Volunteers wrapping for a good cause at University Place
For the last 10 years, Habitat for Humanity of Utah County has been raising money every Christmas season by wrapping gifts at Provo Towne Centre. They’re back on duty starting Saturday, but in a new place. This year Habitat wrappers will be at University Place in Orem. And instead of being in the middle of […]
Michelle Kaufusi becomes Provo’s first female mayor
Provo has its third mayor in a month, but this time the office-holder should stay for at least four years. On Tuesday night, Mayor-elect Michelle Kaufusi became Interim Mayor Kaufusi, after the city council unanimously approved her. Her interim term ends Jan. 1, 2018, when she’ll officially become mayor. She is the first woman to […]
Pleasant Grove offers course for fathers who want to be better dads
If you’re a dad looking to be an even better dad, there’s a class for you. This month, Pleasant Grove Recreation started offering a course called 24/7 Dad. It teaches the five characteristics of the 24/7 father: self-awareness, caring for self, fathering skills, parenting skills and relationship skills. “It’s a whole-man approach,” said Dalin Belt, […]
Provo approves rental contract law in 5-2 vote
After a few months of discussion and taking public comment — much of which was against the proposal — the Provo council voted 5–2 to require landlords to have signed contracts with all adult tenants. Councilmen Dave Harding and David Sewell voted against the measure. The new law goes into effect Jan. 1. It will […]
Curtis headed to Congress, results in many other races uncertain
Though results won’t be final for weeks, Republican John Curtis is headed to Washington to replace Jason Chaffetz, who left office in June. As of Tuesday night, Curtis led Democrat Kathie Allen 57 percent to 27 percent. Allen conceded the Third Congressional District race not long after results started rolling in. However, the vote tallies […]
East Bay Golf Course could have med school as neighbor
If everything goes as planned, Provo could have a new medical school and an improved golf course in the next several years. Wasatch Educational is proposing to build the school on 24 acres on the northwest side of the East Bay Golf Course. It would take about 11 percent of the total golf course acreage, […]
Provo-Orem seniors and disabled people have a new way to get around
If you’re at least 70 or disabled and have trouble getting around Provo and Orem, there’s a new ride service for you. Launched Oct. 13, Utah Valley Rides will take seniors age 70 and older and people with disabilities to doctor’s offices, grocery stores, the mall — basically anywhere they need to go within the […]
Orem sets sights on The Cheesecake Factory
It worked with Trader Joe’s, so now Orem is using social media to get The Cheesecake Factory‘s attention. Because a recent survey of residents showed that the chain restaurant was the No. 1 most-wanted new business in the city, Orem officials are asking people on Facebook to send the company requests to open in Orem. […]
New Lehi Facebook page gives residents direct line to city
Want to know what’s happening at what used to be a horse pasture in Lehi? Wondering why your road is torn up? Are you looking for more information about a Lehi event? The city recently started a new Facebook page where residents can ask these kinds of questions and more, and get answers directly from […]
Olive Garden, theater opening in Spanish Fork in time for the holidays
Spanish Fork residents likely will have a new restaurant and more to be thankful for this holiday season, with Olive Garden set to start serving the week before the holiday, and a new movie theater scheduled to open right before Christmas. The new restaurant, movie theater and more are part of the Canyon Creek development, […]
Get creative with your kids at new art center in Provo
Whether your kids — or you — are interested in screen printing, painting, working with clay, weaving or another art, there’s space at the new Neighborhood Art Center at Provo Towne Centre. “We’re a mini children’s museum,” said founder and executive director Tallia Feltis. The nonprofit center opened in August and Feltis said they’ve had […]
Caffeine on campus: BYU starts stocking caffeinated Coke products
Move over caffeine-free Diet Coke, the real stuff is now available on BYU campus. The school announced this morning that effective immediately, you can now get caffeinated sodas on campus. “They are being stocked in our vending machines right now,” said BYU spokeswoman Carri Jenkins. They’ll also be available in the dining halls, Cougar Eat, […]
Provo council weighs rental contract law
Provo’s council likely will decide Oct. 3 whether to require landlords to have written rental contracts with tenants that include an attachment about legal occupancy limits. Though the item is now planned for the next meeting, the council still could postpone a decision like it did on Tuesday night. There will be an open house […]
Provo housing: singles vs. families?
“This is a great place to be.” “Zoning laws are not discriminatory.” “My family feels very upset, very discriminated against and very hurt.” “They’re hoping zoning laws will get rid of us.” If you live in Provo, you probably know that there’s some tension in neighborhoods between renters and homeowners. And between families and young […]
Women, entrepreneurs part of growing wealth pie in Provo
Startup Building, Braid workshops, Girls Summit, Women Who Build, and collaboration with BYU, UVU and others — these are all part of Provo City’s efforts to be part of wealth creation in the community. Workforce development and job creation are important pieces of the economic development pie. So it’s important for the city to play […]
Vote by mail: Easier for voters, more work to count
If it seemed like it took longer than usual to get election results after the Aug. 15 primary this year, well — it did. A mail-in election means higher voter turnout and more convenience for voters. But it also makes more work for the people counting ballots, which means a longer wait for results. “Just […]
Curtis (likely) wins 3rd Congressional primary; 1000s of ballots left to count
It’s (almost) official — Provo Mayor John Curtis won the Republican nomination for the 3rd Congressional District race to replace Jason Chaffetz. Almost, because there are still tens of thousands of ballots left to count in Utah County. Curtis’s opponent, Tanner Ainge, conceded the race around 9 p.m., after polls closed at 8 p.m. His […]
Duncan Aviation on track for Provo Airport expansion
Last year, Duncan Aviation announced plans to expand its facility at the Provo Airport. Though it’s hit a bump, the company is moving ahead. David Walter, director of the Provo Redevelopment Agency, told the city council and Provo School Board on Thursday that the company had hit a regulatory snag. But the project, which would […]
What to do with Utah County’s mail-in ballots or if you didn’t receive a ballot
Voters in Utah County won’t have to make time to get to a polling place on Primary Election Day — or on Election Day in November. That’s Utah County is delivering their ballots via the mail this year. Elections officials mailed ballots on Tuesday (July 25), so every eligible voter should have one in hand […]
Downtown Provo getting better with popular restaurants, shops and more
Downtown Provo has come a long way in the last decade or so, now filled with popular restaurants, businesses and retail. It wasn’t that long ago that Sensuous Sandwich was the only food establishment on the south side of Center Street, said Provo deputy mayor Dixon Holmes. Now there’s a whole list of eateries on […]
What Spanish Fork’s pool had to do when someone pooped in the water
On June 28, someone pooped in the water at the Spanish Fork Water Park. And it wasn’t just any poop — it was diarrhea. As soon as pool operators noticed, they closed the pool and started the process of cleaning the water, to make it safe again. Swimming in a poopy pool is not only […]
As Utah Valley’s fire season heats up, fire and firework restrictions heighten
Utah had an above average snowfall in the winter, followed by a wet spring. The mountains are green. So fire danger should be low, right? Wrong, and the fire season is shaping up to be a bad one — and we haven’t even hit fireworks season or the hottest time of the year yet. The wet […]
Provo aims to make Rock Canyon even better
Rock Canyon is already a jewel in Provo, with awe-inspiring beauty, wildlife, plants, scenic cliffs and trails. But now the city wants to improve it even more. A fire pit area, interpretive plaza, more parking, new trail loops focused on geology, botany and zoology all are part of the city’s vision for an improved Rock […]
Free lunches available for kids in south Utah County
This summer, if your kids are out at the Springville Splash Pad, Payson Community Pool, Spanish Fork City Center Library Park, Taylor Elementary in Payson or Santaquin’s Centennial Park at lunch time on weekdays, they’re in for a free meal. For the second year in a row, the Utah Food Bank is offering free lunches […]
Ten candidates or one, Utah County cities gear up for mayoral election
The next mayors of several cities, including Lindon, Genola and Woodland Hills, are pretty much a given after Wednesday night’s filing deadline — only one candidate applied for the position in each city. But in other cities, the non-partisan mayoral candidates are facing a tough race to a primary election on Aug. 15. Provo, where […]
Why Trader Joe’s chose Orem for its Utah Valley location opening in 2018
It’s official: Trader Joe’s will open at University Place in Orem in early 2018. The city announced the news late Wednesday. And the reason the grocer — known for low prices and harder-to-find items — is coming to Orem? Social media, online requests and the competition between Orem and Provo over who could land the […]
Orem’s 2017 CARE grants include library auditorium, SCERA Shell studies
Orem’s library auditorium addition, once called the Center for Story, may be getting closer to reality. This week, the Orem City Council voted to give the project nearly $35,000 in CARE tax funds to move the plan along. The city will use the money to update plans with engineers and architects, and to look at […]
Flood warning for Provo River continues; people should steer clear of the water
On Tuesday night, the Provo River peaked at 2,100 cubic feet per second. As of Wednesday morning it was running at about 1,900 cfs. Normal is 150 cfs. So what does that mean? “Stay away from the water!” said Provo Deputy Mayor Corey Norman. The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for the […]
How to deal with Utah Valley’s returning residents — bats
Bats eat mosquitoes and other insects. Fruit-eating bats are seed-spreaders that are vital to regenerating cut-down forests. And like bees, they’re pollinators. So bats are good for humans, but having one fly into your house or come home in your dog’s mouth is a pretty scary event for most people, and possibly dangerous. Provo police […]
Provo dealing with affordable housing shortage, rise in homeless population
Dennis spent years on the streets. He had a shopping cart, wore layers of clothes, and frequented Provo’s Center Street. You’d usually see him from morning to night sitting on a bench somewhere between Los Hermanos and the city building. He was considered chronically homeless, and was severely mentally ill. He wasn’t out panhandling, and […]