Plus: Parental rights laws are creating a new landscape for education in America. Whether that’s for better or worse depends on who you ask.
It was a record winter for water; now let’s see if we can hang onto it |
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| | Nobody predicted what happened this winter, according to Candice Hasenyager, director of the Utah Division of Water Resources. "I talked to a lot of climatologists and no one’s model saw this coming," she said. "I mean we all hoped for a good winter but this knocked our socks off.” To review: The winter of 2022-23 was the snowiest ever recorded in Utah. Nearly every ski resort saw record snowfall, including Alta, which recorded 75.25 feet, eclipsing the old mark by more than 10 feet. The amount of water in all that snow measured out to 30 inches, an all time high that is nearly double the yearly average of 15.8 inches and more than quadruple the 7.2 inches recorded in 2020. Lake Powell is expected to rise 65 feet. The Great Salt Lake has risen 51⁄2 feet. The entire state’s mood has improved, and especially so in the Division of Water Resources. “I did my share of snow dances; I kept cheering all winter,” says Hasenyager, the state’s water czar. But “[i]t won’t last if we don’t make it last,” Hasenyager cautions. The fact that the wettest year in 128 years of record-keeping occurred only three years after the driest year on record tells volumes about the volatile times we’re living in. Hasenyager says the the best and most important thing Utahns can do to help craft a water strategy built for the future is translate their increased water awareness into a deeper sense of care about where our water comes from, how we currently use it and how that should change in the future. |
Read more about Hasenyager's attitude towards an unpredictable water future. |
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More in Environment Utah's ski resorts slowly return to summer activities as record snow melts (KSL) Southern Utah water managers see replenished reservoirs, stress continued water conservation (St. George News) | In the wake of COVID-19, one of the most animated and active voting blocs has become parents of school-aged children who feel unsettled by public school curricula and pandemic-era lockdown policies. Attempting to capitalize on this dissatisfaction are House Republicans, who introduced the Parents Bill of Rights in March. If it passes the Senate, the law would fundamentally reorder the administration of public schools, giving parents an unprecedented say over their children’s education from classroom curricula to library books. Whether that’s for better or worse depends on who you ask. Some parents are rallying behind parental rights in an attempt to rid public schools of top-down political ideology. Others view the movement itself as politically motivated — stifling efforts to evolve classroom discussions meant to reflect a changing world at large. Yet even without the current political climate, it’s unlikely these concerns will cease anytime soon. Schools, after all, are entirely capable of indoctrination, largely because education and indoctrination are synonymous. The original use of the word “indoctrinate,” dating all the way back to 1620, simply means “to teach.” This leaves both sides stuck playing a decades-old game of tug-of-war with what gets indoctrinated into the public school system. But what happens when the rope breaks? Experts hope greater freedom of choice within the school system and a greater focus on what children are learning, rather than simply what they are taught. Read more about parents' efforts to have a say in their children's education. | FROM OUR SPONSOR UTAH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL Comedy, Magic, and Music: Unmissable Trio of Plays Sparkles at the Festival Utah Shakespeare Festival presents three season stand-out shows: a comedic catastrophe in The Play That Goes Wrong, magic in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and musical romance in Jane Austen’s Emma. Enjoy familiar actors and stunning visuals. For $10 off select tickets, use code DesNews23. | Health Here's what the Legislature is doing — and not doing — to care for Utah caregivers (KSL) CDC facing major funding cuts, with direct impact on state and local health departments (CNN) Faith ‘God is aware of us’: How one sister missionary found peace and hope after the tragic death of her father and brother (Church News) Brother Brad Wilcox reflects on leading the youth through a time of change and transition (Church News) Opinion Jacob Hess: Will we ever stop fighting over COVID-19? (Deseret News) Jay Evensen: When will the IRS fill in our tax returns for us? (Deseret News) Business Utah nonprofit Jump the Moon propels artists with disabilities forward with adaptive technology (KSL) Utah’s return-to-work programs tap into homegrown talent to address workforce needs (Utah Business) Weber and Summit Counties Utah AG’s Office reviewing Ogden PD officer-evaluation policy over alleged quotas (Standard-Examiner) Summit County town experiencing water crisis (Fox 13) Davis and Utah Counties 51 days later, the mystery of Utah’s $25,000 treasure hunt is solved (Deseret News) County commission takes first step toward building park at Bridal Veil Falls (Daily Herald) The West Video: Mesa, Arizona, Mayor John Giles on city's preparation during historic heat wave (CBS) Group seeks injunction to halt Idaho voter registration law requiring proof of identity, residency (Idaho Capital Sun) The Nation Biden unveils new student loan forgiveness plan: Here’s who is qualified (Deseret News) Senators move to require release of US government UFO records (Reuters) The World New study finds that rattlesnakes may comfort each other when stressed (Deseret News) Iran’s ‘morality police’ return as authorities enforce hijab rule (Al Jazeera) Sports Utah Jazz make (summer league) playoffs with comeback win (Deseret News) Bonding and basketball: How BYU is preparing for first season in the Big 12 (Deseret News) Paralyzed golfer from Ogden wins big in national tournament (KSL) Diego Luna records brace as Real Salt Lake down Red Bulls (ESPN) |
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