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UTAH UNEMPLOYMENT
Utah jobless rate increased slightly in March
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah's unemployment rate increased slightly last month, the first time since last July the rate has climbed instead of falling.
The Department of Workforce Services announced Friday that the state's jobless rate for March was 4.1 percent, up from 3.9 percent the month before.
The rate is still well below the national level, which has held steady for two months at 6.7 percent.
The March 2014 rate is also down eight-tenths of a percent from the same month a year earlier, when the rate was 4.9 percent.
DWS reports Utah has continued to add jobs but rate of job growth remains below a long-term average.
The trade, transportation and utilities industry added the most new jobs in March, gaining 8,400 jobs.
SEVEN BABIES DEAD
Autopsies of 7 Utah infants completed
(Information in the following story is from: Deseret News, http://www.deseretnews.com)
PLEASANT GROVE, Utah (AP) — The Utah State Medical Examiner's Office has completed autopsies of seven deceased infants found in cardboard boxes in a Pleasant Grove garage.
Police Capt. Michael Roberts says he believes the medical examiner's office will compile autopsy reports and meet with police and Utah County prosecutors on Monday to review the case for criminal charges.
He told the Deseret News that he did not immediately have any of the autopsy results.
Megan Huntsman was arrested Sunday.
After her estranged husband discovered one of the infant corpses in the garage of their Pleasant Grove home this past weekend, the 39-year-old Huntsman acknowledged to police that she killed six of the babies over a decade from 1996 to 2006. She told police one of the babies was stillborn.
SUSPICIOUS DEATH-TAYLORSVILLE
Police ID woman murdered in her Taylorsville home
TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (AP) — Police have identified the victim of a Taylorsville murder as a 59-year-old woman.
Unified Police identified her as Margaret Steffey on Thursday, a day after she was found dead in her house when officials were called to check on her. She lived alone.
Officials say an autopsy indicates she was suffocated but it's not clear how.
Authorities say they don't have any suspect yet and are asking members of the public to share any information they might have.
Investigators found no sign of a forced entry.
EASTER-RABBIT ADOPTIONS
Humane Society discourages Easter rabbit adoptions
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Humane Society of Utah is discouraging people from adopting rabbits as pets for Easter.
The organization says in a statement that rabbits are third most frequent animal turned into shelters.
They say there's a spike of spike of unwanted pet rabbits dropped off around Easter every year.
Owners often lose interest or are unable to care for them and younger animals are generally unable to survive if release into the wild.
Humane society officials also discourage the giving of chicks and ducklings as pets.
The organization instead urges people to give stuffed animals or chocolate rabbits as gifts.
COMIC-CON
Salt Lake Comic Con kicks off
(Information in the following story is from: Deseret News, http://www.deseretnews.com)
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Pop culture is taking center stage at the second Salt Lake Comic Con.
Organizers expect the convention on Saturday to draw up to 100,000 fans, with many of them wearing costumes of their favorite heroes. Some 40,000 tickets already were sold for the event by Wednesday night.
Organizers say the three-day convention, which began Thursday, features the best in movies, television shows, gaming, sci-fi/fantasy and comic books.
The Deseret News reports celebrity guests include six cast members of the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" television series.
Gov. Gary Herbert, who appeared at a news conference Thursday with event organizers, says the amount of Salt Palace floor space has doubled for this year's gathering. The convention drew an estimated 75,000 attendees last year, with over 52,000 tickets sold.
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