Man charged in Utah college student's death appears in court

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A tech worker charged in the death of a Utah college student made his first court appearance Monday as friends of the slain woman held hands in the front row. Ayoola A. Ajayi appeared by video from jail alongside a court-appointed attorney during a quick hearing Monday to set a future...

Competition to grow medical marijuana in Utah heats up

NEPHI, Utah (AP) — The wide metal barn on the Utah alfalfa farm owned by Russell and Diane Jones will host their youngest son's wedding next month. By September, they hope the structure will be full of marijuana plants. The Joneses are fourth-generation farmers, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of...

Condor chick confirmed at Zion National Park in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A sweeping red-rock cliff at Utah's Zion National Park is now the home of a new California condor chick as the species makes a comeback in the wild three decades after they were on the brink of extinction, biologists have confirmed. The chick is believed to have hatched in early May...

Gay square dancers add new spin to centuries-old dance style

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — There wasn't a crinoline in sight as 850 square dancers at the International Association of Gay Square Dance Clubs opened its annual convention last week in a Philadelphia hotel, bringing their best promenades and do-si-dos to a slightly sped-up version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."...

BYU updates honor code following student criticism

PROVO, Utah (AP) — Brigham Young University has updated its honor code process following widespread student criticism that it lacks transparency and compassion. University officials announced the changes Wednesday. They include following an "innocent until proven guilty" policy and allowing someone to...

Tech worker charged with murder in death of college student

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A tech worker was charged Wednesday with murder and kidnapping in the death of a Utah college student whose body was found in a wooded area with her arms bound behind her. Prosecutors said Ayoola A. Ajayi, 31, was the last person Mackenzie Lueck communicated with before she...

Suspect in disappearance, death of a Utah college student charged with murder, kidnapping

After riot and state investigation, youth facility to close

ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) — A southern Utah youth psychiatric residential treatment center will close its doors after reports of sexual abuse and violence. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that Red Rock Canyon School's parent company said Tuesday the facility will close within 60 days. Sequel Youth and Family...

Filmmaker sentenced again in second sexual abuse case

WEST JORDAN, Utah (AP) — A filmmaker who co-founded the Sundance Film Festival and produced a movie whose lead actress won an Oscar in the mid-1980s was sentenced Tuesday on a sexual abuse charge for the second time in as many weeks. Under the terms of a plea agreement, Sterling Van Wagenen avoided time...

Activists worry about potential abuse of face scans for ICE

BOSTON (AP) — Civil rights activists complained Monday of the potential for widespread abuse following confirmation that at least three states have scanned millions of driver's license photos on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement without the drivers' knowledge or consent. Public records obtained...