Macy Lipkin

Raising roommate limits in SLC and Ogden might help squeeze more from housing The current rules are unenforceable, and allowing more unrelated residents could result in more people splitting rent — and making housing more affordable in the process.

Allowing 8, 10, or unlimited unrelated roommates could help make housing more affordable.

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I don't know why HB309 only applied to the four largest counties. I didn't follow the bill last year so I don't know if it came up. The new bill will eventually equalize things, but it's a good question.

After hiker and biker blowback, Utah lawmakers fix wildlife area access rules Last year, lawmakers required users to have a hunting or fishing license on state wildlife management areas. They’re swapping that out for an educational and donation-based system.

The requirement to have a hunting or fishing license angered a lot of trail users. Now lawmakers are replacing it with an educational video.

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Meteorological winter leaves Utah the way it came in — hot and bothered From Salt Lake City to St. George, communities statewide experienced their warmest winter on record. Snowpack, air quality and ski shops all took a hit.

Ogden's winter was 8.5°F warmer than the 1991-2020 average.

8.5°F!

via @davidcondos.bsky.social
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Run up and down a mountain for air quality? This Ogden race is all about it Last year’s Running Up For Air fundraiser paid off with four new air quality monitors around Ogden. This year’s race up and down Malan’s Peak hopes to add even more.

New air quality monitors are coming to Ogden, thanks to a group of runners shlepping up and down Malan's Peak a bunch of times.

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The Ogden police homeless advocates housed 50% more people in 2025 The advocates work to meet people’s basic needs, with the end goal of helping them find and stay in stable housing to reduce the cost to the community.

Weber County has Utah’s second highest homeless population. OPD’s advocates help people find and stay in stable housing.

It's a long process.  

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I have been on a @christinalauren.bsky.social spree! Their books are all so fun

In Utah and elsewhere, habeas petitions are the tool used to fight ICE detentions It’s gotten much harder for immigrants held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to get out on bond. Habeas corpus petitions often work, but there’s a catch: they’re very expensive.

The Trump administration is keeping immigrants detained without bond.

Attorneys have been suing the federal government to get them out, but it’s expensive and out of reach for many.

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Heads up, fees are rising at 18 Utah state parks this year Sand Hollow, Dead Horse Point and Bear Lake are some parks where fees are going up in 2026. Fees are capped by the Legislature, and setting them is a balancing act between access and maintenance.

Visitation has shot up at Utah state parks, and they need to pay for staff and maintenance.

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ICE arrests in Utah courtrooms will change how courts work, attorney says It’s not a new immigration enforcement tactic for the Trump admin, but a string of recent activity inside Salt Lake City’s courthouse has alarmed public defenders.

ICE has been arresting people at Utah court hearings that have nothing to do with their immigration status. Public defenders worry it’ll get in the way of justice.

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What are Wasatch Front snowplow crews doing since there’s no snow? This dry winter hasn’t spelled much action for city snowplows, but year-round public works staff are busy with preventative maintenance and road repairs.

The plows have not been plowing, but public works staff across the Wasatch Front are busy cleaning and fixing.

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Ogden hopes a successful Magna program can reduce youth crime in Weber County Public defenders in Weber and Utah counties hope to recreate the success of a youth violence prevention program in Salt Lake County that saw particular results in the city of Magna.

A handful of teenagers killed other teenagers in Ogden last year. Now local public defenders have a plan to stop the trend.

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What a day in Utah immigration court looks like a year into Trump’s 2nd term The Trump administration took office promising an immigration crackdown. Changes visible in the Salt Lake City court include policies around asylum, fewer judges and fliers encouraging self-deportatio...

It's been a big year for immigration policy changes. Just look at Utah's immigration court.

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Why the latest iPhone update is leaving ordinary users and tech experts grumbling NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to digital writer Patrick Holland about why some iPhone users dislike the latest iOS update.

I'm not an iPhone user but I still listened to the NPR story about the new iOS www.npr.org/2026/01/25/n...

An ICE detention center in Utah could keep immigrant detainees closer to lawyers It’s unclear if local detainees would remain local if and when a rumored Utah detention center is built. Right now, ICE takes people out of state, making it harder for attorneys and loved ones to stay...

Could a local ICE detention center bring any small advantages for residents who are in detention?

Potentially — if detainees are kept close to home, which they often are not.

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Zero non-citizens voted in Utah, review finds A review of Utah's voter rolls by the Lt. Governor's Office has so far found that no non-citizen has actually cast a ballot.

NEW: A review by Lt. Governor Henderson's office has found ZERO non-citizens have voted in Utah's elections. She spoke to me about it and how she found herself removed from the voter rolls: www.fox13now.com/news/politic... #utpol #Utah

Ogden is Utah’s biggest spender on Flock cameras. Here’s how the city uses them The 41 cameras in Ogden photograph and log license plates, giving law enforcement a leg up on locating vehicles and solving crimes. Critics, however, have privacy and surveillance concerns.

The 41 cameras in Ogden photograph and log license plates, giving law enforcement a leg up on locating vehicles and solving crimes.

But critics have privacy and surveillance concerns.

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Immigration officers assert sweeping power to enter homes without a judge's warrant, memo says An Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo obtained by The Associated Press reveals that the agency allows immigration officers to forcibly enter homes to make arrests without a judicial warrant.

BREAKING: Immigration officers are asserting sweeping power to enter homes without a judge’s warrant, a memo obtained by AP says.

As of today we have a new record low snowpack for the Upper Colorado River basin for late January.

Activists want more action, but what can SLC do to protect residents from ICE? Salt Lake City does not have a formal agreement with ICE. Even so, some residents want things like a resolution of opposition or requiring valid warrants before allowing federal agents on city propert...

Salt Lake City does not have a formal agreement with ICE.

Some residents want their leaders to stand up to ICE, but what does a city actually have the power to do?

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As ICE operations expand, could Utah get an immigration detention center? Utah doesn’t have a detention center yet, so immigrants are held in some county jails and driven — or flown — to other states. There was a protest Friday against a rumored Salt Lake City detention fac...

There was a protest today against a rumored Salt Lake City detention facility.

Utah doesn’t have a detention center yet, so immigrants are held in some county jails and driven — or flown — to other states.

More on how detention works in Utah these days:

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KUER, PBS Utah announce layoffs, cutting jobs by 10% The cuts come six months after Congress voted to rescind $1.1 billion of funding for U.S. public media.

JUST IN: The layoffs at KUER & PBS Utah come 6 months after Congress voted to rescind $1.1B in funding for public media.

What 2 Utah Latino Trump voters have to say about the president one year in After President Donald Trump’s first year back, these Utah Latino Republicans applaud him on his handling of immigration and the economy.

Latino support for President Donald Trump has fallen nationally since last February.

But two Latino Republicans I first interviewed after the 2024 election still give the president five stars.

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With warmer temps, snow has been scarce for Utah’s low-elevation ski resorts A large snowmaking upgrade has come in handy at Nordic Valley, but the resort is still hiring staff after many part-timers left for more reliable work.

A big snowmaking upgrade has come in handy at Nordic Valley, but the resort is still hiring staff after many part-timers left for more reliable work.

Here's how they're planning for more iffy winters.

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Utah is culling mountain lions to study the impact on deer A 2020 law requires the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to reduce the number of predators when big game populations are low. Conservationists, along with some hunters and outdoorsmen, are upset wi...

The study requires removing as many cougars as possible with any legal method, including trapping, in 6 wildlife hunt units across the state.

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The unofficial trail through Mount Ogden Golf Course will stay closed The decision-making process included an unclear survey question, which upset some trail users. They plan to keep advocating for a path.

Some trail advocates are upset with the decision-making process, which included a confusing survey question.

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Are you talking about limiting new homes in commercial zones?

Ogden apartments are coming in hot. Here’s what the data tells us Many units are designed to be affordable, but even new luxury apartments can help clear space in less expensive buildings.

All those new apartments around Ogden? Few are empty, and many are designed to be affordable.

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What a day without a car taught us about taking Salt Lake City’s public transit New cars are more expensive than ever. Utah’s largest public transit system — the Utah Transit Authority — could make room in your budget, but it might add time to your commute.

Is driving eating up your budget? Here's how UTA stacks up against your own four wheels.

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Ben Lomond mountain goat herd is living their best lives a year after transplant The mountain goats took some time to warm up to their new neighbors, but now they’re getting along — and one even had a kid.

The state transplanted 10 goats to Ben Lomond last November. They all survived their first winter, and one had a kid.

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