(KUTV) One of the most common distractions while driving is your cellphone, and distracted driving is even more of a problem among teens than originally thought.
A study recently released by the Journal of Pediatrics found that half of all respondents 16 years or older admitted to texting while driving.
At the teen driving challenge near Camp Williams in Riverton, teens are learning firsthand the dangers of distracted driving.
By Chris Miller (KUTV) 24 hours after tragedy stuck a West Point neighborhood, things appeared to be back to normal. Parents were doing yard work and children were playing in the street. After speaking to the residents, however, it's clear that they're in shock.
Two young boys, aged 4 and 10, were killed Wednesday night. Investigators recovered two knives in the home, they believe were used to kill them. The boys' 15-year-old brother has been arrested and is being held as the lone suspect.
Several boys playing in the street Thursday night knew one of the boys that was killed. They went to school with him, sat by him on the bus, and say if he was alive today, he'd be playing football with them in the street.
Parents admit they're having a hard time explaining to their children what has happened. "It's something nobody gets ahold of, you can't understand why something would happen like this, but you got to love them," says Rodney Park, an LDS Bishop from the local wardhouse.
The 15-year-old brother is being held on two counts of homicide. He was arrested after midnight Thursday morning, walking down the street in Layton. Davis County Sheriff Todd Richardson says the teenager had blood on his clothing linking him back to the scene of the crime.
The Davis County Attorney will decide how the 15-year-old will be charged, as an adult or a minor.
Weather update for the morning of May 24, 2013:
Clear skies this morning with temperatures around 50 degrees. Lots of
sunshine in the forcast for today with some gustly south winds picking
up in the afternoon; the high today will be 73 degrees.
Forecast for Tonight & Tomorrow: South
winds will remain with us at times throughout the weekend as that low
pressure system remains in the Pacific Northwest. These winds will keep
our temperatures above average.
(KUTV) A Utah based bus company was shut down earlier this month after the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, or FMCSA, deemed them unsafe.
Federal safety investigators did a compliance review of the bus company Salt Lake Shuttle, LLC, which is based in Kearns, Utah, but makes routine interstate trips between Kearns and Las Vegas, Nevada. During their inspection of three of the company’s vehicles they discovered “serious noncompliance” and “safety defects.” They issued Salt Lake Shuttle an Imminent Hazard Operations Out-Of-Service Order that says “The operation of any commercial motor vehicle by Salt Lake Shuttle poses an imminent hazard to public safety.”
The company was forced to cease operations after the FMCSA says twenty-five violations of federal safety requirements were discovered.
In the order, it says the company “intentionally falsifies driver records of duty status (RODS), violates hours of service regulations and fails to ensure that its commercial motor vehicles are properly inspected, repaired and maintained.” The document says that drivers were not given adequate rest when shuttling between Utah and Nevada and that the company “repeatedly falsified driver RODS in an attempt to show a second or relief driver aboard the vehicle when a second driver did not actually exist.” FMCSA and its inspectors say they found the emergency exits to be rendered “inoperable” in three vehicles inspected and that at least one bus had “defective brakes,” among other issues.
The FMCSA has shut down 12 bus companies in the United States since the beginning of 2013. FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro says, “Our goal is to stop a preventable bus or truck crash from ever occurring.”
If you’re going on a bus trip and want to check the safety information on the bus company, the FMCSA has developed an app that allows safety data to be readily available for travelers.
Boy Scouts Of America Lift Ban On Gay Scouts, But Ban On Gay Leaders Stays
By Cristina Flores (KUTV) Salt Lake resident and Eagle Scout Jason Dautel said he was “overjoyed” when he heard the Boy Scouts of America’s national council voted to lift the ban on gay scouts – although the ban on gay, adult leaders is still in place. Dautel called it a partial victory: great for gay kids who are in scouts, yet not great for adult scouts or parents who are gay and are still excluded. “It sends a mixed message,” said Dautel who is gay. He thinks the council did not lift the entire ban because too many people still wrongly assume that gay men are predators.
Dautel said as a kid scouting was a great experience for him and he made a lot of great friends but he couldn’t be honest with his friends about being gay for fear he would risk friendships. He said the BSA Council’s recent vote will send a clear message to gay kids and to everyone else. “It says it’s not okay for people to widely say ‘if you are gay, you can’t participate, you can’t be worthy of our friendship.” Dautel said some people in Utah may pull their children out of scouts after the latest decision. “If they do, they will be the people who stand for bigotry and exclusion,” he said.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following statement in response to the BSA National Council vote:
“For the past 100 years, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has enjoyed a strong relationship with Boy Scouts of America, based on our mutual interest in helping boys and young men understand and live their duty to God and develop upright moral behavior. As the Church moves forward in its association with the Boy Scouts of America, Church leaders will continue to seek the most effective ways to address the diverse needs of young people in the United States and throughout the world.
The Church’s long-established policy for participation in activities is stated in the basic instructional handbook used by lay leaders of the Church: “young men … who agree to abide by Church standards” are “welcomed warmly and encouraged to participate” (Handbook 2: Administering the Church [2010], 8.17.3). This policy applies to Church-sponsored Scout units. Sexual orientation has not previously been—and is not now—a disqualifying factor for boys who want to join Latter-day Saint Scout troops. Willingness to abide by standards of behavior continues to be our compelling interest.
These standards are outlined in the booklet For the Strength of Youth and include abstinence from sexual relationships. We remain firmly committed to upholding these standards and to protecting and strengthening boys and young men.
The Church appreciates BSA’s reaffirmation of its commitment to “duty to God,” which includes service to others and moral behavior—central principles of our teaching to young men. As in the past, the Church will work with BSA to harmonize what Scouting has to offer with the varying needs of our young men. We trust that BSA will implement and administer the approved policy in an appropriate and effective manner.”
A letter signed by the First Presidency of the Church is being sent to all Latter-day Saint congregation leaders throughout the United States. The letter will include the reaffirmation of Church policies and standards referenced in today's public statement.
Rick Barnes, Scout Executive, The Great Salt Lake Council of Boy Scouts issued the following statement:
“The Great Salt Lake Council’s focus remains to deliver the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. The information our Council provided on this issue helped provide perspective to the process, and we respect the integrity of the national decision-making process. As the Scout Executive of the Great Salt Lake Council, I believe this update to our policy will allow all kids who sincerely want to be a part of Scouting to experience this life-changing program while remaining true to the long-standing virtues of Scouting. While people have different opinions about this policy, we can all agree that kids are better off when they are in Scouting. We believe good people can disagree and still work together to accomplish great things for youth. Going forward, we will work to stay focused on that which unites us.”
