Arizona authorities visit Jeffs ranch
FLDS children's education a concern
FBI agents and an assistant U.S. attorney from Arizona met earlier this week with Schleicher County Sheriff David Doran about the FLDS Church and what may happen now that Jeffs has been captured.
"They were just keeping open lines of communication with the sheriff and others in the community there," said Special Agent Deborah McCarley from the FBI's office in Phoenix.
Doran told the Deseret Morning News the visit had been arranged before Jeffs was captured.
"They wanted basically to come down and see what the Texas ranch looked like. We just swapped information," he said Thursday. "They went over the U.S. attorney's role and what they're going to be doing."
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona would not comment on the visit to Eldorado.
"It's inappropriate for us to discuss ongoing investigations," spokesman Wyn Hornbuckle said Thursday.
Federal prosecutors in Utah and Arizona have filed a pair of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution warrants against Jeffs. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Utah has threatened to indict Jeffs on fugitive charges should he ever be granted bail.
Doran said he showed the men the ranch from a nearby road. The law enforcement officials also took a flight over the YFZ Ranch with Schleicher County Justice of the Peace James Doyle, who is also a part-time pilot.
"They were fairly impressed with the size of it," Judge Doyle said Thursday.
On the ranch, an irrigation pipeline is being built and several houses remain under construction. The temple itself is walled off from the rest of the ranch. YFZ stands for "Yearning for Zion" after a song Warren Jeffs wrote.
The sheriff and the superintendent of the Schleicher County Independent School District recently met with FLDS members to discuss what if any education is being offered to children on the YFZ Ranch.
"I had very limited knowledge about what's going on out there at all. I heard there were children out there, and I had that concern," said superintendent Billy Collins.
The superintendent said FLDS members told him they were home schooling their children, using accepted textbooks and teaching a number of subjects that would satisfy the minimum required by the law.
"The law here is pretty vague, and we don't really have a legal avenue to enforce what is being taught in a home-school setting," Collins said Thursday.
Still, the superintendent said he wants to go out to the ranch to see for himself the home schooling that is taking place. He also has no idea how many children are on the ranch.
Comments
- Funds for new courthouse approved 1:48 a.m.
- Godfrey vetoes Ogden budget 1:48 a.m.
- Odd Fellows Hall move 1:47 a.m.
- 2 country groups to perform 1:47 a.m.
- Rumor has Boozer with Bulls 1:20 a.m.
- Jazz in back of line for free agents 1:19 a.m.
- Okur signs two-year extension 1:18 a.m.
- Marion to Mavs, Stackhouse to Griz 1:16 a.m.
- Price for redistricting plan challenged 1:04 a.m.
- Basketball campers learn service 1:02 a.m.
- Rumor has Boozer with Bulls
- Stadium of Fire flag burning was fake
- Jazz in back of line for free agents
- Okur signs two-year extension
- Restaurant destroyed by fire
- Jazz won't meet Lopez on Europe trip
- A primer for the 6th Potter film
- AK will not play for Russia this summer
- Jazz rally for OT win at Orlando
- Blazers may offer Millsap a contract
- Bronco collecting a galaxy of recruits
138 - Letters: Palin mistreated
136 - Teachers struggle with district cuts
134 - Blazers may offer Millsap a contract
122 - Rumor has Boozer with Bulls
82 - Fairness of BCS debated
81 - Moon landing: Let's hear from you
73 - Chaffetz eyes challenging Bennett
72 - Services bids farewell to Jackson
70 - Letters: Time for a revolution
69
As more and more dads are put out of work in this economy, I've been...
The photographs are mysterious, brooding, dark. They show dimples and...
Blazers get the unbalanced trade they seek while not signing Millsap away...
Ricky Bobby - THE JAZZ DO NOT WANT TO TAKE BACK EQUAL SALARIES. They want to...
Despite the fact that logging has all but stopped in the pacific northwest...
My understanding of what FAIR is trying to do, is to provide well thought out...
Jazz will resign Milsap. If they don't it will be ahuge mistake. First off,...
I was waiting for it to be burned on the big metal structure right by the...
Hey Ute fan... the Utes had a good season. And keep throwing that BCS bowl...
Tyrus Thomas is in the last year of his contract too so what is the point for...
CougarKeith, people don't know how to properly retire the flag, what they did...
It is just talk but since it was brought up: IF we can get Prizbilla &...



You can be the first to comment on this story.