Scott D. Pierce, a respected longtime television critic based in Salt Lake City who also served as President of the Television Critics Association in 2014, died Friday of undisclosed causes. He was 64.

The news was made public by his partner, Rob Sonoda.

Pierce wrote television criticism for more than 30 years, beginning in 1990 at the Deseret News. He remained at that paper through 2010, when he was among employees affected by massive layoffs at the Mormon Church-owned paper. He was offered a job the next day at The Salt Lake Tribune; he remained at the Tribune until his death.

Pierce continued to write criticism at the Tribune but also wrote general features and expanded to reporting on crime and other matters when he was spared during layoffs at that paper.

”Scott was the Swiss Army knife of reporters, seemingly able to handle anything and in quick order,” Tribune reporter Julie Jag said.

“He was a friend to many of us,” Tribune executive editor Lauren Gustus said Friday. “He also welcomed the newest reporters, making an effort to find connections with folks who had recently joined us.”

Gustus celebrated Pierce as a journalist and writer who “had a conversational style that made him easy to read, and a willingness to take on anything journalism happened to throw his way on any given day.”

Pierce was a member of the Television Critics Association for decades, and attended the group’s biannual Los Angeles press tour every year. He served as the group’s president in 2014.

SANDY, Utah — With the power of over 200 youth volunteers, thousands of veterans’ graves have a flag planted in their honor this Memorial Day.

From all over the Salt Lake Valley students of all ages gathered at around 7 p.m. Thursday at Larkin Sunset Gardens Cemetery in Sandy.

“Some of them are local church groups. This group right behind me here is my grandson’s swim team,” said Rob Larkin the mortuary manager and a fourth-generation in the family business. “And then, there’s some other civic high school groups that come in and help.”

Larkin gets to see the next generation respect and honor our fallen Utah heroes.

“(My grandson went) over and cleaned up the grave and made sure that his great-grandfather had a flag. He served in the Korean War,” Larkin said.

Larkin manages this event each year and sees the lessons the volunteers learn from the experience.

“It gives them … their first inkling on how important it is to be respectful to our veterans,” he said.

A red white and blue tribute for our fallen heroes ahead of Memorial Day. By the time the sun set, every American flag had a home.

Eric Cabrera is a reporter for KSL NewsRadio. You can follow him on Instagram. 

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The No. 1 overall high school basketball prospect in America is going to call Utah home for a season. Specifically, Hurricane.

On Friday, it was announced that AJ Dybantsa — the consensus top recruit in the 2025 class — is transferring high schools, moving from Prolific Prep in California to Utah Prep Academy.

Listed at either 6-foot-8 or 6-foot-9, depending on the outlet, and 200 pounds, Dybantsa is one of the most sought after prospects in the country, holding scholarship offers from over 20 notable Division 1 programs, the most recent offer coming from the University of Utah.

Duke, Kansas and Kentucky have all offered Dybantsa, as have the two-time defending champion UConn Huskies, plus North Carolina, Texas, Washington and more.

The Brockton, Massachusetts, native averaged averaged 21.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game as a junior at Prolific Prep this past season and as a freshman two years ago at St. Sebastian’s School in Needham, Massachusetts, Dybantsa was named the Gatorade Player of the Year.

Through 10 games played with the Oakland Soldiers (9-1) this season on Nike’s EYBL circuit, Dybantsa is averaging 23 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per contest while shooting 54.8% from the field, 39.3% from 3-point range and 81.6% from the free-throw line.

Dybantsa reclassified up to the Class of 2025 in October and is now considered the consensus top prospect for the 2026 NBA draft as a small forward.

Utah Prep, formerly known as RSL Academy, is relocating to Hurricane from Herriman for the 2024-25 season. The Academy is just one of a couple notable prep basketball powerhouses now located in the state, along with Wasatch Academy in Mt. Pleasant.

Another top 10 prospect in the 2025 class — Isiah Harwell — plays for the Tigers, meaning Utah will be the temporary home of two of the most talented prep basketball players in the country. A Pocatello, Idaho, native, Harwell holds scholarship offers from nearly a dozen Division 1 programs currently, including Gonzaga, Houston, North Carolina and UCLA.