FRFRONTONT PAGE A1 www.tooeletranscript.com TUESDAY Grantsville girls beat 4A Cottonwood See A10 TOOELE RANSCRIPT T Check out the features on our new Web site: BULLETIN tooeletranscript.com December 2, 2008 SERVING TOOELE COUNTY SINCE 1894 VOL. 115 NO. 057 50¢ UPS driver killed in two-truck collision on SR-36 by Jamie Belnap STAFF WRITER A UPS driver was killed in a two-vehicle crash Monday morning at the intersection of SR-138 and SR-36 in Stansbury Park. Alan Christofferson, 54, of West Jordan, was traveling 60 mph south on SR-36 in a UPS delivery truck at approximate- ly 9:20 a.m. when a Peterbilt dump truck in the northbound lanes pulled out in front of him while attempting to turn west onto SR-138, according to Cpl. Andrew Prescott of the Utah Highway Patrol. The dump truck, owned by Western Excavation, was stuck on the right front tire by the UPS truck, causing both vehi- cles to spin to the west side of the road. Prescott said the impact left both vehicles severely man- gled. “The dump truck spilt in half and the cab was demol- ished,” Prescott said. Christofferson was found pinned inside the UPS truck and had to be extracted. He was pronounced dead on scene, according to Prescott. photography / Maegan Burr A UPS employee looks at the wreckage from a crash Monday morning at the intersection of SR-138 and SR-36 involving a Western Excavation dump truck and a UPS delivery truck. The driver of the UPS SEE COLLISION PAGE A6 ➤ truck died in the accident. County attorney says plea deals don’t let criminals off that easy by Jamie Belnap or amended charges — a process try to soften it up a little bit.’ The STAFF WRITER called a plea bargain. deal doesn’t happen unless there Does that mean Tooele’s crimi- is a benefit for both sides.” In Tooele County’s 3rd District nals are getting off easy? The Jim Bradshaw, a past chairman Court, few criminal cases are deter- question is open for interpreta- of the criminal law section of the mined by trial. In fact, approx- tion, but Hogan said most people’s Utah State Bar Association and imately 95 percent of cases are interpretation is based on a mis- a 25-year criminal defense attor- photography / Maegan Burr resolved by guilty pleas, according informed perception about court ney based in Salt Lake City, said A line of shoppers wait to be checked out at Big 5 Sporting Goods Friday morning. Tooele retailers reported to Tooele County Attorney Doug proceedings. Tooele County’s high number of better-than-expected sales during Black Friday. Hogan. While some defendants do “Everyone thinks that plea deals plea-bargained resolutions is not plead out on charges as they were are a bad thing,” Hogan said. “But an anomaly, but rather a common originally filed, 85 to 90 percent we don’t just say ‘Oh this will be Black Friday weekend of defendants plead out on lesser tough for the defendant we should SEE DEALS PAGE A8 ➤ colored with green backs Audit: County solid financially Local merchants surprised by turnout, sales One dark spot is Deseret Peak Complex, which ran $2.3 million in the red during kickoff to holiday shopping season by Sarah Miley partner in Haynie & Company, an Tooele County Auditor Mike STAFF WRITER independent regional firm with Jensen echoed that sentiment. a Salt Lake City office of certified “We’re still in pretty good shape,” by Doug Radunich day and Thanksgiving week- get in,” he said. “Our remote Tooele County is in good finan- public accountants and manage- he said, adding every fund has a STAFF WRITER end exceeded set expecta- control products, such as our cial shape, according to a recent ment consultants, that conducted positive fund balance, which is state tions. planes and cars, sold very audit of the county’s finances. the audit. “The county is in a good law. Black Friday turned out to “It was actually the best well, and our exercise equip- “Overall it’s a pretty positive financial position. It’s well-budget- The audit, which covered the peri- be a day of celebration for opening sales wise out of all ment sold well too, which financial report,” said Randy Jensen, ed and well-funded.” od from January 2007 to December Tooele Valley retailers as they the Sears Authorized Dealer could be because people 2007, showed the county was reported ringing up better- store openings we’ve ever want to stay in shape more operating well in the black. than-expected sales. had,” he said. around the holidays. We also Combined ending fund bal- At Tooele’s new Sears Next door, at Big 5 Sporting almost ran out of our 91/30 ances for governmental funds Authorized Dealer store, Goods, the turnout was sniper rifles.” were nearly $12.3 million. SUN AND MOON SEVEN-DAY FORECAST FOR TOOELE which had its grand open- equally strong, according to The local UVBlack INDEX Friday That surplus was down $5.6 The Sun Rise Set WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAYing SATURDAY on Black Friday, SUNDAYa small store manager MONDAY Jeremy Dudar. TUESDAYstory was echoed nationwide. million in comparison with Wednesday 7:35 a.m. 5:02 p.m. crowd had formed outside “As a new store in a new According to Shopper Trak, the previous year. Thursday 7:36 a.m. 5:02 p.m. Friday 7:37 a.m. 5:02 p.m. the doors well before the town, we exceeded our expec- the world's foremost provid- Mike Jensen said the rea- Saturday 7:38 a.m. 5:02 p.m. store opened, according to tations and saw thousands er of shopper2 2 traffic2 counting2 2 2 2 son for that decrease was that Sunday 7:39 a.m. 5:02 p.m. owner Brian Thomas. of people come in all day information, technology and revenues and mitigation fees Monday 7:40 a.m. 5:02 p.m. “We decided to open a Friday,” he said. “Our park- decisionWed support Thu Fri softwareSat Sun Mon Tue were slightly down. In addi- Tuesday 7:41 a.m. 5:02 p.m. The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index™ The Moon Rise Set little bit earlier, just because ing lot was full and we had for businessesnumber, the greater in thethe need retailfor eye and skin tion, there were some capital Wednesday 11:51 a.m. 10:32 p.m. there were so many peo- lines out to the shoe wall. We industry,protection. total0-2 Low;Black 3-5 Moderate; Friday 6-7 High; 8-10 improvements, including the Thursday 12:15 p.m. 11:35 p.m. Very High; 11+ Extreme Friday 12:37 p.m. none ple who had been wait- probably sold an even mix sales across the country rose health department expansion, Saturday 1:00 p.m. 12:39 a.m. ing since around 4 or 4:30 of our more expensive items 3 percent to $10.6ALMANAC billion this and other land and building Sunday 1:24 p.m. 1:45 a.m. Statistics for the week ending Dec. 1. Some sun, then a.m.,” he said. “The store was and cheaperA morning items.”flurry; Considerable cloudsyear, compared to 2007 Black purchases like acquiring the Monday 1:50 p.m. 2:55 a.m. Mostly cloudy Partly sunny Plenty of sunshine Partly sunny Temperatures Tuesday 2:23 p.m. 4:09 a.m. turning cloudy swamped from 5 a.m. until Dudarclouds said and sunshopperswith were a little snowFriday sales. In addition, the JCPenney building and land High/Low past week 56/29 First Full Last New we closed at 9 p.m. It was my lining up outside the store, NationalNormal Retail high/low Federation past week 44/25 around Deseret Peak. 47 27 45 26 44 26 first 50experience27 dealing46 with27 which 41opened29 last month,32 26reportedAverage that temp more past weekthan 172 42.7 Nine departmental funds something like this. Some of at 4:45 a.m. on Friday even millionNormal shoppers average temp pastaround week 34.7 make up governmental TOOELE COUNTY WEATHER Daily Temperatures High Low Dec 5 Dec 12 Dec 19 Dec 27 Shown is Wednesday’s our employees were having though the doors didn’t open the country visited stores funds: human services, pub- to work 15- to 16-hour days until 5:30 a.m. and retail Web sites during 56 lic health, road maintenance, Forecasts and graphics provided by weather. Temperatures are 51 53 49 52 photography / Maegan Burr Wednesday night’s lows and last weekend.” “Once we finally opened the entire post-Thanksgiving48 43 aging and adult services, AccuWeather, Inc. ©2008 Tooele County Auditor Mike Jensen sits in his office Tuesday after examining a 2007 audit of Wednesday’s highs. Thomas said the total rev- the doors, there was a line county finances. Jensen says county departments are well-budgeted and well-funded. enue for the store’s opening of 50 to 100 people trying to SEE GREEN PAGE38 A736 ➤36 40 36 SEE AUDIT PAGE A7 ➤ UTAH WEATHER 29 31 Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Logan Grouse 49/27 Wendover Precipitation (in inches) INSIDE Creek 49/25 BULLETINKnolls BOARDClive B3 WEATHER Lake Point 49/21 47/25 47/26 50/27 18.43 Ogden CLASSIFIEDS B6 Stansbury Park 14.40 47/27 Erda 50/27 Money-saving tips Grantsville fire station Vernal HOMETOWN B1 Grantsville 49/29 Pine Canyon Salt Lake City 42/19 50/27 39/24 0.04 0.42 0.00 0.06 for the holidays lights up the night Tooele 50/27 OBITUARIES A6 Bauer 47/27 Last Normal Month Normal Year Normal 47/27 Tooele Week for week to date M-T-D to date Y-T-D See B1 See A5 Provo Roosevelt 47/27 44/17 OPEN FORUM A4 50/24 See Complete Stockton Snowfall (in inches) Price SPORTS A10 47/27 48/21 1.0 Nephi Forecast Rush Valley 49/24 TV LISTINGS B4 47/26 Ophir on A9 39/22 Delta Manti 51/24 48/23 0.0 0.0 Green River Last Month Season 52/22 Dugway Week to date to date Richfield Gold Hill 48/25 51/24 Moab 48/19 SNOWPACK Hanksville 50/26 Beaver 57/22 Vernon Tooele Valley-Vernon Creek Basin 53/23 Ibapah 46/25 49/19 Snow Water Equivalent as of 12 a.m.