West Valley City Journal | February 2026

See Inside...

Sworn in

West Valley City

phone ban

West Valley leaders meet with 2034 Olympic organizers

Organizers are gathering information and sharing thoughts with community leaders whose cities will host events for the 2034 Olympic Winter Games.

As planners prepare for the Utah 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Games, one large priority is the “listening tour” being held by organizers in the communities that will host the games. Already, the tour has been conducted in Kearns, Park City and Salt Lake City, and on Jan. 7, one session was held at the Maverik Center in West Valley City.

Members of the Organizing Committee for the Games joined with athletes and local officials to discuss the venue where figure skating and short track speed skating will be held in 2034. Brad Wilson, CEO for the Utah 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Games, spearheaded the discussion with West Valley City Mayor Karen Lang.

“Figure skating and short track speed skating will be very iconic parts of the Games of 2034,” Wilson said. “We talked about a lot of things that are unique to this community. One thing I was impressed with was the city’s commitment to education, and how the Games can be inspirational to young people.”

Wilson said he was surprised to learn that “this is a very young city,” and a city with very big families.

“The great thing about these listening tour stops is we get to see the characteristics and personalities of each community,” he said. “West Valley shows those in very impressive ways. We’re excited to have them as a partner and look forward to working on a lot of things between now and the Games.”

He said tour participants talked about the Utah Cultural Celebration Center, the

By Tom Haraldsen | t.haraldsen@mycityjournals.com

size of it and how it can be used both during the 2034 Games and for events leading up to them. Lang expressed her gratitude for the chance to meet with organizers, especially so far in advance of the Games.

“It’s a great opportunity to work with the committee,” she said. “They are such an important part of the Olympics going forward as one big, coordinated piece. We appreciate their help, their guidance and their willingness to work with us.”

She’s also excited about having qualifying events between now and the Olympics, as the Maverik Center will host several of those, and give the community a chance to come out and see what the Olympics are going to be like.

“For our youth, it’s just going to be phenomenal to watch those events march forward to the actual Games,” she said. “Hopefully, they’ll want to volunteer and spark something in one of those young ones who really want to be Olympians. We heard from a couple of young athletes today who said they saw an event that changed the directions of their lives. I’m really looking forward to our kids having that same opportunity.”

Lang said she doesn’t have any big concerns at this point, with the Game still eight years away. She said the city wants to work on improvements to the Maverik Center, updated looks and seismic upgrades. Lang said transportation improvements will be an important part of the future, including better access into and out of the Maverik Center parking lots.

She’s also excited that figure skating will be held in West Valley City, saying, “I went to more figure skating events than I did hockey in 2002. We’ll be hosting visitors from all over the world here, and our city has a lot of diversity and different languages spoken, which will help visitors feel welcomed.”

Wilson said there may be some new

Brad Wilson, CEO for the Utah 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and West Valley City Mayor Karen Lang were part of a listening tour in preparation for the Games. (Tom Haraldsen/City Journals)

Olympic events for the 2034 Games, but those determinations will be made by National Governing Bodies much closer to the games. The Maverik Center will host the U.S. National Synchronized Skating Championships March 4-7, a sport that hopes to

be an Olympic event in the future. Lang said she hopes fan engagement will be a factor in choosing which events the 2034 Games will include. She also said Utah is likely to see many other events on the ice or the slopes leading into the Games. l

Give Yourself a Valentine This Year: Learn to Decode Messages from Your Heart

When we talk about heart disease, the usual suspects often come to mind: crushing chest pain, shortness of breath, radiating arm discomfort. While these classic symptoms demand immediate attention, your heart often speaks in a more subtle language, a series of whispers and quiet shouts that can easily be dismissed or attributed to other, less serious issues. During Heart Month this February, we want to empower you to become a skilled interpreter of your body’s unique signals, recognizing that early detection can be profoundly life-saving.

Many people are unaware that heart problems don’t always announce themselves with dramatic flair. “We frequently see patients who’ve ignored subtle signs for weeks or even months, often rationalizing them away,” explains Dr. Richard Gelb, a cardiologist at Holy Cross Hospital –Mountain Point. “Especially for women, symptoms can be incredibly nuanced and different from the textbook descriptions often associated with men.”

So, what are these often-overlooked indicators that your heart might be sending out an SOS?

Persistent, Unexplained Fatigue: This isn’t just being tired after a long day. If you

find yourself unusually exhausted after normal activities, or if a simple walk leaves you winded in a way it never did before, your heart might be working harder than it should to pump blood. This can be a sign of various heart conditions, including heart failure or even blockages.

Discomfort Beyond the Chest: While chest pain is classic, heart-related discomfort can manifest in surprising places. This includes pain, pressure, or aching in your jaw, neck, back, or even your stomach.

“We’ve had cases where patients initially thought they had a bad toothache or indigestion, only to find it was their heart,” says Dr. Bruce Kenwood, a cardiologist at Holy Cross Hospital – Jordan Valley. “Pay particular attention if this discomfort appears during exertion and subsides with rest.

Swelling in Unusual Areas: Swollen feet, ankles, legs, or even your abdomen could be a sign of fluid retention, a common symptom of heart failure. If your heart isn’t pumping effectively, blood can back up in the veins, leading to fluid accumulation. Don’t dismiss persistent swelling, especially if it’s accompanied by weight gain.

Chronic Indigestion or Nausea: While often benign, persistent indigestion, heartburn, or nausea, particularly when coupled with exertion, can sometimes be a

heart attack symptom, especially in women. If antacids aren’t helping and the discomfort seems linked to physical activity, it’s worth investigating further.

Lightheadedness or Dizziness: Occasional lightheadedness can happen for many reasons, but if you frequently feel faint, dizzy, or lightheaded, it could indicate an arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) or a problem with blood flow to your brain due to a compromised heart.

“By familiarizing yourself with these less obvious signs, you’re taking a proactive step in safeguarding your cardiovascular health. Your body is constantly communicating; the key is to learn its second language,” said Dr. Roja Mulamalla, a cardiologist at Holy Cross Hospital – Davis.

Call to Action: If any of these subtle symptoms resonate with you, or if you’re experiencing anything that just “doesn’t feel right” in your body, please don’t wait. Listen to your heart’s whispers. Schedule an appointment with your primary care physician to discuss your concerns, or if symptoms are sudden and severe, seek emergency medical care immediately. Early detection and intervention are crucial for positive heart health outcomes. Your heart speaks – are you listening?

For more information or to find a provider visit mountain.commonspirit.org

Learn more about the services, care providers and missiondriven work of the Holy Cross hospitals and CommonSpirit Health at www.holycrossutah.org.

At CommonSpirit Health, we make the healing presence of God known in our world by improving the health of the people we serve, especially those who are vulnerable, while we advance social justice for all.

Get to know us before you need us.

When you need emergency care fast, the closest emergency room is a smart thing to know. You never know the level of care you’ll need when an emergency happens and choosing the right ER can make all the difference. And a hospital ER comes with the confidence of additional services right on-site.

Congratulations to CommonSpirit Holy Cross Hospital – West Valley for receiving the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade-A Accreditation for the second consecutive time. Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades are determined based on a rigorous assessment of various safety measures.

Find emergency care close to you at mountain.commonspirit.org

711).

Winder Farms returns home

After 20 years under other ownership, West Valley City’s historic dairy is reacquired by descendant of founders.

By Darrell Kirby d.kirby@mycityjournals.com

Winder

Farms is back with its namesake family.

The longtime dairy with roots in West Valley City for nearly 100 years has been purchased from a private equity firm by a group of investors led by James Winder, whose great-great-great grandfather John R. Winder, started the dairy in 1880 on a family farm in what is now South Salt Lake.

“I started talking with this prior owner about two years ago. Eventually, we negotiated a price and agreement to buy the business,” wrote Winder, who is now the company’s chairman and CEO. “The price was right, and I was further motivated to complete the transaction because I see significant upside possibilities for this iconic brand,” he continued in an email in which he answered questions from the West Valley City Journal. As a result, the business ended up back in the hands of Winder and partners after 20 years under the ownership of Dolphin Capital and then a Utah-based private equity firm.

That brand has been synonymous, especially locally, for decades for milk products that were made even more visible to the public over the years by Winder’s home delivery service, first by horse and carriage and later by trucks and vans.

about the quality and richness of the milk pulled and processed from cows and chilled in cans kept in cold well water, since there was no refrigeration as we know it today.

To reach more customers Winder launched home delivery by horse in the early years and then by trucks and vans. That lasted all the way until 2019 when delivery ended due to the cost. That occurred 15 years after Winder Dairy was sold to Dolphin Capital in 2004 in part to help the Winders pay off debt accumulated to help grow the company and adapt to changing market and customer trends. The dairy eventually rebranded to become known as Winder Farms because it offered a product line that went beyond just milkbased items.

James Winder is optimistic about the future of Winder Farms despite the fact that some may still remember it as part of a bygone era of the “milkman” bringing glass bottles of fresh milk to doorsteps. He cites a three-fold plan going forward: “Grow Winder’s online presence, which we have already started…expand into more stores with existing retailers…and generally make our existing products more accessible to our loyal customer base,” he said. Winder products can currently be found at all Smith’s stores in Utah, Harmons and Associated Food Store locations under the Macey’s, Fresh Market, Dick’s, Dan’s, Lee’s names as well as other independently owned Associated Food Stores markets.

You can currently get Winder delivered by going to our website and clicking on a link that will take you to a third party like Instacart where you load your e-basket with Winder products and have it delivered within an hour or two

James Winder

After its founding 145 years ago, Winder Dairy, as it was known back then, grew on a series of properties owned by various Winder family members and associates starting on the east side of the Salt Lake Valley and eventually settling for good on a farm in the Granger area in today’s West Valley City in the early 1930s. Word spread

Home delivery is also being resurrected through more contemporary channels. “You can currently get Winder delivered by going to our website and clicking on a link that will take you to a third party like Instacart where you load your e-basket with Winder products and have it delivered within an hour or two,” Winder said. “Today’s online third party logistics and home delivery expertise is far better than anything we had in the past,” he added.

The Winder family no longer owns the farm and buildings at 4400 West and 4100 South, which are mostly sitting idle. Winder hopes some parts of it can be maintained and restored

as a historic or tourist site. “I’d love to find a way to restore the property or go back to it in some way, but I think it would require more than Winder Farms deciding to raise capital,” he said. “It would likely require a combination of business investment, city and community investment, and cooperation from the current landlord in order for such a project to be economically viable. Currently, Winder Farms isn’t big enough to justify the project on its own.”

Winder said the primary objective right now is to let people know that the Winder Farms is alive and back in local hands.

“A big part of what we are doing is creating awareness that we are still here,” he said. “It will likely take many years to do all that we want to do but so far, since we acquired the business, sales have grown and we seem to be moving in the right direction.” l

WEST VALLEY TEAM

The West Valley Journal is a monthly publication distributed directly to residents via the USPS as well as locations throughout West Valley City.

For information about distribution please email hello@thecityjournals.com or call our offices. Rack locations are also available on our website. The views and opinions expressed in display advertisements do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions held by Loyal Perch Media or the City Journals. This publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the owner. © 2019 Loyal Perch Media, Inc.

Bryan Scott | bryan.s@thecityjournals.com

Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com

ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES

Mieka Sawatzki | mieka.s@thecityjournals.com

Lindsay Andreasen | lindsay.a@thecityjournals.com

Ryan Casper | ryan.c@thecityjournals.com

Marc Davis | marc.d@thecityjournals.com

Lydia Rice | lydia.r@thecityjournals.com 385-557-1022 Rack

Stacey LaMont Ty Gorton

PHONE: 801-254-5974

LIMITED TIME OFFER!

LeafFilter came out on a Wednesday, gave me a quote and installed it the next day. Very reasonable price. The installers were professional and cleaned up after themselves. Very pleased with LeafFilter. -Je Farmer.

Have been thinking about having gutter protection installed for a number of years since every year it becomes more of a pain to climb up on the roof and get the clean-out done. Called LeafFilter on a Thursday, the salesman came on Friday and the installation was done the next day. Easy-peasy. -Anthony.

*Promotional offer includes 20% off plus an additional 10% off for qualified veterans and/ or seniors. See details below!

Entries are being accepted for the KID Water Conservation Art Contest

Residents in the Kearns Improvement District are invited to participate.

By Peri Kinder peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Calling all artists! The Kearns Improvement District is holding its 2026 Water Conservation Art Contest and invites residents ages 5 and up to participate by creating a conservation-themed piece of art.

The contest is open to anyone living within the service boundaries of KID, which includes Kearns, plus sections of Taylorsville, West Jordan and West Valley. Artists can choose any medium for their submission, but all work must be original.

“The Water Conservation Art Contest invites all of the KID community to share their talent and to help remind all of us of the need to conserve,” said KID General Manager Greg Anderson. “KID is a partner with the EPA’s WaterSense program, and we use the winning submittal artwork to help in the monthly WaterSense promotion to conserve. Our community has been recognized on a national basis for these efforts.”

Entries should promote awareness about the importance of water conservation, highlighting water-saving practices or portraying the beauty of water resources. Acceptable mediums include painting, drawing, sculp-

ture, digital art, photography, mixed media and collage.

Participants can enter one of four categories: adult, high school, junior high and elementary, with cash prizes for the top four entries in each category. Winners can receive up to $250.

“The changing weather patterns have significantly impacted our water resources that we depend on for a thriving economy,” Anderson said. “Around the Thanksgiving holiday, our snowpack was only 50% to 60% of normal. If this cycle continues, it will have a significant impact on our water distribution capabilities. Conservation is the key to bridging the reliability of our water supply and these weather pattern changes.”

Artwork will be judged on creativity, originality, adherence to the theme, technical skill and overall impact. The judging panel will consist of the three-member board of trustees of the District, who will use their knowledge of water conservation to evaluate the artwork.

“There are multitudes of ways to conserve water that will have an impact on our resources and our way of life,” Anderson said. “We invite our community to share their talent and express what they envision conservation to be and the impact that it may have on their lives. We have had some remarkable submittals in the past and hope for even more this coming year.”

Submissions must be sent to KIDContest@KIDWater4UT.gov by April 3. For a complete list of rules and guidelines, visit kidwater4ut.gov. l

Hunter High grad pens the second book in her children’s series

“The Heart Break” is a picture book that celebrates love.

By Peri Kinder peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Poe Avondet has a talent for writing, humor and finding ways to engage kids in colorful storytelling. She wrote the children’s book “The Heart Break,” which tells the story of Cupid trying to find his own true love.

Released in January, it’s the second book in The Break Series, a set of colorful picture books based on “humor, imagination and a touch of magic.”

“It all starts with humor and fun,” Avondet said. “There’s a lot of chaos and silly things, but it always ends with a really fun lesson. Love takes its own time and be yourself.”

Avondet grew up in West Valley, graduated from Hunter High School, and wrote two adult romantic thrillers (“Breathing Black” and “White Lies”) before turning to children’s books. She’s lived in Herriman since 2005, with her husband and three kids.

Although she worked with a different illustrator for her first picture book, “The Dad Break,” Avondet partnered with Sandra Attema-Welte, an artist from the Netherlands, who will illustrate the next several books in the series.

Published in 2022 and inspired by a family joke, “The Dad Break” is about a dad who is taking too long in the bathroom. The next book in The Break Series, “The Witch Break,” will be published this fall, with “The Lucky Break”

scheduled to come out next year. Avondet hopes to create at least eight books for the series.

“I just naturally fell into children’s books, and I love it so much,” she said. “It’s a fun place to write. I like going to schools, and I really like writing funny things that can bring families and kids together. If I made you laugh at the end of reading my book, or if the kid asks to read it again and again as their bedtime story, I think that’s the ultimate goal.”

Avondet enjoys the tongue-twisty humor of Dr. Seuss and the read-aloud rhyming that younger children enjoy, so she incorporates those devices into her stories. She’s always enjoyed creative writing and poetry and found writing to be therapeutic. She often visits schools to discuss writing while encouraging students to discover their own stories.

“It just starts with an idea,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be perfect, but everyone’s got a story to tell. I love showing kids that they can use any idea that they can come up with. They have a voice and they can write that into a story.”

Avondet has embraced independent publishing and the freedom it brings to authors who can control their own stories and manage their careers. She said it would be nice to secure a deal with a publishing company but self-publishing has opened many doors for her.

“It’s kind of like the gatekeepers are gone,” she said. “You think of how many amazing books are out there, but if they don’t get a lucky break, they’ll never see the light of day. It’s so cool that now you can create it yourself and how you want to tell the story.”

To learn more about Avondet and her books, visit authorpoeavondet.com.l

An event to celebrate Heart Healthy Month

Join us as we explore insights from leading experts across cardiology and its subspecialties, and learn practical strategies for improving heart health. Engage in interactive discussions and enter to win exciting prizes. Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate a healthier future!

When: Thursday, February 12th at 4pm - 6pm

Where: Intermountain Medical Center, Doty Auditorium Building 6

Who: Public invited, as well as caregivers, especially cardiovascular caregivers and physicians

Glass art display dazzles at Utah Cultural Celebration Center

20 local artists are displaying, selling their creations.

By Darrell Kirby d.kirby@mycityjournals.com

a bit of warmth and luminosity into the gray winter days by visiting the Utah Cultural Celebration Center in West Valley City, where dozens of pieces of glass art made by local craftspeople are on display and for sale.

“A Glass Menagerie” features dozens of intricately and painstakingly shaped creations made out of glass by 23 artists. The show runs until March 18.

“It’s just totally amazing how much creativity goes into this and how many different ways that you can use fused glass,” said Sheen Wolfe of the Glass Art Guild of Utah, sponsor of the show.

Like the material itself, creating something out of glass is a delicate process, requiring a fairly precise temperature from fire in a kiln, a thermally insulated oven, that must be raised or lowered depending on how the portion of glass is to be shaped. “Glass melts at 1,500 degrees, give or take a few, and if you don’t go up slowly and you don’t hold at a certain spot and go back down slowly, it

will crack and do all kinds of weird stuff. It’s very finicky,” Wolfe said prior to last year’s show. “You do not know what you’re getting until you’re done,” she added. “It can take anywhere from a week to months in a kiln so that it won’t crack.”

Fused or warm glass is the oldest type of glass art known to humankind, but the least well known. Most historians believe that the first glass fusing and kiln casting was done by the ancient Mesopotamians in 2,000 B.C. Egyptians and Romans were the most prolific, and examples of their work can be viewed in museums around the world.

The Glass Art Guild of Utah is a community of artists working collaboratively to support, promote and develop warm glass art forms. Many members are local and national award winners for their art and educational contributions to the warm glass artistry.

“A Glass Menagerie” is free. The Utah Cultural Celebration Center is at 1355 W. 3100 South. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information about the Glass Art Guild of Utah, visit glassartguild.org, Facebook at GlassArtGuildofUtah, and glass_art_guild_of_utah on Instagram. l

Swearing-in ceremony held for West Valley City Council

By Tom Haraldsen t.haraldsen@mycityjournals.com

Four elected officials for West Valley City took oaths of office during a ceremony Jan. 5 at City Hall.

Mayor Karen Lang, Councilmember Scott Harmon from District 2, Councilmember Cindy Wood from District 4, and Councilmember at-large Lars Nordfelt all were sworn in by City Recorder Nichole Camac. Each was elected in November, and all are incumbents.

“It is always an honor to be part of this city and this community of leaders,” Lang said. “I love living in West Valley City, and we have much to be proud of. I’m excited for our future and I’m looking forward to this coming year.”

Students from the American Preparatory Academy, performing as the Sistema Strings, began the ceremony by playing the national anthem. City Manager Ifo Pili then gave some opening remarks prior to the ceremony.

Attendees then enjoyed refreshments and socializing. The council meets the second and fourth Tuesdays each month at 6:30 p.m. in the council chambers. Agendas are published in advance on the city website at wvc-ut.gov.l

Magna has the first elected mayor in its history

Mick Sudbury was sworn in during a ceremony in January as the new city’s first mayor chosen by the majority of voters who cast ballots during a municipal election in November.

After being elected mayor, Sudbury, a lifelong resident of Magna, vacated his seat on the Magna City Council but continues to serve on the board of trustees of the Magna Water District. He becomes the first elected mayor of the city of 30,000 people since it gained cityhood status in 2024 following state legislation earlier that year that granted full municipal authority to the five metro townships in Salt Lake County that previously had limited autonomy and no ability to assess taxes.

Also sworn into office were firsttime city councilmembers Megan Olsen and Terry George. l

Utah lawmakers seek bell-to-bell ban on using cellular phones during school

A new bill proposed by Sen. Lincoln Fillmore (R-South Jordan) and backed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox seeks to expand on current Utah law that bans cell phones in school during active class time.

By Lizzie Walje l.walje@mycityjournals.com

Utah

Gov. Spencer J. Cox and Sen. Lincoln Fillmore (R-South Jordan) have teamed up alongside other state leaders to craft and propose a bill that would essentially outright ban student cell phones from public schools. The bill comes ahead of the upcoming 2026 General Session, where it will be put to the vote.

Cox first unveiled the proposal during a news conference at the Utah State Capitol, explaining that the ban would have a major positive impact on students’ ability to learn effectively and potentially improve their overall well-being.

“I am convinced more than ever that a bell-to-bell cell phone ban is the single most important thing that we can do for our students in our schools today,” Cox said.

In 2025, a cellphone ban was put in place as a result of Senate Bill 178. That bill, however, still allows students to use phones during passing times or downtimes such as when they move between class periods and when they’re at lunch. Cox and Fillmore’s new bill builds upon 178’s foundation, however, they’re seeking to take things a step further. In the bell-to-bell bill, absolutely no cellphone use would be permitted at any time during school hours.

Some schools, and school districts, have their own cell phone policies and procedures already in place. Granite School District, for instance, has its own bell-to-bell ban already in effect at Granger High School.

“[Granger High School] requires [its] students to put their cell phones inside of a locking pouch at the start of every day,” said Luke Allen, associate director of communications for the District. “And then at the end of the day, as they exit, they can use a magnetic device to unlock those pouches.”

Allen reports the policy has had positive results, among them keeping students focused throughout the day and decreasing student fights on campus by 50%.

“The first year of that policy at Granger High School, if you compare the student failure rate to the four years leading up to that, they had their lowest rates of those five years,” he said. “So, they had their lowest failure rates in five years, the first year they had that policy.”

Those who oppose the bell-to-bell ban have stated that children should have access to their phones in case of emergency. The bill would leave room for each school to implement their own emergency policy as they see fit. Currently, at Granger, students are allowed to request their cell phones from teachers, should an emergency situation arise.

“Granite School District would be in support of any policy or legislation that helps students spend less time on their cell phones and more time engaged in their academics during the school day,” Allen said. “So, any minute that a student has spent engaging with social media or distracted by their cell phone during the school day, that’s a minute that they’re not spending engaging with their learning or their academics.”

During a press conference at which the bell-to-bell legislation was presented to the public, many questions arose regarding everything from implementation of the bill to potential funding concerns. Fillmore did not mention any specific plan for funding; he did, however, assert that each school could craft their own plan based on their available financial resources.

Fillmore pointed to Granger, in particular, as an example. “Some schools, like Granger, have already invested in Yondr pouches. There are all kinds of workable solutions at various costs,” Fillmore said.

For context, Yondr pouches are lockable fabric sleeves, a popular choice amongst schools and venues that require the relinquishing of cellphones. Like previously suggested, they use a magnetic technology, that allows users to keep their device with them but not be able to access or use it. Phones can then be unlocked at a “locking base” thereby reducing distraction and encouraging focus. While the pouches do prevent usage, they don’t block signals which provides room for medical exemptions.

According to the CEO of Yondr, it is estimated that thousands of schools global-

ly implement their pouches. In the United States alone, they estimate that around 2 million students use Yondr pouches as a part of their day-to-day schooling protocol.

Supporters of the bill argue that going phone free has already yielded positive results pertaining to improved overall attendance and creating stronger, in-person, social interactions between students. According to Cox, increasing attendance is a big incentive for passing the bill.

“It turns out when you have an environment where people enjoy being together, and they’re interacting with each other, kids want to be there. And they show up,” Cox said. “We have an opportunity to fix what we got wrong last time and do it the right way this time.”

Fillmore echoed Cox’s sentiments, further asserting that Utah school districts not only supported the original 2025 ban, but even took further measures by their own volition.

“I am not aware of a single school district, even though they have the power to do so, who have gone less than what the state law requires them to do,” Fillmore said. “But I am aware of a lot of individual schools and school districts who have stepped farther.”

As far as how the bell-to-bell ban will be implemented, Fillmore says that decision will be left to the discretion of the schools. There won’t exist a required methodology for how devices will be contained. Schools are welcome to go the route of Yondr pouches or some comparable mechanism, or, they can simply require students to keep their phones out of sight and in their bags or backpacks for the duration of the day.

For Cox, who has campaigned, and spent much of his tenure reducing social media usage and increasing regulations on tech companies, this is “an easy call,” he said. Especially with the rise of artificial intelligence.

“If we thought it wasn’t a fair fight with the social media companies, the fight is going to completely overwhelm us with AI chatbots and their ability to not just rewire our brains, but hijack everything that makes us human,” he said. “And we can’t allow that to happen in our schools.”

The fate of Fillmore’s bill will be decided at the 2026 General Session which was slated to begin Jan. 20. l

Jones Center aims to empower ability and independence

have students who are nonverbal, deaf or blind, and students with high-functioning autism who need more social communication.”

Despite those differences, students work together, even the at-risk students.

to live as independently as they can. We feel a huge responsibility to help them get to as close to that before they leave us,” she said.

Helping students now and in the future

By Julie Slama j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Beforea student ever greets a customer, rings up a sale or wraps up a craft, learning already has begun at the Jones Center in Granite School District.

It starts with sanding wood smooth, painting with intention and talking about quality and pricing — skills that translate far beyond the walls of the gift shop.

“We give students a lot of opportunity to try different things,” said Andrea Knapp, Jones Center gift shop transition specialist. “I make sure we talk about each skill like when they sand a project from start to finish, I ask, ‘Can you feel it? Does it feel smooth?’”

Students don’t rush through projects. Instead, they learn patience, repetition and pride in craftmanship. Mistakes are part of the process and lesson.

“When we paint, we talk about quality, not quantity. We learn to paint long strokes in one direction. We want to make sure they look nice and we try again if we need to,” she said.

Learning continues when products are priced and sold several times per year. Students talk about budgets, costs and reinvesting their profits back into the program.

“I try to make sure every student has a chance to do a sale,” Knapp said. “We load items into my van, then they take the bus to the District office, and they help me to unload. We set up displays for customers. Everyone has a different job. Some students help with money and bagging, others welcome people at the door and some restock; we all learn to work together as a team, but it’s taking blank wood from start to finish and having people buy what they make that gets them excited.”

A program focused on independence

The Jones Center is home to Granite Transition Services, the District’s primary post-high school transition program. It serves about 90 students ages 18 to 2 2. Also housed there are 30 at-risk high school students and another 30 through Granite Peaks Adult Education.

“With our post-high program, we are training students to live as independently as possible,” said first-year Granite Transition Services Principal Michelle Searle.

All transition students, called SCORE students, have an individualized education program and are working toward an alternate high school diploma or certificate of completion.

“Abilities range; most of our students have intellectual disabilities,” she said. “We

“They do well with our SCORE students. It’s a great opportunity to be with their disabled peers and help them,” Searle said.

Real-world learning

The Jones Center campus reflects real-world learning.

“We’re an archipelago of little buildings,” she said.

Those buildings house job sites that mirror future employment. Hospitality and culinary arts are central as students learn set-up, customer service and catering for meetings held on campus.

Students also learn behind-the-scenes skills.

“We have a full-service laundry; students learn to launder and press their own uniforms and tablecloths. We teach them these skills so they’re familiar and can do them all,” Searle said.

The culinary program includes a bakery, hot and cold kitchens and café. Students earn food handler permits and learn food safety and health standards.

“At the bakery, they learn to make everything you can think of under the sun. People order items to take home and its especially popular with our holiday menus. People also come to our café where students can make and serve anything from a salad to a hamburger and fries,” she said.

Learning skills in the community

Students also work community job sites from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays at grocery stores, warehouse stores, America Red Cross and other local businesses.

“They’re restocking shelves, hanging garments, stuffing hand-out bags, learning custodial skills—things they can apply to their lives,” Searle said.

Transportation is another part of their training toward independence.

“We train our students how to use UTA so they can become more independent adults,” she said.

Daily lessons in adult living

Each morning begins with an hour-long adult living lesson and a class at the end of the day.

“They learn everything—budgeting, hygiene, workplace communication, even taxes,” Searle said.

Across the cul-de-sac sits a residential home which serves as a learning lab where students practice laundry, bed-making and cleaning.

“We need to make sure they’re prepared

Searle sees the program growing.

“We could definitely increase by 30%,” she said, adding there are two empty classrooms and community job sites could expand.

District administration also is looking to the future.

“We hope to consolidate that program even further, perhaps at one of our closed elementary school sites so we can get them all under one roof,” said Granite School District Superintendent Ben Horsley, adding no decisions has been made nor timeline has been set. “The problem with the current location is you see a lot of relocatables (portable classrooms). It’s better for students to be under one roof. Jones Center has served us for a long, long time. Now that we have some other available facilities that could potentially provide services for them, we certainly want to take advantage of that.”

Named after Hilda Jones, an assistant superintendent and director of special education, the Jones Center has served students since it opened in 1968.

“We’re here to empower ability,” Searle said. “Our goal is to create independence

our students need as adults. We want them to succeed and as we teach them those skills— painting a craft, baking a pie, pressing a tablecloth, riding UTA—they’re learning those skills toward independence.”l

Utah public schools see largest dip in enrollment in 25 years

By Lizzie Walje l.walje@mycityjournals.com

Recently,Granite School District contemplated closing down two of its elementary schools, eventually deciding not to move forward at this time after facing widespread community opposition. Similarly, Utah County’s Alpine School District considered closures of its own, ultimately opting to permanently close Cedar Valley Elementary School following their school board’s vote.

The aforementioned are just two recent examples of a statewide problem: declining enrollment. Utah is undergoing its most significant reduction in K-12 public school enrollment numbers in the past 25 years. As of fall 2025, Utah has 11,478 fewer students than the previous academic year.

Granite, one of Utah’s largest school districts, has had a particularly difficult past decade. In the past seven years, they’ve voted to close down 10 schools. If they had decided to move forward with their recent votes regarding Eastwood Elementary School and Morningside Elementary School, those institutions could have potentially marked the 11th and 12th closures in less than a decade.

Despite currently suspending the Eastwood and Morningside votes, Granite District officials and board members continue to warn parents and students that more closures are not just possible, but highly probable.

“We cannot lose sight of the reality of the situation that we are in,” said Clarke Nelson, a Granite School District board member. “We have to direct the process to get to the greatest common good. And that has a reality to it that will be painful, at some point, for certain schools, for certain neighborhoods, that I don’t see going away in the near future.”

Granite District leaders have parroted Nelson’s sentiments, predicting that enrollment will drop an additional 10% in the next two years. Superintendent Ben Horsley has only been in his current position for a little over

a year, yet he has already had to discuss these closures on multiple occasions. In response to criticism, Horsley has said that many of the factors leading to declining enrollment and closures are “outside our ability to control.”

What exactly are the circumstances leading to declining enrollment, and what are the broader implications for the state writ large?

As of 2025, every school district in the state of Utah has faced declining enrollment rates to some extent, except for two outliers, Beaver and Tooele. While Granite’s rapid decline has been particularly notable, so too have Salt Lake and Washington school districts.

At face value, one might wonder why Utah is undergoing such a crisis considering that, in recent years, the state has consistently been ranked as one of the fastest growing in the nation. St. George, in particular, which falls under the Washington School District, is regularly cited as Utah’s most rapidly growing city, even going so far as to have previously garnered national attention for its noteworthy growth. Furthermore, Utah has the youngest median population in the nation. According to a Census.gov report, Utah’s median age is 32.4.

Even Aaron Brough, director of data and statistics at the Utah Board of Education has sounded off about the conundrum. “We seem to be exiting from the constant growth or the constant struggle to deal with the pressures of growth to … this decline that we’re seeing here,” he said.

While some districts, like Granite, have been dealing with declining rates for several years, many other districts are citing the Covid-19 pandemic as a major turning point. In the early days of the pandemic, many schools and districts struggled to implement rules and guidelines that had universal appeal. This led to a subset of parents developing a lack of trust, subsequently pulling their children from their schools and districts at large. However, instead of transferring these students to other public schools or districts within the same county, many parents opted for alternatives like charter schools, private schools and homeschooling.

Incidentally, charter schools, which are technically still public run institutions, but they operate independently of an established

district, are mostly trending in the opposite direction. Their growth is far more reliable, expanding by 3.6% in the past year. As of 2025, they represent 13% of the state’s public-school population. However, even charters aren’t completely immune, as 44 of the 113 registered Utah charter schools also saw declines in enrollment.

Additionally, while Utah has retained its status as a state with a rapidly growing population, one aspect of that growth has dropped off substantially—children. Not only is the birth rate declining nationwide, but in Utah, the cultural trend that previously favored large families, is no longer nearly as prevalent. Economic pressures and exorbitant housing costs are also making it increasingly more difficult for young people to support large families.

While it may be true that Utah’s housing market saw significant periods of growth in the past decade, much of that development favored new apartment buildings and condominiums. Historically speaking, these types of properties typically don’t attract families with school-age children, a fact that continues to be true.

It also doesn’t help that declining enrollment equals reduced funding from the state. In many cases, that loss in revenue can easily creep into the millions. These cuts can be fatal for certain institutions, considering that operat-

ing costs remain the same whether or not funding is decreased.

“It’s not the district’s responsibility to ensure families are growing at a rate to sustain schools,” Horsley added. “We’re here to sustain our families.”

No question, these declining rates will continue to pose problems for Utah’s school districts. However, if there is a silver lining to be found, Utah State Superintendent of Public Instruction Molly Hart says that enrollment numbers are up for students from demographics that are historically underserved, such as those with disabilities and first-time English learners. She believes this will translate into an opportunity for public schools to serve populations of students who are most in need, as students from these demographics often unintentionally slip through the cracks.

Additionally, the presence of students of color continues to steadily increase, and as of fall 2025, they account for 31.2% of the K-12 public school population, an increase from last year’s 30.6%.

Hart nevertheless maintains that she remains dedicated to serving all students throughout Utah. “Our focus remains,” she said, “on ensuring that every child, in every community, continues to receive a high-quality education, regardless of statewide fluctuations.” l

Business leaders forum discusses challenges with government regulations

Leaders gather to discuss the overregulation of their businesses during a forum sponsored by the Intermountain Business Alliance.

By Tom Haraldsen t.haraldsen@mycityjournals.com

Aside from the need for financial support and strength, there may be no larger challenge for businesses than government rules and regulations. That was the message shared by and with participants in the Utah Regulatory Reform Listen and Learn Forum held on Dec. 17 at the Salt Mine Productive Workspace in Sandy.

The forum was the third in a series of such meetings planned by the Intermountain Business Alliance, designed to bring Utah business leaders together to discuss real-world barriers and develop practical reforms to strengthen Utah’s economic competitiveness.

“The most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help you,’” said Trent Staggs, outgoing mayor of Riverton and now the U.S. Small Business Administration advocate for Region 8. “The cost of regulation in this country is staggering. The National As-

sociation of Manufacturing says it believes regulation alone is costing businesses $3 trillion a year. That’s almost 15% of our GNP.”

One example he pointed to is Form 941, the quarterly reports businesses are required to file with the IRS. Shifting that to an annual report, he said, could result in a $90 billion savings for businesses.

As mayor, and now in his role with the SBA, Staggs is advocating for less regulation and more common sense when it comes to the rules of the road in business. A strong advocate for President Trump, he praised Trump’s Executive Order 14192, which says that for any new regulation an agency wants to implement, it has to eliminate 10 others already on the books. He stated that another executive order from Trump charges all agency heads to look at current rules and identify those they feel might be unconstitutional.

“Just this summer, the National Small Business Association asked all businesses across the country what the most painful resource of regulations was, and they stated the federal government by far,” Staggs said. “Rules that come from these federal agencies are by people not elected to their offices. Congress to a large degree, I believe, has abdicated much of its responsibility by delegating the rulemaking authority to these unelected bureaucrats. The net result of this overregulation is it keeps you from making

profits and hiring people. Deregulation will help the economy.”

Speakers at breakout sessions during the forum covered a wide range of areas where regulations have large impacts. Those include agriculture and agri-business, construction and infrastructure, tourism and hospitality, manufacturing and mining, technology, banking and finance, and health care and insurance.

Corinna Harris, president of the Intermountain Business Alliance, said its goal is to “ensure businesses stay in business, by driving meaningful regulatory reform and removing barriers to growth at every level of government.”

“We are holding two more forums in the next week, on Jan. 9 in Eagle Mountain and on Jan. 12 in Nephi,” she said. “We’re also publishing a newsletter with comments and suggestions shared at these forums.”

She wants to see a united effort by local business owners and government leaders to make meaningful changes in regulatory practices.

Staggs told attendees the list of most wanted issues concerning business owners can be found on the SBA website at advocacy.sba.gov. Harris said more information about the alliance, or suggestions for changes, can be sent to her at charris@intermountainbusinessalliance.com. l

Trent Staggs, U.S. Small Business Administration advocate for Region 8, discusses the problems that government regulation is causing businesses in Utah and throughout the nation. (Tom Haraldsen/City Journals)

Suffering from Depression, Anxiety, or OCD?

Our TMS machine can help you get your life back

• NOT medicine

• NOT shock therapy

• NOT invasive

• IS safe and effective

• IS COVERED by most insurance

for depression in adolescents 15 and older!

TMS is like physical therapy for the brain.

uses magnetic pulses, similar in strength to MRI, to reignite dormant connections in the brain and give you control of your depression. With NeuroStar, you can live on your terms

New report suggests half of Utah’s young students are unable to read at proper

While the study can’t pinpoint a singular cause, it does stress the importance of students meeting age-appropriate standards as a means to ensure future success and economic prosperity.

By Lizzie Walje l.walje@mycityjournals.com

Anewreport is spelling out an alarming reality for Utah’s youngest residents, as it indicates that half of them are unable to read at their corresponding grade level. This reality is not isolated to a few districts or schools within the state. Rather, the report shows glaring deficiencies at a statewide level.

The report was published by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah, shortly after the beginning of the 2026 calendar year. It details some troubling information, revealing that a large percentage of K-3 students in Utah have failed to meet appropriate grade-level expectations. Per Utah’s state policy, a student is considered to have satisfied grade-level expectations if they meet or exceed a score of 405 on the end of year benchmark reading assessment. The study’s data showcases that just 50.3% of third graders are achieving appropriate proficiency.

Utah is seemingly not alone in this issue, and it’s not just young children who are currently affected. In September 2025, The Harvard Gazette reported that reading scores for high school seniors, released by the Nation’s Report Card, had fallen to their lowest level since 1992. It was the first year that high school seniors had taken the nationwide test since the Covid-19 pandemic, revealing a disturbing divide between the nation’s highest and lowest achieving students.

While some may argue this is a sensible conclusion given the challenges that plagued teachers and students during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, research suggests that scores have been steadily declining, predating the pandemic.

According to Martin West, an academic dean and a professor of education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the deputy director of the Program on Education Policy and Governance at the Harvard Kennedy School, “American students’ literacy skills peaked in roughly the middle of the last decade and have fallen significantly since that time.”

When asked about why West believes this is happening, he could not offer a singular answer, as usually these types of issues are multifaceted and can occur due to a range of differing and intersecting factors. He did however say that “I don’t think we

grade level

have smoking gun evidence that the rise of screen-based childhood is a direct contributor to the literacy trends that we’re seeing. But I’m willing to put it very high on my list of potential suspects.”

In Utah, Andrea Thomas Brandley, the lead author of the Gardner Policy Institute’s report, explained why it’s so important that students meet the necessary benchmarks of literacy, especially when it concerns third graders in particular. “We look at third grade specifically as like a pivot point,” she said. “Prior to third grade, students are spending a lot of their time learning to read, and then after third grade, they’re doing a lot of reading to learn.”

While K-3 literacy issues have permeated schools and districts at the statewide level, there are a few interesting outliers. Notably, Salt Lake City School District is one of 17 districts that failed to reach proficiency in 50% of its students. Only one district in the state, Park City School District, was able to reach 70% proficiency, reporting 70.1% in 2025.

Other statistics further complicate the issue, with the study reporting that only 18% of third-grade students with limited English-language proficiency and 35.2% of economically disadvantaged students met grade-level expectations. Furthermore, reading proficiency varies widely, with English-language learners, students with disabilities, and Hispanic/Latino students also performing lower, on average, than their peers.

Literacy, or lack thereof, has very real

consequences that can impact a student’s life well into adulthood. Strong early literacy skills are proven to be foundational for future academic success and achievement, higher graduation rates, better employment prospects, and overall health and civic engagement. The study also emphasizes that early experiences are important. Of which, they cite language exposure, shared reading, and high-quality early learning environments as critical for a child’s readiness to read.

“Research indicates that nearly all children can learn to read with systematic, evidence-based instruction and targeted support,” a summarization of the study released by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute said.

In spite of the dire news expressed by the data, there were a few silver linings. Among them, some indication of advancement, with kindergarten proficiency actually improving, jumping to 53.3% in 2025 from 37.7% in 2021. The state also vows that they intend to respond aggressively to the issue with policy changes. Utah’s Early Literacy Outcomes Improvement Act (SB 127, 2022) aims to address these challenges by setting a statewide goal of 70% third-grade reading proficiency by 2027 and strengthening supports.

While policy design is important, the study’s summary affirmed, the study also highlighted the need for policy to be consistent and well implemented overtime. Policy should also be integrated to align with current curriculum and aided by teacher support. Furthermore, it is beneficial for the

issue to be recognized within the student as early as possible, with targeted interventions performed to help promote improvement.

One state in the union has shown marked improvement in elevating their literacy and reading rates is Mississippi. Ironically, Mississippi consistently ranks poorly when it comes to overall education outcomes. However, they’ve seemingly been able to target their own literacy issues successfully.

In 2013, fourth-grade students in Mississippi were ranking 49th overall in reading scores but had impressively managed to climb to ninth overall in 2024 thanks to what the Gardner report claimed was a “multi-year, coordinated approach and the state’s emphasis on implementation quality, rather than any individual reform acting alone.” The report specifically points to Mississippi as a point of reference for Utah to closely follow.

As for Brandley’s specific thoughts regarding how to improve the literacy issue, much like West, she acknowledges there is no one size fits all solution. However, she does believe in the importance of addressing these issues holistically.

“Particularly, when kids are 0-5 [years of age]. It’s the most rapid brain development we experience in our lives. While we don’t know the cause necessarily, I do think this is a critical time to make sure that students are exposed to language and books and conversations and storytelling with caregivers. That helps build a foundation for them to be ready more formally when they enter school.” l

‘Good

time to be in Utah,’ Zions economist says

By Brice Wallace Salt Lake Business Journal

Economicoutlook season is underway, and Robert Spendlove has thrown out the first pitch.

At a recent outlook briefing in Salt Lake City, Zions Bank’s senior economist listed several challenges in the national economy: uncertainty and risk caused by tariffs and the recent government shutdown, low consumer sentiment, slowing labor market growth, and the threat that increased tariffs could reaccelerate inflation.

“But with all that, the Intermountain Region remains really strong,” he assured the crowd. “Our economic fundamentals are strong. Our population and demographics are strong. So, it is a good time. Even though we’ve got that risk and that uncertainty, it’s a good time to be in Utah.”

Businesspeople are generally “grumpy” about tariffs because of the uncertainty they create. The average effective tariff rate was 3% a year ago but now it’s at 17%. Howev er, they have yet to cause expected inflation. Most businesspeople can adjust to tariff im pacts, but only if they know at what rates they will be, he said.

“It’s been going up and down and side ways. … We just see them going up and down, almost willy-nilly, for the past year,” Spend love said. “And if you’re a businessperson, your response might just be ‘I’m just going to pull back,’ and I’ve heard that from a lot of businesspeople.”

But Utah’s economic fundamentals re main strong:

• Utah’s population growth is nearly 2%, compared to 1% nationally.

• Utah’s employment growth is 1.7%, above the national figure of 1%.

• Utah’s unemployment rate, like the na tion’s, has been trending up, but Utah’s — at about 3.5% the past year — “actually has kind of stalled out,” he said. “I mean, it’s good, right? We want the unemployment rate to stall out. We don’t want it to continue to move up.”

Spendlove expects the rate to “kind of stick around there” at about 3.5% and keep Utah in “that sweet spot.” “We’re not the low est in the country, like in the Upper Midwest, but we’re also not the highest, like in California and Nevada and Washington, D.C.,” he said.

• Utah’s new unemployment insurance claims are about 2,000. “We would have to cross 4,000 for me to get nervous about those weekly unemployment insurance claims. … We’re about half of that now, and it’s something that we’ll be watching, but I don’t see any signs of distress right now.”

For contrast, during the COVID pandem ic, the figure grew from 2,000 to over 20,000 in one week.

• After seeing a huge surge in housing prices from 2020 to 2022, the growth now is between 1% and 2% — “actually what I would argue is a really good level,” he said. “You don’t want to see a big contraction. You also don’t want to see a big escalation in those home prices again.”

• Utah’s wage growth is higher than the national average.

• Median household income in Utah is “great,” at more than $100,000, thanks to demographics and the state’s strong economy.

Meanwhile, Moody’s indicates that Utah is not among states facing a recession risk. “Utah is doing well,” Spendlove said. “We’re still expanding, Idaho is still expanding, Arizona is still expanding. But we are surrounded by weakness. We are surrounded by states that are already struggling, are already treading water or are already in recession.”

es and will continue to create challenges. And we are navigating, I think, the convergence of so many moving parts.”

Trouble areas include geopolitics, tariffs, the AI boom, asset prices in the stock market, the proliferation of the private markets (including private credit), consumer sentiment, the “K”-shaped economy, a convergence of wealth, affordability, deficits and the national debt, among others, he said.

“Despite all of this, our economy has been incredibly resilient, and Utah has been incredibly resilient, but I think we’re feeling, even here, some of those challenges,” Callister said.

Calling for Utahns to become more agile and more connected than ever before, Callister said geopolitics

heads his overall list of worries.

“I feel like we’re seeing a tectonic shift in the world order, from turf battles to trade wars, to the Monroe Doctrine that’s going on now, to all these changes going on to our supply chain,” he said. “I think we’ll continue to see some major implications to what’s going on in this changing world order that’s way different from what we’ve experienced since World War II.” l

County sheriff’s office honors America’s 250th anniversary with flag ceremony

As part of a nationwide and global observance, the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office proudly welcomed a special flag during its stop in Utah as part of Flag Sojourn 250.

As part of a nationwide and global observance, the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office welcomed a special flag Jan. 7 during its stop in Utah as part of Flag Sojourn 250—a historic journey designed to unite Americans while honoring the nation’s past, present and future.

The Flag Sojourn 250 initiative, commemorating the country’s upcoming 250th anniversary, is carrying this American flag to every U.S. state and territory, as well as all 26 overseas U.S. military cemeteries. The journey is meant to pay tribute to those who served and sacrificed for the nation while celebrating the principles of liberty, resilience and unity that define America.

Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera participates in the special flag ceremony held in January. (Photo courtesy Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office)

The Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office held a special flag ceremony in January to honor the upcoming 250th anniversary of the country. (Photos courtesy Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office)

nial music. Attendees also joined together in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

The ceremony featured the presentation and raising of the flag by the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard, followed by a moment of silence and ceremo-

“This shared journey honors our history, remembers our heroes, and looks ahead with hope,” said Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera. “The Stars and Stripes represent far more than a symbol—they embody the sacrifices made in defense of freedom and the ideals that bind us together as one nation.”

The event concluded with the Honor Guard lowering and refolding the flag, marking the end of a meaningful stop on its journey. The flag next traveled to Colorado.

Flag Sojourn 250 is a national unity initiative led by the National Flag Foundation (NFF) in partnership with America250’s America Waves program, an epic tribute campaign honoring the American flag. l

Don’t ignore signs of the winter blues

Thousands of Utahns deal with Seasonal Affective Disorder.

By Peri Kinder peri.k@thecityjournals.com

For many people in Utah, the “winter blues” show up as exhaustion, a lack of motivation and low energy. While the dark nights and cold days can make anyone irritable, if symptoms of weariness or sadness last more than two weeks, it could be a sign of Seasonal Affective Disorder.

While the national SAD rate is around 5%, it’s estimated that 10% of Utahns experience SAD each year. Environmental factors like the annual inversion, limited sunlight and disrupted circadian rhythms contribute to an overall emotional slump.

Dr. Jason Hunziker, Division Chief of Adult Psychiatry at the University of Utah, said SAD is a type of depression affected by low light exposure that can heavily impact the way people function. It can show up as low motivation, a higher intake of carbohydrates, excessive sleeping or just feeling off.

“People get up in the morning and it’s dark; they come home from work and it’s dark, and it affects them,” Hunziker said. “It begins to interfere. You’re getting to work late, you’re not keeping up at work and you’re not getting to school. Your relationships are starting to become fragile, and there are more arguments or isolation. You start to feel hopeless.”

While brief periods of sadness are common, SAD symptoms lasting two weeks or more should be considered serious, and it might be time to talk with a professional, especially if the depression includes thoughts of self-harm or suicidal ideation.

Hunziker said one of the best ways to combat SAD is through movement, outside if possible. Moving the body releases endorphins that provide a sense of well-being and it can take the mind off worry or stress.

“One of the biggest things people forget to do in the winter is move,” he said. “Go out for a walk, go to the gym, run on the treadmill at home, just make sure you’re trying to do something. It’s best if you’re outside because the cold air and the sunlight, all of those things we need are outside.”

Light therapy is another effective way to treat SAD symptoms. Whether you take a 20-minute dog walk or sit in front of a light therapy lamp, the benefits will pay off in the long run.

Healthy eating plays a big role in how people feel in the colder months. Winter meals and snacks often contain carbheavy comfort foods but the more fresh produce that can be incorporated into a diet, the bigger the reward. Staying connected to loved ones is another way to improve mental health.

“We isolate in the wintertime but we need to make sure we’re meeting with family and friends, and reaching out to them all the time,” Hunziker said. “There are so many ways that we can help when things start to go the wrong direction. Let’s not let it get too far down the road before we do something.”

For people prone to SAD some pre-winter planning may help. Create an autumn toolkit to help avoid the deep depression associated with the disorder. Set up a therapy appointment in early September and plan on filling anti-depressant medication in early fall, so it has time to work.

Having things to look forward to can help alleviate SAD symptoms. Schedule fun events for the winter or plan a weekend getaway.

For those who need crisis help, key resources include the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline number and the SafeUT

Walking outside is a top recommendation for alleviating symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Taking a proactive approach to seasonal depression can help those who struggle with mental health in the winter. (Adobe stock)

App, an app that allows students to call a licensed counselor for free, at any time of the day or night.

“If you don’t know where to start, start with your primary care doctor and let them know what’s happening,” Hunziker said. “Make sure you’re moving, make sure you’re getting light, make sure we’re taking care of our bodies and keeping our connections. Don’t ignore that stuff.” l

Barn dismantling is part of the job for mother-daughter business team

Taking down a barn demands respect for the wood, the craftsmanship and the history.

By Mimi Darley Dutton m.dutton@mycityjournals.com

Tammy Barrow and Julie Adler-Birch

are the friendly, multi-talented, mother-daughter duo behind Got Old Wood in South Salt Lake City. Journal readers were first introduced to them in the April 2025 edition. That story led to their most recent and favorite project thus far, the dismantling of a 150-year-old barn in Meadowville, Utah.

“A man came into the shop with Savvy magazine (a sister publication of City Journals that ran the same article) in hand, turned to the page about Got Old Wood, and asked if we’d be interested in tearing down his family’s barn,” Barrow said.

They agreed to take on the project because the workmanship and history of old barns is something Adler-Birch is drawn to.

“She has respect for the wood and she admires the craftsmanship. She wants to treat it with the same respect the pioneers and the people who built it had, and she creates new projects with the wood with that same respect,” Barrow said about her daughter.

“The stability of it amazed me, like it was pulled off the sawmill yesterday. The wood just speaks to me,” Adler-Birch said.

Every week from August to October, the women drove 2.5 hours to Meadowville where they set up camp and worked Wednesday through Saturday to dismantle the barn and salvage as much wood as possible. Barrow provided the motor home and meals and collected wood and nails while Adler-Birch and her small crew worked on the tear-down, hiring helpers when needed.

A local man offered to work with the crew because he also appreciated the historic barn and the process. Barrow tried to pay him but he insisted she send his check to charity. He just wanted to be part of the experience.

The family that owns the barn doesn’t reside on the property, but they frequently go there to camp and enjoy outdoor activities. Some evenings, Adler-Birch joined them around the campfire.

“We’ve become good friends with them,” Barrow said. Adding to the ambience of the project, Barrow and Adler-Birch were told the Pony Express and the Oregon Trail likely went through the area “back in the day.”

Time was of the essence, especially in October when the weather was changing rapidly. “It was a lot of juggling,

but we moved forward no matter what,” Barrow said.

Every Saturday or Sunday, the wood was hauled back to Got Old Wood’s 6,000-square-foot location in Salt Lake City which has a showroom for their unique creations, indoor storage for all types and sizes of wood, and a quarter-acre lot outside where the wood is sorted, cleaned, cured and processed. Mondays through Wednesdays were spent in the shop tending to the historic wood and working with customers on creative projects to make with it. Adler-Birch said even before the historic barn was torn down, much of the wood from it had been sold for projects including a wood accent wall in a doctor’s office. Assembling wood accent walls is a lot like building a puzzle with various sizes, shapes and colors that all come together beautifully, but only with a combination of carpentry skills and an artful eye like Adler-Birch possesses.

Adler-Birch described the 12-step process of properly dismantling a historic barn. “It’s like Pick up Sticks. You have to use physics in what I do,” she said:

Step 1: Cleaning up all the hay and digging down to the wood.

Step 2: Starting to “skin” the exterior by removing the outer siding.

Step 3: Getting the roof down. “That’s the most dangerous part.”

Step 4: “Skinning” the inside by taking all interior paneling off.

Step 5: Cutting away at all the studs to get to “the bones.”

Step 6: Removal of studs. “You have to do it in increments so no studs collapse

on you.”

Step 7: Pulling up the floor of the hay loft. The Meadowville owners told her their family hosted dances and plays there and she found evidence of that fun in the form of a curtain in the rafters.

Step 8: Back to the bottom level, where the horses and cows were, to break away the “bones.”

Step 9: Pulling up the floorboards and finding historic treasures such as bottles, Coke or tobacco cans, ear tags for cattle, horseshoes, halters, saddle pieces and lots of handmade nails.

Step 10: Sorting the salvaged wood. “So I can bring back what I know I’m going to be needing.”

Step 11: Hauling the wood back to the shop to power wash and cure it before storing it inside to be shown to clients.

Step 12: Selling the wood to customers for their projects which Adler-Birch will build.

“Julie can see what’s out there and available. The customers describe what they’re looking for and she knows right where it is. When the customer comes to get it, it’s exactly what they wanted,” Barrow said.

Back at the shop and showroom is where the magic of the dynamic duo happens. Barrow has a degree in business management and is retired from a 30-year career in government. She’s particularly skilled at math and working with people. Adler-Birch puts her carpentry certification to work along with her respect and appreciation for the wood combined with an understanding of what her customers envi-

sion, whether it’s a mantle or table, a barn door, a wood accent wall inside a home or business or a new exterior for a building using historic barn wood. She even finds uses for smaller salvaged pieces. For Halloween she created wooden pumpkin decorations and for Christmas she built decorative reindeer, all from salvaged wood.

“It’s like gold mining for wood,” Adler-Birch said.

She informs customers of the history of the wood so they can make their own special connection to it. “We like to give them bragging rights to the history of their furniture or the piece they’re buying,” Barrow said.

Come spring, the Got Old Wood crew will head back up to Meadowville to dismantle a “younger” barn built in the 1920s and owned by the same family.

If you have a barn you’re considering dismantling, Got Old Wood is ready and willing. Thus far, they’ve gone as far as Delta. “We’d go out of state if someone wanted,” Barrow said.

Got Old Wood isn’t limited to barn teardowns or big carpentry projects for homes or businesses. For those who simply appreciate and admire wood work and would like a piece of history, their showroom offers things like chess boards, shadow boxes, picture frames, keepsake boxes, clocks and even etched-wood signs. One man requested a sign with his name, the name of his fiancée, and the date they got engaged etched onto it. In other words, Got Old Wood just might have the perfectly imperfect, unique Valentine gift you’re seeking for your special someone. aid. l

14 ways to love others this Valentine’s Day

By Holly Curby hello@hollycurby.com

Loveisn’t just a feeling reserved for Valentine’s Day—it’s a daily choice that shapes our relationships, our health, and even the world around us. Sometimes the best reminders of everyday love come from simple gestures—like what one local Chickfil-A guest does faithfully every month.

At a Chick-fil-A restaurant in our community, team members have grown accustomed to more than warm greetings from one particular customer. This guest arrives carrying gift bags—one for every team member who has a birthday that month. Rain or shine, they show up with small, thoughtful gifts that send a clear message: You matter. You’re seen. You’re appreciated.

Team members say the gesture brightens the month and boosts morale. A simple birthday gift becomes a reminder that kindness doesn’t have to be complicated. Mother Teresa once said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” These monthly gifts reflect that spirit—a small act that makes a big impression. Research also shows that expressing love and kindness has measurable benefits.

• Feel happier and less stressed: Showing connection boosts oxytocin by up to 12% during supportive interactions, according to University of California research. Higher oxytocin lowers cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, and increases daily life satisfaction.

• Build stronger relationships: The Gottman Institute found that regularly expressing appreciation maintains a ratio of five positive interactions for every negative one. This helps build emotional safety and trust.

• Grow personally: Encouragement from friends and loved ones makes people more motivated and resilient. Research in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology shows those with regular emotional support are more than twice as likely to complete a difficult task.

• Spread kindness: A study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that one considerate act often inspires additional acts, creating a ripple effect that touches people far beyond the original act.

• Boost health and longevity: People with strong relationships have lower blood pressure, stronger immune systems, and live longer, according to the 85-year Harvard Study of Adult Development.

That makes love a practical daily practice. Whether at home, at work, or while running errands, we each have opportunities to make someone feel valued. Here are simple ways to bring more love into everyday life:

1. Practice active listening: Put down the phone and be fully present.

2. Offer your attention: Presence communicates, “You matter.”

3. Express gratitude: A sincere “thank you” or note of appreciation goes a long way.

4. Offer emotional support: Sometimes love looks like simply sitting with someone.

5. Show patience and grace: Understanding helps relationships grow.

6. Let go and forgive: Healing matters more than holding onto hurt.

7. Support someone’s dreams: Celebrate steps of courage.

8. Create safe spaces: People open up where they feel accepted.

9. Practice self-compassion: Loving yourself strengthens your ability to love others.

10. Lead with empathy: Try seeing the world from another’s perspective.

11. Celebrate joy: Rejoice with others in big and small victories.

12. Offer simple acts of kindness: Open a door, help someone, or serve without expecting anything back.

13. Pray for others: Quietly lifting someone up is an act of love.

14. Learn their love language: Words, time, service, gifts or touch—speak

Your West Valley Glass Experts

• Auto • Home

• Commercial

what matters to them. In a world that often feels hurried or divided, love has never been more essential. It isn’t defined by grand gestures but by noticing who needs encouragement, choosing compassion over criticism, and making time for connection. The Chickfil-A birthday tradition is a perfect example: meaningful love often looks like

small, consistent, intentional kindness. Maya Angelou captured this truth beautifully: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” This week, choose two ways from the list above to intentionally show love. Notice the impact—for you and the person you reach out to. You may find that one small act becomes the very encouragement someone needed. For more inspiration or to dive deeper, tune into Holly’s Highlights podcast, Season 6, Episode 4, and consider joining the 30-Day Show Love Challenge at www.HollyCurby. com to “be the change we wish to see in the world” (Mahatma Gandhi)—one intentional act at a time. l

Discover meaningful ways to love and connect with others on Holly’s Highlights podcast.

Local officer helps launch peer-led support group for first responders

Celebrating Heart Month

heart by We know you

Heart care is more than numbers on a screen.

At Intermountain Health, heart care starts with getting to know what’s important to you and building a care plan together. From preventive screenings and lifestyle recommendations, to treating the most complex conditions with advanced technologies, our experts are with you through all of it. In other words, we’ve got your back — and your heart.

Learn more or schedule with a primary care provider

The Watch will offer drop-in, peerled sessions intended to support first responders from across Salt Lake County.

By Shaun Delliskave s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com

Anew peer-led support group aimed at first responders across Salt Lake County will begin meeting in Murray later this month, offering a confidential, non-clinical space for participants to talk with others who understand the unique pressures of the job.

The group, called The Watch, was founded by Murray City Police Officer Benjamin Gregoire, who said the idea grew out of both personal experience and conversations with colleagues across agencies.

A critical incident he experienced in the line of duty last year, Gregoire said, became a turning point and underscored for him how limited accessible, peer-based wellness resources are for first responders in Salt Lake County.

Gregoire said that beyond formal peer support teams, there are few places where first responders can speak openly with others who share similar experiences. He also observed that first responder culture often operates in silos.

“Police tend to stay with police, fire with fire, dispatch with dispatch—even though we often carry very similar stressors and trauma,” he said. “The Watch grew out of a desire to create a shared space that breaks down those barriers.”

Unlike traditional mental health programs, The Watch is intentionally peer-led and non-clinical. Gregoire emphasized that the group is not designed to replace professional care.

“There are no clinicians, no diagnoses, no notes, and no treatment plans,” he said. “It’s a space grounded in shared lived experience. While professional mental health care is critically important—and encouraged—The Watch is designed to complement those resources, not replace them.”

Sessions are structured to be low-pressure and accessible. Meetings will last one hour and are drop-in, meaning participants can attend as their schedules allow. At the start of each session, guidelines are reviewed to establish expectations and safety. From there, discussion is participant-led.

“If there’s a lull, a simple prompt—such as ‘What brought you here today?’—may be offered,” Gregoire said. “But there is never any pressure to speak. First-time attendees can expect a low-pressure environment where listening is just as welcome as sharing.”

Confidentiality is a central principle of the group. Gregoire said participants verbally

agree to keep what is shared within the group confidential and that rank does not factor into the space.

“Rank does not exist within the space— everyone is equal,” he said. “If administrators attend, they are held to the same standards as everyone else.” He added that the confidentiality protections outlined in Utah’s peer support statute apply and are communicated at each meeting.

Murray City has played a supporting role by approving the group, providing meeting space, administrative assistance, and help with outreach and marketing. Gregoire stressed, however, that The Watch remains independent.

“It is not a Murray City Police Department program, nor does it report back to any department,” he said. “Murray is hosting and endorsing the effort, but the group itself remains peer-driven and separate from departmental operations.”

Gregoire hopes the group will help address lingering stigma around seeking help, particularly for those who may feel overlooked.

“Dispatch and corrections professionals, in particular, are often overlooked in wellness conversations despite facing significant cumulative stress,” he said. “The Watch aims to create a starting point—normalizing peer support and making it easier for people to show up without fear or judgment.”

The first meeting is scheduled for Jan. 14, and while no sessions have yet been held, Gregoire said early interest has been strong. “We’ve already received strong informal interest from a wide range of agencies and disciplines,” he said.

Looking ahead, Gregoire said success would mean broader cultural change. “Success, to me, would look like peer support becoming more normalized within first responder culture and administrations taking wellness more seriously as a core responsibility—not an afterthought,” he said. He added that he hopes similar groups will eventually form in other counties, noting that “Davis County Sheriff’s Office is beginning something along those lines, which suggests this is a need being felt beyond just Murray or Salt Lake County.” l

Monthly memberships for physical and mental health care

ture insurance correctly and give insurance to employees that they’re going to use,” Fernandez said.

By Cassie Goff c.goff@mycityjournals.com

Paying a monthly membership is a somewhat expected norm now for services like streaming, deliveries, spas and gyms – but what about health care? Medallus Medical has been reimagining what healthcare can look like for individuals, families and companies.

“We come up with innovative solutions to help people with high deductibles and companies who have increasing health care costs and reduce those while giving quality care with friendly delivery,” said the founder of Medallus Medical Dr. Rachot Vachathrone.

Working in the health care industry since 1997, Vachathrone noticed his patients were waiting until their health was severe before seeking treatment. They would tell him about their stresses and fears of high insurance deductibles and co-pays. Vachathrone began imagining how he might encourage patients to be more proactive with their healthcare if it were more affordable.

“Insurance is supposed to be for major things like surgeries and, God forbid, cancer or any of those diagnoses,” said Chief Business Development Officer Arliss Fernandez. “For everyday things like a cold, strep, bronchitis, pneumonia…stitches, fractures…and x-rays we can take care of that at urgent care clinics.”

Vachathrone’s “aha” moment came when he was reviewing his own personal finances and skimmed over the monthly gym membership charge. What if there was a membership for urgent and primary care?

Now, Medallus Medical’s memberships provide patients with predictable access to care at an affordable monthly rate.

“Medicine should not be expensive,” Fernandez said. “We are trying to transition where we’re not going to be so reliant on insurance. It gives the opportunity for the provider to have more one-on-one with the patient.”

Medallus Medical offers urgent care and walk-in primary care for individuals, families, school districts, companies and cooperations based on a monthly membership structure. Medallus Medical can treat minor injuries and illnesses to ongoing primary care needs with basic labs and in-office procedures.

“If you look at the local school districts, their insurance is just skyrocketing and it’s out of control. It shouldn’t be that way. We are being an advocate…to struc-

“We decided to make it walk-in. That way our day is not scheduled full and patients don’t have to go somewhere else and wait another day,” Vachathrone said.

This year, Medallus Medical is working to partner with third-party companies to offer a handful of new or updated programs for physical and mental health. Medallus Medical is working to offer unlimited telehealth appointments 24 hours a day. Another program available to companies will allow adult employees to have access to three therapy sessions per year. In addition, Medallus Medical offers a prescription savings plan program where patients have zero copays for medications.

“We are growing, improving our services, and expanding our employer programs because we believe families and businesses deserve better options than what traditional health care usually provides,” Fernandez said. “Mental health and medications are what people need.”

New companies signing up for Medallus Medical’s membership and/or programs can meet with their Patient Advocate Team who will visit with their employees to teach them how to use the Medallus membership and invite them in for their first primary care visit.

“We want you to be proactive,” Fernandez said. “If you’re getting vitals checked or same-day prescription refills –just walk-in. We encourage that.”

Medallus Medical has eight locations throughout the Wasatch Front; all open at 9 a.m. and close at either 7 p.m. or 8 p.m.

Medallus Medical’s urgent care locations can be found in: Holladay (3934 S. 2300 East), Draper (1126 E. Draper Pkwy.), Sandy (7998 S. 1300 East), South

Jordan (10433 S. Redwood Road), Riverton (13348 S. Market Center Drive), West Valley City (3451 S. 5600 West), American Fork (476 N. 900 West #C) and Layton (1868 N. 1200 West).

For more information, call Medallus Medical at 877-633-9110 or visit their website at: www.MedallusUrgentCare.com

“It’s about making people healthy,” Fernandez said. “We are trying to make medicine simple.” l

Dinner Seminar

Learn more about AdvancedFuneral Planning, Wills, Trusts, Burial Plots, and Cremation

Salt Lake County leads on criminal justice reform bringing a national lens to local solutions

Salt Lake County is responsible for many of the region’s core public safety functions, including jail operations and serving as the behavioral health authority. About 74% of the county’s general fund budget is dedicated to public safety. As the government agency responsible for these essential countywide services, we regularly evaluate our systems to ensure delivery of better outcomes for people, public safety and taxpayers.

That responsibility is what led Salt Lake County to partner with Judge Steve Leifman and The Leifman Group, nationally recognized leaders in behavioral health and criminal justice reform. In Miami-Dade County, Florida, Judge Leifman’s work helped establish one of the nation’s most successful diversion models, the “Miami Model.” The model redirects individuals with serious mental illness from jail into treatment and recovery. That approach led to dramatic reductions in arrests and recidivism, a significant drop in the jail population—saving millions of taxpayer dollars while improving public safety and enhancing lives throughout Miami-Dade County.

Over several months last fall, Salt Lake County convened more than 100

Aimee Winder Newton

leaders from across the state and region— including state leaders, city officials, courts, law enforcement, service providers, advocates and philanthropy— to learn from the Miami Model and identify ways to implement the model here at home.

This engagement builds on years of work already underway. In 2023, Salt Lake County partnered with the State of Utah and Salt Lake City to advance the Coordinated Homeless Services Plan. In 2024, Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson launched the County’s first five-year Human Services, Homelessness and Criminal Justice Reform Action Plan, prioritizing early intervention, service coordination and accountability across systems. We’ve also partnered with Salt Lake City on

Better Shelves. Custom Solutions.

the planning and implementation of their Public Safety Plan. These efforts reflect a shared understanding that fragmented systems lead to repeated crises—costly for families, communities and taxpayers.

The data drives the need for action. Today, the Salt Lake County jail functions as Utah’s largest mental health provider. Roughly 34% of people leaving the jail exit directly into homelessness. Jail is among the most expensive—and least effective—way to address untreated mental illness and substance use disorders. Diverting individuals with serious mental illness from repeated, low-level incarceration into structured treatment and supervision is not about leniency; it is about accountability, public safety and using public dollars wisely.

Salt Lake County recognizes that simply replicating another community’s model is not what’s needed. Instead, the county is applying proven principles through a local lens—recognizing our specific responsibilities, what our population needs and what will work here. What has emerged clearly is the strength already present here: committed service providers, engaged public safety partners and a

shared willingness to align around practices that work. The Leifman Group’s recommendations focus on better coordination, improved crisis response and using shared data to guide decisions and track what’s actually working.

This work is also about leadership. Because Salt Lake County bears such a large share of public safety costs, we have a strong incentive to lead system improvement. Communities are safer when fewer people cycle through jail and our criminal justice system. Additionally, families are more stable, and taxpayer dollars can be reinvested into solutions that prevent crises before they escalate and that create lasting positive change.

At its core, Salt Lake County’s criminal justice reform work reflects a simple truth: when systems function better, outcomes improve for individuals and for the community as a whole. By leading with data, coordination and evidence-based solutions, Salt Lake County is working to improve public safety, support families in crisis, hold systems and individuals accountable, and ensure public dollars are used effectively for the benefit of the entire community.

TheFirst Amendment now comes with footnotes. Instead of promising not to abridge the freedom of speech, government officials are quietly redlining your opinions like a ruthless book editor holding a grudge.

The erosion of our First Amendment rights should wake you up like a five-alarm fire.

Banned Media. Reporters have been barred from the White House, kicked out of the Pentagon and have lost access to the press secretary’s office. A Washington Post reporter had her house searched by the FBI, relabeling journalists from “democracy watchdogs” to “people of interest.”

The president threatens the media licenses of organizations that don’t paint him in a flattering light. He’s sued networks for billions, ordered shows to be canceled and got Jimmy Kimmel fired. When millions of people canceled Disney and HULU, Kimmel was put back on the air, so I guess free speech can now be bundled with your subscription.

Banned Words. This melting pot we call America has outlawed diversity, equity and inclusion. That’s like taking the heart out of the Tin Man or the soul out of Hozier.

The Head Start early childhood programs were told to remove a list of 200 words in grant applications or the Death Star would blow up their facilities. Words like “belong,” “disability,” and “mental health” will get funding denied, so now applicants have to do an interpre-

Don’t be left speechless

Peri Kinder Life and Laughter

tative dance, acting out “equality” or “diverse.” Government leaders go ballistic if we use pronouns or call a trans person by their chosen name, yet expect the entire country to salute the nonsensical renaming of the Gulf of America or the Trump-Kennedy Center. It costs nothing to respect someone’s pronouns, but rebranding the Department of War will cost taxpayers more than $1 billion.

Banned Books. Having a library card is now an act of defiance. Utah loves a good book ban because nothing prepares kids for real life more than hiding information that makes them feel uncomfortable.

Utah already ranks at the bottom of education funding, but yes, let’s make our kids dumber by discouraging them from learning critical thinking skills or empathy. Reading as exploration is forbidden. Curiosity becomes taboo.

But if kids want to read a book, they’ll find a way to read it. A ban adds extra enticement, like putting chocolate sprinkles on an ice cream

sundae. We’re all for letting 18 year olds carry a rifle into McDonald’s, but heaven forbid they read “The Hate U Give,” which talks about a teen affected by gun violence.

Banned criticism. The First Amendment gives us the right to criticize anyone, even the president. You can slap bumper stickers on your VW, write columns or even burn the flag.

However, professors are being fired for political beliefs, protestors are tear-gassed and shot, and university funding is cut unless courses fall in line with this administration’s doctrine. Freedom of speech is now an extreme sport.

Here’s what’s not free speech: incitement, threats, defamation, obscenity and perjury. The president has threatened talk show hosts, slan-

dered Democratic leaders and there’s strong evidence he’s perjured himself several times. He is also protected under the First Amendment, but the president walks a Sharpie-thin line between free speech and hateful rhetoric. TrumpActionTracker.info documented 264 actions (as of Jan. 16) taken by the president and his administration during the last year to control information or spread propaganda. He’s all for free speech, as long as it’s only his.

History shows that free speech is as durable as steel, with the propensity to outlast those who violate it. The First Amendment doesn’t promise pleasant agreement but a safe space for necessary debate. Freedom of speech is not silent, and we shouldn’t be either.

The following is based on real events. Names have been changed to protect identities.

On a freezing November day in 2019, Kyle’s life changed instantly. Falling from a roof while working for a small construction company, he shattered his left ankle. Instead of immediate support, Kyle faced a legal nightmare: his employer carried no workers’ compensation insurance and denied all liability. Kyle was left with no

income, a mountain of medical bills, and a bleak future.

Kyle is one of a growing number of workers injured by uninsured employers. While Utah law requires practically all businesses to carry insurance, some cut costs to increase profits, gambling with their employees’ financial well-being.

Uninsured employers are personally liable for benefits, but many simply disappear when accidents happen. Utah’s “Uninsured Employers Fund” is a safety net, yet accessing it is a legal labyrinth—often forcing injured workers to file complex lawsuits to prove the employer cannot pay.

Abandoned by his employer in pain and financial stress, Kyle called Just Work Comp Law. We took the burden off his shoulders, dragging the employer to court and winning the benefits he desperately needed. If you are injured and uninsured, the law is still on your side. Just Work Comp Law fights for you.