Ag will survive with hard work, good ideas, Lt. Gov. Bell says

“With hard work and good ideas” agriculture can survive, Lt. Gov. Greg Bell told the eighth annual Diversified Agriculture Conference Monday at the Sevier County Fairgrounds.

Statistics from a 2008 Utah State University study showed that Utah’s agricultural sector creates an economic output of $15.5 billion annually, nearly 14 percent of Utah’s economy, providing over 66,000 jobs and contributing 350 million in state and local taxes.
The study showed that two-thirds of Utah’s agricultural receipts are generated by seven counties, including Sanpete and neighboring Millard County. Although agriculture remains strong in Utah’s economy, Bell thinks options should be explored, including interacting with the state’s tourist industry. He noted that national and international tourism is increasing in Utah again, and said he believes all sectors could benefit from a cooperative effort to provide recreational activities for tourists. “People want adventure, excitement, interaction…We need to get them out of the bus to spend money,” Bell said, urging the agricultural community to find ways to interface with the tourist market.

Population trends predict the estimated three million Wasatch front residents will balloon to nearly seven million by the year 2060. Although growth should be slower in rural areas, future agricultural areas will need to be preserved from encroaching urbanization. “We need to be careful that subdivisions don’t drive agriculture out,” Bell said.

The Diversified Agricultural Conference is an annual event sponsored by the Utah State University Cooperative Extension in partnership with several state, county and federal organizations. Additional information concerning agricultural issues is available from the university, and the lieutenant governor encouraged people to tap the state’s resources if they need them. If anyone has a good business idea, financial help is available through programs such as the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Economic Development Corporation Utah (EDCU.) “We’ll do anything possible to help you,” Bell said. http://sanpetemessenger.com/stories/2-23-2011/news4.html

Changes at Deseret News Announced

The Deseret news announced today work force reductions and unveiled a plan to refocus the quality and reach of its product. "Changes in the industry have forced some newspapers to fade or even close," said Clark Gilbert, Deseret News CEO and president. "At the Deseret News, we choose to lead and innovate. Today we have announced the reduction in our print work force by 57 full-time and 28 part-time employees, which reflects just over 43 percent of our work force," Gilbert said. Change is necessary because innovation and technology have fundamentally changed the newspaper industry. Deseret News unveiled a five-part plan " to become a leader in the industry and a model for change," said Gilbert.
Deseret News.com Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Central Utah Telephone gets $2.5 million from stimulus

A second round of federal stimulus funding for broadband projects will make its way to the Beehive State through Central Utah Telephone Inc. The Utah company will receive $2.5 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture funds. The money will pay for installation of more than 70 miles of middle-mile underground fiber optic cable in Juab and Millard counties. The Deseret News

$1.1M grant to help streetlights in rural Utah towns go green

Some rural Utah towns are using state dollars to 'go green' as they make the switch to high-tech night lighting.
The Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems Smart Energy initiative Wednesday received a Utah State Energy Program Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant of $1.1 million.
The grant will enable 14 UAMPS member municipalities to retrofit a portion of their existing streetlights with new, energy-efficient LED lamps and fixtures.
Based in Salt Lake City, UAMPS is a nonprofit agency that provides wholesale electricity to 52 community-owned power systems throughout the West, including in Utah, Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Wyoming.
The participating members include the cities of Eagle Mountain, Enterprise, Ephraim, Fillmore, Holden Town, Hurricane, Monroe, Morgan, Oak City, Parowan, Payson, Santa Clara and Springville, as well as Heber Light & Power.

The grants are awarded through a competitive application process. UAMPS was the first organization selected to receive this award through the program. The Deseret News

Utah wind project to add 68 turbines

A large wind project in Utah's west desert is getting bigger. Boston-based First Wind says it plans to add 68 turbines on state, federal and private lands near Milford. The company has been operating 97 of the giant turbines since November, producing enough power for about 44,000 houses.

Southern California Public Power Authority is buying the electricity. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced Monday that his department has approved the second phase of the wind project. First Wind says the 68 new turbines will be installed by year's end. Salt Lake Tribune

Remodel and Expansion of Richfield Amory

The Utah National Guard armory in Richfield is undergoing a $1 million remodel and expansion project this summer. Crews have already stripped out the interior of the building, and have started the foundations of new parts of the building. The Richfield Reaper

Sevier County power plant previewed

Sevier County was given its first preview of a proposal to build a gas-fueled power plant near Sigurd. The proposal was outlined by Nevco representatives at the Sevier County Planning Commission meeting. In comparison to coal, the natural gas plant will be smaller, emit less pollution, use less water, have a smaller stack, have less traffic and be built in less time. The plant would also produce 540 megawatts instead of the proposal for coal, which would have produced 270, according to Clark.

The new proposal would also have an 18-month construction period, as opposed to construction that could last years for coal. However, the gas plant would add less to the area's employment, with approximately 20 to 30 employees once construction is completed, and would not provide any additional trucking jobs. The plant will also be valued at approximately $410 million once constructed, rather than $600 million. The Richfield Reaper

Central Valley Water Project Begins

Work on a $1.3 million culinary water improvement project is under way in Central Valley (Sevier County). The project is set to run through the first part of August, and will include the installation of a new 300,000 gallon concrete water tank, some 38,000 linear feet of new and replacement pipe and roughly 60 new and replacement fire hydrants.

Funding for the project is coming from a Utah Permanent Community Impact Fund Board funding package, which includes $500,000 in grant money and $800,000 in the form of a no-interest loan. The Richfield Reaper

Legilature fails to pass loan for Moroni Feed Company

The Utah Legislature adjourned without passing a bill that would have provided a $5-million loan to Moroni Feed Co. for working capital. But lawmakers did pass a bill designed to make $10-$12 million in loans available to the state’s hard-hit dairy industry. Dairy farms in Sanpete County could be among the beneficiaries. The legislation authorized transfer of $2 million from elsewhere in the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) budget to the rural rehabilitation loans. While the special, additional loan for the feed company did not make it through the session, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is currently working on a loan program for the turkey industry nationwide. That program would be entirely federal. The Sanpete Messenger

Remodeling begins on Elementary School in Richfield

Demolition has started and a temporary building is being erected on the campus of Ashman Elementary School in Richfield. A remodeling project totaling approximately $5.1 million is currently underway and is designed to be completed in seven phases. In addition to the replacement of all flooring, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, heating and windows in the building, the project is adding a parking area on the west side as well as a drop-off point on the north side of the building. Bids for the project came in higher than expected, but with federal stimulus dollars available for schools, the school district will still be able to complete the project. The project's general contractor is Spanish Fork based Majestic Builders. The Richfield Reaper

iWorks in Ephraim lays off bulk of workforce

iWorks, a major employer in Ephraim, has laid off most of its workforce. About 100 employees lost their jobs on Friday, March 12. Three weeks ago, about 50 employees also lost their jobs. That leaves about 30 of the original 180 workers employed. iWorks, which is based in St. George, has had an operation in Ephraim for about six years. According to owner Jeremy Johnson, the company offers Internet programs for helping consumers get government loans and also handles customer service communications for outside clients. He blamed the layoffs on a slow business climate and the loss of a major account four months ago. Sanpete Messenger

Sevier power plant may burn natural gas instead of coal

A company that wants to build a power plant in Sevier County is now considering using natural gas instead of coal, a switch that opponents contend will eliminate some but not all opposition to the project. Representatives of Sevier Power and its corporate parent, NEVCO LLC, said the company is "crunching the numbers" to determine if changing the fuel for the proposed 270-megawatt power plant makes economic sense. Sevier Power expects to make a decision within the next month. The proposed coal-fired plant has been a source of contention and controversy in Sevier County for most of the past decade. The project's promoters were handed a huge setback in December when the Utah Supreme Court required Sevier Power to update the air-pollution permit for the $600 million plant. Complying with the ruling, which basically required that the company ensure it would use the cleanest possible technology, potentially could cost the company millions and delay construction by months, if not years. The Salt Lake Tribune

Kennecott reaches deal to explore mining in Eureka

Chief Consolidated Mining Co. has signed an agreement with Kennecott Exploration Co. to mine for copper, gold and molybdenum. The agreement becomes complete when contracts are signed by all involved parties, which could take several months. Under the terms of the agreement, Kennecott will focus on what is known as the Big Hill Project — a hill in the center of the 16,000 acres (including part of Eureka) owned by Chief Consolidated. Kennecott would earn 51 percent of the project by completing a pre-feasibility study or incurring $20 million in costs, whichever comes first. If successful, Kennecott would get another 4 percent of the project once the investment committee for Kennecott's parent corporation, Rio Tinto, accepts the study. Chief Consolidated and its subsidiaries own the claims. The Deseret News

New heritage area progressing

The "Mormon corridor," a 250-mile swath of central and southern Utah, is dotted with small towns whose history will be preserved through a plan to increase tourism and economic development. At least, that is the intent of the management plan for the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area, which was created by federal statute in 2006, and covers parts of six southern Utah counties and communities along 400 miles of highway. Snow College in Ephraim will serve as an anchor for the heritage area: It will house the $13 million Karen H. Huntsman Library and Heritage Plaza, being built with help from the former Utah first lady's foundation. Up to $10 million was authorized by the act creating the heritage area, but community chapters must provide matching funds. The long-term budget for all projects included the management plan exceeds $50 million, according to the proposed management plan. So far heritage groups in the area have raised about $19.1 million toward the projects. The Salt Lake Tribune

Magnum Gas Storage aims to store energy in air

Magnum Gas Storage plans to dig a series of underground caverns that it hopes to one day fill with compressed air, releasing it to generate electricity by turning a turbine and solving one of the most vexing problems facing the clean-energy industry — how to store power. A private-equity group is bankrolling the project to hollow out a series of energy-storage vaults from a massive salt deposit a mile underground. It promises to make a perfect repository for storing energy and, in effect, creating a giant subterranean battery. Initially, Magnum Energy LLC will store natural gas for Rocky Mountain producers, taking it from a nearby interstate pipeline, in an "energy hub" near Delta, Utah. It hopes to start dissolving the first cavern within a year. The Deseret News

Fountain Green Awards Water System Contract

Fountain Green City Council has awarded a $2 million contract to upgrade the city’s water system. The job was awarded to HDX LC of Orem, whose bid of $1,920,763 was about $400,000 below the engineer’s estimate. The project includes a new 1 million-gallon water tank; a chlorination building; 37,000 feet of pipe; about 40 fire hydrants; and 400 water meters. Sanpete County Messenger