drought triggers water wars, pits Montana against Wyoming Wed By Matthew Brown demanding the Corps release 47/35 more water so their vessels can 2/7 ASSOCIATED PRESS LOVELL, Wyoming (AP) operate.