The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (DABS) in Salt Lake City is investigating a bar called Weathered Waves for its “No Zionists Allowed” policy, as communicated on social media, according to ABC4. DABS is concerned about safety and is reviewing its legal options to address discrimination at licensed establishments. Michelle Schmitt, DABS Communications Director, emphasized the department’s commitment to ensuring the safety of patrons, employees, and owners.
Thomas Hart, a 63-year-old retiree living in North Ogden, is nearing a potential world record for skiing the most vertical feet in a single year, according to The Standard Examiner. Spending much of his winter at Snowbasin Resort, he is over halfway to achieving the Guinness World Record. Hart’s passion for skiing led him to move to Utah at age 35, where he now skis daily after retiring.
Zion National Park is transitioning exclusively to Recreation.gov for all online reservations, including campgrounds and permits for activities like canyoneering and backpacking, starting Friday, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. The move, controversial due to the involvement of a third-party platform, affects popular sites like Watchman, Lava Point, and South campgrounds. Moreover, the park is increasing camping fees by $15 per night, marking a more than 50% rise from current rates. For instance, fees at the South and Watchman campgrounds will now range from $35 to $45. Additionally, the fee for non-campers using the dump station will be $5. This adjustment comes as Zion National Park experiences a 28% surge in visitation since 2015, with over a million more visitors yearly.
Utah’s culture wars have reached a new level with the passage of a bill by the Legislature, preventing state wildlife officials from adopting new names proposed by the American Ornithological Society (AOS) for birds named after individuals, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. The AOS, responsible for bird species naming since the 1800s, has been addressing the issue of names linked to individuals, particularly white males with racist histories. Last fall, the AOS pledged to change up to 80 bird species’ names, diversify committee membership for name selection, and involve the public in the renaming process.
“They love to search. Their ‘work’ is the most fun game they play,” says Greg Miller, Alta Ski Area Patroller and avalanche dog handler.
Utah’s Little Cottonwood Canyon experiences some of the most extreme snow conditions in the world, and avalanche dogs are essential to skier safety. Even when the Valley floor hardly has a dusting of snow, Alta and Snowbird might be covered up in hundreds of inches. This deep powder, steep terrain, differences in snow layers, and fluctuations of temperature combine to create avalanches.
When an avalanche happens, a trained dog can work a 100’x100’ area and search for up to three victims. That’s because an avalanche dog’s training is based on something that comes naturally to it: scent finding.
*Content for this article curated from other sources.
