Free Republic

It was single-digit cold as Madison Schiffman and her parents spent 13½ hours on lawn chairs, bundled in blankets, waiting for Sarah Palin to arrive at the Salt Lake City Costco on Wednesday. I waltzed in at midmorning, armed with only my club card. The Schiffmans, like me, undoubtedly thought there would be thousands of Palin fans here in Utah. Didn't happen. But those who did show were all about Palin, who has turned her 2008 vice-presidential debacle into Going Rogue: An American Life, which rests atop Amazon's best-seller list. Those of us standing in line got to talking about...

Short booking windows causing anxiety, uncertainty. Shorter booking windows have been the trend for over a year now, making it difficult for businesses in the lodging industry to predict vacancy rates even a few weeks in advance. this time of year, the week after Christmas should be completely sold out and the minimum stay required for a reservation is seven days. But because travelers are booking later and wanting shorter stays, most hotels still have vacancies. John Duvivier, director of sales and marketing for Park City Lodging, said his company has had to lower the minimum number of nights. "We've...

SALT LAKE CITY - Employees at the Salt Lake City Costco say they expect fans of former U.S. vice presidential candidate and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will be lining up outside the store Tuesday night. "We're excited to have here here, and we're excited to host the event," says store manager Kevin Campbell. Palin will be at the store at 1818 S. 300 West on Wednesday between 12 noon and 3 p.m. She will be signing copies of her new book, "Going Rogue." Campbell says the store will allow people to stay under the covered area at the front of...

Officials are in the early stages of deciding if Salt Lake City wants to compete for the 2012 Republican National Convention — so early, in fact, that they have not yet formed a bid committee to decide. Salt Lake City was invited by the Republican National Committee to attend an "interested parties" presentation in Washington, D.C., three weeks ago, said Scott Beck, president and chief executive officer of the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau. Beck attended, along with a representative from the governor's office. There, they learned what requirements in terms of amenities a host city would have to...

A strong winter storm brought snow and traffic problems across Utah early Tuesday morning with the lake effect kicking in for some extra powder in parts of the Salt Lake Valley. Drivers, businesses and families from Wendover to Vernal and Tremonton to St. George were having varying degrees of success coping with snow that was feet-deep in places. Forecaster Eric Schoening of the National Weather Service's Salt Lake City office said he expected the storm to taper off Tuesday afternoon. Skies should clear for several days with another weaker storm expected to hit late Saturday and into Sunday. Temperatures will...

Brian David Mitchell and a murderous polygamous family patriarch shared many similar traits and operated in very similar ways, an expert on religious cults and their members who commit crimes testified Wednesday. Richard Forbes, a retired law enforcer for both Salt Lake and Los Angeles counties, investigated killers Ervil LeBaron and Charles Manson during his career. Forbes is an expert on LeBaron and his followers. During the third day of Mitchell's competency hearing in federal court, Forbes compared the man accused of kidnapping and raping Elizabeth Smart to LeBaron and other religious cult leaders. Both men used revelation as a...

Most Mormons have long suspected what three political science professors have confirmed: Increased knowledge about Mormons and their faith helps remove stigma attached to them. That news comes as the nation's highest-ranking Mormon risks his political future on heath care reform. Writing in USA Today, Professors David E. Campbell, John C. Green and J. Quin Monson, wrote "Americans still have a bias against Republican Mitt Romney, according to a study conducted during last year's election. Not a political bias, but a religious one. The good news: When people understood his Mormon faith, the bias melted away. The trio teach political...

SALT LAKE CITY -- The mayor of Salt Lake City thinks extremist attitudes like those at some "tea parties" have no place here. Mayor Ralph Becker is slamming tea parties. He says he was visiting with a group from Ireland who had also been to a tea party in Utah. "They were surprised by how aggressive and mean-spirited the group was toward people who weren't just like them," Becker said. The Irish Times quoted Mayor Becker as saying the U.S. tea party movement represents "an incredibly narrow, bigoted, angry, nasty, mean view of the world." He clarified his comments to...

In another example of how liberals get their panties in a wad when they are challenged for the decisions they make, Ken Salazar resorted to name-calling and innuendo as he tried to defend the Obama Administration's extremist energy policies. Ken Salazar, criticized the oil and gas industry for accusing the Obama Administration of stifling energy development in the West and offshore. He also left little doubt that he felt that the industry is nothing less than an arm of the Republican party. I always find it amusing when liberals resort to this type of attack. No facts to counter the...

The federal government has no right to regulate guns made, sold and used within Utah, state lawmakers at a committee hearing decided Wednesday. The Legislature's Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Interim Committee advanced a bill that its sponsor, Sen. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, calls the "Firearms Freedom Act." If upheld in federal courts -- a big if, considering past rulings on states' rights -- Utahns purchasing Utah-made guns would not face federal requirements such as background checks. "I love the idea of the firearms," said Sen. Allen Christensen, R-North Ogden, "and I love to swipe at the federal government on this...

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A Utah investor facing charges for running a Ponzi scheme now is accused of trying to arrange the murder of those scheduled to testify at his trail. The 47-year-old Jeffrey Mowen of Lindon was indicted Wednesday for solicitation to commit a crime of violence, tampering with a witness and retaliating against a witness. Federal prosecutors say Mowen tried to get a fellow Davis County Jail inmate to kill four people in hopes of keeping them from testifying against him. Mowen is accused of running a scam that cost investors $10 million. Mowen could spend 20 years in prison...

<p>Contact your Senators and let them know what you think!</p> <p>U.S. veterans or subsidies for United Nations (U.N.) bureaucracy.</p>

SALT LAKE CITY -- A gay rights group says it is securing Republican support in the Utah state Legislature for anti-discrimination laws. The Deseret News reports members of the Utah Log Cabin Republicans, a gay and lesbian political group, say two bills granting gays extra rights in Utah will have GOP sponsors when they go before the Legislature in the 2010 session. The group is not saying who those sponsors are. One of the measures is similar to an ordinance approved in Salt Lake City that states gay workers can't be fired because of their sexuality. The Deseret News reports...

Utah Becomes A Battleground In The GOP's Civil War Sen. Robert Bennett is under fire from those in the party who find him insufficiently conservative. His battle may be a reflection of an anti-establishment anger that could affect both parties. Conservatives emboldened by moves in New York election By Mark Z. Barabak November 14, 2009 Reporting from Salt Lake City - Utah has emerged as an improbable battleground in the fight for the future of the GOP, as the party's veteran U.S. senator -- with nary a whiff of personal or political scandal -- has become one of the most...

Even in red-as-heck Utah, President Barack Obama's promises to withdraw troops from Iraq and refocus the military on Afghanistan had a majority of Beehive state voters' support as the 44th president prepared to take office. Less than a year later, Utahns are feeling far less optimistic about Obama's national security leadership, according to a Salt Lake Tribune poll of registered voters. Just 42 percent of Utah voters say they are "very confident" or "somewhat confident" in Obama's policies to protect the country's national security and manage the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the poll. That's a 20 percent...

A Salt Lake City man who was shot in the arm by a police officer investigating a reported disturbance at his home has settled an excessive force lawsuit for $480,000. In making the payment to Daymian Hughes, the Salt Lake City Police Department denied any wrongdoing and said the settlement was intended to avoid further litigation. The amount includes Hughes' attorneys' fees. Senior City Attorney J. Wesley Robinson stressed that the settlement was a business decision and said police officers had "ample reason" to enter Hughes' house. But he added, "The facts were tough. This is a man who was...

U.S. District Judge Dee Benson on Thursday rejected a plea bargain that called for a Layton man to serve six months in prison for releasing hundreds of mink last year in support of animal rights. Instead, Benson said he plans to sentence William James Viehl to at least two years behind bars and could go even higher. The law allows a maximum of five years imprisonment. The judge said he generally deals leniently with offenders who have no criminal record. But he said Viehl's actions -- letting more than 600 mink out of their pens at the McMullin Fur Farm...

Gay rights legislation in Salt Lake City receives its first ever endorsement by the Mormon church. Salt Lake City, Utah (WiredPRNews.com) - The passage of gay rights legislation in Salt Lake City, Utah was supported for the first time by the Mormon church. As reported by the Associated Press (AP), the church announced its support of laws that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in housing and employment prior to a vote on the legislation Tuesday. Michael Otterson, the director of public affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is quoted by the AP...

Salt Lake City has become the first Utah city to offer housing and employment protections for gays and lesbians — an action supported by the Mormon Church. The City Council, in a unanimous vote Tuesday, passed a pair of nondiscrimination ordinances that would bar landlords and employers from discriminating based on sexuality — a protection not currently afforded under state or federal laws. In a rare public appearance before local lawmakers, a representative from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints read a supporting statement at a public hearing before the Salt Lake City Council regarding the ordinances proposed...

Salt Lake OKs Gay Rights Ordinances Mormon church — which opposes same-sex marriage — backs laws SALT LAKE CITY - With a historic endorsement from the Mormon church, the Salt Lake City Council unanimously passed a pair of ordinances making it illegal to discriminate against gays. Tuesday's action was the first time the Utah-based church — which has been steadfast in its opposition to gay marriage — has publicly supported gay rights legislation. "The church supports these ordinances because they are fair and reasonable and do not do violence to the institution of marriage," Michael Otterson, the director of public...

An April trial has been set for former Lone Peak High School LDS seminary principal Michael Jay Pratt, who is accused of having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old female student earlier this year. Pratt, 37, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 15 felonies: one count of rape, eight counts of forcible sodomy and five counts of object rape, all first-degree felonies, and one count of second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse. Fourth District Judge Christine Johnson scheduled Pratt's trial to begin April 12. During an October preliminary hearing, the alleged victim, now 17, testified that her relationship with "Brother Pratt" started...

PFC Aaron Thomas Nemelka had barely finished all his service training when he was killed by gunshots Thursday at Fort Hood. The 19-year-old had been in the Army for just over a year and had signed up to do one of the most dangerous jobs in the service: bomb defusing. His grandfather, Michael Nemelka, Sr. said his grandson choose the job because he was tired of seeing American soldiers die and wanted to help save lives. "I think his dad even tried to talk him out of it," Michael Nemelka, Sr. said referring to the reservations of his son, Michael...

A personal crisis put Mark Shurtleff's political aspirations on hold, as the attorney general abandoned his bid for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate on Wednesday to help care for a troubled daughter. "The Senate race has to give. My family has to come first. My daughter has to come first," Shurtleff said. The departure of the strongest challenger to U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett unexpectedly jolted the GOP Senate field and created an opening in the still-fluid race that may be seized by any of several potential candidates. "I do think there will be some others who will take a...

When it comes to the controversial mixing of religion and politics in the LDS world, much of the discussion has focused on national campaigns and high-profile ballot initiatives. But perhaps we should be more concerned by how some in our church may be using their membership to influence local elections. This problem only recently came to my attention when I heard about a vicious e-mail circulating around a Utah County town, attacking one of the mayoral candidates there. I obtained a copy of the e-mail -- which, of course, was written anonymously -- and the more I read, the more...

Ogden police say an Ogden High School teacher has had 'inappropriate relationships' with at least six female students over the years, but none of them rise to criminal conduct. Lt. Scott Conley said Thursday that while the teacher's behavior is questionable under the school district's policy for professional conduct, his relationship with students is not criminal. He said investigators found the teacher had "inappropriate relationships" with at least six students dating back to 2000. He said the teacher used his influence to develop relationships with girls shortly before they turned 18. Police investigated allegations the teacher had been dating his...

This afternoon I am invited to participate in a townhall meeting conference call. Wanted to solicit ideas from my Freerepublic friends and what I should ask the Senator.

The National Security Agency, whose job it is to protect national security systems, will soon break ground on a data center in Utah that's budgeted to cost $1.5 billion. The NSA is building the facility to provide intelligence and warnings related to cybersecurity threats, cybersecurity support to defense and civilian agency networks, and technical assistance to the Department of Homeland Security, according to a transcript of remarks by Glenn Gaffney, deputy director of national intelligence for collection, who is responsible for oversight of cyber intelligence activities in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. "Our country must continue to...

"Republican Dede Scozzafava today endorsed Democrat Bill Owens, her former opponent, in Tuesday's election to fill the North Country congressional seat formerly held by John McHugh. Scozzafava suspended her campaign for the 23rd District seat Saturday, citing weak poll numbers and inadequate campaign funds. In a statement released this afternoon, she called Owens ''an independent voice devoted to doing what is right for New York.''"

Stockton Police Chief Heinz Kopp is keeping his distance from what has become a pretty big dustup in this tiny Tooele County town. "It wasn't my decision to suspend [Officer Josh Rowell]," the chief said Monday. "That was the mayor's doing. I was left out of the loop on that one." The chief was referring to the fallout after Rowell cited Mayor Dan Rydalch's son for driving without a license. The mayor could not immediately be reached for comment Monday. The City Council has scheduled a special Thursday evening session to discuss the matter, which has caused some of the...

When the husband of a much-maligned Provo City councilwoman decided to bring his ecclesiastical credentials and royal bloodline into his wife's contentious re-election campaign, his Mormon Church-owned employer decided he went too far. BYU professor Buddy Richards has been reprimanded by the school for using his official BYU e-mail account to extol his virtues and condemn the activities of lower-character Republicans who he says have slandered his wife, Cindy Richards, in her re-election bid to the council. "He has been talked to and reminded of the university's policy, which prohibits the use of the BYU e-mail system for political purposes,"...

PROVO — Freeze! Nobody move (that property). That's the order 4th District Judge Fred Howard gave last week as prosecutors pursue charges in an alleged $59 million Ponzi scheme. In an unusual pre-emptive strike, investigators moved to block suspects from selling or transferring real estate and vehicles valued at almost $2.3 million. It is a tactic normally employed when charges are filed in a white-collar criminal probe, which typically takes years to complete. But by that time, the assets are often long gone. Prosecutors want to do all they can to prevent that in what has become one of the...

WEST JORDAN — A former teacher's assistant accused of having sexual intercourse with two 15-year-old students was arrested this week. Andrea Billingsley, 31, was picked up at her home Tuesday and arrested on suspicion of forcible sexual abuse, forcible sodomy and distributing pornographic materials to minors, said West Jordan police officer Dan Roberts. The former aide at West Jordan Middle School, 7550 S. Redwood, met the two boys while overseeing an in-school suspension class, Roberts said. Police believe the sexual encounters occurred between May and July. The alleged sexual activity would happen on school grounds, including an undisclosed location inside...

It starts with a little extra attention and affection, a personalized note on a term paper and chummy after-school banter. Before long it escalates to hugging and explicit text messages. It's called "grooming," small indiscretions that child abuse experts say should alert principals and parents to a developing sexual relationship between a teacher and student. But too often, these subtle cues go unnoticed until a relationship becomes inappropriate, or even criminal. Roy Junior High teacher Kenneth Taylor, who was charged 10 days ago with having sex with a former female student, is the latest addition to a growing list of...

HILL AIR FORCE BASE -- Engine failure is to blame for prompting a F-16 pilot to jettison bombs and fuel tanks over the west side of Hill Air Force Base on Thursday, Air Force officials say. One bomb exploded when it hit the ground, but base emergency personnel disposed of one unexploded bomb Saturday by blowing it up in place. Residents of surrounding communities may have heard or seen emergency vehicles, explosions and plumes of smoke as a result of the detonation. The base's Roy gate near the 5600 South exit of Interstate 15 and all activities at Hill Aerospace...

HILL AIR FORCE BASE — Engine failure is to blame for the Thursday afternoon incident that saw a F-16 pilot jettison bombs and fuel tanks over the west side of Hill Air Force Base, Air Force officials said Friday. Base emergency personnel will dispose of one unexploded bomb today by blowing it up in place. The other bomb exploded on impact with the ground. About 4 p.m. Thursday, a male F-16 pilot from Hill’s 388th Fighter Wing had engine problems approximately 20 seconds after takeoff, causing the pilot to drop two external fuel tanks and two 500 pound Mark 82...

One of the worst-kept secrets in Utah was made official Friday with the announcement that Camp Williams will be the site of a new national cybersecurity data center. The site beat out 37 others nationwide for a $1.5 billion project that will employ as many as 10,000 workers during construction and between 100 and 200 once it becomes operational in two years.

HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah (AP) -- An official with the Davis County sheriff's office in northern Utah says there has been an explosion at Hill Air Force Base. Capt. Kenny Payne says the explosion occurred Thursday at a weapons cache. He did not have other details.

Barack Obama likes to claim he believes in the free market, even as he lards his administration with what Hugh Hewitt has delightfully dubbed "Mickey Maoists" like Anita Dunn and Ron Bloom. But Ed Schultz has given away the game. On his MSNBC show this evening, Schultz said of ObamaCare: "this is the first step toward single-payer. I admit that." View video here.

Fillmore -- The father looked at Keith Gillins, his daughter's former teacher, and said he would never forgive him. "My daughter's life has been scarred forever by you," the father told Gillins. Then, the father addressed the people in Millard County who suggested his daughter was responsible: "Shame on you." Gillins on Wednesday received three sentences of three years to life in prison for a sexual relationship with a former Millard High School student. Fourth District Court Judge Donald Eyre also sentenced Gillins to two terms of 1 to 15 years in prison. All five counts will run concurrently and...

SALT LAKE CITY -- A recent statewide screening of education workers' backgrounds turned up close to 7,000 arrests, criminal charges or convictions. It also shows 30 to 50 teachers had been arrested or convicted of serious enough offenses in the past that they could be fired or reprimanded. Nine education workers are out of jobs following the check. According to the Salt Lake Tribune: •The Granite School District has terminated three workers due to the screening •The Alpine district fired one •An aide for the Canyons district was let go for an open container violation and contributing to the delinquency...

(ST. GEORGE) – A former Dixie High School teacher awaiting trial on sexual battery charges now faces new sex-related charges. According to the Deseret News, court records show that 63-year old, Ronald Sherman faces charges in Iron County for allowing a seven-year old girl to see him naked. He told investigators it was at the girl’s request. Records indicate that Sherman now faces new charges of aggravated sexual abuse of a child and lewdness involving a child. Sherman already is accused of inappropriately touching students in his Dixie High ceramics class in 2007. He resigned from teaching and has pleaded...

Express passenger trains linking America's major metropolises. It's an idea whose time has come and gone and, thankfully, come again. Just don't expect them to come to Utah any time soon. When the Federal Railroad Administration released its list of intercity rail corridors eligible for high-speed rail funding last spring, there was a hole the size of the Intermountain West on the map. It wasn't an oversight. When you start connecting the big-city dots in the Intermountain West, it's a long way between dots. Higher-density corridors in the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest and on the West Coast are more logical places...

WEST VALLEY CITY — The head of the Republican National Committee said Friday he believes voters may have moved beyond the bias against Mormonism that hurt Mitt Romney in last year's presidential election. Speaking to reporters after a town hall meeting at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center, Michael Steele said comments he made earlier this year about Romney being rejected by the GOP base because of his faith were "old news." "I was speaking to an attitude or a mindset at the time that I thought was unfortunate and I said that I think (Romney) proved just how unfortunate it...

ROY -- The same day a 47-year-old Ogden High School teacher was accused of having a sexual relationship with a then 16- or 17-year-old former student, a Roy Jr. High teacher has been accused of the same thing with a former jr. high student. "They're victims. They're preyed upon. They're manipulated. They're not, by societal standards, mature enough to make some of these adult decisions on their own," said Roy police Chief Greg Whinham said. "We've been in this weird world where we're having one a week become the headline in the paper. There's definitely a problem." Ogden police and...

OGDEN -- A 30-year-old Bountiful man was arrested after a nurse said he groped her twice while his wife was in labor at McKay-Dee Hospital early Friday. Adam Manning was booked on a felony charge of forcible sex abuse and on an outstanding warrant for shoplifting. Around 3 a.m., the nurse was pushing Manning's wife in a wheelchair when Manning began making comments to the nurse and touched her breast, said Police Lt. Loring Draper. "He commented on her appearance...on how attractive she was, how cute she was," Draper said. Police say Manning's wife didn't see him grope the nurse,...

WASHINGTON — The Department of the Interior has frozen oil and gas development on 60 of 77 contested drilling sites in Utah, saying the process of leasing the land was rushed and badly flawed. The 77 government-owned parcels, covering some 100,000 acres in eastern and southern Utah, were leased in the last weeks of the Bush administration. But the leases were immediately challenged by conservation groups, and in January a federal judge blocked drilling on the ground that the Interior Department had failed to follow its own procedures for reviewing the appropriateness of lands designated for oil and gas extraction.

RENO, Nev. — A former restaurant worker claims he was fired because he had demanded to see identification for a young-looking woman at Ben Roethlisberger's table where the NFL quarterback and his friends were drinking.

Rape Ordeal Of Heiress Abducted By Preacher And 'Tied Up With Cable And Attacked Four Times A Day' 02nd October 2009 [Pics in URL] An heiress has told how she was raped three or four times a day for nine months after being abducted by a preacher. Elizabeth Smart, 21, said she was kidnapped by Brian Mitchell at the age of 14 from her bedroom in the middle of the night. He kept her tied up and threatened to kill her if she tried to escape back to her wealthy Mormon family. Abducted: Elizabeth Smart, now 21, claims she was...

Salt Lake City Tribune Provides Running Coverage of Smart Testimony October 01, 2009 Elizabeth Smart is facing her alleged kidnapper — Brian David Mitchell — for the first time in court as Thursday she testifies against him about her 9-month-long abduction. The Salt Lake City Tribune is providing running her testimony as it happens. Click here to the Salt Lake City Tribune's running coverage of Elizabeth Smart's testimony. WARNING: The testimony contains sexually graphic and violent descriptions.

Elizabeth Smart Says She Was Raped Daily Elizabeth Smart, right, arrives at the federal courthouse with her mother, Lois Smart, and her father [Pic in URL] By JENNIFER DOBNER SALT LAKE CITY – Elizabeth Smart testified Thursday she was raped repeatedly each day after she was abducted from her bedroom seven years ago and told she would be killed if she yelled or tried to escape. She described Brian David Mitchell, her alleged kidnapper, as "evil, wicked, manipulative, stinky, slimy, selfish, not spiritual, not religious, not close to God." Smart testified in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City as...