This is your rundown of the daily news for Tuesday, July 30. In this edition:
- A 3rd District Court judge dismissed an appeal to overturn Taberon Honie's execution
- The U.S. women's rugby team won the nation's first-ever Olympic rugby medal
- A new bill could withhold funds from the World Anti Doping Agency
- Deadly car crashes have increased in Utah since last summer
- UDOT installed new road safety equipment in Sardine Canyon
Judge dismisses appeal to overturn upcoming execution
3:58 p.m.
On Tuesday a 3rd District Court judge threw out an appeal to overturn Taberon Honie’s impending execution, which is set for Aug. 8. Honie has been on death row since 1999 for the murder of Claudia Benn.
Honie’s lawyers argue that he was not given enough time to research the drug intended to be used in the execution and on the basis of unclear and outdated information in the state’s extensive execution protocol. More specifically, the protocol does not specifically list pentobarbital, the drug intended for use in this case. The Utah Code of Criminal Procedure lists a barbiturate that is no longer produced in the U.S. and states “or any other equally or more effective substance sufficient to cause death.”
The state argued that pentobarbital has been used in executions across the country.
U.S. women's rugby team wins the nation's first-ever Olympic rugby medal
3:58 p.m.
The U.S. women’s rugby team won the Bronze Olympic medal, marking the first ever Olympic medal for the U.S. in rugby since the sport's reintroduction to the Olympics.
Utah athlete, Alex “Spiff” Sedrick scored the winning goal with just seconds left on the clock in their match against Australia.
New bill could withhold funds from World Anti Doping Agency over investigation
3:58 p.m.
Republicans and Democrats proposed a new bill that involves withholding of funds designated for the World Anti Doping Agency, if they do not do a better job of investigating. Current investigations include the handling of several cases involving Chinese swimmers.
The International Olympic Committee and WADA lobbied against the bill, arguing it gives too much power to the US in regard to world anti-doping rules.
Utah was recently chosen as host for the 2034 Winter Olympics, but during this decision the International Olympic Committee pushed for Utah to “alleviate concerns” in regard to ongoing investigations.
The bill passed with no dissenting votes.
Utah roads on track to set new deadly summer records
7:43 a.m.
Eleven people died over the weekend on Utah roads, including 20-year-old Lindsay VanOrman, killed in a hit-and-run Saturday in Millcreek.
A deadly weekend on Utah roads is now putting the summer on pace to be deadlier than last year.
When asked what's behind the increase in crashes, Utah Highway Patrol said two-thirds of the accidents are crashes only involving one car.
Utah has had 63 deadly crashes, with 69 people killed since Memorial Day. Compare that to this same time last year, we're up 10 more deadly crashes than 2023 and six more deaths.
UHP Lt. Cameron Roden says distracted driving, fatigue, and people going too fast could be contributing to the increase in accidents.
Another possible reason behind our rise in deadly crashes over the last two weekends, he says, is the number of people drinking and driving. Roden says some of the recent crashes involved drivers partying for Pioneer Day.
UDOT installs new road safety equipment system in Sardine Canyon
7:43 a.m.
The Utah Department of Transportation installed a new system in a heavily traveled northern Utah canyon to warn drivers heading in or out of Sardine Canyon of large vehicles and commercial equipment entering the highway.
The Rural Intersection Conflict Warning System was installed on US-89/91 through Sardine Canyon, near Mt. Pisgah Road.
The system is designed to help reduce cross-street crashes by adding vehicle detection, alert equipment, flashing beacons, and enhanced area illumination.
The system gives drivers additional warning of other vehicles approaching a non-signalized intersection.
According to UDOT, in recent years, traffic has increased at the intersection of US-89/91 and Mt. Pisgah Road because of expanding operations at the Pisgah Stone Products mine east of the highway.
Large equipment and heavy trucks frequently turn in and out of the intersection.
