SALT LAKE CITY — A woman who was critically injured by flying debris over the weekend while trying to escape a storm that disrupted Redwest Music Festival has died, according to her family.

Ava Ahlander, 23, originally from American Fork but residing in Seattle, died at a hospital after her organs were donated, a family representative said. They said she had returned to Utah to attend the music festival at Utah State Fairpark with a friend, as she loved music festivals.

“Ava was a beautiful soul whose kindness, warmth, and adventurous spirit touched everyone around her,” her family wrote on a GoFundMe* page. “Even in her passing, Ava continues to give the gift of life to others as an organ donor — a final act of generosity that truly reflects her caring nature and desire to help those in need.”

Officers and firefighters responded to a report of an injured person near 1055 W. North Temple shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday, according to Salt Lake Police Lt. Leigh Willis. The concert had been suspended as a thunderstorm rolled into the Wasatch Front, and many attendees started running for cover to avoid the lightning, rain and strong winds.

Ahlander was near her car, which was parked near a construction site, when she was struck by a large plank from scaffolding that also fell onto her car, Willis said. She was transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition. Doctors ultimately determined that she had lost brain activity, according to her family. They say she was kept on life support long enough for her family to say goodbye, and for organ donation.

Saturday’s storm prompted a high wind warning from the National Weather Service, which said wind gusts of 60 mph were possible as a cold front swept through the region. Willis said a strong wind burst likely caused the scaffolding to fall.

The concert’s Saturday festivities, including a performance from headliner Post Malone, were ultimately canceled because of the weather.

Contributing: Eric Cabrera

*KSLNewsRadio does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

Officials in the state of Washington have agreed to water down a child abuse law after pressure from the Trump administration and local Catholic leaders.

Catholic bishops and the Trump administration had filed lawsuits seeking to overturn a bill signed by Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, a Democrat and a Catholic, that required faith leaders of all denominations to report allegations of abuse they received in private religious settings — including confession. Though the Catholic Church has a documented history of enabling child sexual abuse, the sponsor of Washington’s bill said the legislation was inspired by reports of abuse within Jehovah’s Witness churches.

Catholic leaders have argued that being forced to report admissions made during a confession amounts to religious discrimination. And after a federal court temporarily blocked the law in July, Washington’s attorney general said late last week that the law will be pared back:

Most states have so-called clergy-penitent privilege laws that effectively shield religious leaders from having to report child abuse claims they hear in confessional settings. A 2022 report by Boston’s NPR station, WBUR, detailed how this loophole has protected churches from prosecutions and civil lawsuits from victims seeking accountability. Washington had sought to join the few other states without such protections.

In Washington, the governor had denounced the lawsuit filed by Catholic bishops in his state, with Ferguson saying that he was “disappointed my Church is filing a federal lawsuit to protect individuals who abuse kids.”

Jean Hill, executive director of the Washington State Catholic Conference, said in a statement last week that “preventing abuse and upholding the sacred seal of confession are not mutually exclusive — we can and must do both.”

CASPER, Wyo. — Radiant Industries, a company pioneering mass-produced portable nuclear generators, has rejected Natrona County as the site for its first advanced manufacturing factory, citing regulatory uncertainty regarding the temporary storage of used fuel as the deciding factor.

The company will instead build its factory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

The decision comes after months of open dialogue with state and local officials, as well as community members in and around Bar Nunn. The company had planned to build the facility just north of Bar Nunn. Radiant officials had previously said that Natrona County was supportive of the investment.

Radiant’s mission is to build portable nuclear generators to unlock reliable power for customers, including U.S. troops at remote bases. The company’s plan involved building the generators in Wyoming using Wyoming-mined uranium, sending them to customers and then bringing them back to the factory for refueling.

The core issue was the temporary storage of used fuel. Radiant was only seeking to safely and temporarily store used fuel from Wyoming-built reactors returned from deployment in above-ground containers at the factory.

However, Wyoming law allows spent fuel to be stored only at operating reactor sites. The State Joint Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee met in July to discuss adding spent fuel storage for nuclear manufacturers, but ultimately tabled any decision. The board has not yet met again to further discuss the issue.

Further complicating the situation, Wyoming’s Freedom Caucus, which controls the majority in the Legislature, has taken a no nuclear waste stance for the state, signaling it would not support making another exception to the law.

Radiant said since the law does not accommodate its model, it needed to find a turnkey location where it could be quickly operational to meet customer demand.

Radiant announced on Monday, Oct. 13 that it will build its first factory, named R-50, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, on a historic Manhattan Project site.

Company officials cited Tennessee’s strong workforce, its rich nuclear heritage and the public’s “second-to-none nuclear IQ” as key reasons for the selection. The state’s business-friendly environment gave the company the immediate regulatory certainty needed to move fast, officials said.

The new factory, which begins construction in early 2026, is planned to deliver Radiant’s first mass-produced Kaleidos microreactor by 2028 and eventually scale up production to 50 reactors per year.

Radiant executives thanked Wyoming, Natrona County, Advance Casper and community members for their thoughtful dialogue. Senior Director of Operations Matt Wilson said he and his wife had planned to move their young family to Natrona County.

Wyoming was initially a top fit for the factory due to its status as an energy state with an experienced workforce, a strong industrial base and a legacy of energy innovation.

The company encouraged local officials to “keep fighting for business growth” so youth will have meaningful jobs that keep them in the state.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

Correction, Oct. 13, 2025: Matt Wilson is the Senior Director of Operations. His title is corrected.

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