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RAPE KITS-BACKLOG
Police promise better handling of rape kits
(Information in the following story is from: The Salt Lake Tribune, http://www.sltrib.com)
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Salt Lake City police are promising swifter processing of rape kits, and they say they are starting a website to track the progress.
Police Chief Chris Burbank says officials will now post online information involved in hundreds of rape cases.
Burbank says the site won't list victim names or case numbers. But he says it will show if rape kits are sent on to the state crime lab.
The announcement comes after Salt Lake City Council members on Tuesday criticized a backlog in the processing.
The kits include evidence collected by medical workers, such as semen or saliva.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports in Salt Lake City, about 620 rape kits are waiting to be processed.
Burbank says his department will start posting cases June 1.
FALSE CAMPAIGN MAILERS
False Utah election mailings spur investigation
(Information in the following story is from: The Daily Herald, http://www.heraldextra.com)
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah elections officials say they don't know who in recent weeks mailed legislative endorsements and attacks purporting to represent a nonprofit group.
The Elections Director at the Lieutenant Governor's office said Wednesday the mailers went to Republican delegates in advance of the Utah County Republican Convention.
Mark Thomas tells the Daily Herald that anonymous apology letters later reached his office and candidates.
The letter said it represented views of the Foundation for Government Accountability, a nonprofit that advocates for health and welfare reforms nationwide.
Thomas says he doesn't know if his office will find out who sent the mailers but will work with the Utah Attorney General's Office to investigate.
The Daily Herald reports such a false claim could bring misdemeanor charges if investigators find the letter's creator.
SUSPICIOUS DEATH-TAYLORSVILLE
Taylorsville woman dead; homicide suspected
(Information in the following story is from: KUTV-TV, http://www.kutv.com/)
TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (AP) — Police in Taylorsville are investigating the suspicious death of a woman whose body was found inside her home.
Investigators have released few details but told KUTV they are treating the death as a homicide.
They found the body during a welfare check after responding to a call from family members who were concerned they had not heard since Saturday from the 59-year-old woman who owns the home.
Police say there were no signs of forced entry. They have not formally identified the victim.
Neighbors tell KUTV the woman who lived there was a friendly, retired teacher her kept her lawn immaculate and was known for brewing sun tea on her porch.
SYNAGOGUE SHOOTING CHARGES
Utah man guilty of hate charge in temple shooting
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A 21-year-old Salt Lake City man has pleaded guilty to gun and hate crime charges after admitting he shot out windows at a Utah synagogue two years ago.
A federal grand jury indictment accused Macon Openshaw of intentionally shooting at the Congregation Kol Ami synagogue in Salt Lake City sometime between Jan. 1 and April 30, 2012.
The Justice Department says he admitted in court on Wednesday he fired three rounds from a .22-caliber handgun at the unoccupied temple because of its religious identity.
Openshaw also admitted to possessing a handgun with a destroyed serial number.
His plea is part of a deal aimed at securing a five-year prison sentence. He also agreed to pay restitution for synagogue repairs.
His sentencing is July 15 before U.S. District Judge Tena Campbell.
TRENCH COLLAPSE-SURVIVOR
Injured Utah man digs self out of trench collapse
(Information in the following story is from: KSL-TV, http://www.ksl.com/)
CENTERVILLE, Utah (AP) — A 34-year-old Utah man is counting his blessings after he was partially buried by a wall of dirt that collapsed on him while excavating a pool in Centerville.
Luke Marti suffered a shattered pelvis, severed spleen, a broken collar-bone and ribs, but still managed to dig himself out of the mess on Wednesday.
Marti was buried from the knees down. The unstable situation kept rescuers at bay for nearly an hour. He told KSL-TV from his hospital bed at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray he had to dig for 30 seconds then rest for 30 seconds to keep from passing out.
He says the thing that kept him going was the image of a portrait of his family. He's expected to be released from the hospital on Friday.
SOLAR POWER-WHITE HOUSE
White House honors Utah nonprofit leader
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The White House is scheduled to honor a leader of a Utah nonprofit for her work promoting solar power.
Kate Bowman is one of ten people nationwide to be recognized Thursday for directing solar-power projects in Utah neighborhoods and businesses.
She is the solar project coordinator for Utah Clean Energy.
The White House said in a statement that Bowman has helped Utah residents tackle logistical and financial issues to installing solar power panels.
Last year, she coordinated a solar project in Summit County.
Bowman first began working at Utah Clean Energy as an AmeriCorps member.
The White House says that nationwide, more new solar installations went up last year than ever before.
It says current solar power installed across the U.S. is enough to power more than 2.2 million homes.
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