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.”
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By Charlie G. Patreus
On September 19, 2023, C. Shane Reese officially became the 14th president of Brigham Young University (BYU). This occasion not only marked his formal inauguration but also unveiled his unwavering commitment to help BYU realize its full potential, which Latter-day Saints believe is divine.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees, along with President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and first vice chairman of the Board of Trustees, presided over President Reese’s installation.
After taking office, President Reese gave a speech that emphasized his dedication to the university and the crucial role that faculty and students play in fulfilling BYU’s “spiritual mission.” He reiterated the visions of previous leaders (regarded as prophets in the faith) regarding BYU’s future.
Photo by Jaren Wilkey/BYU.
BYU is unique from other educational institutions because it was founded by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is still overseen by the government and leadership of the faith. President Reese explained that this unique connection allows the university to benefit from the guidance of the faith’s prophets, including the vision of President Spencer W. Kimball, who articulated a compelling roadmap for BYU’s future.
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“Our task is to become the university that prophets foretold — to becomethe world’s ‘greatest institution of learning,’ ‘the fully anointed university of the Lord about which so much has been spoken in the past,’ to become the BYU of prophecy and promise,” Reese said. “This, then, is the challenge of our generation and the burden of my administration: becoming BYU.”
President Reese stressed that achieving this vision requires enhancing the student experience and reinforcing the student-centric approach. Each student’s “eternal progression” remains BYU’s top priority. He also emphasized the Latter-day Saint belief that each person is a child of God who can be connected to Jesus Christ, and the importance of inclusion and kindness.
Those in attendance in the BYU Marriott Center for the inauguration of C. Shane Reese. Photo by Brooklynn Jarvis Kelson/BYU.
According to Reese’s philosophy, “Becoming BYU” will also demand maintaining a strong religious identity, even when it means standing alone. That means supporting research aligned with the Church’s mission. It will be interesting to watch BYU pioneer discovery and innovation while balancing tradition, transparency, and intellectual honesty.
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Expressing his love and dedication to the BYU community, President Reese committed to making Provo’s university a unique learning environment, fostering peacemakers in an increasingly divided society.
Following President Reese’s remarks, Elder Christofferson and Elder Ronald A. Rasband recognized BYU’s special connection with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and expressed confidence in President Reese’s leadership.
C. Shane Reese took the place of Kevin J. Worthen, who served from 2014-2023. Watch highlights from the inauguration below.
Last week, it was announced that Vineyard will finally be getting a grocery store. Part of the Utah City development, Vineyard and Lee’s Marketplace have announced “Bella’s Market” – a new grocery store based on a novel concept and unique to the city.
At 40,000 square feet, it will be a custom concept store patterned after the clean and respected locations operated by Lee’s Marketplace. It will be located near the 800 North FrontRunner station and the Huntsman Cancer Institute, which will break ground next year.
Abel Porter is the director of retail operations for Bella’s Market. He explained that they wanted to create a location that understands the needs of Utah families and shares their ambition to create a unique experience in Utah City. Lee’s Marketplace will help operate it, but Bella’s Market will offer local products and essential staples.
A rendering of Utah City.
The store will be feature touchless checkout and delivery within city limits. External food options and pickelball courts will be provided. Construction will begin in 2024 and will end in 2025. While feeling upscale, the goal is to set prices that will be equitable for all families in the region – somewhere between Winco and Harmons. Negotiations for a store in the area have been underway for nearly 10 years.
Lee’s Marketplace is a Utah-based, family-owned grocery business. They opened their first store in 1981 and now operate in 7 locations across the state, including Heber, Herriman, Logan, North Ogden, North Salt Lake, Richmond, and Smithfield.
Maverik and its parent company, FJ Management, is a Utah-based gas and convenience store chain that (until recently) operated over 370 locations across Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. The company is one of the largest privately held companies in the United States, with revenues in the billions.
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In April of 2023, the company announced that it would acquire Kum & Go and Solar Transport from Krause Group. 6 months later, the sale has been finalized. Now, Maverik will own and operate over 800 stores in 20 states and employ approximately 14,000 individuals.
“We are excited to welcome Kum & Go and Solar Transport Team Members to Maverik,” said Chuck Maggelet, CEO of Maverik, in a statement. “Together, we’ll offer our customers an adventurous and differentiated convenience store experience across fuel, foodservice, and inside-store offerings. We look forward to using our combined resources to grow our business and further elevate our product offerings to provide the best service to our customers.”
Kum & Go is the 24th-largest convenience store chain in the country and was headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. To express their support and gratitude for the people of Iowa, Maverik is donating $50,000 to The Des Moines Public Schools Foundation. Maverik’s donation will provide fresh fruits, vegetables, and toiletries at Des Moines Public Schools’ 53 food pantries in schools across the district.
BYUtv Sports made a name for itself during the independence era of Brigham Young University Athletics. As a college sports team unaffiliated with a major conference, the school had to build out the resources and connections that would allow their games to reach BYU fans all over the world. One of the ways they did that was by investing heavily in the sports production arm of BYU Broadcasting. And boy has it paid off.
BYU Broadcasting was nominated for Best Live Sporting Event / Game (Single Game or Series). The team members nominated include producer Harrison Collier, director Michael Hunter, play-by-play announcer Spencer Linton, and analyst McKell Merkley. The group was nominated for their broadcast of the Best of Utah Gymnastics Meet. Gymnastics meets are notoriously difficult to cover because of both the variety and the sheer number of sub-events all happening simultaneously. Other organizations nominated include The Utah Jazz and Pac-12 Networks.
A still from the Best of Utah Gymnastics Meet, courtesy of BYUtv Sports.
BYU Broadcasting was also nominated for Best Live News Producer / Sports Producer. The nominee? BYUtv Sports producer Harrison Collier – his second nomination of 2023.
“I am grateful for the incredible talent I get to work with day in and day out at BYUtv,” says Collier. “Their commitment to telling the stories of the student athletes that we cover is second to none. Not many broadcast companies will do a four team gymnastics meet live. I’m grateful that we are being recognized for taking such risks.” In addition to his two nominations this year, he was a 2022 Emmy-nominee for Best Live Sporting Event. Collier is also a 4-time SVG award winner for live event production.
BYUtv Sports producer Harrison Collier.
For BYUtv and BYU Athletics, the independence era began in 2011 and ended in 2022 (notably with a bowl victory over SMU in the New Mexico Bowl during the football season). During that time, BYU played in front of millions on national television. They took on the likes of Baylor, Oregon, Notre Dame, Arkansas, and more.
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Independence was a huge win for the university. It put BYU in the national spotlight and was also a resounding financial success, according to publicly available earnings and expense data from the US Department of Education.
By setting the highest standards for their sports broadcasts, BYUtv Sports was able to land a deal with ESPN in 2011. ESPN became the official broadcaster for most BYU Football games. As part of that deal, one home game per season would air live on BYUtv along with reruns of home games that were broadcast on ESPN’s networks. That coverage also included the BYUtv Sports-produced pre-game and post-game shows like Countdown to Kickoff. BYUtv Sports and ESPN have a close working relationship to this day, even after joining the Big 12 Conference.
Photography by Nate Edwards/BYU Photo.
BYU Broadcasting’s reputation for quality extended well beyond football and basketball. BYUtv Sports consistently broadcasts sporting events for baseball, gymnastics, soccer, softball, and volleyball. In addition to this year’s nominations, their efforts have led to several regional Emmy nominations in preceding years.
Winners for this year will be announced at a black tie event on Saturday, November 4th 2023 at the Chateau Luxe in Phoenix, Arizona. Make sure to follow BYUtv Sports on Instagram. You can watch the broadcast of the 46th Annual Rocky Mountain Regional Emmys Nominations below.
The vista overlooking Utah Lake from Vineyard used to house the Geneva Steel Works. For years, it’s sat barren and empty. Now, 700 acres are being prepared to host Vineyard’s largest development to date: a project called Utah City.
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Developed as a collaboration between The Flagship Companies and Woodbury Corp, this master-planned mixed use community aims to be sustainable, walkable, and transit-focused. Utah City will surpass the Point of the Mountain Development (currently under way and stretching from Lehi to Sandy) by over 100 acres.
Nate Hutchinson, a managing partner of Utah City, emphasizes that this development is intended to cater to everyone – from affluent citizens to those in need of affordable housing. The project officially began with the groundbreaking of 450 multi-family units last week.
By next year, the Huntsman Cancer Institute will break ground, bringing innovation and progress to the heart of Vineyard. The city’s Mayor, Julie Fullmer, has expressed her excitement for the development, grateful for the collaborative efforts involving city leaders, councils, and stakeholders.
Utah City’s master plan was designed by Jeff Speck and the town planning firm DPZ. Utahns will be able to access the community from the 1600 North, 800 North, and Center Street exits along I-15. Utah City will also connect to the Vineyard FrontRunner station.
The project promises 17 million square feet of mixed-use space, 2 million square feet of restaurant space, 2 million square feet of retail space, and 50+ acres of parks and green spaces.
Over the last week, we’ve been spotlighting candidates running for Provo City Council. In Provo, our community is divided up into neighborhoods and districts. Members of the City Council represent districts. For districts with a large number of candidates, these candidates must undergo the Primary Election process.
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This year, only candidates for the Citywide II Seat are listed on the ballot for the primaries. The purpose of the Primary Election is to narrow down the number of candidates for the general election. The two candidates with the most votes advance to the general ballot. District 1, District 3, and District 4 already have a narrow number of candidates, so they bypass the Primary Election process.
While the Primary Election is Tuesday, September 5, mail-in ballots have already been sent out to Provo residents who are active, registered voters, and voting is already underway. A postage paid envelope should have been provided for convenience, but to save taxpayer dollars, Utah County has provided several drop box locations. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked before election day.
Alternatively, you can drop your ballot off at an early voting location or an Election Day voting location. You can find a location near you here. While the deadline to register to vote in the Citywide II primaries has passed, voters may register to vote at an early voting location or at a polling location on Election Day. You’ll need to bring at least two forms of identification to the polling location to prove your citizenship and residency. The deadline to register to vote online is November 10.
The Primary Election is September 5, 2023. The General Election is November 21, 2023. Ballots will not be accepted after 8 PM on these days.
If you did not receive your ballot or need a replacement ballot, call Utah County at 801-851-8128.
Provo Tribune: Local News for the Provo/Orem Area 