Wednesday morning, October 28, 2020
State
From Two Daily Papers To None
The Deseret News will stop daily printing of its newspaper next year after 170 years of putting out a hard copy edition. The Salt Lake Tribune announced similar plans earlier this week. So, Salt Lake City will go from two daily printed newspapers to none. Both newspapers will publish breaking and other news daily online and offer a weekly print publication. The deep cuts in print come as the number of print customers and revenue decline precipitously for newspapers around the country. — Diane Maggipinto
Spoiled Ballots
Election officials are telling voters not to worry if they have been having trouble getting their mail-in ballot, and their county clerk’s office tells them it has been spoiled. They can get a new one. County clerks spoil the first ballot they send so that voters can't cast two different ballots. Utah County Clerk Amelia Powers Gardner said the most common reason that happens is people move and forget to update their address. If you don’t receive a ballot in the mail, you can still vote in person on Election Day or at early voting locations. — Sonja Hutson
Northern Utah
Donations Down To Homeless Shelter Amidst Pandemic
The Rescue Mission in Salt Lake City is asking for clothing donations as they prepare for winter. Executive Director Chris Croswhite said the shelter usually distributes tens of thousands of items every year to people living on the street to help them get through the coldest months. Croswhite thinks the coronavirus pandemic and fears of being shut down have reduced donations of winter clothing. Croswhite also said he believes homeless resource providers have seen an increase in demand this year, even while available space has been reduced by consolidation. — Associated Press
Region
Navajo Nation COVID Update
Navajo Nation health officials on Tuesday reported 24 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and one death, the first after seven consecutive days of no reported deaths. The latest figures bring the total number of cases to 11,386 and the known death toll to 575 people. Tribal health officials said 122,240 people have been tested across the reservation that spans parts of Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. — Associated Press
Broadband Frequency Dedicated To Tribes
The Federal Communications Commission said it’s taken an unprecedented step towards closing the digital divide on tribal lands by granting exclusive rights to a frequency band for tribal entities across the country. The agency estimates that nearly half of households on rural tribal lands don’t have access to broadband service. Tribes had a seven-month window to take advantage of the offer which closed last month. The FCC just announced they are now reviewing 400 applications with 154 approved so far. Many of the successful recipients plan to build or improve their own broadband providers. — Savannah Maher, Mountain West News Bureau