$1.50 Dec. 20, 2024 | Vol. 3 Iss. 46
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Sheriff Kelly Sparks marks 30 years
Santa visits teen fighting cancer
page 10
Sparks has served in just about every capacity in his career Page 6
'Lights On' event at Zions Bank
page 13
NEWS IN BRIEF Congress scrambles to finalize a short-term bill with shutdown deadline days away
Elves and the Shoemaker A kindergartener at Adelaide Elementary School shows off her new shoes while another student tries his on. The children listened to the story The Elves and the Shoemaker and then followed clues throughout the school until they ended up in their classrooms to find shoes meant just for them. See story on page 2.
Photo by Becky Ginos
Year in review 2024
Events that made an impact over the past year. By Becky Ginos becky.g@thecityjournals.com
Homeless shelters and Code Blue
nent shelter to meet the county’s requirement. Ultimately, Switchpoint pulled their offer and the sale was dead. The county then worked with the state to find possible locations for warming centers as winter approached. The options submitted to the state were three county owned buildings, Clearfield Senior Center, Valley View Golf Course and the Inspection Maintenance Center in Kaysville and Mountain Road Church in Fruit Heights offered their buildPlease see REVIEW: pg. 5
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Hidden ticket fees and vacation rental charges banned in America The Federal Trade Commission has issued a final rule requiring hotels, ticketing, and short-term rental companies to display total prices, including all fees, upfront to prevent hidden “junk fees.” The rule, aimed at improving transparency and saving consumers time and money, will take effect 120 days after its announcement.
As 2024 comes to a close, The City Journal takes a look back at the top stories of the year.
This has been a hot button issue over several months and will most likely still be the topic of discussion in 2025. Just to recap, the legislature passed a bill in 2023 requiring counties the size of Davis County to provide shelter beds for Code Blue and Winter Response. Code Blue and Winter Response (warming centers) mean beds for unhoused people for extremely cold days from Oct. 15-April 30. The county searched for suitable locations but hit major pushback from those communities. Kaysville was the first to say no to a possible use of a senior center located there. Residents in North Salt Lake also protested the purchase of a building in their city by Switchpoint, a private company that provides resources for those who are experiencing homelessness, with the fear of it becoming a perma-
With a government shutdown looming, House Speaker Mike Johnson and congressional leaders are finalizing a short-term funding bill to extend operations until March 14, including disaster relief and $10 billion for farmers. Johnson, facing criticism from House conservatives over delays and lack of transparency, aims to release the bill’s text Tuesday while honoring the 72-hour rule before a vote. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer confirmed progress but emphasized the urgency as the Dec. 20 deadline approaches. Johnson, undeterred by frustrations within his party, remains focused on passing the bill and securing his re-election as speaker in January.
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To allow our staff time to enjoy with their families for the holidays, there will be no paper Dec. 27. Look for The City Journal the next week, Jan. 3, 2025.