Monday morning, July 13, 2020
State
So Now You’re A Republican. Here’s How To Switch Back.
In the two months leading up to the June Republican primary election, more than 73,000 Utahns registered with the party. Some Democrats and left-leaning unaffiliated voters temporarily switched their affiliations to participate, since only registered Republicans could vote in the primary. But that switch is only temporary if voters remember to change their affiliation again. Voters who now want to disaffiliate need to re-register with another party or as an independent. But staying a Republican won’t impact which elections voters can participate in until the next partisan election in 2022. Read the full story. — Sonja Hutson
Utah Approaches 30,000 COVID Cases
Utah health officials reported nearly 1,300 more confirmed cases of COVID-19 over the weekend. The state’s health department also announced eight more people died from the disease. Five of them were Salt Lake County residents and six of them were either hospitalized or in a long term care facility at the time of their death. As of Monday morning, Utah has now seen about 29,500 cases of COVID since the start of the pandemic. Though officials said about 60% of those have recovered. — Ross Terrell
Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Asks Members To Wear Masks
The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has asked all its members in Utah to wear a face mask when in public. The request comes after Utah set multiple records last week for highest single day totals of new COVID cases, with more than 800 alone on Friday. In a statement released by the Church, officials call on members to be “good citizens” to help promote the general welfare of all. Select temples have already reopened for limited operations and Sunday worship services are capped at 99 people. — Ross Terrell
Follow KUER’s coverage of the coronavirus in Utah.
Northern Utah
More Than 800 Fans Attend Real Monarchs Game
The Real Monarchs, members of the United Soccer League, played their first game Saturday since the start of the COVID pandemic. The team faced off against the San Diego Loyal Soccer Club. Unlike other professional sports leagues that are returning to play, fans were allowed to be there in person. In fact, 816 people attended the game at Rio Tinto Stadium, which can hold about 20,000. The Monarchs would go on to lose one to zero. Their next game is scheduled for Saturday, July 18 at Rio Tinto. — Ross Terrell
Southern Utah
Latinx Community Struggling With COVID Cases In St. George
A third of the people who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 in Southwest Utah identify as Hispanic or Latinx, according to state health data. Yet, they only make up about 13% of the region’s population. A community member in St. George is pushing for the mayor to mandate masks to protect the Latinx population and other vulnerable populations. St. George Mayor Jon Pike said he's doing outreach on local Spanish radio shows but he doesn’t have the power to make a mask mandate on his own. Instead, the city is encouraging private businesses to have their own policies for face coverings. Read the full story. — Lexi Peery, St. George
New COVID Cases On Navajo Hold Steady
Since Friday, the Navajo Nation has announced just 145 new cases of COVID-19 along with 15 deaths. Since the start of the pandemic, the Nation has had more than 64,000 cases and 401 people have died. The Nation once again had a weekend lockdown that began Friday night and was lifted this morning. Navajo officials said there will be at least two more weekend lockdowns to help slow the spread of the disease. — Diane Maggipinto
Region/Nation
National Park Service Reimagines Yellowstone Bison Management
The National Park Service is reevaluating how it manages bison in Yellowstone. The last management review was done in the early 2000s. The interagency bison management plan includes state, federal and tribal agencies and maintains the free ranging bison at around 3,000 within the park. It does that by transferring some of the animals outside of the park after quarantining them for two years to ensure they’re disease free. Some animals are used for state and tribal sanctioned hunts. Others are slaughtered. The National Park Service said it intends to have its new plan in two years. — Kamila Kudelska, Mountain West News Bureau
