Utah
Utah couple fights human-trafficking through Salt Lake-based nonprofit
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A Utah couple turned a heartbreaking experience into a mission — and now they’re rallying everyday people across every industry to fight back against human trafficking.
Krissi and Tommy Green had no roadmap when they were first pulled into the fight. It started when a young girl in Europe reached out for help — and ended up being trafficked.
“I thought we were going to help her while her family was falling apart, and she ended up being trafficked,” Krissi said.
MORE | Pay It Forward
It took a year to get her out. Tommy said she was found with fourteen other teenage girls.
“She told us, ‘You have to keep sharing. There are many more like me,’” Krissi recalled.
That message became the title of Krissi’s book, “Many More Like Me,” and the origin of something much bigger.
“You have to keep sharing. There are many more like me,” Krissi was told. That message became the title of Krissi’s book and the origin of something much bigger. (Photo: KUTV)
The Greens founded Against Trafficking Industries, a nonprofit focused on advocacy, education, prevention, and funding recovery and aftercare for survivors.
“It’s happening in Salt Lake City,” Tommy said. “It’s such a huge problem, so extensive, too big.”
Their approach is different. Rather than asking people to take on the whole problem, they rally everyday people across music, business, and brands to chip in where they can.
“If you give twenty bucks a month and fifteen hundred people are doing that, we can fund these impact projects,” Tommy said.
And for those who feel overwhelmed by the scale of the problem, Krissi has a simple message:
“I can do this. I can be a part of somebody’s solution. I can be part of somebody’s new life and recovery.”
To honor their work, Mountain America Credit Union surprised the Greens with a gift through KUTV’s Pay It Forward program.
To learn more about Against Trafficking Industries, click here.
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Utah
Utah conservation organization pledges $5.1M for wildlife recovery
Among the creatures benefiting from research funded by the Utah Species Protection Account is the Wilson’s phalarope. The migratory shorebird relies heavily on the shrinking ecosystem of the Great Salt Lake.
Some funds paid for the removal of the threatened Juke sucker from Utah Lake and its tributaries. Rare plant and insect programs at Utah State University also received funding.
The species protection account is administered by the state Division of Wildlife Services. It was established in 1997 toward species and projects that will proactively help to prevent Endangered Species Act listings.
Utah
New NBA Draft Intel: AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Utah
On the Sean O’Connell Show, Krysten Peek joined the show to talk about all things NBA Draft, and she brought some incredible insight and intel. If you haven’t listened, make sure you do here:
If you don’t have a chance to listen, here are the different insights she brought:
Utah
Utah suicide rates twice national average, Summit County Health Department says
Summit County Health Director Phil Bondurant said the early 2026 survey found men are suffering with significant mental and behavioral health challenges between the ages of 10 and 44. In the U.S., Bondurant said, suicide is the second leading cause of death, behind unintentional injury.
“It’s the eighth leading cause of death nationally across all ages of men,” he said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” June 8. “When we look at this in Utah, we are two times the national average in suicides, and when you look at men, three of the four suicides in the state of Utah are men.”
He said that’s disproportionate to women. Roughly 31 out of 100,000 suicide deaths in Utah are men while less than 9 deaths per 100,000 are women.
FULL INTERIVEW: Summit County Health Department Phil Bondurant
Bondurant said those statistics are related to men feeling isolated, experiencing depression and uncertainty about the future. But, he said the health department has worked to develop programs to break the stigma around men’s mental health and help people access care.
“It’s important that we remember that connection, conversation, help and support, just like our physical health, when we’re not feeling well or we break a bone, we go to the doctor, and they do what they do to help us get better and help our bodies mend,” he said. “Our mental health is the same way, we need to take care of it.”
He said uninsured residents that need help can call the health department and speak with the behavioral health team.
There is also a 24-hour 988 crisis hotline for people who need help or know someone who needs help. Utahns can also download the SafeUT app to speak with licensed counselors, submit safety tips and confidential help.
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