DavisLife
TUESDAY
A9
August 25, 2009
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VOL. 118
ESTABLISHED 1891
Housing picture finally up for Davis
Davis Beat � Layton’s south Interchange starting BY TOM BUSSELBERG Clipper News Editor
Index Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A15 Horizons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A10 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A14 People/Places. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1 Television . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B14 Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A6 Davis Xtra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A12 Didn’t get a paper? Please call before 2 p.m. Wed. & Fri. for a replacement: 295-2251, ext. 119
Back to school excitement Students and parents flock to get in as the doors open for students Monday at Boulton Elementary School (above). Schools all over the county opened for classes Monday morning, with some kids experiencing school for the first time in Kindergarten orientation sessions like the one held outside at Boulton (right). See related story on A3.
No charges pending for Strom BY MELINDA WILLIAMS Clipper Staff Writer FARMINGTON —Davis County prosecutors say there’s no “credible admissible evidence,” to prove that Stephen Strom was involved in the death of his wife Karin Strom in Woods Cross in 1980. And they will not charge him. Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings commented on the possibility of charges Thursday afternoon after receiving multiple media inquiries. Edward Lewis Owens, a co-worker of Stephen Strom, was convicted by a jury of the June 5, 1980, murder of Karin Strom in her Woods Cross home. The 25-year-old was found by her husband. She had been strangled and sexually assaulted. The couple had reportedly been going through a divorce, but were trying to reconcile at
the time of Karin Strom’s murder. Shortly after Owens’ sentencing in May, Coco Saltzgiver, Karin Strom’s sister said she now could have closure because the man who killed her sister was behind bars. Owens was convicted of the cold case murder in April. At his sentencing, Owens stunned a packed courtroom by implicating Stephen Strom, saying he had offered to pay Owens half of Karin Strom’s insurance money. But prosecutors said last week “there is a lack of credible, clear, direct and admissible evidence to corroborate that Steve Strom solicited such an attack.” “After a time-consuming re-investigation by the Woods Cross City Police Department and the Davis County Attorney’s Office, the conclusions remain consistent with the evidence presented,” Rawlings said. Stephen Strom had been a suspect
in the murder investigation for many years. Rawlings said circumstantial and hearsay evidence had pointed in that direction. Rawlings said that between 2007 and 2009 the murder-for-hire scenario had been examined in detail. “The Davis County Attorney’s Office and the Woods Cross City Police Department had actively pursued such a link and had used many investigative techniques. No evidence was found to substantiate the possibility, so Steve Strom was not charged as a co-defendant of Ed Owens. “The statement made by Ed Owens at his sentencing does change the other-known facts,” Rawlings said. “The post-conviction interviews of Ed Owens have demonstrated that it would be a mockery of justice to use him as a trial witness of any kind, let alone the key witness.” mwilliams@davisclipper.com
DAVIS COUNTY — Thanks to federal and state housing incentives, the county’s housing picture is looking up. That’s according to Brad Wilson, who not only is president of Destination Homes but also chair of the Davis Economic Advisory Council (DEAC). The state’s $10 million for new home purchases “really cleared a lot of the inventory,” he said. “If you’re in the market for a new home, you pretty much would be hard-pressed in Davis County to find something in the standing inventory.” The market now is basically older homes for sale or foreclosures, Wilson said. The Kaysville resident looks at the economy both as a developer and as chair of the grass roots DEAC, a group of dozens of civic leaders and business people and others from across the county. DEAC members and economic development officials, meanwhile, have viewed the slowed economy as a time to build contacts and create possible sites for new business and industry. And, through it all, they’re staying bullish about chances to bring more “life sustaining jobs” into Davis County. “A lot of good things have come out of DEAC over the past 18 months,” said Wilson. “We continue to work on business park development. We’re a little bit hampered with the economy,” Wilson said. “But such developments as Falcon Hill (500-plus acres west of Hill AFB with the potential for 50,000 jobs) and East Gate (in northeast Layton) continue to move forward,” he said. “The big challenge is to find folks to fill those buildings” in existing business parks as well as the two new � See “HOUSING,” p. A8
New health exchange opens array of options BY BECKY GINOS Clipper Staff Writer SALT LAKE CITY — As the debate rages on about health care reform at the national level, Utah took its first step toward change last Wednesday at the Capitol. Gov. Gary Herbert officially opened the Utah Health Exchange, which is a state-run website that will offer health insurance options for small businesses and employees. “I think this is a great opportunity,” said Rep. Roger Barrus, R-Centerville, who served on the legislative health task force last year. “I’m excited. This gives us an open market and transparency of the market. Employees and employers can go online and shop. It should give insurance
providers incentive to provide better products.” The new “portal” will allow employers who participate to contribute a stipend to their employees for health care who can in turn go online to shop for the best health insurance plans for their needs. “When this finally matures (the exchange) it will show different services of hospitals and doctors,” said Barrus. “It will even measure quality of care through surveys. Then a patient can say, ‘I need a knee replacement,’ and he can look at ratings and choose the best place.” Not all groups believe the exchange is the answer, however. “We view this as an important � See “NEW HEALTH,” p. A8
Clipper photo
� See “DAVIS BEAT,” p. A8
BY TOM BUSSELBERG Clipper News Editor
Clipper photos
LAYTON — The decadeslong dream of such people as former Layton mayor Glenn Shields and former Community & Economic Development director Scott Carter is finally happening. Today, Tuesday, Aug. 25, formal ceremonies are set at noon at 180 S. Fort Lane, field south of Fort Lane Shopping Center, signalling start of work on the $97 million project. That includes not only the interchange, but also related roads, land acquisition and downtown Layton improvements. Motorists who travel State Road 126 or Main Street between Kaysville and Layton will immediately notice the project – with demolition of the south Layton overpass due to start Wednesday. “We’re very excited that the day has finally come,” said current Layton Mayor Steve Curtis. “It’s been a process that has taken years to accomplish. “We look at it as not only a means of alleviating the traffic congestion that presently occurs, but also as an opportunity for the revitalization of Old Town,” he said. Many businesses have been awaiting construction of the new interchange, which will replace what was, at best, a “half” interchange, and directed traffic from Main Street onto the freeway without any on-ramp. It also meant traffic and safety concerns at 900 South, with people trying to cross into the subdivision there. Added to that mix has been the FrontRunner tracks, which motorists must cross only a short distance from the freeway entrance. Gov. Gary Herbert is among government officials and others due to attend Tuesday’s event. The governor will break ground with a backhoe, flanked by other such officials as Transportation Commission Chair Stuart Adams, a Layton resident, Sen. Sheldon Killpack of Syracuse, Kaysville Rep. Douglas Aagard, Curtis, and Utah Department of Transportation Executive Director John Njord. In addition to a state-of-the-
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GOV. GARY HERBERT, above, officially opened the Utah Health Exchange last week.