Is reducing suicide as easy as passing HB23? Utah ranks among the highest in the nation in suicide rates. The most common attributor to suicide is depression, and according to a study for “Mental Health America,” Utah ranks as the most depressed state in the nation. Part of the nation’s “suicide belt,” Utah’s suicide trends among children and teenagers are even more … [Read more...]
Generation Y Me?
The “Greatest Generation” is now in its late 80s. Their kids, the Baby Boomers, are slowly retiring. If our current trajectory of spending and debt continues, according to economists and congressional members such as Paul Ryan and Rand Paul, by the time the Boomers pass the baton of retirement to the Millennials, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid will be bankrupt. The … [Read more...]
What is Zaniac?
The bright purple and green building on 2100 South and around 1000 East, once the home of Sugar House Coffee, certainly attracts attention. The sign outside reads “Zaniac.” “What’s this?” I wondered. “Another Zumba-like fitness studio?” The immaculately remodeled interior is full of brand new Apple computers. Chess and game boards fill the tables. I was still guessing at the … [Read more...]
The Mission Continues: Helping Veterans Make the Trek from Soldier to Civilian
Utah has some of the biggest Trekkies in America. In fact, Utah theaters ranked in the top of the nation for attendance for the latest Star Trek: Into Darkness. As Memorial Day approaches, Utah Stories would like to highlight a veterans-focused charity supported by Star Trek director J.J. Abrahms and his wife Kate McGrath. The Mission Continues is a national nonprofit … [Read more...]
The Guadalupe Learning Center
“Fighting poverty and providing hope through education” summarizes the Guadalupe Learning Center’s mission. For over forty years the Center has provided a haven for Salt Lake immigrants needing to negotiate a new life in a foreign land. Located at 340 South and 1040 West, it is in the heart of the neighborhood it serves. On any Tuesday night, floor manager Traci Grant … [Read more...]
Utah Education by the Numbers
by Richard Markosian & Tami Hansen [field name=embed-data] The Story Behind the Numbers Most graduating Seniors aren’t prepared for university level education. As a result community colleges and two year colleges are seeing record increases in enrollment while the universities have only seen modest gains. During most economic downturns enrollment in at colleges and … [Read more...]
Urban Lunch Box
by Adam Vicinus The guerilla gardening movement inspired Shawn Peterson to convert a school bus into a classroom on wheels. Maybe you’ve seen the multi-colored school bus driving around your neighborhood. Or perhaps one of your kids came home from school with some tomato seeds and lectured you on how much better not only the family but the whole planet would be if we grew … [Read more...]