Senator David P. Hinkins is looking to present a couple of appropriation requests for a Utah State University site campus in Grand County, and seeking funds to incorporate more Career Technical Education programs at Utah State University Eastern.

“This morning I got one request that I’ve got to go present for Grand County which is a Utah State campus on the south end of Moab and there is a generous donor that’s put up $3 million so this request I have is for $1.5 million for Utah State campus for Moab,” said Senator Hinkins. The site is 40-acres and approximately three miles south of the city. The campus is sure to boost the local economy while bringing in further higher-education opportunities to the area.

Later in the week, Senator Hinkins will present another appropriation request this time for Utah State University Eastern as he explains, “A request for higher-education to get $2 million for the USU-Eastern to start doing more technical trades and try to get certificates for technical. So, it would be a lot of trades which will hopefully accelerate people to higher-ed and so that’s the main goal there.” Implementing more CTE courses will allow local industries to work more closely with the university to develop those programs in order to help put individuals on a career path much sooner.

Emery County Commissioners Lynn Sitterud and Kent Wilson made a visit to the legislature regarding appropriation for the development of a research lab in their county. “It’s a $10 million request and what we’re trying to do is open a research center over in what used to be called, Utah Power and Light had this central warehouse in Orangeville and so it would be a campus to do research for medical isotopes, as well as the nuclear medicine for cancer research and for cancer treatments,” stated Senator Hinkins. If the request is approved the monies would help get the existing building up to par so that the research lab project could get underway.