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PM News Brief: Big Sky Football Season, Salt Lake Police Body Cam Footage & Officer Deras Fired

Photo of a University of Utah patrol car
Rocio Hernandez
/
KUER
The Logan City Police Department has fired Officer Miguel Deras after a report found he showed explicit photos of Lauren McCluskey to colleagues as a University of Utah Police officer.

Friday evening, August 7, 2020

State

Deidre Henderson Presumed To Be COVID Positive

Utah State Sen. Deidre Henderson said in a release Friday that she is presumed to be positive for COVID-19. Henderson tweeted that two of her family members tested positive for COVID-19 this week, and that she is showing symptoms. The family has begun isolation protocols. The Republican from Spanish Fork is Spencer Cox’s running mate for lieutenant governor in this year’s gubernatorial election. In a tweet, Spencer Cox said he has not seen Henderson in a week and does not think he’s been exposed. — Caroline Ballard

Utah COVID Update

Utah health officials reported 460 new cases of COVID-19 Friday bringing the state to more than 43,000 since the pandemic started. Though, about 75% of cases are considered recovered. Officials also announced that five more people have died due to the disease. All of them were either hospitalized or in a long-term care facility at the time of their death. There are currently 202 people in the hospital due to COVID-19 and nearly 560,000 people have been tested. — Ross Terrell

Follow KUER’s coverage of the coronavirus in Utah.

Northern Utah

Teachers Are Turning To Transfers And Wills To Prepare For School Year

As many Utah schools get set to reopen this month, teachers along the Wasatch Front are voicing concerns about returning to districts with plans they feel aren’t safe. That’s pushing some to extreme measures, such as transferring districts or creating wills in case of a worst case scenario. Read the full story.Jon Reed

Salt Lake Police Release Body Cam Footage Of Andrew Preece Shooting

Salt Lake City police released body cam footage Friday of a shooting involving two officers. The event happened outside of the Smith’s grocery store downtown. Capt. Richard Lewis said on July 25, dispatch received a call that two men were fighting inside the store and one had a knife. Lewis said when police arrived, the two men were walking down the street outside. He said that’s when the suspect with a knife placed his arm around the other man’s neck, taking him hostage with a knife to the throat, turning the incident into an aggravated kidnapping. Both officers gave several verbal commands to the suspect to stop and drop the knife. The two officers then fired around 10 shots, killing Andrew Preece. Lewis says they have each been placed on administrative leave and the case is still under investigation. — Ross Terrell

Logan Police Fire Officer Involved In Lauren McCluskey Case

The Logan City Police Department has fired Officer Miguel Deras. The move comes just two days after a report from Utah’s Department of Public Safety found he showed explicit photos of Lauren McCluskey to his colleagues, during his time as a University of Utah Police officer. McCluskey had sent Deras the photos as part of an extortion case against her ex-boyfriend. She was later killed on campus by that man. Deras’ termination is effective immediately. — Ross Terrell

More Protests Planned Across Wasatch Front

More protests against police brutality and for safe school reopenings are planned Friday evening across the Wasatch Front. A caravan of teachers and parents were scheduled to head to the Capitol calling on school officials to use science and best practices when making their decision to reopen schools for in-person learning. Also Friday evening, Black Lives Matter Utah planned to protest in Cottonwood Heights against the city’s police. Last weekend, events there turned volatile as police pepper sprayed and detained protesters during a rally. And on Saturday, in West Valley City, the Salt Lake chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation plans to hold an event calling on the city to defund its police. — Ross Terrell

Region/Nation

Big Sky Conference Postpones Football Season Until Spring

The Big Sky Conference announced Friday morning it has postponed its fall football season to next spring due to the coronavirus pandemic. The conference comprises 13 universities, including two in Utah — Southern Utah and Weber State. Tom Wistrcill, conference commissioner, called the decision difficult, but said ultimately they couldn't play football the way they wanted. Wistrcill said In the meantime, they'll be focusing on athletes' mental health. He said they are moving ahead with plans to build the schedule for spring. — Roddy Nikpour

So, When Should Your Kid Stay Home From School?

With some schools opening across our region this month, families are grappling with when to keep their kids home from school. Dr. David Pate is the former CEO of the St. Luke’s Health System in Boise, and said if a parent or sibling tests positive for the novel coronavirus, there’s an easy answer: everyone should stay home. COVID-19 is tricky, Dr. Pate said, because many kids who get infected don’t show symptoms. He said schools and families will need to be aggressive about keeping students with any sniffles or a cough out of the classroom, because those symptoms might be a sign of a cold or COVID-19. The Utah Department of Health is recommending that any student who comes in contact with a COVID-19 patient quarantine at home for two weeks. — Amanda Peacher, Mountain West News Bureau

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