Buffs overcome losing streak against Stallions See A7 TOOELETRANSCRIPT S T C BULLETIN S THURSDAY January 7, 2021 www.TooeleOnline.com Vol. 127 No. 64 $1.00 Tooele City Council picks new council member CEILLY SUTTON STAFF WRITER The Tooele City Council interviewed six candidates to fill a vacancy on the council, but in the end a deck of cards picked the winner. The Tooele City Council conducted interviews on Wednesday evening at 5:00 p.m. for individuals that wanted to fill the council seat vacated by Scott Wardle when he became a member of the Maresa Manzione Tooele County Council. “This is an exciting evening have applied for the position BIRD WATCHERS DREAM IN FISHSPRINGS and an exciting time for our to fill this seat. It is an exciting city,” said Tooele City Mayor way to serve our community.” Debbie Winn, speaking about The four remaining Fish Springs bird watchers the interviews. “I am thrilled MaryAnn and Robert to see so many candidates that SEE MEMBER PAGE A5 ® Parsons (above, TTB photo/ Mark Watson). A pelican takes flight at Fish Springs (left, courtesy Jonathan Barth). A Fish Springs tundra swan (below, courtesy Jonathan Barth). See related story Pratt Aquatic on page A3. Center pool will get repairs in February CEILLY SUTTON The current drain keeps STAFF WRITER water out of the pool that The Tooele City Council should not be going back in voted to replace a drain on and keeps things running the deck at the Pratt Aquatic smoothly at the pool, accord- Center and other deck repairs ing to Cook. to the pool during their 7 p.m. “The old water actually meeting on Wednesday eve- goes out into the sewer system ning. through the drain,” he said. Darwin Cook, parks and “When the drain fails the water recreation director, explained actually does go back into that the drain that is cur- the pool. This is water where rently on the deck of the pool outside shoes is coming into is hard to maintain and was contact with. Having this drain first installed when the pool that is not serviceable is actu- opened in 2000. ally posing a problem.” “Because of its size, it fails quite regularly,” said Cook. SEE POOL PAGE A5 ® Point in Time: annual search for homeless people Local homeless committee looking for There will no longer be a 20-25 list of questions on the volunteers to complete annual count survey, instead volunteer sur- veyors will only ask for name, TIM GILLIE HUD requires that the count age, and a location where the EDITOR take place on the same days individual spent the night of At the end of the month, statewide. Jan. 27, according to Gillies. volunteers from Tooele County This year the Point in Time Other changes include more will scour the community look- Count will primarily take place time to complete and turn in ing for homeless people. on January 28, 29, and 30, the count, the count will no It’s the annual Point in according to Brad Gillies, who longer need to be done in early Time Count required by the represents the Tooele County morning hours, and the count Department of Housing and Health Department on the can be done during the day at Urban Development so the Tooele County Local Homeless places that provide services to county can continue to receive Coordinating Council. homeless people. state and federal funds to help This year’s annual count has Also, due to the current with assistance for people and some modifications due to the FILE PHOTO families that are homeless. COVID-19 pandemic. SEE HOMELESS PAGE A5 ® Signs of homelessness in Tooele County. CLASSIFIEDS B7 OBITUARIES A6 Hiking for SPORTS A7 CORONAVIRUS TRACKER fitness and fun See A4 Data as of January 6, 2021. Source: Utah Department of Health TOOELE COUNTY- Known Cases: 4,844 UTAH- Known Cases: 292,720 Hospitalizations: 136 • Deaths: 13 Hospitalizations: 11,463 • Deaths: 1,330 A2 TOOELE TRANSCRIPT BULLETIN THURSDAY January 7, 2021 Credit card debt low in Tooele County, says financial company Tooele residents are ‘staying on top of their credit card bills’ SmartAsset’s Utah Counties with the least credit card debt TIM GILLIE a benchmark to determine weight of two. EDITOR whether people will be able The counties with the high- Credit Card Credit Card Online financial services to pay off that debt,” said est overall index value were Income per Net Wealth Credit Card Debt as % of Debt as % of Credit Card business, SmartAsset, has list- SmartAsset. the places with the least credit Rank County capita per capita Debt Income Wealth Debt Index ed Tooele County on their top SmartAsset also calculated card debt. ten list of counties in Utah with the ratio of credit card debt to SmartAsset advises people 1 Uintah $25,610 $23,478 $2,522 9.8 % 10.7 % 84.07 the least credit card debt. net wealth per capita for each to pay off credit card debt. 2 Weber $26,492 $25,262 $2,723 10.3 % 10.8 % 83.31 An analysis completed by county. “This measure provides “Paying off credit card debt SmartAsset in December 2020, a broader picture of an area’s isn’t just a smart financial 3 Washington $26,601 $32,938 $3,155 11.9 % 9.6 % 82.27 lists Tooele County as the 8th financial stability,” said the move. Research shows that 4 Box Elder $23,998 $31,044 $2,899 12.1 % 9.3 % 82.22 best county in the state “where study. carrying debt can be bad residents are staying on top of A weighted average of the for our physical and mental 5 Wasatch $32,805 $31,018 $3,506 10.7 % 11.3 % 81.93 their credit card bills,” accord- two ratios was used to calcu- health,” advises SmartAsset on 6 Davis $29,703 $38,016 $3,686 12.4 % 9.7 % 81.20 ing to SmartAsset. late an overall all index by tak- their website. To complete the study, ing a weighted average of each Paying off credit cards also 7 Carbon $23,473 $21,064 $2,505 10.7 % 11.9 % 81.17 SmartAsset calculated the ratio of ratios. allows people to focus on 8 Tooele $25,076 $31,246 $3,192 12.7 % 10.2 % 79.97 of credit card debt to per capita The credit card to income retirement and other financial income for each county in the ratio was given a weight of goals, according to SmartAsset. 9 Summit $53,950 $64,082 $6,810 12.6 % 10.6 % 79.60 state. one and the credit card to [email protected] 10 Duchesne $23,945 $19,848 $2,603 10.9 % 13.1 % 79.21 “This number can serve as net wealth ratio was given a $6.9 million in unpaid Vehicle rollover in Grantsville the road to avoid hitting the truck, they ended up rolling.” ‘Speed issue’ involved in cause The truck rolled because of property taxes in 2020 deep ditches on the side of the CEILLY SUTTON “They were trying to gauge road, Wayman said. STAFF WRITER their speed from an app on a Two of the three young men COVID contributed to larger delinquent tax list Three people were trans- phone.” were taken by ambulance to a ported to a hospital after a As the young men hospital for head injuries. One TIM GILLIE according to Jensen. vehicle rollover that occurred approached the Grantsville of the occupants of the vehicle EDITOR There was a timing issue in the treasurer’s near Grantsville on Jan. 7. Reservoir Road, a truck pulled had to be taken by helicopter The list of unpaid delinquent property office and the list wasn’t ready to be posted Three young men, aged out in front of them and head- to an ambulance in the Salt taxpayers totaled over $6.9 million for 2020, before the treasurer’s office closed on New 16, 17, and 19, were travel- ed towards Grantsville. Lake Valley. according to a report posted online by Tooele Year’s Eve, according to Jensen. ing on the Mormon Trail near The driver of the vehicle The owner of the other County Treasurer Mike Jensen. As of Dec. 1, property taxes, if not paid, Grantsville, headed back from with the three young men truck who pulled out onto “This is roughly $2.5 million more than are considered delinquent and a penalty of Rush Valley in a Ford Pickup was not able to stop in time, the road in front of the Ford last year,” said Jensen. the greater of 1% or $10 is assessed to all truck on Jan. 7 at 2:15 p.m. according to Wayman. Pickup didn’t get hit or injured, Jensen said he suspects the COVID-19 delinquent accounts. The three young men “They were going a little according to Wayman. pandemic may have something to do with Any balance that is not paid after Feb.1, reported after the accident over the speed limit and they “The detective on scene the increase in delinquent taxes. 2021 — usually Jan. 31, but it falls on that the speedometer on their thought they would go around didn’t find any impairment,” “I do know one of the larger state assessed Sunday this year — the penalty increases to truck was not working, accord- the truck,” said Wyman. “They said Wyman. “This was a speed properties is being affected by COVID and for the greater of 2.5% or $10 plus interest of ing to Lt. Eli Wayman, with the were coming up on it so fast issue.” this reason did not pay,” said.