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ATHEIST CONFERENCE-UTAH
Atheist national conference aims at Mormon church
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Leaders of a national atheist group say the best spot to find a nonbeliever is in a place of faith.
To that end, the American Atheists, in an effort to raise awareness and attract new members, are holding their annual conference over Easter weekend in the home of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
They say the church's large influence in Utah has made atheists in the state reluctant to speak about religious doubts for fear of being shunned. Atheist group leaders also criticize the LDS influence as having overstepped its boundaries in areas of public policy.
Mormon culture dominates Utah, and the effect can be seen in the state's strict liquor laws and overwhelmingly conservative politics. About 60 percent of residents and about 4 in 5 Utah lawmakers identify as Latter-day Saints.
Atheist leaders say their group members comprise a spectrum of views. Those who believe for certain that God doesn't exist, those who are unsure but aren't active in their faith and those who don't give the matter much thought all could be called atheists, they say.
SEVEN BABIES DEAD
Autopsies done on 7 Utah babies found in garage
PLEASANT GROVE, Utah (AP) — The Utah State Medical Examiner's Office has completed autopsies of seven infants found in cardboard boxes in a woman's garage, but it is unclear when the results will be released.
Pleasant Grove Police Capt. Mike Roberts says the medical examiner will review the autopsy reports with police and prosecutors. He did not have any of the results and did not know whether his agency would get them before prosecutors file criminal charges against the woman accused of killing six of the babies.
39-year-old Megan Huntsman was still being held Friday in the Utah County Jail in Provo on $6 million bail. She is scheduled to make an initial court appearance Monday.
IRAN PLANE MYSTERY
Plane spotted in Iran is registered to Utah bank
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — An airplane that mysteriously ended up in Iran is registered to a Utah bank under an arrangement for aviation ownership that has prompted two warnings from a government watchdog in the past year.
The Bombardier CL-600 became the subject of international intrigue after the New York Times revealed its presence in Iran at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, along with a picture of the jet, its tail number and a small American flag affixed to the side.
Government officials are not saying how and why the plane traveled to Iran.
The U.S. Department of State says that except for some approved activities by the U.S. Department of Treasury, federal regulations generally prohibit economic activity between the U.S. and Iran.
Aviation records show the plane is registered to the Bank of Utah through an arrangement in which the bank serves as a trustee for aircraft owners.
An official with the Ogden-based bank says the financial institution is aware of the plane in Iran but is not investigating at this point.
UTAH ATTORNEY GENERAL
Reyes avoiding some campaign donations
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes says he's avoiding campaign donations that could appear to create a conflict of interest with his office.
Reyes made the comments during a Friday discussion at the University of Utah about restoring public trust in the state's top law enforcement office.
Gov. Gary Herbert in December appointed Reyes to temporarily hold the office until a special election this November.
Reyes replaced fellow Republican John Swallow, who stepped down after accusations of wrongdoing. Swallow has maintained his innocence.
Reyes on Friday declined to name the individuals, businesses and industries whose donations he's turning away.
Reyes says doesn't want to insinuate they were doing anything illegal or unethical but that it's simply easier to avoid their donations because those groups are more highly regulated and receive more complaints.
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) — Organizers expect the second Salt Lake Comic Con on Saturday to draw up to 100,000 fans, with many of them wearing costumes of their favorite heroes. About 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 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 more than 52,000 tickets sold.
CARETAKERS ARRESTED-LAYTON
2 caretakers booked in theft from Layton woman
LAYTON, Utah (AP) — Two people hired to clean and tend to the home of an elderly Layton woman have been arrested on suspicion of binding her with duct tape and stealing from her.
Police say 31-year-old Sarah Eversten and 32-year-old Hunter Haynes face extradition proceedings after their arrests in Knoxville, Tenn.
The two were hired in early April to help around the woman's home.
They're accused of ransacking the victim's home after binding her with duct tape on April 11 and stealing credit cards, money and medication.
The woman freed herself from the duct tape and called for help from neighbors. She received minor bruises in the incident.
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