While you were making your favorite mother a breakfast meal last Sunday, residents of Traverse City, Michigan were gathered in the street waiting for a 350-pound bear to fall from the sky.
The bear had climbed up a tree and was perched precariously over somebody's front lawn. After hours of waiting — and four tranquilizer darts — the gentle giant fell onto some mattresses volunteered by a neighbor.
Tell me: When have your holiday plans been upended by a completely unforeseeable — and completely odd — turn of events?
Exorbitant new car prices pushing drivers to keep old rides longer than ever
Have you been noticing less sleek, fresh-from-the-factory cars on your commutes lately?
Well, that might be because drivers are working to keep their current cars on the road longer, according a report released Monday.
In fact, the average age of the 284 million vehicles currently in operation in the U.S. just hit an all-time high of 12.5 years old. The increase, which continues a trend of six years, marks the highest year-over-year age jump since the 2008-2009 recession.
Those higher prices are partially the result of ongoing inflationary pressures but major vehicle manufacturers have also shifted focus on what cars they’re making, eliminating lower end models and beefing up selections at the higher end of the price spectrum.
With drivers feeling pressed to keep their old rides on the road, Utah repair and service shops have experienced growing repair volumes, as well as more high-mileage vehicles coming in as customers choose to invest in their current cars and trucks over looking for pricey upgrades.
Read more about why new cars are so expensive and how to keep your current vehicle on the road longer.
In an op-ed responding to renewed media coverage of Latter-day Saint finances, Hal Boyd, editor of the Deseret News, and Jacob Hess, a contributor to the Deseret News, ask, "Is the goal of these similar media treatments to elucidate a misunderstood faith tradition or instead to further stoke public misgivings?"
They continue: "This same story plays out every few decades, despite the church’s commendable self-reliance and efficiency of its humanitarian efforts. ... Lost in this all, once again, are the actual purposes and uses of funds as members and leaders of the church understand them."
Read more about what Boyd and Hess had to say about church finances and the media's fascination with them.
More in Opinion
Jennifer Graham: Are AI-generated images of Donald Trump fun or unethical? (Deseret News)
Shawn Teigen: Is our inflation too high? The math, explained (Deseret News)
Megan Rawlins Woods: Why Gov. Cox says we don’t need to disagree less — we need to disagree better (Deseret News)
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Health
Recalled Gerber baby formula was distributed following recall notice (Deseret News)
World Health Organization Warns Against Using Artificial Sweeteners (New York Times 🔒)
Faith
What the Biden administration just said about school prayer (Deseret News)
What this Latter-day Saint rodeo barrel racer learned from the ‘strong’ women in her family (Church News)
Elder Gong celebrates 50 years of ‘neighbors and friends, brothers and sisters’ with Utah Jewish congregation (Church News)
Politics
Durham report: FBI used falsified, partisan-sourced information to justify investigation into Trump campaign in 2016 (Deseret News) Biden thinks he can reach an agreement with Republicans over the debt ceiling (Deseret News)
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott gets ready to launch bid for 2024 (Deseret News)
Water
Utah slips out of severe drought; state issues new watering guide (KSL)
Homes flooded, one evacuated due to flooding along Ogden River (FOX 13)
Highway 89 closed near Spanish Fork Canyon due to flooding (ABC4)
Salt Lake County
Man in critical condition after being rescued from Jordan River (KSL)
Father, teen son died in murder-suicide, Salt Lake police say (KSL)
Washington and Utah Counties
After disruptions and accusations of being ‘woke,’ St. George mayor axes public comment at meetings (Salt Lake Tribune 🔒)
Orem PD’s school reading program aims to curb later problems (Daily Herald)
The West
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University of Idaho students remembered for their ‘strength and inspiration’ and awarded posthumous degrees (CNN)
The Nation
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The World
Several dead and hundreds injured after massive cyclone slams into Myanmar (Deseret News)
Cease-fire between Israel, Gaza seems to hold (Deseret News)
Sports
What’s the status of Utah safety Nate Ritchie? (Deseret News)
Why BYU may not be done yet with the Independence Bowl (Deseret News)
Pickleball popularity has spiked in Utah the last few years. Here's why (KSL)