The water levels in Utah's major reservoirs registered second lowest level in the last 20 years, officials said, suggesting that the reservoirs are likely to sit below their fill lines for some time. Mark Anderson, chief engineer for the Weber Basin Water Conversancy District, said that the water reservoir levels across Utah are averaging 35 percent of capacity and it is about the second lowest … [Read more...]
Sperm swap in Utah fertility lab, Utah University probes case
University of Utah is probing the incidence of possible sperm swap at fertility clinic in a Salt Lake City area. A woman has accused a now-closed lab, Reproductive Medical Technologies Inc, to have wrongfully inseminated the sperm which didn’t belong to her husband. She said the sperm possibly belonged to the lab’s part-time employee. In a statement, the University said that no records … [Read more...]
Supporters ask Utah Governor to follow US decision to recognize same-sex marriages
Hours after the U.S. government announced decision to recognize Utah’s 1,300 same-sex marriages, thousands of gay and lesbian marriage supporters thronged inside the state Capitol on Friday demanding Utah Governor Gary Herbert to follow the footsteps of Obama administration. "Let it stand," the crowd said, referring to the December 20 federal district court ruling over the gay … [Read more...]
Relief for gay couples as Obama administration recognizes Utah’s 13,000 same sex marriages
In a major relief for gay and lesbian couples in Utah, the federal government has announced that it will recognize those same-sex marriages in the state that took place before the Supreme Court halted the federal judge’s verdict of giving it a constitutional status. "I am confirming today that, for purposes of federal law, these marriages will be recognized as lawful and considered eligible for … [Read more...]
Utah unites against same sex marriage verdict
The gay and lesbian community of Utah as well as their supporters has united to voice their concerns over the recent stay on the constitutional status to the same sex marriages by the US Supreme Court on Monday. State legislators and activists, while addressing a rally called in support of Utah’s Amendment 3 at a Golden Corral restaurant, connected the legal battle with religious, moral and … [Read more...]
Phillips 66 pays Utah $2 million as settlement
Oil refiner Phillips 66 has paid $2 million to resolve the claim that the oil firm deceived a state fund for cleaning up damage from leaking fuel storage tanks. Phillips 66 is one of the three companies that has been accused of double-dipping the fund by the state. The other two are Chevron and BP Amoco. While Chevron has given $1.8 million in an out-of-court settlement, a case remains … [Read more...]
Utah Attorney asks officials to complete paperwork on gay marriages
The office of Attorney general Sean Reyes on Thursday issued legal advice to the local clerks in Utah asking them to finish paperwork for same-sex marriages that happened before the Supreme Court issued a temporary halt on it this Monday. The directive comes amid the legal limbo created after the apex court delivered its verdict on the contentious issue. The attorney general’s office has … [Read more...]
Utah DAQ finalizes plan to limit emissions
Aiming at lowering emission levels, the Utah air quality officials finalized a comprehensive road map for reducing air pollution in the Salt Lake Valley to acceptable levels. However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has termed the plan being industry–friendly, saying the proposed emission limits remain too soft on industrial polluters. Utah air officials held a contentious public … [Read more...]
Utah woman offers to be surrogate of her daughter’s child
A 58-year-old woman in Utah will soon be the surrogate mother of her daughter and son-in-law’s child. Julia Navarro decided to give birth to her daughter’s child through surrogacy after her daughter was diagnosed with fertility problems. Navarro's daughter Lorena McKinnon suffered about a dozen of miscarriages, owing to her fertility troubles. She says, “I and my husband Micah McKinnon have … [Read more...]
Pregnant Woman from Texas on Life Support due to Anti-abortion Laws
Following a Texas law, brain dead and pregnant 33-year-old Marlise Munoz from Fort Worth, Texas is being kept alive, regardless of the condition of the fetus or her family’s wishes. She has been in the ICU of John Peter Smith Hospital after she collapsed on 26 November when she was 14 weeks pregnant. Her husband, Erick, a fire-fighter and paramedic, wants to take her off life support as she … [Read more...]