thePyramid We A r e S a n p e t e . c o m
An Edition of the
| www.heraldextra.com
We A r e S a n p e t e . c o m Thursday, September 3, 2020 • Vol. 129, No. 34 • 75 cents
Snow’s “Chalk It Up For Music” raises over $10k for needs-based scholarships BY GLORIA ALBRECHT
EPHRAIM — The walkways of Snow College were covered with color Saturday, August 29 as 23 artists competed for a $500 prize in the “Chalk It Up For Music” Festival. The competitors were joined by three featured chalk artists in a multimedia event also featured five live bands whose members are Snow College music majors. Julie Ash of Ephraim walked away with five crisp $100 bills for her amazing, colorful creation. The event, which organizers say will become an annual festival, was created by the new Snow College Music Department advisory board to help the 250 music majors and other students in the department. Ann Gomez and Amberlee Howes, co-chiars of the board, started back in February. “The fisrt goal is to fundraise for music scholarships and equipment,” said Gomez. “The scholarships will be need-based. There are a lot of students who have talent who can’t afford to come to college and we want them to be able to do that.” Gomez says that the second goal is to “get the word out about Snow College’s music program and how outstanding it is.” According to Snow College President Brad Cook, with the help of corporate and other sponsors this year’s BY KEN HANSEN/THE PYRAMID event has raised over $10,000. “That This amazing piece of art was created by Ephraim’s Julie Ash. Ash walked was an incredible gesture of support away from the Calk It Up For Music festival at Snow College Friday, August by those who love Snow College stu28 with the $500 cash grand prize. Thanks to sponsors and other donations dents,” he said. “This is a very grassthe event pulled in over $10,000 for need-based scholarships in the Snow roots movement of people who want College music department.
BY MARCY CURTIS
BY GLORIA ALBRECHT
Mea Jones, a featured artist who was invited to participate by an advisory music board member won the “Material Award” last year at SUU’s chalk art festival. Jones is a 2020 graduate of the Tuacahn High School of Arts. She started chalking this piece on Friday, and began working on it again at 7 AM Saturday. to support music and art and dance.” Many of the chalk artists started as early as 7 a.m., with some feature artists even starting the night before. The event officially kicked off at 10 a.m. when the bands began playing. Story Road, Union Highway, Phat Old Professors, Union Universal and Cardinal Bloom played until the event ended at 3:00 PM. Please see CHALK, Page A6
FV burglary suspect linked to July cabin fire BY KEN HANSEN
FAIRVIEW—The Pyramid reported last month about a cabin at Skyline Mountain Resort that was completely destroyed by a massive fire. It appears there is more to that story that needs to be told. Earlier that morning, Wednesday, July 29, the Fairview Police Department was dispatched to a home where a burglary had just been reported. When the officer arrived the victim informed him that he had heard a side-by-side running outside his home. When he went outside, he told the officer, he saw a man going through is daughter’s vehicle. He told police that he approached the suspect and that it turned in to “a physical confrontation.” While the two men were wrestling the suspect’s shirts were pulled off and he left them behind as he ran from the scene. After the suspect fled the victim removed the keys from the side-byside and called 911. He told the officer that he didn’t think anything had been taken because he stopped the suspect. According to reports, the officer then ran the license plate for the UTV and it came back “registered to a female who lived up north in Utah.” Further investigation turned up a loaded
Jason Derek Saunders 22-calibur firearm under the driver side seat – and a Utah ID card in the glove box. The officer showed the ID to the victim, who said he was “100 percent positive” that the photo of the man pictured on the ID was the same one he had wrestled with. The UTV was impounded as being possibly stolen, the gun was secured as evidence, and the officer was not able to locate the suspect at the time. So, where does this all tie in to the cabin fire? It all comes back to the ID and the UTV registration.
The ID belonged to Jason Saunders, and the UTV was registered to a woman with the same last name. A few hours later, the officer from the Fairview Police Department was contacted by the Sanpete County Sheriff’s Department and was informed that a home, owned by Sherril Saunders, was going up in flames – and Jason Saunders was “the suspect in their incident.” The Fairview officer was later called to the scene of the fire, where Jason had returned. Sheriff’s deputies detained Saunders at the scene. He refused to talk about the burglary in Fairview, and the report says that Saunder’s lawyer told police that he would also not talk about the fire. During the investigation, officers located a female who said that she had been staying at the cabin with Saunders. The report states that se told officers that “Jason had left (the cabin) early in the morning.” She told them that when he returned “he was upset and said that he was in (a) fight with a male and that he lost his ID and the side by side.” Saunders was transported to the Sanpete County Jail where he was booked and later charged with transaction of a dangerous weapon by a re-
stricted person (a third degree felony), burglary of a vehicle, and manufacture or possession of burglary tools. Saunders was released from the Sanpete County Jail on a $4,000 bond. At the time he was released from the Sanpete County Jail Sanders had been charged 19 times with felonies, including failure to appear in court multiple times. He was re-arrested in Layton, Utah one week after being released from Sanpete County on charges of burglary of a dwelling, theft, failure to stop at the command of a law enforcement officer, and burglary of a vehicle. According to Davis County records they are holding him without bail based on his history of residential and vehicle burglaries which they say could lead to enhanced charges. Court records and accounts from multiple news outlets also show that Saunders was part of a major drug bust back in 2018—charges that included possession of nearly one pound of methamphetamine. At the time, Saunders had been arrested and called his friend West Fisher to bail him out using drug money he had hidden in his apartment. Police followed Fisher and ended up recovering $29,000 in cash.
Fountain Green man charged with felony aggravated assault BY KEN HANSEN
SANPETE COUNTY—Ryan Kendall Stewart of Fountain Green was arrested Friday, August 14 by the Sanpete County Sheriff’s Office for allegedly pointing a hand gun at four people on West Side Road south of Wales. Stewart was booked in to the Sanpete County on four counts of felony aggravated assault and one count of open container in a vehicle. Jail with bail set at $20,150. The victim that initially reported the incident described the suspect as a “white male with red hair, facial hair, and was driving a white truck with a
camper shell on the back.” Multiple victims described the gun, saying it was a “large revolver that was silver in color.” None of the victims recognized the man. One victim was able to photograph the license plate of the suspect’s vehicle. Police were able to run the plate through the state’s database, and the vehicle came back as registered to Stewart. The responding officer searched the area for the vehicle and when he could not locate it he went to the Fountain Green address tied to the truck’s registration. The vehicle was not there.
Stewart’s father confirmed that the suspect was staying at the house. He also confirmed to police that Stewart was driving a white Ford Ranger with a camper shell, matching the vehicle description given by the victims. Reports state he later told police that his son had “a replica revolver that was large and pewter in color.” Law enforcement was able to work with Stewart’s cellular service provider to put a trace on his phone. The data showed that his phone was located in the area of Big Springs Loop Road. An officer was able to locate the Ford Ranger on a dirt road just west of
MP Council puts RAP tax on ballot
the phone’s reported location. Stewart has a background that includes firearm-related charges so a “high risk stop” was conducted. The suspect was “taken in to custody without incident.” Following the arrest the truck was searched and a gun was found behind the passenger seat, on the floor of the truck. The gun matched the description given by the victims and Stewart’s father. Police also found an open can of Bud Light in the passenger seat pouch of the truck, within reach of the driver Please see ASSAULT, Page A6
MT. PLEASANT—The Mount Pleasant City Council voted during their August 25th council meeting to add a proposed recreation, arts, and parks (RAP) tax to the November ballet, allowing voters to decide whether or not the tax will go in to effect. A public hearing on the proposal was held prior to the council meeting – a meeting attended by very few citizens. The proposed .01 sales tax would apply to all purchases in Mt Pleasant and fund recreation and arts programs. The funds could be used for recreation facilities, ballfields, art programs, museums, and similar uses. Jeff Mcdonald spoke against the tax stating, “This is the fifth tax increase in Mt. Pleasant since 2008.” Mcdonald also stated that recreation is not a need. Council member Russell Keisel was quick to respond. “As a coach for many years at the high school I can tell you that recreation is much needed in our youth.” Keisel continued, “Recreation helps our youth in more ways than you can count.” A similar tax is already being charged to citizens in surrounding communities. Anyone who shops in Spanish Fork or Nephi is already paying this to support their recreation department. Ephraim will also be voting this year on whether or not to add the RAP tax there also. The tax, which is one cent on every ten dollars spent, will be managed by Mt. Pleasant City. The decision of how and where to spend the funds will be decided by a committee made up of volunteers from the town. “Now is not the time to put a new tax on citizens,” resident Claudia Jarrett stated. “I don’t like the idea because as a council you have not been up front and honest about where the money is going.” Jarrett referred to the aquatic center and states that she was never told her natural gas bill would go up because of it. She asked if there was a specific project that this tax was intended for. Speaking of the types of projects that could be considered, council member Sam Draper expressed his concern about the bathrooms at the city park and how they are in desperate need of repair. Another project that was mentioned was improvements to the city park equipment that is worn out and out dated. Some feel that the Mt. Pleasant recreation department is the spearhead for all of North Sanpete. They say this tax would bring in Please see RAP TAX, Page A6
USD 75¢
8
08805
93545
5