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UDOT plans $621M expressway to ease northern Utah County traffic

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UDOT plans 1M expressway to ease northern Utah County traffic


The Utah Department of Transportation has planned a major groundbreaking for what it calls the first east-west expressway corridor in Utah County.

The plan is to build a six-lane freeway to connect I-15 and Mountainview Corridor, with three lanes in each direction and making 2100 N a frontage road on both sides.

“You almost hate to see it grow, but when it does grow, you like to see reasonable solutions for people’s problems,” said Michael Crofts, resident of Lehi.

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Drivers in northern Utah County are no strangers to the 2100 N congestion come rush hour.

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“‘Cause one of the big things is that not a lot of jobs are out in Saratoga and Eagle Mountain,” Crofts said. “They’re out here in the East and this part of the valley or North and there does need to be a better way for people to get around.”

To ease traffic flow in the area, UDOT is planning to put the new expressway in the patch of grass between where 2100 N runs now.

“This is one of our biggest projects this year,” said John Gleason, public relations director for UDOT.

It’s about a three-mile segment and will cost roughly $621 million dollars. It will include two bridges—at 3600 W and 2300 W—and have freeway-to-freeway interchanges, so traffic won’t have to stop.

“Right now, there’s not a lot of great options East-West out there; and so by building this freeway, you’re going to improve not only the East-West connection, but you’re going to alleviate some of the traffic on the North-South roads there as well,” Gleason said.

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2100 N will stay open during construction, according to UDOT.

“Any short-term issues that you have with construction, we’re hoping that that payoff is going to be great things for everybody that lives and works out in the area,” Gleason said.

“It’s kind of a bittersweet thing because it does feel almost overcrowded, but at the same time it’s one of those, well, but if we build better infrastructure, will it feel less crowded?” Crofts said. “But the bitter part is that they’re like, oh, our little tight-knit community is suddenly grown into a city.”

The groundbreaking is scheduled for March 18th, and UDOT estimates they’ll be building the expressway through late 2028.

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Man arrested in Wyoming wanted for rape, domestic violence in Utah

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Man arrested in Wyoming wanted for rape, domestic violence in Utah


A man wanted for alleged rape and domestic violence in Utah was arrested in Wyoming.

He is “behind bars thanks to the work of eagle-eyed troopers with the Wyoming Highway Patrol,” WHP said on social media.

Troopers were alerted to a Be On The Look Out (BOLO) call at approximately 7 a.m. on Thursday for a suspect in a white Chrysler Seabreeze.

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Troopers in Rawlins, Wyoming, spotted the vehicle just after 8:30 a.m.

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The suspect was arrested without incident and transported to the Carbon County Jail.

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Hill AFB ends Starbase program that sparked STEM interest among Utah students

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Hill AFB ends Starbase program that sparked STEM interest among Utah students


CLEARFIELD — A program empowering northern Utah children to discover the possibilities of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics will end after more than a decade of operation.

This week, Hill Air Force Base announced that it is ending its sponsorship of the Starbase program.

Starbase, a U.S. Department of Defense program, is offered throughout the country to provide hands-on learning experiences to young students — primarily fifth graders, according to a description on the curriculum’s website.

Starbase at Hill Air Force Base opened in 2011, and over the past 15 years, has ignited early STEM interest in more than 25,000 students in Davis and Weber counties.

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Heather Ingle, a mother of two daughters — 14 and 11 — who have been in the program, said she was sad to hear that Starbase will no longer be offered at the northern Utah base.

“Just the thought of other kids not being able to have that guaranteed program, I think it’s sad,” she said.

Ingle’s oldest daughter participated in the weeklong Starbase program in Montana while their family was stationed in the Great Falls area. More recently, her 11-year-old daughter participated in it at Hill Air Force Base while the family has been stationed in Utah.

She said her 14-year-old was “strongly influenced” through the exploration of hands-on science, technology, engineering and mathematics experience and has shifted her career goals around based on what she learned.

Her younger daughter, on the other hand, wasn’t initially as interested in it.

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“And then the first day happened, she came home and she loved it, and totally denied that she didn’t want to go that day,” Ingle told KSL. “She really enjoyed it — she likes to learn new things.”

A Hill Air Force Base press release issued Tuesday didn’t go into specifics about why they’re concluding the program, but it did allude to a funding issue.

“Today, northern Utah benefits from a robust network of STEM programs, many of which were inspired or accelerated by Starbase’s early success. This expansion, combined with changes in national program funding, marks a natural moment for transition. Concluding the program allows Hill AFB to realign resources to meet the growing demands of its core national security mission, confident that the community is well supported by a diverse and vibrant STEM landscape,” the base said.

Starbase’s final days at Hill Air Force Base raised a question for Ingle regarding the program’s future elsewhere, as their family will soon be relocating back to Montana and hopes their youngest child has an opportunity to experience it.

“I have a 5-year-old as well, and I really am hoping that the Starbase program in general continues,” she said.

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A spokesperson for Hill Air Force Base said the program there will finish out the remainder of the school year and that it’s still active “at some other bases currently.”


Northern Utah benefits from a robust network of STEM programs, many of which were inspired or accelerated by Starbase’s early success.

–Hill Air Force Base


The base said it’s thankful to the many people who helped make Starbase a cornerstone in local STEM education.

“The base remains deeply committed to community partnership and will continue supporting educational outreach that inspires the next generation of innovators, leaders and problem‑solvers,” the base said.

For Ingle, she’s grateful for the opportunities her daughters have had at Starbase and for how it showed them a career they, too, can one day pursue.

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“Outside of the doctor, lawyer, cop, firefighter — you know, it opens their eyes into so many different careers and specialties out there that you can touch, and I love that exposure,” she said.

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.



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Special Olympics torch run reaches Utah Capitol – KSLNewsRadio

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Special Olympics torch run reaches Utah Capitol – KSLNewsRadio


SALT LAKE CITY — The “Flame of Hope” made its way to the Utah State Capitol Wednesday morning as Special Olympics athletes and law enforcement came together for the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run.

The event is part of a 45-year tradition that raises awareness and support for Special Olympics athletes while strengthening the partnership between law enforcement and the community.

Paralympians ski in shorts and T-shirts, and some ask: Shouldn’t these Games be earlier?

“Law enforcement across the country teams up with Special Olympics chapters throughout the country and we do a torch run which is a fundraiser,” said Bill Newell, Law Enforcement Torch Run Council Chairman.

Organizers say the goal goes beyond fundraising — it’s about visibility and recognition for athletes across Utah.

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“We want them to be recognized. We want the community to see these athletes and what tremendous people they are and what great contributions they make,” Newell said.

For athletes, the Torch Run is also a chance to be seen and celebrated for their accomplishments.

“I would like to thank the First Lady, Commissioner Mason, Chief Reed, Special Olympics Utah and everyone who joined us today. Thank you for being here. Because of you, athletes like me are seen, heard and celebrated,” said Special Olympics athlete Josh Roberts.

The Torch Run will continue across Utah throughout the month, leading up to the Special Olympics Utah Summer Games in Cedar City on May 28.

“Join us in Cedar City for the Special Olympics Utah Summer Games. Come cheer, come celebrate and be a part of something very special. It’ll be the best thing you’ll do all summer,” Roberts said.

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Law enforcement agencies across the state will continue participating alongside Special Olympics athletes as the Torch Run moves from community to community ahead of the final leg in Cedar City.

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