Utah
Here’s what a new military communications manufacturing facility will bring to Utah
An L3Harris worker works within the new facility in Salt Lake Metropolis. L3Harris’ Salt Lake facility will function the corporate’s hub for growing communication applied sciences designed to guard the protection of residents and people preventing for that security. (L3Harris)
Estimated learn time: 3-4 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — L3Harris for over 65 years has been nestled within the Salt Lake Valley, laborious at work growing state-of-the-art communication applied sciences essential to the nation’s safety.
On Thursday, these years of labor culminated with the opening of a brand new 380,000-square-foot manufacturing and operations facility that “provides a full dimension to our enterprise that we did not actually have earlier than,” mentioned Brendan O’Connell, president of L3Harris.
The ability at 540 N. 2200 West in Salt Lake Metropolis will function the corporate’s hub for growing cutting-edge communication applied sciences designed to guard the protection of residents in addition to the very people preventing for that security by offering their expertise to the usmilitary and worldwide protection prospects.
L3Harris is the trade chief in growing superior communications methods used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, airborne, satellite tv for pc, and floor tactical networks, and command and management, together with for the U.S. secretary of protection and the president of the US.
The opening of this facility, O’Connell mentioned, permits L3Harris “not simply to design and manufacture core merchandise and built-in methods and community however it permits us to additional develop our capabilities to help the warfighter.”
The 380,000-square-foot constructing will enable L3Harris to consolidate enterprise operations that was unfold throughout an expansive campus and a number of services right into a single constructing.
It’s going to additionally enable them to reply to the fluid wants of protection communications faster than earlier than.
“We designed it with a really modular building, in order that makes us extra agile (and) extra aggressive over a time frame,” O’Connell mentioned.
The constructing can also be paying homage to Utah’s rising inhabitants and economic system. “We have got over 1,000 staff right here at present, however it’s actually constructed to develop to three,000 (staff),” O’Connell mentioned.
Moreover, the constructing has room to develop to over 400,000 sq. ft to satisfy the demand for altering wants and new applied sciences.
“Folks hear a navy plane and say, ‘That is the sound of freedom,’” Sen. Mitt Romney mentioned, chatting with the applied sciences developed at L3Harris in the course of the ribbon-cutting occasion Thursday.
“Effectively, this right here is a part of the thoughts of freedom. That is what permits our preventing women and men, our fliers and others all over the world to be protected and to have the ability to perform the missions that they had been assigned by the commander in chief,” mentioned Romney, R-Utah.
Together with serving as a nationwide hub for protection communications, the power additionally carries a big financial impression for the Salt Lake Valley and Utah as a complete.
Utah Republican Rep. John Curtis mentioned that the ripple results of a corporation like L3Harris transferring into the group shall be “dramatic.”
“The property tax on this constructing will educate our children and pave our roads and accomplish that many issues on this group,” Curtis mentioned.
There are causes for us to have a robust protection. Not as a result of we wish to go to conflict, however as a result of we wish to defend ourselves from having to go to conflict.
–Utah Sen. Mitt Romney
Rep. Chris Stewart echoed Curtis’ sentiments and added that L3Harris positions Utah as a nationwide participant in protection communications.
“All of this builds on this concept that with regards to nationwide protection and infrastructure to help that, Utah’s an enormous half in that,” mentioned Stewart, R-Utah, including that it’ll give extra alternatives to latest faculty graduates in Utah who wish to have careers within the Beehive State.
“It does give the younger folks a possibility to say, ‘I haven’t got to go to California, I haven’t got to go to Houston. I can have job right here in Utah,” he mentioned.
Presently, L3Harris employs almost 3,500 folks within the Salt Lake space, with room so as to add extra.
“There are causes for us to have a robust protection,” Romney mentioned. “Not as a result of we wish to go to conflict, however as a result of we wish to defend ourselves from having to go to conflict.”
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Utah
Utah T-Mobile customers experience service outage
An apparent service outage has affected T-Mobile customers in Utah.
Customers went on social media Tuesday to note that their service has been disrupted. People posting on X reported outages stretching from St. George to Ogden.
The website TechRadar reported Tuesday that T-Mobile had experienced some 19,500 outages in a less than an hour, according to the online tool Down Detector. Most of the outages — which are affecting both T-Mobile and Mint Mobile customers — were in Utah locations, Down Detector found.
Just after 2 p.m., the company said there was a “brief mechanical issue that impacted connectivity” but it has since been resolved.
“We apologize for the inconvenience,” the company said in a statement.
Click here to read full story from the Salt Lake Tribune
Utah
Mountain Bike Mania: Pedaling Utah Tourism
SALT LAKE CITY — A growing number of Utah high schools have about as many mountain bike racers as football players. That surprising development becomes obvious at the starting line of weekend races.
“We are the largest youth cycling organization in the nation,” said Dallen Atack, board president of the Utah High School Cycling League.
Just 10 years ago, there were 320 riders. Now more than 7,500 students compete.
“I love being out there all the time,” said Morgan High School rider Blair Erickson.
Riders aren’t the only ones who love high school mountain biking.
“They have an incredible impact on our community,” said Maria Twitchell, director of Visit Cedar City, Brian Head Tourism Bureau.
“It bolsters the community because they have to eat and get gas and stay,” said Dennis Jorgensen, mountain bike organizer in Richfield.
Mountain bike races held among the ridges of Richfield, the peaks of Price and the vistas of Vernal bring thousands of visitors who likely wouldn’t otherwise come to these small Utah towns.
“From fast food to sit down, our restaurants are full,” said Price Mayor Michael Kourianos.
In Richfield, traffic and hotel parking lots are filled with cars carrying valuable cargo.
“Any time you drive down main street, you see a van or car with bikes on the back of it, and that didn’t use to be the case,” said Carson DeMille, chairman of the Richfield Trail Committee.
What’s become clear in city after city, is that on race weekends, huge open fields have become paydirt:
- $1,000,000 in Price
- $1,800,000 in Cedar City
- $500,000 in Richfield.
So no surprise, small towns all over Utah are racing to build tracks of their own.
Tracks have existed for a number of years in Richfield, Cedar City, Vernal, Price, St George, Manti, Beaver Mountain, Eagle Mountain and Soldier Hollow.
More recently, trails have come online in Mantua, Herriman and Beaver. And new trails have come or are coming to Tooele, Panguitch and Gunnison. Morgan has a track in the works.
The cities of Price and Herriman are working on second tracks.
“It’s pretty competitive. We don’t really talk about it, but on our end, we try to take care of those race directors,” said Lesh Coltharp, director of Tourism and Events for Uintah County.
Ahead of the races, big open fields of dirt turn into mini cities of high school staging tents. There’s a reason these races are more suited to rural Utah than established ski resorts and trail areas.
“We do have specific standards on how long the course needs to be,” said Michelle Lyman, race director for region 2.
They need broad tracks that are 4-6 miles, about 500 feet in elevation, with nothing too steep or too narrow.
But the number one requirement:
“We need to have at least 1,000 parking spaces to hold one of our races,” Atack said.
Many cities combine private, county and BLM lands with donations, county and state grants to build their tracks.
It’s more than just economics that fuels mountain biking mania. Unlike most high school sports, everyone gets to compete. No one sits on the sidelines.
“Nobody rides the bench, is one of our favorite mottos of the league,” Atack said.
These tracks provide a valuable source of recreation and opportunity for kids, especially in small towns.
“I knew that if we could get these kids riding it would change their lives,” said Dennis Jorgensen, of Richfield.
“We’re building athletes. And those athletes turn to lifetime users and recreationists and come back year after year and bring their kids,” added Maria Twitchell, of Cedar City.
In many cities, trail maintenance can also become a part-time, high school job.
Since mountain biking isn’t a high school-sanctioned sport, the need for parent volunteers is great. They require a 1:6 coach-to-student ratio, just to ride on the trails.
“This is a sport where parents can practice and ride right alongside their kids, support them in the day,” Lyman said.
So, while mountain biking is changing the face of high school sports for thousands of families, it is also putting Utah towns on the map for tourism.
“Word of mouth continues to grow, so the impact is much larger than we anticipated,” said Amy Myers, Sevier County tourism director.
“When the community benefits,” Jorgensen said, “We all benefit.”
Utah
Community clothing swaps help families make ends meet in Utah County
OREM, Utah — Stepping up to help each other make ends meet, the Orem community is helping families get things they need this winter through a clothing swap.
Monday evening at Lakeridge Junior High, families picked out items and filled bags with clothes, jackets, shoes, books and more.
“It’s a blessing to be here, to be able to have them get the clothes they need and be able to give back too,” said Alyssa Dixon, a mom of three. “As a single mom, it’s really hard to support and especially for how expensive prices are, with inflation, gas prices, everything going on, it is really hard to do that extra thing of clothes they want and clothes they need.”
All the items are donated by others in the community. The free clothing swap was hosted by the Alpine School District’s outreach team.
“It’s for everybody in the community,” said Alyson Madsen, the community outreach coordinator for the Alpine School District. “Whether you have school-aged kids or not.”
Families brought clothes their kids outgrew or don’t wear anymore, and got to pick up new ones.
“It feels pretty good because you don’t have to pay for it,” said Lia Atondo, an eighth-grader at Lakeridge.
Last year, the swap was only at one school. This year they expanded to more schools because they saw a need and have been collecting donations since September.
“It’s filling a need,” added Madsen. “It’s filling something that ordinarily they couldn’t get on their own for their own family. And it makes me emotional sometimes because it’s just something that we can provide that they can’t for themselves.”
Kids get to pick out their own clothes, which helps them feel more confident, with the opportunity to express their own style. Plus, staying warm in the winter is now one less thing these families need to worry about.
“Going through the battles of life, it’s just super helpful,” added Dixon.
There’s another clothing swap this Friday at Orem Junior High School that’s open to the public. And if you want to help, they need more winter coats. Donations can be dropped off at the school before or during the event from 6-8 p.m.
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