Small Town Kanab In a small town, change is often unwanted. Kanab, in the heart of Utah’s color country, has long enjoyed fame due to its astounding beauty and small-town charm. Multitudes of Western films were shot amongst the buttes and mesas that point the way to Lake Powell and the Grand Canyon. The town has long been home to the Western Legends Roundup, which features a … [Read more...]
Big MLM trouble in Big China
Can USANA deal with Chinese laws? Major multi-level marketing companies like USANA face crackdowns in China, where the business practice is widespread, sometimes violent, and very illegal. The following story was written and reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with Utah Stories. USANA encounters multi-level problems in China Multi-level … [Read more...]
No-Knock Search Warrant Costs Utah Police Forces $60K in Payouts to Victims
In 2016, Cottonwood Heights Police and Unified Police executed a no-knock search warrant at a Taylorsville house using explosives and battering rams. They were looking for a woman suspected of selling methamphetamine who rented a mother-in-law basement apartment there, as well as evidence of drug dealing. The violent entry through the front door and several other entry points … [Read more...]
Cottonwood Heights: Council Member Finds Opposition to Transparency
Even before Tali Bruce was sworn in as a Cottonwood Heights City Council member in January 2018, she and police Chief Robby Russo were at odds on the issues. According to Bruce, Russo endorsed her opponent in the fall 2017 election, an action she believes was inappropriate coming from a police officer. [*According to her opponent this never happened.] Now, 15 months later, … [Read more...]
Utah’s Economy: Growing Utah’s Cities and Communities to have A Strong Local Economic Tax Base
Utah's Economy: The skyline of the Wasatch Front shows growth and development everywhere. But much of the growth is among homogenous corporate retail chains, restaurants, and big-box stores. According to Val Hale, who is the President of Utah’s Office of Economic Development, AKA GoEd - the Governor's Office of Economic Development - Utah’s economy is booming. Just last … [Read more...]
Help Wanted: Utah’s Labor Shortage
Is America running out of workers? According to a December 13, 2018 report by The Conference Board—a nonprofit organization dedicated to researching and addressing looming business issues—2019 may be a historically tight year in the labor market. This will be especially true in blue-collar industries like mining, manufacturing, maintenance, agriculture, and others … [Read more...]
Medical Cannabis in Utah: The Central Fill
If there were one poison pill in the “compromise bill” it is that the bill has already been written that will be passed instead of Proposition Two and includes the all new idea that there must be a state-operated “central fill". One massive facility will essentially serve the needs of all the medical cannabis pharmacies and all of the walk-up clinics that will participate in … [Read more...]
Medical Marijuana in Utah
This November Utahns have one major issue on the ballot that could dramatically alter our extreme-red, hyper-conservative state: the legalization of medical marijuana. The ballot initiative Proposition Two seeks to allow residents to utilize marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation. Currently 66 percent of Utah voters support this initiative. This would also allow for … [Read more...]
The “Smart Home”?
The following story was written and reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with Utah Stories. Life is going to be easy in your techno-fabulous Vivint Smart Home of the not too-distant future. Why? Because your smart home will act like a sophisticated security guard/nanny/third parent. You can come home, kick back, and check the stats on … [Read more...]
Operation Rio Grande And the impact on Utah’s Homeless
Did you know that in 2015 Utah Solved the Problem of Chronic Homelessness? In 2015, the national press (including NBC Nightly News, The Daily Show, The Washington Post, New Yorker Magazine and Ted Talks) were all celebrating how Salt Lake City had declared a victory over the war on homelessness. Apparently the homeless didn’t get the memo … or perhaps they … [Read more...]