Deseret News
- Yes, the Utah County ‘power grab’ is the epitome of hypocrisy – On Wednesday, Utah County Commissioners granted themselves additional power over the county budget.
- Fireworks fly in Utah County over commission’s ‘power grab’ of budgetary oversight – High-ranking state officials as well as local leaders from Utah County are seething at a Wednesday vote by county commissioners to sweep budget oversight away from the county’s independently elected clerk/auditor and place it solely under the commission.
- What’s a ‘returnship’ and how can it boost Utah’s businesses? – It’s an initiative to expand opportunities for individuals returning to work following an extended absence.
- Is society stronger and life better with faith in it? – Faith and religious activity are not the only answer to what ails society, but they create valuable connections.
- Sarah Everard and the Atlanta shooting are reminders that women are not safe – Women’s History Month in March was meant to be a celebration of women’s accomplishments and contributions. But it’s hard to feel celebratory each week when the headlines cover a story that put a glaring spotlight on dangers for women.
- Have Republicans lost their moral authority on national debt? – Today’s unabashed embrace of overspending now encompasses both political parties.
Salt Lake Tribune
- Latter-day Saint leaders issue new warning about survivalism and affinity fraud – Updated handbook also urges members to be vaccinated.
- Utah women lost the most jobs during COVID-19. ‘Returnships’ aim to help them ‘level up,’ get back to work. – Lt. Governor says the new state program will help people who have gaps on their resumes after being out of the workforce.
- Utah moves against invasive insect population – Efforts to contain the Japanese beetle could save the state millions of dollars.
- Leonardo exhibit grapples with a tricky question: What should be done with historical but racially insensitive objects? – Stereotypical depictions of people of color “create biases that exist today,” says executive director of the Utah Black Chamber.
- Teenage snowboarder dies at Park City Mountain Resort – Visitor from Kentucky went off the trail and hit a tree.
Other
- “Returnship” program seeks to get adult women back in Utah’s workforce (ABC4) – “The goal of a returnship program is to help experienced adults re-enter the workforce without starting at the bottom of the career ladder,” said Lt. Governor Henderson.
- Candidates for Utah GOP chair include fmr. chair accused of mishandling harassment claims (KUTV) – The five candidates are Brad Baker, a Weber State University student; Tina Cannon, a former member of the Morgan County Council; Carson Jorgensen, a rancher and small business owner; Scott Miller, former Salt Lake County Republican Party chair; and Stewart Peay, an attorney and current chair of the Utah County Republican Party.
- Utah’s sentencing for child pornography is so light, offenders are out in less than a year (KUTV) – Thousands of potential charges are reduced to save time. Then, defendants plead guilty to just a handful while the remainder are dismissed.
- Stress can be good for you, and here’s why (KSL) – The researchers concluded that it wasn’t stress that was killing people. It was the combination of stress and the belief that stress is harmful.
- Uintah Basin Narcotics Strike Force completes 2 drug busts, seizes $74K worth of narcotics (KSL) – The joint operation between Basin Narcotics and DEA agents began on Mar. 12 when a residence in Vernal was suspected as being a place of drug dealing. Police said the team discovered methamphetamine, heroin, LSD, ecstasy and drug paraphernalia there.
COVID Corner
- Cox says masks still necessary for students, but some parents planning protests (Deseret News) – According to the Utah Parents United Facebook page, some parents across Utah will be walking their children into their schools without masks and declare their child will not wear a mask “as a mass rejection of the K-12 mask mandate. The time is NOW to end our children’s suffering!”
- COVID-19 vaccine side effects include … dreams of space? (Deseret News) – CBS4 Medical Editor Dr. Dave Hnida said he’s heard of a number of side effects to the vaccine that include weird dreams
- More than half a million Utahns are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (Salt Lake Tribune) – A whopping 46,011 Utahns received coronavirus vaccinations on Thursday, as the state blew past the half-million mark in those fully vaccinated. A total of more than 1.4 million doses have been administered.
- Davis County Health Department to open Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccination clinic (ABC4) – The new clinic will be located inside the Davis Conference Center in Layton beginning Wednesday, April 7.
- Intermountain Healthcare doctors: Experience with COVID-19 in New York hospitals proved invaluable in Utah’s fight against the virus (ABC4) – “We were able to sound the alarm and get people ready. So, we did not see anything like what they had experience in New York,” Dr. Dixie Harris said. “So, we’re very grateful.”
- None of Utah is in a ‘high risk’ area for COVID-19 right now (Fox 13) – All counties are now in moderate or low transmission indices.
- FDA authorizes rapid, non-prescription COVID-19 tests (ABC News) – The move could benefit schools and businesses eyeing reopening
- Plant that ruined vaccine doses had prior FDA violations (Washington Post) – A federal investigator’s report last year detailed problems he found at Emergent BioSolutions’ Baltimore facility, including deficiencies in a measure intended to “prevent contamination or mix-ups.”
