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a4pocket · 7 years

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Study Hall: Utah 77, Mizzou 59

Freshmen will freshmen.

How To 10x Your Savings with These 2 New Accounts

The universe always corrects itself, and sometimes it happens more with a lurch than a slight shift of the steering wheel.

Without Michael Porter Jr., Missouri shot a little too well in the first two games of the season. The Tigers were second in the nation in eFG% out of the gates, and the universe wasn’t going to allow that to continue. So Mizzou went 5-for-27 from 3-point range in Salt Lake City.

The universe also thought Mizzou’s freshmen were playing a little too well. Jeremiah Tilmon was amazing against Iowa State, and Jontay Porter was exciting in both and downright brilliant at times against Wagner.

Against Utah, they combined for 28 minutes, 0-for-7 FG shooting, five turnovers, and eight fouls. Tilmon fouled out in a blink for the second game in a row, and while Porter did a nice job on the defensive glass and from the free throw line, he missed everything from the field and contributed four of those five TOs.

We knew Utah had the size and skill to test Mizzou’s young front court, and we knew that the Utes are a solid team overall. Still, we were pretty excited about Missouri’s chances of ending an ages-long road losing streak on Thursday night. The universe had very different plans.

Team Stats

Considering how poorly Tilmon and Porter played, the above box paints an odd picture. Mizzou still won the rebounding battle and shot over 50 percent on 2-pointers, and the biggest statistical discrepancies were 3-point shooting and ball-handling. (One thing the universe didn’t correct: ball-handling issues.) That suggests the game was won/lost in the backcourt, not the front.

Mizzou turned the ball over another 14 times on Thursday night despite a snail’s-pace tempo. Meanwhile, the Tigers managed only two steals, resulting in a putrid BCI ratio. Combine that with horrific outside shooting, and, well, you get an 18-point loss. If not for Mizzou’s ability to get to the free throw line, it would have been a lot worse.

The Tigers’ overall shooting ability will be boosted whenever Michael Porter Jr. is healthy enough to take the floor. His presence might not help in terms of ball-handling, though. That’s quite obviously a major concern. Missouri now ranks 280th in turnover rate, per KenPom; it doesn’t matter how good a shooting team you are (sometimes) if you can’t get shots up without losing the ball.

Player Stats

Your Trifecta: Nikko-Robertson-Geist.

Your Trifecta leaderboard for the year (giving three points for finishing first, two for finishing second, and one for finishing third): Kassius Robertson and Reed Nikko each have five points, Kevin Puryear has three, Jeremiah Tilmon has two, and Jordan Barnett, Jontay Porter, and Jordan Geist each have one.

A foul rate I didn’t realize was possible Freshmen: minus-2.7 Adj. GS pointsEverybody else: 61.7

Freshmen are gonna play like freshmen sometimes, no matter how talented they may be. And it’s safe to say that, between the scrimmages, the Wagner game, and now the Utah game, Missouri is simply not going to be able to count on Jeremiah Tilmon playing long enough to make a contribution.

Even despite the impressive Iowa State performance, Tilmon is now committing 12.7 fouls per 40 minutes. He has committed 10 in a combined 16 minutes the last two games. That is downright awe-inspiring.

(Awe doesn’t have to be good.)

Thank goodness, then, for Reed Nikko. I am a self-proclaimed front-car occupant of the Nikko bandwagon, and even I didn’t see him going for 35 minutes, 16 points (5-8 2PT, 6-10 FT), and 17 rebounds over the last two games.

Good lord, he’s been effective. And because even my preseason concerns did not prepare me for Tilmon’s ability to commit fouls, we’re going to see a lot more of Nikko than we expected this year. That might not end up being a bad thing.

Phillips-Geist-Harris Watch

The trio of Terrence Phillips, Jordan Geist, and Blake Harris combined for a few more minutes than usual yesterday and really didn’t produce all that bad a line: 47 combined minutes, 16 points on 6-for-12 shooting (3-for-6 3-pointers), four assists, three turnovers, one steal, six defensive rebounds, and 16.1 Adj. GS points.

And yet, Mizzou’s 3-point and ball-handling numbers were still awful. Players outside of this trio went 2-for-21 on 3-pointers with a 7-to-11 assist-to-turnover ratio and one steal. Kassius Robertson was dreadful shooting but had five assists. The main culprits from a ball-handling standpoint were frontcourters.

Kevin Puryear had five turnovers against ISU, two against Wagner, and three against Utah. His current TO Rate is 34 percent, more than double what it was in either of his first two seasons. That’s unsustainably high, but it’s dulling the effects of his incredible shooting.

Even while going just 1-for-4 from long range, he still managed 11 points in nine FG attempts, which isn’t bad for a bad game. But when you combine it with three lost possessions, it’s not nearly as decent.

Mizzou now gets basically a week off — the Tigers will face Emporia State in a glorified scrimmage on Monday, then head off to Orlando for the AdvoCare Invitational. The universe’s course correction leaves us with a different impression of the team’s capabilities sans Michael Porter Jr., and MPJ’s own injury status remains unclear. Here’s to hoping he’s on the flight to Orlando, huh?

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a4pocket · 7 years

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From Utah, Secretive Help for a Russian Oligarch and His Jet

Leonid Mikhelson, Russia’s richest oligarch, used Bank of Utah as a stand-in so he could register his Gulfstream jet in the United States, which requires citizenship or residency. Sergey Chervotkin

SALT LAKE CITY — Bank of Utah has that all-American feel. Founded in the 1950s by a veteran of both world wars, it offers affordable mortgages and savings accounts, sponsors children’s festivals and collects coats for the poor.

But in addition to its mom-and-pop customers, the bank has a lesser-known clientele that includes Russia’s richest oligarch, Leonid Mikhelson, an ally of the country’s president, Vladimir V. Putin. The bank served as a stand-in so Mr. Mikhelson could secretly register a private jet in the United States, which requires American citizenship or residency.

The work on behalf of Mr. Mikhelson, whose gas company is under United States sanctions, is part of a discreet niche business for Bank of Utah that allows wealthy foreigners to legally obtain American registrations for their aircraft while shielding their identities from public view. The bank does this through trust accounts, in its own name, that take the place of owners on plane registration records.

Bank of Utah manages more than 1,390 aircraft trust accounts, most of them for foreigners, generating millions of dollars in fees and making it the second-largest holder of such accounts in the country. A trove of records leaked from an offshore law firm, Appleby, shows that the services offered by Bank of Utah, Wells Fargo and other American companies were sought after by rich jet owners in Russia, Africa and the Middle East.

The files were obtained by a German newspaper, Süddeutsche Zeitung, which shared them with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and other news organizations, including The New York Times. Among other things, the records reveal how Appleby often packaged trust arrangements with a tax avoidance scheme on the Isle of Man, a British crown dependency that serves as a haven for aircraft owners to sidestep taxes in the European Union. Together, businesses like Bank of Utah and Appleby provide a suite of money-saving tricks for the wealthy elite around the world.

Members of Congress and federal auditors have grown increasingly concerned that the opaque aircraft trust arrangements, which are not closely tracked by the Federal Aviation Administration, could allow terrorists and criminals a back door for evading sanctions, intelligence officials or law enforcement. Some 10,000 private planes are registered in the United States to noncitizen trusts.

The Isle of Man advertises itself as a haven for aircraft owners to sidestep taxes in the European Union. Appleby and other offshore firms have offices there.

“There are serious national security risks when the F.A.A. approves an aircraft registration but does not have all the information, particularly if an aircraft is owned by a shell corporation or a foreign entity,” Representative Stephen F. Lynch, a Massachusetts Democrat, said when he introduced legislation in July that would require the F.A.A. to obtain and regularly update records on the ultimate owners behind aircraft trusts.

An inspector general report in 2013 found that more than half of noncitizen trusts registered with the F.A.A. “lacked important information such as the identity of the trusts’ owners and aircraft operators.” As a result, the report said, the agency “has been unable to provide information on these aircraft to foreign authorities upon request when U.S. registered aircraft are involved in accidents or incidents.”

Another inspector general report, in 2014, cited specific cases that it said demonstrated the potential for national-security or legal problems. Among them was an episode in which an unnamed American bank had to cancel an aircraft trust after learning that its beneficiary, a Lebanese politician, had ties to a terrorist group. Another involved a jet registered to Wells Fargo that made an unscheduled landing in Libya in 2011 just as a no-fly zone was imposed by the United Nations.

In 2014, a plane registered to Bank of Utah was spotted at an airport in Iran, raising questions about whether its presence violated American sanctions.

And three years ago, a plane registered to Bank of Utah was spotted at an airport in Iran, raising questions about whether its presence violated American sanctions at the time. The bank told reporters it had “no idea” why the plane was there, and would not reveal who owned it; the Bombardier jet turned out to be owned by a Ghanaian company and had no Americans aboard.

That episode led to some soul-searching for Bank of Utah officials. In a recent interview at the bank’s corporate trust offices in Salt Lake City, Branden Hansen, the chief financial officer, said that the reputational risk of the trusts prompted the bank to consider whether “to shut this whole thing down.”

Ultimately the bank decided to continue the service, but with stronger due diligence and new staff to oversee it. Jon Croasmun, a trust officer who joined the bank last year, said that “knowing who the owners are is important,” adding that the bank searches public records, seeks passports and takes other steps to ensure it knows the background of aircraft owners.

Still, the Bank of Utah executives were surprised to learn that they had aided Mr. Mikhelson, the Russian oligarch. When told the name of the offshore shell company that Mr. Mikhelson used to manage his Gulfstream jet, Mr. Croasmun interrupted the interview to check the bank’s files. He confirmed that the shell company had been a client since 2013 — but information identifying Mr. Mikhelson as the man behind it “was nowhere that I saw in the files.”

“His name is not in there,” Mr. Croasmun said.

Appleby’s offices in Hamilton, Bermuda. Leaked documents from the firm show that the services offered by Bank of Utah, Wells Fargo and other American companies were sought after by rich jet owners around the world.

Appleby, based in Bermuda, is one of the world’s largest offshore law firms. Its files offer a rare inside look at more than a dozen aircraft trusts structured by American financial institutions for privacy-seeking plane owners, primarily foreigners who otherwise would not be allowed to register with the F.A.A. There is a premium on American registration because it increases a plane’s resale value, the bureaucratic requirements are less costly and complex, and it is believed to draw less scrutiny as the aircraft moves around the world.

Among the plane owners seeking Appleby’s services were Shaher Abdulhak, a Yemeni businessman worth an estimated $9 billion whose investments included a Coca-Cola distributor in the Middle East; UPL, an Indian producer of industrial chemicals and pesticides; and Rashid Sardarov, a Russian oil billionaire and longtime client of Mossack Fonseca, the law firm whose leaked records in 2015 became known as the Panama Papers.

In serving these clients, files show, Appleby dealt with the two banks that are the most prolific creators of American aircraft trusts: Wells Fargo and Bank of Utah. It is easy to see how Wells Fargo, the third-largest bank in the United States, with nearly $2 trillion in assets and offices in 42 countries, might find a lucrative niche catering to the wealthy elite. Less obvious is how Bank of Utah, with 18 branches confined to one state, took the same path.

As it happens, a group of former Wells Fargo trust officers joined Bank of Utah about 10 years ago and created what would become a profitable part of the bank’s business. The bank collected $8.8 million in trust fees in 2016 — an increase of $1.1 million from the previous year, according to its most recent annual report.

Mr. Croasmun and Mr. Hansen took issue with the suggestion that they were exploiting a loophole to bypass restrictions on foreigners registering aircraft in the United States. By filling the role of “U.S. citizen” for registration purposes, the bank provided a valuable service for, say, multinational companies whose top executives might not be American, they said. The bank is clearly sensitive to concerns raised about the trusts. Its website carries a statement distancing itself from the planes it registers in its name, noting its only role is that of trustee.

In the case of Mr. Mikhelson, the trail leading from Russia to Utah began in September 2012, with an email to Appleby from the Moscow office of the accounting firm Ernst & Young. The firm wanted Appleby to set up a complex corporate structure for an unnamed client to purchase a Gulfstream jet, valued at roughly $65 million, and retain possession of it through a chain of companies in six countries.

From the outset, the goal was clear: “This structure,” wrote Svetlana Yakushina of Ernst & Young, “should allow registering the aircraft with the aviation authorities of the United States.”

The arrangement would also permit the owner to avoid certain taxes, most notably a value-added tax of 20 percent if the jet were registered and used in the European Union. A six-page memo prepared by Ernst & Young laid out a plan to exploit a tax loophole offered by the Isle of Man, where about 1,000 privately owned aircraft are recorded on a government registry for tax purposes. Appleby and other similar firms maintain offices there.

The Isle of Man allows owners to escape the value-added tax, or VAT, through a paper-shuffling scheme, wherein the jet is held by a company based there but leased to another company elsewhere, both controlled by the same owner. The tax is technically deferred into the future, through use of a special account managed by Ernst & Young, and then canceled out by the corporate structure. Research by the investigative journalists consortium suggests that Isle of Man-registered aircraft have escaped more than $1 billion in taxes.

According to a flow chart created by Appleby’s Isle of Man office for the Mikhelson account, the ownership chain for his jet began in Panama, with a company called Golden Star Aviation, which registered on the Isle of Man and then leased the aircraft to a Cayman Islands company called SWGI Growth Fund. Both companies were controlled by Mr. Mikhelson.

Mr. Mikhelson declined to answer questions about his plane. His representative released a statement saying, “Mr. Mikhelson acts strictly within the boundaries of the law and in compliance with applicable legislation at all times.”

By June 2013, lawyers at Appleby still had not learned of Mr. Mikhelson’s role, other than being told that the Gulfstream’s owner was Russian. Once the lawyers were informed of his identity by a Swiss firm that manages Mr. Mikhelson’s finances, they conducted a background check and concluded that, as with other clients from Russia, where the political and legal environment can be unstable, working for him would be “high risk.” But they decided to proceed.

Mr. Mikhelson with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in 2013, at a news conference for the gas-processing company Sibur. Mr. Mikhelson’s energy company, Novatek, and his business partner in Sibur became subject to American sanctions the next year.

A due-diligence report by Appleby noted Mr. Mikhelson’s source of wealth — valued currently at about $18 billion — from oil and gas investments, notably through Novatek, Russia’s largest nongovernment-owned gas company. Mr. Mikhelson’s main business partner is Gennady Timchenko, a close friend of Mr. Putin’s. The two businessmen are the primary investors in Sibur, a Russian gas-processing company.

Included in the report was a list of questions to determine if Mr. Mikhelson had any connections to the United States, including whether he had assets or maintained an address there. The answer to all of them was “no.” Flight records show that the plane has rarely, if ever, flown to the United States and instead makes trips within Russia or occasionally to cities in Europe and China.

Despite its lack of a connection to the United States, Mr. Mikhelson’s private jet was soon on its way to securing a registration with the F.A.A., thanks to Bank of Utah.

It is not clear if the bank was ever told, or inquired, about the identity of the owner of the aircraft. Mr. Croasmun said that files indicated the owner “was Russian” but that identifying details were missing.

Whatever the case, the trust agreement for Mr. Mikhelson’s Gulfstream, filed with the F.A.A., does not name him anywhere in the document. Instead, the owner is listed as Golden Star Aviation, the Panamanian company he used to buy the plane. Attached to it is an “affidavit of citizenship” signed by a bank officer, Brett King, attesting that the trustee — Bank of Utah — is a “citizen of the United States.”

Bank of Utah’s offices in Ogden. The company manages more than 1,390 aircraft trust accounts, most of them for foreigners.

Appleby’s conclusion that doing business with Mr. Mikhelson would be “high risk” began to look prescient by July 2014. That is when Washington hit a number of Russian individuals and companies with economic sanctions in response to Russian intervention in Ukraine.

Among those named by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Contro were Novatek, Mr. Mikhelson’s gas company, and Mr. Timchenko, his partner in other ventures. Mr. Mikhelson himself was not included in the sanctions, which tightly restricted Novatek’s access to American capital markets.

Almost immediately, lawyers at Appleby flagged the Novatek sanctions and began emailing one another, one of them seeking advice on “how this affects the structures that we manage.” Within a week, Appleby had sent a message to Mr. Mikhelson’s aide Igor Ryaskov explaining that the law firm was concerned about Mr. Mikhelson’s connections to a company subject to sanctions.

“Due to the ongoing issues and increased risk, it is with regret that I must advise that we will be looking to cease services in respect of these structures,” the note said.

Mr. Ryaskov protested, saying that Mr. Mikhelson was not on the sanctions list. Still, Appleby held fast, and referred Mr. Ryaskov to other firms; by 2015, Mikhelson’s aircraft account had been transferred to Fedelta Trust Limited, a financial services firm on the Isle of Man. Mr. Ryaskov did not respond to a request for comment.

As for Bank of Utah, it filed a registration renewal application with the F.A.A. in July last year, indicating that its trusteeship for the aircraft remained unchanged. During the recent interview, the bank executives suggested that Mr. Mikhelson’s case escaped scrutiny during an earlier period when their internal review process was less rigorous, and they vowed to review it.

“Russian involvement would score as a high risk by itself,” Mr. Hansen said. “It’s highly unlikely that something like this would have been approved in today’s climate.”

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a4pocket · 7 years

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Trump’s push for coal mining will endanger dinosaur discoveries in Utah, scientists fear

President Trump’s plan to shrink Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah puts one of the planet’s top dinosaur fossil sites at risk, scientists say.

The creature looked like a three-ton rhino crossed with a tropical lizard. Ten little horns dangled over its giant forehead like frills on a jester’s cap and two more perched over the eyes. Spikes poked out of each cheek. A blade jutted from its nose.

Paleontologists suspect this freakish beast, named kosmoceratops, was brightly colored to attract mates. It prowled the coastal swamps of southern Utah 79 million years ago.

It is one of more than two dozen new species of dinosaurs discovered in Grand Staircase-Escalante in the 21 years since President Clinton preserved it as a national monument.

The bounty has stunned scientists. Most of this 1.9 million acres of desert wilderness, one of the world’s richest fossil sites for studying the age of dinosaurs, remains unexplored.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, ordered by Trump to reassess the biggest national monuments named since 1996, has proposed shrinking Grand Staircase-Escalante. Whatever area is removed would be open to coal mining, oil drilling and mineral extraction.

Left, paleontology intern Elliott Smith works to unearth a tyrannosaur skeleton at a dig on the Kaiparowits Plateau in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Right, paleontologist Tylor Birthisel shows off a serrated tyrannosaur tooth. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

The fossil beds here are scattered across land that also holds an estimated 62 billion tons of coal.

“My fear is that opening up the monument to energy extraction will threaten our ability to uncover the secrets that we know must still be buried in the monument,” said Scott Sampson, a Canadian paleontologist who oversaw much of the early dinosaur research in the monument.

Trump, who has vowed to revive the coal industry, is tapping into Utah’s longstanding resentment of federal control of public lands. The state’s Republican leaders support Zinke’s recommendation. They were furious at Clinton for creating the monument, which killed a proposed coal mine.

Today’s poor market for coal casts doubt on prospects for mining any time soon. No specific proposal has emerged publicly.

Los Angeles Times

Regardless, environmental groups are preparing lawsuits to thwart any attempt to curb protections of Grand Staircase-Escalante and nine other monuments, as Zinke proposed in August in a report to Trump.

Grand Staircase-Escalante is surrounded by some of the West’s most scenic national parks: Bryce, Zion, the Grand Canyon and Capitol Reef. Its dazzling red-rock cliffs, stone arches and slot canyons are popular with hikers.

What sets Grand Staircase-Escalante apart is the explosion of scientific discoveries.

Beyond kosmoceratops and the other dinosaurs found here, scientists have dug up remnants of extinct forms of crocodiles, turtles, lizards, frogs and birds, along with subtropical flora long gone from Utah’s arid badlands.

Top, an artist’s conception of a kosmoceratops from the Late Cretaceous period, 79 million years ago. Left, a schematic drawing showing the layout of the fossil bones of a tyrannosaur unearthed at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Right, paleontologist Alan Titus displays a fossilized piece of redwood and dinosaur bone. (Victor O. Leshyk; Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

A clear window has opened on an entire ecosystem of the Late Cretaceous period, from 100 million to 66 million years ago, when dinosaurs went extinct.

The discoveries are raising more and more questions for scientists, most notably about global warming. How did diverse sorts of life survive in an era when the climate was much hotter, the air contained a lot more carbon dioxide and sea level was extremely high?

“The research in the monument, from my perspective, has only just begun,” said Jeff Eaton, a paleontologist who lives in Tropic, just outside the monument. “The shrinking of it for what I would say are fairly petty, shallow and short-term interests will clearly interfere with, and even potentially destroy, aspects of future research.”

The timing of Trump’s decision is uncertain, but few doubt the outcome. When he signed an executive order mandating Zinke’s review, Trump accused his predecessors of abusing their power to preserve public lands. Presidents can designate national monuments unilaterally; creation of a national park requires an act of Congress.

Press aides for Trump and Zinke declined to comment.

Most of Grand Staircase-Escalante is hard to reach. It’s accessible only by dirt roads and punishing treks by foot across dry woodlands with few trails.

The heart of the monument is the 1 million-acre Kaiparowits Plateau, where fossil beds and coal seams abound. The coal is a vestige of dense greenery in swamps where dinosaurs scavenged for food.

Over the last two decades, the Kaiparowits has become a scientific wonderland, with clusters of geologists, archaeologists, botanists and paleontologists setting up camp for weeks at a time to forage in the dirt.

The paleontologist choreographing their work is Alan Titus, who in his spare time plays electric guitar in a rock band called Mesozoic. As an Interior Department employee, he assiduously avoids talk about the monument’s fate, but his exuberance on the topic of dinosaurs is boundless.

Clockwise from top left: Tylor Birthisel, left, and Elliott Smith work at a dig on the Kaiparowits Plateau in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument; a fossilized 79 million-year-old redwood tree, complete with trunk and rootball, left, is exposed in a sandstone cliff in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument; Smith and Birthisel on the Kaiparowits, where scientists have dug up remnants of extinct forms of crocodiles, turtles, lizards, frogs and birds, along with subtropical flora long gone from Utah’s arid badlands; a Kaiparowits stone with a 76 million-year-old textured skin impression from a gryposaurus, a duck-billed dinosaur named after the monument. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

On a recent outing, Titus, 53, hiked briskly past gnarled junipers and pinyons to a spot deep in the desert wilderness where two years ago he discovered a rare tyrannosaur skeleton. The giant reptile’s teeth, the size of rifle bullets, have retained their sharp serrated edge. Titus believes it was killed in a violent storm 75 million years ago.

“It wound up in the middle of a river channel and got buried by sand,” he said as fellow excavators chiseled the animal’s skull out of a stone slab.

The group’s campsite was a few miles away. Tents were spread across the landscape near a fire pit where the half-dozen paleontologists and museum volunteers gather at dinner. Scorpions and snakes are a nuisance, but the tranquillity of the deep wilds is mostly a pleasure. On dark nights, millions of stars offer a breathtaking spectacle.

One of the paleontologists, Scott Richardson, discovered Kosmoceratops richardsoni, the dinosaur’s formal name. Another dinosaur first unearthed in the monument, Nasutoceratops titusi, is named after Titus as a tribute to his pioneering work here.

What Titus calls a “perfect storm” of geological circumstances made Grand Staircase-Escalante a unique treasure.

Rising seas flooded North America’s entire Great Plains in the Late Cretaceous. The continent was split in two by the Western Interior Seaway, running between the Arctic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.

Utah was on the east coast of Laramidia, the narrow western continent. Frequent violent storms washed huge volumes of sediment into the seaway, scientists say.

Los Angeles Times

Dead animals were quickly covered by sand, dirt and gravel that preserved the remains under what eventually became a few thousand feet of earth. They have resurfaced after tens of millions of years of erosion.

“The volume of bone in the Kaiparowits is staggering,” Titus said before reaching for a shard of ancient turtle shell.

The bands of scientists competing for breakthroughs on the plateau reminds Titus of the American explorer Roy Chapman Andrews riding into the Gobi Desert of Mongolia in the 1920s on expeditions that uncovered new species of dinosaurs.

“For the scientist, there’s no greater thrill than to get out and find things that you know are going to push the boundaries of human knowledge,” he said.

Many of the big finds have ended up at the Natural History Museum of Utah in Salt Lake City. Visitors can run their fingertips across sandstone rocks with pristine textured impressions of the scaly skin of duck-billed dinosaurs dug up on the Kaiparowits.

“Pretty much every skeleton you see behind me is a discovery made in Grand Staircase since the monument was created,” said Randall Irmis, the museum’s curator of paleontology, referring to kosmoceratops and seven other new species of dinosaurs.

In the far-flung hamlets around Grand Staircase-Escalante, public opinion on the monument is split. The region is populated largely by descendants of 19th century Mormon settlers whose fight against federal control of public lands has shaped local culture ever since.

Many residents are unaware of how significant the scientific discoveries are. Regardless, they prefer mining to a national monument.

“We feel like some of our public land was taken away from us,” said cattle rancher Stoney Burningham of Panguitch, Utah, just west of the monument. “We need coal. God put coal on the Earth for a reason.”

Carlon Johnson co-owns a motel, grocery store and gas station next to the monument visitor’s center in Cannonville. As good as the monument has been for business, he too would welcome some mining jobs.

“Yeah, it would infringe on some of the paleontology, but how much?” he said.

With Gov. Gary Herbert’s support, state lawmakers and county commissioners have passed resolutions calling for a smaller monument. At its current size, they say, it restricts public access to the wilderness, limits cattle grazing and harms the economy by prohibiting energy and mineral extraction.

Leland Pollock, a Garfield County commissioner, said a lot of it was just rabbit brush and noxious weeds. “Nobody cares about it,” he said.

Light from a fading sunset bathes 10,188-foot Powell Point in a view from state Highway 12 near Tropic, Utah, in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

Still, spending by visitors to the monument has lifted the local economy. During a recent arts festival in the town of Escalante, population 797, David Griffin was selling coffee and baked potatoes on his front lawn. He sees no benefit to scaling back the monument in a quest for coal or oil.

“We don’t have to dig it out of the ground anymore,” he said.

A star speaker at the arts festival was geologist and wilderness guide Christa Sadler, author of the book “Where Dinosaurs Roamed: The Lost World of Utah’s Grand Staircase.” Sadler wants the monument kept intact. She also sees irony in talk of extracting fossil fuel from a landscape so rich with lessons about life on a “greenhouse” planet.

“We need to understand where we came from,” she said, “in order to understand where we’re going.”

ALSO:

Interior Department identifies ‘a handful’ of national monuments to shrink in its report to Trump

Civil servants charge Trump is sidelining workers with expertise on climate change and environment

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Denver Nuggets collapse in fourth quarter, fall to Utah Jazz in season opener

Rick Bowmer, The Associated Press Denver Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay (0) drives as Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, left, defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017, in Salt Lake City.

SALT LAKE CITY — Will Barton had continued his streaky scoring off the bench, Nikola Jokic was flirting with a triple-double and the Nuggets’ offense was rolling against one of the NBA’s best defenses.

But then a double-digit Nuggets advantage turned into a season-opening collapse, as the Utah Jazz used a dominant fourth quarter to pull away with a 106-96 victory Wednesday night at Vivint Smart Home Arena.

The Jazz (1-0) erased a 15-point Nuggets (0-1) lead, with backup Alec Burks serving as the catalyst. The former University of Colorado star scored 12 of his 16 in the second half, including a dunk to lead off the fourth period, a pair of 3-pointers and a reverse layup to increase that advantage to 94-85 and send the home crowd into a frenzy.

Utah outscored Denver 28-13 in the fourth quarter.

Utah’s defense had no answer in the first half for Nuggets reserve Will Barton, who scored 21 points on 7-of-8 shooting. Meanwhile, Paul Millsap was putting together a nice Nuggets debut with 19 points and six rebounds, while Jokic was on his way to seven points,12 rebounds and eight assists to kick off a season full of expectations.

Denver’s lead grew to 70-55 on a pair of Jamal Murray free throws before Utah finished the period on a 23-13 spurt. A Ricky Rubio 3-pointer cut the lead to 77-69, and a leaning 3-pointer at the buzzer by Joe Johnson gave the Jazz another shot of momentum heading into the final period.

Denver, meanwhile, got sloppy in the fourth. Jokic air-mailed a pass intended for Wilson Chandler. Gary Harris stepped out of bounds. The Nuggets let Utah shoot over 50 percent from the floor and committed 22 turnovers.

After Burks’ flurry to begin the fourth, a Derrick Favors 3-pointer put the Jazz up 100-86. A Thabo Sefolosha and-one finish caused the crowd to roar again, upping Utah’s lead to 104-88 with less than four minutes to play.

It was the final punch of a night that started with offensive power for the Nuggets but ended with a second-half collapse.

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a4pocket · 7 years

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Fun Things To See And Do When You Are Staying In Utah

If you’re planning to head out on a trip to Utah any time soon, then you may want to a closer look at a few of the best things to see and do during your stay. In this guide, we’re going to highlight some of the best attractions that Utah has to offer, so let’s learn more.

First of all, Utah is known for some outstanding areas of natural beauty, and this is best observed in the popular Arches National Park. There is a variety of tours available that allow you to explore the entire area, and many people also enjoy the 4×4 off-road adventures that are certainly an excellent way to traverse the entire area and see much of what it has to offer.

Furthermore, there are a number of outstanding museums in Utah, such as the National History Museum of Utah, along with the Hill Aerospace Museum that has some incredible displays that are well worth seeing whenever you have the time to visit.

Furthermore, there are some incredible amusement parks available in Utah, such as the Alpine Coaster as well as the Gorgoza Park, both of which will be fantastic places to take your entire family for a fun day out.

If you’re the kind of person who loves to head out onto the water, then perhaps one of the attractions you won’t want to miss will be the incredible rafting areas of Utah, and even if you are a raw beginner, there are a number of easy courses that are ideal for the novice. The expert instructors will soon have you out on the water in no time, and it will definitely be one of the biggest highlights of your entire stay.

Ultimately, it’s safe to say there are some incredibly fun, interesting, and exciting things to do when you are staying in Utah, so if you are visiting anytime soon, you will definitely have a fantastic time.

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a4pocket · 7 years

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Utah’s Dante Exum could miss season with separated shoulder, ligament damage

Dante Exum missed his entire sophomore NBA campaign after he tore his ACL in workouts with the Australian national team. With George Hill gone in Utah, this was the year the Jazz hoped to see Exum break out, getting steady minutes behind Ricky Rubio. Exum showed promise in the playoffs last season and through the summer.

Instead, he could miss the entire season again.

Exum could miss significant time, maybe the entire season, after suffering a serious shoulder injury while driving the lane during a Friday night during an exhibition game, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

After the game, Utah coach Quin Snyder said, “If you saw his shoulder, it didn’t look good.”

An MRI revealed a separated shoulder and ligament damage, and Jazz officials and doctors are conferring Saturday to discuss a plan of action on recovery and rehabilitation, league sources said.

This is a blow for Exum, the former No. 5 pick, who now has had a couple serious injuries, but both fluke one-time plays not chronic issues.

If Exum is out for the season, the Jazz could apply for a disabled player exception, reports Bobby Marks of ESPN.

Utah would be eligible to apply for the Disabled Player Exception if Dante Exum is ruled out for the season. The exception would be worth $2.5M and the Jazz would need to clear a roster spot to use. Utah would only be allowed to sign, acquire in a trade or claim a player on the last year of their contract.

The Jazz also could waive another guaranteed player (they have 15, the max) and keep Raul Neto on the roster. Before the injury, Neto was expected to be cut.

Whatever the Jazz decide this likely means more of rookie Donovan Mitchell getting minutes behind Rubio, which could be a good thing for the Jazz long term.

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a4pocket · 7 years

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Wolford scores 3 TDs, Wake Forest beats Utah State 46-10

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Senior quarterback John Wolford threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score as unbeaten Wake Forest defeated Utah State 46-10 on Saturday.

Arkeem Byrd had 120 yards rushing including a 59-yard TD scamper and Tabari Hines had a career-high 129 yards receiving for the Demon Deacons, who opened the season 3-0 for the second straight year. It’s the first time in six years Wake Forest has had a 100-yard rusher and receiver in the same game.

Wake Forest led 30-0 at halftime after outgaining the Aggies 397-77 in the first half.

This one was never close.

Wake Forest seized the momentum early as Cameron Glenn intercepted a Kent Myers pass on Utah State’s first possession and returned the ball 43 yards for an apparent touchdown. The play was called back for an illegal block, but it didn’t matter as Wolford hit freshman Greg Dortch on a slant route on Wake Forest’s first offensive play for a 43-yard touchdown. Wolford made it 14-0 on the next series finding a wide open tight end Cam Serigne on a seam route for a 45-yard TD.

Wake Forest’s defense was dominant.

They limited Utah State (1-2) to 1.98 yards per play in the first half and Boogie Basham recorded a safety.

KNOCKED OUT: Myers was 9 of 23 for 54 yards for Utah State before being knocked out of the game in the third quarter when he was hit on the return of a pooch punt. Jordan Love replaced Myers and threw a 75-yard touchdown pass on his second throw.

DORTCHED HIM: Dortch became the first freshman in school history to catch a touchdown pass in his first three games. It was Dortch’s team-high fourth TD catch of the season and he leads the Demon Deacons in yards receiving.

NEW STREAK BEGINS: Serigne had his 37-game streak of consecutive receptions snapped last week at Boston College, but started another on Saturday when he showed his speed by exploding down the seam and hauling in a TD catch in the first quarter.

SUPER SPECIAL TEAMS: Wake Forest gave up a first down on a fake punt, but otherwise dominated on special teams. Punter Dom Maggio pinned Utah State at the 1-inch line leading to a safety on Utah State’s next possession and Jessie Bates had a 75-yard punt return that led to a 1-yard run by Matt Colburn.

THE TAKEAWAY:

Utah State: The Aggies looked like a jetlagged football team that simply didn’t show up one week after a 51-13 win over Idaho State. They were beat up front on both sides of the ball. The Aggies couldn’t get anything going on offense and their defense did little to stop the Demon Deacons, who averaged 7.6 yards per play in the first half. Myers struggled at quarterback, but Love provided some spark.

Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons may be a little better than some are giving them credit for this season. They’ve opened the season with three straight 200-yard rushing games and have outscored their opponents 141-27 so far. Their other wins came against Presbyterian and Boston College.

UP NEXT

Utah State: The Aggies look to get back on track when they travel to face San Jose State next Saturday.

Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons pack up and head to Boone, North Carolina to face Appalachian State on Saturday.

More AP college football: http://collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

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a4pocket · 7 years

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Scott D. Pierce: Three Utah State games will stream on Facebook; ESPN still loves BYU

Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah State Aggies run onto the field before the game at Maverik Stadium Thursday September 1, 2016.

We’re not talking about the players going online. Three USU games — Sept. 7 vs. Idaho State, Sept. 23 at San Jose State and Oct. 14 vs. Wyoming — will be produced for and streamed on Facebook.

Stadium, which is owned by Sinclair Broadcasting — the parent company of KUTV-Ch. 2, KMYU-Ch. 12 and KJZZ Ch. 14 in Utah (and 170 other stations around the country) — will produce the games for Facebook. The deal includes three other MWC matchups and nine Conference USA games this fall.

The Facebook games will have a Facebook feel, of course. We’re promised “live curated chat experiences” with “well-known and well-respected football personalities”; a “social production team and correspondents working the sidelines” that will “engage” the audience “in conversation”; and an “ongoing integration of real-time social elements provided by the competing schools.”

If it’s just fans from the two schools insulting each other, let’s hope there’s an easy and obvious way to mute all that.

For those of you who think ESPN doesn’t love BYU, (1) ESPN picked up the option year (2019) on its BYU football contract; (2) ESPN put together the LSU-BYU game that was supposed to be in Houston on Saturday; and (3) ESPN quickly moved the game to New Orleans because of the flooding in Texas.

Covering television for 27 years has made me skeptical — some would say cynical — about TV executives’ motives. But in the case of the Robert Lee “controversy” at ESPN , I’m siding with ESPN president John Skipper.

If you missed it, in a preliminary, unpublished schedule, sportscaster Robert Lee was originally assigned to call the Virginia-William & Mary game on Saturday. Following the events in Charlottesville, which were initially prompted by the plan to remove a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee, the sportscaster was reassigned to the Pittsburgh-Youngstown State game.

According to Skipper, Lee was consulted about the change, and it was not made to prevent offending anyone. Lee was in no sense demoted; both games feature ACC teams vs. lower-division opponents on secondary outlets — the ACC Network and ESPN3.

However, longtime ESPN-hater Clay Travis at the website Outkick the Coverage blew this completely out of proportion, arguing it signaled the liberal bias he claims exists at ESPN. But the simplest answer is usually the right one — and the simplest answer is that ESPN execs was looking to head off headaches for Lee and themselves.

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a4pocket · 7 years

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Francis Bernard wants to leave BYU for Utah instead of redshirting, brother says

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune BYU linebacker Francis Bernard is back at Spring camp practice Monday March 13 after being suspended during the Poinsettia Bowl.

James Bernard, 25, a former walk-on at Utah who completed his college career at Winston-Salem State in North Carolina, said his 22-year-old brother has asked BYU for a release.

“Just to be clear: My brother wants to transfer, regardless,” James Bernard said. “We talk almost every day. He just doesn’t want to stay there any more.”

Thursday, BYU announced that Bernard, a Herriman High product, “is using his redshirt season for personal reasons and will be a junior for the Cougars when he returns to the field in 2018.” The school said the 6-foot-1, 240-pound Bernard “will continue to participate in all team practices, meetings and activities during the upcoming season.”

James Bernard said his brother has an ecclesiastical endorsement from the bishop of his student ward at BYU, required of all students who attend the school owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He said the bishop, Bernard’s parents and the player himself have had several meetings with representatives from BYU’s Honor Code Office this summer, but the representatives have never told him exactly how he ran afoul of the code of conduct.

“My parents kept asking them, ‘Why can’t our son play?’ Just simple, general questions, and they couldn’t even answer that,” James Bernard said. “Usually when you are getting punished, they tell you what you are being punished for. But my parents couldn’t even tell you why he is not playing, and they were in the room.”

“That’s where everything is fuzzy to me, because if you know [coach] Kalani Sitake, he is a big players’ coach. The players love him,” James Bernard said. “The whole time he is telling Francis it is a green light, you are going to play this season. And then we go to bat for [Francis] in the honor code meeting, and they come out and say he can’t play, just randomly.”

BYU’s response to Bernard’s transfer plans are unclear. One option the school could take could be to refuse to release him to another in-state program, but let him go anywhere he wants out of state with its blessing.

Student-athletes who transfer from one Division I program to another must sit out a year, per NCAA rules. Athletes who get “released” from the school in which they depart can begin receiving financial aid and support and can be contacted by schools to which they are released.

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a4pocket · 7 years

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NPR: Feelings about Trump are dividing Utah candidates

Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

John Curtis speaks in the Republican debate for the 3rd Congressional District race at the Utah Valley Convention Center in Provo on Friday, July 28, 2017.

NPR published an article this week that said feelings about President Donald Trump have divided the candidates in Utah’s 3rd Congressional District race.

Republicans will have a chance to vote on their candidate to replace Jason Chaffetz, the former Utah representative who vacated his position in June.

Provo Mayor John Curtis, attorney Tanner Ainge and former state lawmaker Chris Herrod are all vying for a spot on the November ballot

But the trio haven’t taken much time to speak about Trump, NPR reported. The candidates hope to promote the Republican agenda, without connecting with the chaotic nature of the administration.

“Distance from Trump isn’t necessarily a shortcoming in the 3rd District, which stretches southeastward from Salt Lake to Provo down to Moab and Blanding, near the site of the controversial Bears Ears National Monument currently under review by the Trump administration,” according to NPR.

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a4pocket · 7 years

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Tips For Attending Utah State University

Utah State University provides students with an excellent education that is designed to give them the foundation that they need to succeed. Located in the northern part of Utah, this school has a lot to offer. If you are planning on attending, there are some things that you should consider.

When it comes to housing, living on campus is an option that you should definitely look into. There are a lot of advantages associated with living in the dorms or in student housing. For one thing, you are a lot closer to your classes, which takes the hassle out of getting to them on time. Additionally, living with other students gives you a chance to form friendships and can help make the college experience more enjoyable.

You should be sure to submit your application for the school on time. You can find information about application deadlines on their website or by contacting the school directly. Be sure to read the instructions on the application carefully so that you don’t overlook any important details.

Depending on your financial situation, you also may need to apply for financial aid. There is a lot of really good information about the types of financial aid that are available on the website of the university. It is worth exploring all of the assistance that is out there to see if you can find a way to make paying for college easier.

Attending Utah State University is a great way to set yourself up for success. Getting a degree from a well-respected university will open up a lot more job opportunities. Best of all, these jobs are generally better paying than entry-level jobs. That means that you can earn a good living doing something that you enjoy. The right education can provide you with the credentials that you need to get your dream job.

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a4pocket · 7 years

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Boisterous rally on Capitol is more about supporting public lands than decrying Utah politicians

(Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune) After marching from the Salt Palace to the Utah State Capitol, the "This Land is Our Land March for Public Lands" rallied at the Capitol, Thursday, July 27, 2017.

"We should all be proud to be part of an industry that helps keep more than 7 million Americans in work. An industry that makes people in this country healthier — and happier," he said. "We are building a sustainable economy for the future health of America. Making towns across the country stronger."

Industry groups launched the "This Land Is Our Land" rally from the Salt Palace Convention Center, where the Outdoor Retailer trade show is holding what may be its final Salt Lake City edition. The massive twice-a-year show is decamping for Denver after a 22-year run that is ending amid an acrimonious argument over Utah leaders’ drive to reverse the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national-monument designations.

While motorists stuck on North Temple were not likely having fun, the march had more of festival tone than that of a protest, and many speakers heaped praise on Utah for hosting the convention during a period of immense growth.

One group, dressed as eagles, carried signs that read, "Trees are people too"; another chanted, "Keep your tiny hands off our public lands," a mocking reference to President Donald Trump’s high regard for his hand size.

Salt Lake Tribune – Daily Highlights

Those on the dais included Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski, Ute Indian Tribe Business Committee Chairman Shaun Chapoose, climber Conrad Anker, Boulder restaurateur Blake Spalding and Outdoor Industry Association Director Amy Roberts.

"Most of the land you are talking about was taken," Chapoose said. American Indians "weren’t involved, and here you sit with your public lands and an attempt to take it without your involvement. What I hope we can teach you is you need to speak up."

Chapoose was a key figure in the successful campaign to persuade President Barack Obama to designate Bears Ears and now defends the monument from Utah’s campaign to erase it. State leaders describe the monument as a land grab to set aside a reserve for wealthy patrons of sports provisioned by the very companies represented at the rally.

But Chapoose pointed out that the sacred lands surrounding Bears Ears Buttes were never Utah’s.

"You also have to understand that the land doesn’t belong to none of us. Our mentality is we are caretakers of it for the generations to come," he told the people gathered on the Capitol’s south lawn and steps. "You as citizens who participate in rock climbing or mountain biking, whatever your endeavor is, need to remember one of the rules we had as native people: Never take from it more than you need. Leave it in better condition than when you found it. There is only one Earth. Unless you have a spaceship, you better take care of what you’ve got."

At his monthly news conference Thursday morning, Gov. Gary Herbert lamented the trade show’s exit from Utah, blaming the schism on what he believes is an unfair characterization of the state’s attitude toward public lands.

"I think this has been more about political rhetoric and politics, and less about substance and about good policy," he said. "I think the state of Utah by actual deed shows that we do care about the public lands. We have enhanced the public lands. We spend more on conservation efforts in Utah than any other state in the Intermountain West."

Regardless of what money Utah spends, outdoor industry leaders are far more concerned about the state’s entrenched policy direction that calls for seizing federal lands, establishing roads on obscure routes across scenic backcountry, erasing national monuments, opposing wilderness designations and promoting extractive industries in places with strong recreational values.

Biskupski, who hails from Minnesota, said Utah owes its economic vitality to its wealth of scenic lands, which has drawn people from all over the country to call the state home.

"Salt Lake City is and always will be the outdoor recreation capital of America," Biskupski said.

Speakers emphasized that public lands should unite Americans from every ideological corner because broad access to Western landscapes is something that defines the character of the United States.

Anker, a University of Utah graduate who has intimate knowledge of Wasatch backcountry, called out Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, in whose hands rests the fates of two dozen large monuments. Trump is expected to follow Zinke’s recommendation.

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‘Our land’ » The Capitol rally focuses on support for public lands, not politics.

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As a Montanan like Zinke, Anker called on the official to honor the legacy of President Teddy Roosevelt by respecting the Bears Ears designation, which he called an important addition to the nation’s network of conservation lands. Zinke, he said, should connect with tribes the way Roosevelt camped with John Muir in Yosemite a century ago to learn the mysteries of the deep gorge glaciers cut through the Sierra Nevada.

"It’s something we can all share," Anker said. "Camping out with elders and tribal leaders, that’s bipartisanship. It’s what makes democracy work."

Brian Maffly covers public lands for The Salt Lake Tribune. Maffly can be reached at [email protected] or 801-257-8713.

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a4pocket · 7 years

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Analysis: Here’s what the Utah Jazz lineup looks like now

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) blocks the shot by Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) during the second round of the NBA playoffs and game 3 in Salt Lake City on Saturday, May 6, 2017.

It took the Utah Jazz five years to get back into the NBA playoffs this past season. The team’s focus on internal development resulted in the cultivation of homegrown stars with exponential upside.

But once the Jazz were eliminated in the second round by the eventual champions, the Golden State Warriors, the optimism became clouded by uncertainty.

Gordon Hayward, the team’s only All-Star, fled Salt Lake City to join the Boston Celtics, leaving the Jazz with a giant void and years of lost progress.

Having delayed his decision four days after the beginning of free agency, Hayward inadvertently put the Jazz in a tough spot with limited replacement options available. The players Utah wanted to target came off the board before Hayward published his blog.

Utah remained patient and finally decided to fill its roster out during the NBA summer league in Las Vegas — almost two weeks after losing Hayward. The Jazz agreed to deals with forwards Thabo Sefolosha, Jonas Jerebko and Ekpe Udoh. Utah also signed relatively unknown forwards Royce O’Neale and Eric Griffin.

Unless general manager Dennis Lindsey makes an unexpected move, the Jazz will likely head to training camp in September with the following players on their current roster.

The projected starters

Ricky Rubio, point guard: The Jazz were the third-worst scoring team in the NBA last season, putting up 100.7 points per game. George Hill, though, provided much-needed scoring relief at the point guard position. Hill averaged a career-high 16.9 points in his only season with the Jazz.

Hill agreed to a deal with the Sacramento Kings and the Jazz replaced him with Rubio, who’s historically one of the worst shooters in the league’s history. To avoid being last in points production, the Jazz are going to need Rubio — a career 10-point per game scorer — to increase his output in that aspect of the game.

Rubio is still one of the best passers in the game, averaging 9.1 assists last season. He’s a maestro with the ball in his hands and will connect with Rudy Gobert on a regular basis.

Rubio will fill the playmaking need, but scoring will remain an issue unless Rubio somehow finds a shooting stroke.

Rodney Hood, shooting guard: Per-36 minutes, Hood averaged close to 17 points last season. He’s a long, effective defender and has a tendency to shoot plenty of threes — over five per game. In a way, he’s going to be Hayward’s replacement in Utah.

Talent isn’t an issue for Hood. He just needs to be able to stay healthy and on the floor. It’s not an ideal first-option offensively, but Hayward became a star after being thrust into an uncomfortable situation following Deron Williams’ departure. Hood is in a similar situation. There’s no better development tactic than having a player learn through mistakes on the court. Hood is entering the final guaranteed year under his contract, so this season will be the most important of his career to date.

Joe Ingles, small forward: Once thought of as a borderline NBA player, Ingles was rewarded for his stellar play this offseason with a four-year, $52 million contract.

Ingles was one of the NBA’s most efficient 3-point marksmen last season — he was a top-five shooter, making 43 percent of his shots from deep — and his role will expand with Hayward gone.

Shooters have gotten paid in the past and have fallen flat the year after getting massive paydays. Ingles has to prove his breakout season wasn’t a fluke.

Derrick Favors, power forward: Utah reportedly shopped Favors around before the NBA draft, but he’s still on the roster and will likely remain the starter alongside Gobert.

Utah’s frontcourt makes analytically driven pundits sick. Neither Favors nor Gobert can make a shot consistently outside of 5 feet. In a league dominated by 3-point shooting and big men who can space the floor, Utah lacks versatility.

The Jazz seem to be running with the idea that the pace of the game will be determined by them — not the opponent. Utah will play slow, old-school basketball. Both Favors and Gobert are solid interior defenders and will pose matchup issues with their size.

It’s a different approach, but the Jazz seem confident in their giant frontcourt. Favors is a low-post scoring threat, but like Hood, has to stay healthy. Favors is also entering the final season under his contract.

Rudy Gobert, center: At times last season, it was implied that Gobert — Utah’s only All-NBA player — was actually the leader of the Jazz. Now there’s no question about it.

Gobert, 25, is arguably the best center in the NBA. The NBA has become perimeter oriented and the Jazz are going to be one of the only teams led by a big man. But Gobert has the skill set to dominate.

In terms of importance, Gobert was always the No. 1 player in Utah. Unlike Hayward, Gobert’s production won’t dip if his shot isn’t falling. With a record-breaking 7-9 wingspan, Gobert is an imposing defender who can anchor a team in the paint.

The Western Conference is deep with loaded teams and a few that didn’t make the playoffs, like the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets, will be looking to make the jump. But as long as Gobert is in town, the Jazz should be in good hands for the foreseeable future.

Key reserves

Donovan Mitchell, shooting guard: If teams could re-do this year’s NBA draft, Donovan Mitchell, who the Jazz traded up for with the 13th pick, might be a top-five selection.

In two games with the Jazz in Las Vegas, Mitchell averaged 28 points per game and appeared "NBA ready." He’s by far the most explosive player the Jazz will have on their roster — and really, the most explosive they’ve had in quite some time.

At 6-3, Mitchell is somewhat undersized for his position, but his 6-10 wingspan will make up for it. He’s displayed an improved ability to create shots for himself and could play some backup point guard if needed. He’s an all-around stud and a five-star prospect who will help lessen the pain caused by Hayward leaving Utah.

Dante Exum, point guard: Entering his fourth season with the Jazz, it’s make or break for Exum. The luster he had as the fifth pick in 2014 is kind of lost. He’s no longer going to be treated as a project. Shelvin Mack agreed to a deal with the Orlando Magic, opening more minutes for Exum as the team’s primary backup.

This summer, Exum has been mentored by Warriors great Baron Davis. Utah needs to see return on its investment, otherwise his time in the NBA could be cut short. Exum made less than 30 percent of his threes last season and was a liability. Becoming an average shooter would propel Exum as one of the more dynamic backups in the NBA. The physical tools are there. Exum just has to find a way to use them.

Joe Johnson, small forward: At 36, Iso-Joe has found a way to stay relevant by changing his role. Normally a small forward, Johnson will spend some time at the four spot in Utah.

In the playoffs, he showed that he can still score in crunch time. Utah eased him into a more expanded role, but that might not be the case next season. Finding scoring will be troublesome for the Jazz, but Johnson will be an option, even at this stage in his career.

Alec Burks, shooting guard: Utah was riddled with injuries last season and Alec Burks was one of the many who suffered from it. Burks averaged a career-low 6.7 points last season.

Over the past three seasons, Burks has appeared, on average, in 33 games for the Jazz. He can be a solid rotation player and the Jazz shouldn’t give up on Burks yet. But the clock is ticking. Utah will count on Burks for offensive production. Per-36 minutes, Burks averaged 18 points in 2014.

Tony Bradley, center: Gobert was third in minutes per game last season among centers, so Tony Bradley won’t be asked to do a lot for the Jazz next year. He’s only 19, but has the size to match up with any big in the NBA. But at this point, he’s not very polished. Jeff Withey remains a free agent and isn’t expected to re-sign with the Jazz. If nothing else, Bradley has the size to replace Withey.

New additions

Thabo Sefolosha, small forward: Defensively, the Jazz are going to be atop the NBA next season — and Sefolosha will be one of the main reasons why.

Nothing Sefolosha does on the floor is flashy. He’s a career 35 percent 3-point shooter and averaged 6 points throughout the course of his 11-year career.

But as a defender, Sefolosha creates havoc. The Jazz had the second fewest steals in the NBA last season, and Sefolosha will help them create turnovers. Anything the Jazz can get from Sefolosha offensively will be an added bonus.

Jonas Jerebko, power forward: At 6-10, Jerebko is the only big man on Utah’s roster who can hit shots from outside the paint. A career 35 percent 3-point shooter, Jerebko could have a career resurgence with the Jazz, who will ask him to play a relatively major role next season.

Jerebko, 30, averaged a career-low 3.8 points for the Boston Celtics last season.

Ekpe Udoh, power forward: The Golden State Warriors don’t whiff on many high draft picks but selecting Ekpe Udoh with their sixth overall pick in 2010 was their biggest blunder in recent history.

Udoh washed out of the NBA after five quick seasons, found stability with Fenerbahce (a professional Euroleague Turkish team), and now he’s back in the NBA.

Udoh had success in Turkey, earning a Euroleague championship and Final Four MVP. He’s long, athletic and will provide depth as a backup. Like Favors and Gobert, Udoh can’t shoot, but will protect the rim.

Roster fillers

Raul Neto, point guard: Neto’s contract for next season is only partially guaranteed and it remains to be seen if the Jazz will pick it up. Utah recently waived Boris Diaw and could do the same with Neto to create roster space. Playing just 8.7 minutes last season, Neto hasn’t had much of a role with the Jazz.

Eric Griffin, power forward: Griffin is a high-energy, shot-blocking big man who could actually earn minutes with the Jazz, although he’ll spend most of his time with the Jazz’s developmental team — the Stars. Besides Mitchell, Griffin was Utah’s most impressive player in summer league. He can do a little bit of everything and his game resembles former Jazzman Trevor Booker.

Royce O’Neale, small forward: The Jazz will have to either cut or trade someone from the team, as the NBA only allows for 15 standard contracts and a couple of two-way deals, to fit in their most recent signing.

O’Neale averaged about five points for the New Orleans Pelicans in summer league and made 15 percent of his threes. The production wasn’t there, but the Jazz must’ve seen something in O’Neale that most didn’t.

Joel Bolomboy, power forward: Bolomboy blossomed with the Stars last season, but that didn’t translate to a successful summer league. Bolomboy dealt with a knee injury, averaging just six points and six rebounds. Utah has a crowded frontcourt and Bolomboy will have to have an outstanding training camp to play real minutes next season.

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a4pocket · 7 years

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Fierce Wildfires Spreading in Utah, California

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a4pocket · 7 years

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Winners of 2017 Miss Utah

(KUTV) Congratulations to the new Miss Utah for 2017, JessiKate Riley and the other winner and participants in this year’s competition.

Riley is the winner of a $10,000 scholarship.

Miss Greater Salt Lake Jesse Craig is the first runner-up and the winner of a $4,000 scholarship.

Miss Springville/Mapleton Alexa Knutzen is the second runner-up and the winner of a $4,000 scholarship.

Miss Provo Madison Monson is the third runner-up and the winner of a $2,000 scholarship.

Miss Riverton Whitney Gillman is the fourth runner-up and the winner of a $1,000 scholarship.

The Kelly Hale non-finalist talent award was given to Miss Utah Valley University Tanesha Bland.

The Kelly Hale non-finalist Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimwear was awarded to Miss Roy Jessica Berenyi.

The Kelly Hale non-finalist interview award was given to Miss American Fork Mimi Peyregne.

The Miss America Community Service Award was given to Miss Nebo Lizzy Palmatier.

The Miss America Academic Award was given to Miss Greater Salt Lake Jesse Craig.

The first recipient of the Glen Harmon Instrumentalist Award is Miss Nebo Lizzy Palmatier.

The second recipient of the Glen Harmon Instrumentalist Award is Miss Panoramaland JessiKate Riley

The Miss Utah UVU Leadership Scholarship goes to Miss Springville/Mapleton Alexa Knutzen.

The winner of the photogenic award goes to Miss Uintah County Abigail Hartle.

The Spirit of Miss Utah award, which is voted on by the contestants, goes to Miss Sandy Katie Ann Powell.

The Miracle Maker Award goes to Lindsey Lloyd, who raised $3,560 for CMN Hospitals.

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a4pocket · 7 years

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What Utah’s Canyon Country Can Tell Us About Trump’s Monuments Review

Welcome to the Grand Staircase National Monument in southern Utah.

A looming decision on whether to abolish or shrink the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah should provide an early signal of how the Trump administration will deal with a long list of public lands issues.

For roughly a month and a half, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has had 27 national monuments under his microscope, reviewing the protected status of these vast expanses of land (and, in some cases, water) at the prompting of an April executive order by President Trump.

The idea, according to the order, is to assure each of these areas is appropriately designated under the 1906 Antiquities Act, a law that gives the president the authority to establish national monuments … with a few caveats. Namely, they must include "historic landmarks" or "other objects of historic or scientific interest," and they must not exceed "the smallest area" necessary for their upkeep.

At issue is whether the presidents who created the monuments overstepped their authority. But just as important to those who live around the sites is whether they restrict the economy and ignore local interests.

Bears Ears, established last year by President Obama, is the first on Zinke’s list. But a second Utah site, the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, offers a more comprehensive glimpse into the controversy that eddies around many of the monuments — and a revealing peek into what Zinke may ultimately recommend to the president.

So, here it is: a tour of Grand Staircase-Escalante. That is, a tour of the national monument’s economic impact, the political cloud surrounding it — and what we can expect next, once that final call comes down.

The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument’s famous hoodoos, seen at sunset.

So, what is the benefit or harm of having a national monument in your neighborhood?

According to Headwaters Economics, a Montana-based think tank that crunched the data on jobs and the economy around 17 of the national monuments under review, the effect is anywhere from nothing to a modest net positive.

Chris Mehl, the group’s policy director, says that from 2001 to 2015 overall jobs in the communities around Grand Staircase, in particular, increased by 24 percent and personal income overall grew by 32 percent.

These are believed to be mostly service-based jobs in fields that include everything from health care to hospitality, outdoor recreation and tourism.

The monument lies within two rural counties in southern Utah, home to about 12,000 residents and about a half dozen towns across an area that’s nearly 10,000 square miles in size.

Mehl says the economies of rural Western communities like the one around Grand Staircase have changed dramatically, "with huge social impacts we’re just coming to grips with." So other, larger economic factors may be involved.

"But there’s no sign of an economic apocalypse here," he says.

Commissioners in rural Garfield County, Utah, have long seen it differently.

In 2015, they passed a resolution declaring a state of emergency, saying the monument had all but wiped out the natural resource-based economy in the area. They cited a remarkable 67 percent drop in enrollment at Escalante High School since the monument was designated, while other schools have suffered similar drops.

"We see markers that don’t indicate a healthy economy," says Matthew Anderson of the Sutherland Institute, a Utah-based free market think tank. He argues that Headwaters’ study doesn’t tell the whole story.

Local anger still runs deep over President Clinton’s 1996 designation because it also effectively nixed a proposed coal mining operation. A Dutch mining firm’s proposal could have brought in $100 million in new tax revenue and created about 600 jobs, according to state estimates at the time.

Anderson argues the types of jobs created by a national monument designation — namely in recreation and tourism — tend to be low-paying and seasonal, and he says these jobs don’t always sustain families the way livestock grazing does. A national monument grandfathers existing activities like grazing leases but bars new ones.

Some residents throw cold water on the idea of shaky employment.

"We are awash in jobs," Blake Spalding, co-owner of a local grill, tells the Salt Lake Tribune. "What we need is people to fill them."

Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke talks to reporters before departing from Kanab Airport, where protestors were present to challenge the revisions of national monuments on May 10, in Kanab, Utah. Zinke spoke with state and local officials, touring the Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, to determine their future status under the Trump Administration.

The debate around Grand Staircase by no means ends with the balance sheet.

Ninety-three percent of Garfield County is owned and controlled by the federal government. And for some detractors, like former Escalante Mayor Jerry Taylor, the federal presence feels akin to that of an unwelcome relative.

"We love our mother-in-law," he once said, according to E&E News. "But sometimes we don’t want her to tell us how to run our house."

Those detractors have not forgotten how the monument was established in the first place: planned largely without input from state leaders and designated by Clinton at a signing ceremony that wasn’t even in Utah.

"Remember," Zinke said during a visit to the state, according to the Tribune, "when this monument was formed, the governor of Utah read it in the paper."

As recently as February, Utah lawmakers called on Washington to reduce the size of the monument, citing "a negative impact on the prosperity, development, economy, custom, culture, heritage, educational opportunities, health, and well-being of local communities" — among other grievances.

Nevertheless, when Zinke visited Grand Staircase last month, he was greeted by chants of demonstrators calling for him to "save our monument," the St. George Daily Spectrum notes.

The site — flush with ancient artifacts and fossils that date back tens of millions of years — has been lauded as "the Shangri-La for dinosaurs." And proponents defend its value not only for recreational visitors, but scientists too.

"What we learn here matters to the entire West," Nicole Croft, executive director of Grand Staircase-Escalante Partners, tells E&E.

One of the biggest hiking attractions in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument: the Calf Creek Falls.

The ultimate fate of the monuments is murky partly because a president’s authority under the law that established them, the 1906 Antiquities Act, may be open to dispute.

"What’s unclear right now is whether the president has the authority to undo what one of his predecessors has done," says Mark Squillace, law professor at the University of Colorado. The act "essentially authorizes the president to proclaim, but not to modify or revoke, national monuments."

Squillace says only Congress has the clear authority to revoke a designation, because Congress has authority over public property.

While some small monuments have been turned over to states, no precedent exists for the abolition of a national monument the size of Grand Staircase.

Because of that lack of clarity, one thing is fairly clear: Any order by Trump to shrink or nullify any monument will almost certainly end up in court. It is widely expected that environmentalists would immediately sue.

Squillace says the dispute could go all the way to the Supreme Court.

Even Zinke himself hinted at the uncertainty during his confirmation hearings earlier this year.

"The law is untested," he said.

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