This is your daily news rundown for Wednesday, June 17. In this edition:
- Half a dozen cabins in Iron County were evacuated because of a fire
- Enrollment fraud cost Utah colleges over $800,000 last year
- Intermountain Mountain wants stronger laws for child safety in cars
A new Iron County fire led to some cabin evacuations
Half a dozen cabins were evacuated in Iron County because of a new fire that sparked Tuesday near Steamboat Mountain.
Since then, the Sawmill Fire has grown to 1,100 acres.
Authorities said evacuations within a few miles of the fire are underway out of an abundance of caution.
If the fire expands and threatens permanent homes, the Iron County Sheriff’s Office said it will deploy a reverse 911 to alert residents.
Several helicopters and tankers have responded to the fire, with a request sent for additional engines and ground crews.
Colleges aren’t prepared enough for enrollment fraud, audit says
Enrollment fraud cost Utah’s higher education institutions over $800,000 last year, according to a new legislative audit.
Usually, this fraud is when someone — commonly called a “ghost student” — uses a false or stolen identity to enroll in higher education, then accesses resources like financial aid.
When that happens, colleges have to pay the federal government back for the financial loss, on top of spending thousands of hours mitigating the fraud.
The audit said a system-wide lack of preparation could be to blame for the surge in enrollment fraud. Currently, there’s no formal approach to address the issue as a larger system.
Other suggestions included allowing more data sharing to catch frequent ghost students and strengthening security during the application process.
Intermountain Health wants evidence-based child safety seat laws
Intermountain Health is proposing stronger child safety seat laws for Utah.
Currently, children under eight must use a child safety seat if they’re under 57 inches tall. Rear-seat placement isn’t required for older child passengers.
During an interim committee meeting of the Utah Legislature on Tuesday, Intermountain Health suggested updating the law so it aligns with evidence-based child passenger safety guidance rather than minimum thresholds.
That includes graduated restraint stages based on size, age, and development, and rear-seat placement for children under 13.
These changes would not create new agencies or programs, change how traffic laws are enforced, or criminalize parents.
