Presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is holding a free voter rally on Thursday, November 30 in Salt Lake City at 3:30 PM at Soundwell. The independent candidate is in town to meet voters and to collect 1,000 signatures to obtain ballot access in Utah.
After his first Utah rally, RFK Jr. will hold a small fundraising event for donors on Thursday evening. The event is happening at Sky SLC, a nightclub at 149 W. Pierpont Ave, from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Notably, Utah Jazz legend John Stockton recently expressed public support for RFK Jr.
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Due to their size and influence, the Republican and Democratic parties can almost automatically place one of their candidates on the ballot in all 50 states for a presidential election. Due to a lack of party affiliation, RFK Jr. must gather enough signatures in all 50 states in order to qualify for ballot access. Last election, the only third party to achieve that feat was the 2020 Libertarian ticket, composed of Jo Jorgensen and her VP Spike Cohen.
RFK is polling well, especially among younger voters. If he keeps up this momentum, he may have a showing that rivals Ross Perot’s 1992 run, which won Perot 18.91% of the popular vote.
Recent polls show that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has suddenly become a serious contender in the 2024 race for the US presidency. A Quinnipiac poll showed Kennedy with a 22% share of the electorate in a head-to-head matchup against Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Another poll shows Kennedy pulling ahead of both major party contenders among voters under 45 in several key battleground states.
The ARCH-HIVE – the Utah-based art collective most recently responsible for adding “no more than 100 gallons of water to The Great Salt Lake in a wonderfully wacky performance art stunt – is back. This time, the group is returning their focus to fine art with an art exhibit entitled “Public Dreams // Private Myths.” This show will be displayed at Writ & Vision on Center Street in downtown Provo, Utah.
“Public Dreams // Private Myths” will feature pieces about historical Mormon folklore and inventive future twists on familiar concepts. Works from 10 artists will feature imagery such as American angels, charlatan spirits, seagulls, underwater monsters, the Latter-day Saint concept of Kolob, a vision of a future powered by “spirit matter,” and even “strange, newly-discovered relics” suggesting new mythologies. The show will span many mediums, from mixed media and sculptures to digital artwork and film.
The name of the show was inspired by a quote from Joseph Campbell: “Myths are public dreams, dreams are private myths.”
A piece from 2022’s “I Am Bound Upon a Wheel of Fire.”
This is The ARCH-HIVE’s 5th annual show. Last year’s, entitled “I Am Bound Upon a Wheel of Fire,” was a runaway hit, with a line around the block and a wait time of several hours on opening night. The exhibit even stayed open late to accommodate the influx of patrons. The entirety of the show, which explored the intersection of Latter-day Saint faith and obsessive compulsive disorder, was acquired by Brigham Young University.
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This new exhibition aims to be just as poignant. “This show is important because it has taken a new ‘pulse’ of the folk beliefs and traditions of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints,” says artist Camilla Stark, co-founder of The ARCH-HIVE. “Folklore continuously evolves to be relevant for the time and place that the stories are shared. By asking these artists to interpret a well-known folk belief, or create a new legend, we uncover a view into the modern psyche surrounding this religion and culture.”
“Our collective folklore is a tapestry of tapestries, a recursive system of stories informing stories,” says show curator, ARCH-HIVE co-founder, and Mormcore artist Laz. “In exploring this theme, I hope that viewers will be encouraged not only to appreciate their inherited folklore, but to perpetuate it.”
A portion of the gallery from 2021’s “Midwinter At the Gates of Dawn.”
For featured artist Lexie Hoskin, she’s excited to use her art to help Latter-day Saints feel proud of what makes them unique. “As a church and a culture, we’ve gotten into a bad habit of shying away from the things that make us peculiar,” says Hoskin. “I like the idea of reclaiming some of these ideas that people might laugh at and instead making them something to be proud of, or at least a point of interest.”
The opening reception for “Public Dreams // Private Myths” is Friday, December 1 from 6-9 PM at Writ & Vision. It will be displayed through the rest of December 2023.
While everything is still being tallied and confirmed on the county level, Utah County has released the unofficial election results for the local elections that took place this week. Among them are the results for the Provo City Council race. Election results have taken longer to come in due to the switch to ranked choice voting for many cities across the county.
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For Provo, the City Council seats up for grabs were Citywide 2, Provo districts 1 and 3, and District 4. Travis Hoban was uncontested in District 4 and won by default. He will retain his position for the next four years.
Gary Garrett had the majority of votes for Citywide 2, Craig Christensen had the majority of votes for District 1, and Becky Bogdin had the majority of votes for District 3.
Here are the unofficial numbers:
Provo City Council Citywide 2
Gary Garrett: 4,628 (52.6%)
McKay R. Jensen: 4,164 (47.3%)
Provo City Council District 1
Craig Christensen: 1,857 (60.6%)
Stan Jensen: 1,203 (39.3%)
Provo City Council District 3
Becky Bogdin: 1,082 (61.48%)
David Lewis: 678 (38.52%)
Provo City Council District 4
Travis Hoban: 1,298 (100.00%)
The winners of the race will replace David Shipley (Citywide 2), Bill Filmore (District 1), and Shannon Ellsworth (District 3). As stated previously, Travis Hoban is retaining his position.
Today, November 21, is the last chance to make your voice heard in Provo’s General Election. Ballots have already been sent out to all registered voters in Provo, and mail-in voting ended yesterday.
If you forgot to place your ballot in your mailbox, drop boxes are available at several different places around Provo, Utah. All drop boxes are open until 8 PM this evening. Drop boxes are at the following locations:
Provo City Library at 550 N University Ave (Available 24/7 on the North side by the book return)
Utah County Administration Building at 100 E Center Street (On the south side next to the USPS mailboxes)
Provo Towne Centre at 1200 Towne Centre Blvd (On the north side of the parking lot)
As a voter in Utah County, you can return your ballot to any drop box within the county limits. For a complete list of locations, visit utahcounty.vote. If you haven’t received a ballot, get in touch with the Utah County Clerk at 801-851-8128 or via email at elections@utahcounty.gov.
The Lehi, Utah-based online company Jane has been offering fashion and home decor from independent creators since 2011. A curated boutique marketplace advertised as being by women, for women, 90% of its sellers were businesses owned or run by female creators. It was even one of the fastest-growing companies in Utah.
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But the company mysteriously shut down last Friday without any sort of formal announcement. The company’s website went offline, employees were let go without severance or healthcare, and the company turned off comments on its online seller forum and shut down the seller Facebook page. Now the offices in Lehi are sitting vacant.
Several woman have contacted news outlets and police to inform them that the company still owes them money – some reporting that number to be in the tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The Lehi Police Department has confirmed that they have opened an investigation into the company. Krista Kochivar was the most recent CEO of Jane. Lehi police says that anyone who feels they have been wronged by the company and would like to make a report can contact Lehi PD through their non-emergency number, 801-794-3970.
A prominent feature of the downtown Provo skyline, Nu Skin Enterprises is one of Provo’s largest employers and a frequent sponsor of community sporting and entertainment events. Publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange as NUS, Nu Skin Enterprises Inc. operates Nu Skin and Rhyz Inc. As such, its economic health directly impacts the lives of Provo residents.
Nu Skin is a multilevel marketing company that develops and sells dietary and nutritional supplements, oils, and skin and beauty products under the Nu Skin and Pharmanex brands. It operates in 54 markets and has an affiliate network of 1.2 million “independent distributors.”
Rhyz is Nu Skin’s strategic investment arm and was formed in 2018. It is attempting to develop an economically sustainable ecosystem of consumer, technology, and manufacturing companies focused on innovation in the beauty and wellness space. This branch of the business was likely formed in response to the increasingly negative public perception of MLMs and declining revenue. For example, in 2014, the Chinese government investigated Nu Skin and fined them $540,000 due to their sales tactics.
In 2022, the company began an intense restructuring process and initiated layoffs. At the time, CEO Ryan Napierski said the company wanted to be recognized for the way it designs beauty and wellness products, and not for the way it sells them.
Nu Skin CEO Ryan Napiersky. Photo courtesy of Nu Skin Enterprises.
Unfortunately, third quarter results in 2023 were “softer than expected,” according to Nu Skin. The company brought in $498.8 million – $8.1 million less than the same quarter last year.
“Although we are disappointed in the third quarter results of our Nu Skin business, we are encouraged by stabilization and modest growth in three of our Nu Skin reporting segments, highlighted by double-digit gains in Europe/Africa,” said Napierski in a press release. “We are also pleased with accelerated growth of our Rhyz businesses as we lean further into our synergistic enterprise ecosystem.”
Despite these challenges, Nu Skin is still expecting to bring in $1.96 billion in revenue by the end of 2023, according to James D. Thomas, Nu Skin’s chief financial officer.
After months of construction, the Utah Transit Authority has opened the new pedestrian bridge at Provo Central Station. The public celebrated its opening in a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday, November 14.
The goal of the bridge was to improve safety, air quality, and to more efficiently connect downtown Provo to the broader public transportation network. While the bridge is operational, elevators within the structures are not yet usable. They’re still pending inspections from state government.
It cost roughly $7 million to build the bridge. 35% was paid by federal funding and 65% was paid by local sources. The bridge spans two FrontRunner tracks and two Union Pacific Railroad lines near 600 South and 100 West in Provo, Utah. It’s 145 feet long.
For pedestrians, this area is often blocked by trains. This makes crossing difficult, dangerous, and at times impossible. This bridge addresses those challenges.
Photo courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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By McKinsleigh Smith
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (one of the international faith’s highest governing bodies), passed away at about 11:15 PM on Sunday, November 12, 2023 with loved ones by his side. He was 95 years old.
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Ballard joined the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on October 6, 1985. He was announced as Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on January 16, 2018, assuming the duties of President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Dallin H. Oaks, after he was called to the faith’s First Presidency, its highest governing body. Ballard helped oversee the spiritual and organizational affairs of a church of more than 17 million members spread all over the world.
Of Ballard, Church President Russell M. Nelson said, “President Ballard was never indecisive. He knew exactly what the Lord taught and how it could be applied in one’s personal life and bring joy and happiness.”
Funeral services for President M. Russell Ballard will be held in the Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah on Friday, November 17, 2023, from 11 AM to noon MST.
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The funeral will be open to the public, and attendees must be 8 years old or older. The Temple Square gates and the Tabernacle doors will open at 9:30 AM. Attendees should be seated by 10:30 AM.
The funeral services will be streamed live on the Church’s Broadcasts page and Inspiration and Events YouTube channel (both available in Cantonese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish), as well as BYUtv.
A private burial service will take place at the Salt Lake City Cemetery immediately after the service. There will be no public viewing. In lieu of flowers, President Ballard’s family has asked that donations be made to This Is The Place Heritage Park.
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.
Provo Tribune: Local News for the Provo/Orem Area 