Utah Gov. Spencer Cox delivers State of State address

Utah News! Image is of two women hikers overlooking Bryce Canyon.

On Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, Gov. Spencer Cox delivered his State of the State address based on the theme of “built here.” One word — why? — was on many of their lips.

Michael Fanone, a former Washington, D.C., police officer who was attacked during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, cursed out Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the anti-government group the Oath Keepers, during an appearance Wednesday on CNN. As Fanone was appearing on the network to discuss President Trump’s pardon of the Jan. 6…

Source: Utah News

Vejmelka, Utah Hockey Club shut out Minnesota Wild for third straight win

At first glance, the Utah Hockey Club played a perfect game on Thursday. But the stats suggest there was lots of room for improvement.

Don’t look now, but the Utah Hockey Club is on a three-game winning streak.

That’s thanks, in large part, to a 26-save shutout from Karel Vejmelka against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.

Vejmelka has been one of Utah’s biggest difference-makers this season. It was highlighted by a post-to-post save on Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov, who doesn’t miss from that spot often. But when a goalie is hot, it takes a lot to get pucks past him.

Barrett Hayton tallied two goals, bringing his totals to five points in his last two games and seven in his last four. Nick DeSimone had a pair of assists, marking his first two-point night since Nov. 7, 2023.

“I really liked our pace starting the game,” said head coach André Tourigny. “I liked our composure as well, during the game.”

Utah is now four points shy of a playoff spot. They still have to jump ahead of the Calgary Flames, the Vancouver Canucks and the St. Louis Blues, but that seems more manageable this week than it did last week.

How this works

This is a three-part article geared toward three different audiences.

  • First, we’ll have “Utah hockey for dummies” for all you new hockey fans. Welcome, by the way — we’re glad you’ve taken an interest in the greatest sport in the world.
  • Next, we’ll have a section titled “Utah hockey for casual fans,” aimed at those who have a basic understanding of the sport.
  • Finally, we’ll have “Utah hockey for nerds.” That will be for those of you who, like me, think about nothing but hockey all day, every day.

Feedback is welcome, so let me know what you think in the comments of this article or the comments section on “X.”

Utah Hockey for dummies

I’ve written about this a few times already, but I’ll say it again for the people in the back: Clayton Keller seems to have a chip on his shoulder after being excluded from the Team USA 4 Nations Face-Off roster.

In three games this year against the Wild, who are managed by USA GM Bill Guerin, Keller now has three goals and four points. That’s a goal per game — much higher than his season average of 0.37 goals per game.

Keller talked about how it feels to be left off the squad after Utah’s first game against the Wild, a 5-4 shootout loss at the Delta Center on Dec. 10 — six days after the rosters were announced.

“That’s a team that everyone wants to be a part of and when you’re not selected, you look yourself in the mirror and you go to work the next day with a little extra jump,” he said.

Utah Hockey for casual fans

As mentioned, Vejmelka recorded his first shutout since Dec. 16, 2023, and his first in blue, black and white. “The boys played well in front of me and they helped me a lot,” Vejmelka said after the game. “It’s a big team win tonight.” His excellence was enough to earn him the game ball, UHC’s award for the player of the game, as chosen by the previous player of the game (Josh Doan, in this case).

Tending the other net was Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson. It was his first game since Jan. 15, having missed the last two with an illness. Allowing two goals (and one that was eventually overturned) in the first period is not the way he wanted to return. He gained his rhythm by the time the second period rolled around, but the bulk of the damage was already done.

Utah Hockey for nerds

As good as Utah has been in second periods recently in terms of the score sheet, their second period on Thursday was not sustainable. The second period has plagued Utah all season, so it’s been a central focus of the coaching staff for some time now.

Per Natural Stat Trick, Utah’s second period consisted of the following:

  • 20% of the shots
  • 8.33% of the scoring chances
  • 20% of the high-danger scoring chances
  • An expected goal differential of -1.44
  • 22.58% of the shot attempts
  • 18.18% of the face-off wins

Utah has managed a net-positive goal differential in the second period during its current winning streak, but these numbers should scare the coaching staff.

“We knew, starting the second, they (would) have a push,” Tourigny said. “They had a push, but we kept them on the outside pretty good.”

Tourigny called a team meeting just after the new year to talk about their second period play. Among his solutions was taking shorter shifts — especially when a player is deciding whether to participate in an offensive rush.

What’s next?

They’re back at it tomorrow for a rematch with the Winnipeg Jets.

Utah HC beat the Jets 5-2 on Monday at the Delta Center. It’s no easy task to beat the best team in the Western Conference, so don’t expect it to be easy — but they proved on Monday that it’s possible.

The game starts at 6 p.m. MST and will be streamed on Utah HC+ and Utah 16.

Source: Utah News

Here’s the loophole allowing Utah lawmakers to become lobbyists without ‘cooling off’

Utah law requires a “cooling off period” for former lawmakers looking to become lobbyists. But a loophole lets them leave office one day and lobby the Legislature the next.

Days after wrapping up a 24-year run as a force in the Utah Senate, Curt Bramble has filed to lobby the Utah Legislature, despite a law on the books since 2009 intended to prevent legislators from becoming revolving-door lobbyists.

Bramble said there is a provision in the law that allows him to represent clients through his accounting and business consulting firm, Bramble & Company, which he has owned for decades.

“If lobbying or government relations isn’t your primary business then there’s an exception,” Bramble told The Salt Lake Tribune in an interview this week.

In 2009, lawmakers passed a bill that imposed a one-year “cooling off period” for elected statewide officials and legislators before they can become lobbyists. The bill passed during the same session that former House Speaker Greg Curtis returned to the Capitol as a lobbyist after losing his 2008 reelection bid and days after his term as speaker ended.

But the law does not apply if the legislator lobbies on behalf of “a business with which he is associated,” provided the business’ primary activity is not lobbying or governmental relations.

Bramble said he met with representatives of the lieutenant governor’s office, which oversees lobbyist regulations, two weeks ago and lawyers for the office reviewed the issue and gave him approval to represent his clients in the Legislature.

In a Jan. 15 email to Bramble, the lieutenant governor’s office cited the statute and advised him that “If you meet the above exception” — referring to the business exception — ” you may register as a lobbyist with our office on lobbyist.utah.gov and proceed as allowed under state code.”

Bramble registered as a lobbyist the next day.

“Here’s the reality: Do I expect to be doing contract lobbying? No. For this session I expect it will be fairly limited,” Bramble said. “But I do have clients that do have tax issues and we may have clients who say, ‘Here is an issue we need to talk about’ and much of what I do this session will be consulting with other lobbyists where … they want some advice.”

Bramble’s son, Zach, has been a registered lobbyist for several years. Earlier this month, he registered to lobby on behalf of 24 new clients this session.

Thirty-five states have prohibitions or cooling-off periods for former legislators, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

A 36th, Missouri, had a two-year cooling-off period until last summer when a federal appeals court struck down part of that state’s voter-approved initiative that imposed the lobbying ban. The judges ruled that it violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and that the state could not show that it significantly curbed corruption.

There are roughly 20 former legislators who are registered lobbyists — including Bramble, Robert Spendlove and former Sen. Jake Anderegg, who resigned from the body in 2023 after The Tribune reported on a consulting contract he had secured to push for transportation funding for Utah County.

Spendlove, who retired Jan. 1 last year, filed to lobby on behalf of Zions Bancorp, where he is a senior economist. Spendlove said he didn’t plan to register, but some of the economic work he provides could be considered advocacy, so he registered as a precaution.

For years, Sen. Howard Stephenson was a registered lobbyist for The Utah Taxpayers Association while he was a state senator. Stephenson said it was permissible because he only lobbied the executive branch, not the Legislature.

In recent years Bramble has advocated for keeping the herbal substance kratom legal and regulated. Kratom is a plant with origins in Southeast Asia that is promoted as a pain reliever and in low doses can act as a stimulant and in higher doses a depressant. It is also touted as helping ease opioid addiction.

Amid a series of reports of adverse effects, including lawsuits by families who alleged it was responsible for their loved ones’ deaths, some states looked to restrict the supplement and at least six banned the product.

In 2019, Bramble sponsored the Kratom Consumer Protection Act, which passed the Legislature to become the first law in the country regulating the preparation, labeling and marketing of the product.

The American Kratom Association paid Bramble $137,500 in consulting fees in 2019 and the following year The Center For Plant Science and Health, which has most of the same executives as AKA, began reporting consulting payments to Bramble & Company that totaled $968,845 over four years, according to tax filings for the organizations. The connection was first reported in 2022 by Courthouse News Service.

Bramble has testified in support of kratom legislation in Missouri, Louisiana, Ohio, Texas, Wisconsin and Colorado. He was not identified in any of the legislative records as a representative of the industry and under Utah law did not have to disclose the consulting payments to his business.

Bramble said he is not sure if he will disclose his clients on his lobbying reports. He said he would prefer to disclose them for the sake of transparency, but many of the clients have tax issues that can require him to maintain the confidentiality of the companies he is representing.

Source: Utah News

How to Watch Utah State vs. Nevada | Live Stream, TV Channel for January 22

Utah News! Image is of two women hikers overlooking Bryce Canyon.

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The Nevada Wolf Pack (11-7, 3-4 MWC) will try to continue a three-game winning stretch when visiting the Utah State Aggies (16-2, 6-1 MWC) on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. This matchup is at 9:00 PM ET on Fox Sports 1.

Watch men’s college basketball, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up.

Utah State vs. Nevada Viewing Options: Live Stream and TV Channel

  • Game day: Wednesday, January 22, 2025
  • Game time: 9:00 PM ET
  • Location: Logan, Utah
  • Arena: Dee Glen Smith Spectrum
  • TV: Fox Sports 1
  • Live stream: Watch this game on Fubo (Regional restrictions may apply)

Utah State vs. Nevada Statistics and Rankings

Utah State Rank Utah State Stat Nevada Stat Nevada Rank
35th 82.1 Points Scored 74.8 189th
80th 67.9 Points Allowed 66.9 57th
8th 18.5 Assists 15.8 72nd
152nd 11.2 Turnovers 10.4 75th
16th 49.2% Field Goal % 48.2% 41st
160th 43.1% Field Goal % Allowed 41.8% 99th

Catch men’s college basketball action all year long on Fubo.

Utah State Leaders

  • Mason Falslev: 15.9 PTS, 6.3 REB, 3.4 AST, 2.2 STL, 0.2 BLK
  • Ian Martinez: 16.7 PTS, 3.3 REB, 3.1 AST, 0.9 STL, 0.3 BLK
  • Karson Templin: 9.7 PTS, 5.8 REB, 0.8 AST, 0.7 STL, 0.9 BLK
  • Dexter Akanno: 8.2 PTS, 3.5 REB, 1.1 AST, 0.8 STL, 0 BLK
  • Drake Allen: 6.4 PTS, 1.7 REB, 3.9 AST, 1 STL, 0.3 BLK

Nevada Leaders

  • Nick Davidson: 15.6 PTS, 7 REB, 3.2 AST, 0.7 STL, 1.1 BLK
  • Kobe Sanders: 14.7 PTS, 3.2 REB, 4.4 AST, 1.1 STL, 0.3 BLK
  • Tre Coleman: 9.1 PTS, 3.3 REB, 4.2 AST, 1.3 STL, 0.4 BLK
  • Justin McBride: 7.3 PTS, 4.6 REB, 0.4 AST, 0.4 STL, 0.4 BLK
  • Xavier Dusell: 7.9 PTS, 1.7 REB, 0.6 AST, 0.6 STL, 0 BLK

Utah State vs. Nevada Recent Trends

Utah State

  • Utah State has a 8-2 record straight-up in its last 10 contests, while covering the spread five times in those games.
  • Utah State’s last 10 contests saw five hit the over.
  • Utah State’s last 10 outings have ended with an average of 148.8 points scored. That’s 7.3 more points than this contest’s over/under.
  • During its past 10 games, Utah State has scored four fewer points per contest compared to its season-long scoring average.

Nevada

  • Nevada is 5-5 overall and 3-7 against the spread over its past 10 games.
  • Nevada’s last 10 outings saw four go over the total.
  • The last 10 Nevada games averaged 140.4 total points, 1.1 fewer points than this matchup’s point total.
  • Over the past 10 games, Nevada is scoring 73.8 points per game compared to its 74.8 season average.

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Source: Utah News

Houston vs. Utah odds, prediction: 2025 college basketball picks, Jan. 22 best bets from proven model

SportsLine’s model just revealed its college basketball picks for the Utah Utes vs. Houston Cougars on Wednesday night …

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USATSI

The No. 7 Houston Cougars (14-3) will try to extend their 10-game winning streak when they host the Utah Utes (11-6) on Wednesday night. Houston won the first nine games of its hot streak by double digits before sneaking past UCF in a 69-68 final on Saturday. The Cougars need a last-second layup to escape as 13.5-point favorites. Utah has won three straight games, including an overtime win against BYU on Saturday. 

Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday at the Fertitta Center. Houston is favored by 19.5 points in the latest Houston vs. Utah odds, while the over/under is 135 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Utah vs. Houston picks, you’ll want to see the NCAA Basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 12 of the 2024-25 season on an 199-138 betting roll (+2692) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Utah-Houston. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines for the game:

  • Houston vs. Utah spread: Houston -19.5
  • Houston vs. Utah over/under: 135 points
  • Houston vs. Utah money line: Houston: -2941, Utah: +1288
  • Houston vs. Utah picks: See picks here
  • Houston vs. Utah streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)

Why Houston can cover

Houston erased a double-digit deficit and pushed its winning streak to 10 games when forward J’Wan Roberts scored a game-winning layup with 1.1 seconds remaining against UCF. The Cougars are riding a 32-game home winning streak, which is the longest of any team in the country. They outscored opponents by an average of 24.7 points per game during the first nine games of the current hot stretch. 

Senior guard L.J. Cryer leads Houston with 13.8 points per game, while junior guard Emanuel Sharp is averaging 13.8 points. Their balanced lineup has three other players scoring more than eight points per game, and Sharp leads the team in rebounding (6.6 rpg). The Cougars have covered the spread in five of their last seven games, while the Utes are just 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games. See which team to pick here. 

Why Utah can cover

Utah is playing its best basketball of the season, moving up to seventh place in the Big 12 standings with a three-game winning streak. The Utes crushed Oklahoma State on Jan. 11 as 7.5-point favorites, powered by a 21-point outing from junior forward Ezra Ausar. They added an upset win at TCU last Wednesday, notching a 73-65 win as 4-point underdogs. 

Senior guard Gabe Madsen scored a team-high 17 points, while sophomore forward Keanu Dawes chipped in 16 points and six rebounds off the bench. Utah extended its hot streak with an overtime win against BYU on Saturday, despite closing as an underdog in that game as well. Ausar poured in a career-high 26 points on an efficient 11 of 15 shooting performance. See which team to pick here. 

How to make Houston vs. Utah picks

The model has simulated Utah vs. Houston 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Houston vs. Utah, and which side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Utah vs. Houston spread you need to jump on, all from the model on an 199-138 roll on top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.

Source: Utah News

48 years after teen girl’s murder in Hawaii, her former schoolmate is arrested in Utah

Utah News! Image is of two women hikers overlooking Bryce Canyon.

Honolulu Police say modern forensic tests allowed them to identify and arrest a suspect in Dawn Momohara’s 1977 murder.

New DNA technology allows investigator better chance at solving decades old cold cases


New DNA technology allows investigator better chance at solving decades old cold cases

02:47

Police have arrested a suspect in the unsolved murder of a Honolulu teenager, whose death rocked the high school where her body was discovered almost five decades ago. They said the man arrested, Gideon Castro, was one of her former schoolmates who joined the U.S. Army Reserve after graduating.

Dawn Momohara was found dead the morning of March 21, 1977, on the second floor of a building at McKinley High School, in Hawaii’s capital, according to the Honolulu Police Department. She was 16 and a student there in her sophomore year.

Officers at the time showed up to a gruesome scene. Momohara was partially clothed and lying on her back with an orange cloth tied around her neck, said Lt. Deena Thoemmes, of Honolulu Police, at a Tuesday news conference. A subsequent autopsy ruled Momohara was strangled to death, and the medical examiner said there were signs of sexual assault.

Although police retrieved an unknown man’s DNA sample from the teenager’s clothing, they could not identify a suspect. Authorities would not develop meaningful leads in the homicide until 2020, after a cold case detective re-submitted evidence for forensic exams using updated technology.

momohara.png
Dawn Momohara.

Honolulu Police Department


By September 2023, the DNA tests led investigators to two possible suspects: brothers Gideon Castro and William Castro, who had both been interviewed in the immediate aftermath of Momohara’s killing. Back then, Gideon Castro told police he met Momohara at a school dance in 1976, just before he graduated, police said. William Castro in those interviews said he and Momohara periodically talked on the phone but denied ever being in any kind of relationship with her.

Once forensic tests narrowed down the pool of potential suspects to the Castro brothers, Thoemmes said police traveled to Chicago, where William Castro lived, to obtain a DNA sample secretly from one of his children and use it as a comparison. The comparison excluded William Castro as a suspect, and Gideon Castro, now 66, was arrested at his nursing home in Utah on a second-degree murder charge.

Gideon Castro will be extradited back to Honolulu, Thoemmes said.

“On behalf of the Honolulu Police Department, I want to thank all the individuals and agencies that made today’s arrest possible,” the lieutenant said. “Thank you for all your dedication and commitment to the tireless purusit of justice for Dawn and the Momohara family.”

Source: Utah News