Community mourns Vineyard man who died during youth camping trip
A candlelight vigil was held Saturday evening in Utah County for the youth leader who died during a church camping trip earlier in the week.
Family, friends, and strangers gathered at the Springville High School baseball field to remember Alex Johnson, 38, who was found dead Thursday morning inside his trailer at Wasatch Mountain State Park.
Josh Probst, with the Wasatch County Sheriff's Office, said inside the enclosed trailer, deputies found charcoal in a Dutch oven. Investigators theorized that Johnson had used it as a heat source, which caused carbon monoxide to fill the trailer, killing him. The state medical examiner will determine the official cause of death.
Those in the large crowd that gathered at the vigil Saturday were able to view photos of Johnson and learn about the things that were important to him. As they held lit candles and comforted one another, friends and family shared memories of the Springville native.
The tragedy of Johnson's death has left a deep void in the community, according to family friend Mardi Sifuentes. She organized a similar memorial on Friday in Vineyard, where the Johnson family currently lives.
'Anything anyone ever needed, he was there,' Sifuentes said. 'He just kind of put his footprint in every family. Everyone around here, we just all loved him. It's a huge loss.'
As the community grieves, they also remember a man who gave so much of himself to others. According to Sifuentes, Johnson was active in his community through church service. He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a beloved Little League coach, gymnastics dad and owner of a local landscaping business.
He was one of our dearest friends," Sifuentes added. 'It's been a lot of tears, where you think that you don't have any more, but then they just still keep coming. I think there is always the question of: Why does it happen to good people?'
Ashley Gollaher, another family friend, echoed the heartbreak felt by many. 'A lot of tears for his wife and kids,' she said.
Johnson leaves behind his widow and four children.
Contributing: Jordan Ormond
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Arrest made in 2017 Jacksonville cold case, family thanks social media posts
Eight years after a woman was found dead behind a local church, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office says her alleged killer is behind bars in the Duval County jail. JSO spotlighted the arrest this week, which brings the case closer to an end. Officials say 39-year-old Rose Greene was found dead on Soutel Drive behind Master's Touch Ministry in June 2017. Percy Johnson, a local registered sex offender with sexual offenses dating back 30 years, was officially charged with Greene's murder in November 2024. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Greene's daughter, Catherine, said she searched for answers for years, even reaching out to a local Jacksonville social media influencer to spread the news about her mother's cold case. 'We didn't know who did it, so God put it in my heart to just reach out to Chelle,' Catherine said. Chelle Gman is a Jacksonville native who uses her Facebook page to highlight unsolved cases in the community. Catherine and Gman believe the local influencer's Facebook reach of over 25,000 followers may have lead to the arrest. 'A little information here… a piece there… can put together a whole puzzle and you never know who knows what until you ask,' Gman said. While Catherine says she has some closure knowing that someone is finally being held responsible, she says Johnson should have never been on the streets. Action News Jax found records dating back to 1996 of Johnson's arrests in St. Johns and Duval counties. The records show charges of sexual battery, kidnapping, and other similar offenses between 1996 and 2022. Jacksonville Sheriff's Office officials say they are working with the State Attorney's Office in this case. Johnson is pleading not guilty. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Speaker Johnson tries to draw a ‘clear distinction' between Jan. 6 attack and L.A. unrest
Amid unrest in Los Angeles, Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans have largely stuck to specific talking points, each of which is burdened by the same flaw: The president's pardons for Jan. 6 criminals, including convicted felons who violently clashed with law enforcement. Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, for example, told CNN this past weekend that he has a problem with protesters in California 'attacking law enforcement,' which was a perfectly sensible sentiment. Of course, it naturally led many observers to note that many Jan. 6 rioters went to prison for attacking law enforcement, and the incumbent Republican president gave them all pardons. Around the same time, U.S. Customs and Border Protection used its social media platform to issue a statement that read, 'Let this be clear: Anyone who assaults or impedes a federal law enforcement officer or agent in the performance of their duties will be arrested and swiftly prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Attack a cop, and life long consequences will follow!' FBI Director Kash Patel added in a statement of his own: 'Hit a cop, you're going to jail.' There was nothing wrong with the statements, except for the degree to which they were undercut by Trump's pardons for Jan. 6 rioters. The president himself told reporters this week, 'Nobody's going to spit on our police officers.' Unfortunately for Trump, he put this principle aside while pardoning violent felons who did a lot more than just spit on police officers. It was against this backdrop that House Speaker Mike Johnson was pressed on the obvious contradiction. Newsweek reported: CNN's Manu Raju asked Johnson whether he thinks it's 'hypocritical' for Trump to condemn the anti-ICE protesters in Los Angeles for clashing with law enforcement when Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of everyone charged in the deadly Capitol riot, many of whom were convicted of beating or impeding law enforcement. 'Look, no, I think there's a clear distinction between those two,' Johnson said. Pressed on what he sees as the difference, the Louisiana Republican added, 'Everybody wants me to relitigate January 6, I'm not going to do that. There's a very clear distinction between the two. The people who broke the law and destroyed property [on January 6] were met with the proper consequences on that.' Of course, what the House speaker neglected to mention is that after the Jan. 6 criminals 'were met with the proper consequences,' his party's president decided to undo those consequences. The next day, Attorney General Pam Bondi was pressed on the same point, and she struggled, too. Republicans have had several days to come up with some compelling talking points on this. Evidently, they can't think of anything. This article was originally published on


Chicago Tribune
16 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Paul Vallas: We must not allow a repeat of 2020 George Floyd protests in Chicago
Events in Los Angeles have justifiably raised concerns about demonstrations spreading across the country, and Chicago must be prepared for the possibility of violent protests opposed to Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions. To avoid repeating the mistakes of 2020, the city, county and state governments must take proactive steps to ensure the safety of residents and law enforcement. The city cannot afford a repeat of the George Floyd civil unrest of 2020. The lack of preparedness was well documented in the Chicago Office of Inspector General's February 2021 report. The OIG found that despite advance warning of large-scale protests following the Minneapolis police murder of Floyd, the Chicago Police Department was underequipped and unprepared to respond to the scale of the protests and unrest. Much of downtown, as well as many commercial strips and other areas of Chicago, haven't fully recovered from the participants who turned destructive in late May through early June 2020, or the second wave of unrest in August, which erupted after police shot a man in Englewood. The first wave of unrest cost downtown businesses over $66 million, with 2,100 buildings damaged and looted and 71 set on fire. Downtown cannot survive another such episode. There is additional cause for concern in Chicago due to the incendiary language used by some state and local political leaders. Mayor Brandon Johnson's racially divisive rhetoric has become a political calling card. Johnson's condemnation of recent ICE operations and his calls for protest amount to a political call to arms. Not to be outdone, Gov. JB Pritzker in February compared President Donald Trump's administration and its supporters to the Nazi regime and in an April speech in New Hampshire called for 'mass protests,' saying 'it's time to fight everywhere, and all at once.' Such language appeals to the worst instincts of the radicals among the Democrats. City, county and state governments should take the following steps to ensure the safety of residents and law enforcement. Most importantly, Johnson must support police Superintendent Larry Snelling's request for the authority to call a snap curfew in emergencies and direct city agencies to confiscate vehicles and other personal property from those who engage in disruptive behavior. Editorial: MAGA morphs into Make America Cruel AgainIn the longer term, the City Council would do well to reconsider enacting a city nuisance ordinance that would punish anyone rioting, looting, obstructing the public way, disrupting traffic, physically assaulting a police officer or even publicly calling for such behavior. Police would have the power to ticket, impound vehicles, confiscate personal property, revoke licenses and levy heavy fines. The city could also sue in cases of serious property or economic damage. It is true that there are always groups willing to take advantage of legitimate protests to incite violence and individuals ready to use the opportunity to loot and steal. This was clearly evident during the Floyd protests. The state and city should approach preparations for the worst with the same urgency they gave to protecting the Democratic National Convention — deploying extra officers, enforcing the law more strictly, issuing tickets and fines, and confiscating vehicles. This is about ensuring that the city and state are always prepared for the worst, so that no individual or group can exploit citizens' constitutional right to dissent. The state and city are well equipped to protect these rights and to keep any situation from escalating to the point in which even the governor would consider deploying the National Guard — something I, as a 13-year member, would strongly advise against. City and state leaders need to prepare now to address any crisis without resorting to the National Guard and to send a clear message that violating people's rights will have consequences. The ICE crackdown on people living in the country illegally will be just one of many issues that may lead to protests in the coming years. City and state leaders must be prepared.