Friday evening, Jan. 17, 2020
STATE
Utah’s Housing Forecast
2019 was an “exceptional year” for Utah’s housing market, according to the Salt Lake Board of Realtors. And at its annual housing forecast event Friday, it said Utahns can expect more of the same in 2020. But that’s not good news for everyone. Read the full story. — Jon Reed
NORTHERN UTAH
Drilling Permits Withdrawn
Earlier this week, the Bureau of Land Management announced that it has withdrawn approval of 175 drilling permits near Desolation Canyon and Nine Mile Canyon in Eastern Utah. The agency approved the permits in 2018, and conservation groups appealed that decision to the state BLM office. They argued the permits would have had significant impacts on wildlife. — Jessica Lowell
Water Reclamation Facility
Salt Lake City is hosting open houses in January to update residents on the progress of rebuilding its Water Reclamation Facility. The facility, which treats wastewater, is 55 years old. New construction will help it meet new water quality standards, and is expected to cost $700 million. Officials are encouraging residents to share their views on the architecture and possible public uses for the facility in the public information sessions. — Caroline Ballard
Snowy Morning
Snow coated the roads during the morning commute near Salt Lake City Friday morning. The National Weather Service reported the storm dropped up to 5 inches within about four hours. In the mountains, some places saw more than a foot of snow. The Utah Highway Patrol said state government workers and some schools started on a delay, helping keep the number of accidents on icy roads to a relatively low 75. — Caroline Ballard
REGION
Nasty Flu Season
Many parts of our region — including Utah — are experiencing high levels of flu activity right now. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the flu season began early this year. However, there hasn't been a huge uptick in hospitalization and deaths. Public Health Officials say it’s not too late to get the flu shot. — Kamila Kudelska, Mountain West News Bureau