Utah

In late February, an equipment operator was found dead at a facility on the Great Salt Lake’s Stansbury Island. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, the victim was found face down on a conveyor that had stopped operating. When paramedics arrived on the scene, he was not breathing or responsive. The newspaper reports that Mine Safety and Health Administration investigators did not release any information on the victim’s injuries, but had not ruled out the possibility that his death may have resulted from natural causes.

Vermont

The Putney Town Board wants to borrow up to $75,000 to continue its partnership with the town of Dummerston on a shared gravel pit. The Brattleboro Reformer reports that the two towns share another pit that has saved Putney $125,000 in sand and gravel costs by operating its own pit. That site is nearing the end of its life, and the two towns want to open a new pit. The town manager told the board that all future sand will be free and clear of any costs other than their lease price per yard, approximately half of the going price of purchased sand.

Virginia

Luck Stone Corp. is credited with keeping the Xterra East Championship, a mountain bike triathlon race, in Richmond. Richmond BizSense reports that the company has committed at least $25,000 to sponsor the event. A previous sponsor had pulled its support, and the event’s future with the city was in doubt. An Old Dominion University professor estimated last year’s economic impact for the two-day event to be slightly more than $1 million. “Had we not been able to find Luck Stone like we did, this certainly would have gone to Charlotte, N.C.,” Councilman Doug Conner told the journal.

Virginia

At Aggregates Manager’s press time, a public hearing was scheduled before the Caroline Planning Commission regarding Vulcan Material Co.’s proposal for a sand and gravel mine on a 541-acre property in Caroline County. According to the Free Lance-Star, the company hopes to have the mine operational by summer of 2012. The site is expected to create 14 full-time jobs and generate annual tax revenues of about $100,000, with material being barged along the Rappahannock River. More than 100 people turned out for an early March meeting, with many opposing the project.