Sunrise Stories: Colby Jenkins Sues Washington County as Close Election Continues

KDXU Sunrise Stories: Volume 243 

Statewide News – 07/08/24 

Silver King Fire Burns 10,000 Acres Near Beaver 

According to Utah Fire Info, a wildfire that was caused by a lightning strike in Fishlake National Forest on July 5 has now burned over 10,000 acres. 

Fire fighters are combating the flames as the weather conditions aren’t doing any favors for the condition of the fire. No evacuation orders have been issued. 

The Silver King Fire is sitting at 0% containment as more resources are dispatched to the area just north of Beaver. We’ll provide more updates as the situation develops. 

Utah Ranked Among Most Patriotic States 

A new study from WalletHub has ranked all the U.S. states based on how patriotic they are, and Utah is ranked No. 19. 

Utah ranked in the bottom half of the states when it comes to military engagement and ranked 12th in the civic engagement category. 

In case you were wondering, the most patriotic state in the country according to WalletHub is Virginia. The least patriotic state in the country is Arkansas. 

Southern Utah/St. George News – 07/08/24 

Colby Jenkins Sues Washington County Clerk  

The race for Utah’s 2nd Congressional District seat has taken an unexpected turn as candidate Colby Jenkins has filed a lawsuit against the Washington County Clerk. 

Jenkins is asking a judge to order the clerk to release the list of voters whose ballots were disqualified despite being submitted. Washington County Clerk Ryan Sullivan responded by stating Jenkins is misinterpreting the state election code. 

The “cure list,” as many call it, is a list of voters whose ballots were submitted with errors that would disqualify the vote from being counted, such as an unregistered signature. Sullivan says the clerk's office has the right to decide whether the list is released or not. As of this morning, Incumbent Celeste Maloy is ahead of Jenkins by over 300 votes. 

Washington City Shooting Victim and Suspect Confirmed 

The Washington City Police Department has confirmed the identity of the victim and suspect of an aggravated murder at an apartment complex on June 30. 

In a statement on Facebook, the WCPD confirmed the victim as Bransen Bryels-Nechanicky, 30, who was unfortunately killed via gunshot wounds in his apartment. 

The suspect charged in this case is Simeon Gail Calnimptewa, 17, who was charged with aggravated murder, aggravated burglary, and several other charges related to the crime. Despite being a minor, Calnimptewa is being charged as an adult thanks to a Utah law that states teenagers that 16 or 17 years old are treated as adults when charged with murder. 

Presley Tenant Performs Tonight in St. George for Free 

The Concert in the Park series continues in St. George with tonight’s featured artist being Presley Tenant, a country artist who was featured on Season 16 of “The Voice.” 

Tenant will perform at Vernon Worthen Park tonight for free at 7:30 p.m. Tenant has performed with many other country stars including Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson.  

Be sure to bring a chair, maybe a blanket, and a snack or two to truly enjoy the festivities. More details on the Concert in the Park can be found in our full article. 

Other 

Fun fact about Stockton Myers, the writer of Sunrise Stories. 

Stockton enjoyed his 4th of July like most other people. He ate plenty of burgers and hot dogs, fired off some fireworks with family, and bathed his three cockatiels. So yeah, pretty typical, but enjoyable Independence Day break. What? You don’t bathe your three cockatiels on Independence Day? Then....when do you bathe them? What do you mean that’s not what you meant?  

Happy Monday!