Bat Tests Positive for Rabies – KSUB News Summary

>>First Rabid Bat Is Found This Year In Washington County

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- Utah Department of Health officials say a bat has tested positive for rabies for the first time this season. Officials say the bat was found In Washington County earlier this month. People are warned that infected bats and other wildlife can be found anywhere in the state. Bats are the most common carriers of the rabies virus in Utah. The disease is spread by contact with an infected animal by way of bites, scratches or saliva. Rabies is a potentially fatal viral disease that targets the nervous system.

>>Heat Wave Coming To St. George

(St. George, UT) -- It's going to be hot in St. George this week. The National Weather Service says an Excessive Heat Watch has been issued for the area beginning Thursday morning and lasting through Friday night. Officials forecast the mercury could get as high as 107 degrees following a 103 degree day on Wednesday. They would be the first triple-digit days in the city this year, although St. George was very close to that mark last week.

>>Zion National Park Announces Vehicle, Route Changes

(Springdale, UT) -- Some types of popular recreational vehicles and large buses will be rerouted off the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway where it comes across the Zion National Park starting next year. Park officials described the changes last week, noting these are needed to reduce vehicle collisions and address other issues with overweight and large vehicles crossing lanes. Beginning sometime in mid-2026, vehicles that exceed new height, length and width limitations or weigh more than 50-thousand pounds won't be allowed on the highway. Drivers will have to find alternate routes to reach some destinations.

>>Murray Man Accused Of Hitting Relative With Hammer

(Murray, UT) -- A Murray man faces charges after police say he hit a relative in the head with a hammer. Police say 40-year-old Dray Howick told them he intended to "put her down" and "decapitate her" with an ax. The woman was taken to a hospital and required several staples to close her head wound. Police say the mother also shared that her son has documented mental health and other medical issues. Howick has a scheduling conference set for tomorrow.

>>West Jordan Officers Are Cleared Of Wrongdoing In Man's Death

(West Jordan, UT) -- Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill says a 32-year-old man who died soon after he was handcuffed by West Jordan police died of drug toxicity. On Friday, Gill announced Orlando Garcia did not die as a result of actions by Officers Matthew Collins and Nolan Butler in August of last year. An autopsy conducted by the Utah State Medical Examiner's Office says Garcia died as a result of mixed drug toxicity including cocaine, oxycodone and other drugs. The autopsy did state that Garcia's condition may have been made worse by his struggling against the handcuffs for the minute and a half he was wearing them.