Thursday evening, Sept. 16, 2021
State
Utah’s Most Recent COVID-19 Statistics
The state Department of Health reported Thursday that 15 more Utahns have died from COVID-19. One was a man between the ages of 25-44 who was not hospitalized at the time of his death. In fact, only one of those people was hospitalized when they died. There are 582 people who are currently hospitalized with the virus, and more than 95% of all ICU beds in the state are being used. The state also reported another 1,885 new cases of COVID-19, with 436 of those in school-aged children. — Elaine Clark
Follow KUER’s coverage of the coronavirus in Utah.
Residents Head Call To Save Water
As fall approaches, Utah continues to face parched, dry conditions. Almost 90% of the state is still experiencing extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Utah has been in a state of emergency because of the drought since March. Most of the state's reservoirs are less than half full, and some are almost completely dried up. But, it appears that residents and local agencies have embraced some water saving measures. Salt Lake City used 1.8 billion fewer gallons of water compared to last summer. The Washington County Water Conservancy District reported saving almost 600 million gallons of water in that time, despite its population growing. — Martha Harris
Southern Utah
Grand County Turns To Florida Seeking Answers In Double Homicide
The Grand County Sheriff’s office said it is looking into connections between a high-profile missing person’s case and a double homicide that took place near Moab this summer. Newlyweds Crystal Turner and Kylen Schulte were found dead in the LaSal Mountains in mid-August. Just days before, Gabrielle Petito and her boyfriend were traveling through Moab in their van. While they were there, a bystander called the police because of an argument the two were having. Petito was reported missing last week and was last seen in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Her boyfriend drove their van back to Florida without her. The Grand County Sheriff’s office says it is now working with Florida authorities. — Caroline Ballard
Region/Nation
Utah Senator Behind Successful “Made In America” Bill
The U.S. Senate has passed a proposal to create a standard for products that carry a “Made in America” label. Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine made the proposal, which unanimously passed this week. The senators said the patchwork of state laws on the subject cause heavy compliance costs for businesses. The proposal would create a uniform federal standard for products that have labels that state the item is “Made in the USA” or “Made in America.” — Associated Press
Overwhelmed By COVID-19 Patients, Idaho Hospitals Ration Care
Idaho entered crisis standards of care Thursday, becoming the first state in the Mountain West to do so. Those standards tell hospital workers how to ration care now that they’re running low on resources and beds because of a surge in largely unvaccinated people getting COVID-19. But Idaho isn’t the only state in the region getting overwhelmed. Montana’s largest healthcare system, Billings Clinic, announced Wednesday it was preparing to enter crisis standards of care. So is Intermountain Healthcare, which serves Idaho, Utah and Nevada. — Maggie Mullen, Mountain West News Bureau