Senior Day at the University of Utah is always a poignant occasion, but this year’s ceremony carries even greater emotional weight as the program honors not only its current senior class but also the memories of Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe. Both would have been seniors this year, and their absence looms large as Utah prepares to host Iowa State in the final home game of the season at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Over 25 seniors, including key contributors like Junior Tafuna, Micah Bernard, and Money Parks, will be recognized for their contributions on and off the field. For many, their time at Utah has been marked by both triumph and adversity. As head coach Kyle Whittingham noted, these seniors were instrumental in the Utes’ back-to-back Pac-12 championships in 2021 and 2022, despite the challenges the team has faced in recent years. He praised their resilience, character, and dedication, both on the field and in the classroom, as all are either graduates or on track to graduate.

Utah reveals tribute uniforms with ‘Malama Lahaina’ helmets for Iowa State

A special part of the ceremony will honor Jordan and Lowe, two players whose lives were tragically cut short in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Their families will be present as the team remembers their immense impact on the program. Utah has consistently kept their memories alive through traditions like retiring their No. 22 jersey, creating a memorial scholarship, and the “Moment of Loudness,” a powerful tribute held before the fourth quarter at every home game.

For all Utes seniors, the bittersweet nature of Saturday will be amplified by the remembrance of their late teammates. The legacy of Jordan and Lowe will continue to inspire the program, reminding everyone of the deeper connections that transcend the game.

WEST VALLEY CITY (KSL.com) — A West Valley man who police say is also a youth sports coach is facing multiple felony charges accusing him of sexually abusing a teenage girl.

Jeffery Albert Alsop, 48, was charged this week in 3rd District Court with 18 counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony; and four counts of dealing in harmful materials to a minor, a third-degree felony.

Alsop is accused of abusing a teen girl from about 2021 until September of this year. Investigators say the abuse happened at multiple locations, including Alsop’s home and his place of work, according to charging documents.

Prosecutors say they also identified a second teen girl who they say was abused by Alsop several years ago.

“While the state is barred from filing forcible sexual abuse charges as it relates to the second victim … it’s essential to acknowledge she was also victimized by (Alsop) when she was 17,” the charges state.

The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office told KSL.com on Wednesday that it cannot file charges in that case due to the statute of limitations expiring on that type of charge. However, the investigation into possible other charges is continuing.

Police say Alsop is a coach for a softball team with teen girls and a football coach for teen boys. According to social media posts, he was also a youth football coach this year.

Alsop also has a lengthy criminal history for mainly drug-related crimes, dating back to 1995, according to court records. He was in and out of the Utah State Prison frequently from 1997 through 2009.

When it comes to housing costs, the U.S. government uses a simple ratio to determine the ideal price: A house should cost the same as three years of salary, 3:1.

In Utah, three years will not even get you a living room and kitchen. Most recent data shows you need an average of 6.2 years of salary to purchase a home in the Beehive State, which has the third highest housing prices in the nation, behind Hawaii and California.

Wages across the country, Utah included, are not increasing at the same rate as housing costs, leading not only to trouble paying for housing — if you have it — but trouble keeping homelessness at bay. As Steve Waldrip, Gov. Spencer Cox’s senior adviser on housing strategy and innovation, states, the data above and more information from the Utah Office of Homelessness Services shows that ability to own a home is a key to preventing homelessness.

“Last year, we had 5,000 new homeless individuals in Salt Lake County,” he said. “With elevated pricing comes increasing pressure and we see more homelessness. But the most protected, or the most sure way to have housing stability is to have home ownership … and we’re seeing more and more people frozen out the housing market.”

On Tuesday, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget hosted a virtual discussion on housing and homelessness in the state. Participants received updated data and information about what appears to be working.

The message is being sent that homelessness and housing are issues to address now, given that without solutions, what will happen to Utah’s young people and children? Current data demonstrates that while Utah continues to grow, mostly from the movement of people from other Western states to Utah, young Utahns are moving out of state to the South and Midwest, places where they can afford a home.

There is not enough housing in the state, one of the many reasons for the increase in housing costs. Waldrip did note that the state does plan to build 35,000 starter homes over the next four years, but that does not answer the need for housing to prevent homelessness today.

Tricia Davis Winter, the assistant director of the Utah Office of Homelessness Services, notes the state has tried a variety of programs and solutions to get and keep those living in homelessness off the streets and into homes. In 2004, under Lloyd Pendleton, the “housing first” model was used, in which those living in homelessness were given places to live first and services later.

Utah now practices a services-first model, with hopes of getting people living in homelessness into homes as soon as possible once they have received the services they need.

But without any new affordable housing units, as well as an ever-increasing price of housing and rents, it is logical that — as much as advocates, nonprofit leaders and state officials may want to solve homelessness in Utah — there is no easy fix. That’s especially true this time of year.

“For the last many, many years … we have had to scramble — for lack of a better word — on finding additional emergency shelter,” Winter said. “The need we identified is for an additional 900 emergency shelter beds for the winter period.”

Despite the increases in everything but wages, progress is taking place, state leaders said.

Under HB548, passed during the last legislative session, consumers who purchase anything at Utah state liquor stores will have the opportunity to “round up” their purchase to the next whole dollar amount. The amount rounded up will be deposited in the Pamela Atkinson Homeless Account. These new funds will go directly to homelessness services and prevention. The program began this week.

A pilot micro-shelter program, which was examined last year, will continue for the time being. What has been described by Winter as a “wildly successful” project, the program targets people who are not in any of the area shelters but still need services.

Local officials say the state is discussing the topic of homelessness more and more each day. Long gone are the days when homelessness was a topic that only affected one group of people. Long gone are the days when programs were created only to be closed before results could be seen.

“We’ve had our ups and downs when it comes to homelessness and how we deliver services,” said Tara Rollins from the Utah Housing Coalition. “Sometimes we take five steps back and one step forward, but I think the things we’re doing are really starting to take shape in a very good way.”