7 Opinion 18 Calendar 15 Showcase 20 Obituaries THE DAVIS 16 Sports 22 Classifieds History comes alive Students share stories from the past in CLIPPERTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019 VOL. 127 NO. 27 original production. See page 13 Davis County clears first hurdle in‘Big Pharma’ lawsuit by Becky GINOS together.” [email protected] The county filed suit against “Big Pharma” in 2018 over the aggressive FARMINGTON—The Davis marketing and negligent distribution of County Attorney’s Office is cautiously prescription opioid painkillers and the optimistic after a Third District Court resulting surge in overdose and fatality Judge ruled rates, Rawlings said. The suit seeks dam- last week that “They ages for costs incurred by the county as the county a result of the crisis. didn’t have to want to “They want to make us all drink out consolidate of the same trough,” he said. “That seri- its case with make us ously prejudices our own case. It lumps several other us together and dilutes the strength and counties who all drink power of our arguments. We want a have filed out of the Davis County jury to hear the case and suit against decide it. We’ll oppose it (consolidating) some of same vigorously. We want to control our own the nation’s destiny.” leading phar- trough.” Rawlings said it’s like having an maceutical NFL team that is going to the Super companies. — Troy Bowl. “Then all of a sudden you’re told Attorneys Rawlings you have to have 20 other teams and for the phar- 20 coaches and you might not even get maceutical to use your quarterback or offensive companies coordinator. It would be mass chaos,” he were requesting that the judge force BECKY GINOS said. “Shockingly, it was supported by Davis County to join with all the other DAVIS COUNTY ATTORNEY TROY RAWLINGS announces the lawsuit against pharmaceutical some of the other counties. We’re one of Utah cases, which the county adamantly companies in 2018. Rawlings is fighting against consolidating cases with other counties in the state. only a few who fought it.” opposed. Ultimately, the judge ordered that “We felt it went fairly well,” said There are over 20 counties that have to have all the cases consolidated into the Third District counties of Salt Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings. filed suit and four more are filing right one case but we’re not buying that. away. The defense attorney would love Eventually it would have to be tried “We’re encouraged by the judge’s ruling. see LAWSUIT | 10 Residents concerned over Shepard Lane interchange study by Becky GINOS manager for UDOT Region impacting residential would [email protected] One. “Park Lane has become be on the east side where I-15 busier and faster than anyone borders the Oakridge Country FARMINGTON— could have believed when it Club. “It would be very, very Concerned residents filled was first built. Now Shepard minimal,” he said. “But that’s the Oakridge Country Club Lane has its own traffic issues.” why we’re having this meeting. last week for a UDOT scop- Park Lane to Station We want to get ideas from ing meeting about an I-15 Park has no outlet, he said. people and have them express Shepard Lane Environmental “So there is some serious their likes and dislikes and Assessment (EA). congestion and no east/west tell us what benefits them as “It would provide a connectivity to Kaysville. a community from a project connection to the road from An interchange besides Park such as this. Our ideas may Farmington to Kaysville on the Lane would give Farmington/ change on what will work.” west side and on the east side Kaysville more access to I-15 He stressed the EA study is connect to Shepard Lane,” said which is always a good thing.” BECKY GINOS Vic Saunders, communications Saunders said the only land JEFF SIMS (center), senior associate engineer with the firm completing the Shepard see STUDY | 10 Lane EA for UDOT shows residents a map of Senior living Does Medicare pay for health care while traveling? See page 11 Thursday, February 28, 2019 Page 2 DAVIS CLIPPER Cities take Protecting great care to DAVIS protect water by Becky GINOS [email protected] BOUNTIFUL—The water debacle in Sandy was all over the news recently, prompting residents in other cities to question, how safe is the water? “We use a design out of Texas,” said Bountiful Water Director Mark Slagowski. “When it was first installed the fluoride injection “There was automated are many but we soon decided we things in didn’t want that so we place for physically the safety check our day tanks.” of our The pumps that employees inject the fluoride are and the low volume, public.” he said. BECKY GINOS “We can — Randy BOUNTIFUL WATER DIRECTOR MARK SLAGOWSKI stands by one of the city’s wells and shows how the system works. Several safeguards are in catch any place to protect the water supply going into residents’ homes. problems Randall long before great care. It’s a priority that we’re very content of fluoride bleaches the copper mayor. That would all happen in the there are serious about. When you’re adjusting and lead of pipes. The problem was first hour,” he said. “We’d also put it out high levels of fluoride. The pumps won’t chemicals in water you need to be extra communication and notifying people. through the media and on social media run unless the wells are running. Our vigilant about it.” If I found anything wrong in our water and use Reverse 911. However, that only design won’t allow for auto fill.” Sandy put so much fluoride into system I’d call the health department, calls home phones and no one answers Slagowski said it’s dangerous to their system the pH got down to be the division of drinking water and the those. People actually have to go in and handle the fluoride. “We take pretty corrosive, said Slagowski. “A high city manager, who would notify the subscribe to that (see related story). Sandy did all of those things, they just did it too late.” Most cities in Davis County handle their own water systems and use similar Sandy’s water problems show value of Reverse 911 precautions. “We have an automatic testing device by Tom HARALDSEN database. In Davis County, the program Ross said. When registering a phone at all of our wells,” said Centerville [email protected] is run through CodeRED, a high-speed to the system, residents can specify the Public Works Director Randy Randall. notification system administered types of alerts they wish to receive. They “We’re constantly testing the fluoride Among the many things that Sandy through a company called OnSolve. can also elect to have their information levels. There are many things in place residents and government officials That company created CodeRED in kept private so contact numbers are not for the safety of our employees and the learned from the contaminated water 1998, and its system is used in many shared outside of the system. public.” issue earlier this month, the incident cities and counties in the U.S. One lesson from Sandy’s incident Overfeeding is very possible so the showed the need for better emergency “A number of years ago, Davis is the need to have cell phone numbers city has put things in place to try and communication. That’s where the city’s County received a grant to help imple- registered. limit that, he said. “There are six differ- Reverse 911 program should have ment the system for residents here,” said “It makes sense that notifications ent things that have to line up before the worked—except it didn’t, in part because Bountiful Chief of Police Tom Ross. are sent to cell phones, since so many fluoride goes into the system. There are only a limited number of residents in the “It’s designed to provide service for people have them and usually carry a thousand ways to have over fluorida- affected area were registered with the everyone.” their phones with them,” Ross said. tion but it’s not allowed to be injected program. CodeRED allows the Davis County “Receiving a notice can allow that per- unless all the parameters are in place.” Reverse 911 is a public safety com- Sheriff’s office to notify residents by son to also share information through There are scales so they can watch munications system developed to notify landline, cell phone, text message, email their social media and with other family, how much acid is being consumed, said residents in emergency situations. It uses and/or social media regarding time- friends and neighbors.” Randall. “We’re able to see if the acid a database of telephone numbers and sensitive emergency issues. Only those Registration can be accomplished drops too fast or if it’s going in when it associated addresses that can be used authorized have access to disseminate online at the CodeRED website. You shouldn’t be going in.” to deliver emergency notifications to information through the system, and it can also get information through the Centerville has one well that is not telephone service subscribers. But it only is only used in emergencies. Emergency Management administrator fluoridated. “There are a lot of people works if those numbers are part of the “Residents have to opt in to be part at the Davis County Sheriff’s Office. who don’t like fluoride,” Randall said. of the program through registration,” see WATER | 9 DAVIS CLIPPER NEWS Thursday, February 28, 2019 3 Crime Briefs Compiled by Becky Ginos M.O.