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Federal officials say U.S. infrastructure should be built and run ‘the Utah way’

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Federal officials say U.S. infrastructure should be built and run ‘the Utah way’


Saying the White House is in builder mode, Rep. Burgess Owens discussed future plans for Utah’s transportation infrastructure with federal, state and local leaders Friday morning at the South Jordan FrontRunner station.

Although the state has an extensive network of buses and trains — and plans for trams — Utah uses the least amount of federal money of any state in their transportation projects, South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey said as she welcomed Owens and Federal Transportation Administrator Marc Molinaro as they arrived by FrontRunner.

“We’ve worked hard to be efficient here in Utah — to use money very wisely,” she said.

Ward MacCarragher, an American Public Transportation Association official, similarly praised the state’s infrastructure for its positive effect on Utah’s economy. “For every dollar invested in public transit, more than $5 in economic return is generated,” he said.

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How is Utah’s infrastructure changing under President Trump?

Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, exits the FrontRunner and greets South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey, right, before a press conference to discuss the Surface Transportation Reauthorization at the South Jordan Station in South Jordan on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News

As Owens began his remarks, he said, “We’re in a very, very special window where we have a builder as a president and we have a House and Senate that are America first.”

Molinaro, the current administrator of the Federal Transit Administration and a longtime friend of Owens, also praised President Donald Trump’s Cabinet for their attention to the country’s transportation infrastructure.

Molinaro said the Trump administration’s move to eliminate social cost of carbon tools has removed roadblocks and made planning infrastructure more efficient. The social cost of carbon is an estimate, typically expressed in dollars, of the economic damages associated with emitting one additional ton of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Beth Holbrook, member of the Utah Transit Authority board of trustees, center, exits the FrontRunner before a press conference to discuss the Surface Transportation Reauthorization at the South Jordan Station in South Jordan on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News

Eliminating social cost of carbon “ensures we’re trying to distribute dollars equitably,” Molinaro said. “We don’t want just the big, major cities to be the only ones that get to compete for some of the largest dollars we want growing and emerging cities, villages and hamlets around the country to be able to compete for those dollars.”

Without the added social cost of carbon playing into infrastructure financing, states can move faster on delayed projects, and transportation is judged more on mobility and economic value.

How will the FrontRunner grow in the near future?

Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, center, exits the FrontRunner before a press conference to discuss the Surface Transportation Reauthorization at the South Jordan Station in South Jordan on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News

Ben Huot, the director of planning and investment at Utah’s Department of Transportation, said the current FrontRunner project “is one of the most significant investments in transportation in Utah history.”

The FrontRunner’s track, which currently runs from Provo to Ogden, has a single track system along 74% of its route. UDOT is planning on adding double track segments and providing additional cars to increase the train’s frequency.

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Huot added that the FrontRunner’s ridership grew by about 10% in 2024.

And while Owens didn’t divulge any details, he said he has a map in his office that shows what Utah’s transportation infrastructure “is going to look like in 2050.”

Molinaro added that he hopes the House of Representatives’ transportation committee “learns a few lessons from the Utah way” of doing transportation infrastructure.



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Utah man dies of injuries sustained in avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon

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Utah man dies of injuries sustained in avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon


A man died after he was caught in an avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon over the weekend.

A spokesperson for the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Thursday that Kevin Williams, 57, had died.

He, along with one other person, was hospitalized in critical condition after Saturday’s avalanche in the backcountry.

MORE | Big Cottonwood Canyon Avalanche

In an interview with 2News earlier this week, one of Williams’ close friends, Nate Burbidge, described him as a loving family man.

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“Kevin’s an amazing guy. He’s always serving, looking for ways that he can connect with others,” Burbidge said.

A GoFundMe was set up to help support Williams’ family.

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911 recordings detail hours leading up to discovery of Utah girl, mother dead in Las Vegas

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911 recordings detail hours leading up to discovery of Utah girl, mother dead in Las Vegas


CONTENT WARNING: This report discusses suicide and includes descriptions of audio from 911 calls that some viewers may find disturbing.

LAS VEGAS — Exclusively obtained 911 recordings detail the hours leading up to the discovery of an 11-year-old Utah girl and her mother dead inside a Las Vegas hotel room in an apparent murder-suicide.

Addi Smith and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, lived in West Jordan and had traveled to Nevada for the JAMZ cheerleading competition.

The calls show a growing sense of urgency from family members and coaches, and several hours passing before relatives learned what happened.

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MORE | Murder-Suicide

Below is a timeline of the key moments, according to dispatch records. All times are Pacific Time.

10:33 a.m. — Call 1

After Addi and her mother failed to appear at the cheerleading competition, Addi’s father and stepmother called dispatch for a welfare check.

Addi and her mother were staying at the Rio hotel. The father told dispatch that hotel security had already attempted contact.

“Security went up and knocked on the door. There’s no answer or response it doesn’t look like they checked out or anything…”

11:18 a.m. and 11:27 a.m. — Calls 2 and 3

As concern grew, Addi’s coach contacted the police two times within minutes.

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“We think the child possibly is in imminent danger…”

11:26 a.m. — Call 4

Addi’s stepmother placed another call to dispatch, expressing escalating concern.

“We are extremely concerned we believe that something might have seriously happened.”

She said that Tawnia’s car was still at the hotel.

Police indicated officers were on the way.

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2:26 p.m. — Call 5

Nearly three hours after the initial welfare check request, fire personnel were en route to the scene. It appeared they had been in contact with hotel security.

Fire told police that they were responding to a possible suicide.

“They found a note on the door.”

2:35 p.m. — Call 6

Emergency medical personnel at the scene told police they had located two victims.

“It’s going to be gunshot wound to the head for both patients with notes”

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A dispatcher responded:

“Oh my goodness that’s not okay.”

2:36 p.m. — Call 7

Moments later, fire personnel relayed their assessment to law enforcement:

“It’s going to be a murder suicide, a juvenile and a mother.”

2:39 p.m. — Call 8

Unaware of what had been discovered, Addi’s father called dispatch again.

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“I’m trying to file a missing persons report for my daughter.”

He repeats the details he knows for the second time.

3:13 p.m. — Call 9

Father and stepmother call again seeking information and continue to press for answers.

“We just need some information. There was a room check done around 3:00 we really don’t know where to start with all of this Can we have them call us back immediately?”

Dispatch responded:

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“As soon as there’s a free officer, we’ll have them reach out to you.”

4:05 p.m. — Call 10

More than an hour later, Addi’s father was put in contact with the police on the scene. He pleaded for immediate action.

“I need someone there I need someone there looking in that room”

The officer confirmed that they had officers currently in the room.

Addi’s father asks again what they found, if Addi and her mother are there, and if their things were missing.

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The officer, who was not on scene, said he had received limited information.

5:23 p.m. — Call 11

Nearly seven hours after the first welfare check request, Addi’s grandmother contacted police, describing conflicting information circulating within the family.

“Some people are telling us that they were able to get in, and they were not in the hotel room, and other people saying they were not able to get in the hotel room, and we need to know”

She repeated the details of the case. Dispatch said officers will call her back once they have more information.

Around 8:00 p.m. — Press Conference

Later that evening, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police held a news conference confirming that Addi and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, were found dead inside the hotel room.

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The investigation remains ongoing.

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Ban on AI glasses in Utah classrooms inches closer to passing

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Ban on AI glasses in Utah classrooms inches closer to passing


AI glasses could allow you to get answers, snap photos, access audio and take phone calls—and now a proposal moving through the legislature would ban the glasses from Utah school classrooms.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Kizzy Guyton Murphy, a mother who accompanied her child’s class on a field trip to the state Capitol on Wednesday. “You can’t see inside what the student is looking at, and it’s just grounds for cheating.”

Mom Tristan Davies Seamons also sees trouble with AI glasses.

“I don’t think they should have any more technology in schools than they currently have,” she said.

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Her twin daughters, fourth graders Finley and Grayson, don’t have cell phones yet.

“Not until we’re like 14,” said Grayson, adding they do have Chromebooks in school.

2News sent questions to the Utah State Board of Education:

  • Does it have reports of students using AI glasses?
  • Does it see cheating and privacy as major concerns?
  • Does it support a ban from classrooms?

Matt Winters, USBE AI specialist, said the board has not received reports from school districts of students with AI glasses.

“Local Education Agencies (school districts) have local control over these decisions based on current law and code,” said Winters. “The Board has not taken a position on AI glasses.

MORE | Utah State Legislature:

Some districts across the country have reportedly put restrictions on the glasses in schools.

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“I think it should be up to the teachers,” said Briauna Later, another mother who is all for preventing cheating, but senses a ban could leave administrators with tired eyes.

“It’s one more thing for the administration to have to keep track of,” said Later.

The proposal, HB 42, passed the House and cleared a Senate committee on Wednesday.

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