From a fake China moon to a missing St. George child; top 10 stories on St. George News in October

Composite image, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Last month, St. George News took readers into space and rode a bolt of lightning through a Little Valley home, and once we were back on the ground, we reminded readers of the importance of being safe not only behind the wheel but also walking down the street. Here is a list of the top 10 news stories that captured readers’ attention on St. George News during the month of October.


China plans to launch man-made moon capable of lighting up 1,960 square miles

Composite stock images | Night skyline photo by Manjik/iStock/Getty Images Plus; full moon photo courtesy of Public Domain Pictures; St. George News

ST. GEORGE — “By the light of the silvery moon” may have a whole new meaning for one Chinese city in 2020 when an illumination satellite, also referred to as an “artificial moon,” is launched into space.

Scientists are planning to hang the man-made moon above the city of Chengdu, one of the most populous cities in Western China, according to a Chinese state media report released Thursday.

Read complete story here.


CDC confirms cases of polio-like disease in three states bordering Utah, among 19 other states

Photo by Wavebreakmedia/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

ST. GEORGE— The Southern Nevada Health District reported that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed the first case of acute flaccid myelitis in a child in Clark County, Nevada.

This confirmed case – along with others in Colorado and Arizona – has resulted in almost entirely boxing in Utah; however, at this point there are no reports of the illness in the Beehive state.

Read complete story here.


Mother of missing 3-year-old arrested for neglect; toddler tests positive for amphetamine

Brandon Stratton, 3, was found hours after being reported missing last week, St. George, Utah, Oct. 18, 2018 | Photo courtesy of the St. George Police Department, St. George News

The original story of 3-year-old Brandon Stratton, who went missing from his home in St. George on Oct. 18, received a lot of attention on St. George News, landing it in the top 10 most-read stories for the month. The toddler has since been found and his mother arrested for neglect and drug abuse.

Read the most recent article on this story here.


Motocross rider killed after ‘hard crash’ during race

Angelo Farruggia, 19, was killed in a crash during a race at the Mesquite Motocross MX track in Littlefield, Arizona, Oct. 7, 2018, location and date of photo unspecified | Photo courtesy of GoFundMe, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A motocross rider was killed Sunday following a crash at the Mesquite MX motocross track near the Arizona-Nevada border.

During one of the races held during round eight of the World Off Road Championship motocross race series, a rider “crashed hard” and received “very significant injury,” Beaver Dam/Littlefield Fire Chief Jeff Hunt said.

Read complete story here.


Lightning blasts hole through roof of home in Little Valley

A hole is left in the ceiling of a home struck by lightning in the Little Valley area of St. George, Utah, Oct. 22, 2018 | Photo by Spencer Ricks, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Kristen Stocks was asleep in her home early Monday morning when she heard what she said sounded like a bomb exploding.

A lightning bolt had struck the roof of her home, leaving a gaping hole in the ceiling in the house in the Little Valley area of St. George. The strike came at about 2:15 a.m. during a thunderstorm heard across much of southwestern Utah.

Read complete story here.


2 bodies found near Virgin River Gorge on Arizona Strip

In this 2016 file photo, a Mohave County Sheriff’s deputy drives on the Arizona Strip, Mohave County, Arizona, July 7, 2016 | Photo by Michael Durrant, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Authorities are investigating two sets of human remains found on the Arizona Strip.

The two bodies were reported to authorities after being found Monday in the desert near the Virgin River Gorge, according a press release issued by the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office.

Read complete story here.


Head-on collision on SR-18 leaves one dead, another in critical condition

Scene of a fatal head-on collision on state Route 18 near Brookside, Utah, Oct. 16, 2018 | Photo by Andrew Pinckney, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A two-vehicle accident on state Route 18 just north of Veyo this morning killed one driver and left another with extremely serious injuries.

Read complete story here.


Police: Teenager baked grandfather’s ashes into cookies, shared with classmates

Stock image | Photo by arinahabich/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

(AP) — A high school student mixed her cremated grandfather’s ashes into homemade sugar cookies and shared them with several classmates, police in Northern California said Wednesday.

Read complete story here.


Driver runs into group of children in crosswalk after failing to yield

Officials respond to the scene where children were hit by a car that failed to yield while turning right onto Dixie Drive in St. George, Utah, Oct. 23, 2018 | Photo by Spencer Ricks, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A driver who police say failed to yield ran into a group of children Tuesday evening, injuring one of them enough to be transported to the hospital on an ambulance.

Read complete story here.


Grand Canyon superintendent under investigation, will be reassigned

Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Christine Lehnertz, right, speaks with a member of the public at an October 2017 event at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, Ariz. | File photo by Benji Shanahan/Arizona Daily Sun via Associated Press, St. George News

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The superintendent at the Grand Canyon will be reassigned amid a federal investigation into undisclosed allegations, the National Park Service said Tuesday, marking the latest upheaval at one of the country’s most popular national parks.

Read complete story here.


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Twitter:  @STGnews | @MikaylaShoup

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