Utah news

• Public comment period extended for Zion National Park reservation plans

  16-08-2017 23:31
  ZION NATIONAL PARK — Zion National Park officials announced they will extend the public comment period on a plan to require reservations to get into ZionNational Park.The National Park Service has extended the deadline from Monday to Friday because the website for submissions was down for maintenance this past weekend.The park service is considering a year-round online reservation system for access to Zionand its most popular trails and attractions in response to a massive surge in visitat
  
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• Thousands flock to Clark Planetarium for eclipse glasses

  16-08-2017 23:30
  
  Thousands of Utah residents are flocking to Clark Planetarium this week to buy solar eclipse glasses to make sure they get safe ones following a recall issued by online retailer Amazon.
  
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• Police: 10-year-old shot in Mount Pleasant

  16-08-2017 23:16
  
  A 10-year-old has been shot in Mount Pleasant, according to police.
  
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• Op-ed: Utahns can’t afford $700 million tax hike

  16-08-2017 23:10
  The Utah Legislature has allocated $1.2 billion in additional funds to education over the last three years, including roughly $230 million in this year’s budget. But even that is not enough for “Our Schools Now,” a group of Utahns who want to spend hundreds of millions more by raising taxes on working families.Our Schools Now is beginning to collect signatures for a 2018 ballot initiative to raise the personal income tax and the sales tax by about 9 percent each in 2019. The in
  
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• FBI taking applications for Teen Academy

  16-08-2017 23:04
  SALT LAKE CITY — The FBI office in Salt Lake City is currently accepting applications for its first Teen Academy. The academy allows high school students, ages 16-18, to get a comprehensive look into today's FBI during presentations and demonstrations.The event, which runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20, will be held at the agency’s Salt Lake field office, 5425 W. Amelia Earhart Drive. Topics include terrorism, civil rights, sextortion, polygraph exams, emergency response t
  
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• Tacofest raises more than $7,000 for Meals on Wheels

  16-08-2017 22:58
  SALT LAKE CITY — The city’s first Tacofest, which brought together food trucks and taco lovers from all across the state on Aug. 5, raised more than $7,000 for Salt Lake County’s Meals on Wheels program.Nearly 3,000 people attended the event at Mexican Civic Center downtown to sample a variety of tacos from tofu to cow tongue to al pastor to carne asada.“We are very pleased with the turnout and grateful to the folks at Tacofest for supporting Salt Lake County’s Meal
  
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• Police ID man who died after possible hit-and-run in West Valley City

  16-08-2017 22:44
  
  A man died after a possible hit-and-run in West Valley City Tuesday night, police said.
  
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• Utah mountaineers rescued in Grand Teton

  16-08-2017 21:50
  GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK — Two Utah mountaineers had to be rescued by helicopter in Grand Teton National Park on Tuesday.Nick Marucci, 30, of Salt Lake City, and Laura Robertson, 23, of Orem, "were attempting to complete the Grand Traverse when they became mentally and physically exhausted after five challenging days in the high mountains," according to a statement from the U.S. Park Service.Cool temperatures, rain and hail had hampered their journey."On Monday, the two climbers ascended
  
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• Mormons, mountains and music: 7 intimate Salt Lake City venues

  16-08-2017 21:13
  Mormons, mountains and . . . music?
  Yes, the Salt Lake City music scene exists. Locals might not know the band or artist who sold out the show, but Utah's small capital has places that live music lovers need to know about.
  Take a look at the intimate music venues the Deseret News visited with help from Yelp and S&S. Locate the venues listed on the map below marked by a blue music note. The music venues that are marked black are not included in this list, but could be closer to you or worth t
  
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• Man dies after possible hit-and-run in West Valley City

  16-08-2017 20:47
  
  A man died after a possible hit-and-run in West Valley City Tuesday night, police said.
  
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• Lawyer questions charges filed in massive Utah wildfire

  16-08-2017 20:45
  CEDAR CITY — A defense attorney questioned misdemeanor charges against a man accused of accidentally sparking a massive Utah wildfire that destroyed 13 homes and cost some $40 million to fight.Attorney Andrew Deiss said after a Tuesday court hearing that part of the case against Robert Ray Lyman, 61, could be dismissed for lack of evidence but didn't elaborate.Prosecutor Scott Garrett said authorities have solid evidence for the charges that include reckless burning, the Spectrum reports.L
  
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• Taylorsville man sent to prison for brutal assault of woman

  16-08-2017 20:43
  
  A man admitted Tuesday to his role in the brutal assault and kidnapping a woman and will potentially spend the next 40 years in prison.
  
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• Why Utah is the best state to grow old in

  16-08-2017 20:35
  Growing up is hard, but Utah makes it a little easier.A new survey from Caring.com ranked all 50 states on how great a place they are to grow old in. The rankings were based on categories including quality of care, cost of living and available health care.The rankings also included the median monthly cost for an assisted-living facility.And it was the Beehive State that topped the list, with a median monthly cost of $2,950.Utah ranked ahead of Iowa, South Carolina, Washington and Nebraska.On the
  
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• Police investigating possible hit-and-run fatality

  16-08-2017 20:33
  WEST VALLEY CITY — West Valley police say an injured man found lying in the street, who later died from his injuries, may have been the victim of a hit-and-run.About 11:15 p.m. Tuesday, a passerby spotted a man, approximately 20 years old, lying in the road at 1907 W. 3100 South. The good Samaritan performed CPR until emergency crews arrived, but the man died at the scene, said West Valley police spokeswoman Roxeanne Vainuku."We do not know the identity of the victim. He was not carrying a
  
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• 1 killed, 5 injured in Bonneville Salt Flats crash

  16-08-2017 20:24
  
  The Utah Bureau of Land Management has confirmed that one person has died and at least five were injured in a crash Wednesday morning at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
  
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• Lehi woman charged with picking up child without parents' permission

  16-08-2017 20:19
  
  A Lehi woman is facing charges of unlawfully detaining other people's children.
  
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• This Utah merchant says he's worried about paying rent thanks to Amazon's war on fake eclipse glasses

  16-08-2017 20:05
  A new Utah businessman got tripped up this week because of Amazon’s war against fake eclipse glasses.Jason Wright, who bought thousands of eclipse glasses on credit and sold them on Amazon, struggled with the company after Amazon blocked him from selling them, according to the Bloomberg.Wright enlisted his family to help him package them in his parents' Salt Lake home and sell them to thousands of customers who placed orders. But Amazon began cracking down on fake shades this week, as sell
  
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• Pony Express Parkway reopened in Eagle Mountain after bomb squad response

  16-08-2017 19:57
  
  Pony Express Parkway reopened late Wednesday morning after a scare with what police were calling "a possible explosive device."
  
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• 'Step in the right direction': How salary arms race affects Utah’s teachers

  16-08-2017 19:44
  
  Several state school districts significantly increased pay for teachers over the summer. But is it enough?
  
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• Man arrested for shooting woman during burglary, police say

  16-08-2017 19:32
  
  A man accused of shooting a woman in the leg while burglarizing her house has been arrested.
  
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• 2 human cases of West Nile virus confirmed in Utah

  16-08-2017 19:26
  
  Two human cases of West Nile virus have been confirmed in Utah, according to state public health officials.
  
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• Sen. Mike Lee reacts strongly to Trump's remarks on Charlottesville

  16-08-2017 19:10
  SALT LAKE CITY — Sen. Mike Lee reacted strongly Wednesday to President Donald Trump insisting "there is blame on both sides" following the deadly violence last weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia."Carrying a Nazi flag or any other symbol of white supremacy is a hateful act that cannot be morally defended, least of all by the leader of a diverse nation still healing from its original sin of racist slavery," the Utah Republican posted on Facebook."Racists may have a constitutional right to
  
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• Lee criticizes Trump's remarks on Charlottesville; Hatch urges president to be careful with statements

  16-08-2017 19:10
  SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Republican leaders criticized President Donald Trump on Wednesday for insisting "there is blame on both sides" following the deadly violence last weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia."Carrying a Nazi flag or any other symbol of white supremacy is a hateful act that cannot be morally defended, least of all by the leader of a diverse nation still healing from its original sin of racist slavery," Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, posted on Facebook."Racists may have a constitutiona
  
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• A.M. notes: Curtis wins primary, arrests made in Operation Rio Grande, Trump's comments spark outrage

  16-08-2017 19:08
  Here’s a look at the news for August 16.Curtis wins primary, AP reportsThe Associated Press called Provo Mayor John Curtis as the winner of the GOP primary race to fill the vacated 3rd Congressional District seat.Curtis defeated both former state lawmaker Chris Herrod and businessman Tanner Ainge in the primary.Herrod said on Tuesday night that he was not ready to concede yet.Curtis, though, said he was "so proud we did it the right way.""They said you can't win a campaign without being ne
  
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• Taylorsville man sent to prison for brutally assaulting woman

  16-08-2017 18:22
  SALT LAKE CITY — A man admitted Tuesday to brutally assaulting and kidnapping a woman and will potentially spend the next 40 years in prison.Jeffrey R. Hanson, 35, of Taylorsville, pleaded guilty to kidnapping, a second-degree felony, and aggravated assault, a second-degree felony. As part of a deal plea deal, a third charge of aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury was dropped.Hanson was immediately sentenced to two consecutive terms of two to 20 years at the Utah State Pri
  
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• Pony Express Parkway closed in Eagle Mountain; Bomb squad responding

  16-08-2017 17:50
  
  Pony Express Parkway was closed in both directions in Eagle Mountain Wednesday morning as a bomb squad investigated a "possible explosive device."
  
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• Medical helicopters heading to Salt Flats

  16-08-2017 17:48
  
  Several medical helicopters are flying to the Bonneville Salt Flats for an unknown problem.
  
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• Washington Post speaks with owners of Utah Subway restaurant involved in false drink poisoning case

  16-08-2017 17:01
  The Washington Post on Monday featured a story about the owners of Utah Subway restaurant, who are suing the city of Layton after an employee was accused of putting drugs in a police officer's drink.Owners Kristin Myers and Dallas Buttars’ filed a lawsuit against Layton and the city’s police department for “defamation, alleging that they released information to the public that they knew was false,” according to the Deseret News.On Aug. 8, 2016, a Layton police officer, wh
  
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• Jay Evensen: Where will the bad guys go?

  16-08-2017 17:00
  SALT LAKE CITY —Where do they go when they scatter?I strolled through the Rio Grande area of downtown Salt Lake City on Tuesday. Things were noticeably quieter than in recent weeks, where this was the scene of violent encounters, drug deals and murders. Operation Rio Grande, which started Monday, had had an effect. That was obvious. The place wasn’t empty. The homeless still huddled in small circles, talking, waiting, surviving. But the number of people there had dropped.But where di
  
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• Police: 87 arrested on 1st day of 'Operation Rio Grande,' but problems could surface elsewhere

  16-08-2017 16:08
  
  Law enforcement officials announced Tuesday that 87 arrests had been made through the first 24 hours of ‘Operation Rio Grande,’ as they pledged to keep the peace over the next two years in one of Salt Lake City’s most crime-ridden areas.
  
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• Arizona man dies after cliff jumping accident on Lake Powell

  16-08-2017 14:47
  
  Authorities have recovered the body of a 25-year-old Arizona man after a cliff jumping accident on Lake Powell.
  
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• LDS Church issues statement of support for LGBTQ concert event

  16-08-2017 14:10
  SALT LAKE CITY — A first-time music festival aimed at supporting LGBTQ youth charities will bring several big names to Orem later this month and now has a statement of support from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.The LoveLoud Festival will be held Aug. 26 at Utah Valley University’s Brent Brown Ballpark and will be a homecoming of sorts for Imagine Dragons and Neon Trees, two bands whose paths to stardom began in Utah.They will be among those to perform at the event t
  
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• Mitt Romney says two sides are 'not the same' in response to Trump's defense of white nationalists

  16-08-2017 14:00
  Mitt Romney doesn’t agree with President Donald Trump’s defense of white nationalists and the alt-right.On Tuesday, Trump told reporters that people need to ask questions about how the “alt-left” attacked alt-right protesters at the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, this past weekend, according to CNBC.https://twitter.com/Walldo/status/897552103090028544Chaos erupted in Charlottesville after white nationalists gathered in a rally against ta
  
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• California teen poet with Utah roots herald for her 'unique' background

  16-08-2017 13:10
  Kinsale Hueston is a nationally recognized poet with Utah roots.The OC Weekly recently featured Hueston, who was recently named as one of the five National Student Poets for 2017, which is “the nation's highest honor for youth poets.”But Hueston has a “unique” background, according to The OC Weekly.Now a resident of Coronda del Mar, the 17-year-old’s mother actually grew up on a Navajo reservation in the Beehive State.Her father, meanwhile, was one of the lead prose
  
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• Vote tallies from Utah primary elections

  16-08-2017 09:04
  SALT LAKE CITY — Unofficial, incomplete voting results from Tuesday’s primary elections in Utah available as of midnight Tuesday night.In partisan races, the leading vote-getter in each contest advances to the general election.“Inc.” denotes incumbent.City elections are nonpartisan. Unless otherwise indicated, the top two candidates in each race qualify for the general election Nov. 7.These results do not include provisional ballots or mail-in votes that were not received
  
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• 7 intimate venues from Salt Lake City's noteworthy music scene

  16-08-2017 08:55
  Mormons, mountains and . . . music?
  Yes, the Salt Lake City music scene exists. Locals might not know the band or artist who sold out the show, but Utah's small capital has places that live music lovers need to know about.
  Take a look at the intimate music venues the Deseret News visited with help from Yelp and S&S. Locate the venues listed on the map below marked by a blue music note. The music venues that are marked black are not included in this list, but could be closer to you or worth t
  
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• 7 intimate venues you should visit from Salt Lake City's noteworthy music scene

  16-08-2017 08:45
  Mormons, mountains and . . . music?
  Yes, the Salt Lake City music scene exists. Locals might not know the band or artist who sold out the show, but Utah's small capital has places that live music lovers need to know about.
  Take a look at the intimate music venues the Deseret News visited with help from Yelp and S&S. Locate the venues listed on the map below marked by a blue music note. The music venues that are marked black are not included in this list, but could be closer to you or worth t
  
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• Moderate Utah mayor wins 3-way GOP primary for US House seat

  16-08-2017 06:50
  
  The mayor in the Mormon stronghold of Provo won a three-way Republican primary Tuesday in the race to replace former Rep. Jason Chaffetz, putting him on track to clinch the congressional seat in the general election in the overwhelming GOP district.
  
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• AP: John Curtis wins 3rd Congressional District GOP primary race

  16-08-2017 05:52
  
  John Curtis was leading Chris Herrod and Tanner Ainge in results released Tuesday in the Republican primary for the 3rd Congressional District seat vacated earlier this summer by former Rep. Jason Chaffetz.
  
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• Police: Woman shot in leg in S.L.

  16-08-2017 05:34
  SALT LAKE CITY — A woman is in the hospital in serious but stable condition after she was shot in the leg Tuesday afternoon, police said.A suspect also was in custody.Officers were seen handcuffing a man and ejecting a round from a handgun about 4 p.m. near what they believed was the scene of the shooting at 757 W. 200 North. Officers did not release the name of the victim or the suspect Tuesday, and did not say what may have led to the violence.
  
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• Draper mayor trails city councilwoman in primary race

  16-08-2017 05:32
  SALT LAKE CITY — As polls close on 26 mayoral races and dozens more city council races across Salt Lake, Utah, Davis and Weber counties, election workers are beginning the long process of counting votes.As early results were reported, Draper Mayor Troy Walker trailed City Councilwoman Michelle Weeks by more than 10 percentage points — 47.4 percent to 36.6 percent. Troy Martinez had nearly 16 percentWalker received sharp criticism in March after many of his constituents rejected his o
  
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• Draper councilwoman advances to general election as mayoral favorite

  16-08-2017 05:30
  SALT LAKE CITY — Draper City Councilwoman Michelle Weeks is headed to the November ballot as the favorite in the city's mayoral race after topping incumbent Mayor Troy Walker by more than 10 percentage points in Tuesday's primary election.Weeks collected nearly 47 percent of the vote to Walker's almost 37 percent, according to unofficial results late Tuesday.Walker received sharp criticism in March after many of his constituents rejected his offer to locate a homeless resource center in Dr
  
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• Utah County ballot blunder causes confusion at polls

  16-08-2017 04:40
  PROVO — Utah County voters reported continued confusion at the polls Tuesday after more than 68,000 unaffiliated voters received incorrect mail-in primary election ballots.While unaffiliated voters could still cast ballots in the Republican 3rd Congressional District primary race, those who received the incorrect ballot had to bring that ballot to a polling station and choose to affiliate as a Republican to vote in the GOP primary.The situation was confusing for some voters who either disc
  
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• Confusion about voter eligibility persists at polls

  16-08-2017 04:40
  PROVO — Utah County voters reported continued confusion at the polls Tuesday after more than 68,000 unaffiliated voters received the incorrect primary election ballot.While unaffiliated voters could still cast ballots in the Republican 3rd Congressional District primary race, those who received the incorrect ballot had to bring that ballot to a polling station and choose to affiliate as a Republican to vote in the GOP primary.The situation turned to confusion for some voters who either dis
  
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• Pledge to cut crime, but few details, in open meeting on Rio Grande

  16-08-2017 04:38
  SALT LAKE CITY — Utah leaders say they are putting together an online portal for people to send in pictures, videos, questions and ideas related to a new push to cut crime and homelessness in Utah's capital city.The promise was one of several made during a Tuesday panel of elected leaders and law enforcement officers to more than 350 people, many of whom live and work in the Rio Grande area where violence has risen near homeless camps surrounding a shelter."We’ll figure out some way,
  
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• Curtis leads Herrod, Ainge in 3rd District race as polls close

  16-08-2017 04:10
  PROVO — John Curtis was leading Chris Herrod and Tanner Ainge in results released Tuesday in the Republican primary for the 3rd Congressional District seat vacated earlier this summer by former Rep. Jason Chaffetz.An hour after the polls closed at 8 p.m., Curtis, the Provo mayor, had nearly 43 percent of the vote, followed by Herrod with just over 30 percent and Ainge with 27 percent.Ainge, an Alpine lawyer making his first run for elected office, called Curtis and conceded."It looks like
  
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• Curtis declared winner, but Herrod not ready to concede

  16-08-2017 04:10
  PROVO — John Curtis was declared the winner in Tuesday's Republican primary for the 3rd Congressional District seat vacated earlier this summer by former Rep. Jason Chaffetz.The Associated Press called the race for the Provo mayor over Chris Herrod and Tanner Ainge shortly before 10 p.m., about an hour after Ainge had conceded.Herrod said that was "interesting," but he wasn't ready to say the race was over.Results posted late Tuesday showed Curtis with just over 42 percent of the vote in t
  
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• Provo elementary school welcomes back students despite continuous construction work

  16-08-2017 03:32
  
  The sound of a new bell rang in the halls of Edgemont Elementary as students Tuesday enjoyed their brand new school. But the first day of classes also had the feel of a construction zone because the building is not completely finished.
  
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• Operation Rio Grande makes 87 arrests on first day

  16-08-2017 03:10
  SALT LAKE CITY — On the second day of a large, multijurisdictional effort to eradicate crime and offer help in Salt Lake's volatile Rio Grande neighborhood, the enhanced police presence was impossible to miss.Along every stretch of the three-block area surrounding the Road Home homeless shelter and service centers, law enforcement Tuesday patrolled the sidewalks, searched backpacks and asked questions.The policing effort of the three-phase initiative, named Operation Rio Grande, began Mond
  
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• Federal funding awarded to Utah Health Centers

  16-08-2017 03:10
  SALT LAKE CITY — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services gave nearly $1 million to Utah community health centers for quality service and care, according to a statement released Tuesday.The announcement comes a day after Gov. Gary Herbert declared Aug. 13-19 as Health Center Week in Utah.The department gave $952,509 to 13 community health organizations in Utah."I’m proud of the work health centers do to serve vulnerable populations, particularly residents of rural communities
  
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