Plus, WWII hero returns to Utah more than 8 decades after being shot down over France.
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By Sarah Gambles Wednesday July 9, 2025

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🌅 Good morning! 

 

A Salt Lake Bees player received the surprise and honor of a lifetime last week.

 

Los Angeles Angels prospect Chad Stevens was playing at third base during a road game for the Bees at Tacoma when he found out he was being called up to the major leagues.

 

His teammates celebrated his major news on the field with him before he had to get on a flight to Atlanta and then Toronto the following day to play in his first major league game.

 

The whirlwind experience only got better when he collected his first MLB hit off future Hall of Fame pitcher Max Scherzer on Saturday, Carter Williams reported. 

 

“It’s pretty unbelievable,” he told MLB.com after his first hit. “I mean, that’s a Hall of Fame guy out there. So to be able to get my first one against him, it feels great.”

 

Read more about the Salt Lake Bees player. 

How a Provo boy became one of the youngest chiefs of staff in U.S. Senate history

 

Mark Wait went from an intern to the youngest chief of staff in the U.S. Senate. His shot to success from growing up in Bountiful and Provo to being a key player in Washington, D.C., comes down to relying on the principle: “Say yes to everything.”

 

Getting promotion after promotion

 

Soon after Wait arrived in Washington, Sen. Mike Lee led out in promoting his freshest staffer from office assistant to scheduler, then to deputy chief. And, in 2023, Lee asked Wait to be his chief of staff at age 26, Brigham Tomco reported. 

 

“He had political skills and instincts that reflect a maturity one doesn’t expect out of somebody still in his 20s,” Lee said. “He could see the forest for the trees.”

 

Wait’s responsibilities for Sen. Lee

 

The young Wait was given a complex task: coordinating the senator’s public persona, policy shop and Capitol Hill connections — all in a position previously held by some of the biggest names in Beehive State politics. 

 

On being the youngest chief of staff

 

He often hears that he is the youngest to get the job and says that incentivizes him to outwork everyone in the room. 

 

“It’s actually a blessing in disguise,” Wait said. “It’s more motivation to learn more about an issue than anybody else.”

 

Read more about the chief of staff. 
1-Newsletter (28)-4

WWII hero returns to Utah more than 8 decades after being shot down over France

A Utah native was brought home to rest more than eight decades after losing his life defending his country in France. 

 

U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. George F. “Frankie” Wilson was killed when the B-17 bomber he was piloting was shot down over France. On Tuesday, a funeral was held at the Hill Aerospace Museum at Hill Air Force Base to honor the fallen soldier. 

 

“I’m grateful that through his sacrifice, peace was achieved — and that the enemies of his day are our friends today,” said Maj. Gen. Daniel Boyack, the adjutant general of the Utah National Guard.

 

“I’m also grateful for those who still seek to honor those that passed on and gave their lives and never made it home. The fact that (Wilson) has been returned 81 years after his death — and that people still dedicate their time, efforts and resources to making this happen — gives me renewed hope for our country.”

 

Born in Ogden in 1921, Wilson was an adventurous kid who loved scouting and skiing. He attended West High School, played the clarinet — and, according to his late mother, Retta, “had no problem finding girlfriends,” Jason Swensen reported. 

 

He later enrolled at the University of Utah and joined the ROTC program. Wilson got married before signing up for the Army Air Corps and became a father to a son he named Terry. 

 

Read more about the war hero’s return to Utah. 

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Round out your day (v5)

Utah

  • S-Line extension is still in the works, but how far will the Salt Lake street car go? (KSL.com)

  • Slate Canyon is ‘not for sale,’ Provo mayor says in response to water park’s plans (KSL.com)

  • Leading legacy enterprises (Utah Business)

  • Downtown Salt Lake City’s social scene drives economic growth (Axios)

  • Critical fire weather looms as Forsyth Fire grows past 14K acres (St George News)

  • St. George educator nominated for National History Day teacher of the year (St George News)

  • Ogden filmmaker set to shoot second feature, ‘Left for Dead,’ throughout Beehive State (Standard-Examiner)

  • Religious organizations speak out against alleged hate crime at Krishna Temple (Daily Herald)

  • A decade later, 100 Mile Meal fundraiser is a community staple (The Park Record)

  • Pioneer Children’s Memorial honors the stories of children who died during pioneer trek to Utah (KSL-TV)

Health

  • Children’s health in U.S. getting worse, study finds (Deseret News)

  • Health coalition, doctors sue government over new COVID vaccine policy (Deseret News)

Faith

  • Christ-centered collaboration brings hope to thousands of children and mothers in Mexico (Church News)

  • Why living the gospel is about writing a script — not following one (LDS Living)

Politics

  • Sen. Mike Lee claims judicial abuse as judge pauses defunding of Planned Parenthood (Deseret News)

  • Trump issues raft of new trade tariffs, extends pause on earlier decrees (Deseret News)

  • Utah Global Diplomacy to host Global Ties U.S. Regional Summit (Utah Policy)

  • 💭 Renae Cowley and Frank Pignanelli: More Utah women are voting in elections. How will this affect politics? (Deseret News)

The Nation and the World

  • TSA ends shoe removal requirement at airport screenings (Deseret News)

  • Texas flood rescue teams continue to search for more than 160 missing people as death toll climbs (CBS News)

  • Trump-Netanyahu meeting revives bitterly opposed plan to relocate Palestinians (NBC News)

Sports

  • Who College Football 26 thinks will win the Big 12 this season (Deseret News)

  • What Kalani Sitake said about Jake Retzlaff and the honor code at Big 12 media day Tuesday (Deseret News)

  • Offensive revamp, revenue sharing among hot topics as Utah hits Big 12 media stage (Deseret News)

🗓️ Events Calendar

We put together a calendar list of events and activities going on around the state of Utah during this month. Check it out, and let us know if we are missing anything!

 

Here are some highlights for events in Utah today: 

  • Millcreek Farmers Market | Millcreek Common
  • Redwood Farmers Market | New Roots Redwood Farm
  • Orem’s Farmers Market and Food Fest Wednesdays | City Center Park
  • Lyle Lovett and his Large Band | Sandy Amphitheater
  • Stravinsky’s “The Soldier’s Tale” | Deer Valley Music Festival
  • “The Wizard of Oz” | Tuacahn Amphitheatre, Ivins
  • Salt Lake Bees vs. Sacramento | 7:05 p.m.

Please reach out to me at sgambles@deseretnews.com if you have any thoughts, feedback or ideas you would like to share!

 

✨ Cheers ✨

— Gambles

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