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Audit finds problems with Utah public school construction standards

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Audit finds problems with Utah public school construction standards


SALT LAKE CITY — A new performance audit released Tuesday by the Office of the Legislative Auditor General (OLAG) reveals consistent problems across the state when it comes to construction standards for public school projects.

The OLAG says that the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) is not sufficiently overseeing school constructions and that the legislature should seek alternatives.

One cornerstone of public safety in schools is how those facilities are built. In recent years, there is plenty of building being done.

“Since 2019, [USBE] have overseen over $3.6 billion worth of constructions,” said Jesse Martinson with OLAG, who helped manage this audit.

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But does all that work meet state standards?

“We looked at 30 projects and found that 87 percent (26 of the projects) did not receive a permit from USBE,” Martinson said.

The legislative auditor general found that it often hasn’t. In another example, out of 41 local districts statewide, only five of their building officials had proper code certifications.

“These codes represent the minimum standards to protect the life and safety of occupants,” said Jake Davis, who’s credited as the lead performance auditor on this report with OLAG.

Davis says there were also problems with inspection reporting compliance, from projects missing plan reviews to multiple schools not building firewalls.

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“We are at a decisive point in the future of oversight of school construction,” said Deputy Superintendent Scott Jones with USBE.

Jones says the state board requested this audit because while they have a process for handling non-compliant buildings, resources are limited.

“It doesn’t go unresolved or unnoticed – it just takes time,” Jones said. “Myself and one other position are dedicated to school construction oversight.”

Another issue the audit uncovered was that one school district’s bid practices were concerning.

The unnamed district gave 18 construction projects exclusively to one contractor since 2014, with the costs totaling up to over $250 million.

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The auditors say this bundling tactic may not be inappropriate, but it “exhibits the appearance of impropriety.”

House Speaker Mike Schultz (R-Hooper) said any changes implemented should also aim to better benefit the taxpayer.

“Because you look at these Taj Mahals that are being built — all across the state,” said Speaker Schultz. “In many cases, it’s 25, 30, 40 percent more than what needs to be spent.”

So lawmakers now have to lay the groundwork for that future.

“There are a lot of independent inspectors out there that can be hired,” Speaker Schultz said. “I think that can be happening and, quite frankly, should be.”

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Whether the answer is designating a new state agency to absorb USBE’s responsibilities, giving more power to local agencies or improving the current system, Senate President Stuart Adams said this project is a tough one they intend to tackle together.

“We all want the same things,” said Jones. “We want our kids to be educated in very safe environments and very safe buildings.”





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Here’s who will lead Utah Valley University as its next president

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Here’s who will lead Utah Valley University as its next president


Jon Anderson will be charged with moving the Orem school forward following the death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk on campus last year.

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Incoming UVU President Jon Anderson poses for a photo with his family after an event announcing his selection at Utah Valley University in Orem on Friday, July 17, 2026.



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Beaver County residents set up thousands of sandbags ahead of flashfloods

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Beaver County residents set up thousands of sandbags ahead of flashfloods


BEAVER COUNTY, Utah — A massive community effort is underway as volunteers and Beaver County crews distribute thousands of sandbags to protect homes from the potential path of floodwaters.

After the Cottonwood Fires, residents have been waiting for weeks for relief to come in the form of rain, though officials now warn it may come all at once with an increased risk of flooding and debris flow.

Emergency Service Director Les Whitney believes that the fire has left plenty of debris to bring trouble for residents.

“We got a lot of water. We’re bringing debris with it, so tree branches, tree limbs, logs, lots of different size firewood, and that’s all in the creeks. We’re worried about that plugging up our bridges and stuff, so we have heavy equipment and excavators located in strategic places so that we can keep those bridges open,” said Whitney.

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An estimated 140 homes and condominiums were spared from the flames, but remain in the paths of floodwaters.

Residents can also pick up sandbags at the Beaver County Sheriff’s Office or at the Beaver County Rodeo Fairgrounds.





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Utah man arrested again for allegedly abusing dog twice in three months

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Utah man arrested again for allegedly abusing dog twice in three months


EAGLE MOUNTAIN — An Eagle Mountain man currently on pretrial release in 4th District Court who is accused of abusing his dog has been arrested again for allegedly punching the same animal.

Keith Reaves Davis, 43, was booked into the Utah County Jail on Wednesday for investigation of aggravated cruelty to an animal.

Utah County sheriff’s deputies were called Wednesday afternoon to a grocery store on a report that a man was beating his dog after it had gotten off its leash and was stopped by a bystander, according to a police booking affidavit.

“I reviewed security camera footage from the grocery store, and an individual matching the description of the suspect was seen holding the dog in the air by one paw and repeatedly striking the dog on the right hind leg area. I observed the male strike the dog several times before dropping the dog from approximately 1-2 feet. The strikes appeared to be as hard as the male could hit,” the arresting deputy wrote in the affidavit. “The dog did not cry out or whimper as if the dog was accustomed to the abuse.”

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When questioned, Davis “admitted to striking the dog because it was not behaving,” the affidavit states.

An animal control officer who responded to the scene to take custody of the dog noted it was the same dog he had taken from Davis exactly three months earlier during another animal abuse investigation.

In that case, Davis was charged in 4th District Court with aggravated cruelty to an animal, a class A misdemeanor; and public intoxication, a class C misdemeanor, after deputies received a tip from a neighbor that a dog was being abused at Davis’ home, according to charging documents. When questioned, Davis “acknowledged hitting his dog as punishment,” the charges state.

Deputies also reviewed videos that the neighbor had filmed. The neighbor told investigators “there was blood from the dog on the ground of the garage and (the neighbor) can hear the dog screaming as if it’s being hurt. Deputies got the videos from the (neighbor) and you can hear very loudly the dog screaming and crying with a lot of loud banging noises. In one of the videos, you can hear the dog sounding like it is being choked by a collar and is grasping for air,” a police booking affidavit states.

Davis’ next court hearing in the April case is scheduled for July 28.

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In their latest booking report, sheriff’s deputies note that they “believe further harm will be inflicted on this dog if it is released back to the male a second time,” and have recommended the dog not be returned to Davis.

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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