www.tooeletranscript.com TUESDAY See some of Tooele County’s prettiest lights See B1 TOOELETRANSCRIPT BULLETIN December 19, 2006 SERVING TOOELE COUNTY SINCE 1894 VOL. 113 NO. 60 50 cents Accused murderer described as valiant, polite, personable by Mary Ruth Hammond confessed to earlier this month. STAFF WRITER Tooele police believe on that date Accused murderer Walter Smith Smith killed Nicole Speirs, his 22- was a “valiant Marine who served year-old girlfriend and mother of our country well,” according to his his 18-month-old twins, a boy and commanding officer in Iraq, 1st Sgt. girl. Nick Lopez of Salt Lake City. Lopez Smith told police that during and Smith served together with the early morning hours of March Fox Company in the 2nd Battalion 25, he left his home with the twins of the 23rd Regiment in Iraq from to visit family in Burley, Idaho. March 2003 to August 2004. Speirs did not accompany the fam- Lopez said the company was ily because she was scheduled to dubbed “The Saints and Sinners.” work at Wal-Mart at 1 p.m. on He explained that about half the that date. However, Speirs never company were residents of Utah showed up to work, nor did she — the saints — and the other half call to let anyone know she wasn’t were from Las Vegas — the sinners. coming. Because of their duties in Iraq, the Around 1 a.m. on March 26, “Saints and Sinners” may have seen Smith and the children arrived back more death and carnage than many home — much earlier, Smith said, other companies, he said. than he had intended. He used his Those who knew Smith both house key to open the front door, before and after his military service then placed the twins in their beds. agree, however, that he seemed Smith told police he heard water unchanged after returning from running in the bathroom. He sub- Iraq. Smith was described as a sequently found Speirs face down disciplined, respectful, and non- in the tub with the faucet still run- photo courtesy of Speirs family violent person. ning. The tub did not overflow due Walter Smith and Nicole Speirs had a family picture taken with their twin son and daughter on Jan 15, 2006. Nicole drowned in a bathtub on But that description is incongru- to an overflow drain. Smith said March 24. Police initially called the drowning an accident, but Smith, a Marine who returned home from Iraq in 2004, recently told his uncle and ous with the March 24, 2006 crime two police officers that he was responsible for Nicole’s death. Smith is accused of and reportedly SEE MURDER ON A12 Annexation would BUSIEST DAY OF THE YEAR Stansbury depend upon Park G-ville’s neighbors approves Incoming Commissioner Clegg could be key to deal budget by Alleen Lang by Karen Hunt CORRESPONDENT STAFF WRITER A $611,666 budget for 2007 was If Grantsville City’s proposed annexation of an area includ- adopted by the Stansbury Park ing Deseret Peak Complex and Miller Motorsports Park goes Greenbelt and Recreation Service as hoped, the city could double in size and greatly increase its Agency on Wednesday, but not economic base. However, the deal hinges on approval from land- without protest on the part of trust- owners in the area in question. ee John O’Donnell, who wanted to “I think the city’s whole position on this is they’re not really see accountability linked to a 5 per- trying to push the issue per se,” said Jason Burningham, principal cent increase in employee wages. with Lewis Young Robertson & Burningham, a statewide land- Wages, benefits and insurance use consulting firm researching the feasibility of the annexation took up the lion’s share of the new for Grantsville City. “But they do realize they’re going to have to budget with a total projected cost provide services to the area.” of $291,998. A total of $177,668 Burningham says his firm is working to contact all property was set aside for maintenance and owners in the area to determine whether they would be amenable repair with $55,000 earmarked for to becoming Grantsville residents. He said some property owners utilities. The board also approved have already expressed an interest in annexing. $20,500 for equipment and supplies “I think how positive they are, how supportive they are, will with $48,500 set aside for elections, determine how likely we are to go forward,” he said. public notices and legal services. Perhaps the most important single individual who could weigh Special projects and a $5,000 con- in on the plan is incoming Tooele County Commissioner Bruce tingency fund nipped $11,000 of Clegg. In addition to the influence he will have as an elected offi- photography / Troy Boman the budget. cial, Clegg also chairs the Grantsville Soil Conservation District, Kathy Hardie was among many who shipped Christmas packages on Monday afternoon, the busiest shipping Pointing out that 48 percent which owns hundreds of acres in the area and currently leases the day of the year. The Tooele post office had filled a 40-foot semi-trailer with outbound parcels by midday. Nationally, 900 million pieces of mail were expected to be handled by the Postal Service Monday. SEE ANNEX ON A7 SEE STANSBURY ON A12 Without more funds County nudges employees Operation Christmas toward healthier lifestyles threatened with by Mark Watson standard and those who are steadily STAFF WRITER improving their fitness, the county A few extra sit-ups or hiking an will slash insurance payments up to closure next year extra mile can mean a slimmer phy- $900 per year for the employee and spouse. by Mary Ruth Hammond sique — and also a trimmer county “Money is always a good motiva- STAFF WRITER budget. In a move to keep insurance pre- tor so we decided to provide these Tooele County Community Action Program has miums low, Tooele County is insti- incentives for those who partici- provided Christmas help for needy families for tuting a program to help insured pate in the wellness program,” said about 13 years, but this could be the last year the employees and their spouses stay Tooele County Human Resources program exists, according to Lauren Anderton, healthy. It’s also a move to save tax- Director Pam Ayala. CAP’s neighborhood specialist. payers money. Last year the county’s So far, 252 county employees and “We just aren’t getting the support we usu- insurance provider paid out $600,000 spouses have signed up for the new ally receive from Tooele County,” she said. “For for 10 medical claims. Most of those program, which was designed and whatever reasons, donations of cash, food, toys claims were from heart-related dis- is being administered by Behavioral and other presents just haven’t been real good eases. Health Strategies of Utah. “We go this year.” The county will attempt to cut in and work with organizations Anderton said CAP generally receives dona- photography / Troy Boman back on insurance claims and keep and individuals in an effort to keep tions of about $5,000 in cash annually, but much Lauren Anderton, neighborhood specialist for the Tooele County Community Action Program, premiums low by instituting a plan insurance costs down,” said Shawn sorts through applications submitted by families in need. The program Operation Christmas to keep workers fit. For employees SEE CAP ON A5 has helped 95 families in the valley, but still needs sponsors to help another 32 families. who already meet a certain health SEE COUNTY ON A9 WEATHER OPEN FORUM A6 BULLETIN BOARD B3 INSIDE Partly cloudy and uncomfortably OBITUARIES A8 TV LISTINGS B4 Buffs finish second in Tooele cold Tuesday and Wednesday. Invitational Complete Forecast: A2 SPORTS A10 CROSSWORD B5 See A10 HOMETOWN B1 CLASSIFIEDS B6 A2 TUESDAY December 19, 2006 Utah & The West Etc. Clergy urges members to support Temps/Precipitation Higher rates start Date High Low (prec./inches) immigrants affected by raid Dec. 14 59 37 .08 for Rocky Mountain Dec. 15 60 46 LOGAN, Utah (AP) — Eller said St. John’s will is something that seizes our Dec. 16 46 24 .32; 5” snow Religious leaders in Cache take up a special collection at hearts,” said Pastor Corinne Dec. 17 29 21 .27; 3” snow Valley are asking their mem- Sundays’ service, with contri- Thul of the Prince of Peace Dec. 18 30 16 .02; trace snow bers to help support the rela- butions going toward families Lutheran Church in North Power customers Ned Bevan, Tooele’s weather observ- tives of immigrants who were in need of supplies and other Logan. “We feel like the needs SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — and the Utah Committee of er for the National Weather Service, swept up during a recent forms of assistance. exist and we can reach out Higher electricity rates kicked Consumer Services, a watch- reports that his recording station at 139 immigration raid. Dean Quayle, a spokesman in last week for customers of dog group that represents S. Main received .59 inches of precipita- as Christians with compassion “The human cost here is for the Church of Jesus Christ Rocky Mountain Power Co. low-income residents, retirees tion between Dec. 14 and Dec. 18 and a tremendous, whatever your of Latter-day Saints, said regardless of anyone’s stance total of .94 in December. on the immigration issue.” State regulators this month and small businesses, agreed For the water year, which began Oct. political feelings,” said the materials in the local bishops approved a two-step, $115 mil- last summer to a $115 million The Rev.