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Heber City’s ultra-runner Ben Light will be running a 300-mile fundraiser beginning on Monday, July 20, 2020. Light, along with fellow ultra-runners Michael McKnight and Dax Hock, created the route after runs have been canceled or postponed due to COVID concerns. The new route connects the two Utah ultra-marathons through miles of Bear River and Wasatch mountain land. The trio has named the new route the “Utah BRAWL 300,” as an acronym for “Bear River and Wasatch Linkup.” The journey will begin near Bear Lake at Fish…

After more hours than you can count on your family’s fingers and toes combined, Heber City Council has approved the Sorenson Annexation. In response to a petition to annex into Heber City by developers, deliberations to create a master development agreement began over one year ago. Naturally, there have been, and continues to be, strong feelings on both sides. To help everyone understand how the development will move forward as a part of Heber City, we asked City Manager, Matt Brower to share a few significant points from…

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Contractors for Mayflower Mountain Resort project are back to work, and a review committee for MIDA is close to approving a language around a conceptual and final subdivision plat. At the Military Instillation Development Authority’s May Development Review Committee meeting the committee heard another update from Extell. VP Kurt Krieg reported that contractors are on site at the Mayflower Mountain Resort project, with their top priorities including filling the 1.2 million gallon water tank, as well as revegetating 90…

breakfast Available until 11:00 a.m. daily. CHUPACABRA (BREAKFAST BURRITO) choice of smoked chuck roast, bacon or sausage, eggs, green chili, caramelized onions, shredded cheddar cheese, crispy potatoes, house salsa, garlic tortilla $10.50 CHIVO (BREAKFAST SANDWICH) applewood bacon, sausage patty, eggs, lettuce, tomato, aged cheddar cheese, OG spicy mayo, croissant $10.50 GOATWICH bacon or sausage, eggs, aged cheddar cheese, served on a croissant $9 OG FRENCH TOAST syrup, powdered sugar $8 add bacon $3 WALTER…

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meat, eggs & omelets Served with hash browns and scone or toast (sour dough, wheat or white) or add one pancake for $1.50. Ham, or bacon or sausage & two eggs $9.95 two egg breakfast $7.95 Minced ham or bacon & sausage in scrambled eggs $9.95 ham & cheese omelet $9.95 sausage & cheese omelet $9.95 bacon & cheese omelet $9.95 cheese omelet $8.50 Veggie omelet $9.95 western omelet $10.95 chicken fried steak & two eggs $11.75 sirloin steak & two eggs $15.00 side…

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After two years of consideration, Heber City Council will be taking a vote on the Sorenson annexation next Tuesday. In her weekly update, Heber City Mayor Kelleen Potter addressed what she called probably the biggest thing happening in the city, that being the 8,000-acre Sorenson annexation located to the north of current city boundaries. “There are 5,770 approved units along with 577 affordable units,” Potter continued. “Over 5,000 acres will be dedicated open space. They’re dedicating 10 acres to improved open space for…

Another event in the Heber Valley has become a casualty to COVID-19. The Heber Market on Main is cancelled for the month of June. Heber City Manager Matt Brower reported the news to the city council at Tuesday evening’s council meeting. The farmers market and concert in the park usually take place each Thursday evening in the summer. Brower says they hope the event might continue in July or August, although he says that would require modifications such as social distancing and limiting vendors. Brower says he also received…

After reading public comments and a brief discussion Heber City Council voted to continue the approval of the Sorenson annexation agreement to their next meeting. At Tuesday evening’s council meeting Mayor Potter read comments from four Heber residents regarding the annexation of the development on the 8,000-acre area north of Heber City known as the Sorenson property. The development will result in 5,700 residential units on about 3,000 acres with the other 5,000 acres in the project remaining as open space. Public…

Items at Wasatch County Council’s meeting Wednesday include discussions regarding farmland in the county. Wasatch County Council meets remotely via video conferencing Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 in addition to updates on the Wasatch County Health Directive the council will attend to more normal functions. Among those include considering amending code related to Farm Preservation Regulations and consider creating a Rural Preservation Subdivision ordinance. The ordinance is meant to accommodate a specific development that…

Heber City Council will be meeting remotely Tuesday evening and could possibly annex a huge development and double the size of the city. The buildout of the 8,000-acre area known as the Sorenson property will ultimately result in 5,700 residential units north of Heber City.  The project will include three village centers, one clustered near the UVU campus, another near the southern end of the Jordanelle Reservoir and the final in the Jordanelle Mountains. The development was previously approved by Wasatch County Council. …

Midway Boosters announced Saturday they will cancel Swiss Days this year. The club's announcement on its website said their decision was due to COVID-19 and came "under direction of the Wasatch Health Department." Swiss Days has been an annual tradition in Midway since the 1940's.  According to the state tourism website, visitutah.com, the festival is the second-largest in Utah after Pioneer Day, and 100,000 people come to Midway every September for the event.  The festival began as a harvest celebration, then turned…

Preparations to enter the stabilization phase on Friday means a lot of planning and answering questions for the Wasatch County Health Department. In a Monday evening Wasatch County Council meeting, Wasatch County Health Department Director Randall Probst says while the state is moving to stabilization on Friday, the rate at which the county moves forward is dependent on resident's response. “When we’re in close proximity in public settings and public places we should be wearing masks, we should be keeping the social…

Utah’s COVID-19 task force has marked this Friday, May 1st as a date for a gradual re-opening of the state. Wasatch County is busy preparing local businesses for when the county decides to open. Wasatch County Manager Mike Davis says while essential businesses such as grocery stores have remained open, if the county is to begin opening other businesses there will be provisions. Davis explains Health Department Director Randall Probst has been working with businesses creating a plan for eventual re-opening of services.…

While Wasatch County’s latest health order has opened up state parks to non-county residents the county and the parks are discouraging out of county visitors. Per the Wasatch County Health Order and consistent with the Governor’s directive state parks in Wasatch County are open to all Utah residents. Wasatch County Health Department has discouraged inter-county travel despite the fact that parks are open. Director of Wasatch Mountain State Park Tracy See says they also would rather not see a huge influx of out of county…

COVID-19's impact on life in Wasatch County has extended to the largest economic project in the county. Non-essential construction at the Mayflower Mountain Resort has come to a halt. Senior Vice President of Development at Extell Kurt Krieg reported to the MIDA Development Review Committee on Tuesday that for safety reasons, related to COVID-19, non-essential construction activity has been suspended at the project area located near the Jordanelle. “I have to be clear on nonessential,” Krieg explained. “So, our water tank…

Wasatch County has ordered cleaning and protective supplies to aid local businesses impacted by COVID-19. The county plans to make the supplies available as the community prepares for a gradual reopening of activity. At a special Wasatch County Council meeting on Tuesday County Manager Mike Davis reported the county had ordered 50,000 surgical masks to arrive in the early part of May. Davis says although suppliers could not guarantee a date, the county did lock in a price on the masks in response to daily rising of costs.…

Wasatch County issued a new health order Tuesday evening. The order includes updated information on parks and masks. The new order issued by the Wasatch County Health Department follows the Governor's directive issued Friday that state parks be open to residents outside of the county. “That adjustment to his directive came a little bit unexpected on Friday,” Probst said. “We’ve had community leaders working over the weekend to make sure we can work with that governor’s directive and respond appropriately. So, this order…

The new order issued by the Wasatch County Health Department follows the Governor's directive issued Friday that state parks be open to residents outside of the county. While the health department has opened the state parks, they are not encouraging travelers to come into the county. Park playground equipment is closed but public lands are otherwise available for residents to use for recreation. The order also encourages residents to wear masks when they do leave their homes and go someplace such as the store where they…

Midway City Council will discuss how to limit multiple families living in a single home Tuesday evening, while Heber City will hear yet another annexation application. Midway and Heber City Council will both meet Tuesday evening via video conferencing Midway City Council begins at 6:00 pm Midway’s Council will have a discussion around the definition of living quarters and accessory structures. Staff and the Planning Commission have favorably recommended adopting code to clarify that homeowners cannot rent, lease or…

By 10:15 am Saturday morning, at least 50 people had lined up in front of Park City High School for COVID-19 testing at a mobile unit set up by Intermountain Healthcare. Intermountain began mobile COVID-19 testing in Summit County Friday. A mobile unit will go to four sites in the county on four different days to give access to underserved populations and areas that are considered "hotspots" of increased COVID-19 positive tests, which include some apartment complexes in the Park City area. The test sites are Park City…

Wasatch County leadership is working on the next phase in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. During an update to the Wasatch County Council, Health Department Director Randall Probst compared the county response to COVID-19 to a light bulb being dimmed down. Now he says they’re preparing to make gradual adjustments to brighten the metaphorical bulb. “We started working with some of our businesses to start to identify what it’s going to look like as we start turning up that switch,” Probst explained. “It’s not going…

Utah Governor Gary Herbert announced Tuesday that schools in the state will be closed for the remainder of the school year due to COVID-19. The governor said he consulted with the Utah State Board of Education, and determined the state needed to extend the soft closure of Utah's public and charter schools. Herbert closed the schools effective March 16th to contain the spread of the coronavirus. "We're tremendously grateful to all our teachers and counselors who are working hard to teach and take care of their students…

On Monday evening Wasatch County Health Department announced the extension of their ‘Stay at Home’ order. Wasatch County Health Department Director Randall Probst says after consideration and meeting with community leaders they announced that the ‘Stay at Home’ order originally given on April 1 will be extended through May 1. The order requires that all nonessential businesses and operations cease. The order also asks residents to only leave their homes for limited activities while applying social distancing. Probst said…

Eliminating library fees, exempting critical employees from some COVID-19 benefits and delaying the county tax sale were all part of the Wasatch County Council’s meeting on Wednesday. After the second presentation to the public, the council voted to eliminate library fees at the suggestion of Wasatch County Library Director Juan Lee. The program has been adopted in neighboring counties and data has shown that implementing no late fees will encourage greater use of the library. Lee did outline three exemptions where the…

Utah Department of Health released new COVID-19 case numbers Thursday afternoon. The number of fatalities has remained steady all week at 13. Total cases confirmed statewide are 1,976 which is an increase of 130 cases from Wednesday.  There are 168 COVID patients who are hospitalized. The Summit County case count is 289, which is an additional 16 cases from Wednesday’s count. 24 have been hospitalized as of Thursday which is an increase of three. Wasatch County reports 88 cases which is up six from the day before.…

At the request of MIDA, Wasatch County Council signed an amendment to their agreement. However, after approving the amendment, the council asked for more representation for the project area near the Jordanelle. The request to extend Wasatch County’s agreement with the Military Installation Development Authority, or MIDA, was first presented to the county in early March. The amendment gives a 15-year extension of MIDA’s involvement in the 5,000-acre project area located on the west and north side of the Jordanelle…

Wasatch County is halfway through its original ‘Stay at Home’ order. While the results have been good, the end of the order will depend not only on Wasatch County but their neighbors to the north and west. Wasatch County’s ‘Stay at Home’ order went into place last Wednesday.  After a week, County Health Department Director Randall Probst reported to the county council that they’re seeing promising data. “Our numbers have not been continuing to escalate like they were,” Probst continued. “We’re not doubling and that's…

Heber City Council heard yet another annexation petition at Tuesday evening’s council meeting. The North Village Crossing Annexation could potentially bring retail, apartments and a movie theatre near the intersection of US 40 and River Road. The North Village Crossing Annexation is almost 140 acres located at the southeast and southwest corners of River Road and US 40. The developers signed a 25-year development agreement with Wasatch County in 2013, the plan allows for 730 equivalent residential units and 487,000 square…

On Tuesday, the Utah State Department of Health update covered COVID testing access and highlighted a couple of log jams they’re experiencing as they manage a response to the virus. Governor Gary Herbert participated in the daily health briefing, appearing at the podium with a face mask, which he subsequently removed in order to be heard more clearly. “I’m showing off my latest fashion statement with the COVID-19 prevention mask and I think it's becoming the symbol of the times we’re in today.  And I expect more and…

Utah State Parks is implementing a new system to protect their staff and make sure those using the parks are authorized to be there. A new pre-pay option allows visitors to pay their park day-use fee online prior to visiting a state park. Those purchasing a pre-paid day use pass online will also be asked to verify they are a resident of the county where the state park is located. As we’ve reported, Governor Gary Herbert’s Stay at Home directive means that out of county travel is allowed only for essential activities.…

The Utah Department of Health reported 1,675 confirmed COVID-19 cases Monday and five additional deaths related to the virus. The number of deaths related to COVID-19 jumped from eight on Sunday to 13 Monday. One was a Salt Lake County man younger than 60 with underlying medical conditions who died in the hospital. The others were patients at long-term care facilities — two from a facility in Salt Lake City and two from a facility in Utah County. All four of those patients were older than 60 and had underlying medical…

As part of Governor Gary Herbert’s mandate to the state, Utah’s state parks are still open, but only to residents of the county the park is located in. That means Wasatch County residents cannot visit Summit County parks and Summit County residents cannot visit Wasatch County parks. Even Summit County residents with boat slips at Jordanelle State Park, or season golf passes at Wasatch Mountain Golf Course are being turned away by state park employees. Wasatch Mountain State Park Manager Tracy See says they hate to do it,…

COVID-19 has disrupted businesses, schools, nonprofits and churches. including local LDS congregations. Travis Wilcox is the Stake President of the Heber North Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. As with all local LDS leadership, Wilcox is a lay minister, meaning he is not paid for his church work. Wilcox acts as a spiritual leader and administrative manager overseeing 10 Heber congregations, totaling about 4,700 people. He says church leadership is and will continue to comply with government…

Wasatch County’s decision to issue a “Stay at Home” order was influenced by Summit County. Wasatch County Manager Mike Davis says the high rate of COVID-19 cases helped the county make the difficult decision to issue the ‘Stay at Home’ order. “Our rate of infected individuals is in the top 50 in the United States for our population, in the state we’re only second to Summit County,” Davis continued. “So, we’ve worked very closely with Summit County and we felt that the two of us together implementing similar type health…

Wasatch County’s ‘Stay at Home’ order went into effect Wednesday morning. Wasatch County Council and invited city leadership sat in on a council meeting Wednesday afternoon. In the buildup to the beginning of the order, Wasatch County Health Department Director Randall Probst reported they received a lot of calls on their information line. “We’re trying to help as many people figure out what can happen, and what can’t happen as possible," Probst explained. "I will tell you we’ve had by far a very positive response when…

Wasatch Back Hospitals are reporting they have ample healthy staff and personal protective gear but that isn’t stopping them from preparing for a potential surge. While Summit County Health Department has not published the number of hospitalizations in the county, Wasatch County Health Department has reported four of their cases have been hospitalized at both the Heber and Park City hospitals. Heber Valley Hospital Administrator Si Hutt explains patient care is based on the individual case. “Park City does have an…

Wasatch County Manager Mike Davis has details following the Stay at Home Order that took effect April 1. Summit County Council Member Kim Carson has a recap of yesterday's council meeting when the council discussed how to deal with an estimated $1.7 million loss in revenues. Heber City LDS Stake President Travis Wilcox talks about how the church continues to minister during the shutdown of churches. Listen to the entire story at KPCW.org

Wednesday is Census Day in Utah and if you haven’t been counted in the 2020 Census– it’s not too late, but time is running out. Census Day is the day that determines who has been counted for the census that is held only every 10 years.  If you haven’t been counted, then go online to 2020census.gov and do it. It’s simple and quick and it’s important, as the census numbers determine how many seats each state holds in the U.S. House of Representatives. There are also hundreds of billions of dollars in public funds that are…

Construction of the tunnels underneath U.S. 40 near Mayflower begins Wednesday evening. The Utah Department of Transportation or UDOT announced construction could begin on the road as early as April 1st, and is scheduled to be completed by Summer 2021. This $19 million project includes two new bridges with crossings to the north and south of the Mayflower interchange, meaning U.S. 40 will have two roads tunneled underneath connecting the east and west side of the highway. The two roads that will eventually run …

Wasatch County's 'Stay at Home' order goes into effect Wednesday morning. And the county's information hotline is getting lots of calls--mostly from businesses. The highest number of calls are coming from the construction industry according to Wasatch County Health Department Public Information Officer Jonelle Fitzgerald. “We have recognized construction as an essential business," Fitzgerald explained. "We are reminding people that they need to continue to have that personal distance and not have contact with other people.…

With COVID-19 Stay-at-Home orders in place in Summit and Wasatch Counties, increased screen times and the promised check from the federal government, it’s a time to be on the lookout for con artists. Utah Department of Commerce Public Information Officer Brian Maxwell says scams are in abundance as the COVID-19 epidemic leaves people anxious and uncertain about the future. He says cybercriminals will use every opportunity to take advantage of a crisis by using the same old tricks but in a new way. “It seems to be the…

At the Monday special meeting of the Wasatch County Council, the council heard from the sheriff. Wasatch County Sheriff Jared Rigby spoke to the council about a portion of the Stay at Home order as it relates to outdoor recreation. “Individuals that live here are welcome to go outside their home and as it says in other places, for leisurely drives, and that kind of thing,” Rigby explained. “Still play close attention to the personal distancing. But we need to be careful when it comes to those that are visitors, and coming…

Utah reached 806 confirmed COVID-19 cases Monday, after testing more than 16,000 people. The state health department has identified four deaths related to the virus. The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases continues to rise daily, but state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn says physical distancing and stay-at-home measures appear to be working. Dunn says 10% of the state’s confirmed cases seem to be due to community spread, which means those patients don’t have a clear source of transmission – for example, they haven’t…

The Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development has launched a bridge loan program for Utah-based small businesses to cope with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses with 50 or fewer employees can apply for loan amounts ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 with 0% interest for up to 5 years. Loans are for businesses, not nonprofits, and cannot exceed three months of demonstrated operating expenses. Loan payments are deferred for 12 months. At least 25% of the loan program funds will be used for rural Utah small…

With the end of the month coming up many renters are unsure of what their options are if they’ve experienced a decrease in income. Options exist for landlords and tenants in the form of rent deferment. With the end of the month coming up many renters are unsure of what their options are if they’ve experienced a decrease in income. Options exist for landlords and tenants in the form of rent deferment or rent reduction. Heber resident Jeff Daybell is a lawyer with a private practice, he also works for the Utah State Bar,…

Wasatch County Council announced the upgrade to a Stay at Home Monday afternoon, The order goes into effect April 1st at 7:00 am. Wasatch County Health Department Director Randall Probst read the announcement. The meeting was streamed live at council chambers. You can find a link to the stream here. The whole order can be read here. Non-essential businesses and operations are ordered to cease. definition of essential vs. non-essential businesses can be found in the order. The order says residents can only leave…

On Tuesday, March 3, the Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce celebrated with Lorna Topete and her family and friends the grand opening of her new business, Memory Lane, in Heber. Memory Lane located at 55 E Center Street, behind Zions Bank, is a new event venue space in the valley with approximately 4,000 square feet of open space to accommodate larger parties, meetings, reunions, receptions and much more. For more information about scheduling an event at Memory Lane contact Lorna for more information at 435-671-8233.…

Last week Wasatch County Emergency Medical Services responded to a home where COVID-19 was present. The crew has been in self-isolation since, with no symptoms thus far. EMS crews in the county are continuing to take extra precautions. Last Friday Wasatch County EMS personnel responded to a call to assist a patient who was later confirmed to have COVID-19. As a result, the ambulance was decontaminated and the EMS responders who transported the patient have been placed in self-isolation for a few days while their symptoms…

Wasatch County Fire District responded to a fire in the Timber Lakes area on Wednesday. There were no injuries but significant damage to the home. On Wednesday the owner, a Salt Lake City resident, was visiting his second home in the Timber Lakes area to the East of Heber. Wasatch County Fire District Public Information Officer Janet Carson says the man was there to have some work done on his place. “He had the propane company come up and relight his furnace for him, and was doing some maintenance things,” Carson …

Wasatch County Council met Wednesday evening to hear from emergency managers about how they are proceeding during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Wasatch County Council’s special meeting on Wednesday, council chair Danny Goode assured residents that Wasatch County elected officials are receiving and acting upon their information from experts and state officials including the World Health Organization, the CDC, Utah Department of Health, Utah’s Governor and other elected leaders, and the County Health Department. Goode also …

Thursday morning marks the end of the quarantine of more than 2,300 Wasatch High Students. The Wasatch School District released a video Wednesday evening to advise students and parents and to address other questions. The Wasatch High School quarantine was meant to give students and staff 14-days to isolate from the last possible exposure of a known case. In the video, Wasatch School District Superintendent Paul Sweat says that the end of the quarantine does not signify students go back to life as normal. “Follow the…

Drive through testing is now available for those without a physician’s order in Park City. In a Wednesday afternoon release Intermountain Healthcare announced that in response to the increase in COVID-19 cases in Summit County, they are now offering outdoor drive-thru testing for COVID-19 at the Park City Ice Arena, located at 600 Gilmore Way, near the Intermountain Park City Hospital campus at Quinn’s Junction. People receiving the tests will remain in their cars as a caregiver does an assessment of their symptoms. If…

The American Red Cross is beginning to experience a “crisis within a crisis.” Due to canceled blood drives across the country, the nation’s blood supply is dangerously low. There are some upcoming local opportunities to help. Every two seconds, someone needs blood - whether it is someone undergoing cancer treatment, someone who has been in an accident and even premature babies. Cynthia De la Torre – a spokeswoman for the American Red Cross says they’re counting on the public to help beef up the blood supply. “Blood…

The Utah Department of Health released new numbers Wednesday afternoon about COVID-19 in the state. There are 346 confirmed cases statewide, up 48 from Tuesday. Summit County has 97 cases, up from 90. Eighty-nine are residents and eight are visitors. Wasatch County has 16 confirmed cases, the same from the day before. Fifteen of those are residents and one is a visitor. Salt Lake County has 154 cases, up 27 from Tuesday. After Summit County, the county with the highest numbers is Davis County, with 35 cases. Read…

The avalanche warning for the Wasatch Mountains is rated as considerable which means avoid the backcountry unless your skills are top-notch. A reminder to listeners that the closed resort terrain is considered backcountry because no avalanche control work is being done. The new snow arrived with grapple and then a heavy dense snow followed. Trent Meisenheimer with the Utah Avalanche Forecast Center says it should stabilize quickly but for now, suggests people avoid the backcountry. On Tuesday, they received reports of…

At their Tuesday evening special meeting Wasatch County Council learned about a positive statistic for the cases of COVID-19 in the county. The council also heard about mental health practices and how the school district is preparing for the end of the high school quarantine on Thursday morning. Wasatch County Health Department Director Randall Probst shared that there has been 16 people in Wasatch County, 15 residents and one visitor, who have been confirmed to have COVID-19. Probst did share some good news. "As of today,…

Under order from the Governor, all of Utah’s schools are recessed until May 1. Teachers and administrators from school districts along the Wasatch Back, more than ever, must rely on students having access to the internet. North Summit School District Superintendent Jerre Holmes says they distributed tablets to all their elementary students after concluding that not all homes had devices. Thanks to the help of a local internet provider, All-West, every family in his district has access to Wi-Fi. “I’m seeing things that…

Pet adoptions have dropped off since public health orders closed schools, businesses and events while trying to slow the community spread of the coronavirus. It’s caused a drastic drop in the number of pet adoptions from Nuzzles & Co and an increase in pet surrenders around the state. While parents and kids are sequestered at home, Nuzzles &Co Executive Director Jaimie Usrey suggests it could be the perfect time to adopt a pet. While they’ve closed the adoption center at the Outlet Mall, they are running adoptions…

Many who make the drive between Park City and the Heber Valley have likely noticed the increased activity at the planned Mayflower Mountain Resort site. Construction is moving quickly on the project with the first vertical construction happening as soon as the weather allows. Wasatch County Manager Mike Davis reports that construction on the military hotel and conference center is slated to begin this spring. The structure will have over 170 rooms and a 60,000 square foot conference space. Davis says the building permit for…

The Utah Department of Health released new numbers Sunday afternoon about COVID-19 in the state. There are 181 confirmed cases statewide.  Summit County has 50, up from 39 Saturday.  43 are residents and seven are visitors. Wasatch County has eight, up from seven the day before. All Wasatch cases are residents. Salt Lake County has 80 cases.  After Summit County, the county with the highest numbers is Davis County with 19 cases. UDOH says 3,689 people have been tested in Utah.  The first fatality was reported Sunday…

The Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce recognizes Timber Knives as the March 2020 Business of the Month. Timber Knives opened their store at 350 South Main Street in Heber last spring. They specialize in knives, axes, kitchen cutlery – anything with an edge. They also offer engraving and sharpening services. Jim Roach, owner of Timber Knives, is committed to being involved in Heber Valley. During the winter months Timber Knives partnered with their neighbor Northland Professionals for a community smores night, they offer…

Everyone may be feeling the effects of recent limitations of their regular life. The option to eat our favorite local cuisine may still be on the table. Here are a few special accommodations local restaurant owners are providing that will allow us all to continue practicing social distancing while supporting local small businesses. Wildfire Smokehaus  |  435-709-9570 Offering home delivery (free to Midway and all senior citizens, $5 to Heber) as well as curbside service at the restaurant. The Old Goat  |  435-657-9431…

This morning's earthquake in Salt Lake County and some of the aftershocks were felt in Wasatch County. However, Wasatch County Emergency Management reports no injuries, structural damage, or damage to power or communication were reported in the county as a result of the earthquake. Heber City Mayor Kellen Potter was in Heber City hall, originally a tabernacle built in the 1880’s, when the earthquake struck Wednesday morning. “We were filming a video with the mayor of Midway and the superintendent and the health department…

Utah Department of Health confirmed the third case of COVID-19 in Wasatch County Thursday afternoon. The third person confirmed with COVID-19 in Wasatch County is an individual between 35-60 years old. Wasatch County Health Department is still investigating how the patient came in contact with the disease, the third case has not been linked to the other two Wasatch County cases or any other known case, the case is also not linked to travel. Individuals who feel symptoms of COVID-19 including fever, cough, and shortness…

Heber and Midway Cities will be holding regularly scheduled City Council meetings tonight. Wasatch County Council will also host a special meeting to hear an update from the County Health Department. All three entities have made the meetings online friendly in response to COVID-19. Heber City Council’s work meeting begins at 5:00 with a regular session to follow at 6:00. Items on the city agenda include discussion around the COVID-19 coronavirus and approving the ordinance to adopt the Envision Heber 2050 General Plan.…

In a special meeting Monday evening, Wasatch County Council issued several recommendations. Council also re-emphasized their webpage to check during the crisis. Coronavirus.Wasatch.Utah.Gov  At the Monday special meeting of the Wasatch County Council, council chair Danny Goode announced that as the COVID-19 situation in Wasatch County evolves the county council will likely be holding daily meetings to update the public, while the health department will aim to put out a release each afternoon. “Keep in mind this is a very…

Wasatch County School District confirmed with the Wasatch County Health Department that a Wasatch High School student has tested positive for COVID-19. The district says an investigation is underway to determine the extent of the student’s contact with other students and staff. All teachers and staff have been dismissed from all district school buildings. Lunches will still be available for pickup between 11:00 am and 12:30 pm.  With deliveries made to Todd Hollow and Wallsburg Town Hall. More info to come.

In order to respond to increasing questions, Wasatch School District Superintendent Paul Sweat along with Wasatch High Principal Tod Johnson recorded a video distributed along social media channels to inform the public about the district’s plans. Superintendent Sweat first began the video by outlining what the closure means for the immediate future for students and district staff. “Students will not show up to school on Monday morning, or at any time during the two week period, unless you’re invited to do so by one of your…

The Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation (UOLF) is proactively taking measures to slow the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19). Effective Monday, March 16, 2020 all UOLF venues (Utah Olympic Park, Utah Olympic Oval and Soldier Hollow Nordic Center) will close to the public through Sunday, March 29, 2020. Following guidelines outlined from The Governor of Utah and local health organizations - all public activities and group events are suspended for the time being. Current ski and snowboard team training will still…

Wasatch County Council received an update on county emergency protocols on Wednesday. Wasatch County Emergency Manager Jeremy Hales spoke to the Wasatch County Council to discuss the county government's preparations for any emergency the local government might face. “We are trying to determine in the event we have an emergency—not just for COVID-19 but any emergency, an earthquake, or something that may disrupt the overall function of the County government—what do we minimally need to maintain and function,” Hales…

On Wednesday, Wasatch County Council received an update from the County Health Department on their efforts to prepare for and deal with the possibility of the COVID-19 coronavirus making its way to the county. Wasatch County Health Department Director Randal Probst has set up a joint information system where various public information officers in the county coordinate how information is disseminated. “We’ve had really good visits with the school district,” Probst continued. “We’ve met with them, they're very engaged…

The Utah Department of Health and Summit County Health Department announced Wednesday afternoon the state’s third confirmed case of COVID-19, also known as coronavirus had occurred in Summit County. The patient a Summit County man only described as younger than 60 years old had recently traveled to Austria where he came in contact with confirmed cases of COVID-19. Utah Department of Health Epidemiologist Keegan McCaffrey praised the way the case was handled. “The patient contacted a health care provider at first…

Voters in Utah may have a chance to vote on a legislative message bill that would change the state constitution. The resolution would enact a provision relating to the individual right of the people of Utah to hunt and fish. Amending Utah’s constitution requires two-thirds support from the legislature and then the initiative must be approved by citizens through a ballot measure. Rep. Casey Snider, Republican from Paradise, sponsored House Joint Resolution 15. He says the bill is less about wildlife management and more…

Wasatch County Council had a first reading of a resolution that would eliminate overdue fees for the county library. At their March 4th meeting Wasatch County Council unanimously approved a first reading of a resolution that would eliminate late fees for overdue library materials. The resolution was brought to the council by Wasatch County Library Director Juan Lee. Lee explained that previously the library has aggressively pursued collecting late fees for overdue items and as a result of that policy, fewer people are…

In her 2018 run for Utah House District 54, Meaghan Miller narrowly lost to Republican Rep. Tim Quinn by 162 votes. As a Democrat, Miller believes representation for the district, which encompasses Park City, Heber City and other portions of Wasatch and Summit Counties, is lacking. “I still feel that our state legislature is a supermajority that is interested more in themselves than they are in their constituents," Miller said. "The only way to change that is to get in.” This time, Miller has more name recognition and…

A bill working its way through the state legislature could mean a 15-year extension on redirecting Mayflower Mountain Resort’s taxes to the MIDA area in the Wasatch County. Meaning 75% of the incremental taxes collected by the resort would not go to county coffers for 40 years. By building Mayflower Mountain Resort within the Military Installation Development Authority, Manhattan-based developer Extell will not pay 75% of taxes to Wasatch County entities for at least 25 years. That percentage of Mayflower Mountain’s taxes…

At their March 4th meeting Wasatch County Council held off on a decision for when to issue the open space bond but also made progress on their updated county employee housing program. The Wasatch County Council declined to issue the first of two $5 million bonds that voters asked for in the November 2018 elections. The council chose to hold off on issuance of the bond as they wait for recommendations from the Wasatch County Open Space Board a volunteer board that will offer recommendations to the county council on how the…

During Super Tuesday the state of Utah selected President Donald Trump as their choice for the Republican primary nomination. In the Democratic race, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders won the state and Wasatch County, but former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg was the winner in Summit County. In the Democratic race, Senator Bernie Sanders won the state’s delegates with 34% of the popular vote. Sanders was followed by former Vice President Joe Biden who captured 17% of Utah’s popular vote, and former mayor Mike Bloomberg…

Teenagers and parents of Wasatch County are invited to a free event Wednesday evening to discuss a variety of issues including preventing teenage suicide, basic self-defense and navigating social media. The 31st annual Issues Community Conference takes place this Wednesday at Wasatch High School from 6:00 to 8:30 pm. Amaria Scovil director of the Burns Recreation Center explains the purpose of the free conference is to address issues within the community. “To enrich the community on topics that are pertinent to the…

Wasatch County Council will discuss the elimination of library late fees, a land swap with Heber Light & Power and Mayflower Mountain Resort at this Wednesday’s meeting. Wasatch County Council will meet Wednesday afternoon beginning with a work session at 3:00. Meeting in the county administration building located at 25 North Main in Heber the council will consider eliminating library late fees. Wasatch County Libraries could be following suit of other area libraries by eliminating late fees in their library…

Members of the Valley Opposition to Large Transmission lines, or VOLT, are busy working to raise $1.5 million to fund the burial of about a one mile stretch transmission lines that will go through Midway City, but the clock is ticking on that effort. In December Midway’s City Council unanimously voted to approve the joint conditional use permit submitted by Rocky Mountain Power and Heber Light & Power to construct new transmission lines to carry power coming through the southern portion of Midway. The approval was…

For the past decade, the Wasatch Trails Foundation has been creating and sustaining backcountry trails in Wasatch County. Trails in the area may have some more comprehensive planning with the creation of a new part-time position to serve the Heber Valley. Creating and connecting trails has become a greater priority for government entities in the Heber Valley. This past month the Mountainlands Association of Governments has approached Midway, Heber City, and Wasatch County about hiring a trail planner to serve the…

The annual Wasatch County Republican Party Lincoln Day breakfast took place last Saturday. Candidates for governor delivered their messages to local members of the GOP. At the February 22nd GOP fundraiser, those in attendance heard from five of the seven candidates for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. Current Lt. Governor Spencer Cox was unable to attend but Wasatch County Council member Mark Nelson read remarks for Cox. He asked Nelson to emphasize two things. “He’s the only candidate running that grew up…

The Utah Utility Facility Review Board held their initial hearing regarding Rocky Mountain Power’s petition against Midway City on Tuesday. The Midway City Council unanimously approved in December the joint conditional use permit submitted by Rocky Mountain Power and Heber Light & Power to construct new transmission lines to carry power through the southern portion of Midway. The permit’s approval was conditioned on a few items, the key one being that the lines be buried—if Midway can secure the funds to pay for the…

The proposed new General Plan will be presented to Heber City Council for their vote on Tuesday, March 3, 2020. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the council chambers of the City Hall building, 75 North Main Street in Heber. This is the final step for adopting the new General Plan. The public is welcome to attend.

3rd District Representative John Curtis spoke to members of the Wasatch County Republican Party at their annual Lincoln day breakfast on Saturday. In his address to members of the Wasatch County Republican Party Representative John Curtis praised local leaders for their efforts to serve the people of Wasatch County “It's an honor to serve you in Washington DC,” Curtis said. “I find myself sometimes walking around the streets of Washington DC and I’ll look up at the capital and I say to myself, ‘holy cow I get to…

The annual Wasatch County Republican Party Lincoln breakfast fundraiser took place on February 22nd. Among those addressing local party members was Utah’s Senior Senator Mike Lee. Often quoted and referenced at the Wasatch Republican Lincoln Day breakfast was author and social scientist Arthur Brooks. Utah Senator Mike Lee followed that trend in his remarks. Lee spoke about a message Brooks gave at the National Prayer Breakfast. “He went on to explain that love really is the antidote to hostility, and not mere…

Rocky Mountain Power has agreed to provide Midway with multiple bids for the cost to bury transmission lines underground. Once Midway receives the bid, they’ll have two weeks to make a final decision. The power company is taking more steps to ensure that deadline remains firm. The Midway City Council unanimously approved in December the joint conditional use permit submitted by Rocky Mountain Power and Heber Light & Power to construct new transmission lines to carry power through the southern portion of Midway. The…

In a study session before the Wasatch County School District’s regular meeting on February 20th, the board and administrators heard from Davis Demographics. The firm showed an updated outlook on growth within the district over the next decade. Wasatch School District spokesperson John Moss says the California based Davis Demographics specializes in using geographic information systems to anticipate and address school planning needs. “Studying where every single student lives and how the construction that's coming in is…

The Zermatt Resort is one of the largest private employers in Wasatch County and has created a thriving work environment, while also creating an amazing place to visit and recharge. Their contributions to community programs, Chamber efforts, and to the local economy have earned them recognition as the February Business of the Month. Getting To Know You Zermatt Utah Resort & Spa opened its doors 13 years ago in 2006. They have since been serving Midway by helping to create a thriving tourism economy, hundreds of jobs…

Business leaders in the Heber Valley heard from local elected officials at the state of the Heber Valley at Tuesday’s Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce luncheon, including Midway’s Mayor. Midway Mayor Celeste Johnson began her speech by emphasizing the importance of tourism to Midway’s economy, especially the ability of the city to collect a resort tax. The resort tax allows approximately 16 Utah communities with a certain ratio of full-time homes to short-term stay units to charge a 1.1% tax for transactions in the city.…

For the second time attorneys representing Brighton Estates and the Wasatch County Council sought summary judgment from the court in their dispute regarding the dissolvement of the Brighton Estates Special Service District by the council in April 2017. At Tuesday morning’s hearing Fourth District Court Judge Jennifer Brown recognized both parties desire to seek summary judgment but cited that disputes over the terms of a loan precluded her from deciding the case as a matter of law. “There is disputed evidence and…

Wasatch County Council is considering a new program to provide affordable housing for essential county employees. The effort may help sheriff’s deputies, public works employees and others obtain housing in the increasingly expensive Heber Valley. The council heard about the Shared Appreciation Mortgage or SAM program at the county council meeting on February 5th. Wasatch County Assistant County Manager Dustin Grabau explains what the new program would do. “We’re talking about a shared appreciation mortgage programs for…

A construction project on River Road will mean detours on the Midway thoroughfare starting Monday. The project will include a new water line, power conduits, and road reconstruction. River Road will be closed from Memorial Hill to 600 North during construction. Detours will have traffic rerouted from River Road onto 100 North and 600 North connected by Center Street. Accommodations have been arranged for those who want to park and walk Memorial Hill, they will need to follow the path set up by contractors to access…

Heber City Council meets in regular session Tuesday evening. Items on the agenda include the final public hearings for two items the council has been working on for months. Heber City Council meets in council chambers at city offices located at 75 North Main Tuesday evening. The council will begin with a work meeting including a presentation regarding the General Plan Update and an update on the Sorenson Property Annexation at 5:00 pm. Immediately following during the 6:00 pm regular meeting council will hold a public…

The choice to place high voltage transmission lines overhead or underground through Midway is getting close to a decision point. Rocky Mountain Power hopes to have bids to place lines underground by the end of February, leaving Midway about a month to finalize funding to bury the lines. In December Midway’s City Council unanimously voted to approve the joint conditional use permit submitted by Rocky Mountain Power and Heber Light & Power to construct new transmission lines to carry power through the southern portion…

Heber City Council discussed an idling ordinance last week. The council ultimately decided to wait on an ordinance in favor of an education campaign to raise awareness. At the Heber City Council retreat in January, an idling ordinance was discussed by council members. Heber City Police Chief Dave Booth brought options for idling ordinances to the city council at their February 4th meeting. He said he modeled policies after ones applied in neighboring municipality Park City. Booth asked the council to consider options…

Heber City Council approved a $1.5 million contract for improvements made to 600 South at the February 4th city council meeting. The council approved the project contract to Geneva Rock at the meeting earlier this month after receiving four bids to make improvements along 600 South Street in Heber. Assistant City Engineer Russell Funk explains what the improvements on 600 South are for: “This project will widen that section of roadway to a collector standard and it will add curb, gutter, and sidewalk on the North…

Those looking to collect antler sheds from now until mid-April are required to complete a certificate from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Starting now through early spring animals with antlers will begin shedding their horns in preparation to regrow the antlers during the late spring. Collecting the antlers is legal in Utah, however in order to gather sheds between February 1st and April 15th the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources requires completion of an ethics program. DWR Public Information Officer Faith…

When a lot of places around the Heber Valley quiet down during the winter season, Soldier Hollow Nordic Center comes alive! Each winter the foothills around the resort are transformed into world-class cross-country ski trails, and one of the most popular tubing experiences in the state of Utah. According to Jennifer McColloch, senior manager over guest experiences, the 2019 Christmas season has been the busiest season on record with over 1,500 people visiting the venue per day. Soldier Hollow Nordic Center started as an…

Parking in Midway’s downtown was a large part of discussion at the city council’s most recent meeting. Three items on the Midway City Council January 21 agenda were in regard to parking in the city. One of the first items on the agenda was a discussion about an agreement between the city and a lot owner near the intersection of Main Street and 100 East. The Miller family owns a vacant lot located at 70 East Main Street, across the street from Midway Mercantile and Probst Funeral Home. City attorney Corbin Gordon…

The Connecting Wasatch transit study in Wasatch County has been seeking public input, as well as collecting and analyzing data about possible ways to address transit needs in the county. The transit study is a cooperative effort between Heber City, Park City, Midway, Wasatch County, MAG, UDOT, and UTA. The study began early summer of 2019 and has included collection of data, public surveys, and an initial report. Last month LSC Transportation Consultants published an interim report evaluating service options. AT Stoddard,…

Of Utah’s 29 counties, only three of them failed to collect enough signatures on the referendum for the tax reform bill lawmakers approved in a special session last month. As of 8 a.m. Thursday, Summit and Wasatch Counties were just shy of meeting their signature requirements for the tax reform referendum. There are two requirements for a citizen referendum to get on the ballot: verify signatures from 8% of voters in 15 of Utah’s 29 counties and achieve a total of 116,000 verified signatures across the board. That 8%…

Around 150 Heber Valley citizens attended the Heber Valley Flightpath kick-off meeting on Wednesday evening. The meeting included an introduction of the Airport Master Plan update and a timeline outlining the steps leading to its eventual completion. The estimated completion of the nine-step process is Summer 2021. Dave Mitchells with TO engineers is a project manager aiding Heber City, its residents, and the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, with the Airport Master Plan update. Mitchells explained that the Heber…

Heber City is updating its Airport Master Plan, as part of that process the city is inviting the community to participate in the plan starting with the public Kickoff meeting Wednesday from 6:00-8:00 pm at Heber Valley Elementary School. Heber City Mayor Kellen Potter says that the current airport master plan is about 16 years old, about six years older than recommended. “Like any business, you want to know where you're going,” Potter said. “Do we want to preserve some land for future activities? Do we want to try and…

As part of addressing the $6 Million county tax error, the Wasatch County Council approved the hiring of three people to aid the assessor’s office moving forward. The hires include an Information Systems professional. The decision to add staff to the Wasatch County assessor’s office comes after a clerical error—made in May 2019 and later discovered in the fall of 2019—cost government entities an under-collection of six million dollars in taxes. The original mistake was related to an overestimated value of a home in the…

At a recent Jordanelle Special Service District board meeting, members of the Wasatch County Council approved the creation of a new district. The new district will aid in snowmaking processes for Mayflower Mountain Resort. The Jordanelle Special Service District or JSSD board meeting took place on January 14th at the county administration building in Heber. The special service district serves as a utility provider for culinary water and sewer in the Jordanelle area. One of the first things done at the meeting was the…

Heber City residents were introduced to the results of the Envision Heber 2050 process at an open house on Wednesday. More than 50 Heber residents gathered to the open house at Heber Valley Elementary to share in the unveiling of the new general plan. Heber City Councilmember and member of the Envision Heber 2050 Steering Committee Rachel Kahler outlines what the plan does. “A vision for the next 20 to 30 years for Heber City,” Kahler explained. “It's an exciting time because we've never really done this as a public…

Heber City Council’s meeting on Tuesday looked at how to plan for the city’s future, and also looked at honoring and preserving its past. Heber City Council met in early January at their annual retreat to identify priorities for the upcoming year, at Tuesday night’s council meeting the council began their work to implement those priorities. Heber City council member Rachel Kahler said among priorities established include maintaining infrastructures such as roads, sewer, and water. Another large priority is updating the…

County trails, additional staff for the Assessor’s office and an annexation agreement are all on the Wasatch County Council’s agenda Wednesday. Wasatch County Council meets in a regular session Wednesday at 3:00 pm in the county administration building located at 25 North Main in Heber. Council will begin by discussing potentially participating in funding for a countywide trail planner. The position would be through the Mountainland Association of Governments with funding coming from MAG, Midway, Heber and the county…

Wasatch County law enforcement responded to a chase that went through much of the valley on Friday. Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office reports that the 911 dispatch center received a call from Orem dispatch that the driver and passenger of a stolen black Ford Expedition were on the move headed towards Wasatch County on Friday. Orem Police had attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver fled on State route 189 towards Wasatch County. Wasatch County deputies attempted to stop the vehicle near Wallsburg. Heber City…

Five state representatives and senators met for a Legislative Preview hosted by Action Utah in Park City on Wednesday night. One of the hot topic issues for the evening was Tax Reform and funding for education. The five elected representatives spent an hour and a half as panelists speaking to a crowd of around 40 Wasatch Back residents. The panelists spent a fair amount of the time discussing the recently passed Tax Reform law and the citizen-led referendum effort to repeal the law that has followed. Republican Senator…

On December 12th members of the Utah Legislature passed a Tax Reform bill in a special session, which was then signed by Utah Governor Gary Herbert. Soon after a grassroots effort to overturn the bill sprung up across the state. In order for the Tax Reform Referendum to be placed on the November ballot signatures need to be gathered from 115,869 registered voters in the state and eight percent of registered voters in 15 of 29 counties. To make the eight percent cut 2,063 registered voters in Summit County and 1,275 in…

At their Tuesday meeting, Midway City Council swore in Lisa Kohler Orme for another term, as well as first-term council members Steve Dougherty and Kevin Payne. One of the first items discussed by the new council was parking. At their first meeting of 2020, Midway City Council considered an ordinance to amend their code regarding Festival Market Business Licenses, in order to incentivize the creation of public parking. Midway City planner Michael Henke introduced the idea. “Basically what would happen is if you're in…

A week into the new decade, Heber Valley has its first baby of 2020. Cleo Gemma Pruneda arrived on Tuesday morning. Cleo is the daughter of Rudy and Caitlin Pruneda and the little sister to Opal. She was born at 10:46 am weighing 6lbs 5oz and she’s 18 inches long. The family lives in Heber. Last year 186 babies were born at the Heber Valley Hospital. Read the original story at KPCW.org

Wasatch County Council meets for the first time in 2020 on Wednesday. Members of the Wasatch County Council will meet in a regular session Wednesday afternoon beginning at 3:00 pm. Among those attending will be council member Danny Goode. KPCW reported in November Goode had announced his intention to resign from the council at the end of 2019. Goode says he was convinced in a closed session meeting on December 26th by his fellow council members that his resignation may have been premature. Agenda items at Wednesday’s…

A plane slid off the runway at the Heber City airport Thursday morning. Public Information Officer Janet Carson says the Wasatch County Fire and EMS were paged to the Heber City airport in response to an airplane that had slid off the runway. “The pilot had made the landing and hit some ice on the runway and went off the runway. When we arrived, everybody was out of the airplane there were no injuries. The only damage they found to the plane is a little bit of damage to the landing gear. They had a crane coming that…

During 2019 Heber residents participated in a city-led effort to update their general plan. Now, the finishing touches are being placed on that plan. Heber City Mayor Kellen Potter explains the 2019 initiative Envision Heber 2050 was part of an effort to update Heber’s general plan which was last updated in 2003. “In the past we had a small town and there was always a lot of need for incentives to get people to come here, and to grow, and now we're saying whoa! A lot of people are saying slow down,” Potter explained.…

13 ice sculptures will be on display at the Kohler Creamery in Midway this Friday and Saturday. Tamra Annett of Heber Valley Artisan Cheese says they along with other local businesses wanted to work on a shared project at a time where many people are in town. “We really just wanted to have something that they could stop by and see that's low key and fun and doesn't require an additional charge,” Annett explained. “So, we pulled together as a team and decided that an ice sculpture exhibit would be the best option.”…

The Utah Legislature recently passed a sweeping overhaul of the state tax system during a special session earlier in December. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed the bill into law shortly after. Two Summit County legislators give their take on the bill. House Minority Leader Brian King, who represents a portion of Summit County, and Heber-based Republican Rep. Tim Quinn don’t often agree on policy issues. But the two both cast “nay” votes against the tax bill at the Legislature’s Dec. 12 special session. The legislation,…

What is it about Wasatch County that is so attractive to residents and visitors from around the world? Perhaps the 2002 Winter Olympic Games played a role in introducing the Heber Valley to the world, or maybe three beautiful state parks have helped brand the area. Nobody could blame a person for wanting to visit here, and if the past dozen years have proved anything, people clearly want to live here. After all, the Heber Valley is located less than an hour from the Salt Lake City International Airport, and just a quick,…

Heber Valley Tourism and Economic Development partners with local news media to help share our unique message. Recently, we partnered with Fox 13's The Place to shoot and produce a whole episode on Heber Valley, Utah's Winter Wonderland. This gave us the opportunity to spotlight some of the many different things visitors to the valley can do when they arrive. We are grateful to our partners who really stepped up to make this a great feature. This episode aired on Dec 20, 2019 and January 1, 2020. Zermatt Utah Resort…

A family surprised by a stranger’s kindness at a Heber grocery store are now inviting others to pass along good will during this season. Wasatch Back resident Kelly Marshall was shopping at the Heber Smith’s grocery store with her family on Monday December 23rd when an older man approached and handed her an envelope. “I had originally thought that maybe he thought I dropped it and was giving it to me. I said, ‘Oh no that's not mine.’ He said, ‘no this is for you.’ Then I was kind of like, Oh maybe it's like an…

Wasatch County, like Summit County, is concerned about providing affordable housing for its workforce. Setting up a new program to enable home ownership for employees is one of the tasks that the Wasatch County Council took on in 2019. KPCW talked with Assistant Wasatch County Manager Dustin Graybau. Graybau has been Assistant County Manager for about eight months. Before that, he worked for Provo City for six years, including a stint as budget officer. He told KPCW that Wasatch County is fortunate because growth…

At the start of the new year, Heber City will have three new councilmembers. Recently elected Councilmember Rachel Kahler shares what's on her mind as she begins her term. Rachel Kahler is a Heber local. Her family moved to the valley in 1979, and she graduated from Wasatch High School. Kahler says her time on the Envision Heber 2050 steering committee inspired her to run for office, because, she says, what happens in the next four years will shape the next 50 years of Heber’s future. “Now is the time to set the…

At the start of the new year, Heber City will have three new councilmembers. Recently elected Council Member Ryan Stack has a few items top of mind as he begins his term. During his time on the Heber City Planning Commission, Ryan Stack says his experience has helped him see what the city was doing well and what it could improve on to create a better future for residents. “What really stuck out to me is how the city just kept playing from behind, in terms of reacting to the growth pressures, reacting to what was…

On Tuesday Midway’s City Council unanimously voted to approve the joint conditional use permit or CUP submitted by Rocky Mountain Power and Heber Light & Power to construct new transmission lines to carry power coming through the southern portion of Midway. The approval was conditional on a few items, the key one being that the lines be buried. The motion came after a professional randomized phone survey was administered to 301 Midway Residents. 70.1% of those surveyed agreed that they wanted to see the…

After a professional randomized survey 70% of Midway residents say they prefer the transmission lines running through the southern portion of the city be buried underground at extra cost rather than placed overhead. The transmission lines meant to connect the Midway substation to the Jordanelle dam substation is part of a joint project between Rocky Mountain Power and Heber Light & Power. Throughout most of the valley transmission lines will travel along overhead poles ranging in height from around 70 to 100 feet…

Snowmaking and secondary rates was the issue at hand at the final special service district meetings of 2019 in Wasatch County. On Tuesday the Wasatch County Council discussed issues pertaining to water in both the Jordanelle and Twin Creeks Special Service Districts. While setting dates and times for 2020 special service district meetings and amending and adopting budgets the Wasatch County Council heard from Mayflower Mountain Resort who came asking for the creation of a new improvement district or special service…

Utah is growing and a recently published study shows Summit and Wasatch counties are near the top of that growth curve. The Kem C. Gardener Institute at the University of Utah publishes state and county population estimates. The data establishes a baseline count that will be used to predict population changes moving into the next decade. The Institute receives funding from the Utah legislature to gather population data and predict growth. Since the last census in 2010, Utah’s population has increased from 2.8 million…

Heber and Midways Mayors are implementing a friendly competition to encourage service in the valley. Heber Mayor Kellen Potter and Midway Mayor Celeste Johnson have both been providing information from their offices on Mondays in what they call Mayor’s Monday Minute. This week the two mayors shared a broadcast to encourage volunteering. “We want to make sure that even during this crazy busy time of Christmas we're all still giving back to our community in one way or another. A suggestion that we have for you today is…

A Midway resident filmed his unexpected visit from a mountain lion on Tuesday. Midway resident Giro Messeri has wanted to see a mountain lion ever since he moved to Utah from Italy two and a half years ago. Messeri got that opportunity on Tuesday evening after he had finished grilling some wagyu burgers on his porch. A half hour later Messeri heard his roommate call him down to see the cougar that had made its way to the Swiss Oaks condominiums to investigate the smell. “I mean it was awesome, I’ve always wanted to see…

Walk in to Fill’er Up Coffee Station along Midway Main Street and you’re greeted to an eclectic style and design that is all at once inviting, charming, engaging and even nostalgic. Vintage metal signs from bygone eras adorn the walls, original artwork with the station standing as the muse hang in the corners, and even the outside sitting areas are festooned with old fashioned pedal cars. Everything about Fill’er Up is about providing a welcoming atmosphere while sipping on a hot espresso, or nibbling on a freshly baked…

November 26, 2019 – Heber City, UT – As part of Heber City’s efforts to update the existing Airport Master Plan for Heber Valley Airport, the City has launched HeberValleyFlightpath.com. The new website contains vital information about the Airport Master Plan update process and will be a key way to exchange information with the community. The Flightpath website will be used by the public, the project committees, and the City Council as decisions are made about the future of Heber Valley Airport. “We intend to be very…

Wasatch County Council and Summit County Council met in a joint meeting last week to discuss shared issues in the region including the Extell development and transit needs. Thursday evening Wasatch and Summit County Councils and staff met in a joint meeting in Midway to discuss shared issues in the area. Wasatch County Manager Mike Davis briefed the Summit County Council on the latest with the Extell development and the greater Military Instillation Development Area, or MIDA, in Wasatch County. Davis explained the…

Wasatch County Council’s Chair announced his resignation from the council yesterday. Wasatch County Chair Danny Goode announced his resignation from the Wasatch County Council on Wednesday near the start of the council meeting. “This community has welcomed us politically and professionally,” Danny Goode said. “I did not intend to run for the County Council again last year and I shouldn’t have. I certainly shouldn’t have run as a Republican. For those of you who have liked the job that I've done, you got one extra year…

Anglers who visit the Wasatch Mountain State Park community pond usually can bring home just two fish at the end of the day. Thanks to a recent change, there’s now no limit to the fish you can bag from the pond from now until the end of the year. Earlier this week the Division of Wildlife Resources announced they are lifting the daily bag limits for fish at the Wasatch Mountain State Park community pond. DWR regional aquatics manager Chris Crockett says they are making the move in preparations for improvements to the…

Midway and Heber City Councils meet in regular session tomorrow evening. The councils will discuss annexations, short-term rentals, transmission lines and more. Heber City Council meets in a work meeting starting at 5:00 pm on Tuesday. The council meets in their chambers located at 75 North Main street. The council will receive an update on the Sorenson annexation approval process and discuss a development in the North Village annexation as well as another discussion regarding the option to permit tiny homes. During…

Jordanelle State Park is closing for the evenings in response to some grinchy behavior. The state park is preparing for a holiday lights program while also trying to recover some stolen items. Jordanelle State Park is setting up for their first ever Holiday Nights light program. State Park employee Natalie Harmon says while setting up the park discovered some items had been stolen. “We had a flying pig display stolen and a couple controller boxes,” Harmon explained. “We've had to make the decision to shut the gates at…

As Heber City prepares for The Heber Airport Master Plan Update, they’ve released an informational video. In the three-minute video Heber City Mayor Kelleen Potter addresses some concerns and questions members of the public have expressed about the Airport Master Plan Update and a potential airport safety update that could follow. The master plan update, often compared to a business plan by the city, will begin January of 2020 and take between eighteen months to two years to complete. In the video Mayor Potter…

Midway residents will have two opportunities this week to learn more about and express their opinions on the Rocky Mountain Power and Heber Light & Power Transmission line which will run through the city. The proposed transmission line will connect the Midway Substation to the Jordanelle Dam substation and go through Midway city limits for about a mile. The route follows existing transmission lines along Wards lane, Stringtown road and 970 South. The proposed poles range in height from 70-85 feet with dead end and…

A smile. It’s the universal sign for confidence, joy and friendship. A warm smile has the power to lift a weary soul. Smiling is so universal it even has its own punctuation. :-) With all that is riding on a confident smile, it’s no wonder why Trisity Andra, owner of Lux Teeth Whitening, enjoys what she does so much. “I love making people happy with something as simple as teeth whitening. I love the boost of confidence it gives people and I love doing the reveal after whitening people’s teeth,” said Andra. When Andra…

On Tuesday evening the Heber Valley Hospital will be holding an open house as they complete their second phase of their expansion project. The hospital is most the way through a $41.3 million expansion project. Heber Valley Hospital Director of Communications Amy Tuddenham said since they weren’t constructing a new building the hospital had to expand and renovate while remaining in operation. "Two years ago, we built a brand-new ER, a brand new InstaCare, and moved a couple of smaller services around the hospital,”…

City Council elections results in Wasatch County means new faces on Heber and Midway City Council. Of the six seats available on Heber and Midway City Councils only one was retained by an incumbent. Preliminary election results were posted Tuesday evening by the Wasatch County Clerks office. In Heber City the top vote earner for council was Rachel Kahler with 2,125 votes. Kahler believes citizens of Heber City elected her in part because they want more communication. “They want to better understand the issues and be…

The $150 million school bond to create a new high school in the Heber Valley and to replace the current Midway Elementary school will not pass according to Tuesday night results. 5,223 or 57% residents voted against the bond while 3,921 or 42% voted for it. In Heber City six candidates have been seeking three seats on the council. Rachel Kahler was the top vote getter with 2,125 votes. Mike Johnston received the next most votes with 1,775. Ryan Stack will also be a new addition to the council with 1,732 votes. Perry Rose…

The Heber Valley Tourism and Economic Development office is pleased to announce that Jana Brown has been hired as the new destination sales manager for the office and will begin her work immediately. Jana previously served as the sales manager at the Best Western Plus of Heber City and before that as a sales manager at the Homestead Resort. Jana also previously worked as a national sales manager for the Park City Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau. As transient room tax collections have significantly…

The 2019 municipal general election is Tuesday, Nov. 5. In Summit County, both Park City and Oakley are holding elections for city council. There’s also an election for South Summit Fire District as well as a South Summit School District bond for $87 million to fund a new high school and other items. And North Summit Recreation District is asking its patrons for taxing authority. For Snyderville Basin residents, there is no election—so no need to worry about not receiving a ballot. In Wasatch County, Heber, Midway…

The first report regarding the Wasatch County Transit Study has been completed. Below are some the report’s findings and the roadmap for a bus system to possibly come to Wasatch County next year. Shawn Seager is the director of planning with the Mountainlands Association of Governments. The association is a regional planner for Summit, Utah and Wasatch counties. The association is also taking the lead on the Wasatch Transit study. Seager says LSC, the consulting firm hired for the study, has posted their existing…

All Smiths locations, including Kimball Junction and Heber City will again be accepting Visa credit cards starting immediately. A small banner on the Smiths website announced the change reading that the chain “now accept(s) Visa credit cards,” The Salt Lake headquartered Smiths, a division of Kroger, announced in March of this year that they would no longer accept Visa credit cards starting on April 3rd. The reason the company gave at the time was because of excessive interchange and network fees that Visa and it’s…

40 firefighters from Utah are joining California crews to battle blazes across the state. Among those headed out include crews from Wasatch County and Park City Fire Districts’ Fires are devastating California communities as October draws to a close. The Kincade Fire in Sonoma county has burned 75,000 acres and is around 15% contained. Meanwhile the nearly 700-acre Getty fire in Los Angeles has caused evacuation from more than 7,000 residences and is just five percent contained. Utah crews left from Salt Lake City to…

Bring your friends and neighbors, a pair of gloves and your volunteer spirit to the Main Street Fall Clean Up this Saturday, November 2 from 10 a.m. till 2 p.m. Volunteers will meet at the Heber City Tabernacle fire pit. Lunch and snacks will be provided by the City management. For community members interested in joining the Community Alliance for Main Street (CAMS), meetings are held every 3rd Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the Public Safety room at the Police department. CAMS has made it it’s mission to restore and improve our…

Members of the Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce met for a sendoff for the director of the organization for the past eight years. Ryan Starks came to be the director of tourism and economic development eight years ago. At a chamber luncheon on Tuesday Starks shared principles with community business leaders that he learned throughout his tenure. Advice ranged from having the right personnel, to having a good attitude and creating a can-do culture. One thing Starks was especially proud of was his collaboration with Bill…

Midway City Council met in a work meeting Tuesday morning to discuss options for the power lines that will go through about a mile of the city. In the work meeting Midway City Council heard from the city’s attorney Corbin Gordon. Gordon laid out the options for the city when it comes to the conditional use permit application from Rocky Mountain Power and Heber Light and Power to place new power lines on the historical route through the city. Gordon said in many ways the cities hands are tied since installing the lines is…

The Heber Valley Western Music & Cowboy Poetry Gathering is celebrating it’s 25th year. The event begins Wednesday evening and continues through Sunday. Director of the gathering Ted Caldwell explains what western music and cowboy poetry is all about. “We call it a celebration of the American West,” Caldwell explained. “Because it really is a way of telling the western story through music and through poets. Western music and cowboy poetry talk a lot about history, the lifestyle, and those kinds of things. So, we've…

Any chef will tell you when it comes to making great tasting, quality food, it not only takes great tasting and quality ingredients but knowing how to combine those flavors to make them work together instead of competing against each other. The story of Lola’s Street Kitchen works much in the same way. For owners David and Mandy Medina Lola’s is a product of great ingredients, but not just the kind that are cooked. The quality ingredients that make up the success of Lola’s come from connection, community, and family.…

Ballots will begin to be sent out on October 16th, Wednesday to all active registered voters. There will be four different ballots sent out during the election. All residents of Wasatch County will receive a ballot asking about the $150 million school bond election which if passed would replace Midway Elementary School and create a new high school in the valley. Three municipalities will receive ballots with additional city council races. In Charleston four candidates are vying for two town council seats. In Midway…

Midway residents heard from the four candidates running for Midway City Council on Thursday evening. The Midway Boosters sponsored the event. During the October 10th meeting residents heard from the four candidates running for the three available seats on Midway’s City Council. For an hour and a half, they answered questions and discussed issues in Midway. One question they were asked was how they would make the development process in Midway more ideal, and should the city stand up to developers even when legal action…

Midway Boosters hosted a forum regarding the $150 million school bond that would create a new high school in the valley and replace Midway Elementary School on Thursday evening. The event allowed two Midway parents, one for and one against the bond, to lay out their reasoning for their votes. Member of Citizens Building Education Brad Wagstaff went first. He started by pointing out the reality of rapid growth in the Heber Valley. “There’s 10,000 homes slated to come into the County in the next 10 years,” Wagstaff…

The Midway Boosters are providing an opportunity for residents to meet the candidates for City Council. Additionally, the club is holding a school bond debate. The two town hall discussions take place at the Midway Community Center. Former Midway Booster member Scott Lewis will be moderating the event. Lewis has moderated three events for the Boosters. The evening begins at 6:30 with a discussion between two parents of children at Midway Elementary School. One parent will be representing Citizens Building Education, a…

Wasatch County Council met at the end of September for a public hearing requesting an amendment to the Wallsburg and South Hills planning area. The council heard from many Wallsburg residents before voting to deny the request. Wasatch County Council met in regular session on September 25th. During the meeting a public hearing lasted for two and a half hours regarding an amendment to the counties Wallsburg and South Hills planning area in the Wasatch County General plan. The 13 landowners were requesting amendments that…

After eight years, the Executive Director of the Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce, tourism, and economic development office has accepted a new position with the Governor’s Office.  Ryan Starks announced his departure on Friday, October 4th. Starks will serve as the managing director of operations for the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development. He said accepting the position was the hardest professional decisions he’s ever had to make. “Really love Heber Valley,” Starks continued. “Love the people, and…

A developer in Midway was looking at changing the master plan for the Homestead Resort. Now that those plans have fallen through a different organization is looking to revitalize the resort. At the Tuesday October 1st City Council meeting Midway City Council approved the transfer of Master Plan transfer of rights. Midway City Mayor Celeste Johnson explains what the transfer means. “A master plan was approved for the Homestead Resort in 2008 that if someone purchases that resort that master plan follows the land,”…

Midway City Council received a report on the efforts from their Open Space Committee. The council also continued approval for a subdivision that would place just one house on seven acres. The Midway open space committee brought four applications that have moved along the furthest to the Midway City Council at their Tuesday October 1st meeting. One of the four landowners applying for the Midway Open Space Bond is the Kohler Dairy Farm. Midway City Mayor Celeste Johnson outlines the other three properties that the Midway…

Midway City is moving forward on plans to connect trails within the town. Midway City Mayor Celeste Johnson explains that developers in Midway have long had requirements to create trails while building out neighborhoods. “Because the city has been developed in a rather hopscotch way—which is typical, it's not an unusual thing—we ended up with a whole bunch of small pieces of trails that don't connect to anything,” Johnson explained. “Fast forward 10-15 years we are dealing with repair and infrastructure maintenance on…

The six Heber City Council candidates sat down for a debate on Monday evening. The event was hosted by the Wasatch County Taxpayers Association where candidates participated in three discussions each lasting about 20 minutes. The first discussion revolved around Heber City and Wasatch Counties Memorandum of Understanding and also the plans to build the Eastern Bypass. The Eastern Bypass would connect developments on the Northeast side of Heber City, such as Red Ledges, to U.S. 40. Red Ledges, Heber City, and the New…

Heber City Council meets Tuesday evening. Much of the council’s agenda revolves around housing issues in the city. City Council meets in a work meeting starting at 4:00 pm on Tuesday. One early presentation revolves around Tiny Homes. The small structures are between 150 and 400 square feet and built on wheels but could be placed in backyards. Part of the council’s discussion will be defining the difference between an RV and a tiny home on wheels and understanding the potential benefits and drawbacks of allowing the…

Midway City Council meets Tuesday evening. Items on the agenda include discussions about a transfer of rights for the Homestead Master Plan, a rural preservation subdivision and an update from the Open Space Committee. Midway City Planner Michael Henke says If city council votes in favor of the master plan transfer of rights the potential new owners of the Homestead Resort will be able to develop the property according to the 2007 approved master plan. “We have a master plan agreement with the owners of the Homestead,”…

The Wasatch County Taxpayers Association is holding a debate for Heber City Council Candidates. The Monday night event will allow for a deeper dive into issues important to Heber City residents. The debate is scheduled for 7:00 pm Monday September 30th at the Heber Public Safety Building at 301 S Main Street. Heber City Council Candidates Rachel Kahler, Mike Johnston, Ryan Stack, Perry Rose as well as incumbent council members Jeff Bradshaw and Ron Crittenden are all planning to attend the event. Tracy Taylor, of the…

An organization has sprouted up in support of the $150 million Wasatch School District bond. They’re holding an open house on Monday. Citizens Building Education is advocating for the bond that will replace the Midway Elementary School and bring a new high school to the Heber Valley. Citizens Building Education member Tom Stone explains why they created the organization. “We found out that the laws this year, really tie the hands of the district,” Stone explained. “They're not really able to influence or motivate a…

A crowd of around 20 people attended the interested landowners meeting Wednesday evening. The meeting provided landowners in Wasatch County information about how they can preserve their land as open space in perpetuity through funding sources including the $10 million open space bond county residents passed in 2018. Read the original story at KPCW.org At the meeting the Wasatch Open Lands Board shared their landowner packet. The packet is a short two-page questionnaire that helps the board and landowners decide if a…

With ballots being sent out in mid-October, Wasatch County residents are continuing to gather information on Wasatch School Districts proposed $150 million bond election. The proposed bond would be used to replace the current Midway Elementary School and build an additional high school in the valley. Wasatch County Taxpayers Association has requested information from the district related to the bond be made public. One GRAMA request from the organization that has been denied has to do with a survey conducted to gather…

Heber City will soon kick off its Airport Master Plan Update. The process will help the city and its residents plan the future of the airport. Heber City Mayor Kelleen Potter explains an airport master plan is somewhat like a business plan. “The FAA would like all sponsors of airports to have a master plan to kind of demonstrates what types of commercial development and what the future is going to look like in that airport,” Potter explained. “So, Heber City’s has been outdated for a time. So, we're just kicking off…

Wasatch County Council meets Wednesday evening. The council will discuss growth in the Jordanelle and Wallsburg as well as a request to build a memorial for US Armed Forces Veterans. Wasatch County Council meets in a regular session Wednesday at the county administration building located at 25 North Main in Heber. The council will begin at 3:00 pm with a presentation on a census partnership program, this ahead of the 2020 census. Afterwards the council will discuss and possibly approve a memorandum of understanding…

Wasatch County Landowners interested in preserving their land are invited to a meeting Wednesday evening to learn more about their options. After passing a $10 million open space bond last November Wasatch County landowners finally have the opportunity to apply for those monies to place conservation easements on their land. The informational meeting is hosted by the Wasatch Open Lands Board. The board was created to preserve agricultural and open lands in the county and will help distribute the money from the bond. The…

Heber Light & Power is conducting a survey amongst their customers to look at where future energy should come from for the utility. Every five years or so Heber Light and Power conducts an integrated resource plan to take a look at the company’s current power portfolio and look ahead to the future. General Manager Jason Norlen says part of that plan includes a survey of customers. “Get a sense from the ratepayers what kind of resources they'd like to see,” Norlen continued. “Are they really driven on what kind of…

Wasatch School Board heard from around 25 members of the public on Thursday evening providing public comment on the $150 million school bond that will appear on Wasatch County resident ballots this November. With more than 50 people in attendance at the September 19th meeting the school board heard input from the public for over two hours regarding the $150 million bond which will build a new high school on the northwest side of Heber and replace the current Midway Elementary school. More than 10 administrators and…

Heber Light & Power customers may see a slight increase in their upcoming power bills. The power company says the increases are a result of increasing expenses and growth. Heber Light and Power will have a 4% rate increase starting October 1st across all classes. General Manager Jason Norlen says that the average customers bill will go up a little over three dollars a month. Norlen says the key driver for the rate increase is growing costs. “Material that we use to keep the system maintained has gone…

After an hour and a half of discussion and bargaining Midway City Council directed city staff to prepare an agreement with Watts Enterprises to amend the approved master plan for Remund Farms. Remund Farms is a development in Midway located at approximately 200 East and 600 North near Memorial Hill. The developments master plan was approved by city council years ago and the plan is currently in its first phase. Watts Enterprises came to the city recently hoping for amendments to the master plan. Development master plans…

Wasatch County School District Board of Education is holding a public hearing Thursday regarding their proposed $150 million school bond The school board meets Thursday at 6:30 in the District offices located at 101 East 200 North in Heber. The public notice for the meetings says the purpose of the hearing is to receive input from the public with respect to the issuance of the bond and any potential economic impact that the improvements, facilities or properties financed in whole or in part with the proceeds of the…

First responders dealt with a fire in Wasatch County this weekend near the Deer Creek Reservoir. Wasatch County Fire and Wasatch County Sheriff’s office report the fire burned a total of 57 acres over the weekend. The brush fire was reported at 3:00 pm Saturday afternoon, near the intersection of State Highways 189 and 113. That’s in the Charleston area. Highway 189 was temporarily closed in both directions but was open again by Saturday night. The blaze drew up to 50 firefighters, plus assistance from the Wasatch…

Midway and Heber City Councils meet Tuesday evening. Among items on the Midway’s agenda include a business grant request from Zermatt Resort and continued discussion on possible Master Plan amendments to Remund Farms. Midway City Council meets in council chambers at the Midway Community Center Tuesday evening at 6:00 pm. One item returning to the agenda is a discussion about Watts Remund Farms. The 50-acre, 96-unit development’s Master Plan was approved previously, but now the projects developers are asking for some…

Wasatch County residents interested in preserving their land will soon be able to apply for part of the $10 million Open Space Bond passed last year. Read the original story at KPCW.org The Wasatch Open Lands Board, or WOLB, was created to preserve agricultural and open lands in Wasatch County for the public. In November of 2018 Wasatch County residents passed a $10 million open space bond, that money can be leveraged against other funding sources including state and federal funds to purchase development rights off of…

The master plan for the 50-acre, 96-unit Remund Farms has already been approved by Midway City. Now Watts Enterprises are asking for a few changes to the master plan. At the September 3rd Midway City Council meeting the changes to the master plan were presented in a public hearing. Proposed amendments included adjusting the pad dimensions of a single unit in the plan, another was to adjust the location of three units. Those two suggestions received less pushback from the council or public in attendance. The two other…

A project called 6 Million Steps for Kids was first conceptualized by Peter Munson in 2008 after hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Munson was drawn to the idea to walk across the country, speaking along the trek, as a way to raise money for organizations and ministries that help children. This dream became a reality for Peter March 4, 2019. He left his job of 27 years as an Episcopal priest and began his walk from Folly Beach, South Carolina. Munson took the first of his 6 million steps that will…

Located in Wasatch County on the North end of the Jordanelle, the town of Hideout is continuing to guide the town as they expect growth in the coming years. Hideout Mayor Phil Rubin says that after a Truth in Taxation hearing the city property taxes were raised from 0.0004% to 0.0008% which will raise about $50,000 a year for the city. We’ve been running the town municipal needs—maintaining water, maintaining sewer, maintaining roads, snow plowing, all that kind of stuff—basically with revenues from permits and…

The Sorenson Annexation Petition is moving forward. At the September 3rd City Council Work meeting the petitioner answered questions from the council. Mike Bradshaw the President of Momentum Development Group stood before the council on Tuesday and answered questions posed regarding the Master Development Agreement. The proposed master plan would develop five village areas within the 8,288 acres that make up the property. In total 3,166 acres would be developed for over 5,500 residential units. The rest of the 5,122…

The transit study to look at a possible bus line inside and connecting outside Wasatch County is underway. The study is starting with an online survey for residents to fill out. Read the original story at KPCW.org Earlier this year seven local government agencies including Wasatch County, Midway, Heber, Park City and the Utah Transit Authority agreed to enter into a study to look at public transit needs in Wasatch County. The Mountainland Association of Governments is the study manager. They’ve contracted with a team…

Heber City Council approved a grant agreement to fund the Airport Master Plan update at Tuesday’s city council. The Heber Airport Master Plan will be updated for the first time since 2003 in the coming months. The update will fulfill grant assurances the city made to the Federal Aviation Administration which subsidizes the costs of operation at the airport. Without the master plan update the city would be required to pay for upkeep of the airport on their own. The master plan update will be managed by Heber City Manager…

Most people who grew up in Utah in the 1990s Karl Malone is a household name. He and John Stockton were two basketball legends that led the Utah Jazz to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 1997 and 1998. Today, Karl is known in the Heber Valley not only for his hard work on the court, but his hard work and compassion in the community. After retiring from professional basketball Karl Malone ventured into business through a series of auto dealerships along the Wasatch Front. A few years ago Karl and a life longtime…

Residents of Utah’s Third Congressional District were able to engage with their elected House representative John Curtis on Wednesday evening. About 30 residents attended the John Curtis townhall on Wednesday evening in Heber City, with most in attendance challenging the Republican congressman on various issues and topics. Much of the meeting revolved around the behavior of President Donald Trump and Representative Curtis' response to the Presidents antics. Curtis says one reason constituents haven’t heard as many…

The Kohler Dairy Farm is located on the northeastern end of Midway. Wasatch Back residents may be familiar with the Kohler family store Heber Valley Artisan Cheese. Now the dairy farm is partnering with Utah Open Lands to preserve 100 acres of their farm from development. Utah Open Lands Executive Director Wendy Fisher says the Kohler family approached Utah Open Lands about conservation opportunities for their land. Utah Open Lands and Kohler Dairy announced their plans to seek conservation easement on Tuesday morning.…

The Midway Elementary School was built in 1975 to accommodate 300 students. If the $150 million school bond passes in November, The Wasatch School District plans to replace the school. The bond referendum was approved last week by the school board.ListenListening...2:53The Wasatch County School Board approved the $150 million bond referendum to build a second Wasatch High School and a replacement elementary school in Midway. District Communications spokesperson, John Moss says, if the bond is successful, the…

The Hideout Town Council approved its annexation policy plan Thursday, after a false start and multiple meetings with neighboring governments.  Hideout Mayor Phil Rubin says the reason the 11-year-old town is updating its annexation policy plan is because it needs a seat at the table, as the area around the Jordanelle Reservoir develops. “What we see out these windows is why we're all living here," Rubin said. "Our belief is that, what comes over in that space, it would be better for us to have a say than not have a…

Heber Valley has a few events on Wednesday including a visit from Representative John Curtis and a presentation of the Envision Heber 2050 project. Read the original story at KPCW.org Utah Congressman John Curtis will be visiting Heber City on Wednesday evening. The state’s third congressional district representative will hold his townhall meeting from 5:00 to 6:00 pm at the Heber City Police Department located at 301 S Main Street. Curtis, who represents Wasatch County, will speak on current issues and take questions…

Ahead of approving a resolution for a $150 million bond to build a new high school and replace the Midway Elementary School. Wasatch County School Board heard a presentation regarding the site of the proposed new high school. At their August 20th meeting the Wasatch School Board unanimously passed a resolution to bring the $150 million bond to election. This November, Wasatch County residents will be able to vote on the bond which would result in the creation of a new high school and replace the current Midway Elementary…

Heber City’s Main Street was closed for much of Monday morning as the Utah County bomb squad investigated a suspicious package. At about 9:50 AM local law enforcement received a 911 call reporting a suspicious package in front of the Zions Bank on Heber’s Main Street. Shortly after the call traffic was closed on Heber’s Main Street between Center Street and 100 North. KayCe Goodrich works for American Family Insurance located on the upper level of the Bank Block building across the street from Zions Bank. She says the…

Wasatch County and Park City are continuing to work on relations in an unusual situation. That being that the city owns Bonanza Flat, a piece of property outside their boundaries in Wasatch County. Wasatch County Manager Mike Davis says that the recent upgrades made to the road to guardsman pass were done as a necessity. “We have been getting so much traffic up there there's safety issues,” Davis said. “We actually had a death up there a couple years ago, and there's a large lawsuit on that. A lot of the project that…

As population continues to rise in the Heber Valley, Wasatch County is considering raising their tax rate in order to keep up with the growth. Wasatch County Manager Mike Davis says that the county is considering a truth in taxation hearing. Davis says that if they were to try and raise the tax rates for the county it would be to help with county employee retention. “The wages of, particularly law enforcement, we're not keeping pace with,” Davis explained. “So, there is a discussion right now going on of whether or…

Location, location, location. The Wasatch County School Board answered questions regarding the location of the proposed new high school at their Tuesday special meeting where they passed the resolution for the $150 million bond. Read the original story at KPCW.org On Tuesday evening the Wasatch School Board unanimously passed a resolution to bring the $150 million bond to election. This November, Wasatch County residents will be able to vote on the bond which would result in the creation of a new high school and…

Heber City Council’s meeting Tuesday included discussion around the update to the airport master plan. Council members considered names of those who would serve on committees to help guide the process. The Heber Valley Airport master plan was last updated in 2003. The planned update to the master plan has left many with questions. Heber City Manager Matt Brower has spoken often of the purpose of the master plan update. He says the master plan can be thought of as a business plan for the airport, and that the plan is not…

The Wasatch County School Board passed a resolution in Tuesday’s special meeting calling a $150 million bond election for a new high school and to replace the current Midway Elementary school. After addressing some concerns about the location of the proposed high school and comments from the board the resolution was passed unanimously in the Tuesday evening meeting. The resolution means Wasatch County residents will be voting on whether the $150 million bond passes this November. School board member Tom Hansen came to…

Press Release After our fabulous Swiss Days event, don’t put away your lederhosen and dirndl dresses just yet! You’ll want them for the First Annual Midway Volksmarch for trails and open space on September 21. The pastoral Swiss themed village of Midway, Utah which was voted best small Utah city in 2017, is under tremendous development pressure. The rural preservation non-profit Pure Midway and Midway Historic Preservation Committee want to give Utahns an opportunity to preserve their favorite small town by fundraising…

Press Release HEBER CITY, Utah – Envision Heber 2050 invites all Heber City residents, community members and stakeholders to take part in the third step in the General Plan visioning process on Wednesday, August 28, 2019, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Heber Valley Elementary, located at 730 South 600 West in Heber City. This third public workshop will act as a community celebration, in which the community‐guided results from the previous two public events and online surveys will be presented by the Envision Heber 2050…

Wasatch County Council meets Wednesday evening to discuss a new residential project, and the transit study currently being conducted in the county. Wasatch County Council members first meet at 3:00 pm. The council will discuss the interlocal agreement between the county, Midway, Heber and Park City as well as UDOT, UTA and MAG about a transit demand analysis study for the county, depending on how the study goes there could be some sort of bus system coming to Wasatch County. Shawn Seager, Planning Director with MAG,…

Heber Valley elected officials met with the Wasatch County School Board earlier this month. The officials discussed questions about the $150 million bond the school board is proposing in their board meeting Tuesday night. In the August 8th Interlocal meeting School District Superintendent Paul Sweat and board members answered questions from elected officials of Midway, Heber and Wasatch County. Wasatch County Council Member Kendall Crittenden asked the district why they had decided to tear down the old Midway…

Heber Valley elected officials met with the Wasatch County School Board earlier this month. The officials discussed questions about the $150 million bond the school board is proposing in their board meeting Tuesday night. In the August 8th Interlocal meeting School District Superintendent Paul Sweat and board members presented an informative video before opening up to questions from elected officials of Midway, Heber and Wasatch County. Questions ranged from the location of the school to whether the bond would reach…

Although Representative Tim Quinn has been busy with Utah Tax Reform. In his latest interview with KPCW Quinn shared some thoughts on MIDA and Medicaid Expansion. The Utah State Legislature created the Military Installation Development Authority or MIDA in 2007. MIDA is now the land use authority overseeing the Extell Development in the Mayflower area in Wasatch County. Wasatch County and Park City Republican representative Tim Quinn says the approval of MIDA was done before his time in the legislature, but he does…

Heber City Council meets Tuesday evening to discuss another annexation area, the new high school and other items. Heber’s City Council meet in a work meeting starting at 4:30. At 5:00 the council will have a discussion on long-term funding mechanisms for Historic Downtown Heber led by City Manager Matt Brower. During the regular meeting at 6:00 Council will discuss an application for annexation from the North Village area. The 67-acre area runs along US 40 near and around the Utah Valley University campus. If the…

Midway City is seeking input from residents when it comes to their trails and park amenities. For many years’ developers in Midway were required to build trails within their new developments. Midway Mayor Celeste Johnson says that now the city is working to connect the trails. “So, what we’ve ended up with is rather a maze of unfinished trails that take you nowhere,” Johnson explained. “Now, 10 to 15 years later we have to maintain those odd little pieces of trails. So, we're incurring maintenance costs on trails that…

Midway residents voted to fund a $5 million open space bond last November. The Midway Open Space Committee is now engaging in conversations with those interested in preserving their land. Midway Mayor Celeste Johnson says that the credit for passing the open space bond belongs to volunteers and members of the Midway Open Space Committee “What a committee,” Johnson said. “Again, I can't scream loud enough from enough rooftops the level volunteerism and expertise we have in our town. So that committee has probably put…

The group behind the Homestead revitalization project has withdrawn their application after failing to acquire a parcel within the resort. The failure of the project may result in increased property taxes for Midway residents. Homestead resort is divided into several parcels with different ownership. One of the parcels within the Homestead Resort contains four condominiums. Midway Mayor Celeste Johnson says the owners of that parcel was unable to reach a deal with Watts Enterprises to sell their property. “Sadly, the…

The Wasatch Back chapter of the Citizens' Climate Lobby hosted a panel discussion on climate change Wednesday evening. Three mayors of Wasatch Back communities were in attendance to share what their cities are doing to combat climate change. As part of the panel Park City Mayor Andy Beerman spoke about their ambitious goals to be net-zero carbon and run on 100% renewable energy for city operations by 2022. Mayor Beerman reported that the goal was being accomplished through work with Rocky Mountain Power and the Utah…

As we’ve reported the Wasatch Back chapter of the Citizens' Climate Lobby hosted a panel discussion on climate change Wednesday evening. In addition to local politicians, local university professors and a leader of Citizens' Climate Lobby spoke. In addition to Mayors of Midway, Heber and Park City, others on the panel weighed in on climate change. Among those weighing in was Dr. Christopher Oscarson. Dr. Oscarson is a professor of Comparative Arts and Letters at Brigham Young University he is also a member of LDS Earth…

Financial products have a lot of intricacies. Many different factors are taken into account to make quality decisions. Communities are in some ways just as intricate and nuanced as any financial product. For local banks, like Bank of Utah, they make it their priority to know the complexities of both, because more often than not they are tied together. Stacey Mackay, branch manager at Bank of Utah, as you would suppose, spends a great deal of time running the day to day operations of the bank, from trainings, to meeting…

A new organization is looking to serve the needs of Wasatch County’s Latino population. The coalition is bringing leading organizations together to better serve the Spanish speaking community. Wasatch Latino Coalition Chairperson/President Yuri Jenson shared that the coalition envisions an empowered, integrated, and thriving Latino community where all contribute to the wellbeing and development of Wasatch County. Jenson outlines the coalitions mission. “The coalitions mission is to connect families with resources and…

Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation (UOLF) announces the hiring of Luke Bodensteiner as the new General Manager of Soldier Hollow & Chief of Sport Development. This position combines both the role of the currently vacant GM of Soldier Hollow Nordic Center position along with a desired “reinvestment” effort toward UOLF’s ongoing sport development interests. Luke Bodensteiner will oversee all aspects of the daily operation of the Nordic venue in the Heber Valley - from public programming to sport offerings in Nordic skiing…

The Heber Valley Parkway Environmental Impact Study will be launching in the coming months. Ahead of the launch UDOT officials have outlined how residents will be able to engage in the process UDOT Communications Manager Geoff Dupaix identified three main phases where the public is required to be engaged as part of the environmental study. The first stage is the scoping phase. “You’re collecting data and you're looking at what additional corridors should be looked at,” Dupaix explained. “Any potential pitfalls or…

In April, UDOT approved funding for an environmental impact study of the Heber Valley Parkway. Earlier this month UDOT officials met with local officials and the public to discuss the next steps in producing the environmental document. The study may be underway by the end of 2019. UDOT Communications Manager Geoff Dupaix assures Heber Valley residents that will be plenty of opportunities to provide input as the environmental document is prepared. However, Dupaix says that one of the challenges of any environmental study…

As we’ve reported the National Governor’s Association recently launched Outdoor Recreation Learning Network. The network is meant to promote economic growth amongst states through the outdoor industry. The new network will look to Utah for much of its leadership. Read the original story at KPCW.org In 2013 Utah became the first state to launch an office of outdoor recreation. The current director of the office Tom Adams says that Utah’s outdoor recreation economy is a 12.3-billion-dollar industry that houses over…

Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office reported Sunday evening that the search for two men at Strawberry Reservoir has come to an end. After 11 days of searching Wasatch County Sheriff Jared Rigby reported that the bodies of Jim and Mark Gardiner have been found. The Utah county brothers, aged 70 and 61 were found southwest of the island near the Ladders area. The Ladders area is located on the northeast side of Strawberry Reservoir. The men were found using a combination of technologies. Sonar was used to identify objects…

The Wasatch County Fair kicks off today with the demolition derby. That’s just one of a few events taking place at the county fairgrounds during the next week. The fair kicks off this weekend with the annual demolition derby. Heber Valley Communications Manager Dallin Koecher says they’ve made a slight tweak to the demolition derby. “By popular demand the traditional Demolition Derby—which was one night, which used to sell out in 30 seconds of being online—is now two nights,” Koecher explained. “So, we have two…

A handful of cyclists from Summit and Wasatch County are participating in the Pan Mass Challenge which is a 2-day, 192-mile bike-a-thon to raise money for cancer research. It starts in Sturbridge Massachusetts and ends in Provincetown at the end of Cape Cod. Rob DiMartini plans to ride for his fourteenth year in the challenge. He lives in Park City, owns a local bike shop and is the CEO of US Cycling. He says 100 percent of the money raised goes to cancer research with the Dana Farber Cancer Center. The goal this year is…

Eight Heber residents are running for three city council seats opening up in 2020. A Primary Election on August 13th will narrow the eight candidates down to six before the municipal general election. City Councilman Jeff Bradshaw is a lifelong resident of Heber. He began his accounting practice in the mid 70’s and has been working as a CPA in Heber ever since. Bradshaw has been a member of the local Lions and Rotary Clubs. He’s also served as the Chamber of Commerce President, on the school board, as county clerk…

Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office has been searching for two men who went missing Thursday afternoon while fishing. The department is now scaling back those search efforts. Summit County Sheriff Justin Martinez and his office have been aiding Wasatch County Sheriff’s Department in their search for brothers Jim and Mark Gardiner who went missing last week while fishing at Strawberry Reservoir. Summit County has been loaning an underwater remote operated vehicle that has the ability to help search for the men. Martinez…

A Wasatch County girl is the first Utahn to be crowned the National Rodeo Queen in over a decade. Midway resident McKardy Kelly was crowned the National High School Rodeo Queen at the National Rodeo in Rock Springs Wyoming on Saturday. Representing the state of Utah, the 16-year old was crowned over 41 other contestants from other states in the US, Canadian provinces, Mexico and Australia. McKardy said being crowned National Rodeo Queen was a lifelong goal. “It’s been a dream for forever,” McKardy explained. “When I…

Eight Heber residents are running for three city council seats opening up in 2020. A Primary on August 13th will narrow the eight candidates down to six before the municipal general election Read the original story at KPCW.org Heber City Council member Ron Crittenden has lived in Heber since the mid 70’s. Crittenden has worked as the Instate Director for Republican Congressman Howard Neilson for nine years and a year for Democratic Congressman Bill Orton. Crittenden says that in the four years he’s been on the city…

Nearly 500 youth soccer teams will be in town this Thursday through Saturday to be a part of an annual soccer tournament. This Thursday through Saturday The Wasatch Back will be host to the 16th annual Park City Extreme Cup Soccer Tournament. The youth tournament is for players ages 8-18 and hosted by the Park City Soccer Club. Executive Director Shelly Gillwald explains Park City Soccer Club shares tournament hosting responsibilities with clubs throughout the Wasatch back. “In order to hold a tournament of this…

Eight Heber residents are running for three city council seats opening up in 2020. A Primary on August 13th will narrow the eight candidates down to six before the municipal general election November 5th. Rachel Bowthorpe Kahler is a Wasatch High Alumni who also graduated in public relations from the University of Utah. After moving back to Heber with her family Kahler worked as the marketing and event manager for the chamber of commerce for six years. She now works marketing for the Midway Ice Castles. She says her vast…

Wasatch Back residents can familiarize themselves with farm equipment this weekend. As a Heber Valley business is hosting an event called Touch a Tractor day. The event takes this place this Friday and Saturday from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm at Kohler Creamery located at 920 River Road in Midway. Heber Valley Artisan Cheese Communications Specialist Tamra Annett explains the dairy farm worked with four tractor dealers including Valley Kuboto and High Valley Rental in Heber to bring the machines to the farm. …

Eight Heber residents are running for three city council seats opening up in 2020. A Primary on August 13th will narrow the eight candidates down to six before the municipal general election November 5th. Heber City resident Perry Rose spent 20 years with the Heber Police Department before starting and running a private investigation security business that he sold after 10 years. Rose says being raised in Heber and working for the city government has helped qualify him to be on the council. “I’ve seen changes come…

Consideration to surplus and then sell or develop city property near the Heber City cemetery is no more. After another long public hearing city council voted to take that option to fund their portion of the eastern bypass off the table. The Heber City eastern bypass will connect Red Ledges traffic to US 40. Red Ledges and future development New London will build the end portions of the bypass, while the city has financial obligations to build a section in the middle. In order to fund the construction of the road the city…

Around 20 or so Wasatch Back residents attended a tax reform town hall on Tuesday evening. The event, held by The Utah House Democratic Caucus, provided residents an opportunity to weigh in on Utah tax reform. In Utah, income tax collected by the state is earmarked to be spent only on public and higher education. Gas tax is spent on transportation needs. The rest of the state’s entire budget is funded by sales tax. In the past few years sales tax has grown but not at the same rate as income tax leaving a disparity that…

The Heber City eastern bypass will connect Red Ledges traffic to US 40. Red Ledges and future development New London will build the end portions of the bypass, while the city has financial obligations to build a section in the middle. After a call for more options to fund the city’s portion of the road Heber City Council members will hear alternatives from city staff at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. That city’s section of the eastern bypass is located on city property north of the current city cemetery and will cost…

Quick responses by Wasatch County Fire means two blazes were put out before they could damage structures on Monday. Crews first responded to a fire near Red Ledges. Wasatch County Fire PIO Janet Carson reports that the fire size was about an acre, but crews were able to quickly put the flames out and contain the fire. She said no structures were damaged but there were a few homes within a few hundred feet. After putting out that fire crews went straight to another fire at the rock quarry in Lake Creek near the Timber…

Eight Heber residents are running for three city council seats opening up in 2020. A Primary on August 13th will narrow the eight candidates down to six before the municipal general election November 5th. Heber resident Nick Lopez works as a firefighter for the Salt Lake City Fire Department. He says that along with his military experience help qualify him to be on the Heber City Council. “Well because I’m a leader,” Lopez continued. “My proven leadership over a lifetime of services in the United States Marine Corps…

A Heber city man has been arrested after he and a Sportsman’s Warehouse manager wrestled over a gun on Friday. According to a probable cause statement, Heber resident Jose Sosa went into Sportsman’s Warehouse in Heber the morning of July 12th, where he spoke with the firearm manager at the store. After looking at ammunition Sosa told the manager he’d like to look at a handgun. When the manager gave the gun to Sosa he asked for the price of the gun before pocketing it and telling the manager “Thanks”. Sosa then began…

After months of work the new Heber City Dog Park will have a grand opening this weekend. The updated Boneyard dog park at Muirfield is located at 750 North 200 West in Heber. New amenities to the park include two separate runs for large and small dogs, play features, water stations, and human restrooms. City Manager Matt Brower explains what the public can expect from the event. “The ribbon cutting will take place at 10:00 o'clock,” Brower said. “Following that we’ll have all sorts of competitions including Strut your…

The Heber Envision Process is nearing its end. After some public meetings, and online outreach the big survey for the project closes on July 15th. From there the survey input will be used to complete a draft vision for presentation at a meeting in August. Read the original story at KPCW.org Envision Heber 2050 asks that before residents take the 30-question survey, they watch a 30-minute presentation which outlines four different proposed scenarios developed from previous public workshops. Scenario A being the status…

Elected officials in Wasatch County will participate in a special interlocal meeting on Wednesday. The one item on the agenda is related to the Heber Valley Parkway bypass project. No action will take place at the Wednesday work meeting. Instead elected officials, staff and residents of Wasatch County, Heber, Midway and other municipalities in the county will hear a report about the proposed road that will bypass traffic to the west side of Heber known as the Heber Valley Parkway project. The meeting takes place at…

The Big Hollow Fire which started on Friday evening is now put out. The Big Hollow fire was located about a half mile southeast of the Big Hollow Shooting Range just south of the town of Daniel in Wasatch County. The fire started Friday night and burned a total of 77 acres but did not really spread beyond the first night. Mike Eriksson a spokesperson for the state Division of Forestry, Fire and State lands says they got lucky with some cool nights and had access to resources they needed. The fire started near the Big…

Heber City Planning commission will be discussing an annexation in a portion of town that could see some substantial projects coming through in the next few years. The proposed Zeb annexation is located on the northwest side of Heber, just north of Midway lane on the western side of town. Heber City Planner Tony Kohler explained that the annexation was placed on hold after a few months of work. “Due to the bypass discussion as well as the high school discussion at this stage of the game with this annexation it's…

The Heber Valley Chamber will launch its first-ever business expo next Tuesday, July 16 from 11:00 am till 1:00 pm at the UVU Wasatch Campus. While many people love networking at Chamber lunches, this month's lunch meeting will have a bit more structure. 50 booths for small businesses are being offered to showcase products and services these businesses provide. Ryan Starks, Executive Director of Heber Valley Tourism and Economic Development, explained "this is a great opportunity to learn about our small businesses…

Holly Clark, MD, is a board-certified gastroenterologist with more than 15 years of experience in private practice. She earned her medical doctorate at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. After completing an internal medicine residency in Arizona, she was selected by her physician colleagues to serve a year as chief resident. Originally from Flagstaff, Arizona, Dr. Clark came to Utah to complete her subspecialty fellowship training in Gastroenterology at the University of Utah Hospital. Dr. Clark…

Sometimes things just get in your blood and are passed down from generation to generation. Most of the time it’s a trait such as hair color, or a smile, or even a quirky laugh. Sometimes the thing that gets passed down is passion, integrity, and doing good for others. Though they aren’t physical traits they can nevertheless be passed down and taught from one generation to another. Shane Clegg, owner of Mountainland Auto Sales in Heber City, has inherited many traits from his family, but the one that drives him…

Midway City has been abuzz for the past nine months after a local company showed interest in buying and re-energizing the Homestead Resort. The sale of the property has stalled as of late. Now the potential buyer of the resort says that if the issue is not resolved soon it could mean the resort won’t sell.ListenListening...1:39 Russ Watts President of Watts Enterprise came to the June 18 city council work meeting to give a report on the progress of their plans to purchase and revitalize the Homestead Resort. The project…

Around 7:00 on Friday night, Wasatch County 9-1-1 dispatch began receiving calls about a fire near the Big Hollow Shooting Range. Big Hollow is located southwest of the town of Daniel. At last report from officials the fire was at 100 acres and was five-percent contained. The fire is mostly on Division of Wildlife land with possibly an acre or two of private land being impacted. As a result of the fire the Big Hollow road is closed to allow fire equipment to work in the area. At this time there are no structures being…

Summer provides plenty of opportunity for adventure outdoors for children but with that fun comes risks parents should be aware of, the Heber City Police Department has summer safety tips for parents. Heber City Detective Tammy Thacker says that when it comes to outdoor recreation its important parents take proper precautions. Reservoirs, rivers and irrigation ditches are especially high this year after an impressive winter. Thacker says because of that there’s an increased risk of drowning for children. “It's very…

Heber City will host an all-day event this year for the 4th of July, beginning at Noon at the Main Street Park in Heber. Festivities will include free hot dogs (while they last), a dunk tank, pie eating contest and live music throughout the day. Bring the family and come celebrate Independence Day with your neighbors and friends! Here's the full schedule of events: 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Free Lunch While Supplies Last: Hotdogs Chips and a Drink1:00 - 5:00 p.m. Dunk Tank1:00 p.m. Flag Ceremony and Hands-on Public Safety…

A Nonprofit is hosting an inaugural garbage cleanup of a popular lake in Wasatch County this Saturday. Fish for Garbage has been cleaning up the lower Provo River for about five years. This Saturday they’ll be cleaning up Strawberry Reservoir for the first time. Fish for Garbage Secretary Lexi Grimes explains why they’re cleaning up Strawberry. “It’s one of our favorite places to fish,” Grimes explained. “It's also a hot spot for anglers and recreators in general. It's also pretty windy out there typically and so it's…

With Independence Day Celebrations coming next week, firework season is nearly here. According to the Utah State Fire Marshall Class C fireworks can be sold now through July 25th. Discharge of the fireworks is allowed two days before and one day after both Independence Day and Pioneer Day in Utah. You can set off your fireworks between 11:00 am and 11:00 pm on those days. On Independence and Pioneer Days fireworks can be discharged until midnight. Wasatch County Fire PIO Janet Carson says they have not set any…

The Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce welcomed Garrett Clark, the Director of Operations from Silicon Slopes, as its monthly Chamber presenter. In addition to learning more about Silicon Slopes from Garrett, the Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce announced its new Silicon Slopes chapter which will be led by an independent board of business leaders from the greater Heber Valley area. Silicon Slopes is the voice, hub, and heart of Utah’s startup and tech community. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization empowers Utah’s…

The Heber Marathon Half-Run for Autism is set for this weekend June 29th. An organizer for the event, Aleena Nelson, said it’s the second annual event, being held to benefit the Kids on the Move Autism Center in Orem. “We have a half marathon, a 5K, and an all abilities half mile run which is the perfect kids run," Nelson explained. "It's all downhill, all of the races are. It's next Saturday June 29th in Heber City. It starts at Lake Creek Road and it goes down through the Heber Valley mountains. It’s a really…

Eight Heber residents are running for three city council seats opening up in 2020. A Primary on August 13th will narrow the eight candidates down to six before the municipal general election November 5th. Heber City Council candidate Brady Flygare grew up in Orem Utah, but he spent plenty of his childhood in the valley as his grandfather grew up in Heber. Flygare moved to Heber about two years ago with his wife and four children. He says his work as the director of operations for a nonprofit senior living company…

Evolution, simply put, is the process of gradual change from one state to another. Things all around are constantly evolving and changing and adapting. Many of the most successful businesses throughout history are the ones that have been able to adapt to and adopt new technologies, new ideas, and new challenges. These changes help create new products, or new values, or new social good. Sometimes, however, this evolution becomes deeper and more introspective. Sometimes this evolution has to start from within. Rob…

The National Ability Center has launched its Adaptive Mountain Bike Rides for Friends and Family. Read the original story at KPCW.org. The program kicked off with an event last weekend. Director Steph Meyers said the next event is on July 17th. “These programs are open to people of all abilities and their friends and family,” Meyers said. “So, the person who has a differing ability can sign up, have their parents, or their significant other, or their siblings or their friends come along. We've got the bikes and…

Eight Heber residents are running for three city council seats opening up in 2020. A Primary on August 13th will narrow the eight candidates down to six before the municipal general election November 5th. Read the original story at KPCW.org. Heber City Council candidate Ryan Stack has lived in Heber for more than five years. Stack works as a prosecutor in the Summit County Attorney office. He says that amongst other reasons makes him qualified to be on the council. “I’m a concerned Heber resident,” Stack continued.…

Wasatch County Health Department is a few months away from completing a Community Health Needs Assessment. The project is done in collaboration with Intermountain Healthcare. Wasatch County Health Department PIO Chris Smoot explains what that the Community Health Needs Assessment is. “We like to know what’s going on in our community. The main health concerns of the community based on a variety of factors. This we're basing not just on opinion of people but also what the statistics are telling us as far as reasons for…

One of New York City’s most significant developers, Gary Barnett and his development company Extell, is now firmly planted here in Utah as one of the largest property owners in Wasatch County. What was once sheep grazing and mining lands, the property known as Mayflower is now slated to be a premier resort village with hotels, conference space and recreational amenities. Barnett was first introduced to Park City by his long-time friend Jack Bistricer almost 20 years ago. Bistricer, a businessman from Toronto,…

Officers with Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources are beginning to get reports of black bear sightings, as the animals emerge from their winter hibernation. KPCW checked in with a spokeswoman for the DWR, to get some tips about how to be safe when camping or recreating in the forests and mountains. Faith Jolley, a PIO for the Wildlife Division, said recreationists in the forests need to remember that they’re in the bears’ neighborhood. Grizzly bears are long gone from this state, they inhabit Wyoming or Montana. …

The Envision Heber 2050 Initiative is conducting a survey that will shape the future growth of Heber City, all this is happening while growth is already on the horizon. Heber City Manager Matt Brower says the city is excited to conduct surveys as part of the update to the Heber City’s General Plan that was last updated in 2003. “This is an initiative that we’re trying to get all residents and all stakeholders excited about and participate in," Brower continued. "We've had two public meetings. We have a website…

School kids are out of classes for the summer, but school administrators are hard at work on the budget. Its required that preliminary budgets are made available to the public before budget hearings occur. There are a few regulations districts have to follow before a budget is finalized. Read the original story at KPCW.org. When a school district adopts a budget prior to June 29, technically, it is still a preliminary document because they don’t have final numbers from the county assessor’s office or from the…

Heber City Police Department swore in a new officer at Tuesday’s city council meeting. Heber City Chief of Police Dave Booth said he had heard about Officer Anel Maldonado before he met her. “A few months ago, I started hearing that we had a cadet in one of our local academies down in Utah County that was making some very bold statements. That she wanted to work for Heber City and nowhere else.” Chief Booth heard good things about Officer Maldonado from officers in the academy and from fellow chiefs in neighboring…

The filing period for municipal elections across Utah starts today and runs through this Friday, June 7. A number of city council seats in Summit and Wasatch Counties are open for election. In Summit County, Park City, Kamas, Coalville and Oakley have three council seats open for four-year terms. Additionally, Oakley has one two-year seat up for election. Francis has two council seats available for four-year terms. On Monday, Park City Councilmembers Becca Gerber and Nann Worel filed for re-election; Max Doilney,…

Wasatch County Council meets on Wednesday at 3:00 pm. The council meets at the County Administration building located at 25 North Main in Heber. The council will have a conversation with Midway City regarding a proposed round about on River Road near the entrance to Memorial Hill. As part of his County manager report, Mike Davis will provide a fiscal analysis of events in Wasatch County to the council. At 6:00 pm the council will hold a public hearing. Paul Berg, representing SJL Canyon Meadows and Reserve…

Heber City Council heard comments from around a half a dozen residents regarding rainbow colored banners flying on Main Street that read ‘Pride in the Wasatch Back’. At the opening of the Tuesday evening Heber City Council meeting, Heber City resident Patricia Thompson expressed her opposition to the banners flying on Main Street. “I’m trying to remain civil tonight," Thompson said. "I have a big problem with the rainbow flags lined up and down Main Street. I have no problem with people’s sexual orientation,…

What was once envisioned as having MIDA – The Military Installation Development Authority, a state appointed political subdivision, build a hotel near the Jordanelle Reservoir to offer about discounted rooms to our military men and women – has turned into something very different for Wasatch County. Almost 20 years ago, the 12-room Hill Haus, a small hotel that welcomed service people at Snowbasin Resort was torn down to make way for the 2002 Olympics. Later, a 450 room hotel was proposed for the Red Maple property…

Senator Romney met a crowd just shy of 100 people at the Heber City Police Department on Wednesday evening. The senator took questions and comments from the audience for about an hour. Topics included universal health care, the conflict in Yemen, and growth in Utah. Senator Romney said while he voted against President Trumps emergency declaration to secure funding for a border wall, Romney does support a physical barrier. “I just think it makes sense to have a fence or some kind of…

A panel of elected officials met together to discuss challenges and plans for the Wasatch Back as part of the annual Wasatch Back Summit. The panel of elected officials included the Mayors of Kamas, Park City, Heber and Midway. The panel also included councilmembers from Summit and Wasatch Counties. The panel was asked about what the groups are doing to address transit issues between the communities. Midway Mayor Celesete Johnson answered that a study was already underway. “In my opinion we’re an incredibly…

A man who drove a dump truck while impaired causing a deadly crash on US 40 was sentenced Wednesday afternoon. 42-year-old Heber resident Jamie Don McKenzie pled guilty to three counts of Automobile Homicide in April of this year. On Wednesday McKenzie was sentenced to three consecutive prison terms carrying a minimum of one year for each count to a maximum of 15 years for each count. On October 19th McKenzie was driving a dump truck on 40 while under the influence of alcohol and other drugs. McKenzie was…

The Wasatch School District is holding an open house on Wednesday. A $150 million school bond for two new schools is under consideration and the Board of Education wants public input. Read the original story at KPCW.org. The Wasatch School District Board of Education will provide information, answer questions and seek input from the community on the $150 million bond. It would fund a secondhigh school and replace the existing Midway Elementary school. If unable to make the meeting they’ll accept comments through…

The truck hauling butane has crashed into Deer Creek Reservoir. The truck went into the lake near where Charleston Road meets US 189. Utah Highway Patrol reports that the driver is uninjured Wasatch County Fire hazmat unit is on hand for cleanup and containment. UDOT is alternating traffic lanes, meaning travel in the area is slow as of 1:00 pm This story will be updated. See the original story at KPCW.org.

At an assembly yesterday one lucky Wasatch High School student was given a brand-new car. For the entirety of the 2018-2019 school year students walked past a 2018 Chevy Camaro outside of Wasatch High School with the words Cool 2 Care written on the side. Throughout the school year students were recognized for social and academic achievements by high school staff with Cool2Care cards. At an end of the year assembly on Tuesday one lucky student’s name was drawn out of those cards and awarded the new car. 30 students…

Heber City Council meets Tuesday evening to discuss amongst other items, growth north of town just off highway 40. Heber City Council members meet in council chambers at the Heber City Tabernacle located at 75 North main Street. Council begins their work with a 4:30 pm work meeting. Items on the work meeting agenda include discussions around the 2019-2020 FY budget, a proposed development near 2200 South Highway 40, and consideration of designating a land use authority. At 6:00 pm council will consider a donation…

Wasatch School District is considering a proposal to bond for two new schools – and based on the going rate for new schools – this could cost taxpayers upwards of $150 million. Read the original story at KPCW.org. In a publicly noticed meeting, the Wasatch School board met at Wasatch High School on Wednesday. Those in the audience included staff from the district, including over 100 teachers and administrators. During the meeting, the district shared results from a demographics study that forecast incredible growth…

Approximately 100 Heber City residents met Wednesday evening at Heber Valley Elementary school to see the results of the citizen input from the March 20th Public Visioning Workshop. They were shown four scenarios of projected growth for the valley. Consultant for the project Christie Oostema explains what happened at the public visioning workshop in March. “We asked people what do you value? You all filled posters with sticky notes expressing your ideas. Answering the question as we grow what do we need to hold onto?…

High school students across the state competed in a stock market game simulation sponsored by the Utah State Treasurer office. Of the over 400 teams, students from Wasatch High School finished 2nd. Read the original story at KPCW.org. For 10 weeks, Wasatch High School Financial Literacy students Austin Clayson, Matt Johnston, and Krew Roland participated in the stock market game by investing a hypothetical $100,000 in stocks traded on the New York and Nasdaq Stock Exchanges. At the end of the 10 weeks the Wasatch High…

Members of the Wasatch Democratic party met Saturday morning for their party organizing convention. See the original story at KPCW.org. Saturday morning’s meetings at Midway Town Hall had three main items on the agenda. Wasatch County Democrats heard a report on the state of the county party, members also elected executive committee officers and heard from speakers from the Utah Democratic Party’s issue caucus and state party candidates. All county party leaders were reelected to their positions. Terri Goodall as…

At the end of spring break Wasatch County elementary school children were challenged by the county health department to complete a mile by mile marathon. The challenge wraps up with a safety fair on Tuesday. Read the original story at KPCW.org. Jonelle Fitzgerald, Health Promotion Director for the Wasatch County Health Department says instead of running 26 miles all at once, Wasatch children were asked to run 25 miles over the course of the month or participate in 30 minutes of any form of active play which also…

The traditional entrance to the Heber Valley Hospital is closing as part of the hospital’s construction updates. Read the original article at KPCW.org. For years those trying to get to the Heber Valley Hospital would turn on 1500 South before turning left on a private road that would bring patrons to the hospital. Now that private road has been closed as the hospital continues its expansion construction. Hospital officials are now asking patients to travel along 1200 South before turning onto 500 East which will…

Envision Heber 2050 is the city’s efforts to update their general plan. The city will be hosting an open house Wednesday evening to present information and receive feedback from the public. Read the original article at KPCW.org. The community vision open house takes place Wednesday evening at the Heber Valley Elementary School located at 730 South 600 West. Heber City manager Matt Brower says the open house is the second of three meetings scheduled to discuss the Heber City general plan update. “Dedicated to the…

The Heber City’s Airport’s popular aviation museum opened for the season last weekend. This year, it’s celebrating an important anniversary from World War II. Read the original story at KPCW.org. The Museum is operated by the Utah Wing of the Commemorative Air Force, an all-volunteer group. Spokeswoman Beth Ann Schneider said the facility is open until October on weekends. However, visits by appointment can also be made. Schneider had details about some of the planes and exhibits on hand. “We have a PT-17…

Heber City residents are invited this Saturday to participate in the annual spring sweep. Read the original story at KPCW.org. Heber City, and the Community Alliance for Main Street are co-sponsoring the event. CAMS Director Tom Stone says that the organizations are inviting all citizens to participate in the Main Street cleanup. “The actual sidewalks and areas in front of the buildings. We’re asking that the business owners themselves clean up in front of them. With obviously help from all of the citizens to just…

Heber City Mayor and City Council Agree to Hire from Within Heber City, Utah – Heber City is excited to announce the hiring of Travis Biggs as the new Heber Valley Airport (HCR) manager. Mayor Kelleen Potter and the Heber City Council sought out the best person to move the airport forward during this period of growth and change. After careful consideration, Mayor Potter – with the advice and consent of City Council – determined that Assistant Airport Manager Biggs was the top candidate for the position. With the…

Growing Legal Demands Necessitate In-house Council Heber City, Utah – Heber City Council has negotiated an employment agreement with Mark Smedley to serve as the city’s full-time, in-house legal counsel, beginning June 3, 2019. Smedley has been the acting part-time city attorney since 2002, addressing city legal matters, including criminal matters in the Heber City Justice Court, for 17 years. In response to concerns raised by the city manager in fall 2018, Mayor Kelleen Potter and City Council determined that the…

Getting to the hospital during construction Beginning Wednesday, May 8, access to the hospital from 1500 South and Highway 40, which is the South West entrance will be closed. All patients and visitors need to access the hospital, clinics, ER and InstaCare from the entrance off of 1200 South 500 East. Please see the map. Why? With the construction at Heber Valley Hospital, we are creating a road that will connect to future parking by the South West and Northern entrances. This road will also be accessed…

As spring approaches Heber Valley municipalities are looking to make some improvements to their park facilities. Heber City announced improvements to the Muirfield Dog Park located west of town just off 750 North. The updated park will include separate fenced in play areas for large and small dogs. Each area will have a water fountain for the dogs to drink from and rocks and other items for the dogs to play on. Additionally, the area will have new landscaping, covered benches, trail improvements and a new restroom. The…

Around a dozen Midway Citizens stood up at the Tuesday Midway City Council meeting to voice opinions on requested amendments to the Homestead Resort Master Plan. The Homestead Resort may soon have a new owner in Watts Enterprises, but the local developers are hoping for some changes to the resorts 2008 Master Plan before closing the deal. A slight minority of Midway City Residents providing public comment at the April 23 meeting said they had no problems with the amended Master Plan at all, and even the majority of those…

The $4 million needed to fund the Heber Valley Parkway environmental document was approved Friday morning by UDOT. The Utah Transportation Commission unanimously approved the Heber Valley Parkway Environmental Document. UDOT’s Ivan Hartle presented the project to the committee ahead of their approval. “The communities of Heber City and Wasatch County are trying to preserve a corridor for future roadway. During the previous planning study many alignment issues were identified. These cannot be fully resolved without…

The Wasatch County Republican Party held their organizing convention on Tuesday evening and selected a new county party chair. At the county organizing convention members of the GOP selected a new chair to replace the Principal of Soldier Hollow Charter School Morgan Murdock who stepped down after serving for Six years. Ryan Starks was elected unopposed as the new GOP county chair. Starks says it took some convincing for him to run but he’s glad that he did. “I think it will be a great opportunity to serve the…

Heber City’s Downtown Study has been completed, on Tuesday Heber City Council heard recommendations from the studies consultant. In conjunction with the Heber Valley Bypass Study, a Downtown Study was also completed over recent months by Downtown Redevelopment Services. The study looked at an area from 200 North to 200 South and from 100 East to 100 West. The study included two online surveys with over 1,800 respondents for both. The study consultant Ben Levenger said that number was accurate as they were able to catch…

At 10:15 am on Thursday as many as one million Utahns may drop to the floor to seek cover as part of a statewide earthquake drill. This, all in anticipation of potentially huge earthquakes the state could experience after years of buildup. Read the original story at KPCW.org. The Great Utah Shakeout is an annual statewide earthquake drill planned for Thursday April 18. Nearly one million individuals have been registered to participate in the drill. Either as families, businesses, government agencies or other…

Housing, transportation and hunger are all issues members of the Heber Valley are familiar with, but one community foundation is working to tackle these issues head on. Read the original story at KPCW.org. The Wasatch Community Service Alliance chair Renee Burkley explains that the alliance is the service pillar of the Wasatch Community Foundation. “We started studying the data of Wasatch County to identify the unmet needs and there were four that crept up. Hunger being #1, emergency housing being #2, affordable…

Local officials are holding a community forum on Wednesday evening to answer questions about the proposed Heber Valley Parkway. The Heber Valley Parkway Community Forum will take place Wednesday evening from 6:30 – 8:30 pm at the Heber City Police Department located at 301 S Main Street. Representatives from Heber City, Wasatch County, Utah’s Department of Transportation, Mountainland Association of Governments, and Heber Valley Special Services District will all be on hand to address questions and concerns of…

Heber City council recently rescinded some previous council actions at the Heber Valley Airport in order to clear the way for a new Airport Master Plan process. Read the original story at KPCW.org. In 2017 Heber City adopted new airport minimum standards which would allow for a second Field Base Operator or FBO to be at the airport as well as the creation of a self-fuel service operation. Within a month after passing the airport minimum standards the Heber Airport’s only Field Base Operator OK3 Air sued the city. …

The post event of the Invest Nest investing project will be one last chance for students to get money for their business ideas. All members of the community are invited to attend the event which will be held on April 18, 2019 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Wasatch High School Auditorium, 930 S 500 E, Heber City, UT. The students at Wasatch High have great ideas, and this is a fantastic opportunity to have their ideas heard on a deep and engaging level.Entrepreneurship is an essential part of the American economy and to…

A Heber City dump truck driver has pled Guilty in Fourth District Court for an accident on Highway 40 last fall that killed six people. The defendant, 42-year-old Jamie McKenzie, has pled Guilty to three counts of Automobile Homicide, a Second-Degree Felony, according to court documents. Under the agreement with the Wasatch County Attorney’s office, entered on Wednesday, three other charges of Auto Homicide, and two DUI charges, both third-degree felonies, were dropped. In a hand-written statement submitted in the…

After Wasatch County voters passed a $10 million open space bond, the Wasatch Open Lands Board is nearly ready to receive applications from land owners. See the original story at KPCW.org. Wasatch Open Lands Board (or WOLB) Chair Heidi Franco says that the process has been long but that WOLB is nearing a point to receive applications from land owners interested in preserving open space. “Between November until now the Wasatch Open Lands Committee has worked very hard to get everything up and running,” Franco…

Heber City’s Airport Advisory Board meets Wednesday. As part of the meeting the board will hear a report that includes an update on the Airport Master Plan. The Airport Advisory Board meets Wednesday at 4:00 pm in the Heber City Council Chambers in the Wasatch Stake Tabernacle located at 75 North Main Street. The board meets quarterly with the purpose to advise the City Council on matters pertaining to the policies of the Heber Valley Airport. Part of the manager report will inform the advisory board on the efforts of…

Last week the Wasatch County Council agreed to participate in a Transit Study that will look at the feasibility of a commuter bus line running through Wasatch County. With six other government organizations involved, the study is now about a month away from starting. Metropolitan Planning Director Shawn Seager with the Mountainland Association of Governments, or MAG, says that after a presentation from MAG on the transit study, Wasatch County council voted to participate in the study. “They thought it would be a good…

With three council spots up for election this November, the majority of Heber City’s council is up for grabs. In a public notice issued last week, Heber City announced that the one-week candidate filing period will be Monday June 3 through Friday June 7. The council spots currently held by Jeff Bradshaw, Ron Crittenden, and Jeff Smith will all be up for election. Councilman Bradshaw said he was unsure if he’d run again but was leaning towards seeking re-election. Councilman Crittenden did not say either way if he…

The Golden Rule: treat everyone as you would want to be treated. Seems simple enough. At the Heber City branch of America First Credit Union they live by this motto, and they take it to the next level with a “people helping people” philosophy. Justin Goodrich has been the branch manager here in Heber Valley since 2009. Over those years he’s been able to see this philosophy play out in many different scenarios. “America First has an employee volunteer program called The Greater Good,” said Goodrich “and some of the…

Wasatch County residents passed a $10 million open space bond in last November’s election, now the county is preparing to open up applications to use the funds. The Wasatch Open Lands Board, or WOLB, is a committee put together by the Wasatch County Council in order to advise on the distribution of the $10 million bond. The seven-member board is made up of two representatives from Wasatch County Council, and two citizens at large as well as one representative from the Heber City Council, Midway City Council, and the…

Heber City Council meets Tuesday, one item on the agenda is may give an extension to Red Ledges on an obligation to create a road east of town. The city council meets Tuesday evening in regular session at 6:00 pm at the Heber City Hall located at 75 North Main street. Item number three on the agenda is a discussion to reconsider the Red Ledges Bypass extension. The so-called Eastern Bypass would connect US 40 and Center street. The road would connect to 40 just north of the city cemetery running east to west a few…

Midway landowners were invited to a meeting last week to find out how to preserve their land using the $5 million open space bond the city passed in November. Midway’s Open Space Advisory Committee Chair Courtland Nelson estimated around 40 individuals came to the meeting last Thursday. All residents in the 84049 zip code were sent postcards inviting them to the meeting, while all Midway landowners with two acres or more were also sent an invitation along with an informational packet. The evening began with an overview…

Heber City’s Police Chief was honored as chief of the year by his peers at a recent banquet. Heber City Chief of Police Dave Booth was recognized as the small agency chief of the year at the 2019 Utah Chiefs of Police Association awards program. The award was presented to Booth Wednesday evening at the organization’s annual conference in St. George. Heber City Mayor Kelleen Potter nominated Chief Booth for the award. “I just have noticed our chief doing a lot of really proactive things,” Mayor Potter explained.…

Wasatch High School Center for Advance Professional Studies students are working alongside Heber’s Community Alliance for Main Street to bring a dual purpose splashpad/ice rink to Heber’s Main Street. Wasatch CAPS student Nathan Larson says that the original idea for the splash pad came from a presentation made to city council by Roger Brooks an expert on tourism branding, and downtown development. “We have many different sources,” Larson continued. “Including our own personal research which we split up and then we…

Heber Planning Commission meets Tuesday evening to discuss the creation of a residential transition area south of Heber and regulate short-term rentals in the city while opening the way up for larger bed & breakfast facilities. Heber City Planning Commission meets at 6:00 pm at the Heber City building located at 75 North Main Street in Heber. The first item on the agenda is a public hearing to permit existing rental residential units such as apartments, and duplexes to become owner occupancy dwellings if desired…

The Heber Community Alliance for Main Street and Wasatch Center for Advance Professional Studies are working together to create a vision for Heber City’s future. Wasatch High School student Kaleb Jensen is one of a half-dozen Wasatch CAPS members working with Heber’s CAMS group to create a vision for the Heber Valley’s future. “We’ve been tasked with dealing with the 100-year-old problem in Heber which is who the heck are we? There's been discussion about being pioneers or cowboys or railroad people or agricultural…

The 4th annual Heber Valley Restaurant week returns Monday the 25th and runs through Sunday March 31st. The Heber Valley Chamber of commerce sponsors the Heber Valley Restaurant Week. Marketing and Events Coordinator Jessica Brodhead explains what restaurant week offers. “Participating restaurants are offering two course lunches for seven and $10 or three course dinners for $15 and $25,” Broadhead explained. “New this year we have a just for fun category that features other nontraditional eateries such as bakeries,…

The public comment period for the Heber Valley Corridor study closed Wednesday. The next step for the study is gathering the funds for the environmental study. Read the original story at KPCW.org. UDOT Engineer Jeremy Bown explains how the planning study recommendation differs from the public input received. “This planning study will still make the recommendation that the public saw at the public open house on February 20th,” Bown explained. “But again, this is a recommendation and not a final decision. This will…

A little more than 100 residents showed up on Wednesday evening to the Public Visioning Workshop as part of the Envision Heber 2050 initiative. Read the original story at KPCW.org. The event was the first of three public input meetings for the update to Heber City’s general plan. The evening was led by a consultant for the project Christie Oostema she explained why the city is seeking public engagement in the visioning process. “To do that because we want to help the public as a base decision makers understand the…

Heber City’s mayor addressed members of the Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce in the first ever state of the city address on Tuesday. You can find the entirety of the address at KPCW.org here. Heber Mayor Kelleen Potter addressed members of the Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce at their monthly lunch meeting on Tuesday at the UVU Wasatch campus. Mayor Potter started her speech discussing what the city considered victories throughout the year including growth of office space in town, growth of the healthcare industry as…

March 20th is the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. This means the spring run off and with the snowpack this year and the fires last year, officials are asking residents to be aware of land slide and flood risks. Listen to the original story at KPCW.org. Fires last summer left burn scars on mountainsides all over the state. Combining snow melt, spring rains, steep hillsides and fire damage can make for dangerous conditions to property and personal safety. Utah Division of emergency Management…

The comment period for the Heber Valley Corridor project closes Wednesday, residents are invited to offer their thoughts to UDOT and local officials about the proposed route. Listen to the original story at KPCW.org. The Heber Valley Corridor project sent out a reminder last week ahead of the closure of the extended comment period. The message mentioned some key topics identified in the early parts of the comment period. The number one issue mentioned by the study was the impacts of the route on neighboring homes.…

Wasatch County Clerk-Auditor Brent Titcomb passed away Thursday evening, March 14th. Wasatch County shared the news of the passing of Wasatch County Clerk-Auditor Brent Titcomb on Thursday evening after a lengthy illness. County Manager Mike Davis shared his condolences. “Well Brent, he was an amazing county Clerk-Auditor," Davis shared. "He first and foremost always wanted his office to be of a professional nature, but he also was so concerned about making sure people had their questions answered and were served…

The Wasatch County Fire District is reporting that an explosion Sunday destroyed a cabin in the Timber Lakes development—the second such instance in less than a month in the same neighborhood. The Fire District said that the explosion occurred Sunday afternoon, in the development east of Heber. They said no one was in the home and no one was injured in the explosion. Fire personnel reported that the roof of the structure had collapsed by the time they arrived. Debris from the explosion was blown at least 200 feet…

Utah Legislature passed a bill giving a one-time appropriation of $315,000 to the Heber Valley Historic Railroad. The Heber Valley Railroad Authority was established by the state legislature in 1992. Executive director Mark Nelson says there’s not a lot of state-owned organizations like it in Utah. “The Heber Valley Railroad is an independent state agency and thus does not receive any ongoing funds from the state or any other source for operations. I know there are several other independent agencies in the state of…

Wasatch County Search & Rescue have been busy this week rescuing a handful of stranded snowmobilers. Wasatch County Search & Rescue, also known as SAR, learned about their first pair of stranded snowmobilers at around 4:15 on Tuesday afternoon. SAR Captain Kam Kohler said a 911 call alerted rescuers that a group of four people had become stuck in the Soldier Creek area. “They were heading into this cabin and they got separated,” Kohler explained. “One guy just went down off the side of a mountain figured he’d…

The Heber Community Alliance for Main Street or CAMS presented to the Heber City Council last week. The organizations leader Tom Stone explained that members of CAMS are working on a variety of projects to improve the downtown experience in Heber. See the original article at KPCW.org. Tom Stone said the organization has committees that are looking at a variety of improvements including murals for main street, beatification, special events, and communications. CAMS organized the Christmas Tree Light Up celebration…

Heber City is updating their General Plan. As part of the plan they’ve launched a website. See the original article at KPCW.org. Utah state law requires all cities within the state to have a general plan. The law dictates that future land use, transportation and housing all be addressed as part of the plan. In addition, the Heber general plan will look at other topics such as commercial and economic development, environmental issues, and community culture. Heber Mayor Kelleen Potter explains why now is the right time…

While Wasatch County School District students, parents and teachers look forward to their spring break the first week of April. The school board is considering changing Spring Break for 2020 to line up with a University's spring break. Listen to Wasatch School District spokeswoman Kirsta Albert explain why the school board is considering a change to scheduled Spring Break for 2020 at KPCW.org. “Our number one initiative in terms of student achievement is focused on academics. We also have 300 students at the high…

Owners of the Homestead Resort in Utah’s Heber Valley are seeking to sell the historic property to a high-end Salt Lake City developer with tentative plans to demolish most of its iconic buildings and construct a new resort. Steve Eddington with Legacy Homestead, the site’s current owner, said Thursday that Watts Enterprises has signed a purchase agreement for the 50-acre landmark, known to generations of Utahns for its rustic character, hillside golf course, trails and unique hot springs crater. Talks are…

Members of the Wasatch County Republican Party gathered on Saturday for their annual Lincolns Day breakfast fundraiser at Soldier Hollow. Among those invited to speak included state legislators representing the county, Senator Ron Winterton and Representative Tim Quinn. See the original story at kpcw.org. Representative Quinn said that he was only running two bills this session. One bill came about in response to the October 19th crash on US 40 that resulted in the death of six people. The crash happened when a dump…

The music festival takes place at the Rivers Edge Festival Grounds in the Heber Valley located right beneath the Jordanelle Dam. The concert series begins Friday June 21st and concludes Sunday the 23rd. See the original story at kpcw.org. The festival brings indie rock, electronic and hip-hop acts to perform. Among those slated to come include Bishop Briggs and Machine Gun Kelly as well as headliners DJ Snake, Empire of the Sun, and G-Eazy. A link to the full lineup is available here. Festival tickets and…

Over 200 people came to the Heber Valley Parkway and Main Street Corridor planning study open house on Wednesday evening some to learn more about the proposed changes and some to voice their displeasure. The open house and study are a collaboration between Heber City, Wasatch County, UDOT and the Mountainland Association of Governments or MAG. Shawn Seager of MAG says they received plenty of feedback at the open house. “Yeah we had a really good turnout,” Seager said. “I think we estimated 220 people showed up on a…

Residents of Wasatch County are invited to an event Wednesday evening to discuss a variety of issues including teenage suicide, bullying prevention, and civility in communication. The 30th annual Issues Community Conference takes place this Wednesday at Wasatch High School from 6:00 to 8:30 pm. Amaria Scovil director of the Burns Recreation Center explains the purpose of the conference is to address issues within the community. “We do tend to address issues that the high school and the middle school have concerns…

A woman is in critical but stable condition after a house in Wasatch County exploded in flames Friday night. Wasatch County Fire officials report that around 7:00 pm they received an alert that a home had exploded on Lake Pines Drive at Timber Lakes development, East of Heber. A woman and her four children had come to the cabin to spend the weekend. When they arrived she entered the garage and noticed a gas smell. The children remained in the car while the woman went inside to discover the cause of the…

Heber City and UDOT are holding an open house to discuss the future of the Main Street Corridor and the Heber Valley Parkway Wednesday evening. See the original story at kpcw.org. The open house takes place from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Heber Valley Elementary School located at 730 South 600 West. Those who attend the open house will be able to view the recommended route of the parkway as well as the results of the Heber City Main Street Study. Heber City Manager Matt Brower says that the open house is an opportunity…

Three high school teams in the Wasatch back are competing in their respective state basketball tournaments this weekend. North Summit boys’ team defeated North Sevier High School 54-50 in the first round of the state tournament. The tournament continues Thursday through Saturday. Coach Aaron Preece explained how he plans to keep the team focused. “Maintain health and keep them focused on the goal of making it to that final night at seven o’clock,” Preece said. “As far as keeping them focused we have a team dinner and…

The Utah Department of Public Safety collects automotive crash data each year. Statewide, there were more accidents but fewer injuries. In 2018 there were 14 lives lost on Wasatch and Summit County’s roads. That’s a 6.7% decrease in roadway fatalities from 2017. The Department of Public Safety data shows that last year, Summit County had a total of 829 crashes that resulted in property damage. 223 of them happened on Interstate 80 and 55 of them on US 40. Looking at Park City’s entry corridors, there were 93 accidents…

Utah’s northern mountains can thank the weather occurrence of El Nino for this year’s snowy weather. With even more snow forecast for this week, Utah is enjoying higher than average snow totals this winter. As News for Utah Meteorologist Devon Lucie told us Monday, we can thank El Nino. El Nino is part of a routine climate pattern that forms due to a large area of warmer than normal ocean water. A strong El Nino typically results in heavier than normal rain along the west coast of the United States. “El Nino…

During the past several years, Wasatch County has seen strong economic growth which can be attributed to a myriad of factors, including a 4.7 percent population boom and a job growth rate of 8.5 percent. In addition to continuing to be one of the fastest growing counties in the United States, Wasatch County has also seen significant levels of business investment and expansion—much of which is highlighted in the Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce’s 2018 Annual Report. From January through December of 2018, the Heber Valley…

If you don’t know the business Mountainland One Stop on the corner of Main Street and 1200 South by name you know where it is because you know the dinosaur in town with the funny outfits. As fun and friendly as dinosaur on the street is, the owner behind the dinosaur is just as fun and friendly. Most people who frequent One Stop know store owner Mohamed Mohamed by name and will tell you he’s a kind and generous man. Mohamed is eager to greet his customers with a big smile, hearty hand shake and, if you can spare a moment…

Park City High School Athletics has been pin-balling around four different possible regions next year. The Miners have finally landed on Region 8, which means a renewal of the Wasatch High School rivalry. See the original story at KPCW.org. As we’ve reported Park City High School will be moving up a classification in high school sports excluding football at the beginning of next school year. Park City has been competing in Region 11 which means the Miners travel to play teams in Tooele and Ogden. Park City High…

High school swimmers in the Wasatch Back will head to Provo this weekend to compete in the state championships at BYU. See the original story at KPCW.org. The state championship meet takes place over three days at the Richards Building on BYU’s campus. Park City High School will compete in the 4A division. The Miner’s Coach Mike Werner says the girls team has great leadership from a group of seniors. “We have Elise Beller and Emma Strong on our leadership council for the team.” Coach Werner explained, “They’re…

Roughly 30 percent of Park City’s workforce comes from Wasatch County. Which is one reason why Midway, Heber and Park City are all considering a joint study to look at the possibility of adding a commuter bus line between the communities.ListenListening...4:25 See the original story at KPCW.org. Mountainland Association of Governments or MAG is a government organization part of an interlocal agreement between Summit, Wasatch and Utah counties. Shawn Seager is the director of the Metropolitan Planning Organization with…

This is the first international biathlon event of this level in the U.S. since the 2002 Olympic games. With the popularity of biathlon in Europe, the event will be televised live to millions of viewers. We are expecting a large spectator crowd at Soldier Hollow so are having a Winter Festival with live music, food trucks, beer garden and spectator activities on competition days. The size of this event requires hundreds of volunteers. We have had a fantastic response to our call for volunteers, but we still need more! If…

Mid-Winter might seem like a strange time to begin a gardening class, but the USU Extension program in the Wasatch Back gives those interested an opportunity to be fully prepared when spring comes. See the original story at KPCW.org. Summit County USU Extension Agent Dusty Morgan explains the Master Gardener program is for all, from beginners to professionals. “We want to attract anyone interested in gardening. If you are a garden enthusiast and you just want to take it the next step. If you want to start gardening…

The movement for a 2030 Utah Winter Olympics is continuing to expand their footprint. Most recently a leader from the movement spoke with the Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce. See the original story at KPCW.org. While speaking to the Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce at the Soldier Hollow Nordic Center, Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation Director Collin Hilton praised the center as a public amenity and as a laboratory for future Olympic athletes. “We are just as happy to have kids who learn life lessons through sports…

Wasatch County School District’s newest board member recently participated in his first board meeting. KPCW spoke with Tyler Bluth and discussed the challenges ahead for the district. Both Cory Holmes and Tyler Bluth were elected to be on the Wasatch County School Board this November. Holmes who represents the Heber North seat has previously served on the board, but this was the newly elected Heber South District representatives first meeting. Bluth’s father, Alan Bluth served many years on the board and his service in…

Park City is preparing to host the cities largest sporting event since the 2002 Winter Olympics, that event of course being the FIS World Championships the first week of February. Meanwhile the Soldier Hollow Nordic Center is also preparing for it’s largest sporting event since the ’02 Olympics. The International Biathlon Union World Cup makes nine stops during the season. For the first time the tour is including a stop at Soldier Hollow. The event takes place the weekend before president’s day February 14-17th and will…

The next step in the Heber Main Street bypass is funding an environmental study. Heber and Wasatch County elected officials are prioritizing the project meaning they’re looking at several different locations to get the funds for the study. Shawn Seager is the Director of the Metropolitan Planning Organization with Mountainland Association of Governments. Mountainland is a government organization part of an interlocal agreement between Summit, Wasatch and Utah counties. Seager says that Heber’s Main Street has an…

With the partial government shutdown into the fourth week, the Utah Department of Workforce Services is juggling two important programs to help people get through the financial hardship. They include unemployment pay for eligible, furloughed workers and administering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP. Utah Department of Workforce Services, Public Information Officer, Wendy Hyatt said about 200,000 people in Utah rely on the SNAP benefits for assistance. Well over a thousand live in Summit and…

After Midway voters passed a five-million-dollar bond last November land owners in Midway can expect a letter in the mail from the city soon. That’s one item the Midway Open Space Committee recommended to the Midway City Council on Tuesday. See the original story at KPCW.org. Open Space Committee Chair Courtland Nelson recommended sending out letters to all land owners in Midway to alert them of the opportunity to preserve land. The bond money is limited within the annexation boundaries of Midway, with priority given…

In today’s day and age there is so much you can do online from purchasing clothes to buying groceries, but there is one thing that may be still important to do in person: banking. The internet has even made banking so much easier for all of us with mobile deposits, paying back friends, and even enjoying a street market without cash. Banking, however, the actual transactions of loans, savings, investing, and planning, still has tremendous value in person to person transactions. Grand Valley Bank in Heber Valley has a motto…

Since 2011, Utahns have visited a winter wonderland in Midway. This Saturday, Ice Castles opens for the season. See the original story at KPCW.org. Icy fortresses, slippery slides and frozen waterfalls decorate an acre of land at Ice Castles at the Homestead Resort in Midway. Visitors are drawn in by interactive light and music displays. The design of the castles changes year to year, with 20 to 40 ice artisans tasked with creating structures formed from thousands of icicles. Construction on the castles began in…

Chief Deputy Jared Rigby will be sworn in as the new Wasatch County Sheriff on Monday. The swearing in ceremony is unique to this sheriff’s department. All the community is invited. See the original story at KPCW.org. Wasatch County Sheriff Elect, Jared Rigby wants to raise awareness in Wasatch County about the work the department does to serve the community. It’s the first ever full department swearing in ceremony held in Wasatch County. All the County’s 70 deputies will gather at the Community Action Food Pantry in…

Revving our engines, we climb through dense forest, leaning into our turns as we aim our snowmobiles toward the summit, fresh snow lightly falling around us. Our guide and local snowmobiling expert, Brent Hill, is the owner of Daniels Summit Lodge, and he grooms these trails every day all winter long. He has the trail map memorized and doesn’t hesitate as he hangs quick turns through the seemingly endless wilderness. But soon the aspens open up, and we pop out at a clearing with 360-degree views of Heber Valley and dramatic,…

A Wasatch High Student with a special talent has turned his skills into a thriving business, thanks to the help of a caring teacher. See the original story at KPCW.org. Ben Miller, a junior at Wasatch High School, is prolific when it comes to crocheting hats. KPCW asked him how many hats he makes a week and when he started making them. “Between five and 10.” Ben said, “I started in eighth grade.” Ben has autism, he also has a good friend in his teacher Ms. Lindsey Jacobson. She noticed Ben’s creations and had…

Heber City Police have arrested four people in connection to a series of car thefts. Last week a series of burglaries had Heber Police reminding residents to not leave their keys in their cars. A rash of car thefts have hit not only Heber and Midway but also up into Park City and Summit County. Law Enforcment officials had been able to recover a few of the stolen cars but they had not made any arrests. At 2:30 am on Tuesday a Heber Police officer attempted to pull over a car for a failure to stop at a stop sign. When…

The Summit County Sheriff’s Department reported that a local business received an emailed bomb threat on Thursday afternoon. The news from the county matched similar reports of threats made in countless other locales in Utah and around the country. The Sheriff’s Department issued a statement that at 1:23 pm an email threat was received by a business in the Silver Creek Business Park—not far, in fact, from the Sheriff’s office. Lt. Andrew Wright told KPCW that the email was similar to others being reported. The…

WASATCH COMMUNITY SERVICE ALLIANCE BRINGS OPERATION HOPE & CHRISTMAS FOOD BOX PROGRAM TO HEBER VALLEY

The Christian Center of Park City is giving local residents the chance to help underprivileged families this holiday season. Operation Hope is back serving both Park City and Heber. See the original story at KPCW.org. Rob Harter, Executive Director of Christian Center of Park City, explains that Operation Hope, now in its eighth year, helps underprivileged families with gifts for Christmas. “Last year we served over 1,500 local kids both Heber and Park City." Harter said, "We had a toy store. What that is,…

Last week, the Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce hosted a “Women in Business” forum in which four prominent women from a variety of backgrounds shared their experiences in hopes to help out and inspire others. The panel of four included Reggan Jastram, owner of Innovative Reality, Marty Harger a wellness entrepreneur, Valarie Kamdar, owner of Love Your Pet Bakery, and Susie English, Senior Marketing Brand Manager for Deer Valley Resort. Each of the panelist brought a unique perspective of their working career to the…

In this day and age, it can be rare to see a family owned and operated business. It seems like the recipe for success is to move to a corporate model in which local stores have little to no say how they interact with the community. That’s not the case for brothers Derrick and Kyle Hendrickson of Heber Park City Appliance. They have found success in just the opposite: connecting to the community, getting to know their clients, and treating each other with respect. “We are part of this community. To be a part of a…

Restaurateur, musician and American Idol winner, Taylor Hicks will highlight the Heber based company, Redmond Inc. in the food travel show called State Plate with Taylor Hicks. The program travels the country in search of regional cuisine and the show coming up on December 10th on INSP, features Redmond’s Real Salt product along with other food unique to Utah’s culture. Carolyn Murray See Carolyn Murray's original story at KPCW.org. Rex Robinson is the Director of Original Programming and Development for INSP. He said…

The Recycling of Utah Coalition Conference recognized Recycle Utah earlier this month during their meeting. The conference is a broad network of recyclers that meets on America Recycles Day which is November 15th. See Carolyn Murray's report and the original story at kpcw.org. The network includes businesses, non-profits, education organizations and recycling centers like RU. Executive Director of Recycle Utah, Carolyn Wawra said they were nominated by one of the affiliates in the Utah Recycling Coalition. “We were…

We are excited to announce the application period for the 2019 cooperative marketing program grant has officially opened. This year you will have until January 1, 2019 to submit your application. Each year, Wasatch County generously provides grant monies to increase tourism awareness and overnight stays in the Heber Valley. Through an appointed advisory board, grant monies are allocated to event organizers based on merit, need, and the potential of attracting a significant number of overnight visitors to the area. See the…

Heber Valley is constantly evolving. As the community continues to welcome new families to the area, naturally the products and services needed to take care of growing community have to adapt and evolve. The same is true for health care. As the population grows so does the demand on the health care system at all levels, from bumps and bruises, to strokes and heart failure. Preparing for and anticipating these types of changes has been at the core of the mission of the Heber Valley Hospital over the past several years. Si…