the Spanish Fork baseball team fell behind Springville 4-0 and could never make up the difference the Dons trailed Orem 6-2 in the fifth but found a way to rally to a 12-8 win in extra innings With one of the youngest rosters in the state Spanish Fork coach Hadley Thorpe is counting on tough lessons leading to more wins We’ve been in a lot of games all year long and it was good to finally be on the winning end of one of these late-game wins,” Thorpe said Everyone stepped up and made the play we needed them to make.” The Dons have just three seniors on the roster and started eight underclassmen against the Tigers Some of the youngsters have last names familiar to any Spanish Fork baseball fan: Freshmen Trigg Cloward and Jason Pintar and sophomore Sammy Dart Each has had a least one brother go through the Dons program: Casey Cloward Andrew Pintar and Zac Dart were all-state athletes for Spanish Fork and have all played at BYU Jason Pintar leads Spanish Fork in hitting at .381 and Trigg Cloward is second at .350 “We rely heavily on our young guys and they’ve risen every time we’ve called their number,” Thorpe said So we have six or seven freshmen and sophomores that are always in and out of the lineup I think we’re just trying to find the right group of nine that gives us the best chance to win.” But Spanish Fork has gone 5-2 in its past seven games a good sign with just a few games left before the state tournament 6-5) put up five runs in the bottom of the fourth on Thursday with Cy Berge and Tayden Ka’awa both stroking two-run doubles for a 6-2 lead The Dons responded in the top of the fifth with four runs taking advantage of a pair of Tigers errors and a three-run double by freshman Cody McLean to tie things up at 6-all Orem took a 7-6 lead in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single from Merrick Bostock sophomore Nixon Warren led off and was hit by a pitch sped home on sophomore Pratt Morely’s single for a 7-7 tie “I knew that my teammates would do the job Spanish Fork held Orem scoreless in the bottom of the inning to force extras The Dons broke the game wide open in the top of the eighth belting out five hits and plating five runs Pintar drove in two with a single and senior Jackie Sorensen knocked a two-run double as Spanish Fork took a 12-7 lead Chase Ford hit a one-out solo home run for Orem in the bottom of the eighth to trim the deficit to 12-8 but the young Dons got the final two outs for the victory “This shows we’ve got a ton of potential coming in the next few years,” Warren said “Our freshmen are very talented this year and we’ve got some dudes coming up For them to be able to come in and jump in the varsity spots has been awesome and impressive.” South County is baseball country for Spanish Fork So there is a legacy to live up to for all the players “It’s awesome being able to play with ‘Spanish Fork’ written across your chest We know our potential and what we should be doing Thorpe — himself a former Don player — feels like his team is improving every day “Credit goes down to all those youth coaches that run a bunch of successful programs,” he said It makes my job easier when we have four or five accelerated teams growing up and every year we have a ton of talent coming up “We’ve had a ton of growing pains going on so it’s nice to see a game like this where we put it all together We stuck to our approach throughout the whole game and it paid off in those later innings We’ve had mistakes late in games that have cost us and our record isn’t where we want it to be but I feel like we’re headed in the right direction.” LLC | www.heraldextra.com | 1200 Towne Centre Blvd Utah — A Utah therapist is facing several charges of sexual exploitation of a minor and voyeurism following former patients of his coming forward to police had charges filed against him by the Utah Attorney General's Office last Thursday According to court documents obtained by FOX 13 News detectives first started looking into the case after an alleged victim of Dindinger reported that between the ages of 13 and 16 The victim reported to Orem police that she had seen Dindinger for depression the victim told police she had disclosed a pornography addiction to Robert the victim says her sessions became exclusively about that Detectives say the victim told them that at 14 years old she was told to strip nude and masturbate in Dindinger's office She would also allegedly be told to strip nude and weigh herself on a scale in the office After investigators spoke to the first victim they conducted a search of police records on Dindinger they found three other reports of him touching patients with two of those allegations including that he would ask victims to stand on a scale naked When investigators searched the defendant's home and electronic devices they say they found ten child sexual abuse material images and videos Detectives say the voyeuristic videos appeared to have been filmed in Dindinger's office Robert Dindinger faces 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and two counts of voyeurism He is scheduled to be in court again on May 14 Spanish Fork Fire and EMS responded to reports of the explosion and fire at the office located on the 500th block of North Main Street they said they saw smoke from the eaves and flames from an exterior medical gas utility closet and roofline MORE | Massive fire engulfs acre of recycled cars in Salt Lake City, expected to burn for days They were reportedly able to contain the fire to the attic space and had the flames controlled within about 45 minutes The inside of the building suffered nearly $3 million in smoke and water damages "The [regulator] failure led to an uncontrolled release of medical gases into the attic creating an oxygen-rich environment that fueled the fire," the fire department said the office is "currently uninhabitable." and Payson Fire & Rescue also assisted at the scene SPANISH FORK — Medical gases fueled an explosion at a dental office Friday emergency crews were called to "reports of an explosion and active fire" at a dentist's office at 497 N according to a statement from the Spanish Fork Fire Department The first arriving units found "smoke venting from the eaves and flames coming from an exterior medical gas utility closet and the roofline Fire crews quickly initiated an aggressive interior and exterior attack successfully contained the fire to the attic space," the department stated It took 45 minutes to bring the fire under control The entire building sustained significant water and smoke damage Approximately 30 firefighters responded to the call A preliminary investigation determined that "the explosion and resulting fire were caused by a malfunctioning regulator in the medical gas closet The failure led to an uncontrolled release of medical gases into the attic creating an oxygen-rich environment that fueled the fire," the department stated Those gases included nitrous oxide and medical oxygen the dental office is currently uninhabitable," according to the department Chief Eddie Hales says about five dental assistants were in the building at the time of the explosion Home   Events   Festival of Lights New Festival of Lights Traffic PatternStarting this year access to Powerhouse Road will be from River Bottoms Road A beloved tradition returns this holiday season with an important change Due to the popularity of our Festival of Lights event we have moved to an advanced ticketing system Beginning November 1, you will be able to pay for and reserve a time to see the Festival of Lights easily through sfcitytix.com Reservation times will be in half-hour increments during open times and you will be able to see which times are sold out If you try to get in without an advanced ticketing time you will pay an additional booth fee and run the risk of not getting in For additional information please contact the Parks & Recreation Office at 801-804-4600 (see full-size image) The Festival of Lights will run nightly (including Sundays) from Thanksgiving night (Nov 28) Gift certificates will be available to purchase at sfcitytix.com or in person at the Parks & Recreation Office (49 South Main) or at the Utility Office (80 South Main) beginning November 1 Gift certificates are $10 and are only valid for the current season that they are issued The Group Sales option has been discontinued Festival of Lights is located at Canyon View Park, 3300 E. Powerhouse Rd. (Map) Event-goers will access Powerhouse Road from River Bottoms Road Advanced ticketing allows Festival of Lights staff to provide a better experience for patrons including expedited time at the gate and managing the line of vehicles What if I can't come on the day I have a ticket Can I still get in without an advance ticket an admission surcharge will be added to your ticket at the gate Tickets will be available at sfcitytix.com beginning November 1 To purchase gift certificates go to sfcitytix.com and proceed like you are purchasing a ticket to the Festival of Lights At the top of the list of dates you will see the Gift Certificate option The process from here is the same as if you were purchasing a ticket The gift recipient may then use the code located on the gift certificate to purchase their ticket online for the specific date and time they wish to attend the event Can I buy tickets in bulk for my company or church group you may use the gift certificate option to purchase several gift certificates Gift certificates will print four to a page and will each have their own unique code that can be redeemed online If I received a gift certificate for $10.00 but I’m bringing a trailer When you redeem your gift certificate online select the type of vehicle that you intend to bring The $10.00 will be subtracted from your total leaving you with the balance owed Advanced ticketing (for 2024) allows Festival of Lights staff to provide a better experience for patrons Those with issues can call our office at 801-804-4600 during business hours M-F 8 a.m Can I still get in next year (2024) without an advanced ticket Tickets will be available for next season in the fall of 2024 Copy and paste this code into your website Share this page on your favorite Social network Kaylee graduated from Spanish Fork High School and also attended M-Tech and received her CNA Certificate Utah as a CNA and loved taking care of the elderly and considered each one of them family Kaylee married her best friend Tyler Kinsey on August 19 Some of Kaylee’s favorite things to do were spending time with her cute little family fishing and camping at Indianola on their family property Kaylee is survived by her husband Tyler her sweet children Kaysen Lee (7) Her Brother Jake wife Hope and children Kenzi and Hadli Brother and Sister In law Austin and Lizzy Kinsey Sister and Brother in Law Meagan and Dallan Johnson and their children Robert and Hattie Kaylee will truly be missed by so many people co-workers and her beloved family at Spring Creek Gardens Kaylee Jo we all will forever miss you’re perfectly timed facial expressions especially the eye roll A Celebration of Life will be held in Kaylee’s honor on Wednesday 2025 at Walker Funeral Home in Spanish Fork She was very special.My heart breaks for you Copyright 2024© All rights reserved. Walker Funeral Home by Mountain Media thousands of Utah residents were jolted awake by an unexpected earthquake that registered a magnitude of 3.9 on the Richter scale According to confirmation by the US Geological Survey (USGS) and the University of Utah Seismograph Stations (UUSS) Its epicentre was pinpointed roughly 12 miles southeast of Strawberry Reservoir and 19 miles east of Provo an area known for occasional minor seismic activity The shaking was felt across a significant stretch of the Wasatch Front a metropolitan corridor that includes towns and cities such as Heber over 1,500 people had submitted 'Did You Feel It?' reports to the USGS website indicating the tremor's widespread reach despite its moderate strength Although no significant damage or injuries were reported the quake stands out as one of the strongest in the region in recent years the area surrounding the epicentre has experienced at least 58 earthquakes of magnitude 2.0 or higher since 1981 The previous most notable event occurred in June 2021 when a magnitude 3.6 quake was recorded within 15 miles of Thursday's epicentre Seismologists note that the Intermountain West region making it susceptible to both minor and more destructive seismic activity The 3.9-magnitude quake may be considered minor on the scale but its reach and the strong responses from residents show how even moderate quakes can cause alarm especially when they occur during sleeping hours and are accompanied by audible rumbling and movement Reactions from residents flooded social media within minutes of the event with many describing being suddenly awakened by rumbling floors 'I live in Orem and felt it,' Mandie Heinze wrote on Facebook My whole house was shaking the windows were rattling I thought someone was under my bed shaking it.' another resident said they initially mistook the quake for a strong wind gust before feeling the full movement of the house Others likened the shaking to past seismic events such as the aftershocks following the 2020 5.7-magnitude earthquake near Salt Lake City 'This one shook for a while and it was noisy,' said a resident from West Jordan Such community responses highlight both the psychological impact and the geographical breadth of the quake's effect Even in areas where the quake was not severe residents reported hearing loud thuds or experiencing pets reacting to the vibrations— an well-known early sign of tremor activity Though officials have confirmed that there were no reports of casualties or property damage the earthquake has once again brought to light the importance of earthquake readiness in Utah home to over 80% of the state's population sits along the Wasatch Fault— a major geological fault line capable of producing even stronger earthquakes experts urge residents not to dismiss minor quakes as isolated incidents but to see them as a warning to stay prepared a spokesperson from the Utah Department of Public Safety advises households to keep 'emergency kits and establish communication plans.' While Thursday's quake may not have caused any immediate harm its widespread impact serves as a reminder that seismic awareness and readiness remain crucial in Utah's ongoing efforts to mitigate future earthquake risks Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application returned home to his Heavenly Father on Monday in the Provo LDS Temple for time and all eternity Mark devoted his life to public service working first as an EMT on the Springville Ambulance then as a Firefighter with the Springville Fire Department and finally as a Police Officer for both the State of Utah and the Utah County Sheriff’s Office where he finished his career Mark enjoyed everything about the outdoors including camping cycling and building and restoring fishing rods Mark was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Mark is survived by his wife Annette of Spanish Fork Utah; four children: Nathan (Kim) Terry of Santaquin He was preceded in death by his sister Marcie & father Don at the LDS Chapel located at 1006 East 180 South A viewing for friends and family will be held Sunday evening from 6-8 p.m at Wheeler Mortuary located at 211 East 200 South in Springville and on Monday just prior to the service from 9:30-10:30 a.m Burial will be in the Springville Evergreen Cemetery and will include full Honor Guard and a Last Call with local Fire & Police departments The family would like to thank Mark’s team of doctors nurses and hospice team who have cared and dedicated their time to serve him and his family over the last four years donations may be made to the family to help with funeral expenses via Venmo: @Amber-Terry Condolences may be expressed to the family on this page Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced 15 new temples during the concluding session of the April 2025 general conference The temples will be built in the following locations: “We are grateful to the Lord for the acceleration of temple-building in recent years,” said the prophet who has announced 200 temples since he became president in 2018 In addition to announcing 200 temples, last year the 100-year-old prophet dedicated the Church’s 200th operating house of the Lord Today’s announcement brings the total number of temples — operating Each temple is a house of the Lord and the most sacred place of worship on the earth The primary purpose of temples is for faithful members of the Church to receive peace and spiritual power as they enter into sacred agreements with God in His holy house See below for more information about the Church of Jesus Christ in each location The Reynosa Mexico Temple will be the 27th house of the Lord in the country Reynosa is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande River across the Mexico–United States border from Hidalgo Mexico is home to more than 1.5 million Latter-day Saints in nearly 1,900 congregations, the second largest membership outside of the United States. Missionary work began in Mexico in 1875 The Chorrillos Peru Temple will be the 10th house of the Lord in the country Chorrillos is located on the Pacific Ocean and is home to many popular beaches there are nearly 650,000 Latter-day Saints in about 800 congregations in the country The first missionaries arrived in the country in 1956 The Rivera Uruguay Temple will be the second house of the Lord in the country, joining the Montevideo Uruguay Temple The Montevideo Temple was dedicated in March 2001 by President Gordon B Rivera is the capital of Rivera Department of Uruguay It borders the Brazilian city of Santana do Livramento they form an urban area with about 200,000 residents There are about nearly 110,000 Latter-day Saints in around 130 congregations in Uruguay The Campo Grande Brazil Temple is the 24th announced temple in Brazil Campo Grande is a city in west central Brazil Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles There are more than 1.5 million Latter-day Saints in Brazil the third-most populous country of Latter-day Saints outside the United States Porto, with a population of approximately 1.3 million, is the second-largest city in Portugal a nation home to nearly 48,000 Latter-day Saints in more than 60 congregations The temple in Porto will be the second in the country, joining the Lisbon Portugal Temple The first branch was organized in Lisbon in 1975. That same year, then-Elder Thomas S. Monson dedicated the country for the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ There are more than 250,000 Latter-day Saints in nearly 850 congregations in Nigeria West Africa is one of the fastest growing areas of the Church in the world The San Jose del Monte Philippines Temple will be the 14th in the country. There are more than 880,000 Latter-day Saints in around 1,325 local congregations in the Philippines Since the country officially opened for missionary work in 1961 the rate of Church growth in the Philippines continues to be among the fastest in the world This will be the first temple in New Caledonia a group of islands in the southwestern Pacific Islands that are home to more than 2,500 Latter-day Saints The first members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints moved to New Caledonia from Tahiti The first stake (a group of congregations) was organized in 2012 The Liverpool Australia Temple will be the second temple in the greater Sydney area The Church was introduced in Australia in 1840 when a British convert immigrated to the country were among the first stakes established outside of North America Today, Australia is home to nearly 160,000 Latter-day Saints in around 300 congregations The temple to be built in Caldwell will be the third in the Boise, Idaho, metropolitan area. The Boise Idaho Temple was dedicated in 1984 and the Meridian Idaho Temple was dedicated in 2017 Idaho is home to more than 475,000 members of the Church in over 1,225 congregations Early Church pioneers settled in Idaho in 1855 Several Church presidents are natives of Idaho Flagstaff is located about 150 miles north of Phoenix among one of the world’s largest ponderosa pine forests and next to the tallest mountain in the state Rapid City is the second-most populous city in the state In nearby Black Hills stands the iconic Mount Rushmore National Memorial The Rapid City South Dakota Temple will be the first in the state South Dakota, located in north-central United States has more than 11,500 members in approximately 30 congregations The Greenville South Carolina Temple will be the second house of the Lord in the state. The Columbia South Carolina Temple has been in operation since October 1999 found in the northwestern part of South Carolina South Carolina which is in the southeastern United States is home to nearly 46,000 Latter-day Saints in approximately 85 congregations a waterfront city located along Chesapeake Bay Virginia is home to 100,000 Latter-day Saints in about 210 congregations The Spanish Fork Utah Temple will be the ninth temple in Utah County Utah County is also home to Brigham Young University with Utah Lake to the northwest and the Wasatch Range to the east Latter-day Saints settled Spanish Fork in 1851 Utah is home to more than 2.2 million Latter-day Saints approximately two-thirds of the state’s population of 3.5 million people The temple in the city of Spanish Fork will be the 32nd temple in Utah either in operation On November 10, 2024, President Russell M. Nelson dedicated the 200th operating temple of the Church — the Deseret Peak Utah Temple in Tooele For more information about temples, visit temples.ChurchofJesusChrist.org Return to top You are about to access Constant Contacts (http://visitor.constantcontact.com) You are now leaving a website maintained by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints We provide the link to this third party's website solely as a convenience to you and security practices that differ from those on our website By referring or linking you to this website we do not endorse or guarantee this content If you would like to stay on the page you are viewing please click Cancel To download media files, please first review and agree to the Terms of Use Download a photo or video by clicking or tapping on it To download all photos or videos related to this article select the links at the bottom of each section Spanish Fork led by only a single point over Box Elder after day one of the 5A state tournament The Bees were fighting for its first state championship since 2011 while the Dons were searching for a second consecutive state title but ultimately Spanish Fork found late separation and took home the 5A state championship trophy alongside five individual titles “We just tell them to control what they can control,” said Spanish Fork head coach Kip Spencer whether you’re on top or whether you’re on bottom Just win the next position and score a lot of points.” Spanish Fork’s Karson Shelley headlined the Dons’ successful day with his fourth individual state title with a win over Roy’s Kaleb Blackner in the 120-pound weight class “I’ve been wanting to do this since I started wrestling in first grade and it never really seemed possible until I started my freshman year and realized I can do this,” Shelley said Shelley’s younger brother Easton Shelley got the day started off with a win for Spanish Fork in the 106-pound weight class Spanish Fork was in no position to cruise to a state title Box Elder fought multiple times to keep itself in range of first place A crucial win came in the 157-pound weight class as the Bees’ Easton Connelly defeated Spanish Fork’s Jaxon Sorenson to keep them in the title race I imangined it in my head for three years and to finally be here and win is the greatest feeling of my entire life.” While Connelly gave Box Elder a fighting chance Dons’ Ryker Olson took first in the 165-pound weight class to widen the gap Spanish Fork’s Porter Olson and Hyrum King also took home individual titles While Spanish Fork and Box Elder took first and second Wasatch also had a successful day with five wrestlers taking home an individual title Emergency crews respond to a fire at a dental office in Spanish Fork on Friday BY JACOB FREEMAN SPANISH FORK — A malfunction in a medical gas storage closet caused an explosion and fire at a Spanish Fork dental office Friday morning A press release said Spanish Fork Fire and EMS was dispatched to the block of 500 North Main Street after receiving reports of an explosion they saw smoke and flames coming from an exterior utility closet and the roof of the building “Fire crews quickly initiated an aggressive interior and exterior attack successfully containing the fire to the attic space,” Spanish Fork said Fire crews were able to control the fire in under 45 minutes The building sustained “significant smoke and water damage,” the city said Authorities estimated the fire and explosion caused approximately $3 million in damage and rendered the building uninhabitable Preliminary investigation showed that a malfunctioning regulator in the medical gas closet led to an “uncontrolled release of medical gases into the attic,” leading to an explosion A 3.9 magnitude earthquake shook a portion of Utah early Thursday morning according to the United States Geological Survey The earthquake was reported just after midnight local time about two miles northwest of Independence and about 44 miles southeast of Salt Lake City Residents as far north as Ogden and as far south as Spanish Fork reported feeling some weak to light shaking from the earthquake which was reported at a depth of about seven miles There have been no reports of injuries or damage Last month, a 2.6 magnitude earthquake hit about 12 miles northwest of Emery Utah and about 123 miles south of Salt Lake City damage or injuries were reported from that earthquake More news: Scientists discover magma cap keeping lid on Yellowstone National Park's volcanoes How strong do earthquakes need to be to cause damage?According to the USGS there is not one magnitude above which damage will occur the USGS says damage does not usually occur until the earthquake magnitude reaches somewhere above 4 or 5 This story has been updated to add new information Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com A new Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints temple will be constructed in Spanish Fork Nelson announced during the concluding session of the 195th General Conference on Sunday afternoon One of 15 temples around the world Nelson announced the news garnered an audible reaction of excitement from some church members inside the Conference Center in Salt Lake City It marks the ninth temple either completed under construction or announced in Utah County and will be the second temple built south of Provo Political leaders and other community members took to social media to react to the news “I couldn’t be more excited with the temple announcement today!” Utah Sen “Driving through Spanish Fork 15 minutes after (the) announcement, looking at every field and wondering if it’s the future home of the temple,” Utah Rep. Karen Peterson said on X predicted the temple will be built on land he said the church owns near 100 South and Spanish Fork Parkway “Very short distance from Highway 6,” Llewellyn said in a tweet “Super easy access for all of Spanish Fork Most importantly I could see the temple from my front porch.” The news brings the total amount of temples Nelson has announced in his tenure as church president to 200 More temples are outside the United States than within under construction or operating around the world is now 382 Nelson expressed the importance of temple attendance for members in his Sunday afternoon address “Regular worship in the house of the Lord increases our capacity for both charity and virtue,” he said time in the temple increases our confidence before the Lord Increased time in the temple will help us prepare for the Second Coming of our Savior Home   Departments   Parks & Recreation   Arts Council   Spanish Fork Community Theater Join Spanish Fork Community Theater this summer for our first production at the new Spanish Fork High School Based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film Shrek The Musical is a Tony Award-winning fairy tale adventure featuring all new songs from Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie; Caroline or Change) and a sidesplitting book by David Lindsay-Abaire Shrek brings all the beloved characters you know from the film to life on stage and proves there's more to the story than meets the ears there was a little ogre named Shrek...." And thus begins the tale of an unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits and you've got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero Shrek presents a treasure trove of creative opportunities puppets (there is a fire-breathing dragon after all) and more Shrek proves that beauty is truly in the eye of the ogre SpongeBob SquarePants: Grey RandlePatrick Star: Kaden RenzSandy Cheeks: Nicole OrtizEugene H Krabs: Steve PoulsenPearl Krabs: Azure MarrottSquidward Q Plankton: Noah SmithKaren the Computer: Lizzie PhippsPerch Perkins: Andrew NelsonMayor of Bikini Bottom: Brooke HolohanMrs Puff: Julie HancockGary: Maverick FerrerOld Man Jenkins: Everett WiesThe Electric Skates: Ryker Dirkmaat and Josh UdyJohnny the Bartender: Daxton WhiteLarry the Lobster: BJ WrightBuster Bluetang: Max UlrichCowboy Fish: Joseph Champneys Director: Avery Dall-HiltonMusic Director: Oscar SafstenChoreographer: Molly MillerProducer: Karen Grant They will be held in the choir room at Diamond Fork Middle School Callbacks by invitation only on May 3. If there are conflicts on the 3rd, please reach out via sfct@spanishfork.gov and we will make an accommodation Come prepared with 24 to 32 bars or 30 to 45 seconds of an upbeat Please provide a backing track to sing with (audio equipment will be provided) Please download your song to your device before the auditions Don't count on being able to access the internet at auditions You will also be asked to learn a short dance and read a few lines please plan on attending the opening cast meeting on May 7 at 6 pm in the Diamond Fork Middle School cafeteria We encourage performers of all backgrounds (races Our goal is to create a space where diverse perspectives are valued and every performer feels empowered to share their talents Age range: We have limited roles for children ages 8-13 Children ages 8-13 must have a parent at every rehearsal This is a great opportunity for families to audition together (or plan to attend each rehearsal with your child) Ages 14+ may audition/attend rehearsals without a parent.  Rehearsal start date/schedule: In early May rehearsals will generally be Tuesday-Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings with additional days as we get closer to show dates Additional rehearsals may be involved depending on the role When signing up for an audition time please fill out this Audition Form Please review the available audition time slots on this Sign Up Genius Time slots may be added if everything fills up Please reach out if there isn't a time available on the sign-up genius that works for you Adults $10Seniors (65+) $8Students (thru 12th Grade) $8Children (0-11) $6 Tickets are on sale at SFCityTix.com or may be purchased at the door one hour prior to each performance The Maple Mountain High School Auditorium doors open 30 minutes prior to each performance Shrek The Musical is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI www.mtishows.com Utah — An early morning gas explosion at a Spanish Fork dental office caused millions in damages on Friday although officials said no one was injured about an explosion and fire at the office located in the 500 block of North Main Street they saw smoke and flames coming from the building approximately 30 firefighters were able to have it under control within 45 minutes A preliminary investigation into the explosion and fire showed it was caused by a malfunctioning regulator in the office's medical gas closet and fueled when the gas was released into the attic is estimated to be approximately $3 million No injuries were reported during the incident The Spanish Fork Festival of Colors celebrated its 30th year with a two-day celebration this past weekend at the Sri Sri Hare Krishna Temple located at 311 W The daylong event included color throws on the hour crafts as well as inflatables for the kids Bollypop stars led the crowds in high-energy Holi announces the arrival of spring and the passing of winter The festival breathes an atmosphere of social merriment the festival endeavors to bring home the lesson of spiritual and social harmony Photojournalists Tess Crowley and Brice Tucker capture the energy the smiles and the color of the celebration SALT LAKE CITY — During the closing session Sunday of the 195th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Nelson announced 15 new temples to be built around the world The new temples will be built in each of the following locations: The newly announced temples bring the total number across the earth to 382 President @NelsonRussellM of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced 15 new temples during the concluding session of the April 2025 general conference."We are grateful to the Lord for the acceleration of temple-building in recent years," said the prophet, who… pic.twitter.com/CyfAWemIDv The Spanish Fork temple will be the 31st temple in Utah which is home to more than 2.2 million Latter-day Saints and the ninth in Utah County that will be operating In 1851, early Latter-day Saints first settled in Spanish Fork, which has grown to about 50,000 residents today. Just over 80% of Spanish Fork residents identified as church members, according to a study conducted by Utah State University in 2022 atheist or nonreligious and 5.9% as "other religion." Other temples in Utah are located in American Fork New temples are also under construction in Ephraim Price and West Jordan were announced last year the temple in Caldwell will be the third in the Boise metropolitan area and the first since a temple in Meridian More than 475,000 church members live in 1,225 congregations in Idaho will be the ninth in the Grand Canyon state that is home to around 450,000 Latter-day Saints in 925 congregations South Dakota will receive the state's first temple in Rapid City while Greenville will be just the second in the state of South Carolina Other first temples announced Sunday include New Caledonia a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean that is home to more than 2,500 Latter-day Saints President Nelson has announced 200 temples since 2018, more than half of all temples in the church. He also announced extensive renovations to the Salt Lake Temple, which will be available during a six-month public open house prior to being rededicated in the fall of 2027 The 100-year-old church president also recently dedicated the 200th operating temple in church history in finishing the Deseret Peak Utah Temple last November "We are grateful to the Lord for the acceleration of temple-building in recent years," President Nelson said in closing the conference May we likewise prepare to receive him." Latter-day Saints view each temple as the most sacred place of worship on earth where church members in full standing go to receive "peace inspiration and spiritual power as they enter into sacred agreements with God," according to a church statement "Regular worship in the house of the Lord increases our capacity for both charity and virtue," President Nelson said We do not know the day or the hour of his coming But I do know that the Lord is prompting me to urge us to get ready for that great and dreadful day." High costs at Thanksgiving Point drove the Ophir Tintic and Western Train Club to find a different host for its Model Train Show last year And after a strong showing at the Spanish Fork Fairgrounds the club determined the venue will be its new home going forward OT&W’s 34th annual Model Train Show returns April 4 from 3 to 9 p.m inside the fairgrounds’ indoor tennis courts and it was really successful,” said club secretary and train show committee member Phil Brueck “We had a lot of people and so we’ve decided to hold it from there on.” With 24,000 square feet spread across one floor the building is fit to accommodate plenty of activities and the club hopes to have something for everyone to enjoy this year The show will include 14 vendors and 11 model train layouts that will be scattered across the building along with several hands-on activities for kids to enjoy “We heard a lot of people say it’d be nice if we could have a few more things that were kind of interactive So we have about five or six things like that for kids,” Brueck said There will be an “engineering school” for kids where they can learn how to be a train engineer The event will also hold clinics where kids can learn how to build their own model train layouts and landscape designs and a place where they can run trains on a model track “Trains aren’t as romantic as they used to be when I was a kid,” Brueck said “Kids now have electronics and they don’t (play with trains) that much So we’re trying to appeal to a younger group as well There will also be plenty of train models on display other clubs and vendors will have their own smaller models displayed with some going heavy on the creative side Another is based around the state of Maine “The Wasatch Group even has a nuclear explosion in one of their modules,” Brueck said “One of our guys did a winter scene where he is actually an ice skater that’s moving around on the ice and there’s a car that’s wrecked in the ice and police cars are there investigating the accident and it gives everybody a chance to just have a fun time and do their own thing.” $10 for an adult and free for kids 8 and younger SALT LAKE CITY — A criminal charge was filed Monday against a Spanish Fork man who police say caused a high speed fiery crash on I-80 nearly three years ago that killed a teenage boy Police say the man was driving erratically and recklessly after leaving an auto show geared toward racing On July 23, 2022, a BMW crashed into a Ford Explorer on I-80 near 7200 West "Troopers were informed that both vehicles involved were on fire and that there were people trapped inside," according to charging documents The driver of the Ford told investigators that he was traveling west and Aceves was eastbound when the BMW lost control "(He) stated that the BMW went airborne hitting his car head on," the charges state A passenger in the Ford told UHP troopers that they could see the BMW coming toward them and that they stopped on the road because they were unable to switch lanes due to traffic "(The witness) confirmed that the BMW was already on fire as it rolled toward them All passengers of the Ford were able to exit the vehicle prior to the fire," according to the charges Another witness told investigators that he "observed the BMW out of control and rolling end-over-end into the westbound lanes (He) stated that the BMW was already on fire when it came into the westbound lanes and that he observed two people get ejected from the BMW," the charges state Another witness "stated he and his passenger ran to the BMW to try to help the passenger stuck in the back while another passenger crawled out of the window (He) stated the BMW was now on fire and they heard screaming (He) stated they heard multiple explosions and then observed the Ford start on fire (The witness) stated that the passenger who crawled out the window was screaming that his brother was still inside the BMW and that people were trying to assist the passenger but were not able to reach him before the vehicle was engulfed in flames," according to the charges Investigators confirmed that Aceves and his three passengers had left FuelFest car show at the Utah Motorsports Campus in Tooele and were "driving erratically and recklessly as they entered onto I-80." They also found a GoPro camera inside the burned vehicle which was repaired and had recorded footage prior to the crash "Aceves is observed making multiple illegal passes to get past vehicles and traveling up to speeds of 186 mph," the charges allege "Aceves and his passengers are observed making signs to other vehicles traveling eastbound Aceves and another vehicle are observed racing each other down I-80 While still traveling at a high rate of speed Aceves's back right tire experienced a tread separation causing Aceves to lose control and swerve into the center median across the median and into oncoming traffic," according to charging documents The BMW was traveling 142 mph leading into the crash It rolled more than 900 feet before hitting the Ford "(Aceves) has 13 prior arrests with nine convictions (indicating) an unwillingness to be compliant with the law Since this accident (he) has been cited for driving on a suspended license and driving without a valid registration" in Spanish Fork and Davis County justice courts and "has shown little concern for his actions or the community," prosecutors wrote in the charges TRAFFIC & ROADS 2:44 PM | Updated: 10:17 pm BY JACOB FREEMAN AND EMMA BENSON SPANISH FORK — A person stopped on Interstate 15 in Spanish Fork to check on someone who had been in a crash Saturday morning Mike Gordon with the Utah Highway Patrol said a separate accident caused a vehicle to veer and hit the pedestrian on the side of the freeway at approximately 9:15 a.m Gordon said the pedestrian survived with serious injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital The Utah Department of Transportation said the accident occurred on the southbound side of the freeway at mile post 257 near Main Street causing lane closures in the area that had been cleared by noon Police did not release any details about the victim Gordon said nobody else was hospitalized in the crash Aftermath of an accident on I-15 near Main Street in Spanish Fork that sent a pedestrian to the hospital in serious condition Gordon applauded the good Samaritan’s heroic intentions while noting that the freeway is a dangerous place “If you do have a concern we just ask that you call 911 have officers or troopers deal with the incident so we don’t have people put in unfortunate situations like this and then have this unfortunate outcome,” he said The other drivers involved stayed on the scene and cooperated with police KSL TV has been in contact with the victim’s family — they are not sharing additional information at this time Utah Highway Patrol reminds drivers to be careful on the roads “We’re still not out of winter yet so we just need people to slow down and continue to pay attention,” Gordon said Spanish Fork is the repeat winner in 5A wrestling and the Dons did it in dominating and record-breaking fashion Spanish Fork (331) held off Box Elder (319.5) to win the gold trophy Karson Shelley (120 pounds) became the school’s first ever 4-time state champion This Don team tied a school record with five individual state champions and set school records in finalists with nine and total placers with 14 he had no issues dispatching Roy’s Kaleb Blackner scoring early and often en route to a 17-0 technical fall victory now a 3-time runner-up who came into the match with a 31-4 record Shelley finished his 2024-25 season with a sparkling 47-3 mark “I’ve been wanting to do this (be a 4-time state champion) since I started wrestling in the first grade,” Shelley said “It never really seemed possible until I started my freshman year Shelley’s younger brother Easton (106) also took state he won’t be a 4-time state champ like his brother mostly because he weighed just 80 pounds as a freshman But little brother made his own statement by pinning Box Elder’s Rylan Winward in the third round Easton Shelley finished his season with an impressive 42-5 mark he admitted that he gets more anxious for his younger brother than he does for his matches “I get way more nervous for him,” said Karson Shelley Spanish Fork might have also set the record for two sets of brothers taking state in the same tournament because later in the night Porter (150) and Ryker (165) Olson both climbed to the top of the podium Porter Olson won by an 8-0 major decision over West’s Ian Nielsen “It feels good,” Olson said of being on top after finishing second last year “The whole team has been putting in the work Ryker might be Porter’s younger brother but in this case he is two classes heavier and he came through with a huge 9-3 head-to-head victory over Box Elder’s Eli Jurgens Ryker Olson beat two Bee wrestlers in the tournament the younger Olson took fourth in state but felt he was ready for the challenge this year because of his teammates and coaches having good partners and a great team,” said Ryker Olson on the keys to his championship run Ryker Olson’s win put Box Elder in a tough spot and when Wasatch’s Wyatt Hanssen defeated Bee wrestler Logan Cefalo in the next weight class at 175 pounds Spanish Fork mathematically clinched the title The Dons put more icing on the cake when Hyrum King (190) won by 17-6 major decision over rival Kaden Moore of Salem Hills he was actually more confident this year even though going into the championship bouts Box Elder was actually ahead by one point The last two weeks have been unbelievable at practice Wasatch actually helped things along though at first the Wasps hindered Spanish Fork when William Shallenberger won the 113-pound title at the expense of Spanish Fork’s Taegen Leavitt But then the Wasps ran off three straight wins against the Bees at 132 Daxton Bonner and Max Richins claimed gold respectively Hanssen’s win at 175 pounds gave Wasatch four wins over Box Elder in the championship bouts and five total over the top two teams Bonner and Richins it was their second straight state title “It feels great,” Bonner said of his technical fall victory “I just wanted to come out and put on a show for everybody Spanish Fork and Box Elder actually split their four head-to-head meetings Box Elder’s Mason Bingham decisioned Kyler Spencer 2-0 at 126 pounds while Easton Connelly won the 157-pound title by beating Jaxon Sorensen by technical fall were named the meet’s two most outstanding wrestlers while Kip Spencer was named 5A Coach of the Year Salem Hills finished fourth for the second straight season with 112 points while Springville (48.5) edged Maple Mountain by a single point to crack the top ten Cedar Valley was 13th with 44.5 points while Timpview (18) was 22nd in the 28-school 5A field 5A Notes: It appeared the Spanish Fork just had a one-point lead against Box Elder going into the final day of wrestling During the semifinals Cahill Simons (138) had been initially disqualified after his match with Box Elder’s Bostyn Tucker and the 12 points he had earned by reaching the semifinals were stripped from the Dons But then tournament officials rescinded the disqualification and the points were reinstated which ended with the Bee grappler winning by technical fall Simons was illegally slammed and awarded a point He was later diagnosed with a concussion and then defaulted to sixth place But those critical points gave the Dons a 13-point lead over Box Elder when the second day of wrestling started While reinstating Simons’ point was a win for the Dons on the first day Spanish Fork received two byes in the first round This cost the Dons four team points though head coach Kip Spencer argued that the state tournament is different from a regular tournament where there are byes His argument stems from the fact that two wrestlers had originally qualified for the tournament and should count as forfeit wins In most cases an alternate wrestler can step into that spot but none could be found by weigh-in time so those spots became byes instead of getting four points for each match And just how dominant were the top three teams Only Moroni Mahe (Hillcrest) prevented a three-school sweep when he beat Spanish Fork’s Preston Graver 5-2 Spanish Fork and Wasatch had five champions each and Box Elder had three Wasatch went 5-0 in its championship matches these programs had 23 out of the 28 finalists claimed 36 of the available 84 medals with Spanish Fork and Box Elder having 14 each and Wasatch eight This meant that the other 25 5A schools claimed 48 medals or less than two medals per school on the average Complete results can be found at www.trackwrestling.com and the UHSAA website 106: Easton Shelley (Spanish Fork) 42-5 won by fall over Ryker Winward (Box Elder) 33-12 (Fall 4:48) 113: William Shallenberger (Wasatch) 26-6 won by decision over Taegan Leavitt (Spanish Fork) 41-8 (Dec 7-4) 120: Karson Shelley (Spanish Fork) 47-3 won by tech fall over Kaleb Blackner (Roy) 32-4 (TF-1.5 3:37 (17-0)) 126: Mason Bingham (Box Elder) 43-6 won by decision over Kyler Spencer (Spanish Fork) 38-9 (Dec 2-0) 132: Benjamin Kohler (Wasatch) 43-7 won by major decision over Kolvin Thompson (Box Elder) 37-10 (MD 11-3) 138: Daxton Bonner (Wasatch) 36-10 won by tech fall over Bostyn Tucker (Box Elder) 36-11 (TF-1.5 2:42 (22-6)) 144: Max Richins (Wasatch) 28-15 won by fall over Blake Buckway (Box Elder) 30-13 (Fall 2:47) 150: Porter Olson (Spanish Fork) 47-6 won by major decision over Ian Nielsen (West) 29-7 (MD 8-0) 157: Easton Connelly (Box Elder) 39-13 won by tech fall over Jaxon Sorenson (Spanish Fork) 35-11 (TF-1.5 5:10 (18-2)) 165: Ryker Olson (Spanish Fork) 39-6 won by decision over Eli Jurgens (Box Elder) 29-7 (Dec 9-3) 175: Wyatt Hanssen (Wasatch) 45-9 won by tech fall over Logan Cefalo (Box Elder) 33-11 (TF-1.5 4:08 (20-4)) 190: Hyrum King (Spanish Fork) 38-10 won by major decision over Kaden Moore (Salem Hills) 44-6 (MD 17-6) 215: Moroni Mahe (Hillcrest) 39-3 won by decision over Preston Graver (Spanish Fork) 32-19 (Dec 5-2) 285: Cody Kaleikini (Box Elder) 41-7 won by decision over Carter Rudolph (Roy) 35-6 (Dec 7-1) Gateway Parks in Spanish Fork offers a snowsports hill where anyone can come ski or snowboard for free using his passion for snowboarding to give back to the community Snowboard champion back in the 90's," Ryan Neptune said Some Utah resorts charge anywhere from $100 to $300 for a single day pass "My first lift tickets were six dollars," Neptune said Neptune designs and builds the parks himself Ticket sales from the tubing park fund the free snowsports hill Neptune has created for the community "I've had a life that's well lived when it comes to snowboarding and this isn't an attempt to give back: it's just simply giving back." The Daily Universe is an educational lab tied to the curriculum of the journalism sequence in the BYU School of Communications and is committed to the mission of BYU and its sponsoring institution The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Contact us: Dureceptionist@byu.edu SPANISH FORK — Two bystanders did not hesitate before jumping into the Spanish Fork River Friday night to save a man whose truck rolled into the freezing water was driving up Arrowhead Trail after her son's soccer game about 8 p.m brake lights or anything as he was flying down the embankment," she said Fox works as a paramedic for Unified Fire Authority in Salt Lake County and was the only one to see the vehicle disappear under the bridge at the intersection of Main Street and Arrowhead Trial that he potentially was already unconscious like he passed out at the wheel She pulled into the nearby River Bridge Event Center parking lot to check it out The wreck was in the same location as the deadly March 2015 crash where Lynn Jennifer "Jenny" Groesbeck was killed but her 18-month-old daughter Lily was found 14 hours later alive and strapped into her upside-down car seat The truck on Friday "was positioned exactly underneath the bridge so you would not have been able to see it from the road," Fox said heard the wreck and followed Fox into the parking lot to help The driver "probably crossed a couple of lanes of traffic — there's probably 20 ft of rocks and fields Haun's wife called 911 while he and Fox jumped into the icy river "We were checking the doors," Haun said and then me and (Fox) were trying to lift the truck as much as we could Fox was submerged up to her collarbone as she tried to navigate the current and find a way inside the truck "We were frantically going around because time is really starting to lapse," Haun said "We just tried everything we could to get his doors to budge or windows to break .. but it was probably like four or five minutes," according to Fox "(Haun) and I looked at each other and we're like "All of a sudden on the right-hand side we can see the top of his head," Haun said or him just desperately trying to call for help." The duo swam around to the truck's window and pulled the man free floating downstream while pulling his body onto the rocky embankment "He was conscious; he was able to tell me his name and his birth date." Haun ripped off his sweater and gave it to Fox who used the dry upper half to staunch the bleeding from a "pretty good laceration to his head," Fox said "I just held pressure on that," she said "He had some other wounds he was bleeding from but the great thing was that he was alive and conscious." but first responders were quick to the scene said the driver was transported in stable condition The Utah Valley Special Response Team was called "due to mid-level river flows and hazardous materials including fuel leaking from the vehicle into the waterway," Urquart wrote in a release sent out Saturday The two rescuers were warmed up and went home full of adrenaline "We are deeply appreciative of the bravery displayed by these individuals," and wanted to remind the public "of the significant dangers posed by freezing water and unknown conditions Personal safety should always be your top priority." Fox said her reaction was instinct — following eight years as a first responder jump in and do what I need to do," she said "It is a different circumstance because normally we get called a little bit after the situation happens and we don't ever really get to watch it unfold." Both rescuers downplayed their role in the act "I do this for my job," said Fox Little did she know, this was not Haun's first time playing the hero. In 2018, he tackled a man in a local pizza shop who had been threatening customers with a knife Tragically, the road where this accident happened was the same road Haun's son, 17-year-old Nathan Haun, was struck by a truck and killed while walking home from a party in 2013 Preston Haun and his wife still haven't found who did it but the Arrowhead trail that we were on when we were waiting in that light on Main Street — it was a couple of miles from there where he was hit," Preston Haun said He is looking forward to quietly working his maintenance job Fox will be receiving an award for being a lifesaver at an upcoming Spanish Fork City Council meeting "I'm just grateful (the driver is) alive and that he's well," Fox said "That he's OK and can get better." Utah — Drivers going through Spanish Fork on Interstate 15 Tuesday morning had an interesting and sometimes scary experience after several cows got loose on the freeway “For us it was a pretty surprising call — to know about seven cows running on the freeway,” said Trooper Davies Sanchez with the Utah Highway Patrol which Sanchez said came into Utah County dispatchers around 5:30 a.m. “[It went] from cows running on the freeway to vehicles striking the cows and crashing into them,” Sanchez said He said it can be like going out blindfolded to such a strange scene “We can’t anticipate a call that some of us have never dealt with before,” said Sanchez but he said troopers rushed to the scene along with Springville Police and helped three others escape Only one person in the seven vehicles involved had minor injuries Sanchez reminds drivers to expect the unexpected “If it wasn’t because of people were wearing their seatbelt maybe we would’ve had more serious injuries — and put your phones away.” their investigation turns toward searching for clues to figure out where the cows came from He explained what that process looks like in these situations UHP believes the cows are from Springville they can’t determine who’s at fault — or how drivers affected may be compensated “A lot of that comes back to the evidence we find on scene and trying to track that to the person who initiated the whole thing,” Sanchez said Sanchez urges continued caution on the roads as you never know what your commute may bring we can’t do anything about debris or about animals… In this case that way you can prepare to react the best way possible.” Utah (KUTV) — A beloved and successful head football coach at Maple Mountain High School was ousted on Wednesday with no reason given to players or their families Coach Kalin Hall turned the Golden Eagles from a 1-9 team to an 8-3 in just two seasons He was already planning ahead for their next season when he got a letter on Wednesday telling him the Nebo School District was not renewing his contract As players and their families found out about the news, a petition was started. In just under 48 hours they gathered nearly a thousand signatures we were extremely disappointed,” Kristen Miner a mother of two of the players on the team “It feels like we’re starting all over again This school has battled these two years to really develop and become this strong team and for it to just be taken away again It feels like we’re starting from ground zero,” Marisa Thayn “Coach Hall is probably one of the most likable guys I’ve ever met He turned the program around,” Steve Stonebraker who also has a son in the football program He said his son was looking forward to playing his senior year under Hall there doesn’t have to be anything in his file because we can fire people just cause Stonebraker shared that a recent player survey of Hall had received a nearly 80-percent approval from the team These parents are also upset because they said they had just turned over their booster club and all its funding to the high school just before Hall’s firing KUTV asked the Nebo School District why Coach Hall was fired and if they would consider the petition Please be advised that high school coaching positions within our district and across the state are at-will employment The school administration has decided not to renew the coach for the upcoming school year The position has been posted and they hope to have a new coach in place in the next month so they can begin working with the team and building those relationships that are critical in the world of student athletics.” “I want to take a moment to express my deep love and appreciation for my community and the young men who have played for me at Maple Mountain High School Although the situation that has unfolded lacks clear rationale it’s important for everyone to understand that our priority should always be the best interests of the kids It’s unfortunate that not everyone can see the bigger picture my experiences with the parents and the incredible young men I’ve had the privilege to work with has been nothing short of amazing.” Utah is an at-will employment state which means an employee can be fired for any reason or no reason at all as long as it is not contrary to the law On the Maple Mountain High School Football website it currently says their Head Football Coach is TBA Not many high school girls basketball teams can say that they had almost as many wins in the state tournament as they did in the regular season The Dons won just three games during the first three months of action and were the No But Spanish Fork found some Cinderella magic in the 5A state playoffs with wins at No That success got the Dons to the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City and a 5A quarterfinal matchup 3-seed Bountiful proved to be too much for Spanish Fork to be able to keep their run going as the Redhawks rolled to the 57-16 win and advanced to the semifinals “I think it’s kind of been the story of our season that was play good defense but just can’t get our offense going,” Don head coach Brynlie Nielsen said Spanish Fork played good defense for much of the game but could find enough ways to get the ball in the basket against the long Don ended up with 10 steals and had six different players score Nielsen said she was thrilled with how her squad never stopped believing and showed what it was capable of at the end of the year and you go into the quarterfinals?” Nielsen said We basically just told them last week going into state that we’d had a really tough schedule and a tough region We were ready to face teams outside of our region to go and compete.” Her squad did just that and it was vindicating to see the athletes put together some really good performances I always see my team as being better than we have shown I trust my girls and the potential they have I didn’t think we showcased any of what we could do so when we shot really well against Clearfield It’s been a hard season but I’m glad they got to end with some good games.” She said the 2024-25 seniors deserve a lot of credit for keeping the team together and hope the underclassmen learn from the playoff experience “I hope they learn consistency,” Nielsen said We just needed to be steady and wait for the opportunity Bountiful moves on to play in the 5A semifinals at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m A range of emotions swirled through a packed room inside the Spanish Fork City Council chambers Tuesday as two people were recognized for their recent heroic actions Residents Stefania Fox and Preston Haun were both presented with an award for their roles in rescuing the driver of a vehicle that crashed and rolled down an embankment landing upside down in the Spanish Fork River Fire & EMS was dispatched to the intersection of Arrowhead Trail and Main Street on reports of a driver who lost control of their vehicle and went off the road into the water they learned that two bystanders were attempting to rescue the driver who was trapped inside the vehicle two courageous bystanders entered the freezing waters and successfully pulled the driver to shore,” Spanish Fork officials stated in the release who just happened to be driving in the area got out of their vehicles and noticed the car trapped under water then they decided to dive into the icy-cold water to save the driver And (they) then saw his head come out of the water a little bit and they were able to pull him out to safety (from) the freezing cold water,” Spanish Fork Fire Chief Eddie Hales said Tuesday as he praised the duo’s bravery and was said to have survived the incident The Utah Valley Special Response Team also was called to help with hazardous material mitigation efforts as fuel was leaking from the vehicle into the river Hales recounted the evening’s events by referencing the wet and cold weather conditions of the evening describing the actions of Haun and Fox as similar to doing a cold plunge Haun told KSL.com last month that the rescue lasted several minutes and timing was of the essence in saving the man’s life who’s spent many years as a first responder Both displayed humbleness in accepting the honor and said they were grateful for one another’s presence and willingness to perform the rescue right place kind of thing,” Fox said during the special recognition portion of the City Council meeting “I’m glad that he is OK and that he was able to recover.” who became seemingly emotional while thinking back on the rescue echoed what Fox said and expressed gratitude for her being there as well She spoke Spanish and knew what to do when we got him out and was able to take care of everything,” he said before the City Council and a room full of attendees also was on hand during Tuesday’s meeting to offer her appreciation for Haun’s and Fox’s acts of heroism “Nobody knows when they’ll be called on to do something heroic Nobody knows when they’ll be called on to provide an act of service for their neighbor But we all have to be prepared for those moments,” Henderson told those in attendance “We are so grateful that there are people like Preston and Stephanie who Henderson presented them with a certificate of recognition for their heroism Spanish Fork Mayor Mike Mendenhall said the selfless acts of Haun and Fox reiterate the importance of community and helping one another’s neighbor “These are the things that make a community what it is And when you add all those up together in our respective communities it’s what makes our state the state that it is and that success is not by accident,” Mendenhall said you guys epitomize what it means to be good neighbors.” police were investigating what caused the vehicle to go off the road and land in the river A tradition observed in India for thousands of years the Holi festival became relevant in the United States when the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork hosted its Festival of Colors in 1989 this holiday recognizing the Hindu God Lord Krishna and the start of spring is celebrated through large color festivals all over the country from San Francisco to Houston and New York City what is believed to be the largest North American festival remains in Spanish Fork expects approximately 10,000 attendees to attend this year’s festival on Saturday and Sunday “I think probably we’re the ones that spearheaded it to art from the Indian community exclusively to the Western community as well,” said Das who is also the president of the Spanish Fork Krishna Temple It costs $10 to attend and is free for kids 12 and younger Colored chalk will be available for purchase Between the colored chalk throws at the top of every hour the yoga and the “cruelty-free food,” Das believes the event serves as a spiritually uplifting experience in a fun and energetic way “I don’t think you’ll find anything that’s as spiritual as this is and yet as popular It’s kind of in a category by itself,” he said “We started it because we want people to get in touch with their spiritual selves And we feel that society in general is in a drought ‘Living lives of quiet despair because they haven’t learned who they really are in the deepest sense of the word.'” partisanship and contention should be avoided and meat is not permitted out of respect for the spirit of all living creatures The chalk’s colors resemble the blossoming seeds that are sprouting forth after the dormant winter; the chalk’s perfume — often smelling like sandalwood musk or jasmine — reflects the fragrance of the season “I like to coach people and tell them to think of the colors as this baggage they’ve been carrying Just don’t carry it anymore in the journey of life,” Das said Several Bollywood dance groups will put on performances that may involve audience participation one that is rock ‘n’ roll and another that Das calls “adult contemporary,” and there will be several Krishna rap performances rap Krishna artists that will also be performing,” Das said “And I’m probably the oldest Krishna rapper on the planet I’m 78 and I’m the MC and I do at least one or two rap songs in between each and every performing group.” Attendees are encouraged to wear clothes that can be ruined and to bring sunglasses to protect their eyes and a scarf or bandana to protect their nose and mouth People are advised to avoid throwing colors in the eye or mouth And regardless of what the weather looks like Saturday and Sunday “If this was the first time we were doing it we’d be all on pins and needles,” Das said about the weather And also it’s interesting to note that in India We never use water because we don’t want anyone to catch a cold in this climate then we’ll just see it as a more authentic spiritual experience.” Daily Herald Utah's newest Nothing Bundt Cakes bakery in Spanish Fork is pictured Wednesday Since opening a Nothing Bundt Cake bakery in St owning a franchise has been a family affair for Claudia and Kelly Clayton With the help of their six children — especially their daughters Cassidy and Lisa — the married couple of 42 years found success with their St George business and felt it was time to chase another opportunity So the current Payson residents opened a new Nothing Bundt Cake bakery on 407 East and 1000 North in Spanish Fork on Dec The opening marks the 10th location of the popular bakery in Utah and the first on the southern end of Utah Valley The enjoyment the Claytons have received from running the St George business is something they’re hoping to spread to the Spanish Fork community “Our goal is to not only provide a great hand-crafted cake that not only looks amazing but tastes amazing (but also to) bring the joy of the community around here to bring joy when people taste our cakes,” Kelly Clayton said Courtesy photoA new Nothing Bundt Cakes bakery has opened in Spanish Fork The bakery will host three consecutive promotional events at the end of January in an effort to ingrain itself into the community is “Community Appreciation Day,” when health care workers first responders and military members are invited to take part in a buy one get one free deal for a “bundlet” – which is an individually packaged bundt cake 31 is the bakery’s ribbon cutting and “Benefit Day,” when 20% of sales will be donated to Tabitha’s Way Local Food Pantry “As excited as we are about our ribbon cutting “But that day being Benefit Day is very important to us we chose Tabitha’s Way as our nonprofit charity to support … We really want to provide a nice donation.” the Claytons will host a number of giveaways Feb including a promotion in which the first 50 customers age 18 and older will receive a punch card for a free bundlet every month for a year the Clayton family poses in front of their Nothing Bundt Cakes store in St “We’ve done these types of things multiple times in St and we’ll have all hands on deck to make it a great three days for the community.” Though the Claytons continue to own the St they plan on spending most of their time at the Spanish Fork location including their aforementioned daughters and their son Cameron George with their spouses and help manage the bakery there Customers can receive the bundt cakes by picking them up in the store getting them delivered or ordering on DoorDash Nothing Bundt Cake is one of the many new establishments to recently open on the south end of the county The next restaurant coming to Spanish Fork is the LongHorn Steakhouse according the city’s Community Development Secretary Kasey Woodard A structure fire at a Spanish Fork restaurant was extinguished with the help of multiple fire departments Thursday afternoon Spanish Fork Fire & EMS crews responded to the fire at the the Lucky 5 Chinese Restaurant on Main Street and found it located in the mansard roof facade of the building near the restaurant’s sign Mapleton and Payson worked to extinguish the fire and prevent additional damage The release said the restaurant and surrounding buildings were evacuated as a precaution and the Spanish Fork Police Department and Utah County Sheriff’s Office temporarily closed portions of Main Street The cause of the fire is under investigation Spanish Fork has reigned supreme the last two years in 5A wrestling and the centerpiece of this Don resurgence to the top has been Karson Shelley Shelley made his own history by becoming the first ever four-time state champion in school history He also recently competed at the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) Senior Nationals in Virginia Beach and took home a silver medal at 120 pounds grappling against the best high school wrestlers in the country These are among many accolades for this Don senior who was named as the 2024-25 Daily Herald Utah Valley Boys Wrestler of the Year “That’s pretty cool,” Shelley said about being named as the valley’s top high school wrestler Shelley has been wrestling in the Spanish Fork program since the first grade and he remembered when in second grade he and future teammate Kyler Spencer the son of current Don head coach Kip Spencer got to go out on the mat with the captains for the coin toss “I just thought that was the coolest thing and that’s where I first wanted to be part of it and make history in the program.” Kip Spencer has plenty of effusive praise for Shelley and what he has meant to the Spanish Fork wrestling program and community “He has a positive effect on others that is contagious.” It wasn’t that Shelley was just a great wrestler Spencer said he’s been a great example and teammate “He’s a leader and does it through example and every way possible Karson gets to know everyone he can and is willing to help anyone on the team get better by spending time with them to help them accomplish their goals,” added Spencer Spencer also related how Shelley is well known in the Spanish Fork wrestling community and an athlete the younger wrestlers really look up to “Not only is he a celebrity because of his accomplishments but he also will come and help coach the youth wrestlers in practice,” said Spencer “So he gets to even know the future Don wrestlers too.” And Shelley had plenty of positive things to say about Spencer “He’s just the best coach I’ve had but he’s also a great teacher,” Shelley said He’s about everyone’s favorite teacher because he’s so positive and kind to all the kids Shelley was completely dominant at this year’s 5A tournament He had three falls and then won his championship match against Roy’s Kaleb Blackner by technical fall to make history for the Dons And Blackner is no slouch as he’s made both the 5A and 6A championship finals as a wrestler But Shelley simply overwhelmed the Royal junior putting up 17 points in less than four minutes of wrestling to earn the technical fall victory Shelley is known for his aggressive wrestling and putting up the points And his head coach had a colorful analogy to describe Shelley’s style “Watching Karson wrestle is like watching a wolverine that has been caged “Just let it go and let it go after the house cat By the time his opponents figure out what he’s doing and try to counter he’s three moves down his chain of tools.” Shelley then set his sights on Virginia Beach and returned playing second at this event which has helped him get on the radar for more college programs “I’m not sure where I’m going (to wrestle college) but placing second at this tournament was big for me,” said Shelley Shelley doesn’t shy away from work and believes doing things right is the key to success “Whether it’s wrestling or school or chores or life Shelley is also cognizant that his successes didn’t come without support or without self-confidence listen to your parents and to your coaches the opposition isn’t done with the Shelley family as his younger brother Easton won the 103-pound title for Spanish Fork this season as a sophomore “I was actually more excited for him (taking state) than I was for me,” said Shelley But it was great to see my brother do it and all that hard work paid off.” NHSCA National Tournament Notes: Besides Shelley’s second place finish Pleasant Grove’s Ian Fritz (152 pounds) placed third in the Senior Nationals Westlake’s Zion Borge took home the gold in the Junior Nationals at 132 pounds while younger brother Israel also won gold competing at 138 pounds in the Sophomore Nationals newly called as second counselor in the Young Men general presidency was “thrilled” by the announcement of what will be the 32nd house of the Lord for Utah “I know [the temple] will bring an incredible spirit to the Spanish Fork area,” said Dixon, who had lived in the area for nearly 30 years. “From when we arrived to what is now, it has changed so much. We have enjoyed going to the Payson temple The Spanish Fork Utah Temple was announced by President Nelson on April 6 Details about the temple’s groundbreaking have not yet been released The Spanish Fork Utah Temple will be built in or near Spanish Fork The site location and architectural rendering have not yet been released Spanish Fork Utah County’s first recorded mudslide of the year occurred in Spanish Fork Canyon on Tuesday night temporarily closing both sides of the roadway at mile post 193 Though no vehicles or persons were damaged the incident offers a warning sign to canyon commuters as the weather continues to warm There’s always a potential for mudslides this time of year said Utah Department of Transportation Region 3 Senior Communications Director Wyatt Woolley and Spanish Fork Canyon is partially vulnerable due to its many natural springs along the mountainside “There was actually a spring where this occurred as well,” Woolley said “So the combination of that and the extra snow and all the thawing and everything can contribute to sloughing off and mudslides potentially happening.” UDOT has identified other areas in the canyon where the terrain appears vulnerable for mudslides and is putting up barriers and digging ditches to mitigate the threat so the suggestion to drivers is to stay vigilant on the roadway and you need to stay off your phone and pay attention,” he said “If you’re following the speed limit and you’re paying attention you’ll be able to react in time when you see a giant rock or a mudslide in front of you If you’re going too fast and you’re not paying attention and you may hit it or turn into oncoming traffic So to avoid those terrible situations that can potentially happen it’s good to drive the speed limit and pay attention.” though to his knowledge Spanish Fork Canyon is the only canyon where UDOT has identified specific areas of concern as recently as last June when major rain caused a mudslide that closed Diamond Fork Road Highway 6 in Price Canyon was wiped out by a landslide and flooding Most significantly was the Thistle landslide in 1983 which reached 1,000 feet in width and over a mile in length forming a 220-foot-high dam on the Spanish Fork River SALT LAKE CITY — Leading 42-21 in the fourth quarter Spanish Fork was nine minutes away from its first-ever football state championship Main Street was ready for a parade and Glade’s Drive Inn was probably going to stay open all night The Mustangs rallied to tie the game in the final ten seconds then pushed the proceedings to a third overtime before McCade Christiansen skipped away from the line of scrimmage and dove into the end zone for a two-point conversion giving Crimson Cliffs a stunning 57-55 victory in the 4A state finals at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday night It was a wildly entertaining way to end the high school football season but ultimately soul-crushing for the Dons who were making just their second state championship game appearance in 105 years of football you’re proud of your guys,” Spanish Fork coach Dustin Smith said “It’ll sting for long time but the boys played hard Spanish Fork led 21-14 at halftime and when Kaden Vest turned left end and sprinted 42 yards for a touchdown took a 42-21 advantage with 9:01 to play that was enough time for Crimson Cliffs to spoil the Dons championship dreams Spanish Fork might have been able to hold on but for a critical fumble with 3:45 to play Brock Jacobson lined up in Wildcat formation but the snap hit quarterback McKay Smith They scored two plays later to trim the deficit to 42-35 Spanish Fork ended up taking over after a failed onside kick attempt and could have probably put the game away with a first down Crimson Cliffs took over with 1:59 to play and marched down the field eventually scoring on a five-yard pass from Ryder Sherratt to Jaxson Holt with ten seconds to play Spanish Fork started off the first overtime with a 2-yard touchdown run from Vest Crimson Cliffs matched that score with an 18-yard TD reception by Maddux Alofipo for the 49-49 tie The Mustangs opened the second extra session with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Sherratt to Holt Crimson Cliffs failed on the mandatory two-point conversion and led 55-49 Spanish Fork tied the game at 55 moments later Smith rolling out and finding Jacobson in the corner of the end zone for the score from seven yards out The Dons went to the option play on the two-point conversion to win the game Vest raced for the pylon but was stopped just short by Mustangs linebacker McKay Wright The third overtime was a showdown of two-point conversion attempts and Spanish Fork went first Vest was stuffed at the line of scrimmage on a dive play and Crimson Cliffs took its turn to the win the game An encroachment penalty on Spanish Fork moved the ball to the 1-yard line and Christiansen tallied the game winner for the Mustangs “I’m not big on being satisfied with just getting here I felt like we were a good enough team to win it and then I made a really bad call at the end The kids were great and so was the student body six touchdowns and two interceptions for Crimson Cliffs (12-2) Holt caught nine passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns and and Maddux Alofipo added nine catches for 131 yards and a score Christiansen ran for 86 yards and one score while also throwing a touchdown pass and catching another Vest ran 34 times for 185 yards and five touchdowns finishing the season with 2,614 yards and 32 touchdowns on the ground He also had 62 receiving yards in the championship game Jacobson caught nine passes for 102 yards and two scores and McKay Smith ended up 22 of 27 passing for 278 yards Gage Christensen led the Dons (11-3) with nine tackles and Kai Roberts contributed two interceptions “There were just so many ups and downs and it went back and forth,” Jacobson said Both teams were so competitive and just kept on going at it We knew from the start of the season we were gonna make it here we just kept on trusting because we knew we were going to have a chance The guys just bring such a passion and love to the game and it was so fun to play with them.” SF-Jacobson 12 pass from Smith (Killpack kick) CC-Christiansen 30 pass from Sherrett (Pace kick) CC-Barrow 4 pass from Christiansen (Pace kick) CC-Holt 5 pass from Sherratt (pass failed) SF-Jacobson 7 pass from Smith (rush failed) CC-Christiansen 1 run for two-point conversion The following projects and amounts are highlights of the Spanish Fork City fiscal year 2024 budget Electric Park: $1,000,000. Complete construction of Electric Park The construction of this park has spanned three fiscal years. Average Utility Bill: $226.87. The average monthly utility bill for utilities remains below average throughout Utah County.Wastewater Reclamation Facility: $39,000,000. This year's costs for a new Wastewater Reclamation Facility It is under construction and should be operational in Fall 2025.Fire & EMS Wages: $2,668,652. Salaries and wages for Fire & EMS.Police Wages: $4,078,124. Salaries and wages for Police. Traffic Projects: $12,700,000. Various traffic projects road and sidewalk repairsAbbie Court Playground: $175,000. RAP tax-funded playground replacement at Abbie Court Park.Recreation Center: $7,500,000. Design & site work of an Indoor Outdoor Aquatic & Recreation Center *Construction costs will be finalized later this fiscal year.New SFCN Building: $12,100,000. A new SFCN building is currently under construction and will be completed in this fiscal year.Urban Forest facilities: $300,000. Completion of the Urban Forest parking lot and restrooms.0% Property Tax Increase. The fiscal year 2024 budget did not have a property tax increase!  GAME NIGHT LIVE BY BRIAN PREECE SPANISH FORK, Utah – The Spanish Fork Dons completed a thrilling comeback to beat the Park City Miners 30-24 in the UHSAA quarterfinals. Spanish Fork will face the Ridgeline Riverhawks in the 4A semifinals at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday Spanish Fork hosted the Park City Miners in the Game Night Live Game of the Week on Friday — KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 9, 2024 Park City won the coin toss and deferred to the second half Spanish Fork drove deep into the red zone before ending the drive with a field goal to grab a 3-0 lead The Miners were driving after crossing midfield to end the opening period Spanish Fork forced and recovered a fumble on the quarter’s first play but the play was overturned when the officials ruled that forward progress had been stopped before the turnover The first turnover of the night came when Spanish Fork threw into triple coverage for an INT and Ethan Cunningham broke through the line for a long gain The Miners finished the drive with an Eli Warner touchdown to take a 7-3 lead — KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 9, 2024 A long pass play moved Spanish Fork into Miner territory early in the next drive Following a pair of 15-yard Park City penalties Kaden Vest took the handoff and scored his 26th TD of the year to take a 10-7 lead with 7:20 left in the half — KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 9, 2024 The lead didn’t last as Warner returned the kickoff 89 yards for a TD — KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 9, 2024 Spanish Fork drove into the red zone before going for it on fourth down A pass completion inside the five-yard line was wiped away thanks to a holding penalty against the Dons Park City’s defense broke through the line for a sack to end the drive Park City opened the second half with a long drive ending with a field goal to take a 17-10 lead The seven-point deficit didn’t phase the Dons Spanish Fork’s Brock Jacobson caught a screen pass and sprinted 44 yards to tie the game at 17 with 5:02 left in the period giving the football back to the Miners late in the third Bash Bodily lofted a deep pass down the sideline that landed right in Reese Smith’s hands for an 89-yard TD to take a 24-17 lead Jacobson broke another long run with the season on the line Park City took the ball and moved into scoring territory on a 31-yard pitch and catch Kaden Vest exploded for a 73-yard touchdown The Dons led 30-24 after missing the extra point Bodily threw an ill-advised deep ball down the sideline that the Dons intercepted Spanish Fork ran out the clock to secure a spot in the 4A semifinals next Thursday at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City Brian Preece is a KSLsports.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball coverage here Find KSL Sports coverage of Utah High School sports here. Follow @bpreece24 is continuing to help to bring down the cost of healthcare along the Wasatch Front with the opening of a new imaging clinic in Spanish Fork This is the seventh Tellica Imaging location to open in Utah The new center in Spanish Fork offers advanced imaging (MRI and CT scans) but because they’re done in traditional retail locations without the overhead of a hospital or other medical setting “A large percentage of the imaging we do in medicine could be done outside of a hospital but people usually go to a hospital out of habit not realizing it may cost thousands of dollars more,” said Doug Greally president and chief medical officer for Tellica Imaging “Medical imaging is fundamental to both diagnosis and treatment of patients in modern medicine and this is how we’re improving access for everyone.” Tellica uses flat rate transparent pricing so patients know what they will pay upfront While some insurances may cover the service the most anyone would pay out of pocket is $400 for a CT scan and $600 for an MRI For those who don’t have insurance or are on a high deductible plan this type of upfront low pricing can make a major difference in receiving care This new model of care aims not only to lower costs but bring services closer to where people live president and chief operating officer of Tellica Imaging “Our imaging centers don’t just help patients but it can also relieve the backlog of appointments at local hospitals for providers.” To learn more about Tellica Imaging or to make an appointment, click here                                                            ### Intermountain Health welcomes the opportunity to work with local and international journalists and news media outlets We are always available to respond to your questions and help support your newsgathering efforts Interview requests with Intermountain Health medical experts should be directed to our media relations team FOR NEWS MEDIA ONLY: To contact a member of the Intermountain Health Media Relations team for assistance:  > Email: IntermountainNews@imail.org  > Phone: On-Call Media Relations Representative: 385-275-8245  keep battling and good things will come is really the best way to describe what fourth-seeded Spanish Fork did in Thursday’s 4A semifinal against No but the Dons were a determined team that never let the underdog role get to them as they went toe-to-toe with the RiverHawks before taking their first lead of the game with 23 seconds left to play and held on for a 21-14 victory “We’re a smash mouth team,” said Spanish Fork’s Kaden Vest That touchdown at the end was clutch by Brock (Jacobson).” were stalwarts in the game just like they’ve been all season for the Dons All three wheeled the offense down the field behind a determined line in a drive that started at their own 29-yard line with a little over two minutes to play The drive was capped when Jacobson took the direct snap and charged in from 9 yards out for the winner Spanish Fork coach Dustin Smith knew all three of the players would have a good game and that one of them was going to come up with the big play Smith couldn’t stop talking about his defense’s effort and his defensive coaches’ preparation to come up with a game plan that held one of the more prolific offenses in the state scoreless in the second half “I expected it would be a shootout to be honest with you Both offenses averaged over 40 a game,” said Smith all the hot practices this summer that we told the boys would pay off someday the process will love you back,’ and today it loved us back.” The game looked like it had the potential to be the shootout everyone expected with a 14-14 halftime score but the RiverHawks offense was flustered across the second half and couldn’t convert on the Dons’ mistakes including an interception at the 1-yard line The RiverHawks also never seemed to recover from what looked like a touchdown on fourth down being called back for illegal touching that also resulted in a loss of downs and they held us in check on offense and we couldn’t score,” said Ridgeline coach Travis Cox really fun team to coach with great seniors and leadership going down to the wire as one would expect in the semifinals It wasn’t the high scoring battle that was predicted but still provided a nailbiter to close out the day of football playoffs at Rice-Eccles Stadium and it feels amazing to be going to the state championship,” said Spanish Fork’s Gage Christensen It’s the second trip to the championship in 105 seasons of football for the Dons They’ll have to wait until Friday to find out who their opponent will be as Sky View and Crimson Cliffs battle in the other 4A semifinal An 18-year-old was seriously injured after her car flipped Utah (KUTV) — An 18-year-old was seriously injured after her car flipped The woman was driving southbound on Main Street a couple of blocks south of Arrowhead Trail when she drifted to the right for an unknown reason a spokesperson for the Spanish Fork Police Department said MORE on ROLLOVER CRASH: One hospitalized after rollover crash on northbound I-15 near Sandy While playing for a state championship is a regular occurrence for Lone Peak The Don program is just making their second appearance in a state title game the only other one being in the 3A title game in 2012 where they were defeated by Dixie this 2024 Spanish Fork team has a chance to make history and deliver a long awaited state title for its town It won’t be easy as the Dons take on Crimson Cliffs the returning 4A champions who dispatched Sky View 38-29 in the other semifinal Spanish Fork is definitely riding high as the No Crimson Cliffs will be the favorite as the No Crimson Cliffs is a relatively new school that opened up in 2019 and more or less hit the ground running as a football program Spanish Fork has had more losing or mediocre seasons than winning ones in its near 100-year history as a school The Dons have been better in recent years and one of the reasons is Matt Christensen Christensen was a former head coach for the program and is obviously ecstatic about this chance to make history It should be noted that the Spanish Fork crowd dwarfed the number of Ridgeline supporters many ex-players are involved in the program “I look at this coaching staff and half of them are former Don players that want to give back to the community,” Christensen said One thing that purists might enjoy about 4A football is that the vast majority of their players live in the school’s boundaries and cut their teeth in the Don youth programs “They are all homegrown boys,” Christensen said with a smile They have just been playing together since second and third grade.” One astute thing Christensen did was hire current head coach Dustin Smith who he had worked with in the youth programs Smith was also an assistant coach at Spanish Fork and also coached in the Pleasant Grove and Woods Cross programs he was my quarterbacks coach,” Christensen said “And when I became principal I definitely wanted Dustin (Smith) so I went after him and I’m so grateful we’ve had him who has started as quarterback the last three years is just one win away from the ultimate prize in high school football Special teams were critical in Lone Peak victory: Skyridge had 354 total yards while Lone Peak had 274 the Knights won 28-21 to advance to the state championship two Falcon turnovers were significant in the outcome but special teams play including a 94-yard kickoff to paydirt by Landan Goff that quickly tied up the game at 7-7 after Skyridge took an early lead Lone Peak has shown great ability to score with special teams all year long and Knight head coach Bart Brockbank felt that having this edge might get them over the hump against their rival “We feel all three facets of the game have to be clicking in order for you to win a state championship You get great teams here and the offenses and defenses line up pretty good by the time you get to the state championship And you need some special teams or some turnovers and stuff that will create that edge for you against great teams.” Skyridge didn’t get any chances for long runbacks on its returns because Knight kicker Breckin Carr had five touchbacks the Knights had 138 return yards and started off their drives with better field position than the Falcons all game long Statistical Superlatives: There were a lot of great individual performances this past week whether teams won or fell short in their games Though Timpview (8-3) was defeated by Roy (12-1) Luke Thornock booted three field goals including a 38-yarder Jaron Pula had a huge game hauling in nine passes for 159 yards and a touchdown And Taani Makasini was a beast on defense registering 15 tackles for the Thunderbirds Legend Glasker caught four touchdown passes for Lehi (9-3) as it fell just one point short losing to the returning 6A state champs Corner Canyon 35-34 in overtime Jett Niu tossed three of those and one came from wide receiver Mays Madsen on a well-executed trick play While Skyridge (10-3) fell short to its rival Lone Peak 28-21 Kanael Sweetwyne accounted for two touchdowns one passing and one on the ground for the Falcons Sweetwyne had 121 yards rushing on 19 carries while teammate Zaeden Selu added 54 yards And on defense Boston Sorensen led the team with nine tackles Sean Tahi had 13 carries for 115 yards before leaving the game at the end of the third quarter with an injury Knight quarterback Kepa Niumeitolu had two touchdowns passing and one on the ground Landan Goff had a 94-yard kickoff return for a score and an interception to boot Spanish Fork (11-2) was led by Brock Jacobson who from his wildcat formation tossed a touchdown to Jacob Johnson while running in a 9-yarder that was the difference maker as the Dons downed previously unbeaten Ridgeline (12-1) had an even 100 yards on 19 carries with a touchdown Jacobson also had nine tackles on defense while he got plenty of help from Cael Cabreros and Kai Roberts with 13 and 11 tackles respectively Gage Christensen had six tackles and a big interception as well as the Don defense suffocated the Riverhawks 1 Corner Canyon (12-1) Thursday at 2:30 p.m.: Corner Canyon is a bit vulnerable as quarterback Helaman Casuga is banged up and didn’t play in the semifinals Back-up Bronson Evans did an excellent job for the Chargers tossing for four touchdowns Lone Peak gave Corner Canyon its only loss defeating the Chargers in week three Lone Peak is better defensively allowing 247 points while Corner Canyon has allowed 284 Corner Canyon’s offense has been a bit more prolific scoring 554 while Lone Peak has pointed 422 But the Knights have played stiffer competition generally being in Region 3 that produced three of the four 6A semifinalists One concern for Lone Peak is the health of running back Sean Tahi who left the semifinal game with Skyridge late in the third quarter This looks like another barn burner and a key turnover or big special teams play could determine the outcome 3 Crimson Cliffs (11-2) Thursday at 6 p.m.: Crimson Cliffs is making its second straight appearance in the title game taking the title last year the Dons beating the Bobcats 47-28 and Crimson Cliffs downing Sky View 39-28 last week to punch its ticket to the championship game The Dons have scored 539 and allowed 312 while the Mustangs have outscored its opponents 410-278 One advantage for Crimson Cliffs is obviously experience in a title game but the Dons have a lot of senior experience and a community extra hungry for victory their confidence should grow with that huge community support behind them 1 Roy (12-1) Thursday at 11 a.m.: Utah County was denied another team in a championship final when Roy defeated Timpview 29-19 This game is a rematch between these two Region 5 rivals and actually No having just beaten perennial powerhouse Timpview last week Extra points: Ole Miss quarterback Jaxon Dart made an appearance at the semifinal game between Corner Canyon and Lehi Jaxon Dart is having a great year for the Rebels breaking a record previously held by Archie Manning for total yards in a game with 562 He is also set to break Manning’s son Eli for most yards passing in a career at Ole Miss … Roy’s Colby Frokjer had a game for the ages kicking the ball for the Royals He had three field goals including a 58-yarder He became the first kicker in Utah history to kick two field goals of 50 yards plus in a playoff game as he split the uprights from 53 yards to give Roy a 29-19 lead late in the game Frokjer also had a 38-yarder in the second quarter … Rich and San Juan were able to defend their 8-man 1A and 2A titles respectively in their championship games Saturday at SUU For San Juan it was their fourth straight title and third in a row for Beaver … Morgan snapped Richfield’s 25-game winning streak as the Trojans defeated the Wildcats 13-2 to win the 3A title Morgan finished as the only undefeated team in the state with a 13-0 record … Going into the final week of the season Utah County teams hold a 62-42 edge over teams outside the valley … And one last reminder because the University of Utah has a home football game this week 5A and 6A championship games will be played on Thursday Spanish Fork police and fire were called to an area near Arrowhead Trail and Main Street after a single vehicle went off the road and rolled into the river "Here in Spanish Fork and it was called in as a single vehicle that had went off the road and rolled over into the river," said Hales Spanish Fork Chief of Fire and EMS Eddie Hales told FOX 13 the driver was the only occupant in the vehicle and he was sent to a local hospital in stable condition "Heroic in every sense of the word I can't thank them more than that They're true heroes in our community," said Hales Hales shared how the two individuals who ran to help made a significant impact in saving the driver's life "We run down underneath the bridge first thing we know is the white car truck tipped upside down," said Preston Haun Haun and his wife were on their way home when they heard the accident "We were really getting frantic because it was probably 30 seconds 'till we got to the car and with all this checking the doors trying to lift on stuff It just seemed like it been five plus minutes and I'm just like I'll get really worried because I'm like I don't know if anybody can survive this long," said Haun and we grabbed him and we started floating down I think we're down 34 feet or so to where he was and then we were able to grab him get him up on the rocks," said Haun Hales thanked the community members for their efforts those two individuals saw this accident happen they shopped their vehicles and ran down the embankment to the water and put their safety at risk," said Hales Stefania Fox was the other bystander who assisted Thanks for reaching out about the incident in the Spanish Fork River yesterday night I am grateful that I was in the right place at the right time to help The place the vehicle landed was right underneath the bridge (exactly where the incident with Lily Groesbeck took place several years ago) he likely would not have been found until daylight because the river is not seen from the road at all Preston Haun who pulled over with me was awesome and jumped into action and we were fortunate enough to be able to get him out of the water and up the embankment to safety The river was freezing but the adrenaline helped us work quickly I was able to speak to him in Spanish and communicate with him to make sure there was no one else in the water He was able to state that he had just left dialysis which could have possibly contributed to the cause of the incident let alone alive when we pulled him out as it had been several minutes of being underwater I was able to tend to his injuries with the help of Preston and his wife until SFPD arrived with some bandaging supplies for us to use and then Fire arrived to take him to the hospital They were great and responded quickly and efficiently a short time after they were dispatched thanks to Tammy (Preston’s wife) calling 911 quickly I’m glad that the situation had a good outcome and that he is stable and recovering "Anytime you can highlight the act of heroism from someone inside the community it's always an uplifting event and so the credit is due to these two individuals that literally went in a moment's notice without even thinking about it and put their lives at risk," said Hales Haun shared how it was his reaction that kicked in to lead him to help "I didn't even think about the coldness or the depth I know I doubt she even thought about it much either but just jumped in and noticed the coldest and it noticed really the current How much how fast it was going or anything like that," said Haun He expressed how grateful he was for Fox and her life-saving skills so oh pretty impressed with her," said Haun was that the gentleman who was driving was okay "I don't know if I just called heroic or not I was just doing things that I thought I would help out everybody does or most people do anyways," said Haun who hopes others would do the same in a situation like this "I personally think you did everything you could to help someone If me and Stefania and my wife weren't there he would if he would've just stayed there till morning I don't think anybody would've seen him," said Haun Spanish Fork Fire encouraged people to always lend a hand when they can good in helping your neighbors and being there in their time of need," said Hales How to watch high school football Game Night Live Game of the Week Utah – Round three of the UHSAA football playoffs is on tap with spectacular matchups around the Beehive State Winners move on to the semifinals next weekend and the 2024 high school football season inches toward its end 5-1 Region 8) square up in the Game Night Live Game of the Week on Friday #GameNightLive playoff game of the week!@ParkCityFtbl vs. @SFHSFootball 🤝: @utahcommunitycu / @Burtbros pic.twitter.com/58yWImdCJV — KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 5, 2024 You can find and stream (for free) our entire slate of high school football games right here. KSL Sports’ Jeremiah Jensen and Stevenson Sylvester will be on the call and have full coverage of the contest and other games throughout the 2024 high school season on Game Night Live Park City has been burying opponents all season including last week’s 33-0 mauling of Bear River Thanks to an offense that averages 37.3 points per game and a defense allowing ten ppg the Miners have had just two games come down to the final possession Spanish Fork has been equally impressive While not boasting the impressive defense Park City does the Dons have averaged 44.4 points per game Spanish Fork reached the quarterfinals with a 56-35 win over Salem Hills Kickoff for the Game Night Live Game of the Week between Park City and Spanish Fork is scheduled for 6 p.m. MT. Kickoff time is subject to change. The game will be broadcast on KSLSports.com and the KSL Sports app Brian Preece is a KSLsports.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball coverage here 8:39 PM | Updated: Nov 15 BY KSL SPORTS SALT LAKE CITY – Spanish Fork didn’t play its best game but found a way to beat top-seeded Ridgeline with a late touchdown drive Spanish Fork advances to the 4A State Championship game at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday The Dons will play the winner of Friday’s Sky View-Crimson Cliffs game — KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 15, 2024 Ridgeline overcame an early turnover to take a 7-0 first-quarter lead when QB junior QB Nate Dahle scored from six yards out on a run The high-scoring Dons offense responded on their next drive showing off how they made it to this point Senior Brock Jacobson tied the game with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Johnson with 11 minutes left in the half The Riverhawks answered with their second touchdown drive of the night Ridgeline took a 14-7 lead after JT White rumbled six-yard for a score Spanish Fork came right back with another touchdown drive as their offense found a rhythm another interception gave the Riverhawks possession inside their own one-yard line giving Spanish Fork the ball in Riverhawk territory Dons senior running back Kaden Vest fumbled on the ensuing drive Ridgeline took over after a turnover on downs Nate Dahle moved Ridgeline into Spanish Fork territory after miraculously escaping a sure sack in the backfield and nearly picked up the first down before being forced out of bounds a Spanish Fork offside penalty gave the Riverhawks 1st-and-10 Ridgeline’s coaching staff had to make a decision on the fourth down Dahle was pressured in the pocket and threw a pass toward the goal line which was caught by junior guard Kyler May giving Spanish Fork the football following a loss of down on the infraction Spanish Fork couldn’t generate any momentum on offense and was forced to punt the football back to Ridgeline Ridgeline struggled to move the ball on their next drive but took a chance deep in their own territory on 4th-and-1 A strong run from JT White gave the Riverhawks a fresh set of downs punting back to Spanish Fork with less than three minutes left Three consecutive Spanish Fork first downs on the next drive moved the Dons to the Ridgeline 28-yard line with just over a minute to play a long run from Kaden Vest gave the Dons 1st-and-goal Brock Jacobson took the direct snap on first down and ran over a defender on his way to the game-winning touchdown Follow @kslsports It can be an interesting challenge for a father to coach his son’s high school football team since both the coach and the athlete have to try to find the right relationship dynamics depending on the situation That’s what Spanish Fork senior quarterback Mckay Smith and head coach Dustin Smith have navigated for much of their time in football for sure,” Mckay Smith said during an interview on Tuesday “It will be weird not having him as a coach We’re both on the same page with a lot of things just knowing what to do in certain situations I know that I can come to him if I have something that I think will work and that I trust him if he has something for me to do or for our team to do Dustin Smith said he’s worked hard to find the right balance for both his son and himself “it’s hard for him when your dad is not only your position coach but is also your head coach and when your dad for a career works with quarterbacks and you’re one of them,” Dustin Smith said “What people don’t realize is that I’ve work with a lot of other quarterbacks around the country a lot more than I worked with him “I made a conscious effort to be Dad when we were home and not coach to him growing up but I let Ty Detmer and Max Hall and Brandon Doman and other guys who I’m friends with and who I run Quarterback Elite with work with Mckay so that I could be Dad with him.” When your son is the team’s quarterback as Mckay Smith has been for the Dons for the last couple of years you get to see all the great plays — but you also have to deal with the tough moments when things didn’t go well when he especially when he’s made a mistake I ask other coaches to talk to him,” Dustin Smith said “He can read me and I don’t want him to see the smoke coming out of my ears and fire in my eyes I’ve tried this year to be more positive when he does things right He credited former BYU superstar Ty Detmer for helping him find the balance “Ty Detmer gave me a lot of advice from when he played with his dad “I asked him how it was having his dad be his head coach and he talked about how his dad was his coach when he needed to be but he was Dad all the time I think most coaches are harder on their own kids than they are on others.” Mckay Smith feels like his dad does a great job walking that line “He’s good at not getting super mad,” Mckay Smith said “He trusts me and knows that I didn’t purposely make a bad read or a bad play But it’s good to see him happy when I make a good play compared to an error It makes me feel like I made my dad proud when I make a good play.” And being on the same team means being able to share special moments like last week when Spanish Fork knocked off top-seeded undefeated Ridgeline in the 4A semifinals and got to celebrate together “That was awesome,” Mckay Smith said with a grin “I think he (Dustin Smith) ran a 4.3 40 out there It was a great moment beating a team that hadn’t lost yet.” While Dustin and Mckay Smith have the direct family connection both talked about how most of the Don squad has been playing football together for a long time and that gives a team-wide sense of family “There’s just so many memories with these guys,” Mckay Smith said “From fires and backyards and running our plays during recess and stuff like that There are a lot of great memories like that.” Dustin Smith has been coaching most of the players as they’ve grown up through youth leagues and said he saw a special bond develop everybody’s bought in and everybody’s made the team the most important,” the Don head coach said “I think any team that gets to this point where you make it to the end you realize that only can only get so far with really good athletes You have to have them but the culture and the belief in each other and the camaraderie of the coaching staff and the senior leadership are so important “It really doesn’t surprise me that we’ve made it this far because I knew we had a pretty special group of seniors I was there for their very first game and I’ll be here for their very last game.” Spanish Fork has never won a state football championship losing to Dixie in the 2012 3A finals in their only other trip to the title game Now the goal is for the Dons to go make history “I can’t even describe it,” Mckay Smith said “It’s just been just a goal for such a long time I went up there and watched the championship game last year that Crimson Cliffs won it’s a different feeling just to see the trophy being presented to somebody “To have that feeling of being the only team in our classification to end our season with a win the Dons have to get past the talented Mustangs “The keys to beating Crimson Cliffs are that we can’t make dumb mistakes and we have to be more physical than they are,” Dustin Smith said and we have to make sure that we’re not putting ourselves in unnecessary situations and that we play our style If we limit the dumb mistakes and are extra physical like we’re capable of being We’ll have to hope that they make some mistakes because they’re really good.” Utah (KUTV) — Two bystanders entered freezing waters and pulled a driver to safety after their vehicle became lodged in the Spanish Fork River Fire & EMS crew was dispatched to the intersection of Arrowhead Trail and Main Street just after 8 p.m following reports of a single-vehicle rollover into the river responders were informed that the vehicle was upside down in the water and that bystanders were attempting to rescue the driver authorities said two bystanders entered the river The driver was medically evaluated on the scene before being transported to a nearby hospital in stable condition including crews from American Fork Fire & Rescue were called in to assist with mitigation after it was discovered that fuel had leaked from the vehicle into the river and Strawberry Water Association were notified and have determined no public safety risks resulted from the incident The Spanish Fork Police Department is investigating the cause of the crash “We are deeply appreciative of the bravery displayed by these individuals we want to remind the public of the significant dangers posed by freezing water and unknown conditions Personal safety should always be your top priority,” said SFPF&EMS Chief Eddie Hales Spanish Fork’s Kaden Vest is almost as good at fishing and catching frogs as he is at running the football Vest was virtually unstoppable toting the rock this season and he’s the Daily Herald 2024 Football Player of the Year small town approach to life was earned growing up in Spanish Fork hanging out with lifelong buddies like his quarterback One of their favorite pastimes is catching frogs at Utah Lake and frying ’em up 185-pound senior ran 303 times for 2,639 yards (8.7 yards per carry) and 32 touchdowns He also caught 28 passes for 381 yards and six more scores The 2,639 rushing yards is third all-time in Utah high school history behind Jaylen Warren of East (3,099 Vest’s 38 touchdowns scored is also tied for third all-time Vest ran for more than 200 yards seven times in 2024 with a high of 325 yards on 23 carries (14.1 per carry) against Provo he ran 37 times for 210 yards and five touchdowns “I’ve coached a lot of kids and I’ve never coached a tougher kid than Kaden Vest,” Spanish Fork coach Dustin Smith said “He make it really hard for other guys to take plays off or to take the weight room off but he really led with grit and toughness and by example It was hard for other boys and the coaches to have a whole lot of patience for those not willing to sacrifice to win like he did.” 285-pound USC signee Aaron Dunn at right tackle Also plowing the road for Vest’s record season was Levi Christley “I have a great offensive line with a lot of returning starters from last year They’re strong kids that love to play football and they are all competitors They did a freaking crazy good job this year.” rushing for 1,334 yard on 218 carries (6.1 yards per carry) and eight touchdowns He put in a lot of hard work in the offseason to get even better “Kaden really committed himself to his body and his speed,” Coach Smith said “Very few players can tackle Kaden one-on-one He runs so low to the ground and keeps his legs churning Another thing was that he didn’t lose one fumble all season Last year he had a handful of fumbles so that was a big focus in the offseason Kaden also made a big jump with his patience in letting holes develop and shifting gears at the right time.” McKay Smith completed 69% of his passes for 3,208 yards Jacobson caught 89 passes for 1,345 yards and 15 scores Spanish Fork’s offense produced 6,804 total yards McKay Smith and Jacobson when they were in fourth grade holding hands before the coin flip of a youth football game The three friends broke a combined nine school records in 2024 “Growing up with McKay and Brock and a lot of my teammates in Spanish Fork 1 Ridgeline (21-14) in the 4A semifinals to advance to the state championship game for only the second time in school history 2 and defending state champion Crimson Cliffs But the Mustangs rallied and eventually won the game in triple overtime but it doesn’t diminish the magnificent season that took place in south county “It was such a special season and a special group It was really cool to see the community show up at Rice-Eccles Stadium (for the semifinals and finals) and it was really good for the community Coach Smith added: “Every single kid lived in Spanish Fork boundaries I’ve been told by Spanish Fork old timers that this team really captured the old school feel.” Vest said he plans to serve a church mission but has a desire to play college football when he returns “There’s no question he’s a next-level running back,” Coach Smith said “There are college running backs right now that have very similar measurables he could fit in a Division I offense and be productive and durable.” Kaden Vest is the first Spanish Fork athlete to be named the Daily Herald Football Player of the Year Here are winners from other sports for the Dons