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SALT LAKE CITY MAYOR
Pollution-fighting councilwoman wins Salt Lake mayor race
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah lawmaker who was aiming to be the first Latina mayor of Salt Lake City has conceded the race to a city councilwoman who rose to prominence fighting pollution.
Democratic Sen. Luz Escamilla said in statement Wednesday that she conceded in a phone call to fellow Democrat Erin Mendenhall, and wished her the "best of luck."
Mendenhall took a commanding early lead with nearly 59 percent of the vote Tuesday, but Escamilla vowed to stay in the race until the count was complete.
Escamilla says that changed after she got new details on the number of uncounted mail-in ballots. She says the figures were lower than expected, making it impossible for her to overtake Mendenhall.
Mendenhall will replace one-term mayor Jackie Biskupski, who decided not to run again.
REAL ESTATE INVESTING-FTC COMPLAINT
People lured by real-estate secrets left in 'ruin,' FTC says
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission is suing a company accused of using house-flipping TV celebrities to lure people around the country into spending thousands on training workshops that purported to share lucrative secrets but instead left many in "financial ruin."
The agency and the Utah Division of Consumer Protection filed the federal complaint in Salt Lake City Tuesday asking a judge to stop Nudge, LLC from selling seminars. The agency says their ads promised insider tips from stars of shows like HGTV's now-defunct "Renovate to Rent," but left most people with no profit.
Nudge attorney Jeffrey Knowles says the company will fight the suit. He says the workshops did provide valuable information, and many attendees were happy with it.
No TV real-estate gurus are accused in the complaint.
AIR FORCE SQUADRON RETURN
Airmen, jets return to Utah Air Force base from deployment
(Information from: Standard-Examiner, http://www.standard.net)
OGDEN, Utah (AP) — A group of airmen have returned to a Utah base after being deployed to the Middle East for six months in the jets' first real-world combat missions.
The Standard-Examiner reported Monday that members of two fighter wings returned to Hill Air Force Base after completing at least two combat strikes on enemy forces in the United Arab Emirates.
Military officials say F-35A Lightning II pilots conducted an air strike in April hitting a network of tunnels used by the Islamic State group.
Officials say pilots dropped about 80,000 pounds (36,300 kilograms) of bombs in another Iraq attack in September.
Officials say the Utah base has been accepting aircrafts each month until the full 78-jet fleet is completed. Officials expect the fleet to be completed by the end of the year.
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NAVAJO VOTING-COUNTY VOTE
Utah ballot measure opposed by Navajos trails in early tally
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah ballot proposition that has reignited a fierce dispute over Navajo voting rights is trailing after the initial tally, but too many votes remained uncounted to make it final.
San Juan County deputy clerk Aspen Draper said Wednesday the measure that could lead to an expansion of the three-person county commission that Navajos recently took control of was trailing by 121 votes. She says 650 ballots need to be counted and an updated tally isn't expected until Friday at the earliest.
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez urged voters to reject the measure, saying it would undermine the voice of Navajo voters.
The man behind the proposition, Blanding Mayor Joe Lyman, has said he's advocated for making a five-member commission long before the 2018 election results.
BODIES-TEXAS BEACH
Utah man arrested in Mexico after couple found dead in Texas
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) — Authorities say police have arrested a man in Mexico who's suspected of stealing a car that belonged to a New Hampshire couple found buried at a South Texas beach.
Kleberg County Sheriff Richard Kirkpatrick told KIII-TV in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Wednesday that Adam Curtis Williams was arrested by authorities in the Mexican state of Jalisco (hah-LEES'-koh) on felony theft charges.
Authorities believe the 33-year-old Logan, Utah, man and Amanda Noverr might have had contact with 48-year-old James Butler and 46-year-old Michelle Butler. They released a surveillance photo of Williams and Noverr crossing the border into Mexico in a car belonging to the Butlers.
James Butler's sister Debbie Van Loon told WMUR-TV in Manchester, New Hampshire: "We're glad to hear the arrest has been made and await what's next."
Officials say the Butlers' deaths are being investigated as homicides. Their bodies were found last week in a shallow grave on Padre Island, near Corpus Christi.
MAYOR ELECTION-FALLEN SOLDIER
Utah city elects new mayor year after death of former leader
(Information from: Deseret News, http://www.deseretnews.com)
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah residents have chosen a new North Ogden mayor to replace their fallen leader killed during a 2018 deployment in Afghanistan.
The Deseret News reported Tuesday that voters elected businessman S. Neal Berube to fill the remaining two years of National Guard Maj. Brent Taylor's term.
Taylor served as mayor since 2013, and previously as a City Council member.
Weber County officials say Berube successfully gained 57% of votes compared to opponent Lynn Satterthwaite.
Berube credited his win to running a fair campaign and "not getting caught up in the mudslinging."
Berube worked for Taylor previously and has plans to recognize Taylor's contributions and build upon his work.
Officials say appointed interim mayor Brent Chugg is expected to continue to serve in the position through the end of the year.
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