Friday morning, May 29, 2020
State
Reopening Schools
K-12 public school districts and charters have a draft plan for reopening in the fall from the Utah State Board of Education. The draft, which covers everything from playgrounds and outdoor spaces to lunch and bus protocols, offers general guidelines and poses questions for each district and charter to consider. It also notes that while overarching guidelines will come from the state and local health departments, the ultimate handling of reopenings will fall to districts and charters themselves. Read the full story. — Jon Reed
Utah’s COVID Statistics
Utah has now had 8,921 hundred confirmed cases of COVID-19 according to numbers released Thursday by the state’s department of health. So far, 5,623 Utahns are estimated to have recovered and more than 203,507 have been tested. But the Navajo Nation — which includes areas in Utah, New Mexico and Arizona — continues to be ravaged by the disease. Authorities recorded another 100 cases of COVID-19 there and announced eight more deaths Thursday bringing the fatality total to 167. Utah officials announced some of the steps they are taking to help. Lt. Gov Spencer Cox said the state has sent thousands of pounds of frozen lamb and flour and hundreds of sheep. The Nation’s infection rate is about 15 times higher than the state of Utah’s. — Ross Terrell
Follow KUER’s coverage of the coronavirus in Utah.
Northern Utah
Ogden Police Officer Killed
An Ogden police officer was killed and another officer injured in a shootout with a man whose wife called police to report he had threatened to kill her. Chief Randy Watt said the gunman was also killed when officers returned fire. Watt declined to provide the name of the officer or the suspect and answered no questions at a press conference. — Associated Press
Walking Park City’s Main Street
Park City is one of many places in Utah trying to make streets more pedestrian friendly. In a meeting Thursday, council members unanimously approved a permit to close Main Street to car traffic every Sunday from June 14 through early September. The street runs through the city’s downtown area. Councilmember Steve Joyce said closing the road will allow people more room to social distance. Salt Lake City has also closed some streets to cars as part of the “Stay Safe, Stay Active” initiative. — Jessica Lowell
Back On The Field
Starting June 15, student athletes at the University of Utah will be able to resume voluntary workouts. But it will be a phased approach, with the football and basketball teams, along with gymnastics, volleyball and soccer being the first groups allowed back. Upon their arrival, every athlete will be tested for COVID-19 antibodies. The teams themselves will also come back in stages — with in-state students returning first, followed by out-of-state and then new athletes. — Ross Terrell
Cooling Down
Salt Lake County will open two cooling centers for those who need a reprieve from the heat. The two air-conditioned centers, at Mountain America Expo Center in Sandy and Salt Palace Convention Center, will be open from noon to 7 Friday through Tuesday. Officials say social distancing protocols will be enforced inside, and visitors are strongly encouraged to wear a face covering. Temperatures along the Wasatch Front are expected to reach the mid-90s Friday and Saturday. — Diane Maggipinto
Southern Utah
Heat Warning
The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning through midnight for the St. George area and Zion National Park, with temperatures topping 100 degrees. The heatwave underscores the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working outdoors or recreating outside. A red flag warning accompanies the excessive heat warning for that area of the Mojave Desert as well as the Central Utah and Color Country West Deserts, and the Grand Staircase, from noon Saturday through Sunday night. — Diane Maggipinto
Region
Missing And Murdered Americans Task Force
The Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered Americans holds a listening session Friday via teleconference. They're slated to discuss the work of “Operation Lady Justice,” a review of Indian Country cold cases. Goals include strengthening law enforcement protocols and working with tribes to improve investigations, information sharing and a better response to missing persons investigations. Friday’s session is for tribes in Utah and elsewhere in the Southwest, Western and Rocky Mountain regions. — Associated Press