ST. GEORGE — Dixie State University will host Dr. Donald R. Snow presenting “Erastus Snow’s Life and Family from their Personal Letters” at the President’s Colleagues of DSU meeting Monday.
The meeting will be held at noon in Lecture Hall 156 of DSU’s Russell C. Taylor Health Science Center, at Dixie Regional Medical Center’s River Road campus, 1526 Medical Center Drive in St. George. The meeting is free and the public is welcome.
Donald Snow’s great-grandfather Erastus Snow traveled extensively for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, writing and receiving many letters during his lifetime. Donald Snow and his family have compiled, transcribed, edited and posted as many of the apostle’s letters as they could find online.
Their online collection now contains more than 200 of Erastus Snow’s personal and family letters that depict his life and travels. The collection does not include Erastus Snow’s official church and business correspondence as the family hasn’t started transcribing those letters, which number several hundred.
Donald Snow is a retired professor of mathematics from Brigham Young University. He also taught and researched math at universities in Minnesota; Colorado; Ontario, Canada; Lima, Peru; and London. He has baccalaureate degrees from the University of Utah, master’s degrees from Stanford University in mathematics and mechanical engineering and a doctorate in mathematics from Stanford.
After Donald Snow and his late wife, Diane Snow, both retired from BYU, they served four family history missions for the LDS church. Donald Snow has been involved with family history for many years and has been a vice president of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group since the 1990s.
Donald Snow — whose father, Eldon Stafford Snow, was in the first graduating class of Dixie College in 1913 — is a snowbird between Provo and St. George and is a frequent speaker at genealogy and family history venues. His family history class schedule, notes and articles are available online.
The President’s Colleagues of DSU, established more than 20 years ago by former DSU President Douglas Alder, is a group of retired professors and other professionals who live mostly in the St. George and Washington County area.
The Colleagues meet from noon to 1 p.m. on the first Monday of each month to hear presentations both from each other and invited guests.
The series will continue Jan. 4, 2016, when psychologist Dick Harper presents “Journey of the Hero: The Stages of Life.”
Event details
What: Dixie State University President’s Colleagues, presentation by Donald R. Snow: “Erastus Snow’s Life and Family from their Personal Letters”
When: Dec. 7, noon
Where: Lecture Hall 156, Russell C. Taylor Health Science Center, Dixie Regional Medical Center’s River Road campus, 1526 Medical Center Drive, St. George
LAS VEGAS — BYU (9-3) will face No. 22 Utah (9-3) in the 2015 Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl, executive director John Saccenti announced Sunday.
The two in-state rivals will meet for the first time in a bowl game when they take the field at Sam Boyd Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 19, at 12:30 p.m. PT (1:30 p.m. MT). The game will be broadcast live nationally on ABC.
BYU secured its bid last week and Utah was selected Sunday to be the Cougars opponent. The announcement comes on the heels of BYU finding out it lost its head coach, Bronco Mendenhall, to the University of Virginia. BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe said his school will allow Mendenhall to coach the team in the upcoming bowl, which means, win or lose, it will be the final legacy for the BYU coach of 11 years.
Bronco Mendenhall (AP Photo)
“We are looking forward to this unique opportunity of playing against a rival like Utah in the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl,” Mendenhall said. “This will be the first time this rivalry game has taken place in a bowl setting so it has some historic significance as well as being a great matchup between two teams that have had outstanding seasons. This will be our 11th straight bowl game and I’m definitely looking forward to coaching this team one last time as we take the field in Las Vegas striving to achieve our 10th win of the season.”
The Las Vegas Bowl matchup renews a rivalry that was not scheduled the past two regular seasons and will pit the Cougars and Utes against each other for the 90th time in a series that began in 1922. Utah leads the overall series 54-31-4 and won the last contest by a 20-13 tally in Provo in 2013. BYU and Utah are scheduled to resume their regular-season series again next season in Salt Lake City.
Utah will make its fifth Las Vegas Bowl appearance and its second straight. The Utes defeated Colorado State 45-10 in the 2014 Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl and are 3-1 all-time in Las Vegas Bowl games.
Kyle Whittingham
“After being nationally ranked since the second week of the season and finishing as co-champion of the Pac-12 South Division, we are looking forward to our ninth bowl game in the last 11 seasons,” said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. Las Vegas is a great destination for our fans and the bowl organizers work hard to make it a memorable experience for the players,”
Added Director of Athletics Dr. Chris Hill, “This has been our best season as members of the Pac-12 and we are pleased at the opportunity to play one more game. Through our past experience, we know that the people involved with the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl will provide a wonderful experience for our student-athletes, coaches and fans.”
The game, which will be televised on ABC, should feature a packed house, given the close proximity of Las Vegas to both Salt Lake City (410 miles) and Provo (371 miles).
“We are excited to be returning to Las Vegas to play in the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl,” Holmoe said. “BYU–Utah is one of the great rivalries in college football. Playing each other for the first time in a bowl game should add a unique chapter to our storied history.”
The 2015 Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl will be the Cougars sixth trip to the Las Vegas Bowl. BYU has a 3-2 record in the Las Vegas Bowl, with five straight sellouts at Sam Boyd Stadium from 2005-09. BYU’s last appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl was a 44-20 victory over No. 16 Oregon State in 2009.
The Cougars have advanced to 11 straight bowl games, one of only 11 programs in the country to do so. BYU is 6-4 in its bowl games under Mendenhall, who will be leaving BYU following the game to take the head coaching position at the University of Virginia. Mendenhall has a chance to equal legendary coach LaVell Edwards’ seven bowl wins with a victory against Utah.
BYU will be appearing in its 34th bowl game overall since its first bowl invitation in 1974, with an overall record of 13-19-1. BYU posted a 9-3 regular-season record as an independent in 2015 while Utah achieved a 9-3 overall record and 6-3 mark in the Pac-12 Conference.
The Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl is one of 13 college bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN.
Note: This story was compiled from staff and wire reports.
ST. GEORGE – Members of a local off-road club turned out Saturday morning to help clean up the lands they enjoy and put a dent in the massive amount of garbage that is illegally dumped on Washington County’s public lands.
Volunteers clean up a party area and fire pit during a Desert RATS project, Washington County, Utah, Dec. 5, 2015 | Photo by Sheldon Demke, St. George News
The project was sponsored by the Desert Roads and Trails Society, and participants included members of the Utah Public Lands Alliance and local Jeepers.
“We love to go out in this gorgeous area and see everything there is off-road,” Desert RATS board member Joan Hayes said. “We love it, it’s so gorgeous in Southern Utah but we’ve noticed there are those that leave trash all over. It makes us very sad.”
The club has decided to organize cleanup projects at least four times a year in addition to the annual Sand Mountain cleanup for National Public Lands Day.
The group hopes to influence the whole off-road community, both now and in the future, Desert RATS board President Jeff Bieber said.
“I’ve got grandkids, I’ve got kids and they all like to … be in the outdoors and see the scenery and stuff,” Bieber said. “Hopefully the impact we’re trying to make here will carry through to the next generation or two and we can have some good places to come out and enjoy the outdoors.”
The party area and fire pit after being cleaned up during a Desert RATS project, Washington County, Utah, Dec. 5, 2015 | Photo by Bud Sanders, St. George News
About 25 vehicles, mostly Jeeps, and 35 people showed up to clean up trash in the Washington County area around Black Rock Road, Exit 27 off Interstate 15 in Arizona just south of the Utah border.
The trash collected in the area included old tires, glass and plastic bottles, thousands of nails from pallet fires, carpet and many other items.
The Bureau of Land Management provided a 15-yard dumpster for the project, which was more than filled by the volunteers.
Illegal dumping – a big problem
There is a big problem with illegal dumping on Washington County land managed by the Bureau of Land Management, and the culprits are hard to catch because of the large area involved.
“We spend a lot of time chasing down illegal dumping,” BLM Law Enforcement Ranger Curtis Racker said. “Our biggest problem is trying to tie the trash to a person.”
Several organizations hold organized cleanups throughout the year, Racker said, including off-road clubs like the Desert RATS, mountain biking clubs and Boy Scout troops. But, he said, it is still hard for the BLM to stay ahead of the problem.
Some of the thousands of items picked up during a cleanup project by the Desert RATS offroad club in the Black Rock area, Washington County, Utah, Dec. 5, 2015 | Photo by Sheldon Demke, St. George News
The BLM makes regular patrols for all the BLM land in the county but has no regular cleanup personnel. Rangers will pick up what they can when they see it, but that is often not enough.
“The trash attracts more trash,” Racker said. “So if we can get it out of there, before it’s attracting more … ”
Shooting areas are particularly problematic. Target shooters often leave their cardboard targets, thinking they’re doing a favor for the next person, Racker said, but the targets get rained on and turn into trash. More trash accumulates and soon there are televisions, washing machines and refrigerators being dumped for shooting targets.
This type of garbage is not just unsightly, it is also hazardous, Racker said. Televisions and other electronics contain several heavy metals, including lead and arsenic. One or two shot-up televisions can be cleaned up by the BLM or volunteers but more than that can get into the soil such that it can actually become a hazardous material site requiring an extremely costly and time-consuming cleanup.
“It’s a threat to our public lands (use) as far as being closed down because of improper use,” Racker said.
It is legal to target shoot on much of the county’s BLM-managed land, with the exception of the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve and wilderness areas. However, there are a few rules: Have a safe backstop; clean up your trash and debris; and shoot responsibly.
Members of Desert RATS, Utah Public Lands Alliance and others clean up the area around the Black Rock exit off Arizona I-15 Saturday, Washington County, Utah, Dec. 5, 2015 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News
The penalty for illegal dumping is “not enough,” Racker said, although he prefers to work with people caught dumping, he said. A simple ticket is $250 or more, and offenders can also be charged with a class A misdemeanor which is punishable by up to one year in jail and a $10,000 fine.
Taking residential trash to the Washington County landfill is free, Racker said, although there is a fine for not having the garbage covered.
Racker said his agency needs all the help it can get. He asks that residents help with the problem by reporting illegal dumping on public lands. If you see someone who appears to be dumping illegally, he said, write down the license plate number and vehicle description and call 435-627-4300 – the nonemergency contact number for all Washington County agencies. An officer will investigate the situation.
Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.
Some of the thousands of items picked up during a cleanup project by the Desert RATS offroad club in the Black Rock area, Washington County, Utah, Dec. 5, 2015 | Photo by Sheldon Demke, St. George News
Volunteers clean up a party area and fire pit during a Desert RATS project, Washington County, Utah, Dec. 5, 2015 | Photo by Sheldon Demke, St. George News
The party area and fire pit after being cleaned up during a Desert RATS project, Washington County, Utah, DEc. 5, 2015 | Photo by Bud Sanders, St. George News
Members of Desert RATS, Utah Public Lands Alliance and others clean up the area around the Black Rock exit of I-15 Saturday, Washington County, Utah, Dec. 5, 2015 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News
Jeff Bieber unhooks tires which were dragged to the dumpster behind his Jeep during a Desert RATS cleanup, Washington County, Utah, Dec. 5, 2015 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News
Members of Desert RATS, Utah Public Lands Alliance and others clean up the area around the Black Rock exit of I-15 Saturday, Washington County, Utah, Dec. 5, 2015 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News
Members of Desert RATS, Utah Public Lands Alliance pose for a group photo before a cleanup of the area around the Black Rock exit off of I-15 Saturday, Washington County, Utah, Dec. 5, 2015 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News
Members of Desert RATS, Utah Public Lands Alliance and others clean up the area around the Black Rock exit of I-15 Saturday, Washington County, Utah, Dec. 5, 2015 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News
Members of Desert RATS, Utah Public Lands Alliance and others clean up the area around the Black Rock exit of I-15 Saturday, Washington County, Utah, Dec. 5, 2015 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News
Members of Desert RATS, Utah Public Lands Alliance and others clean up the area around the Black Rock exit of I-15 Saturday, Washington County, Utah, Dec. 5, 2015 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News
Members of Desert RATS, Utah Public Lands Alliance and others clean up the area around the Black Rock exit of I-15 Saturday, Washington County, Utah, Dec. 5, 2015 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News
Members of Desert RATS, Utah Public Lands Alliance and others clean up the area around the Black Rock exit of I-15 Saturday, Washington County, Utah, Dec. 5, 2015 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News
Desert RATS board member Joan Hayes helps with the cleanup, Washington County, Utah, Dec. 5, 2015 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News
Members of Desert RATS, Utah Public Lands Alliance and others clean up the area around the Black Rock exit of I-15 Saturday, Washington County, Utah, Dec. 5, 2015 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News
This 15-yard dumpster would not hold all the garbage collected by the Desert RATS cleanup project Saturday in the Black Rock area,, Washington County, Utah, Dec. 5, 2015 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News
CEDAR CITY — A 4-H mentoring program that started in Iron County in 1994 has spread across the nation with the help of five years federal funding from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention – funding that has recently been renewed for another year.
The grant, now $9.8 million, was awarded to the 4-H national council in support of three programs, one being Youth and Families with Promise that started in Iron county.
Under the program, students from Southern Utah University and Utah State University Extension serve as mentors helping at-risk youth, ages 10-14, and their families with hands-on learning experiences to help them achieve higher levels of academic and social competency.
“Most mentoring programs experience a lifespan of five years or less,” said Sage Platt, director of the Speech and Presentation Center at SUU and one of the founding figures behind Youth and Families with Promise. “The fact that we have received such a generous grant renewal manifests not only the high esteem in which the government has come to hold us but also the enormous amount of sacrifice and commitment exhibited by our student mentors. None of this would have been possible without them.”
How it started
SUU began the Youth and Families program in 1994 after a communitywide survey proposed by local leaders revealed such a program could benefit youth in the area. SUU’s psychology department partnered with Utah State University, SUU’s release said, and formed what was initially a capstone project for students.
The program was initially administered by USU’s Iron County Extension office, according to USU Extension’s program Web page, with support from state extension specialists and internal funds from USU.
Then, five years ago, the Office of Juvenile Justice invited program proposals for grant money. The 4-H national council – the largest youth development organization in the U.S. according to its website – responded with three program recommendations for replication nationwide. One of those was the Youth and Families program.
Juvenile Justice took notice of the program’s success in Iron County, the SUU release said, and issued its first grant to what would officially become Youth and Families with Promise. The program evolved and eventually moved its base of operations north to USU.
The level of federal funding was little more than $1 million at first but increased to $3 million the following year. In 2014, $9.8 million was granted 4-H for its three national programs, the SUU release said, noting the amount is a substantial sum by any standard.
The general trend would suggest, SUU’s release said, that the Youth and Families program would be turned back to local communities for sustainability after five years of federal funding. However, shortly after the 4-H national council’s application this year, the grant benefitting Youth and Families was again renewed.
“It is clear that the students’ hard work and dedication have paid off,” the SUU news release said.
Program growth
Today, Youth and Families with Promise operates program sites across 43 states and enjoys full membership in the 4-H national council as part of the Office of Juvenile Justice’s mentoring funding program. SUU students are signed up as mentors by the Iron County extension office of USU and run local mentoring sites under USU’s direction.
“The Office of Juvenile Justice has seen the value in what mentors can do for youth and their families,” Platt said. “It is a real feather in the cap(s) of SUU students, whose involvement from 1994 onward has influenced so many lives for good.”
In January 2016, Platt will join the 4-H national council and the USU Youth 4-H director in the District of Columbia. There they will conduct live training on elements of youth development ranging from how to create a successful mentoring program to how to recruit new participants.
Platt also runs monthly online director training. This month’s training covers how mentors and staff can develop positive relationships with program participants – relationships that increase the likelihood of early self-disclosure on bullying, suicidal thoughts and other challenges faced by young people.
Through the years, hundreds, if not thousands, of college students nationwide have participated in Youth and Families with Promise. With the new funding approved, students will continue to play a key role in helping the program expand its family-oriented, community-building initiatives.
ST. GEORGE — Design of Intermountain Healthcare’s Dixie Regional Medical Center expansion is underway as architects and Dixie Regional officials work to make the vision of doubling the size of the medical center a reality.
Steven Caplin, chairman of the DRMC governing board, said in an interview last week that the size and budget for the project are still fluid, but planners expect to meet a mid-2016 deadline for presenting the project for approval by the Intermountain board.
The project budget has grown from about $180 million to a now-projected $220 million for expansion of the River Road hospital campus. Planning for an $80 million cancer research and treatment facility is also underway.
“The intent of the new (cancer research) building is to support a certain amount of research related to this advanced genomics cancer treatment,” Caplin said, “and the conventional cancer treatment that’s already offered here in our community.”
The size of the research facility is yet to be determined but is likely to have a minimum of 80,000-100,000 square feet.
The main project will likely add an additional 400,000 square feet to the medical center and will allow for relocation of other programs housed off-site.
“That expansion project does allow for the consolidation of all the clinical programs that are currently housed at our 400 East campus onto the main River Road campus,” Caplin said.
Those programs include women’s and children’s services, acute rehabilitation and behavioral medicine.
The expansion will include an increase in the number of patient beds and the addition of a patient observation unit. A significant investment in sophisticated new imaging equipment will also be made.
“We also expect we’ll make an investment in improved parking and access to the buildings,” Caplin said.
Caplin believes the newly expanded DRMC will provide benefits for staff as well as patients.
“Providing them with more space and better equipment will allow them to be more productive and provide a higher level of care,” he said.
Consolidation of clinical disciplines in one location also will eliminate a commute between the two current campuses for physicians and caregivers.
The expansion and upgrade are projected to be complete sometime in 2018. Once the new facility opens, patients in Southern Utah will have access to all advanced medical care programs including neonatal intensive care, advanced cancer services, cardiovascular care, neurosciences and the new Level II Trauma Center. Only pediatric intensive care and a trauma burn unit will be missing from the roster.
“The kind of health care we have in Southern Utah is unusually excellent for a community of our size,” Caplin said. “In fact, it’s superb for a community much larger than our current size.”
CEDAR CITY — The Orchestra of Southern Utah invites everyone to join them as they usher in the Christmas season with its 75th annual performance of Handel’s “Messiah.” Come celebrate the diamond anniversary of this Cedar City tradition completely free of charge.
Performances will be Dec. 13 and 14. The doors will open both evenings at 6:45 p.m. and the audience is asked to be seated by 7:15 p.m., at which time empty seats will be released to those waiting. The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m.
This production is funded by the generous sponsorships of the Leavitt Group and the State Bank of Southern Utah and performed with the volunteer service of the orchestra and choir. As a result, admission is free.
Tickets are required and are available, free of charge, at the Heritage Center Theater box office, 105 N. 100 East in Cedar City, during regular business hours. Attendees are encouraged to collect their tickets in advance as a full house is expected for both performances.
Handel’s “Messiah” was written in 1741 and tells the story of Christ in three chapters corresponding to His birth, death and resurrection. The piece takes its audience on an emotional and spiritual journey, the Orchestra’s news release said, climaxing with the famous “Hallelujah Chorus” and ending with a reverent and uplifting series of “amen.”
The first performance of Handel’s “Messiah” in Cedar City was New Year’s Day in 1925. Beginning in 1940, it became a winter tradition. Originally performed by Southern Utah University (then called the Branch Agricultural College), the Orchestra of Southern Utah has since taken up the responsibility.
The OSU bows at the end of their performance of Handel’s “Messiah,” Cedar City, Utah, 2014 | Photo by Rollan Fell, St. George News
Cedar City has a long and vibrant history with the musical arts. Musical residents of Cedar City have consistently come together in community. The earliest Mormon pioneers used fiddle music to keep warm throughout the cold winters and the Cedar City Band would perform in the City Park and later as an official military unit with the U.S. Army.
The orchestral scene in Cedar City grew to proportions unheard of for its small area, the orchestra’s news release said, accounting the growth to ambitious and charitable leaders such as Orien Dalley, who donated almost 100 string instruments to SUU as he retired, and Roy L. Halversen. This growth culminated in the construction of the Heritage Center Theater, which has provided a permanent home for the Orchestra of Southern Utah, as well as a venue for even more arts to flourish.
Jackie Jackson, director of Orchestra of Southern Utah’s performance of Handel’s “Messiah” | Publicity Photo courtesy of OSU, St. George News
Jackie Riddle-Jackson will be directing and conducting this year’s performances. A panel of judges evaluated the audtions; among them: Harold Shirley, president of the orchestra; Ron Cardon, community member and SUU alumnus; Mark Ganowsky, Cedar High School chorale director; and Carol Ann Modesitt, SUU professor of voice.
The soloists chosen by the judges for this year’s “Messiah” include: Alex Byers, Taliah Byers, Taryn Thomas, Terri Metcalf-Peterson, Glen Reber, Corlissa Jensen, Shannon Birch, Tyler Melling, Brandi Hall, Leslie Perkins and Taylor Rowley.
The soloists come from a variety of backgrounds in Cedar City and from SUU and Dixie State University.
The famous trumpet solo for “The Trumpet Will Sound” will be performed by Adam Lambert in the Sunday performance and Austin Clark in the Monday performance.
Event details
What: 75th annual Handel’s “Messiah” performed by the OSU
When: Dec. 13-14, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Heritage Center Theater, 105 N. 100 East, Cedar City
Admission: Free tickets are available at the Heritage Center Theater or from Emily Hepworth, OSU manager – telephone 435-233-8213 | Note: Children over 6 with adult supervision are welcome but not babies as the performance is recorded
GRAND CANYON, Ariz. — Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument Superintendent Rosie Pepito has set the seasonal winter closure of Kelly Point Road (NPS #1203) for Tuesday.
In winter, the roadbed is saturated from rain and melted snow. The seasonal closure will protect the road and nearby vegetation.
In the past, the road was damaged by deep ruts and widened as motorists drove around mud holes. This changed natural drainage patterns in fragile meadows and destroyed vegetation and cultural resources. Trees also suffered damage from winch cables.
“The road to Kelly Point is very rough and one of the most isolated places in the monument. A seasonal closure is the best way to protect the road, park resources and public safety,” Pepito said. “Weather conditions in the high country can change very rapidly. There is no cell service in the monument. We don’t want people getting stranded way out there for multiple nights as has happened in the past. At this time of year, Kelly Point is one of those places in the Parashant where you would be truly alone and a vehicle breakdown could be life-threatening.”
The seasonal road closure during the winter months was implemented in accordance with the General Management Plan Record of Decision approved in 2008.
Kelly Point Road is expected to open in late March or early April.
Contact Jeff Axel at 435-688-3377 or Chief Ranger Chad Corey at 435-688-3280 for more information.
FEATURE – Anyone who has seen “The Christmas Story” knows that every young boy looks forward to the time they get their first BB gun. I was no exception. I was around 8 or 9 years old when most of the other boys in the neighborhood started getting theirs. None of the families in our neighborhood were rich, but my family seemed just a tad poorer than all of the others.
I think my parents were cognizant of what other kids were getting though because it seemed just as the other kids were getting certain gifts like bicycles, skateboards, et cetera, we would get similar ones three to four months later.
It was no different with the BB gun. Our friends got theirs first. We would tag along with them and beg and plead to shoot it every now and then. Finally one Christmas we got one. And when I say we got one, that is exactly what I mean.
In my family there were five kids when I was little. (We added a brother through adoption later to get to six.) Mark was the oldest, five years older than me. Michelle was next. She was the only girl but was as tomboyish as any girl I have known; she was four years older than me. As the oldest two, Mark and Michelle had their own activities. The three youngest were all boys and less than one year separated my brother Scott from my twin brother Shawn and myself.
The BB gun we got for Christmas was for all three of us younger boys. Scott was not only the oldest of the three, but also the biggest. So by default, he was of course also the first of us to get to shoot what was now our dearest possession. It’s funny because if you asked me what else I got that year for Christmas, or any other year for that matter, I could not tell you. That is how much I valued that BB gun.
I still remember prepping it for our little adventure. My dad showed us how to oil it, then how to load it. And just like the aforementioned movie, the BB gun came with rules. Now my parents would have been smart to have just had one rule: Don’t do anything stupid. That one rule encompasses several things – but my mother had learned by that point that specifics were probably warranted for us.
So, of course, the first rule was don’t shoot each other. That sounds silly but if you knew my brother Scott then you’d realize my mother had just saved Shawn and me from some temporary, yet serious, pain.
My mom did not stop there. The next rule was don’t shoot the chickens. Then came don’t shoot the neighbor’s cows. She finally generalized the entire category and said don’t shoot anything living.
She did not stop there. No shooting of coke bottles was allowed. (We were barefoot in the summertime and this rule probably prevented future trips to the emergency room.) Then, no shooting our vehicles, no shooting at the neighbor’s beehives, et cetera, et cetera. I am sure there were at least 10 more rules; but finally, after she thought she had covered every specific, inane, dangerous thing we could do with our newly acquired weapon of mass destruction, she let us loose.
Off we went. First we went traipsing off to the woods. Because of the “don’t-shoot-anything-living rule” we soon found that venue to be quite boring. Next we lined up some soda cans and shot at them. Now when I say we, what I am really saying is, Shawn and I lined up the cans and Scott shot at them. You see, Scott had not yet ceded the BB gun to us. We were patiently waiting our turn.
Soon Scott became disinterested in soda cans as targets and an idea popped into his head. The problem with being specific with your rules is, inevitably you are going to miss at least one that you should not have – and at no time did my mother ever say “don’t shoot out the garage windows.” Now, for most 8- and 9-year-old boys, that is probably common sense, but for us, it was the one regulation not forced upon us at the beginning of our adventure.
For many years I threw the blame on Scott of course. While he deserves the majority of the blame, I have to admit that Shawn and I watched in bedazzled excitement and awe as he masterfully shot out the windows. It was at this point that we ran out of ammo and hurriedly rushed in to reload because Scott assured us we would get to fire the gun next.
That is when, unfortunately for us, my father decided to go outside and get the morning newspaper. While he was outside he noticed that several of the garage windows had BB-sized holes in them. The punishment was swift: we were grounded and the gun was confiscated. Now at the time, we did not understand that it was a permanent confiscation but even if it had been temporary, it was a devastating blow.
So that is the story of my most memorable Christmas gift and to that point my most valued possession, a BB gun that I never got to hold, let alone fire, was forcibly removed from me forever.
I wish I could say that we learned a few things, like rat out your brother before he does something dumb or even “don’t do anything stupid”; but alas, many more childhood adventures would elicit these words continually from my father during our childhood, “We can’t keep anything nice with you boys around.”
By the way, the garage windows cost much less than my dad’s golf clubs.
Darren Cole is a developing columnist and otherwise sports writer for St. George News. Any opinions given are his own and not representative of St. George News.
ST. GEORGE — Bringing Dixie State University’s weekly lecture series, “Dixie Forum: A Window on the World,” to an end for the fall semester, Frederick Crook, the former China director of LDS Charities in Shanghai and Beijing, will talk about the Chinese dream.
Crook will present “China Dream: An Interpretation of Contemporary Wall Posters,” from noon to 12:50 p.m., Tuesday at the Dunford Auditorium in the Browning Resource Center on the DSU campus. Admission is free and the public is encouraged to attend.
During his Dixie Forum presentation, Crook will talk about the efforts of Xi Jinping, president of the People’s Republic of China, to propagate the Chinese dream starting in 2013. While living in China and cooperating with the China Charity Federation of the Ministry of Civil Affairs to implement charity projects, Crook began to observe many wall posters appearing in public spaces.
He photographed 272 of these posters and began to notice some interesting connections between the posters and Chinese media outlets’ reports on the Chinese dream. Crook will share about 20 posters that highlight the variety of messages he saw and the different art styles used by the government to transmit these ideas.
Crook was born in the United States and lived in Taiwan and China for a decade. As the China director for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Charities, Crook worked on drinking water systems for rural communities, sanitation facilities for schools, wheelchairs for disabled people and medical equipment for hospitals.
He also has served as the president of The China Group, a company that provides assessments of China’s rural economy, and as an agricultural economist in the market and trade economics division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Crook has published nine books and 185 articles on topics including China’s agriculture trade and economics.
Dixie Forum is a weekly lecture series designed to introduce the St. George community and DSU students, faculty and staff to diverse ideas and personalities while widening their worldviews via a 50-minute presentation. Dixie Forum will take a break during the university’s winter break but will resume in January 2016.
Event details
What: Dixie Forum, “China Dream: An Interpretation of Contemporary Wall Posters”
When: Tuesday, Dec. 8, 12-12:30 p.m.
Where: Dunford Auditorium, Browning Resource Center, DSU campus, 225 S. 700 East, St. George
GRAND CANYON, Ariz. — National Park Service fire managers anticipate initiating a prescribed fire near Shoshone Point Monday as weather and fuel moisture conditions allow.
The 75-acre area that fire managers plan to treat is located east of Grand Canyon Village, between Yaki and Shoshone points, and is comprised primarily of ponderosa pine, pinyon pine and juniper. In support of the prescribed fire, managers will close Shoshone Point and the project area to all vehicle, bicycle, foot and mule traffic from 12 p.m. Monday to 8 a.m. Tuesday.
Smoke may be visible from Grand Canyon Village and Arizona Highway 64 (Desert View Drive). Visitors and residents may see fire personnel and vehicles in the vicinity of Shoshone Point. Please drive slowly, turn on headlights, follow traffic control signs and directions and avoid stopping in areas where fire personnel are working.
Prescribed fires play an important role in decreasing risks to life, resources and property. Fire managers carefully plan prescribed fires, initiating them only under environmental conditions that are favorable to assuring firefighter and visitor safety and to achieving the desired objectives.
Prescribed fire objectives include reducing accumulations of hazard fuels, maintaining the natural role of fire in a fire-adapted ecosystem and protection of sensitive cultural and natural resources.
MOAB — The Bureau of Land Management’s Utah Moab Field Office is moving group campsite reservations to the website recreation.gov, including group campsites at Goose Island, Big Bend, Onion Creek, Dewey Bridge, Lone Mesa, Horsethief, Ledge, Ken’s Lake and Windwhistle campgrounds.
Visitors who wish to make group site reservations will be able to do so online at recreation.gov starting at 8 a.m. Wednesday.
To assist visitors with planning, reservations may be made up to one year in advance of the desired reservation date (for example, group campsites for March 27, 2017, will be available for reservation starting March 27, 2016). A minimum number of people are necessary to reserve a group campsite; the minimum number varies by site.
The more than 400 individual campsites in the Moab Field Office will remain available on a first-come, first-served basis. For additional information, contact the BLM Moab Field Office at 435-259-2100.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of subsurface mineral estate throughout the nation.
The BLM’s mission is to manage and conserve the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations under their mandate of multiple-use and sustained yield. In fiscal year 2014, the BLM generated $5.2 billion in receipts from public lands.
To the “U” and “Y” Vegas is calling Before long the Cougars will be falling The “U” will rock all night, wearing their red and white But the “Y” will have a blue, blue Christmas
COMMENTARY — If you haven’t heard by now, my daughter’s dreams of spending the holidays in southern California for a Holiday Bowl/Disneyland combo extravaganza have been shattered. Instead, Utah will be playing BYU in the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 19.
Even though the Utes and the Cougars share seemingly identical 9-3 records, like my daughter, many Utah fans are disappointed that their team has been relegated to the Las Vegas Bowl, whereas BYU fans are generally elated. If you take a look behind the numbers and the seasons these two teams have actually had, including the potential and missed opportunities, it isn’t hard to understand why Ute fans are still trying to figure out How the Grinch Stole Christmas while Cougar fans are joyously packing their bags for a Christmas Vacation.
Utah has been included in the official College Football Playoff Rankings each week this season (and in fact every week such rankings have been in existence over the past two years), rising as high as No. 10 on Nov. 10. The Utes and are currently sitting at No. 22 in the most recent rankings. BYU hasn’t appeared in the College Football Playoff Rankings all year long. The simple truth is that the Utes were only a couple of plays away from playing for the Pac-12 Championship, and potentially being considered for the four-team playoff. Other than two last minute Hail Mary wins to start the season, the Cougars have received precious little national attention.
The teams’ 9-3 records are not necessarily on equal footing either. Utah’s schedule included three teams that ended the season ranked in the College Football Playoff Top 25, and the Utes beat two of them — No. 14 Michigan and No. 15 Oregon (with the 62 points racked up by Utah being the most points ever scored by an opponent in Autzen Stadium). BYU’s schedule included a single team that ended the season in the Top 25 — No. 14 Michigan (which pummeled the Cougars 31-0).
Only three of Utah’s opponents ended the season with a losing record, whereas six of BYU’s opponents ended the season with a losing record (including Missouri, which beat the Cougars).
Oh yeah, BYU also had Wagner on its schedule.
In other words, if the Utes had played the Cougars’ schedule, and BYU had played Utah’s schedule, I’m betting the Utes would have won more than nine games, and the Cougars would have lost more than three games.
Utah and BYU did have four common opponents: Utah State (wins for both the Utes and Cougars); Fresno State (again, wins for both Utah and BYU); Michigan (Ute win, Cougar loss); and UCLA (losses for both Utah and BYU).
The good news is that rather than just bantering back and forth about strength of schedule, common opponents, etc., the Utes and the Cougars are playing a head-to-head, winner take all (in terms of the rivalry) game in Las Vegas on Dec. 19.
Last time the two teams played, Sept. 21, 2013, Bubba Poole and the Utes came away with a 20-13 win at LaVell Edwards Stadium. | Photo courtesy BYU Photo
I have been sorely disappointed that Dr. Chris Hill suspended the annual rivalry game between Utah and BYU (and yes, I firmly believe the ultimate decision was Dr. Hill’s, as the Cougars have become that kid on the block who will play with anyone willing to play with them, and would have gladly replaced Wagner or any other number of teams on their schedule this year with the Utes). While I had not anticipated a post-season matchup this year, I’ll take it, and smile all the way to and back home from Vegas.
The biggest challenge for Utah is going to be looking past its disappointment in falling all the way to the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl instead of one of the more prestigious bowl games in which it could have been playing, and treating this like the rivalry game that it is.
Kyle Whittingham is not crying over spilled milk, and is looking forward to the bowl game: “After being nationally-ranked since the second week of the season and finishing as co-champion of the Pac-12 South Division, we are looking forward to our ninth bowl game in the last 11 seasons. Las Vegas is a great destination for our fans and the bowl organizers work hard to make it a memorable experience for the players.”
Andy Phillips, who, similar to Whittingham, has family ties to BYU, fully understands the implications of this post-season rivalry matchup. “Obviously, we’re excited because it’s a rivalry game,” he said. “There is a lot of emotion involved.”
Even players from outside the state of Utah, who have never played in the rivalry game, are quickly being brought up to speed by teammates. “They told me that it’s a game to remember,” said Gionni Paul, who hails from Florida. “We always talk about leaving a legacy of being one of the top teams in Utah history and playing BYU could help us do that.”
Speaking of rivalry matchups, this past week the Runnin’ Utes and the Cougars met on the hardwood floor on The Hill. After taking a commanding 51-28 lead at halftime, Utah took its foot off the gas and allowed BYU to close the gap to as few as six points. The Runnin’ Utes ultimately won by eight. Jakob Poeltl had 26 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 blocks, as he showed why he has been named to both the Naismith Trophy and Oscar Robertson Trophy watch lists.
Utah has two marquee matchups on the road as part of its remaining non-conference schedule — Wichita State this Saturday and Duke in Madison Square Garden on Dec. 19 (the same day as the Las Vegas Bowl).
Here’s hoping Ute fans get an early Christmas present on that December Saturday when Utah buries BYU like a mob snitch on the outskirts of Vegas, and the Runnin’ Utes chip in with some big wins to make it a happy holiday season.
IRON COUNTY — A missing hunter was found dead Monday morning near state Route 20 in Iron County.
The hunter, a man in his early-70s, was hunting alone and reportedly told his family he would stay in contact with them, Iron County Sheriff’s Lt. Del Schlosser said Monday. When the man’s family didn’t hear from him, they reported him missing.
Iron County Search and Rescue volunteers began looking for the man some time Sunday night.
As this report is published, the name of the deceased man has not been released pending notification of next of kin.
While Schlosser could not confirm the exact location of where the man was found, he said was not found at his camp site.
This is a developing story and will be updated as information is made available.
ST. GEORGE — At exactly 10:48 a.m. Mountain Standard Time, a small and solemn ceremony was held Monday at Vernon Worthen Park in St. George to commemorate the 74th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.
Paying tribute to the fallen at a memorial located in Vernon Worthen Park, St. George, Utah, Dec. 7, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Members of the American Legion Post 90 joined with veterans and a few members of the community at the Pearl Harbor Memorial which stands next to the gazebo in the park, paying respects to those who lost their lives in the attack on America which took place at 7:48 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time, Dec. 7, 1941.
Senior Vice Commander and Judge Advocate of American Legion Post 90 Terry Dunne said the ceremony serves as a way to bring remembrance to the community.
“We try to do this every year,” Dunne said, “so that we will never forget our missing in action and those who died on Dec. 7, 1941.”
Dunne is the son of a WW II veteran, he said, adding that his family always held a remembrance and prayer no matter where they were on Dec. 7.
A wreath honoring the lives lost at Pearl Harbor is placed in front of a memorial located at Vernon Worthen Park, St. George, Utah, Dec. 7, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Retired Navy Capt. Ronald Lewis commanded a unit at Pearl Harbor in 1990, he said. The ceremony is important to all Americans, he said, but particularly the younger generations to help them understand the freedoms they enjoy came and still come at a heavy cost.
The brief ceremony began with a word of prayer followed by posting the colors of the nation. A wreath was placed at the Pearl Harbor Memorial and a gun salute was given in honor of those who served.
Please enjoy the videocast and photo gallery of the ceremony.
Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys tocycle through the gallery.
Pearl Harbor remembrance ceremony held at Vernon Worthen Park, St. George, Utah, Dec. 7, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
A wreath honoring the lives lost at Pearl Harbor is placed in front of a memorial located at Vernon Worthen Park, St. George, Utah, Dec. 7, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Veterans greet one another during a Pearl Harbor remembrance ceremony held at Vernon Worthen Park, St. George, Utah, Dec. 7, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
A wreath honoring the lives lost at Pearl Harbor is placed in front of a memorial located at Vernon Worthen Park, St. George, Utah, Dec. 7, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Pearl Harbor remembrance ceremony held at Vernon Worthen Park, St. George, Utah, Dec. 7, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Pearl Harbor remembrance ceremony held at Vernon Worthen Park, St. George, Utah, Dec. 7, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
A wreath honoring the lives lost at Pearl Harbor is placed in front of a memorial located at Vernon Worthen Park, St. George, Utah, Dec. 7, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Paying tribute to the fallen at a memorial located in Vernon Worthen Park, St. George, Utah, Dec. 7, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Massage at Movara Fitness Resort, Ivins, Utah, Nov. 23, 2015 | Photo by Leanna Bergeron, St. George News
IVINS – Nestled before rolling hills and staggering red rocks in Ivins is a health getaway called Movara, a launching pad to the area’s paradise for hikers, bikers and runners. The resort’s all-inclusive weeklong fitness program offers a structured environment for anyone desiring a good workout, fitness education, rejuvenation and fine healthy cuisine.
People travel from all over the world to Movara Fitness Resort for top-of-the-line spa and salon treatments, fitness classes and remarkable cuisine. There they find attentive care from an experienced staff who help instill lifestyle changes to move their guests towards peak health and wellness.
Starting in January 2016, Movara will be expanding its spa hours, affording area residents an opportunity to achieve zenithal physical and emotional relaxation. They may enjoy an assortment of treatment options, including massage therapy, facials and more between the convenient hours of 10 a.m to 10 p.m.
Cuisine at Movara Fitness Resort, Ivins, Utah, Nov. 23, 2015 | Photo by Leanna Bergeron, St. George News
One of the more popular treatments at the spa is the lomi lomi massage, in which the masseuse uses long pressured strokes to release tension and muscle pain – perfect for post-workout relief.
Now spa clients have the opportunity to take home some of the world-class food made by Movara’s experienced chef. Nutritious and delicious, the resort’s to-go meals are the perfect cap to a relaxing day at the spa.
In addition, Movara has a fully equipped salon, offering services for hair and nails, teeth whitening and eyelash extensions.
IRON COUNTY — Utah visitors from California on their way home from Salt Lake City had an unexpected delay Monday morning when their rental car collided with a doe that ran in front of them on Interstate 15 near Parowan.
The Utah Highway Patrol was dispatched to southbound milepost 74 at 8:11 a.m., UHP Trooper Adam Gibbs said, after a Honda Civic smashed into a doe on the interstate. Though it was reported to St. George News that a lane was closed, Gibbs said there were no road closures as a result of the collision.
“The car had stopped in the lane of travel,” he said, explaining the accident occurred on the inside lane of I-15 just south of the Parowan exchange. “When I got there, I just pushed (the disabled car) out of the way with my car.”
There were no reported injuries to the 34-year-old driver of the Honda Civic or his friend whom he was traveling with, Gibbs said, but the Civic’s front end was most likely totalled and the deer did not make it.
Gibbs said the accident was an unavoidable situation and the driver did the best thing he could have done by not swerving, letting the collision occur.
“You don’t swerve at all,” he said. “You just take it.”
Swerving to avoid an animal that runs in front of you while driving is more dangerous than just taking the brunt of the impact most times, Gibbs said. The last incident he went to where the driver swerved to avoid an elk in the road required transport to the hospital by Life Flight, he said.
“He ended up going off the road, rolling four times and ended up having to be life–flighted,” Gibbs said. While hitting a deer or elk in the road may damage a vehicle significantly, he said, the alternative causes damage to those inside of the car.
Hits may not always occur from the front either, Gibbs said, stating that he was in a deer collision once where the deer ran right into the side of his vehicle.
There are a large number of deer who graze in the fields in the Summit area and along other parts of the stretch of valley along I-15, Gibbs said, and there is no way of knowing where or when one of them may jump in front of a driver.
“Going slower is not going to help,” Gibbs said. “If they are going to hit a deer, they are going to hit a deer.”
IRON COUNTY — The missing hunter found deceased in Iron County Monday was a man from California who had arrived in Utah Thursday to hunt.
The man was first reported missing by his family Saturday, according to an Iron County Sheriff’s Office media statement issued Monday afternoon.
At 10 p.m. Saturday, sheriff’s deputies were sent to check on the man’s welfare where his camp was supposed to be near Buckskin Road by state Route 20 in north east Iron County, the release stated.
Though the man’s camp was located, the man was not there.
“A search of the immediate area was conducted which did not resulted (sic) in locating the subject,” according to the report. “Family members wanted to wait to see if he called the following day.”
When family had not heard from the man by 4 p.m. Sunday, they called the Iron County Sheriff’s Office once again seeking assistance. Arriving back at the man’s camp, deputies still found no trace of him.
It was then that Iron County Search and Rescue was called in to assist in locating the missing man, according to the media statement.
Volunteers combed the area until 2 a.m. Monday before calling the search off for the night. The search resumed at 8 a.m. Monday.
They found the missing man dead about one mile away from his camp, the Iron County Sheriff’s Office said in the statement.
“This death is not suspicious in nature and no foul play is suspected,” the statement said. “The body will be sent to the state Medical Examiner’s office pending an autopsy.”
Though the family who reported the man missing has been notified, Iron County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Del Schlosser said, the Sheriff’s Office wants to give the family time to notify next of kin before they will release the man’s name and the city he is from.
LAVERKIN — A suspected pipe bomb was safety detonated Sunday afternoon after it was discovered near the shooting range in LaVerkin that morning.
Around 10:50 a.m., the LaVerkin Police Department was alerted to the presence of a possible pipe bomb in the vicinity of the shooting range off state Route 9.
The Washington County Bomb Squad was dispatched to the scene once the officer on scene determined the suspected item was a possible explosive device, LeVerkin Police Chief Benjamin Lee said.
The suspected pipe bomb wasn’t made of plastic pipe, but metal, Lee said. It also appeared to have been in the area for a while as evidenced by corrosion seen on the metal.
The Washington County Bomb Squad investigated the device and safely detonated it, Lee said.
The operation wrapped up around 4 p.m.
As for any possibility of an investigation into the suspected pipe bomb’s origins, Lee said that was unlikely at this point unless someone with information steps forward.
“There’s really nothing we can go off of,” Lee said.
It’s standard procedure for officers to contact the county bomb squad when they suspect they are dealing with an explosive device.
“The appropriate thing when we get something like this is to contact the bomb squad who’ve been trained specifically in incendiary and explosive devices like this,” Lee said.
This report is based on information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
CEDAR CITY – Cedar City Police are asking for the public’s help finding a vehicle stolen from the Wal-Mart parking lot Tuesday morning.
At approximately 6 a.m. officers responded to a report of a stolen white 2010 Ford Explorer that had been parked in front of the retail giant at 1330 S. Providence Center Drive.
While police did not confirm the particulars of this morning’s incident, earlier radio transmissions reported the victim had been shopping and loaded her items into the vehicle when she realized her keys were missing. The woman then went back into the store to search for her keys. Having no success, she returned to the parking lot to find her vehicle and all her purchases with it gone.
A family member of the victim said the cameras at Wal-Mart provided video footage showing the suspect followed the woman to the front door and then went back and got in her Explorer to rummage around. Before taking her SUV, the suspect got back in his car and pulled it out of the parking lot before coming back to take her vehicle.
“The creepy thing is the guy watched her and then followed her until she went into the store then went back to the vehicle and rummaged through the vehicle and found the keys,” he said.
The suspect then went to his own car and moved it off site and returned to the vehicle, the family member stated. At that time, the suspect then waited for the victim to return and upon seeing her going back in the store then took the vehicle.
The incident serves as a reminder to citizens, particularly during this holiday shopping season.
Cedar City Police Sgt. Jimmy Roden said citizens should keep their vehicles locked at all times – even while driving – and never leave keys in the car. In addition, he said, close all the windows and sunroof and never leave the car running and unattended.
Police are encouraging anyone with information about this alleged theft to call Cedar City Police Department at telephone 435-586-2956.
ED. NOTE: CLARIFICATION: The family member’s quote was changed and a paragraph added to the story to clarify that the suspect only followed the victim upon her first time entering the store at which time he returned to the vehicle to rummage through it and find her keys. In addition, radio transmissions described the woman as having been shopping however the family member could not confirm that.
SALT LAKE CITY — New consensus revenue figures show Utah’s growing and diverse economy is producing additional revenue for the state. The consensus revenue forecast shows an additional $180 million of one-time funds and $380 million in new, ongoing, unrestricted revenue for the upcoming fiscal year 2017 budget.
“Utah’s economy continues to be the envy of the nation, and today’s budget numbers reflect that growth,” Gov. Gary R. Herbert said. “Our continued commitment to fiscal conservatism has led to an encouraging budget projection for the upcoming fiscal year.”
“I am encouraged by the consensus figures,” Senate President Wayne Niederhauser said.
Our economy is growing, and tax revenues are up 6 percent. That’s a positive thing for Utah. Although revenues are up, we need to carefully examine the entire budget to make sure we find the right fiscal balance. Many thanks to legislative staff and the governor’s staff for the hours of work that have gone into this forecast.
“Utah’s economy continues to grow,” Speaker Greg Hughes said. “These new revenue estimates will help us put together a budget that addresses the critical needs of the state. While they are encouraging, we must continue our careful and measured approach to the state budget.”
This forecast marks the first time executive and legislative economists completed a comprehensive review of the budget process that incorporates budget stress testing and trend analysis into the consensus revenue estimate. They agree that of the $380 million ongoing revenue growth, $53 million ($16 million general fund and $37 million education fund) is associated with expansion in the business cycle and should be treated with caution when establishing long-term obligations.
A PDF of the most recent state revenue estimates can be found online.
