It's tough to follow the news when you're finally off the clock and have time for yourself and your family. But rest assured, we won't leave you hanging when you're trying to catch up with all the happenings in Utah over the weekend. Here's everything you need to know and more. Top stories:
Protesting shutdown, Utah hikers jump fence for 'Occupy Zion' national park • About 15 hikers, led my a local businessman, jumped a fence and took a short hike in the shuttered Zion National Park Saturday in protest of the government shutdown.
Mormon women shut out of all-male priesthood meeting • About 130 Mormon women were not allowed to attend the male-only priesthood session of LDS General Conference Saturday night as they stood in the standby line and asked to be admitted. They were led by a group called Ordain Women, which seeks for women to be ordained in the LDS priesthood.
Lee's shutdown strategy: some see it as brilliant, others a giant blunder • Utah Senator Mike Lee has emerged as the behind-the-scene strategist pushing forward the plan headed most publicly by Sen. Ted Cruz to defeat Obamacare by tying it to the battle over the budget. Depending on who you talk to, he is either brilliant or committing a grave error for the GOP.
Tough Moab players tenderly say goodbye to a fallen teammate • Sam Woodruff was a tough player who said he was trying his hardest to change his life and make up for past mistakes. That made it all the more tragic when he suddenly died after a pre-season practice.
Utah woman says goodbye to heroin, hooking and homelessness • Gina Salazar made it out of a life filled with drugs, prostitution and homelessness. She is now a paid outreach worker for Volunteers of America, trying to help others in the same situation find a way out.
Utah defense workers cheer back-to-work order • Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Saturday that he was ordering back to work many of the defense workers who had been sent home. However, it was still not clear if and when those workers would be paid.
New subpoena zeroes in on Swallow-Johnson money ties • The Utah House is now seeking to read emails regarding a concrete deal that netted embattled Utah Attorney General John Swallow $23,500.
Distinct Mormon wards help mid-singles stay true to a family faith • A special kind of LDS ward is surging in popularity, catering to members aged 30 to 45 who are unmarried and looking for a partner. One ward in Utah has about 650 regular attendees.
Polygamous town leaders, feds fight over First Amendment • Asked whether they gave money to Warren Jeffs while he was running from the law, police in Colorado City refused to answer. That sparked a legal battle centered around whether town officials should be required to give information on their religious affiliation.
Most big money backers of Count My Vote skipped party caucuses • Only one-third of the donors who poured over half a million dollars into a campaign to eliminate the caucus system in Utah elections actually attended their caucus meetings, according to records from both the Republican and Democratic parties.
Other news:
Uchtdorf urges questioning Mormons to return
Two Mormon families experience grief and forgiveness
Fewer takers than expected for Utah's new $50 coyote bounty
A consumer guide to Utah funerals
Driver arrested on DUI charge after crash in Logan Canyon
Infographic: Utah's 35,000 federal employees
Baby dies from injuries suffered in Murray crash
U. of Utah athletics officials team up to subdue suspect in thefts
South Salt Lake man charged with murder in stabbing of neighbor
Monster truck crashes into crowd, killing eight
New health-care law could save money for Utah Corrections
D.C. Notebook: Hatch's sneakers and Lee as Luke Skywalker
Sports:
College football: BYU routs Utah State 31-14; Aggies' star injured
BYU's Collie proud to be with Patriots
Walden: Switch my favorite team? Ain't happening
Kragthorpe: Taysom Hill's career night improves BYU's outlook
St. George Marathon a sentimental journey for winners
Opinion and commentary:
Kirby: Scrutiny of LDS Church history serves up surprises
Utah communities harmed by dependence on federal government
The Caucus: a good system that we need to work together to make better
SITLA cannot bend to pressure from any group
Rex Lee's legacy as a problem solver is lost on his son
Our response to climate change will seal the future
Entertainment:
Two movies take indie route through Utah
Reviews:
Gripping 'Gravity' tells a survival story in space'American Horror Story' crashes, burns
'Purge' loses morality tale in pool of blood
Joss Whedon's 'Much Ado' a fun modern spin on Shakespeare
In 'Captain Phillips,' filmmaker finds modern moral drama
Bewitching tomes for the little ones