Utah News

People nationwide are still reacting with amazement at the remarkable story of survival that broke in a remote area of Southern Utah late Friday afternoon.

28-year-old William LaFever, from Colorado springs, contacted his father for money on June 6th or 7th –calling from boulder, Utah.

John LaFever wired money for his son to the closest location, Page, Arizona.

The younger LaFever, who is autistic intended to follow the Escalante river to Lake Powell, then solicit a boat ride to page, with no apparent appreciation for the peril that such a trek posed.

Sunday, the national weather service issued a flash flood warning for areas of Washington county Utah, Lincoln county Nevada, and Mohave county Arizona. And as it turns out, they had it spot on. A flash flood warning means that flooding is imminent or occurring. Residents living along streams and creeks were asked to take immediate precautions to protect life and property.

Indeed, some St. George streets were soaked with as much as two feet of standing water after heavy rains fell for nearly an hour flooding homes and businesses. Damage assessments are still being made. 

Utah’s second largest-city is also the state’s most diverse. West Valley City’s population is 45 percent ethnic minorities, which can create language and cultural barriers in schools, at work and on the streets. But Saturday, the Latino Community Center aimed to tear down some of those walls by inviting law enforcement to talk with hundreds of local residents.

West Valley Police Sergeant Mike Powell spent part of his weekend meeting with members of the Latino community at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center.

Utah State Extension and the Utah Division of Water Quality are teaming up to monitor the waterways of Utah for pathogens. This research program has trained volunteers wading in streams taking samples as a part of a new program: Utah Water Watch. 

It's a warm summer, and many families, including Heather DeWitt's are traveling to watery destinations in the state. DeWitt is from Eagle Mountain and took her family to Bear Lake to enjoy the water. On the way, they stopped to wade in First Dam in Logan Canyon.  

"This is one of the areas we have our volunteers monitor," said Brian Green, program coordinator for the new state-wide volunteer project. "We were out here last week checking this area for e-coli and water temperature and p-H and such."

 The river passed on all accounts, and is safe for families.