Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said President Barack Obama signed an executive order banning all federal workers from texting while driving on government business, driving government vehicles or using government equipment.

The Obama administration also said it will seek to ban text messaging by interstate bus drivers and truckers and push states to pass their own laws against driving cars while distracted.

LaHood said the administration also would move to put restrictions on cell phone use by rail operators, truck drivers and interstate bus drivers.

While texting is not yet illegal in Las Vegas, it is in Utah. There currently is legislation being pushed to ban texting in Nevada.

Sen. Dennis Nolan, R-Las Vegas, the chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, said of cell phone driving legislation: “Knowing our Legislature, it will have a tough time. Nevadans are independent and like their liberties.”

“Driving while distracted should just feel wrong – just as driving without a seat belt or driving while intoxicated,” LaHood said at the end of a two-day conference on the problem. “We’re not going to break everyone of their bad habits – but we are going to raise awareness and sharpen the consequences.”

The administration also will push to disqualify school bus drivers who are convicted of texting while driving from keeping their commercial driver’s licenses.

The Transportation Department reported that 5,870 people were killed and 515,000 were injured last year in crashes connected to driver distraction, often involving mobile devices or cell phones. Driver distraction was involved in 16 percent of all fatal crashes in 2008 and was more prevalent among young drivers.

“It’s like driving with your eyes closed,” said Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., a proponent of a texting ban.

Ronald W Truman, partner with Dixon Truman & Fisher is running for Mayor of Washington City. The Spectrum Newspaper reports.
The call for change sounded clearly in Tuesday’s primary election in Washington City. Terrill Clove, mayor of 16 years, was knocked out of the November election by Kenneth Neilson and Ronald Wayne Truman, according to unofficial election results.
According to unofficial results 1,967 votes were cast, or 23.98 percent of all registered voters. The primary was for mayor and two city council seats. Four people were in the running for mayor and 10 for city council.

Truman received 781 votes, He said he’s humbled and grateful that so many people voted.

Truman is part of the Steven Van Der Heyden and Ronald W. Mayfield campaign team. All made it through the primary. “We appreciate the public’s trust and we’re ready to move forward and not let them down,” Truman said. He said the incumbents were voted out because the public was tired of what they’ve always had.

“The people think they have a government that doesn’t listen to them, they’re just trying to put the voice of the people back into government,” Truman said.

Dixon, Truman and Fisher TV Commercial

Attorneys Bryce Dixon, Ron Truman & Nathan Fisher put on their best smiles and filmed a new television commercial.  Filming took place in their St. George office Continue Reading »

Schools all across the country are starting back up. Now more than ever its important to keep your eyes on the road and watch out for children. Paula F. Downey, President of Via Magazine wrote an article in the September-October 2009 issue about The importance of safety patrol and a hero from right here in St. George.

Paula writes:
Lulu Beltra thought the driver of the oncoming car would notice her yellow green safety patrol uniform as she helped a first grader cross the parking lot at Dixie Downs Elementary School in St. George, Utah last December. Then Lulu, who was 10, saw that the driver was talking on his cell phone and she sensed that he might not even slow down. She yanked the first grader back by the hood of her sweatshirt just as the car passed them. Lulu’s first action saved the other girl’s life.
In 1935 when such records were first kept, children had the 2nd highest pedestrian death rate of any age group in the US; today, they have the lowest. Experts credit the AAA School Safety Patrol with helping to bring about this change. And with schools facing budget cuts, the safety patrol is needed now more that ever, education officials tell us. Teachers say that it provides a cost effective way to keep children safe around congested drop-off areas at the same time that it teaches leadership and responsibility. In northern California, Nevada and Utah, the AAA safety patrol program has grown by more than 20% over the past two years. 555 elementary schools now participate. If you are interested in starting a patrol at your child’s school, please visit AAA.com/safetypatrol.

Monday August 10th The Humane Society of Utah scheduled a press conference to announce its intention to ask for an ordinance in Salt Lake County that would prohibit people from keeping their dogs tethered outside on a chain for more than eight cumulative hours in any given 24-hour period, or for any time under extreme weather conditions.

“This law would provide exemptions under appropriate circumstances,” explains HSU Executive Director Gene Baierschmidt, “for example, if the dog’s tether is attached to a running line, or during training activity, shepherding or herding of livestock, or conduct related to the business of carrying out agricultural projects.” More than 100 jurisdictions in 30 states have already passed anti-tethering ordinances, from places as small as Live Oak, TX, to Los Angeles. Says Mr. Baierschmidt.

“It’s up to the public to improve the lives of chained dogs,” Mr. Baierschmidt says and cites the following specific reasons why a tethering ordinance is needed:

Dogs who live chained up outside suffer from extreme isolation. The lack of socialization creates fearful dogs who act quickly and fiercely to defend their territory from all intruders, including other animals, people, and small children.

Dogs are pack animals, which means that they naturally crave companionship. Chained dogs live an existence which is contrary to their instincts. The lack of socialization is a large part of what makes chained dogs more dangerous.

Chained dogs are at risk of getting hurt. They are vulnerable to dangers like extreme weather, inability to escape attacks from people or other animals, and strangulation from getting the tether tangled or caught.

Chained dogs are 2.8 times more likely to bite, and 5.4 times more likely to bite children, than are dogs who live indoors as part of the family.

Outdoor dogs who bark at all hours can result in late-night police calls and problems with neighbors. Ordinances which require dogs to be inside overnight significantly reduce (and possibly eliminate) such issues.

The Humane Society is quick to refute common objections they hear to anti-tethering ordinances. To the claim that the government can’t interfere with people’s “property” — i.e., their dogs — officials point out that the government already has laws in place to protect both animals and citizens from abuse and danger; a chaining ordinance would simply be an extension of regulations already in place.

If passed, punishment for violation of this ordinance would be anything from issuing a warning citation on the first offense up to charging the dog owner with a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of as much as $1,000 for repeated offenses.

Apparently the officials within President Barack Obama’s administration seem to agree with Utah’s No Text Messaging While Driving Law. Officials have called a summit next month where experts will give statistics and advice on the effects of texting while driving. Ray LaHood, Transportation Secretary, held a press conference Tuesday where he spoke of recent incidents of texting that lead to fatalities. LaHood recounted a recent California train crash that killed 25 people, including the operator who was texting at the time of the crash. LaHood plans on making an announcement after the summit.

Fox 13 in Salt Lake City Utah reports that the Utah Supreme Court will implement a new program for rookie attorneys. This program will pair new lawyers with veteran mentors to help them navigate the legal world, from how to go through metal detectors at the court house to how to find the building in the first place. Stephen Owens, recently elected Utah State Bar president, is implementing the mandatory New Lawyer Training Program.
He says Utah’s bar is young — many are recent law school graduates — and the training new lawyers get could be essential. Utah Supreme Court Justice Christine Durham says she hopes the new program will give lawyers better training in ethics, civility and professionalism.
This program is the only one of its kind, it is mandatory for all those that pass the bar in Utah and those attorneys that move to Utah and have practiced less than 2 years.

Traffic accidents in St. George do not seem to decline as temperatures rise. The following information was obtained from The Spectrum, a local publication that focuses on southern Utah news.
July 14, 2009
A traffic accident with injuries was reported Tuesday on the 2200 South block of River Road.

A traffic accident with damages was reported Tuesday on the 2200 South block of River Road.

A traffic accident with injuries was reported Tuesday near the intersection of South Mall Drive and 2000 East.

A traffic accident with damages was reported Tuesday on the 2800 South block of 60 East.

July 15, 2009
A traffic accident with injuries was reported Wednesday on mile marker 12 of Interstate 15.

A traffic accident with damages was reported Wednesday on the 100 South block of Bluff Street.

A traffic accident with injuries was reported Wednesday near the intersection of Bluff Street and St. George Boulevard.

July 16, 2009
A traffic accident with injuries was reported Thursday near the intersection of South Honey Locust Circle and East Elder Circle.

July 17, 2009
A hit and run traffic accident was reported Friday on the 600 South block of Bluff Street.

July 20, 2009
A traffic accident with injuries was reported Monday on the 1700 East block of 280 North.

Please use caution while driving. IF you are injured in an accident please call Dixon Truman & Fisher 435-652-9000, for your Free Consultation

Dixon Truman Fisher and Clifford promote the use of approved safety devices for children.  Always securely place children in proper child restraint seats.
This story in the St. George Spectrum reemphasizes the importance of that.

CEDAR CITY – A fatal crash involving three vehicles on I-15 at mile post 42 led to two deaths and six people injured early Sunday morning.
Advertisement

Driver Juan Garcia, 29, of Hesperia, Calif., was traveling southbound on I-15 at 4:05 a.m. with Chantel Manuel, 22, Olegario Angulo, 31, Zapatista Angulo, 3, and Assata Angulo, 5 months, all of Los Angeles, when Garcia swerved to the left to avoid a deer, according to a Utah Highway Patrol report.

Garcia’s 1993 Range Rover rolled several times and both children, not restrained in their car seats, were ejected from the vehicle, according to the report.

Olegario Angulo was seatbelted but sustained fatal head wounds from the roof and door of the vehicle, according to the report. Assata Angulo also died after suffering head injuries.

Manuel suffered injuries to the lower torso and Garcia to the head and arms, both later taken to Valley View Medical Center.

Mario Mendez, 67, of Vista, Caif., was driving a 2006 Toyota 4-Runner southbound when he saw the debris in the road but not the Range Rover, which did not have lights on, and hit it on the front right while swerving into the emergency lane, according to the report.

Mendez told UHP he got out and tried to warn oncoming traffic of the crash, but a third vehicle, driven by Jennifer A. Jordan, 47, of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., did not see the Rover and hit its side.

Jordan’s 2003 Toyota Tacoma spun around into the emergency lane and came to rest facing east next to Garcia’s vehicle, according to the report.

Jordan suffered a broken ankle and was LifeFighted to Intermountain Medical Center. Her son, Jeremy, 20, who suffered bruises and abrasions, was taken to VVMC and later IMC to be with his mother.

ST. GEORGE — State and local officials celebrated the opening of the first phase of the Southern Parkway Tuesday, calling the event a precursor to the next phase in Southern Utah’s development.

The new Highway 7, four miles of two- lane highway extending from Exit 2 on Interstate 15 east to River Road, is the first phase of a proposed $475 million project expected to eventually meet up with state Route 9 near Hurricane. Along the way it would connect with Fort Pierce Industrial Park and the $160 million St. George replacement airport, currently under construction, and include additional links to Washington City.

“This is a line in the sand,” House Speaker Dave Clark said to a small crowd gathered for the occasion, saying the more than $600 million being spent on the highway and airport would open up Southern Utah to economic opportunities.

Clark, who lives in Santa Clara and works in St. George, is the first House Speaker from Southern Utah since Cedar City Democrat Walter Granger, who was elected in 1935. He said the influx of new projects shows the state is making a commitment to its southernmost communities. The state has promised $130 million to the Southern Parkway project so far, and federal dollars are funding the majority of the airport construction.

St. George Mayor Daniel McArthur said such largescale projects have attracted much criticism in recent months, as residents endure ongoing economic instability and governments cope with dwindling tax revenues.

However, he argued short term struggles should not get in the way of long-term planning and looking ahead. “If we look, our forefathers in St. George have gone out looking for things before they happened,” he said.

The first phase of the project, open two months ahead of schedule, extends from the Atkinville Interchange (Exit 2), to the very southern end of River Road, four miles to the east, at a cost of $58.5 million.

Construction crews are also leveling the area near the interchange in anticipation of commercial development. The first building will be a new state welcome center, on six acres of land south of the highway, said DeLoss Hammon, project engineer with Alliance Consulting, the company working with the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, which owns the land.

SITLA has plans for more than 6,000 acres of development along the new highway called the “ South Block.” Kevin Carter, SITLA director, said he was excited to see the development under way, as the various parties involved in the project spent years in planning.

“This is the type of cooperation people ought to expect from their government,” he said.

The next phase is slated to open in early 2011, coinciding with the opening of the new airport.

BY DAVID DEMILLE • ddemille@thespectrum.com • July 8, 2009