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AP-UT-VIRUS OUTBREAK-UTAH
Restaurants, bars closed statewide as Moab pauses tourism
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah Gov. Gary Herbert ordered statewide closures at restaurants and bars Tuesday while health officials in the national parks hotspot of Moab ordered a halt to new overnight tourists to help stop the spread of the new coronavirus. The steps came as the number of statewide cases grew to more than 50. The Southeastern Utah Health Department barred anyone except work travelers and locals from overnight lodging, including camping, starting late Tuesday. The state's largest hospital systems have also delayed non-urgent medical care to prepare to an expected influx of coronavirus patients.
UTAH ATTORNEY GENERAL
Utah attorney is latest to run for state attorney general
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A high-profile Democratic defense attorney entered the race for Utah attorney general Tuesday, shortly after a reform-minded prosecutor mounted a challenge from within the Republican Party. Defense attorney and former prosecutor Greg Skordas took a broad political view, saying he would protect health care and the environment as he announced his candidacy Tuesday. His announcement came days after Republican Utah County Attorney David Leavitt entered the race saying he would expand local programs aimed at reforming the criminal justice system. They are challenging Republican Sean Reyes, who has held the job since 2013 and says he has targeted the opioid epidemic, suicide, human trafficking, cybercrime and white-collar fraud.
JAIL DEATH-SETTLEMENT
Utah parents settle lawsuit over daughter's death in jail
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The parents of a Utah woman who died while in jail have settled a lawsuit against a county for $950,000. The Salt Lake Tribune reports Calvin and Kim Ostler sued Salt Lake County over the death of their daughter, Lisa Marie Ostler. The lawsuit says jailers believed she was suffering withdrawal from opiates before she died in April 2016. Ostler suffered from Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease that can cause extreme pain and digestive issues. A medical examiner determined the 37-year-old died of peritonitis, an inflammation in the abdomen that can lead to infection.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-SKI RESORTS
Vail Resorts closing its resorts for rest of ski season
DENVER (AP) — Vail Resorts will keep its North American resorts closed for the rest of the ski season because of the coronavirus. However, the company said Tuesday that it will consider reopening three of them in late April or early May depending on the situation with the disease then as well as weather conditions. Those resorts are Breckenridge Ski Resort in Colorado, Heavenly Mountain in Lake Tahoe in California and Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada. The company announced Saturday that it would shut down its 34 resorts for at least one week before reassessing it decision. Vail's other resorts include Park City Mountain Resort in Utah and Stowe Mountain in Vermont.
EXCHANGE-BIG SKY TOURNAMENT
The day the Big Sky Conference tournament ground to a halt
MISSOULA, Mont (AP) — Big Sky Conference commissioner Tom Wistrcill is describing the fast-moving developments that led to the abrupt end of the basketball tournament as going from "the highest of highs to a lot of lows.“ Wistrcill spoke to reporters on Monday, four days after the coronavirus outbreak halted the Big Sky Conference tournament and sporting events nationwide. The commissioner says he initially believed the tournament could go on, but things started to change with the NCAA deciding to ban spectators at the national basketball tournament. He calls the cancellations one of the most stunning turn of events in his 27-year career in college athletics.
AP-UT-VIRUS OUTBREAK-UTAH
Romney pitches $1,000 checks as Utah restaurants, bars close
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Republican Sen. Mitt Romney wants the federal government to send $1,000 checks to every American to help the country cope with the coronavirus outbreak causing widespread closures at restaurants, bars and other businesses around the country, including the capital of his adopted home state of Utah. He says the one-time checks for adults would help families pay their own bills and bolster the economy. The proposal comes after the closure of ski resorts and the announcement that a bartender in Park City tested positive for coronavirus, marking the first community spread in the state. Illinois, Ohio, Massachusetts, Washington state and New York City are among other places that have ordered closures.
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