Monday morning, July 5, 2021
State
Utah’s Hall Of Shame Getting Good Use For Water Wasters
Utah’s Hall of Fame and Shame system for telling on people who are wasting water — and highlighting conservation — is getting a lot of use. It's been around since 2017, but more than 80% of the complaints received have happened this year, according to data from the Utah Division of Water Resources. Stephanie Duer, Salt Lake City’s water conservation manager, said the calls can make a big difference and most people are receptive to making changes. But there’s also a need to better understand how people are using water so mitigation efforts can be more effective. Read the full story. — Jon Reed
How Utahns Spent Their Federal Stimulus Checks
Since the start of the pandemic, the federal government has issued three different rounds of stimulus checks to Americans. According to a recent analysis by the Utah Foundation, a nonpartisan research organization, Utahns were more likely to put that money into savings than people living in other states. The study found 11% of Utahns surveyed used their stimulus checks for savings or investments, compared to 7% nationally. Generally, though, residents of the Beehive State spent money similarly to the rest of the country on things like food, rent and debt payment. — Emily Means
Northern Utah
Wolverine Spotted In Davis County Again
A wolverine was spotted in Davis County last week for the second time in two months, captured by a doorbell camera in Layton. Such an occurrence is extremely rare in Utah, as the animals are generally secretive, come at night and live mostly in cold, high elevation environments, according to Mark Hadley with Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources. He said biologists are hoping to catch the wolverine and put a tracker on it to better understand how the species behaves. DWR is asking people to keep their eyes out for the wolverine and contact their office if they see it. — Jon Reed
BYU Students Launch Independent Newspaper
A group of students at Brigham Young University has left the school's student paper — The Daily Universe. They launched their own underground, independent publication called Prodigal Press and it is not controlled by the school. Students at the Daily Universe aren't allowed to report anything that's critical of the school or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The new paper will cover what happens on campus without the limitations that come with the university's sanction. This isn't the first time students at BYU have published an underground newspaper. Independent publications started there as early as 1906. — Associated Press
Fourth Drowning At Deer Creek State Park
Another person drowned over the weekend at Deer Creek State Park. Park officials said 69-year-old Randall Fern was canoeing with other family members on Saturday when their boats became swamped. The group then decided to swim back to shore. Officials said Fern started struggling about 15 feet away from shore and was not wearing a life jacket. A passerby was able to help Fern onto their boat but he was pronounced dead at the scene. This is the fourth drowning reported at Deer Creek in the past month. — Ross Terrell