UV Index: No Gloom With Loom
Lehi’s Kim Christenson has a common name but an uncommon passion for mindfulness and journaling. “I’ve kept journals since I was 5 and have filled more than 30 of them,” says this mother of 3. “These books of my life, thoughts and raw writing are so precious to me.” Kim’s daily writing […]
Person of the Year: UVU President Astrid Tuminez
Just three hours before Astrid Tuminez would take to the stage at UVU’s Scholarship Ball in October 2018 and be introduced to nearly 1,000 donors, community leaders and influencers, she was at Provo Beach hosting her son’s 9-year-old birthday party. Her youngest of three children had been transplanted from Singapore to Provo, and Astrid […]
Fuel children’s happiness with good memories
Sponsored Story Written by Janae Moss, owner of RBM Building Services Losing our family landscaping business was one of the hardest experiences my husband and I have ever had. I remember having a strong feeling to write down the intense emotions I had. Every time I picked up a pen and paper, my fears started […]
UV50 Startups to Watch: No. 4 Kortni Jeane
Meet the unsinkable Kortni Jeane. Four years ago, Kortni Niccoli started her swimwear company from her Provo bedroom while strangers knocked on her door in hopes of buying a custom suit. Today, 233k friends on Instagram are double tappin’ their hearts out to get their hands on this colorful brand. On the way, there have […]
5 reasons to applaud Provo’s newest theater ‘The Hive’
By Hailey Bennett “The Hive” is the “Velour” of theater in Utah County. Just like the iconic space for live music, The Hive is in a cool downtown Provo location with a small setting and creative energy. The live theater opened August 17, and here are five reasons to sit yourself in one of their […]
Sundance documentary highlights Imagine Dragons singer’s mission to protect LDS LGBTQ teens
How do you stop rising suicide rates among Latter-day Saint lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth? For Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds, the answers are love and listening. Reynolds’ crusade is the focus of “Believer,” a Live Nation Productions documentary released at Sundance Film Festival this week. “Believer” follows Reynolds as he wrestles […]
Kneaders Bakery and Cafe celebrates two decades of bringing families together to break bread
Saturday, December 2, 2017, will mark an exciting milestone for Gary and Colleen Worthington, who are celebrating the 20th anniversary of Kneaders Bakery and Cafe. In 1997, the retired Subway Restaurants® owners, still in their early 50s, decided to pursue a second career and began looking for concepts they felt passionate about. While considering options, […]
Santa Claus is coming to town: Meet Utah Valley’s Santas
Four local Santas taught us there is much more to playing Old St. Nick than just putting on a red coat. Answering tricky questions, delivering a solid belly laugh, maintaining an epic beard and winning over skeptical little BELIEVERS is all part of the gig.
All is bright: Meet the man behind the brightest house on the block
Untangling a giant mess of Christmas lights doesn’t exactly foster the Christmas spirit. But for Michael Downey, it’s a labor of love. His display garners the admiration of light lovers near and far, with roughly 2,000 cars driving by his Lehi house each year. He uses more than 10,000 lights and synchronizes them with classic […]
Get to the Point: Life surrounding Traverse Mountain
For decades, the Point of the Mountain has divided Utah Valley from Salt Lake Valley. However, the Point is now bringing people together from near and far. Utah Valley Magazine asked “pointed” questions to a resident, a business owner and a shopper who are in the fan club for what is now referred to as […]
Meet Santa Lerl
HOMETOWN: Saratoga Springs AGE: 70 Around town, kids stop Lerl frequently to give him their Christmas list and parents pull up their photo with him from the previous year. Lerl relishes in his role and even has a personalized “SANTA” license plate. PRE HO-HO-HO: Land surveyor in Las Vegas. BECOMING SANTA: My daughter-in-law was the […]
Meet Santa Joe
HOMETOWN: Pleasant Grove AGE: Old enough to know better, too young to care. Before moving to Utah, Joseph Leavitt pursued an acting career in Los Angeles. He was frequently told he would make a great Santa. “I was always resistant because I saw myself above such nonsense,” Joseph says. “Then one day I looked in […]
Meet Santa Kay
HOMETOWN: Provo AGE: 74 Kay and his wife Karen Haws love playing Santa and Mrs. Claus because they love the spirit little children bring. One of the signature parts of their visit is leading all the children in “Silent Night” before they leave. FORMER CAREER: Electrician and father STAPLE SANTA GIGS: I’ve been dressing up as […]
Meet Santa Dodd
HOMETOWN: Payson AGE: 69 When it comes to being Santa Claus, Dodd Greer does more than just sit and look merry. When he ho-ho-ho’s at private parties, he brings hand bells and helps the kids play Christmas songs. And while some Santas stick to the traditional garb, Dodd often wears a Santa’s workshop get-up — […]
Traversing the good life: Dyan Law and her family found a home at Point of the Mountain
When Dyan Law and her husband, Cory, were looking for a place to relocate after moving to the Wasatch Front from the Uintah Basin, they settled on the Cresthaven Apartments in Lehi, just up the hill from Cabela’s and the Outlets at Traverse Mountain. The home was close to work for Cory — a corrections […]
Point of Transaction: Traverse Mountain Family Dental fills dental gaps for residents and tech workers alike
When Dr. Scott Stapley returned to his native Utah to open a dental practice after stops in Ohio, Idaho and Arizona, he wanted the perfect location. “My wife is originally from Alpine and we live there now, so I wanted a limited commute. But I also wanted to build my business in a vibrant area […]
Everybody has a story: The house that built me
I grew up in Orem, and one of the best things about my childhood was the neighborhood. There were tons of kids my age and we did everything together. It was diverse — we had Korean, Thai and Philippino families on our street. We still have a bond today and joke about our #100westfamily. When […]
The Voice: Broadway tenor Dallyn Vail Bayles sets the stage for Christmas
The LDS Church’s production of Savior of the World is the gift that keeps on living for Dallyn Vail Bayles. In 2000, when he first heard that the new Conference Center in Salt Lake City would include a small theater, he felt a tug on his costumed soul. He knew this stage would help tell […]
American Fork mom delivers baby after judge signs eviction notice for fetus
Fed up with being pregnant, one American Fork woman got an eviction notice signed for her fetus. Addressed to the baby — residing at Mommy Belly Lane in the Womb, Utah — Judge Lynn Davis with the Fourth District Court signed and stamped the eviction notice for Kaylee Bays that issued the complaint: “You have […]
BYU video shows female professor-athletes on two different ‘fields’
During the day, a group of female professors spend time on their home turf — the classroom — teaching BYU students in a variety of subjects. At night, the professors at Brigham Young University take a break from their textbooks to play on a new field, an intramural field to be exact. When Sarah Olson Brinton […]
LDS Apostle Robert D. Hales dies at 85
Elder Robert D. Hales, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017. He was 85. The LDS Church announced he died from causes incident to age, passing peacefully at the hospital surrounded by his wife and family. Elder Hales was sustained as […]
5 tips for creating connection from a couple who overcame addiction and affairs
Ashlynn and Coby Mitchell are a happy couple from Orem, Utah, but it wasn’t always that way. The Mitchells have suffered through the effects of Coby’s addiction to pornography, two affairs, and the molestation of their two daughters by a family member. “We lived in the weeds for 14 years of our marriage,” Ashlynn says. […]
A lifetime of achievement: David Bradford’s stock is at an all-time high with BusinessQ’s top honor
With an investor role in many of the companies featured in BusinessQ the past 15 years and a nickname of “the Human Internet,” David Bradford’s robust LinkedIn profile is about to get one more accolade: BusinessQ’s Lifetime Achievement Award for 2017. Although his life has been the ultimate resume builder, he says the most common […]
7 things Judy Arnold wants you to know about Cedar Hills
Cedar Hills doesn’t have a city library, but the community isn’t starved for prose on bound pages. Judy Arnold started a book exchange in her front yard after reading about a Wisconsin man who shared books in honor of his mother’s memory. “He built a box out in his front yard and called it a […]
The Drive: Take a road trip through Utah County with eight locals
Rev up the engine and take a road trip through Utah County. We’ll make eight stops and introduce you to the talk of each town. So buckle your seatbelt and kick it into high gear with locals in the driver’s seat.
Twinning is winning: Seven local celebrity lookalikes
Each year we ask readers to submit their local celebrity lookalikes — and every year, they deliver almost-famous faces. This year’s collection of civilian clones includes staple starlets, a quirky Food Network personality and even an LDS apostle! Are these seven locals stunt-double worthy? Take a look and decide for yourself. Guess which celebrity for […]
Celebrity Lookalike: Orem’s Ryan Lunt and Jack Black
Ryan Lunt, who grew up in Orem, was first told he resembles Jack Black at age 15. He was working at Sun River Gardens when two employees mentioned he reminded them of “Nacho Libre” after seeing the recently released movie. Another lookalike moment occurred when Ryan was at a gas station in Winnemucca, Nevada. Someone […]
Celebrity Lookalike: Eagle Mountain’s Daryl Petersen and Guy Fieri
Daryl Petersen is a local real estate agent who is known for his resemblance to Guy Fieri. A few years ago, Daryl made a deal with one of his clients that he would bleach his hair and go full Guy Fieri mode for the annual client appreciation party if he could list the client’s […]
Celebrity Lookalike: Lindon’s Shannen Crane Camp and Rose McIver
Shannen Camp is a huge fan of her celebrity twin sister, Rose McIver. Rose is a New Zealand actress who may be relatively unknown amongst mainstream media fans, but she is a cult favorite among fantasy film and fiction devotees. Which is fitting because Shannen is a young adult fiction author with more than 13 […]
Celebrity Lookalike: Springville’s McKenna Hixson and Reese Witherspoon
People have been telling Springville resident McKenna Hixson she looks like Reese Witherspoon for years. “It’s funny because I think I am actually closer to Reese’s daughter in age than Reese,” McKenna says. “But I definitely take it as a compliment.” McKenna is right — Reese Witherspoon is 41, her daughter Ava is 17, and […]