Utah
Utah Board of Education considering AI technology to prevent school shootings
SALT LAKE CITY — Some Utah schools could soon use artificial intelligence to detect a person brandishing a gun before they enter the building.
In the 2023 legislative session, the Utah Legislature passed H.B. 61 — School Safety Requirements — with the goal of increasing school safety.
“Part of the legislation was this carve out for the three million for this one-time opportunity for firearm detection software,” said Rhett Larsen, the Utah State Board of Education school safety specialist.
In December, the Utah State Board of Education approved a $3 million contract with Utah-based tech company, AEGIX Global.
“Our contract focuses on creating ways that incidents can be actively managed combined with a technology called ZeroEyes to increase the response time for schools, but also even prevent incidents before they enter the building,” said AEGIX CEO Chet D. Linton.
Linton says there are two components to this technology. First: AEGIX Aim, which provides first responders, educators, and administrators information related to the area and school, like maps of the building if an incident occurs. Second: ZeroEyes AI Gun Detection.
“They have an artificial intelligence or AI technology that’s designed to identify firearms when they’re outside of a structure, and immediately an alert can be sent off to their monitoring service,” Linton explained. “They actually have offices that are monitoring 24/7. They verify there is actually a firearm, and in less than three seconds they send an alert to us that goes out to responders, and so a school can be locked down and somebody prevented from entering a school.”
The technology will be available for all schools that want to participate, but Larsen says this is an opportunity, not a requirement. He hopes they will have an application and rubric sent out to local education agencies, also known as LEAs, in February.
“We will have the minimal requirements that will be needed. For example, schools will need to have cameras and certain technical requirements as part of those cameras, working wifi,” Larsen said. “Right now, they can request up to four cameras at their school for the firearm detection software.”
AEGIX will help train schools that decide to implement the technology.
“It’s a lot of work for districts. They have to implement effectively, we want to make sure everyone is trained right, but when parents are supportive of what’s going on in the district, it makes it a lot easier for the district to make decisions,” Linton said.
Privacy has been a concern for some regarding the technology, but Linton says the ZeroEyes technology is not continuously streaming video capturing students.
“The only time is when there’s an actual incident where a firearm detected. That image is captured, and it’s sent off to be analyzed,” Linton said.
As the state and schools continue to explore ways to increase school safety, Larsen says students should remain a focus.
“It takes all of us to do that as part of this one large multidisciplinary team.”
Larsen says once LEAs are selected, they’ll have until the end of June 2025 to use the software. After that, they’ll need to work with local policymakers to secure funding to continue using it moving forward.
Utah
Teens airlifted to Utah County hospitals after rollover of at least 50 yards | Gephardt Daily
UTAH COUNTY, May 11, 2026 (Gephardt Daily) — Two males, ages 14 and 19, were transported to area hospitals Sunday after the side-by-side they were riding rolled down the side of a mountain.
Utah County Sheriff deputies and Santaquin police responded to the 6:07 p.m. call. Two medical helicopters were called to the scene, in the Pole Canyon area, as was a Department of Public Safety helicopter with a hoist in case it was needed, Sgt. Austin Edwards, Utah County Sheriff‘s Office, told Gephardt Daily.
“Eventually, rescue workers were able to make it to the spot on the hill where the vehicle had come to rest, and they were able to secure the victims, stabilize the victims, and get them back down the hill again to where the helicopters were waiting,” Edwards said.
“The 19-year-old male was transported to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, and the 14 year old was transported to Primary Children’s in Lehi.”
Both were said to have critical injuries, which were not considered to be life threatening, Edwards said.
“The cause of the rollover is still under investigation, so we don’t have that information available just yet.”
Photos: Utah County Sheriff
Utah
Utah Jazz jump to #2 in the lottery, plus full results
In what has a chance to be one of the most important nights in Jazz history, the Utah Jazz jumped in the NBA Lottery to the #2 spot for the upcoming NBA draft.
Here are the final results, which show all the movement.
Aside from it being a massive night for the Wizards, Jazz, Grizzlies, and Bulls, it was a devastating night for a few teams, but no one more than the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers, in their trade for Ivica Zubac, had a stipulation on their pick that if the pick was top-4 they kept it. But if it fell below 4, they would give it to the Clippers which is exactly what happened. Now, the Clippers, who are without Zubac, find themselves with a #5 pick to build around.
For the Jazz this is a culmination of four years of rebuilding that ends with an extremely satisfying end. Utah will now have one of the tier-1 players from this draft: AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson. The player Utah drafts will be one of their cornerstone pieces and will have the chance to not only play, but be a part of a team that will be competing for the playoffs this season.
The Utah Jazz now have a Sinister Six core: Darryn Peterson (If AJ Dybantsa goes #1), Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Walker Kessler (if he signs). It’s quite the core with a mix of youth and veterans in their prime. With this group, the Jazz will have a chance to be one of the top teams in the Western Conference. Yes, the Thunder and Spurs are going to be difficult to beat, but Utah has the mix of talent, coaching, and depth that could absolutely do the trick.
Now the Utah Jazz look forward to the NBA Draft that be on June 23rd. Let the posturing begin!!
Utah
Provo’s new Boys & Girls clubhouse gives Utah youth more space to learn, grow and belong
PROVO — An organization that has been a beacon of hope for Utah children and families just got a big upgrade in Provo.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County on Friday held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its newest facility, marking the start of a new chapter in providing support for those who need it the most.
The new Kent B. Nelson Clubhouse, 131 N. Olympic Blvd., replaces the organization’s former Provo clubhouse, which had been in operation for more than 50 years. Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County leaders said they had outgrown the aging facility and needed a larger, more modern space to support more community members.
“This new clubhouse is more than a building — it’s a central place where we can coordinate programs, support our staff, and amplify our impact across the region,” said David Bayles, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County, in a statement.
The organization’s mission was something the late former Utah County Commissioner Tom Sakievich was passionate about. His wife Marji and daughter Emily Sakievich attended Friday’s grand opening ceremony just as if he would’ve wanted to.
“He loved this project, and it meant the world to him,” Emily Sakievich told KSL. “This was actually one of the last places he went before he passed. (He) and my mom stopped by to just see how progress was going; he would be so excited to see this come together.”
The former commissioner died last December at the age of 72. Tom Sakievich resigned from the seat in September 2024 after being diagnosed with glioblastoma brain cancer.
Emily Sakievich said her father was a big supporter of helping children in the Boys & Girls Clubs feel supported while he was in office.
“He would have all of them come to his office and talk about how government works and how they can be a part of it someday,” she said.
The new 20,000 square-foot facility expands on resources and programs offered at its previous site for community youth and families experiencing hardships.
The clubhouse will provide safe, engaging, and educational programs in a modernized building fit to serve more than 14,000 Utah children and teens.
A variety of programs including after-school, summer activities and STEM learning will be offered at the new facility. Other resources include internet safety programs, mental health support, nutrition initiatives, and housing assistance for families experiencing homelessness.
“We’ve been able to increase the capacity so much and add preschool and other things; we can even benefit more families — and we can benefit them for a longer period of time, from younger to older, where there are no gaps.” Provo City Council Chair Katrice MacKay told KSL. “So I’m really excited. It’s a fantastic thing for the city and for our residents.”
Leaders of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County say the new $6 million Provo clubhouse was designed as a welcoming space where children and teens can explore new interests, build life skills, and receive mentorship from caring staff.
“The Boys & Girls Clubs have been a cornerstone of youth development in Utah County for decades,” said Janet Frank, board president, in a statement “This new clubhouse strengthens that mission, allowing the organization to extend its reach and impact across the entire region.”
Friday’s event took place while children who attend the Boys & Girls Clubs were in school, so another ceremony for kids and their families is planned for the end of the month.
“The Boys & Girls Club is for every kid out there,” Bayles said. “We want to accomplish what every parent wants for their kids — we want them to have a safe place to learn and grow, to be successful in school, to build social skills and to go on and be great members of society.”
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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