Sunrise Stories: Funeral Plans Announced for Fallen Santaquin Police Officer

KDXU Sunrise Stories: Volume 207 

Statewide News – 05/08/24 

Funeral Arrangements Announced for Santaquin Police Officer 

The funeral plans for Santaquin Police Sgt. Bill Hooser have been announced. Sgt. Hooser was unfortunately killed in the line of duty on May 5 after he was reportedly struck by a semi-truck driven by Michael Aaron Jayne. 

The funeral for Sgt. Hooser will be held on May 13 at Utah Valley University in Orem at 10 a.m. A procession will follow the initial funeral service with officials still working out the route. 

If you’d like to support the family of Sgt. Hooser, a GoFundMe page is available for those wishing to assist with living and funeral expenses. 

Utah Named Best State 2nd Year in a Row 

U.S. News and World Reports’ latest ranking of the overall best states in the United States was released on May 7, and Utah is No. 1 for the second year in a row. 

Utah was given the top spot after earning several Top 10 honors including second in education and third in economy. The lowest score given to Utah was in the natural environment category where it was placed in the bottom five of all states. 

Southern Utah/St. George News – 05/08/24 

9-Year-Old Girl Left Stranded in Kaibab During Field Trip 

A mother in Southern Utah is speaking out after her 9-year-old daughter was left stranded in Kaibab National Forest during a field trip with the girl’s private school. 

The girl was reportedly left behind after an instructor failed to give roll call on the trip, resulting in the girl searching for help in the wilderness. The girl was able to find help after walking down a road for about two hours, and she safely returned home to her parents. 

We highly encourage you to read our article covering the entire sequence of events. 

Over 100,000 Fentanyl Pills Seized in Southern Utah Drug Bust 

A woman from Texas was arrested during a drug bust in Southern Utah that resulted in the seizure of more than 108,000 pills laced with fentanyl.  

Southern Utah police report the 27-year-old driver was pulled over in St. George after they received a tip from out-of-state authorities. A K-9 unit was dispatched to the scene and the pills were found inside the vehicle. 

The police said the pills total up to a street value of over $2 million.  

Kevin Costner Looking for Extras for New Film 

Actor Kevin Costner is looking for extras to be a part of his film series titled “Horizon: An American Saga.”  

The filming is set for late May going into June and openings are available for those wanting to work one day or multiple days of the shoot. 

In order to apply to be an extra, one must be able to stay in the St. George area without assistance from the studio, and only e-mails are accepted during the application process. More details can be found by heading to Greater Zion’s official website. 

Other 

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

Stockton wanted to extend his gratitude to Candice and her mom for being so willing to speak with him about that strange incident. Stockton never takes any of his sources for granted, and the reason why Candice’s last name and her mom’s name aren’t mentioned is to keep their privacy. Stockton would like to thank you all for your understanding. 

Happy Wednesday!