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HOUSE FIRE-BODY FOUND
Grandson arrested in death of man found in burned home
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and other crimes in the death of his 74-year-grandfather whose body was found by firefighters after a fire at his home. Police say 28-year-old Maxwell Wolcott was arrested after allegedly telling investigators that he forced his way into Peel's house and stabbed him. An arrest document says he returned a short time later to douse his grandfather's body in lighter fluid “with the intention of destroying evidence.” It's not clear if Wolcott has a lawyer. Neighbors reported the fire after hearing screaming and seeing flames.
ICE CASTLES
Ice Castles make their winter debut in Midway
MIDWAY, Utah (AP) — An otherworldly frozen kingdom has made its annual winter debut in Utah. The Daily Herald reports Midway Ice Castles feature ice walls and tall towers that take 10,000 man hours and tons of ice and snow to create. New additions this year include a light garden featuring ice structures with lights shown through them, ice caves, a waterfall and a maze. The ice castles are typically open until mid-February, but unpredictable weather always makes the attraction’s closing date an unknown.
WILD HORSES-ROUNDUP
Group seeks postponement of planned roundup of wild horses
RENO, Nev. (AP) — A group that advocates for protection of wild horses says a federal agency didn't provide adequate notice of a weeks-long roundup planned to begin Monday in Nevada and Utah and is asking for a postponement. The American Wild Horse Campaign says the Bureau of Land Management is violating the public's First Amendment rights by not announcing the helicopter-assisted roundup until Thursday afternoon and by not allowing public observation of the roundup until its second day. A BLM spokesman didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday but the agency said previously in a statement that the roundup would be conducted safely and efficiently and was intended to protect public lands.
GREAT SALT LAKE-RARE FORMATIONS
Rare salt formations appear along the Great Salt Lake
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Rare salt formations are being documented for the first time on the shores of the Great Salt Lake, and they could yield insights about salt structures found on Mars before they disappear for good. They’re showing up now in part because water levels have been lowered by drought and water diversion, exposing more shoreline. That leaves more places where water can bubble up to the surface from warm, sulfate-rich springs. A mineral called mirabilite separates out when the water hits the cold winter air, eventually forming into crystal spires and terraces. The structures are expected to dissolve as the weather warms up.
CYBERSECURITY-IRAN ATTEMPTS
Utah cyber team thwarts alleged Iran digital intrusions
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Cybersecurity experts in Utah have taken measures to combat an increase in alleged digital intrusion attempts from Iran targeting state government websites. Deseret News reported Thursday that the automated digital surveillance attempts were not aimed at hacking, but instead identifying weak points in state computer systems. Utah Department of Technology Services officials say the alleged attempts were unsuccessful and cybersecurity personal were able to block digital traffic once it was detected. Officials say the department has not seen any traffic since putting countermeasures in place. Experts say the alleged traffic comes less than a week after a U.S. drone strike killed top Iranian military commander Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani in Iraq.
AP-OLY-IOC-MEETING
Salt Lake City, Barcelona among Winter Olympic host options
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The IOC is in talks with three possible bidders to host the Winter Olympics in the future. Former Winter Games hosts Salt Lake City and Sapporo were confirmed along with 1992 Summer Games host Barcelona. The Catalonian city would spread events across the Pyrenees region and look for venues outside Spain for sliding and ski jumping. A new Olympic selection process keeps up a rolling dialogue with possible candidates who can now be selected many years in advance. Previous hosting elections had to be seven years before the games. The 2024 Winter Youth Olympics were awarded to the Gangwon region of South Korea.
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