Wednesday morning, Jan. 29, 2020
Northern Utah
Utah Filmmaker At Sundance
Robert Machoain isn’t from Utah, but has become a Utah filmmaker. He’s a BYU professor whose feature film “The Killing of Two Lovers” premiered Monday at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Machoain said it’s the struggle with moral conflict in Utah that inspired the film. Read the full story. — Jon Reed, Park City
Southern Utah
LGBTQ Rights And Religious Expression
Legislatives aides to Congressman Chris Stewart organized a talk in St. George Tuesday to discuss the Fairness For All Act, the Utah Republican’s new proposal on LGBTQ rights and religious expression. Introduced in December, the bill would amend the Civil Rights Act to protect against discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation and gender identity. But it wouldalso extend exemptions for religious reasons. It’s based on anti-discrimination law passed in Utah in 2014 and has the backing of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The bill has been referred to the House Committees on the Judiciary, Ways and Means, Financial Services, Oversight and Reform, and House Administration, with no further action. — David Fuchs, St. George
Region
Teaming Up To Fight Wildfires
A new and sweeping partnership is looking at preventing and preparing for worsening wildfires in the West. The Rocky Mountain Restoration Initiative is a collaboration of 30 different partners including utility companies, wildlife nonprofits, hunting groups, the forest service, and water management agencies. Their hope is this collaborative model could expand to other parts of the West. — Ali Budner, Mountain West News Bureau
Nation
Impeachment Testimony
Republican Sen. Mitt Romney is in the spotlight for defying Republican leaders at President Donald Trump's impeachment trial. The Utah Senator is one of several insisting on hearing from witnesses. Tuesday night, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told Republicans that he doesn't have the votes to block the drive for new testimony. — Associated Press
Utah Fugitive Trespassed … On A Riding Mower
A Louisiana sheriff says a man accused of riding a mower on someone else's land turned out to be a fugitive from Utah who had lived in Louisiana for 11 years. Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre said Tuesday that deputies stopped 49-year-old Richard Schleininger in Bayou Blue after seeing him ride his mower past several “no trespassing'” signs. Webre said the man gave a false name but fingerprints identified him as being wanted in Bountiful on assault and theft charges from 2003 and 2004. The sheriff said Utah authorities plan to extradite Schleininger. — Associated Press