Latest news with #HillAirForceBase
Fox News
20-05-2025
- Fox News
Utah cold case solved 40 years after 18-year-old woman's murder thanks to DNA sample, police say
A man who murdered an 18-year-old woman in Utah four decades ago has finally been identified, authorities said Thursday. Christine Gallegos was found dead on May 16, 1985, along Jefferson Street in Salt Lake City, the Salt Lake City Police Department said. She had been beaten, stabbed, sexually assaulted and shot to death near an area known then as Dirk's Field. Detectives were unable to find any leads despite years of investigative efforts and multiple rounds of forensic testing. The case went cold and remained so until 2023, when advances in DNA and genealogical testing connected the case to a man named Ricky Lee Stallworth. Stallworth was a 27-year-old airman stationed at Hill Air Force Base at the time of the Gallegos' murder, according to police. He died of natural causes in July 2023. "We missed being able to talk to him and interview him just by a matter of months," Detective Cordon Parks said at a news conference on Thursday. "I wish we could have got to him before he died." Stallworth was first named a likely suspect after the case was reexamined in 2023, with efforts focusing on identifying an unknown male DNA profile that had been previously entered into the Combined DNA Index System, a database of DNA profiles from convicted offenders, unsolved crime scene evidence and missing persons. Othram Labs in The Woodlands, Texas, came up with the likely match after detectives sent evidence to the lab in late 2023 for advanced DNA analysis. One of Stallworth's family members then provided detectives with a voluntary DNA sample, which police said confirmed Stallworth as a match. Parks said an investigation into Stallworth revealed him to be "sort of a State Street stalker." "Even though he was married, he would tell his spouses that he was going out for the night," Parks said. "He'd leave late in the night, and he wouldn't come back until early, early the next morning." Detectives said a motive remains unclear and any potential relationship between Gallegos and Stallworth remains unanswered. Investigators have said it was "very obvious" that Gallegos struggled with the suspect before she was shot and stabbed. "She left a blood trail up to the gutter of Jefferson Street," Parks said. Gallegos' mother, Leah, thanked investigators for "never giving up" on solving the case. "You never quit thinking about it. You never quit crying about it," Leah Gallegos said when reporters asked about her memories of her daughter. "I wonder about the kids that she would have…" she added. "She was outgoing, she was sweet ... they took so much away when they took her away." Utah State Bureau of Investigation Agent Steve O'Camb said he hoped that identifying the killer would bring the family closure. "Handcuffs, however, do not equal healing," O'Camb said. "The resolution of Christine's case is a prime example. We weren't able to arrest a suspect, but hopefully we achieved some measure of justice for her and the family and friends that loved her."
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Incredible way hardworking Amazon delivery driver takes moment to honor the American flag
A hardworking Amazon delivery driver was captured on camera taking a moment to honor the American flag. Mike Jacobson was at his job at Hill Air Force Base in Utah on Tuesday when he got an alert on his phone that someone was at his front porch. When he checked to see who it was, Jacobson was stunned to find that it was a delivery driver taking time out of her day to unravel the American flag on his porch in Mountain Green that got caught up in the wind. Jacobson, who watched on with his co-worker, told Fox13: 'She was finishing up her photo - and she looks up at the flag - and we just saw her unwinding it from the flag pole. 'And [my co-worker] and I were both... that is really cool - look at her taking the time to do that,' the proud homeowner said. He decided to share the video so the employee, Mikayla Blakey, could be properly recognized by her bosses for her incredible gesture. But, according to Blakey, this is not the first time she's fixed a flag, and will most likely won't be her last. 'I was raised to always be aware of every flag that you see, and if it is twisted or something is wrong with it, you fix it,' Blakey, the daughter of a retired Army Sgt. First Class, told the outlet. 'And if you cannot, you retire it because it's a symbol to our country,' she continued. Not only did her father serve, but Blakey, who referred to herself as a military brat, as she has several family members who have served in the Armed Forces. Jacobson quickly realized Blakey wasn't just a valuable employee, but she was also a dedicated citizen. 'I thought, man, not only is she dedicated to her job, but dedicated to her country in order to make just a little small gesture. 'And these little small gestures to me that are big, especially when you're doing them out of the public eye,' he said. Blakey, who has only worked for the company for a little more than a month, said the moment should serve as a reminder that 'every day should be a Memorial Day.' 'Anytime I see a flag like that, I'll always fix it. It should be on everybody's mind to represent that flag and to know what it means. 'It's coming up soon. Every day should be a Memorial Day,' she added. A similar moment took place in July 2019 when a veteran took it upon himself to climb a flagpole and fix an American Flag at the Navy SEAL monument in Virginia. Dom Raso, a former SEAL, was on his daily 3.5-mile morning run when he noticed the flag was loose that day. 'I couldn't go by this flag this morning and not give it everything I had,' he said. Raso had some help getting up on the flag and in a later video, he was seen hugging bystanders who thanked him for fixing the flag.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Republicans in the complicated crosshairs of DOGE and government layoffs
WASHINGTON — Congressional Republicans are balancing their rhetoric after the Trump administration ordered the termination of thousands of government jobs over the past week, acknowledging frustration from those in the federal workforce while backing the president's efforts to rein in spending. The Trump administration ordered officials to begin layoffs last week, mostly targeting probationary employees in agencies such as Veterans Affairs, the Department of Energy, the Small Business Administration, and the Office of Personnel Management. Because the layoffs targeted probationary employees, it has mostly affected new hires or long-standing employees who have been recently moved or promoted to a new position. The layoffs prompted widespread backlash over the weekend, with thousands of people gathering for protests across the country on Monday to mark 'Not my Presidents Day.' Protesters held gatherings from the streets of Washington, D.C., all the way to the state Capitol in Salt Lake City to push back on the order. The protests particularly targeted billionaire Elon Musk and the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, which has led the effort to identify wasteful spending and downsize the federal government. The public outcry has now put some Republicans in a bind as they seek to strike a balance between supporting their constituents who may now find themselves out of work while also promoting President Donald Trump's agenda. Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, acknowledged that several of his constituents have expressed 'frustration' about the 'rhetoric toward and vilification of the federal workforce', especially since Musk took over DOGE and promised to clean house. Moore represents Utah's 1st Congressional District, with one of the most dense federal workforce populations in the country. As of December 2024, the 1st District is home to 26,555 federal workers — making up almost 6% of the entire workforce, according to the Congressional Research Service. Most of those workers are employed by Hill Air Force Base, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Forest Service, or other federal agencies. Hill Air Force Base, one of the largest employers in the district, has not reported any civilian or military layoffs. Although Moore conceded the coming months will be a 'period of angst and even contention,' the Utah Republican assured constituents the country could 'come out of it for the better.' 'My commitment to this … is to find waste while preserving the mission and strengthening personnel,' Moore, who serves as co-chairman of the congressional caucus working in tandem with DOGE, wrote in a district newsletter. 'Many key function areas are severely understaffed, like air traffic controllers, and I want First District constituents to know that I avoid the rhetoric and focus on results.' Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, similarly acknowledged that layoffs are personally significant and that constituents will of course have concerns when those occur. However, the Utah senator told the Deseret News, he believes the layoffs are a necessary step in the Trump administration's efforts to cut down on costs. 'The U.S. government, having gotten in the pattern of just printing more money when it doesn't have enough, has created a really unsustainable path for itself,' Lee told the Deseret News in an interview. 'I don't think it's unreasonable for the incoming administration to want to look at inefficiencies that have creeped into the system, and in many circumstances, offer a sort of a severance package for those who want to exit.' Lee pointed to the 'explosive growth' over the last several decades that he argues has led to an 'unmitigated expansion of the federal government, of its scope, its cost, its reach, and the size of its workforce.' While Trump and those in his close circles continue to champion his efforts to cut down on governmental waste, some GOP lawmakers have pushed back against the way it's being carried out. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., who represents one of the most competitive House districts in the country, argued the layoffs were being handled too quickly without adequate preparation. 'They're being a little rash, (they) aren't thinking through all the consequences,' Bacon told the Deseret News. 'It needs to be more thought out. … It just seems like they're moving too fast and they're making mistakes. It needs to be more thoughtful.' Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., posed similar criticisms, specifically voicing concerns about layoffs possibly affecting FBI agents. 'I am all for efficiency and ultimately downsizing the federal government, but firing large numbers of new FBI agents is not the way to achieve this,' Cassidy said in a post on X. 'Louisiana specifically benefits from newly hired FBI agents. We need to add to our law enforcement, not take away.' It's not yet clear how many workers have been terminated across the federal workforce over the last week. However, there are hundreds of thousands of workers who are listed under probationary status, possibly putting them at risk. About 220,000 federal employees were listed as probationary with less than one year of service as of March 2024, with another 288,000 who held between one and two years of service. Probationary periods typically last one or two years, although it varies by department.
