Tuesday morning, April 14, 2020
State
Special Session Set
The Utah Legislature has called itself into a special session starting Thursday morning. Lawmakers will address the state’s response to COVID-19, as well as several bills vetoed by Gov. Gary Herbert. And for the first time in state history, the special session will be held online. The House Speaker and the Senate President will be the only lawmakers in the Capitol, and they’ll conduct it from their respective chambers. It’s scheduled to last for 10 days, and lawmakers expect to call several more sessions throughout the next couple of months. Read the full story. — Sonja Hutson
Northern Utah
Sugarhouse Shelter
The temporary homeless shelter in Salt Lake City’s Sugarhouse neighborhood will close Wednesday as originally planned. The Sugarhouse Temporary Shelter houses about 145 people. Salt Lake City opened it in January to provide shelter to more people during the winter months as permanent shelters filled up. Around 40 people will be transferred to other programs, and there will likely be more space in permanent shelters. The city will continue operating another temporary shelter and a motel voucher program until the end of June. Read the full story. — Sonja Hutson
Make Way For Pedestrians
After receiving complaints about people not being able to practice safe social distancing on city streets, Salt Lake City is looking to temporarily expand where people can walk and bike. Transportation Director Jon Larsen said roads will still be open to cars, but the city is looking to potentially close off the lane closest to the sidewalk on some multi-lane roads. Smaller, residential streets would be open to local traffic only. Changes could happen as early as next week. Residents can provide their input on which streets they’d like to see opened up to pedestrians on Salt Lake City’s website. — Jon Reed
Follow KUER’s coverage of the coronavirus in Utah.
Hill Air Force Base Night Exercises
Residents near Hill Air Force Base might have noticed an increase in aircraft activity Monday night. Air Force pilots started training in the evening near the base, which is located just outside of Ogden. Training will continue through Saturday. Military officials said they are working on their nighttime combat skills and evaluating the safety of their aircrafts. Most of the flying is scheduled to wrap up by 10 p.m. each night. — Jessica Lowell
Southern Utah
The Show Will Go On
The Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City is still planning to hold its summer season. In a release, the festival says its actors will self-quarantine for two weeks when they arrive in southern Utah. They'll also make some changes to productions, like adding hand sanitizing stations, increased cleaning, strategic seating and simpler sets, costumes and lighting. In a press release, the festival said it will continue to monitor the situation with COVID-19 and make changes as needed. The first performance is scheduled for July 9. — Caroline Ballard
Region
Newspaper Gets Boost
A small-town newspaper in the region that lost most of its staff for three weeks due to the economic impacts of COVID-19 has received a helping hand. The Sandpoint Reader was able to temporarily rehire reporters for the next six weeks. The publisher credits an influx of reader donations and the stimulus package’s payroll protection program. That program has run into a myriad of problems including technical issues and delays. The Sandpoint Reader doesn’t know when it will actually receive the loan. — Nate Hegyi, Mountain West News Bureau
FBI Poster In Navajo
The FBI has issued its first poster in a Native American language. It's looking for information in Navajo about the death of a man six years ago on the New Mexico portion of the Navajo Nation. Authorities say 75-year-old Wilson Joe Chiquito was beaten to death at his home in the small community of Counselor in February 2014. The FBI recently released the plea in Navajo to the public for information that could help solve the case. The poster has been shared on social media and posted in Navajo community grocery stores and trading posts. — Associated Press