AM Brief: Utah’s NCAA losses, Granite Mountain construction & Native American boarding school report

Monday, Mar. 21, 2022

State

Utah lawmakers support Senate daylight savings time bill

Some of Utah’s state and federal lawmakers are onboard with a national bill to make Daylight Saving Time permanent. The U.S. Senate recently passed the measure. It would mean darker mornings and more sunlight in the evenings year round. State Sen. Wayne Harper, R-Taylorsville, supports the idea. In fact, he sponsored a Daylight Saving Time bill in 2020 that became law. On the federal level, both Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, and Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, said they would support the bill. It still needs to pass the House and be signed by the president to become law. Read the full story. — Emily Means

Northern Utah

A mixed weekend for Utah college sports 

Utah college sports had a mixed weekend. The U of U gymnastics teamwon the Pac-12 championship Saturday for the second time in a row, claiming four individual titles. On Friday, the University of Utah womens’ basketball team beat Arkansas in the first round of the NCAA tournament — their first victory in that tournament since 2009 — but they were eliminated by a loss to Texas Sunday. BYUwas eliminated in the first round after losing to Villanova Saturday. That came after a record-setting season, with the team winning more games than any other Cougar team in history. — Leah Treidler

Southern Utah

Improvements to Granite Mountain recreation area

Upgrades are coming to the Granite Mountain recreation area in Beaver County. The Bureau of Land Management has authorized construction of two new trailheads, a new trail system, a campground and other features. The construction is meant to protect the area from further damage caused by surging visitation. The new trails will connect peaks and popular points throughout the area. The BLM said less than 10 acres will be disturbed to accommodate the upgrades, and construction could start as early as spring 2023. — Leah Treidler

Region/Nation

Upcoming report on Native American boarding schools

The Interior Department is on the verge of releasing a report on an investigation into the federal government's past oversight of Native American boarding schools. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said last week the report will come out in April. She first outlined the initiative in June and said it will uncover the truth about the loss of human life and the lasting consequences of boarding schools. Starting in 1819, the U.S. enacted laws and policies that led to Indigenous children being forced into boarding schools which sought to strip them of their language and culture. — Associated Press

Mountain West’s dry conditions could continue through the spring

New federal data suggest historically dry conditions could continue through the spring across the Mountain West. Lake Powell is one the largest reservoirs in the Colorado River Basin and provides water and power for millions of people — but the lake recently dropped to critically low levels. Elizabeth Koebele, with the University of Nevada, Reno, said Lake Powell would’ve dropped even lower if states hadn’t already been cooperating to release extra water upstream. But she also said what we've done so far may not be enough. — Bert Johnson, Mountain West News Bureau

This news brief was produced with assistance from the Public Media Journalists Association Editor Corps funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.