This your daily news rundown for Monday, Nov. 25. In this edition:
- Two incarcerated Utahns have died after suicide attempts in the last two weeks
- Over 100,000 turkeys have been killed after testing positive for avian flu
- Pilots are picketing at Provo Airport for better wages and scheduling
- Weber County officials have approved the creation of tax entities to help Nordic Valley developers with an expansion plan.
- Utah-based Teal Drones has secured a $260 million U.S. Army contract
- Local scam is on the rise amidst the holidays
Two incarcerated Utahns died after suicide attempts in last two weeks
4:05 p.m.
Two inmates at a Utah prison have died after suicide attempts in the last two weeks.
Michael Bueno, who was incarcerated at the Utah State Correctional Facility, was removed from life support on Saturday and died, nearly two weeks after his attempted suicide on Nov. 11. On Oct. 30, Tyson Leyva died by suicide at the same facility.
According to FOX 13, both families said their loved ones requested more mental health assistance from the prison but didn’t receive it.
Auditors in 2021 and 2023 found “systematic deficiencies” in how healthcare was delivered at Utah’s prisons, including some inmates’ written requests for care being ignored. The Utah State Correctional Facility opened in 2022 and cost $1 billion.
The medical director for the Utah Department of Corrections said reviews on the deaths have begun.
Over 100,000 Utah turkeys killed after testing positive for avian flu
4:05 p.m.
Over 100,000 turkeys were killed in Utah in two weeks after testing positive for avian flu.
From Nov. 10-19, almost 108,000 turkeys tested positive for the highly pathogenic virus at three farms in Piute County, according to the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.
A backyard poultry flock of about 250 birds in Salt Lake County also tested positive.
All the birds were killed within 24 hours of the original diagnosis to limit the spread of the disease, and five poultry farms in the state are now in quarantine.
There have been 53 human cases of avian flu across the country, but none in Utah. The Utah Department of Health and Human Resources noted there’s still no indication of any human-to-human transmission of the illness.
Provo union pilots picketing for better wages and scheduling
4:05 p.m.
As a busy holiday week of travel kicks off, pilots are picketing at the Provo Airport asking for better conditions.
Allegiant Pilots Local 2118 authorized their union three weeks ago to call a strike, with 97% of pilots voting in favor of picketing.
However, the union cannot officially strike until an impasse with the airline is declared by the national mediation board. The union and the airline have been in negotiations for the past four years.
The pilots are looking for pay raises to keep up with inflation, long-term disability, and scheduling improvements, among other things.
Allegiant Air says their current offer includes a 50% average increase in hourly wages and a 50% increase in retirement benefits contributions.
Tax aid entities approved for Nordic Valley expansion
6:45 a.m.
Weber County leaders have approved creation of three new taxing entities to aid Nordic Valley developers with their expansion plans.
The property tax funds generated, perhaps $47 million, would come from the Nordic Valley property, owned by the developers, and help cover infrastructure costs.
The Nordic Valley project area covers 512 acres, much of that skiing terrain and undeveloped expanses, but the focus of development would be a ski village around the base of the ski resort.
The long-term project calls for 428 condos, 159 chalets, 230 hotel rooms, and commercial space.
Weber County Economic Development Director Stephanie Russell told KSL, The tax funds would be used to help finance road improvements in the project area, parks, and water and sewer lines.
Weber County is home to two other ski resorts, Powder Mountain and Snowbasin, which have been pursuing or considering expansion plans of their own.
Utah-based drone company secures Army contract
6:45 a.m.
Utah-based Teal Drones has secured a $260 million U.S. Army contract for reconnaissance drones.
Teal Drones was founded by entrepreneur George Matus when he was still a teenager. Matus says the Black Widow drone was "purpose built" and designed to meet the Army's 100 technical requirements but also incorporated soldier feedback from the very start.
The Black Widow drones will be manufactured at Teal's 25,000 square foot facility in South Salt Lake. The company has already begun the process of adding new staff to ramp up production.
Local scam increases amidst of the holidays
6:45 a.m.
Logan City Police are warning of an uptick in scams across the country.
Chief Jeff Simmons said their department has intercepted a nearly-$10,000 scam last week. A woman was told by a scammer to clear out her retirement account and ship it to them stuffed inside a magazine.
The police department was able to stop this scam and return the money to the victim, but Simmons says the scammer had tricked the victim into sending them thousands of dollars previously.
Chief Simmons said scammers typically prey on the most vulnerable members of the community, using fear and urgency to get people to send them money.
However, he said anyone can fall victim to a scam.
He reminds people to be careful, especially around the holidays, as scams tend to increase during this time of year.
