Latest news with #KUTV
Daily Mail
10-08-2025
- Daily Mail
Teen who vanished on family camping trip found SAFE after spending over 24 hours in the wilderness when she 'got lost on the way to the bathroom'
A 14-year-old girl who vanished during a family camping trip in Utah 's remote Uinta Mountains was found safe more than 24 hours after she sparked an urgent search when she disappeared. Maya Suisse, of Cache Valley, was camping with her family in the Painter Basin area near Kidney Lakes on Thursday when she became disoriented on her way back from the campsite bathroom. The simple outing turned into a 25-hour ordeal, leaving the 14-year-old alone in the wilderness and triggering a large-scale search by land and air. 'I went to the bathroom, and then on the way back, I got lost,' Maya told KUTV following her safe return. 'I couldn't figure out if I was supposed to be going east or west – and I went the wrong way.' Maya eventually found a trail with a sign and decided to stay put, hoping it would help rescuers locate her. 'My grandpa knows a lot of the trails, so I thought he would be able to find me there,' she said. 'So I just hung out there, and then I just slept on a rock.' 'It was a pretty nice rock,' she added in an interview with KSL-TV. Search-and-rescue teams were deployed Thursday after the teen was reported missing by her family. The widespread response included ground crews flown in by helicopter, horse teams, and local volunteers already in the area. Just after 1 p.m. Friday, a helicopter crew assisting the search spotted Maya near a well-known trail that has been the site of past disappearances. Duchesne County Sheriff's Captain John Crowley described the area as 'super dense,' making visibility and navigation extremely difficult. 'She was safe and sound, a little sunburned,' Crowley said. 'She wanted a drink of water, was in good spirits, and was even laughing and joking with us.' Maya described the night in the woods as cold, saying she tried to stay warm by curling up on the rock and pulling her shirt over her legs. 'It was so cold. I was trying to get my legs inside my shirt and lay my head on the rock to keep warm,' she said. Despite the difficult conditions, Maya said she stayed calm throughout her time alone. Recalling the moment the helicopter spotted her, she said: 'I think I started flagging them down,' adding, 'everybody was a lot more worried about me than I was.' Her mother, Tami Suisse, said she ran to her daughter and hugged her as soon as Maya was brought off the mountain. 'I'm so relieved and so grateful to have her safe, and so thankful to all of the people that helped find her,' she told KSL-TV. 'Duchesne County search and rescue, their sheriff's department - they were amazing to work with. So, very grateful to them and grateful that she is safe and not injured.' Maya was found in good physical condition and said the first thing she was looking forward to was a hot shower. Crowley offered advice for anyone who becomes lost in the wilderness, urging naturegoers to 'Go to an empty field instead of hiding in the trees or staying on trails.' 'That way a helicopter can spot you more easily,' he added. Maya's sister, Brittany Suisse, told KUTV before she was found that the family remained hopeful because search teams believed she might be circling the area. Brittany also described Maya as a fairly experienced backpacker. After her safe return, Brittany's Facebook post about the search was flooded with supportive messages. 'Not sure I've ever felt so relieved in my entire life. So so so grateful she's ok,' one user commented. 'Best news ever, I've been thinking about her all day. What a smart kid!' wrote another. Another wrote: 'I was thinking about this situation all day and I'm SO relieved she's ok!!'
Miami Herald
26-06-2025
- Miami Herald
Teen held captive after sexual assault, UT cops say. Then police track his phone
A phone app helped track down a teenager who was being held captive, Utah officials said. On June 24, a dad reported his 15-year-old son missing, according to a Facebook post by the Vernal Police Department. After using a tracking app, police were able to learn the teen's location and made their way to an apartment complex in the city, officers said. When the search began, the teen's mom started getting text messages from the boy saying 'he was being held against his will by a man he didn't know,' officers told KSTU. The teen heard his father yelling for him and decided to escape the apartment with police eventually finding him, officers told KUTV. The teen told police he was going for a walk when 34-year-old Jose Torres grabbed him and took him to the apartment, officers told KUTV. It was there the man sexually assaulted him, police said. Torres was arrested and booked into jail on charges of sodomy, kidnapping, obstruction of justice and providing false personal information to the police, officers said. Vernal is about a 170-mile drive southeast from Salt Lake City.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Utah couple fired from IRS jobs as part of DOGE cuts — here's how to protect your nest egg even without a job
Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below. Hundreds of Ogden, Utah IRS employees are expected to be laid off in the coming months, reports KUTV. The layoffs are part of President Donald Trump and DOGE's plan to slash federal spending by dramatically cutting the federal workforce. The Trump administration has already fired over 7,000 employees from the IRS and plans to cut 11,000 more by May 15 — in line with its goal to reduce the department's workforce by 50%. All told, there were 280,253 layoffs across 27 federal agencies in February and March. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has an important message for the next wave of American retirees — here's how he says you can best weather the US retirement crisis Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) 'This was going to be my retirement plan,' one probationary IRS employee, who did not want to be identified, told KUTV reporters. 'My wife is going to be fired too, so it's going to affect my entire family.' The rolling announcement of layoffs in federal departments has left many employees, including those nearing retirement, facing uncertainty about their financial future. In the latest round of layoffs, the Trump administration fired roughly 90% of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's workforce, or 1,500 employees — a move that's currently blocked by a Washington D.C. district judge Federal and state government jobs are often seen as stable employers with generous benefits. Government employees tend to take on lower salaries in exchange for stronger job protections compared to the private sector. For the thousands of workers facing unexpected layoffs, the financial impact — especially on retirement savings — could be significant. Here are a few steps to keep your retirement savings on track. It can be tempting to dip into retirement savings after a layoff, but this can have a long-term impact on your golden years. Withdrawing from retirement accounts can lead to significant tax liabilities and penalties. It also disrupts the long-term growth potential of your savings. Read more: Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — Instead, make sure to apply for unemployment and try to negotiate a severance package. If you currently have a 401(k), consider rolling your savings into an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or a new employer's retirement plan, which allows your investments to continue growing tax-deferred. Rolling over, rather than withdrawing, doesn't create a taxable event or require you to pay a penalty. This move can provide more control over your funds and a broader range of investment options. One way to invest in gold that also provides significant tax advantages is to open a gold IRA with the help of Thor Metals. Gold IRAs allow investors to hold physical gold or gold-related assets within a retirement account, thereby combining the tax advantages of an IRA with the protective benefits of investing in gold, making it an attractive option for those looking to potentially hedge their retirement funds against economic uncertainties. To learn more, you can get a free information guide that includes details on how to get up to $20,000 in free metals on qualifying purchases. New IRS rules allow taxpayers to pull up to $1,000 from their retirement savings tax-and penalty-free. This could help some laid-off workers bridge the gap between jobs. However, that $1,000 might also grow exponentially with a little bit of careful investing. Consider creating an emergency fund with at least six months of living expenses instead. Rather than keeping the money in your savings account, opening a high-yield savings account with little to no fees allows you to enjoy the benefits of compounding interest. Layoffs are challenging, especially when they disrupt long-term plans, as they have for federal employees across the country. But by making informed decisions and leveraging your resources you can navigate the challenge without setting back your retirement goals. While you're looking for work, it might still pay to squirrel away a little each day to keep up with your long-term investment goals. JPMorgan sees gold soaring to $6,000/ounce — use this 1 simple IRA trick to lock in those potential shiny gains (before it's too late) Are you rich enough to join the top 1%? Here's the net worth you need to rank among America's wealthiest — plus a few strategies to build that first-class portfolio You're probably already overpaying for this 1 'must-have' expense — and thanks to Trump's tariffs, your monthly bill could soar even higher. Here's how 2 minutes can protect your wallet right now Access to this $22.5 trillion asset class has traditionally been limited to elite investors — until now. Here's how to become the landlord of Walmart or Whole Foods without lifting a finger This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
USA Today
07-06-2025
- USA Today
Utah can execute convicted murderer who has dementia, judge rules
Utah can execute convicted murderer who has dementia, judge rules Show Caption Hide Caption Death penalty: Which states still use capital punishment The death penalty has been used in the U.S. since 1608. But various Supreme Court rulings have limited its use. Here's why it's controversial. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY A Utah judge on June 6 ruled a 67-year-old convicted murderer diagnosed with dementia on death row is competent enough to be executed. A trial court sentenced Ralph Leroy Menzies to death in 1988 for kidnapping, robbing and murdering 26-year-old Maurine Hunsaker, a married mother with three children. Since then, Menzies has been on death row. Menzies had chosen firing squad as his method of execution, according a ruling published by KUTV. While awaiting execution, he developed vascular dementia, and his lawyers had argued he was too incompetent to be executed. In a 22-page ruling, State Judge Matthew Bates said Menzies exhibited cognitive decline. But Bates said Menzies hasn't shown that his 'understanding of his specific crime and punishment fluctuated or declined in a way to offend the Eighth Amendment' of the Constitution, which protects against cruel and unusual punishment. Discover WITNESS: Access our exclusive collection of true crime stories, podcasts, videos and more Instead, Bates said in his ruling, 'Menzies consistently and rationally understands the reasons for his death sentence.' His lawyers tried to appeal his death sentence several times. Bates said Menzies' right to appeal the ruling was exhausted in late 2023, but news outlets report Menzies' legal team plans to appeal to the state Supreme Court. 'Ralph Menzies is a severely brain-damaged, wheelchair-bound, 67-year-old man with dementia and significant memory problems,' Lindsey Layer, a lawyer for Menzies, said in a statement published by multiple news outlets. 'It is deeply troubling that Utah plans to remove Mr. Menzies from his wheelchair and oxygen tank to strap him into an execution chair and shoot him to death.' USA TODAY has contacted Layer for comment. In an emailed statement, Madison McMicken, a spokesperson for the Utah Attorney General's office, said prosecutors were committed to seeking justice for Hunsaker. On Feb. 23, 1986, Menzies murdered Hunsaker while she was working as a cashier at a gas station in Salt Lake County, according to court records. He abducted her and stabbed her to death, leaving her body in the woods outside of Salt Lake City. Menzies had several past convictions for aggravated robberies before killing Hunsaker, who left behind three children, including a 6-month-old baby. Capital punishment: Supreme Court to consider use of multiple IQ tests in determining death penalty One of her children, Matt Hunsaker, was 10 when his mother was killed. He told KSLTV, a Salt Lake City TV station, that their family was one step closer to justice with the June 6 ruling. Menzies would be the sixth person executed by firing squad in the United States since 1976, according to the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center. In 2019, the United States Supreme Court stopped the execution of an Alabama man convicted of fatally shooting a police officer because he had vascular dementia. Vernon Madison couldn't remember his crime or his punishment, justices ruled. In 2025, South Carolina executed two people by firing squad, the first such executions since 2010, when Utah last executed a person. The same day as Menzies' June 6 ruling, the Supreme Court said it would review using multiple intelligence tests to determine the death penalty against a person. Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@ or on Signal at emcuevas.01.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Donald Trump's Pardon For NBA YoungBoy Could Be In Jeopardy
Hip-Hop fans were elated when Donald Trump chose to pardon YoungBoy Never Broke Again's probation sentence for gun charges. However, Utah lawmakers didn't share that excitement and may look to fight against the decision. 'We are extremely proud of the work our investigator and prosecutors did on this case, as well as grateful for all the help we received from other local and federal agencies,' Cache County attorney Taylor Sorensen and Sheriff D. Chad Jensen wrote in a joint statement to KUTV. 'Mr. Gaulden [YB] pled guilty to the charges in this investigation, and we feel strongly the Justice System in Cache County is far from a 'weaponized system of justice.' We have highly trained, honest, experienced and professional sheriff's investigators and county prosecutors, along with respected District Court Judges and Defense Attorneys.' Trevor Lee, a member of the Utah House District 16, supported his perspective on X. 'As a state we should still go after him,' he wrote in a now-deleted tweet. It is unclear whether Utah lawmakers will be successful, but it is clear where they stand on YoungBoy Never Broke Again. The Baton Rouge, La. rapper had been living in the state for a few years now while serving his house arrest sentence. Last year, he pleaded guilty to felonious gun possession charges and was sentenced to 23 months in prison, five years of probation, and had to pay $200,000 for a separate gun charge. This past March, he was released from prison and credited for time served, allowing him to return to home confinement, which he completed in April. Donald Trump's pardon eliminated his probation sentence and he expressed his gratitude via social media. 'I want to thank President Trump for granting me a pardon and giving me the opportunity to keep building — as a man, as a father, and as an artist,' he wrote on Instagram. More from Donald Trump Announces Travel Ban And Restrictions Affecting 19 Countries Following Terrorist Attack In Colorado Elon Musk Slams Donald Trump Agenda Bill Days After White House Exit New Orleans Prison Escapee Claims His Innocence, Pleads For Help From Donald Trump, Meek Mill
