Utah briefs

Toddler dies after TV falls on him

A Salt Lake County toddler who had a TV fall on top of him has died.

The 20-month-old boy, whose name was not released Tuesday, was injured Sunday morning at his parents' home, near 200 East and 4100 South, said Salt Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Don Hutson.

The accident happened in the living room of the house. The boy's parents were in their bedroom when they heard a crash, Hutson said. A 27-inch tube TV, which had been on top of a sort of wire stand, somehow fell onto the toddler, Hutson said.

Three siblings were also in the house at the time of the accident, he said. What happened prior to the accident and why the TV fell off the stand were still under investigation Tuesday, Hutson said.

— Pat Reavy

Avalanche center issues warning

The Utah Avalanche Center has issued a warning for the western Uinta Mountains and the Wasatch Plateau.

"They've nearly doubled their snowpack since Thursday, overloading a weak pre-existing base," the center said in a statement posted on utahavalanchecenter.org on Tuesday. "It will be possible to trigger large, unsurvivable avalanches on steep northerly through easterly terrain."

Avalanche forecaster Drew Hardesty wrote that recreationists should avoid steep slopes until conditions improve. Avalanche danger in the western Uintas is considered "high." In Logan, Manti and Moab it is ranked "considerable."

— Ben Winslow

Council approves bipartisan panel

The first promise of the new majority party on the Salt Lake County Council was made good on Tuesday at the board's weekly meeting.

A proposal that will create an independent advisory commission to adjust county voting districts passed the council on a unanimous vote.

Soon after county Democrats gained a 5-4 advantage on their council Republican counterparts following last November's general election, Chairman Joe Hatch promised to push for an independent body to de-politicize the process of drawing new boundaries after the federal census is conducted. The new commission will be formed from three members of each party and one independent representative.

— Arthur Raymond

Provo testing 2electric vehicles

PROVO (AP) — The city is testing electric vehicles.

Provo has two new Miles ZX40ST electric trucks, which arrived two weeks ago and are now licensed to be on the street. The trucks are part of an effort to find ways to reduce cost and pollution.