A man died after being hit by a vehicle on southbound I-15 near American Fork, Utah. According to troopers, he was hit and killed after exiting his vehicle.
Utah Highway Patrol arrived at the incident at roughly 7 AM on November 13. A car had struck the right barrier, and then (for reasons troopers are still trying to determine), the driver exited the vehicle and walked back toward traffic. He was then hit by an oncoming vehicle.
While no one in the other car was injured, this man suffered fatal injuries. He has still not been identified.
The Utah Department of Transportation reports that the five right lanes of southbound traffic are closed and at a near standstill. A man we interviewed reported that he had moved only 600 feet in just under an hour. UDOT estimates the lanes will reopen around 11 AM.
This Saturday, Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company will present a new work entitled Chronology. True to their name, all of the works presented in the concert will be contemporary dance, except for a contemporary ballet number by Shani Robison, a former ballet professor at Brigham Young University. Chronology explores the different ages and stages of life through dance.
Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company (WCDC) is a professional dance company that has been performing and teaching in the Utah County community since March 2010. The company explores unique elements that enhance dance, including dance film, immersive and site-specific dance, and the use of technology and audience involvement within performance.
“WCDC also strives to promote thought-provoking dance that helps our community think deeply on important topics of social and emotional importance,” says Jessica Heaton, Artistic Director of Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company. She cites Hayley Stoddard’s new work There’s Been a Study, which comments on women’s societal roles in the past and the present, exploring the ideas of women’s values and the value of a woman.
A still from Hayley Stoddard’s There’s Been a Study. Photo by @dancernerd.photo.
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“Our mission is to build a creative and compassionate community through dance,” she says. “WCDC is also committed to building the dance scene in Utah County, where a professional contemporary dance group had not existed previously in the history of the county before the creation of WCDC. Utah County residents deserve to enjoy quality professional dance close to home, and not have to drive all the way to Salt Lake to get it!”
Heaton invites everyone to come to the theater and enjoy the beautiful, the messy – and everything in between. She believes it all makes life an incredible gift. “With the arts scene growing in Utah County so much in recent years, we boldly suggest that if you haven’t seen what’s going on in the professional dance scene in Utah County yet, you’re missing a big part of the growth occurring in our community!”
Last Thursday, nearly 500 people gathered at Utah Valley University for the 3rd annual Growth and Prosperity Conference. The conference aims to attract future-thinking people to address Utah’s rapidly increasing population and how it will impact transportation, education, air quality, infrastructure, workforce development, water, business, and economic development.
Hosted in partnership with the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce, UVU welcomed speakers from key areas, including US Representative and former Provo Mayor John Curtis. Having served Provo for 8 years, Curtis understands the importance of managed growth and the impact it will have. “Thank you for planning the future of my valley for my kids and my grandkids. It is incredibly important work,” he said.
Curtis Blair, president and CEO of the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce, stressed the importance of planning ahead. “We are dealing with unprecedented growth. It’s not going away. You can view it positively, you can view it negatively, you can view it neutral, but it’s coming,” Blair said. “So, how we manage that growth, the stewardship with which we manage that growth, will really dictate the quality of life for years to come – and I am talking generational impact.”
Laura Hanson, from the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget, explained that between 2010 and 2020, Utah was the fastest growing state in the nation at 18.4 percent – far outpacing neighboring communities and states. Hanson revealed that historically optimistic Utahns are finally feeling uncertain about the future.
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“Every seven years, they do a survey, and one answer has been consistent through that time period,” Hanson said. “‘Do you think growth will make Utah better or Utah worse?’ For the first time in the history of this survey question, in 2021, Utahns said, ‘We are not sure that growth is going to make Utah better.’ That is a big change since the last time that we asked it in 2014.”
Specifically, Utahns are feeling pressures around housing and resources. The surveys also showed that Utahns don’t want to stop growth. They just want to be more intentional about it.
“Education and workforce development is one of our key seven pillars of growth. You cannot have businesses thriving if you do not have a qualified workforce,” said Curtis Blair. “We want our children to stay here. We would love for them to work here, live here, play, and recreate here, and we want to keep our grandchildren close to us.”
Astrid S. Tuminez, President of UVU, stressed the importance of a college education. There’s a median income gap of $30,000 a year between someone who merely graduates from high school and those who receive a college degree.
A public service announcement from UVU President Astrid S. Tuminez.
Tuminez reported that UVU is playing a key role in creating a strong Utah workforce. 77% of UVU graduates stay in Utah and are fueling the economy ten years after graduation. At the conclusion of her keynote speech, Tuminez announced a formal agreement between UVU and Mountainland Technical College (MTECH). The agreement creates a pathway for MTECH graduates in HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and welding to earn an associate degree in business management at UVU – in half the time.
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While gathering to discuss these issues at all could be considered a success, what truly matters is how the event’s conversations and data sharing translate to future progress.
“All have come together to say these conversations matter,” Blair said. “We can’t do it in silos. We have got to figure out a way to partner and collaborate and bring this message down to the grassroots, and that’s our blocks and neighborhoods, our City Council, our mayors.”
For more information about the efforts being made by the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce to plan for statewide growth, click here.
Where the accident occurred (with the victim's body obscured out of respect). Photo courtesy Provo PD.
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By Mike Romero
The Provo Police department has arrested and booked Jose Sandoval into the Utah County jail on suspicion of failure to remain at the scene of an accident involving a fatality. He has not yet been formally charged.
Around 4:30 AM on Friday, October 27, Provo PD received a report of a man lying near Center Street on the east side of 500 West, headed northbound. The man was 43-year-old Brian Coltharp, who had been hit by a moving vehicle.
According to Provo Police Department public information officer Janna-Lee Holland, for some reason Coltharp – who was wearing dark clothing – fell into the roadway and did not get up. A light-colored van then traveled through the intersection and hit him, but did not remain at the scene. Provo PD obtained this information after reviewing footage from traffic cameras.
“It is not known if the driver knew they hit a person, or thought they hit an object,” Holland said. Later in the morning, officers obtained license plate information and located the vehicle and driver, Jose Sandoval.
Despite hesitancy from city residents, The Vineyard City Council voted unanimously last Wednesday to make Eric Ellis the new city manager. Ellis had previously given his support to the plan to dredge Utah Lake and house hundreds of thousands of people on it via artificial islands.
The Salt Lake Tribune recently secured two letters showing Ellis told Lake Restorations Solutions, the company in charge of the artificial island scheme, that the Utah Lake Commission would provide millions of dollars to help them secure a federal loan for their project.
Despite this, Vineyard Mayor Julie Fullmer has described Ellis as an experienced public servant and skilled administrator. It is of note that Fullmer also sent a letter of support for Lake Restorations Solutions’ federal loan in September of 2020, offering $5 million from Vineyard City. Due to public outcry, Lake Restorations Solutions never received any federal funding, and the company filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.
Ellis will take the reins as Vineyard enters a crucial period of development and expansion, including the massive Utah City project. Ellis beat out more than 150 individuals from throughout the country who applied for the position. He has an associate degree in business administration from UVU, a bachelor’s degree in marketing communications from BYU, and a graduate degree in public administration from the University of Utah.
Ellis will officially assume his new position on Nov. 13.
To absolutely nobody’s surprise, The Democratic National Committee has actively kept Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from securing the Democratic Nomination. Only 10 incumbent US presidents have lost re-election – the most recent being Donald Trump. On paper, throwing their weight behind Joe Biden seems like the right move in order to maintain maximum political power.
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However, polls are showing that a vast majority of Americans don’t think Biden is fit for office. A CNN poll suggested that two-thirds of registered Democrats and left-leaning independents would prefer someone other than Joe Biden. An AP poll from September showed that 77% of Americans think Biden is too old to serve another term.
Kennedy, the son of the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy and Senator Ted Kennedy, announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination in April of 2023. As someone with a storied American political heritage – but who has not held public office himself – Kennedy is in a unique position. Like Donald Trump, he can position himself as an anti-establishment outsider. But unlike Trump, he can be seen as someone trying to heal the system by restoring it to the “good old days” instead of trying to dismantle or “drain” it.
Photo by Gage Skidmore.
It will be interesting to see how Utahns respond to this new option. Last election, Utah had the second-highest percentage of votes cast for 3rd party candidates at 4.2% – second only to Alaska at 4.4%. 37.7% of Utah voters also voted for Joe Biden in 2020 instead of Donald Trump – the highest Democratic showing for the state since 2008.
The state’s opposition to both Donald Trump and the Democratic Party was made clearest in the 2016 election, when 21.5% of voters opted for independent candidate Evan McMullin, who launched his campaign late and with far less of the political connections, family history, or financial backing RFK Jr. has.
With many Utahns showing disdain for Donald Trump’s irreligious, bawdy, and tawdry behavior, Kennedy’s open Catholic devotion may be seen as a breath of fresh air. His opposition to mandatory vaccinations, goals to ease the housing crisis (with which Utah is struggling considerably ), and tough-but-humanitarian border policy may resonate with Utah Republicans.
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However, his his goal of raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, his focus on the environment, and his former affiliation with the Democratic Party may be too problematic for staunch Republicans. This may be enough to win Utah Democrats over, though. Especially since they don’t have a lot to lose: Utah hasn’t swung Democrat since 1964.
Only time will tell. But with Utah’s recent erratic voting behavior, it may become a key player in future elections – especially as the Republican Party drifts from its “values” and descends further into chaos.
Last Thursday, Provo woman Nelly Idowu was convicted in federal court after participating in an online romance scheme. Idowu, age 39, was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of money laundering conspiracy and two counts of money laundering.
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From 2017 to 2019, Idowu and three others created tons of fake online profiles on sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Christian Mingle. They would then use these profiles to target victims, primarily single elderly women over 65, and flirt with them. Once a romantic bond had been formed, they would claim they were in dire financial circumstances and in need of help. All told, they scammed victims out of more than $6 million.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s office, Idowu earned over $1 million into her personal and business bank accounts before sending the money out of the country in an attempt to conceal these earnings. These accounts were located in China and Nigeria.
The Salt Lake City FBI field office investigated the case. Charges were brought against Idowu and her co-conspirators in 2020. Idowu’s sentencing is scheduled for January 30, 2024, at 10 AM at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah.
The Orem Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints towers over the west side of I-15, overlooking Utah Valley University. It is the sixth Latter-day Saint temple in Utah County, joining the Provo, Provo City Center, Mount Timpanogos, Payson, and Saratoga Springs temples.
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With Vineyard expecting and planning for massive population growth in the coming years, the Orem Utah Temple will serve one of the most densely populated areas in the state, which includes housing for many Utah Valley University students. The facility will meet the spiritual and ritual needs of 57,000 Utahns who practice the faith and live in a geographical boundary Latter-day Saints call a “temple district.”
The temple will open for free public tours beginning this week. The first open house is Friday, October 27. Tours will run through December 16, 2023. Since Sundays are holy and considered a “day of rest” for Latter-day Saints, tours will not be held on Sundays. The temple will also close for the Thanksgiving holiday.
This temple is the 186th completed temple for the international Church. It was first announced in 2019 and sits on over 15 acres of land. The building itself is 70,000 square feet. Its unique stained glass windows were crafted by artist Tom Holdman, an Orem native.
It’s been 5 years since Alex Vaughn, Corey Fox, Paul Nahrwold, and Dean Cheesman unleashed Buzzards & Bees on the world. A spooky music festival Provo had never seen before, their vision featured costumed indie musicians and costumed concertgoers filling venues all across downtown Provo.
Utah’s only Halloween-themed music festival, it consists of two events: Goth Prom and the Buzzards & Bees Music Festival itself. Goth Prom is a kickoff event for the weekend and is held every year at Velour Live Music Gallery on University Avenue. Participants dress as their saddest selves and have the time of their lives. The actual music festival is Saturday and features 80+ Utah bands.
Goth Prom featuring DJ KID MACHINE will take place tonight, October 20. Buzzards & Bees will take place across 11 venues in downtown Provo on October 21, 2023. Tickets for both events are on sale now.
Additional festivities include street performers, a costume contest, a mask-making station, spooky story-telling, and more. One ticket gets you in to all 11 venues. It’s one of the busiest single nights of the year for Provo music. Check out the schedule below.
Sister Kathleen Johnson Eyring — the wife of President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — died Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in her home in Bountiful, Utah, surrounded by her family. She was 82.
Through over 60 years of marriage, Sister Eyring remained her husband’s biggest support, counselor and confidante.
During an address he gave at the Vatican on November 18, 2014, Henry B. Eyring said, “I have become a better person as I have loved and lived with her. We have been complementary beyond anything I could have imagined. … I realize now that we grew together into one — slowly lifting and shaping each other, year by year. As we absorbed strength from each other, it did not diminish our personal gifts.”
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Sister Eyring was born in San Francisco, California, on May 11, 1941. She was the daughter of J. Cyril “Sid” and LaPrele Lindsay Johnson. Her parents instilled in her a deep commitment to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was great at sports, loved the outdoors, and was an intellectual. She was the captain of the tennis team at her prep school, and was student body president and valedictorian. After graduating, she attended the University of California at Berkeley. She also studied at Sorbonne University in the heart of Paris and the University of Vienna, where she learned to speak both French and German.
When she and a friend decided to do a summer semester of school at Harvard in 1961, she met and fell in love with Henry Bennion Eyring. They were married in July 27, 1962, in the Logan Utah Temple by President Spencer W. Kimball. They have six children — four sons and two daughters.
One of the Eyrings’ bishops once told her husband: “I’m amazed. Every time I hear of a person in the ward who is in trouble, I hurry to help. Yet by the time I arrive, it seems that your wife has always already been there.”
Provo Tribune: Local News for the Provo/Orem Area 