This is your daily news rundown for Monday, June 8. In this edition:
- A new fire in Millard County burned 1,300 acres in one day
- The Pentagon reversed its classification of the LDS church as not Christian
- Utah will co-manage the San Rafael Swell with the federal government
A new fire near Scipio closed part of State Route 50
A new fire in Millard County burned over 1,300 acres in one day.
The Tower Fire sparked southwest of Scipio near I-15 yesterday Sunday afternoon. Officials reported it as human-caused, but the exact cause is still under investigation.
No evacuations have been issued for the area yet, but eastbound State Route 50 is closed at the I-15 junction to mile marker 155 in Salina.
Red Flag Warnings are also still in effect for Millard County until 10 p.m. on Tuesday because of wind and low relative humidity keeping fire danger high.
The Pentagon walked back its classification of the LDS church as not Christian
The Pentagon revised how it classifies religions after initially marking the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as not Christian.
On Friday, the U.S. Department of Defense announced on social media it was paring down its list of hundreds of religious designations to just 31.
The LDS church was included, but not within the Christianity category.
Several state lawmakers, including Utah Sen. John Curtis, pushed back on the changes. Curits said the designation “contradicts the religions’ own foundational tenants.”
Even those from other religions opposed the new designations. Rev. Paul Raushenbush, a Baptist minister and head of the progressive Interfaith Alliance told the Associated Press the changes created a hierarchy of faiths that elevated one narrow religious worldview.
On Monday, the Department of Defense revised its classifications, removing the Christianity category and organizing churches by denomination instead.
Utah signed a historic agreement to co-manage the San Rafael Swell
Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson and the Bureau of Land Management signed a first-of-its-kind agreement on Monday to co-manage the San Rafael Swell.
That means the federal and state governments will work together to protect and maintain the nearly 217,000-acre recreation area in Emery County.
According to a press release from the lieutenant governor’s office, it’s a culmination of over 25years of negotiations between the Bureau of Land Management, Congress, Emery County, and conservation groups.
The agreement was also possible because of the Dingell Act, passed in 2019 by the Trump administration.
