A transportation project that has been on the planning board for decades is finally ready for its debut: The West Davis Highway will have its grand opening this Saturday with a walk-run-bike fun event, hot chocolate and treats. Find the details for the festivities in Amy Joi O’Donoghue's reporting.
Also on our mind: One lawmaker is proposing a lottery for Utah, parts of Temple Square will reopen this winter and when it comes to bowl games, is it time for fans to opt out, too?
‘Very concerning’ dry conditions haunt all of Utah. Will it change?
“Right now, it is pretty concerning where we stand,” said Jordan Clayton, supervisor of the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Utah Snow Survey.
Clayton said no basin in Utah sits at average for snowpack and for precipitation, the Bear River Basin is the only one that has raked in an average amount.
It’s frustrating, he added, because the water year got off to a good start, propped up by active November storms.
Then, it fizzled.
Consider this, as of Tuesday, where these particular basins sit in the amount of precipitation received:
Most Republican voters consider former President Donald Trump to be a person of faith, putting him ahead of other more vocally religious individuals according to a national poll conducted by HarrisX for the Deseret News.
But Republicans are less likely to say Trump is “religious” — pointing to his support for religious people, not his individual religiosity, as their reasoning for saying he is a person of faith.
Those who said Trump was a person of faith or religious point to his politics. Sixty-seven percent said Trump defends people of faith in the U.S.; 60% said he supports policies that focus on families; and 54% said he “cares about people like me.”
The least common reason for saying Trump is a person of faith or religious, expressed by only 26% of respondents, is that he is “actively involved in religious and faith communities.”
Read more about why Republicans think Donald Trump is a person of faith.
More in Politics:
Election tracker: With Curtis seeking Senate seat, who’s running for his spot in the House? (Deseret News)
‘Utah has once again shown it is the pioneer state,’ Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says about achieving ballot access in Utah (Deseret News)
Deseret News Editorial Board: One lawmaker is proposing a lottery for Utah. Here’s why it’s a bad idea (Deseret News)
FROM VOICES
Carlos Boozer is back!
Join us Jan. 31 for an exciting evening featuring Carlos Boozer. Hear his captivating story and a lively Q&A session, as well as a memorable photo opportunity. Purchase tickets today.
Health
World’s first partial heart transplant hailed as success (Deseret News)
The 2024 New Year’s resolutions health experts want you to make (Deseret News)
Faith
The Church of Jesus Christ announces what will reopen on Temple Square this winter (Deseret News)
Theresa Dear: 8 prayers for the new year (Deseret News)
Business & Entertainment
Woman sues Hershey for selling Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkins without ‘cute’ faces seen on packaging (Deseret News)
Apple TV+’s ‘Masters of the Air’ follows the 100th Bomb Group in World War II. But is it all true? (Deseret News)
Northern Utah
A cute, killer cat: The deadliest cat in the world comes to Utah (Deseret News)
Weber County officials seek inland port project; critics warn of adverse environmental impacts (KSL)
Southern Utah
Utah Tech University VP and chief of staff named interim president (Deseret News)
Winter weather advisory issued for southern Utah as storms return to state (KSL)
The West
A guide to backcountry Colorado yurts for people who don’t plan a year in advance (Denver Post)
How Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport is upgrading, expanding in 2024 (Arizona Republic)
The Nation
Jeffrey Epstein’s former lawyer said, ‘I want everything out,’ as documents release date is delayed (Deseret News)
Record number of migrants — 302,000 — cross the U.S.-Mexico border in December, as Congress waits to act (Deseret News)
SpaceX illegally fired workers critical of Elon Musk, US labor agency says (Reuters)
The World
Explosions in Iran kill at least 95 people (Deseret News)
Nordic region temperatures plunge — Sweden recorded its coldest night in 25 years this week (Deseret News)
Saleh al-Arouri: Hamas leader's death 'won't go unpunished', says Hezbollah chief (BBC)
Some overlooked good news from 2023: Six countries knock out 'neglected' diseases (NPR)
Sports
When it comes to bowl games, is it time for fans to opt out, too? (Deseret News)
Cougars have managed to keep most of their key players out of transfer portal — for now (Deseret News)
A 16-year-old darts sensation — and the funniest tweets about his age (Deseret News)
Utah Jazz played the Detroit Pistons Wednesday night. Here's how they fared (Deseret News)
Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) dunks the ball during the NBA basketball game between the Utah Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024.
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