We’ve seen our fair shares of red air quality days this summer in the Salt Lake Valley, not to mention the winter inversions that trap smog to the valley floor several days a year. Now, the Salt Lake City Council will consider an ordinance aimed at stopping residents from idling their cars and sending more pollutants into the air.
The southern part of the Salt Lake Valley is growing and with that growth comes the need for expanded roads and highways, which is exactly what UDOT has been working on for the last 16 months. The Mountain View Corridor, a freeway planned to help meet the projected transportation demands in the area, is now a third of the way done. And as KCPW’s Jessica Gail reports, people living nearby say it’s long overdue.
Salt Lake City’s new natural gas-powered garbage trucks were unveiled today as part of an ongoing effort program to “green” the city’s fleet of service vehicles. As KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports, the new trucks will replace the city’s diesel-powered sanitation trucks, which the city says will be a cheaper, quieter, and cleaner alternative.
The entrance of Texas Governor Rick Perry into the presidential race provides another candidate to stack up against former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman. And Huntsman’s team is already taking some shots. Every Friday, we talk with Thomas Burr, Washington Correspondent for the Salt Lake Tribune, and author of Political Cornflakes, a daily, online round-up of Utah politics.
New developments in the Susan Powell case are taking West Valley City police detective to Ely, Nevada. Powell has been missing since December of 2009. West Valley Police Sergeant Mike Powell says a team of detectives will conduct a search and investigate new information they have received tomorrow.
Governor Gary Herbert has demanded and received the immediate resignation of the Executive Director of Utah’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Dennis Kellen already intended to step down soon, following criticism from state lawmakers over allegations of mismanagement. But now the governor says after being notified this week of potential violations of state procurement law and his ethics policy, he has lost confidence in DABC leadership. Herbert’s spokeswoman, Ally Isom, says the administration had planned to give Kellen more time while the remaining DABC commission seat was filled.
Salt Lake City’s re-built North Temple viaduct is finally complete after nearly three years of construction. As KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports, Mayor Ralph Becker joined a celebrating crowd on 400 west this morning before trekking up the bridge and finally signaling traffic to pass through.
The recession is not over for local governments. That’s the lesson Salt Lake County knows well after realizing its looking at a budget shortfall of $17 million. But County Mayor Peter Corroon, along with the County Council, have already slashed spending by much more throughout the economic downturn. Will they be willing to look at a tax increase, or will they cut even deeper? Mayor Corroon discussed the situation with KCPW’s Jeff Robinson.
A Holladay Republican who took on Senator Bob Bennett in the 2010 election is stepping back into the political limelight to run for Congress. Cherilyn Eagar says the Senate race gave her the ability to travel into Utah’s most rural communities, where she says her ideas for restoring the American dream resonated with both parties.
Responding to privacy concerns, the Transportation Security Administration has changed the way it does full-body scanning at many airports. KCPW’s Jeff Robinson reports on the new technology, which was just installed here in Salt Lake City.
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