New bridge will connect FrontRunner station to UVU
Crews will start building a bridge next spring — if everything goes as planned — to connect the Orem FrontRunner station to Utah Valley University. The bridge, about a half mile long, will pass over the Union Pacific and FrontRunner tracks, Interstate 15, some private property, 1200 West and end at the L14 parking lot, […]
January snowfall drives Provo $48k over snow budget
Provo spent more than $48,000 over its budget for snow plowing and salt this fiscal year, after more than average snowfall. “This past winter we had a pretty significant snowfall, particularly in the month of January,” said city Public Works Director David Decker. On Tuesday, the Provo Municipal Council moved $48,089 into the public works […]
Provo mulling fate of Peaks Ice Arena
Utah County and Provo together have owned and operated the Peaks Ice Arena — built for the 2002 Olympics — since 2008, when they took over operation from a private company. Since then, the annual subsidy has consistently gone down while revenue and usage has increased. But last month Utah County decided it wanted out. […]
Provo restaurateur: We can do better for veterans
April 25 isn’t Veterans Day. It’s not Memorial Day. It’s not an anniversary of the end of a war, attack or a military event. So that’s exactly why Chad Pritchard is hosting a dinner for veterans that night. “Honestly, I just wanted to do something out of the ordinary,” he said. “It’s not Memorial Day, […]
Ross, Petco, Ulta and more headed to Spanish Fork
In 2007, Target and Home Depot were slated to build in Spanish Fork, just off I-15 along Highway 6. Then the economy fell apart, target pulled out and Home Depot sold its property back to the developer. The land remained empty for a while, then things started to happen again. First Costco came along and […]
Hot spot for ghost hunters and vandals to be torn down
Since it was abandoned in the 1990s, the old Utah County Jail has been a magnet for ghost hunters, with some claiming to capture ghosts talking on audio recordings. It’s also a popular place for graffiti and other illegal activity. People have stolen all the copper wiring, damaged the plumbing and broken all the windows. […]
Provo adjusts parking rules, more changes likely coming
At Start-up Crossing on Freedom Boulevard in Provo, residents park everywhere they can — in the parking lot, on the surrounding streets, even across people’s driveways. That’s because the city allowed the developer to build only 50 percent of the required parking, hoping that the new residents would forego cars in favor of close mass […]
Utah State Hospital fundraising to honor 100s buried in unmarked graves
In 1931, doctors diagnosed 18-month-old Phyllis Joan with hydrocephalus. Because of her illness, her adopted parents didn’t want her anymore. So she ended up at the Utah State Hospital in Provo, where she would spend the last two months of her life. She died on July 27 that year, and hospital staff buried her in […]
2017 Utah Legislature roundup: Food tax stays the same, schools and roads get more money
Some years, Utah lawmakers pass major tax changes or make sweeping changes that get national attention. Remember when Utah considered opting out of No Child Left Behind? Some years are more quiet. But either way, every legislative session ends with new laws that will impact Utahns. So with less than 24 hours until the final […]
Flippin Traffic: Group wants state to move up Lehi I-15 project
If you’ve driven through Lehi on I-15 during the morning or evening commute — and even other times of the day — you know there’s a problem between Main Street and State Road 92, aka the Thanksgiving Point exit. Thousands of people work and live in the area, using the freeway and the interchange every […]
Provo eyeing changes to parking ratios for new developments
When The Village was built south of BYU, the city allowed the developer to build .62 parking spaces per bed. There are 936 beds in that complex. The idea was that because it was so close to BYU, and was student housing, that residents wouldn’t have cars. They were wrong. Now there are 173 people on […]
Celebrate Women’s Day in Provo with lectures, yoga, dance and more
After last year’s celebration of Women’s Day in Provo, more women got involved in the city. Some signed up to be on city boards and commissions. The city sponsored a few women to learn how to run for office. And city officials got positive feedback about the event. So this year, it’s bigger and better. […]
Lawmaker wants registry for child abusers, similar to sex offender list
On Oct. 13, 2013, JoAnn Otten got a call that her granddaughter Miley wasn’t breathing. The girl’s father was convicted of child abuse, having violently shaken the 7-month-old more than once. He also squeezed her, causing multiple bruises and a fractured leg. He’s serving one to 15 years in prison, and has a parole hearing […]
University Place development update: New restaurants and events coming
The office building on the north side is done, connector road complete and the indoor/outdoor playground is finished. So what else could be happening at University Place? Answer: a lot. Cindy Nguyen, marketing director for University Place, said they’re focused on shop, dine, play — new stores, more dining and places to play. Restaurants This […]
Utah Legislative Session 2017: Schools, marijuana, guns and hate crimes
Though Monday marked the first day of the 2017 Utah Legislature, the action is just beginning at the Capitol. Bills still are being processed and numbered (the deadline is Feb. 2), budgets are being negotiated, and committees are only starting the hard work of 45-day session. Like every year, there are many bills that will […]
Provo’s 2017 goals: Keep Provo prosperous
This year Provo will tackle parking problems with new vigor, start working on expanding the airport’s terminal, turn BRT critics to fans, work on a city center solution, and more. In front of the largest crowd ever for a Provo State of the City address, Mayor John Curtis listed his goals for 2017 — his […]
New app will get help to heart-attack victims faster
Your wife, husband, friend, co-worker, stranger standing next to you in line collapses — it’s a heart attack. You pull our your phone and call 911, then wait. You don’t know CPR or how to use an AED. But what if there were a way to get help even before the ambulance arrives? In a […]
Provo City Council considering new system for their raises
Imagine this: It’s your job to determine how much you should be paid. You’ve got to publicly discuss and defend that amount, then vote on it. That process may be one of the reasons the Provo City Council hasn’t changed its pay in more than 10 years. To make things more predictable, independent and less […]
Going up: 5 reasons 2016 was a good year for Utah Valley
It’s no secret that Utah Valley is growing by leaps and bounds, and 2016 didn’t disappoint. The LDS Church opened a new temple, cities built new parks, developers announced the reinvention of existing shopping areas and UTA is working on a new transportation option for Provo and Orem. Provo City Center Temple In December 2010, […]
Christmas countdown: United Way’s Sub for Santa program still needs help
Donors have helped more than 1,300 families, with 3,911 kids. But as of Tuesday, 78 families who’d applied for help from United Way’s Sub for Santa program still needed sponsors. Every year for more than 35 years, United Way of Utah County has helped about 1,500 families by connecting them with sponsors who provide Christmas […]
Out with the Malt Shoppe, in with burritos
Stan’s east of BYU. Brand X in Springville. Magleby’s at Village Green in Provo. And Malt Shoppe, a fixture of University Avenue for decades. But now they’re all gone. It’s been more than a year since Provo’s landmark Malt Shoppe closed down, and now the building — 1290 N. University Ave. — is gone. Soon […]
The Mix — formerly Plumtree Shopping Center — moves ahead in Provo
In March, the struggling Plumtree Shopping Center got some good news. It had been sold, and it was going to be redeveloped. Since then, the new owners and city have been working behind the scenes to get the project moving — and now it can. On Tuesday, the Provo Municipal Council added residential to the […]
Phantom dumper seeping funds from Orem with illegal dumping
Orem‘s phantom dumper is still hard at work. The city got a break the week of Thanksgiving. But on Tuesday, the dumper was back at it — dumping some kind of natural, fibrous waste down one of the city’s manholes. The dumping has been happening for months, and the city’s gotten a lot of tips […]
New mountain bike course coming to Provo
Mountain bikers will have a new place to ride in Provo come spring, when the city finishes a course at Slate Canyon Park. City crews started working on the beginning to intermediate course earlier this fall. City officials had hoped it would be done sometime this month. But construction has taken longer than originally expected. […]
Lip hair, I care: Orem raising awareness for men’s health in ‘Movember’
You might have noticed some men growing out their facial hair this month. But it’s not because they’re lazy or want to keep their faces warm — they’re trying to raise awareness of men’s physical and mental health issues. Orem has jumped on the cause, too, and is having a contest for the best mustache […]
Provo Mayor Curtis: No third term for me
Provo Mayor John Curtis announced Tuesday morning that he won’t run for a third term as mayor. In a video message posted on his blog, Curtis said he’s thought hard about another term. “After almost a year of heavy deliberation, I have decided not to seek a third term. … (It’s) based on a deep […]
It’s getting spooky: Halloween happenings around Utah Valley
On Friday night, Lehi’s Legacy Center will be full of adults and kids decked out in their Halloween costumes. They’ll be playing games, collecting candy around the movie-themed track, getting a little scared in the family-friendly spook alley, and having all kinds of Halloween fun. The Legacy Center — Lehi’s recreation center, 123 N. Center […]
Provo Student Project encourages students to engage, not just vote, in elections
One day Collyn Mosquito was sitting in a government class at BYU and an idea sparked — he could do something to get more students politically engaged. From that idea, he started The Provo Student Project. “I wanted to create this project because I felt that more of my peers need to be engaged,” he […]
Body cams coming for Provo police
Traffic stops, field interviews, investigative contacts, adversarial situations, when helping stranded motorists — these are all times when Provo police officers should be using their new body cameras. On Tuesday night the Provo Municipal Council unanimously OK’d spending $205,281 for a body-cam program. The police department has been working on a policy for the body […]
Orem ranked No. 2 best city for trick-or-treating in 2016
With almost perfect temperatures, lots of kids and low crime rates, Orem is ranked as the No. 2 spot in the country for trick-or-treating this year. “I think Orem’s a great place to trick-or-treat,” said Pete Wolfley, an Orem spokesman. “Parents can count on safe streets that are well-lit, the weather in October is generally […]