Northern Utah
Salt Lake votes to put a pause on new permanent homeless shelters
The Salt Lake City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to extend a pause on new permanent homeless shelters within the city, potentially until May of 2023. The decision stems from a process Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall initiated last October. The plan is to use this time to update regulations related to shelters and consider expanding where they can be allowed. Some community members worried the proposal ignored the needs of people experiencing homelessness. But Councilmember Victoria Petro-Eschler said the decision wasn’t meant to punish anyone and would allow the city to pause “and make decisions that are palatable and in the best interest of all of us.” Read the full story. — Emily Means
Outdoor Retailer coming back to Salt Lake City
The Outdoor Retailer trade show is headed back to Salt Lake City after leaving in 2017. The event moved to Denver in 2018 after Utah lawmakers asked President Donald Trump to repeal the newly designated Bears Ears National Monument. Two dozen outdoor recreation companies — including Patagonia, REI and The North Face — had threatened to boycott the show if it moved back to Salt Lake. But Outdoor Retailer's officials said they can better fight for public lands protections from the event's former home in Utah. The event will be held at the Salt Palace starting in 2023. — Associated Press
Region/Nation
Tribal nations receive money for renewable energy
The U.S. Department of Energy will award $9 million to tribal nations for renewable energy projects. One in the Mountain West is the Pueblo of Laguna in New Mexico. They will install solar panels for a few community centers. Elroy Keetso, who is Diné and the pueblo’s program planning manager, said this could help with the nation’s goal of energy sovereignty. The funds are being split between 13 tribal nations. — Emma Gibson, Mountain West News Bureau