Guest opinion: Don't forget Utah's school board races by Deborah Gatrell Low-budget local and state school board races often get overlooked in election season noise, and that is terrifying because some candidates bring partisan agendas to the boards that have no place in our Utah schools. Letâs protect Utah kids from ideological agendas by electing candidates with education experience and kid-friendly plans, not culture war axes to grind. VOTE! (Read More) News Releases Ciara Hulet named local host of âMorning Editionâ KUER is pleased to announce Ciara Hulet as the local host of âMorning Edition.â Starting Monday, Nov. 7, she will replace Pamela McCall, who recently moved to the afternoons as KUERâs host of âAll Things Considered. A native of Utah, Hulet studied broadcast journalism at Brigham Young University, where she won multiple awards and scholarships for her work. She then went on to help host and produce âTop of Mindâ on BYUradio. Sheâs conducted hundreds of interviews with national and international experts and is passionate about helping people better understand the world and different perspectives. When Ciara isnât on the radio, she works to fight eating disorders through volunteer work and hikes as many mountains as she can. (Read More) Home price declines and stalling consumer confidence signal economic caution The Salt Lake Chamberâs Roadmap to Prosperity Coalition, in partnership with the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, has updated the Economic Dashboard for October to help business leaders see where Utahâs economy stands. This tool provides data on the stateâs economic outlook and actionable context for decision-makers. âUtahâs economy is showing warning signs with consumer sentiment stalling due to persistent inflation,â said Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber. âAdditionally, declining job growth and industry contraction are starting to spread. While Utahâs position remains better than most states, it is time for businesses to develop a playbook for a slowing economy. Utah has many advantages to rely upon, such as our low unemployment and entrepreneurial spirit, that can help guide us through a potential downturn.â (Read More) Utah consumer sentiment rises in October Utahâs consumer sentiment rose from 63.9 in September to 66.0 in October, according to the Kem C. Gardner Instituteâs Survey of Utah Consumers. A similar survey by the University of Michigan found sentiment rose slightly from September (58.6) to October (59.9) among Americans as a whole. âThe Gardner Institute has now measured Utah Consumer Sentiment for 25 consecutive months,â said Gardner Institute Chief Economist Phil Dean. âIncreases in both the state and national indices suggest a slightly better consumer outlook heading into the holiday season.â (Read More) Dignity Index releases ratings for Senate candidates in penultimate week of campaign The Dignity Index has released scores related to Senate candidate messages in the penultimate week of the campaign. Preface: The FBI issued a memo last week warning of a rising likelihood of political violence. A Washington Post-ABC News poll released today says that nearly nine in ten Americans are worried about it. What can we do? If someone tells us the cause of violence is economic issues, or the decline of institutions, or the loss of public trust, thereâs just not much we can do. But Amanda Ripley, author of the recent book High Conflict, says, âPolitical speech, we know from the research, can incite violence, and it can also reduce the likelihood of violence.â Whatâs the difference, then, between speech that increases or reduces the chance of violence? Dignity. (Read More) WGU and its partners thank night shift workers during weekend time change When we turned back our clocks this weekend, most people got an extra hour of sleep â except for dedicated healthcare workers on the night shift. Healthcare professionals across Utah worked an extra hour this weekend due to the end of daylight saving time, and Western Governors University (WGU) staff is delivering care packages to show its gratitude to these frontline workers. Staff from the online, nonprofit university loaded up and delivered care packages for those workers to open and enjoy during their extra-long shifts this Saturday night; these included sleeping masks, pens, lip balm, cocoa, coffee, and other treats. Overall, the nonprofit, online university delivered packages to 3,160 hospital staff in Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Idaho and Utah. (Read More) Treasurer Oaks and Land Trusts Protection and Advocacy Committee announce new Land Trusts Protection and Advocacy Office Director Treasurer Marlo Oaks and the Land Trusts Protection and Advocacy Committee today announced the appointment of Kim Christy as the new director of the Land Trusts Protection and Advocacy Office. During the 2018 General Session, the legislature authorized the creation of the office to advocate for Utah trust lands beneficiaries, work with the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) and School and Institutional Trust Funds Office (SITFO), and help the public and beneficiaries understand the mission of the trust lands system. The office works under the direction of the Land Trusts Protection and Advocacy Committee and the state treasurer. Christyâs background includes 18 years of service at SITLA, including most recently serving as the agencyâs deputy director. He previously worked for the Utah Farm Bureau Federation and the Office of Legislative Research and General Council (OLRGC). One of his responsibilities at OLRGC included staffing the legislative task force that worked to resolve issues surrounding trust lands administration and ultimately led to the creation of SITLA in 1994. (Read More) Number of the Day | 