Author: Kevin Thompson

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH — A new state audit report has revealed that a number of small cities and towns across Utah are increasingly relying on traffic fines to fund their budgets. For some municipalities, fines account for more than 10% of their annual revenue, raising concerns about the potential for traffic enforcement to become more about financial gain than public safety. The report highlights several towns with notable increases in traffic fine revenue. Orderville, Utah, saw the most significant rise, with a more than 8% jump in traffic fine revenue from the previous year. Vernal followed closely with a…

Salt Lake City, UT – Utah Governor Spencer Cox declared a state of emergency on Thursday, April 24, in response to worsening drought conditions affecting much of the state. The executive order covers 17 counties, with nearly half of Utah now experiencing severe or extreme drought. The declaration comes after updated streamflow forecasts and rising temperatures raised concerns across multiple regions. According to state officials, 42% of Utah is currently grappling with severe drought, while 4% of the state faces extreme drought conditions. The counties impacted by the declaration include Washington, Iron, San Juan, Kane, Juab, Emery, Grand, Beaver, Garfield, Piute,…