The new mapping software for Utahns to draw and submit their own political boundaries during the redistricting process is now available to the public. Political Mapping Toolbox allows anyone to create maps for each type of district, share maps with other users and the public, offer feedback on other maps and make proposals for the Redistricting Committee to consider.
The Outdoor Industry Association isn’t happy about Governor Gary Herbert’s pushback on wild lands preservation. The association sponsors the Outdoor Retailer Market, which is held in Salt Lake City twice a year, boosting the state and local economies by millions of dollars. But as KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports, it’s not ruling out other locations as long as Utah leaders are unsupportive of their causes.
Governor Gary Herbert will host the 2011 National Governors Association Annual Conference in Salt Lake City next month. He says the three-day event will shore in millions for Utah’s economy, as 35 to 40 U.S. Governors and their families spend the weekend in Salt Lake City, enjoying outdoor activities along the Wasatch Front.
Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon wants voters to decide on a bonding measure for the upkeep and creation of parks in the county. But as KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports, some county council members weren’t buying his $110 million plan at yesterday’s meeting.
The Utah Department of Health is putting a spotlight on health disparities in geography and income, in addition to its current focus on racial and ethnic minority health. In response to a Utah law passed this year, the Center for Multicultural Health has been replaced by the Office of Health Disparities Reduction, which broadens its mission.
Two former Department of Workforce Services employees who took part in circulating the names and information of people living in the state that were said to be illegal immigrants were sentenced Monday. The infamous “List” was released to the media and law enforcement last July, causing panic in the Hispanic community. As KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports, the director of a prominent Latino group says the punishments the two women received are an injustice.
Salt Lake County’s District Attorney isn’t surprised by a new report from the Global Commission on Drug Policy that says the War on Drugs has failed with devastating consequences. Sim Gill notes the United States spends in excess of $60 billion a year incarcerating people for drug crimes, compared to about $6 billion in the 1970s.
The Deseret News has announced that elected officials and political candidates will no longer be permitted to contribute news stories to Deseret Connect, on online forum the news outlet developed for freelance writers. As KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports, this affects West Valley City Mayor Mike Winder.
Salt Lake County is trying to keep waterways clear of potential flood-causing debris as temperatures rise and snowpack melts. Many areas of northern Utah have already experienced flooding, and as KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports, the county isn’t ruling it out along the flood plains of the Jordan River.
Governor Gary Herbert’s Senior Adviser on Environmental Affairs says the Interior Department’s decision to drop an initiative to designate “wild lands” is a responsible one. Ted Wilson says the original action of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to pursue the designation froze local governments out of the process, but now Congress will be able to work with local and state governments on wilderness bills, including two already coming out of Piute and San Juan counties.
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