Gold miner wins $12 million; Easter eggs stolen; mishandled remains
- Updated
Odd and unusual news from around the West.Â
- The Associated Press
ELKO, Nev. — A Nevada gold miner intends to continue working underground despite winning more than $12.5 million.
The Elko Daily Free Press reports that 64-year-old Efren Aguirre of Elko hit the megabucks jackpot at the Gold Dust West Casino at 11:11 p.m. last Tuesday.
Aguirre says he immigrated to the United States from Mexico for "more money," but this wasn't exactly what he expected. He's worked at Newmont Mining Corp.'s Leeville for 16 years and decided to go to the casino after a full day shift on Tuesday.
He says he loves his job as rock breaker operator and doesn't intend to quit.
Aguirre and his wife of 44 years, Maria Aguirre, say they bought their dream house in Elko and will put most of the remaining money away for a rainy day.
- The Associated Press
FARMINGTON, Utah — More than a year after a hiker discovered the skeletal remains of a 23-year-old Utah woman who disappeared decades ago, police are analyzing DNA and interviewing people who knew her.
Detectives say they have ruled out one suspect: Douglas Lovell, a death row inmate who was convicted of killing a woman in 1985 so she couldn't testify against him in a rape case in nearby Farmington.
Investigators are working their way through a list of remaining suspects in the death of Theresa Rose Greaves, the Standard-Examiner in Ogden reported.
Detectives are also talking to people who knew Greaves, who was reported missing after leaving her Woods Cross home for a job interview in Salt Lake City in August 1983, said Davis County sheriff's Sgt. DeeAnn Servey.
She made it to Salt Lake and called a friend but was never heard from again.
Lovell had been questioned before in her disappearance and was eliminated early on, though Servey declined to say exactly how he was ruled out.
A hiker found Greaves' skull in a heavily wooded area near a U.S. Highway 89 frontage road in February 2015. Officers searched the area and discovered the rest of the skeletal remains and clothing buried and covered with oak brush and leaves.
Police haven't been able to determine exactly how she died, but the evidence indicates her death wasn't an accident, Servey said.
Greaves moved from New Jersey to Utah after meeting a Mormon missionary and converting in the late 1970s.
The missionary was Kevin Higgs, who lives in Riverdale. He told the newspaper that he baptized Greaves into the church.
After her remains were found last year, the host of the genealogy-themed radio show "Extreme Genes" helped detectives find her remaining family. Scott Fisher used Facebook and a school administrator to find one of her high school classmates, who put him in touch with Greaves' relatives.
An anonymous donor paid to send her remains back to the family.
- The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. — An Oregon agency has filed a lawsuit against neighbors it says cut down dozens of protected trees to improve the view from their homes.
The Oregonian reports that regional planning agency Metro filed the $661,000 suit against two Gresham couples Friday. It claims they cut down 44 trees in a 400-foot swath of protected nature area next to their homes to improve their views of the city below.
The lawsuit says the couples' side-by-side homes are perched on Gresham Butte, overlooking a scenic landscape.
The suit claims the changes increased the value of David El-Khal's and Alyce Hadeed El-Khal's home by more than $79,000 and boosted the value of Stephen and Judith Brugh's home by at least $39,000.
David El-Khal and Stephen Brugh declined to comment on the case.
- The Associated Press
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — An Oregon funeral home is no longer able to offer funerary services after the state revoked its license for mishandling remains.
The Herald and News reports that the Eternal Hills Memorial Gardens and Funeral Home in Klamath Falls can no longer offer funerals, cremations or burials, although cemetery grounds remain open.
The Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board sanctioned Eternal Hills after finding dozens of violations over the past two decades, including mishandling remains, misrepresenting pre-paid services and incorrect or incomplete documentation.
The OMCB has also fined Eternal Hills, its manager, its owner and the associated Klamath Tribute Center.
Eternal Hills has appealed the board's decision. They also asked to be able to continue operating during the appeal, but that request hadn't been granted as of Tuesday.
- The Associated Press
BOISE, Idaho — A southern Idaho couple is facing prison time in an organic alfalfa scam.
Saul Farms co-owner Bernard Saul pleaded guilty Tuesday to wire fraud and money laundering. He could get as much as 20 years in prison on the fraud charge alone at his sentencing June 7, the Idaho Statesman reported.
Investigators say Saul bought alfalfa seed that was treated with fungicides and pesticides, upped the price by about $1.25 more per pound than the average nonorganic seed, and resold it as organic.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Patricco said the farm was capable of growing 35,000 to 50,000 pounds of organic seed each year, but sold a total of 7 million between 2010 and the fall of 2015.
Saul agreed to forfeit property purchased with the proceeds, including a 438-acre piece of land, a boat, and a $90,000 cashier's check.
"He accepts responsibility for his actions and will do what he can to make things right with his customers," said defense attorney Dennis Benjamin.
His wife Roza Saul pleaded guilty Monday to selling a misbranded product and will be sentenced June 2. She faces as much as a year in prison.
Both are responsible for $1.9 million in victim restitution.
- The Associated Press
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska State Troopers are looking for a pickup loaned to the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
Troopers say the truck was reported stolen Monday but has been missing for more than three weeks.
The black Dodge pickup, with Alaska license plate GRJ861, was loaned to the race by an Anchorage dealership, Anchorage Chrysler Dodge, for race volunteers.
The ceremonial start of the race was March 5. Racing began a day later in Willow.
Troopers say the pickup was apparently stolen March 6 in the Willow area but the theft was not discovered because of a miscommunication between race volunteers.
The truck may be in Anchorage.
Anchorage police were involved in a short pursuit of the truck Sunday before it was reported stolen. The truck was last seen on Sixth Avenue.
- The Associated Press
CHULA VISTA, Calif. — Police in San Diego County are searching for a pair of thieves who stole Easter eggs meant for a toddler with Down syndrome from his family's front yard.
Home surveillance video shows a man and woman passing by the home in Chula Vista on Easter Sunday and stopping to pick up several eggs.
A neighbor had spread the eggs on the lawn while Janet and Michael Ford went to church. The Fords were looking forward to having their 2-year-old son, Gabriel, hunt for them later in the day.
The video shows the thieves returning, accompanied by two kids, to pick up more eggs. Then the pair returned a third time and grabbed some holiday decorations.
Police Lt. Fritz Reber said that investigators are reviewing the recordings.
- The Associated Press
ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) — A Mohave County probation agent accused of staging a burglary and shooting himself has pleaded not guilty to a count of communications fraud.
The Spectrum reports 43-year-old Brian Rees Stephens is set to be scheduled for trial at a July 27 status hearing.
Prosecutors say Stephens shot himself in the leg so that people would see him as a hero.
Court records say Stephens told police he was shot during a struggle with a man who had put a gun to his head.
Stephens oversaw Utah residents on probation from Arizona.
Defense attorney Gary Pendleton questioned witnesses about a lack of gunshot residue and other evidence.
A judge said Tuesday that Pendleton had pointed out weaknesses in the prosecution's case, but that there was enough evidence to move forward.
- The Associated Press
ELKO, Nev. — A Nevada gold miner intends to continue working underground despite winning more than $12.5 million.
The Elko Daily Free Press reports that 64-year-old Efren Aguirre of Elko hit the megabucks jackpot at the Gold Dust West Casino at 11:11 p.m. last Tuesday.
Aguirre says he immigrated to the United States from Mexico for "more money," but this wasn't exactly what he expected. He's worked at Newmont Mining Corp.'s Leeville for 16 years and decided to go to the casino after a full day shift on Tuesday.
He says he loves his job as rock breaker operator and doesn't intend to quit.
Aguirre and his wife of 44 years, Maria Aguirre, say they bought their dream house in Elko and will put most of the remaining money away for a rainy day.
- The Associated Press
FARMINGTON, Utah — More than a year after a hiker discovered the skeletal remains of a 23-year-old Utah woman who disappeared decades ago, police are analyzing DNA and interviewing people who knew her.
Detectives say they have ruled out one suspect: Douglas Lovell, a death row inmate who was convicted of killing a woman in 1985 so she couldn't testify against him in a rape case in nearby Farmington.
Investigators are working their way through a list of remaining suspects in the death of Theresa Rose Greaves, the Standard-Examiner in Ogden reported.
Detectives are also talking to people who knew Greaves, who was reported missing after leaving her Woods Cross home for a job interview in Salt Lake City in August 1983, said Davis County sheriff's Sgt. DeeAnn Servey.
She made it to Salt Lake and called a friend but was never heard from again.
Lovell had been questioned before in her disappearance and was eliminated early on, though Servey declined to say exactly how he was ruled out.
A hiker found Greaves' skull in a heavily wooded area near a U.S. Highway 89 frontage road in February 2015. Officers searched the area and discovered the rest of the skeletal remains and clothing buried and covered with oak brush and leaves.
Police haven't been able to determine exactly how she died, but the evidence indicates her death wasn't an accident, Servey said.
Greaves moved from New Jersey to Utah after meeting a Mormon missionary and converting in the late 1970s.
The missionary was Kevin Higgs, who lives in Riverdale. He told the newspaper that he baptized Greaves into the church.
After her remains were found last year, the host of the genealogy-themed radio show "Extreme Genes" helped detectives find her remaining family. Scott Fisher used Facebook and a school administrator to find one of her high school classmates, who put him in touch with Greaves' relatives.
An anonymous donor paid to send her remains back to the family.
- The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. — An Oregon agency has filed a lawsuit against neighbors it says cut down dozens of protected trees to improve the view from their homes.
The Oregonian reports that regional planning agency Metro filed the $661,000 suit against two Gresham couples Friday. It claims they cut down 44 trees in a 400-foot swath of protected nature area next to their homes to improve their views of the city below.
The lawsuit says the couples' side-by-side homes are perched on Gresham Butte, overlooking a scenic landscape.
The suit claims the changes increased the value of David El-Khal's and Alyce Hadeed El-Khal's home by more than $79,000 and boosted the value of Stephen and Judith Brugh's home by at least $39,000.
David El-Khal and Stephen Brugh declined to comment on the case.
- The Associated Press
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — An Oregon funeral home is no longer able to offer funerary services after the state revoked its license for mishandling remains.
The Herald and News reports that the Eternal Hills Memorial Gardens and Funeral Home in Klamath Falls can no longer offer funerals, cremations or burials, although cemetery grounds remain open.
The Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board sanctioned Eternal Hills after finding dozens of violations over the past two decades, including mishandling remains, misrepresenting pre-paid services and incorrect or incomplete documentation.
The OMCB has also fined Eternal Hills, its manager, its owner and the associated Klamath Tribute Center.
Eternal Hills has appealed the board's decision. They also asked to be able to continue operating during the appeal, but that request hadn't been granted as of Tuesday.
- The Associated Press
BOISE, Idaho — A southern Idaho couple is facing prison time in an organic alfalfa scam.
Saul Farms co-owner Bernard Saul pleaded guilty Tuesday to wire fraud and money laundering. He could get as much as 20 years in prison on the fraud charge alone at his sentencing June 7, the Idaho Statesman reported.
Investigators say Saul bought alfalfa seed that was treated with fungicides and pesticides, upped the price by about $1.25 more per pound than the average nonorganic seed, and resold it as organic.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Patricco said the farm was capable of growing 35,000 to 50,000 pounds of organic seed each year, but sold a total of 7 million between 2010 and the fall of 2015.
Saul agreed to forfeit property purchased with the proceeds, including a 438-acre piece of land, a boat, and a $90,000 cashier's check.
"He accepts responsibility for his actions and will do what he can to make things right with his customers," said defense attorney Dennis Benjamin.
His wife Roza Saul pleaded guilty Monday to selling a misbranded product and will be sentenced June 2. She faces as much as a year in prison.
Both are responsible for $1.9 million in victim restitution.
- The Associated Press
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska State Troopers are looking for a pickup loaned to the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
Troopers say the truck was reported stolen Monday but has been missing for more than three weeks.
The black Dodge pickup, with Alaska license plate GRJ861, was loaned to the race by an Anchorage dealership, Anchorage Chrysler Dodge, for race volunteers.
The ceremonial start of the race was March 5. Racing began a day later in Willow.
Troopers say the pickup was apparently stolen March 6 in the Willow area but the theft was not discovered because of a miscommunication between race volunteers.
The truck may be in Anchorage.
Anchorage police were involved in a short pursuit of the truck Sunday before it was reported stolen. The truck was last seen on Sixth Avenue.
- The Associated Press
CHULA VISTA, Calif. — Police in San Diego County are searching for a pair of thieves who stole Easter eggs meant for a toddler with Down syndrome from his family's front yard.
Home surveillance video shows a man and woman passing by the home in Chula Vista on Easter Sunday and stopping to pick up several eggs.
A neighbor had spread the eggs on the lawn while Janet and Michael Ford went to church. The Fords were looking forward to having their 2-year-old son, Gabriel, hunt for them later in the day.
The video shows the thieves returning, accompanied by two kids, to pick up more eggs. Then the pair returned a third time and grabbed some holiday decorations.
Police Lt. Fritz Reber said that investigators are reviewing the recordings.
- The Associated Press
ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) — A Mohave County probation agent accused of staging a burglary and shooting himself has pleaded not guilty to a count of communications fraud.
The Spectrum reports 43-year-old Brian Rees Stephens is set to be scheduled for trial at a July 27 status hearing.
Prosecutors say Stephens shot himself in the leg so that people would see him as a hero.
Court records say Stephens told police he was shot during a struggle with a man who had put a gun to his head.
Stephens oversaw Utah residents on probation from Arizona.
Defense attorney Gary Pendleton questioned witnesses about a lack of gunshot residue and other evidence.
A judge said Tuesday that Pendleton had pointed out weaknesses in the prosecution's case, but that there was enough evidence to move forward.
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