Thursday evening, May 20, 2021
State
Gov. Spencer Cox Responds To Moves By State Legislature
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox responded Thursday to the state Legislature’s actions during its special and extraordinary sessions this week. Lawmakers passed resolutions opposing critical race theory and a bill to ban mask mandates in schools. Cox said he supports the CRT resolutions, even though he left the topic off the agenda for the special session. He also said he plans to sign the bill that bans future mask mandates in schools. Read the full story. — Emily Means
Actor and LGBTQ Activist Charles Lynn Frost Dies
Utah actor and LGBTQ activist Charles Lynn Frost has died. Frost was best known for his work as Sister Dottie Dixon — a faithful Latter-day Saint with a quirky Utah accent who fiercely loved her gay son Donnie. Frosts’ act was a send-up of Mormon culture with as much heart as comedy. It started as a radio series created with Troy Williams on KRCL. In 2009 it became a one-actor show performed by Frost. Fran Pruyn, Artistic Director of Pygmalion Productions which produced the play, said the aim was to create a bridge between the Mormon and LGBTQ communities. Frost also worked in the community with groups like SAGE — an advocacy group for LGBTQ+ elderly people. Charles Lynn Frost died Wednesday of colon cancer at the age of 67. — Elaine Clark
Utah COVID-19 Situational Update
Utah health officials reported 266 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday. It marks the third time this week the state has seen fewer than 300 cases in a single day. The seven-day average for new cases has also dropped below 300. Four more people have died from the virus including a Washington County man younger than 45. More than 1.4 million Utahns have received at least one dose of the vaccine. — Ross Terrell
Utah Universities Ditching Mask Requirements
Mask requirements at some of Utah’s largest public universities are coming to an end. Beginning May 24, the University of Utah and Utah Valley University will no longer require face coverings. For Utah State University, masks must be worn on campus and shuttles until May 31. Brigham Young University isn’t completely dropping its requirement. BYU officials said people should plan on wearing masks in the classroom through the spring semester. But if the current case decline continues, they won’t be required this summer. — Ross Terrell
Northern Utah
Utah Woman Sentenced For Embezzling $1.6 Million
A Utah woman has been sentenced to more than two years in a federal prison for defrauding a meat processing business in Richmond. Christine Gillins pleaded guilty in January to one count of wire fraud. Gillins worked for Lower Family Foods Inc. Prosecutors accused her of embezzling over $1.6 million from 2015 to 2018. Prosecutors said Gillins spent the money on vehicles, vacations, sporting events and a home in Mesquite, Nevada. Gillins declined to be interviewed. Her federal defense counsel did not respond to a request for comment. — Associated Press
Region/Nation
New Bill Could Ban Wild Horses From Being Slaughtered
Federal lawmakers have introduced a bill that would ban wild horses from being killed. That comes after reports of some of the animals being sent to slaughterhouses after their owners had been paid $1,000 to adopt them. The bill would stop the transportation, delivering and selling of wild horses to other countries. — Stephanie Serrano, Mountain West News Bureau