Thursday evening, Jan. 16, 2020
STATE
Rep. Rob Bishop Joins Thomas Wright’s Gubernatorial Ticket
Former Utah GOP chair and candidate for Governor Thomas Wright has tapped Utah Congressman Rob Bishop as his running mate. Read the full story. — Sonja Hutson
SOUTHERN UTAH
St. George Slow Down
The St. George metropolitan area has ranked among the fastest-growing regions in the country for decades. But now there are signs of a slowdown. Read the full story. — David Fuchs, St. George
NORTHERN UTAH
State Rep. Patrice Arent To Retire
Democratic Rep. Patrice Arent announced Thursday that she will not be seeking reelection. After nearly 20 years in office as both a Utah representative and senator, Arent says she is stepping down to work more closely with community organizations. Though she was public about a cancer diagnosis last year, Arent emphasized that she is not stepping down for health reasons. Arent is founder and co-chair of the Legislature’s Clean Air Caucus and co-chair of the House Ethics Committee. — Jessica Lowell
SLC Food Equity Program
Salt Lake City’s new program on food equity is calling for applicants to join its advisors. The Resident Food Equity Advisors program would look for ways to improve access to healthy foods in the city, particularly for vulnerable and marginalized communities. The program hopes to hear from low-income individuals and those at-risk for food insecurity. Sustainability Program Manager Supreet Gill says they want to hear stories not just of hardship, but also tradition, culture and experience. — Caroline Ballard
REGION
Living Buildings
Building materials like concrete come with a high environmental cost: They can’t be recycled and they have a lot of carbon emissions. But researchers from the University of Colorado and Montana State University found that microscopic organisms eat up carbon dioxide, and create structures strong enough for people to stand on. It can also repair itself under the right conditions. It could be years or even decades before we see these bacteria buildings materialize though. — Madelyn Beck, Mountain West News Bureau
NATION
Utah Activists Rally For “Fair” Impeachment Trial
On Thursday, activists gathered in front of Sen. Mitt Romney’s Salt Lake office to advocate for a “full and fair” impeachment trial. Romney has said he’s open to hearing from additional witnesses like former national security advisor John Bolton. Senators were sworn in today for the trial, which is set to begin on Tuesday. — Jessica Lowell