2+ mon, 2+ week ago (780+ words) OREM, Utah -- Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and close ally of President Donald Trump who played an influential role in rallying young Republican voters, was shot and killed Wednesday at a Utah college event in what the governor called a political assassination carried out from a rooftop. A person of interest was in custody, officials said. "This is a dark day for our state. It's a tragic day for our nation," said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. "I want to be very clear this is a political assassination." Authorities did not immediately identify the person who had been in custody, a motive or any criminal charge. The shooter, who Cox pledged would be held accountable in a state with the death penalty, wore dark clothing and fired from a roof on campus some distance away. Kirk was speaking at a debate…...

14+ hour, 41+ min ago (494+ words) PROVO, Utah -- Bear Bachmeier threw for 289 yards and a touchdown to help No. 11 BYU beat UCF 41-21 on Saturday. LJ Martin added 95 yards and three touchdowns on the ground for the Cougars (11-1, 8-1 ) who clinched a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game next Saturday where they will face Texas Tech for a second time this season. Parker Kingston added 181 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns. BYU is playing in a conference championship game for the first time since battling Air Force for the WAC title in 1998. "Last year, we were kind of feeling sad that we weren't in this championship game because it came down to a tiebreaker and all that stuff," BYU Coach Kalani Sitake said. "It just felt good to have this game and make sure that we lock it up. Now we can get back on the redemption trail and…...