2+ week, 4+ day ago (299+ words) SALT LAKE CITY " The aurora borealis is still putting on a show on Wednesday in Utah. You just have to find the gaps between the cloud coverage. Southwest Adventure Tours Tour Guide Jenna Strom prepared to get her telescope and chairs ready on Wednesday. "The darker the sky, the better." said Strom. Strom headed to Antelope Island to try and take in the view. "On the west side of the island is an area called white Rock Bay," said Strom. "It is a really great spot because it blocks out some of the city lights." Many of our FOX 13 News viewers have shared they're nervous the second showing will be blocked. "The further north you're able to get and the further west. We do have the clouds but they're moving westward, so some of those areas of the sky are…...

3+ week, 4+ day ago (63+ words) Many cities and towns across the state of Utah held primary elections for mayor, city council and school board races on Tuesday. These are unofficial, preliminary numbers only and are subject to change as more ballots are counted and released by the county election offices. ST. GEORGE CITY MAYOR SALT LAKE CITY COUNCIL - DISTRICT 3 (RANKED CHOICE) SALT LAKE CITY COUNCIL - DISTRICT 5...

3+ week, 5+ day ago (633+ words) SALT LAKE CITY " Parents are not giving up after the Salt Lake County Council voted to cut funding for four county-run childcare centers in Magna, Kearns, Millcreek and Salt Lake City's Fairpark neighborhood. "We can't afford anywhere else, so if they do decide to have this closure, we're screwed," said parent Jessica Earl. "This is such a small cut to affect so many people. It just sucks, honestly," echoed parent Mackenzie Miller. When it comes to the reason why these programs were cut, Councilwoman Natalie Pinkney said the Republican caucus believed those centers had low enrollment numbers and wanted to make budget cuts. "There are a lot of interventions that we can do to make sure that we are covering the overhead costs and the operational costs of those child cares, knowing how beneficial it is to actually have more…...

3+ week, 5+ day ago (532+ words) SALT LAKE CITY " The family of Javen Welcher, the 17-year-old shot and killed on Halloween night in West Valley City, continues to grieve his loss as suspects remain at large days after the incident. "He was a great kid, for him to be shot and killed. It's horrible. It's tragic," said Welcher's mother, Jennifer Diaz, through tears. "It's just so tragic." Outside their Salt Lake City home Monday, Welcher's family shared the horrifying way in which they learned of Javen's death. Multiple shots heard below in home security video outside Halloween party: "I was supposed to go pick him up between 1 and 2, so I started calling at midnight, his phone just kept ringing and ringing, and that's just not like him," Diaz shared. Hours later, Diaz and her family learned what had happened. Police said an altercation that began inside…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (484+ words) SALT LAKE CITY " The COVID-19 pandemic caused it to shut down nearly five years ago, but the "Burrito Project" is coming back. The project involved delivering a hot meal, including a freshly wrapped Rico burrito, to unsheltered members of our community. Now, with COVID behind us and thanks to a little help from his friends, the owner of Rico Brand foods is restarting it. For years prior to the pandemic, Jorge Fiero, along with several volunteers at his Rico Brand foods, were making and distributing hundreds of burritos each week to unsheltered members in our community. FOX 13 News did a report on the project in 2013. But Fiero says COVID played a big part in shutting it down. "SinceCOVID ended, I have been trying to restart it. But now I'm trying to do it with some other members of the community....

1+ week, 4+ day ago (616+ words) SALT LAKE CITY " A new report prepared by the Utah State Legislature's Auditor General identified what he believes are the top 10 biggest issues facing the state right now. "The word I've been using is vitality. If we don't do these things the state will suffer in some form or fashion. We need to work on these things," Legislative Auditor General Kade Minchey said in an interview with FOX 13 News. The "High-Risk List" prepared for legislative leadership lists water as the top two, including the demand for water and aging water infrastructure. Minchey said that includes saving the Great Salt Lake. "One of the risks we saw there was the dust issue that can occur if that's not there," he said. A group of teens who demonstrated outside the Utah State Capitol on Wednesday agreed. Dressed as hospital patients and holding…...

2+ week, 2+ day ago (324+ words) COALVILLE, Utah " Influencers aren't going anywhere. Now, Utah students are learning what it really takes to become one. "This is a legitimate career and we have to start to accept it, it's not going away," Charity Richins, an Influencer Marketing teacher at North Summit High School, said. The classes got the green light from the Utah State Board of Education last year, and now they're popping up in schools across Utah. The course is a part of Utah's Career and Technical Education program, meant to give students skills they can actually use in the real world. The State Board of Education says the class is in 9 schools this year, and it's available to anyone who teaches business, finance, marketing, or hospitality and tourism. "We wanted the class to open their eyes to what the job really is and the skills…...

5+ day, 18+ hour ago (464+ words) TOQUERVILLE, Utah " The current horse virus outbreak affecting the southwest U.S. couldn't have come at a worse time for those who ride, care, and love the animals in Utah. "The cowboys and the stock contractors worked their entire year to get their animals and their qualification for the [National Finals Rodeo]. They can make more money at the NFR than they do the rest of the year combined," said Cyndi Gilbert, co-owner of the Diamond G Ranch in Toquerville. Gilbert's concern is the two-week junior and pro National Finals Rodeo starting on Dec. 4, considered to be the Super Bowl of the rodeo circuit. The Cedar City native is still the only woman to have won three gold buckles on the pro rodeo circuit in one year. Her ranch now produces many of the top bucking horses and bulls. "I would be…...

6+ day, 15+ hour ago (279+ words) MURRAY, Utah " Jaymes Martinez got his first car when he was 12 " a 1950 Chevrolet five-window pickup that sparked a lifelong obsession with classic cars. Now, decades later, he's channeling that passion into something bigger. This weekend, Martinez and his W.O.W. Car Community gave Thanksgiving meals to more than 50 Utah families in need. Families drove up to volunteers handing out Thanksgiving meals on Sunday in a Murray neighborhood from noon to 2 p.m. A variety of classic cars were on display for families to enjoy, too. "What better way to do it than to show them off and give some meals out?" Martinez said. The organization, Willies Official Welcoming (W.O.W.) Car Community, honors Martinez's late father and their shared love of vintage rides. But it's something more this holiday season: a lifeline for families struggling to make ends meet. WATCH: FOX 13 Dream Team surprises car club…...

2+ week, 1+ day ago (445+ words) LOGAN, Utah " The longest federal government shutdown in history exacerbated a challenge for the aviation industry: a shortage of air traffic controllers. While the Federal Aviation Administration allowed more flights to take off and land across the country after the shutdown ended earlier this week, the shortage of air traffic controllers remained an issue. In Spring 2024, Utah State University's aviation program started the air traffic control minor to help teach students the basics of air traffic. The goal is to help teach pilots to communicate better and allow more people to pursue this as a career " to make flying safer overall. "For as long as I've been an air traffic controller, we've always been undermanned," said USU Professor Aaron Whittle. Dr. White worked for over 20 years in air traffic control. "I think it takes a unique person that can manage…...