Governor Declares State of Emergency – KSUB News Summary

State of Emergency Declared Due To Utah Flooding

(Hurricane, UT) -- Governor Spencer Cox is declaring a state of emergency due to flooding in Utah. Cox issued an executive order Friday after some areas, including southwest Utah, saw several inches of rain in a short period of time last week, leading to damaged homes and infrastructure. The National Weather Service issued a number of storm and flood warnings over Beaver, Iron, and Washington counties earlier this month. The rain also led the Washington County Water Conservancy District to call for a stop to irrigation in an effort to save water.

Dead Paddle Boarder Identified

(Cedar City, UT) -- A southern Utah man is dead after drowning at Quail Creek State Park. Cedar City's Pedro Castillo was paddle boarding with his family on Friday when strong winds knocked him, his wife, and his daughter from their boards. Utah park officials say a boat was able to get the wife and daughter out safely, but Castillo was found face down in the water and pronounced dead at the scene shortly after. Investigators noted all three weren't wearing life jackets at the time. The family had been camping in the area before the drowning.

Rossi Makes In-Person Court Appearance

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- The man accused of faking his own death to avoid a rape charge in Utah made a court appearance last week. Prosecutors say Nicholas Rossi was present at the hearing where lawyers discussed the use of a witness statement in his upcoming trial. Rossi is accused of raping his former girlfriend in Orem in 2008. He was named a suspect in 2018 after the Utah State Crime Lab identified him through DNA. In 2020, Rossi was charged while he was undergoing COVID-19 treatment at a United Kingdom hospital. He was extradited to Utah from Scotland where he had fled and changed his identity. He's scheduled for an arraignment in October.

Utah Group Sues National Realtors Association For Antitrust Violations

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- A Utah real estate company is suing the National Realtors Association in federal court over antitrust charges. Lawyers for Sandy-based Homie filed the lawsuit against the nation's largest trade association in Salt Lake City last week. The suit comes after the association agreed to a multimillion dollar settlement that changes commission practices for its one-and-a-half million members. The suit claims settlement terms do not address other conduct it says is unfair and illegal. The settlement agreement is also under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department.