The number of jobs in Utah has grown by almost 19,000 over the past year, according to a new employment summary from the Utah Department of Workforce Services. And unemployment dipped from 7.6 percent in March to 7.4 percent in April. But DWS Chief Economist Mark Knold says to keep in mind the state lost about 80,000 jobs during the recession, a giant hole that’s slowly being refilled.
A 23-year summertime tradition is in danger of coming to an end once again due to funding. The annual 4th of July Sugar House fireworks show still needs $50,000 in order to go on. Scott Workman, who took on the task of raising sponsorships last year to ensure that Sugar House had fireworks, says he is not having the same luck this year.
Salt Lake City’s Head Start program is finding unique ways to stay on its feet after surviving what could have been the axe from federal budget cuts. With a sigh of relief, Head Start officials decided to reach out to local businesses and the community for a fundraiser that includes lots of food, fashion, and as KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports, plenty of cute “kiddos” taking the runway.
A financial planner in Park City has a knack for explaining difficult financial concepts… with a Sharpie and a piece of card stock. “Accidental artist” Carl Richards is a contributor to the New York Times and Marketplace Money, a financial advice program you can hear every Saturday on KCPW. Thursday night at 6, Richards will discuss his work at an Art Talk held at Park City’s Kimball Art Center.
The Utah Transit Authority allowed reporters to ride along for a test run today of the new TRAX lines that will open this summer. The Mid-Jordan line starts out in South Jordan at Daybreak, connects to the main line at Fashion Place, and becomes the new University line. The West Valley line starts behind West Valley City Hall, connects at 2100 South and travels to Salt Lake Central Station.
Utah continued to have the fourth highest foreclosure rate in the nation in April, according to the latest RealtyTrac report, but the number of foreclosures went down. Dave Anderton with the Salt Lake Board of Realtors believes the report shows Utah’s economy is on the upswing.
Utah’s second largest city is undertaking a major effort to make the city a better place to live, work and have fun. In fact, West Valley City is close to making a major announcement regarding its City Center project. We were joined by West Valley City Councilman Corey Rushton to talk about redevelopment efforts in the city.
Salt Lake City businesses are pledging to offer free tap water to the public in an effort to cut down on disposable water bottles and make water more accessible. The program is called TapIt, and as KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports, it’s not only an environmental gesture, but it gives access to something people frequently take for granted.
When you talk about air quality in Utah, the conversation usually turns to Kennecott Utah Copper, the second largest copper producer in the United States. We talked with Shelley Marshall from Utah Moms for Clean Air and Tim Wagner from Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, two groups that have been sharply critical of the company. We also spoke with Piper Rhodes, Manager of Sustainable Development, Health Safety & Environment for Kennecott.
General Electric was taking hits from all angles this morning at its annual shareholders meeting, held at the Salt Palace Convention Center. Tea Party activists, GE retirees, PETA, and even a state lawmaker had messages for the multinational corporation. And as KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports, those messages were mixed.
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