Porter Huntsman

(Salt Lake City, UT) — Starting in the new year, the Utah Department of Motor Vehicles will implement several updates to improve efficiency and modernize the process of license plate distribution. The changes, passed during the 2024 legislative session, include centralized distribution from a single location, with plates mailed directly to customers' homes or businesses. Additionally, only a rear license plate will be required for vehicles, and new plates will feature flat-screen printing with embossed edges. A consolidated month/year registration decal will replace separate decals for month and year. These updates aim to reduce in-person DMV visits and streamline operations.

(Salt Lake City, UT) — Unemployment claims rose to begin November in Utah. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the number of jobless claims filed topped 15-hundred in the week ending on November 2nd. This was an increase of almost 50 from the week prior. Although the increase in Utah was small, unemployment claims jumped by over three-thousand nationally.

(St. George, UT) — A former president of Utah Tech University is being sued, accused of leading a toxic culture at the school. Three former staff members filed the lawsuit against Richard Williams and the St. George school earlier this month. It alleged Williams was behind a prank that included the vulgar arrangement of vegetables and a note at another Tech leader's home, which also had the names of the three people suing on the note. Williams, now at Missouri State University, acknowledged the prank was wrong in an email to staff and students at that school. The plaintiffs are seeking both economic and non-economic damages in the case.

(St. George, UT) — Cities in Utah are being recognized as some of the best for sports in the country. That's according to a new study by finance website WalletHub, which looked at factors such as rankings in each major sport. Salt Lake City was rated as the best in Utah and 35th overall, receiving its highest marks in both basketball and soccer. Provo was the only other city in the Beehive State to crack the top 100. Other cities being recognized include St. George and Cedar City.

(Salt Lake City, UT) — Utah lawmakers are backing President-elect Trump's cabinet picks. U.S. Senator Mike Lee says Trump's nominees deserve to be put in place and he looks forward to quickly voting to confirm them. Trump has floated the idea of nominating his picks while the Senate is in recess, allowing the President-elect to bypass the Senate confirmation process. Meanwhile, Republican Senator-elect John Curtis says he's committed to upholding the Senate's duty to confirm nominees.

(Salt Lake City, UT) — Salt Lake City International Airport is being ranked as one of the best airports in the country for holiday travel. That's according to travel guide “Locals Insider” which ranked airports across the country based on how they deal with a busy holiday travel season. Salt Lake City International Airport was ranked as the third best airport in the country for on-time travel during the 2023 season, with more than 86-percent of all flights departing on time. Washington Dulles International and Minneapolis-St Paul International took the top two spots.

(Salt Lake City, UT) — Utah lawmakers voted against a bill that would have prevented counting mail-in ballots arriving after Election Day, following a controversy in the June Republican primary. The proposal aimed to address concerns raised by Colby Jenkins, who narrowly lost the 2nd Congressional District race, alleging late ballots due to postal delays. Supporters argued that a stricter mail-in deadline would improve the counting process, while opponents warned it could disenfranchise voters. The bill failed to pass out of committee, but similar legislation may still be proposed in the next legislative session.

(Salt Lake City, UT) — Utah is banning its 14th book from the state's public schools. “Living Dead Girl” by Elizabeth Scott was banned outright after three school districts removed it from their shelves. The book, aimed at young adults, follows the story of a girl kidnapped and forced to endure years of abuse. The book was banned under a new Utah law that allows a title to be removed from all public schools in the state if at least three school districts find it contains “objective sensitive material.”

(Moab, UT) — A judge is dismissing a wrongful death lawsuit involving a Utah police department brought by the parents of Gabby Petito. Petito was 22-years old when she was killed by her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, in 2021 while on a road trip in Wyoming. Her family was suing the city of Moab and its police department. They allege police failed to do enough to protect Gabby weeks before her death after officers pulled the couple over for a report of a domestic violence incident. The two were separated for that night but then allowed to get back together the next day.

(Moab, UT) — The family of Gabby Petito is planning to appeal a judge's dismissal of a wrongful death lawsuit suit against police in Utah. The North Port resident was murdered by her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, during a cross-country trip in 2021. Gabby and Laundrie were stopped by police in Moab, and her parents filed a 50-million-dollar suit against the police department claiming it failed to protect their daughter during a domestic violence investigation. In tossing the case, the judge ruled the officers are protected by the state's government immunity law.