Utah

Utah mom says foster care helped, while she battled addiction

Published

4 weeks ago

June 3, 2024

Utah mom says foster care helped, while she battled addiction

SALT LAKE CITY — Hanna, whose last name we won’t use to protect her and her young sons, said she was driving to church six years ago with her now ex-husband when a police officer pulled them over.

“My children weren’t strapped in, and they were within reach of (drug) paraphernalia,” Hanna said. “That’s the truth, and they were removed.”

Her boys, Jace and Jagger, are now 6- and 12-years-old. They were taken to The Christmas Box House. Hanna was taken to jail. She and the boys’ father had both undergone medical procedures and what started as prescription medications for the pain, turned into addition to illegal drugs.

The boys ended up in foster care. Jagger was just 3-years-old at the time. But he remembers it well and said what made the biggest difference for him was being able to stay with his older brother.

When the boys were placed with their first foster family, they said they felt safe. They even did fun stuff, like Lagoon and water parks. And while they were staying with that foster family, their mom had a tough realization.

“Around the six-month mark, at one of my visits, the caseworker said, ‘You’ve done nothing to change, you’ve done nothing to improve this, we’re going to have a team meeting in court and I’m going to recommend adoption,’” Hanna said. “That’s when it hit me, that’s when I started making some changes.”

Attending AA meetings

Hanna started attending AA meetings and utilizing resources the state offered her. It was around that time she met Tracey Allred.

Allred now works for Utah Foster Care, but at the time was fostering other children.

“It was an instant connection,” Hanna said about meeting Allred.

“I am so grateful to the foster system,” Hanna said. “I can’t say it enough that there are people that are willing to open their homes to children who have been through the wringer.” (KSL TV)

Allred wasn’t caring for Jayce and Jagger, but opened her heart to all three. The relationship was a win-win. Allred said for the first time since she had started fostering children, she put herself in Hanna’s shoes.

“She taught me through our friendship, empathy,” Allred said. “I’ve never been able to put myself in that side of foster care.”

While Allred gained a new perspective, Hanna gained a strong female, role model for the first time in her life.

“My relationship with Tracey, having somebody who, like I said, who answers to phone, who shows up to family events and can sort of, mentor me through motherhood was really beautiful,” Hanna said. “It was really empowering. It made me feel like I can do this.”

Gov. Cox calling on Utahns to open hearts, homes in response to need for foster families

Taking care of her boys

And she did. And while she was putting in the work, her boys said their foster families were taking good care of them.

“They made really good dinners,” Jayce said to KSL TV.

And they enjoyed evenings just hanging out. But most importantly, they were together.

“Lets just say, two parts yin and yang, one whole,” the boys told KSL.

Hanna said there are many misconceptions about parent who get addicted to drugs, like they don’t love their children, or if they wanted to stop using drugs, they could. She said addiction was stronger than her. But, now nearly three years sober, with her boys now living with her, she is thankful.

“I am so grateful to the foster system,” Hanna said. “I can’t say it enough that there are people that are willing to open their homes to children who have been through the wringer.”

Allred and her family have now fostered eight children. She believes there are many Utah families who could successfully foster children who need care.

“If you have room in your heart and in your home, and you’re a safe, good person, you can do this,” Allred said.

For Hanna and her boys, they are their mom’s biggest fans and recognize how hard she’s worked to get the family back together.

“We are really proud of her,” Jayce and Jagger said to KSL.

Allred knows not everyone can get licensed for foster care, but she says there are many other ways to help. If you would like more information, go to utahfostercare.org.

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Utah

Utah gets $20 million for transportation and traffic light technology

Published

5 hours ago

June 28, 2024

Press Room

Utah gets $20 million for transportation and traffic light technology

The Federal Highway Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation has announced a $20 million grant to Utah.

Drivers of snow plows, public transportation buses, and other government-operated vehicles are using technology that can direct traffic lights to change in order to improve safety and travel time.

Under the “Saving Lives and Connectivity: Accelerating V2X Deployment” program, Utah will receive $20 million of the $60 million that is aimed to improve vehicle technologies. The other $40 million will go to Texas and Arizona.

“Connecting vehicles and infrastructure is a great way for us to be able to take advantage of technology to help improve safety and other outcomes. And Utah’s DOT has been a leader in this space for a long time,” Shailen Bhatt, US Federal Highway Administrator said.

UDOT will use this $20 million to fund projects in Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming, where each state represents different population concentrations and transportation facilities.

Bhatt says protecting personal private information can be one of the challenges when using these types of technology.

“So we will want people to understand what is being exchanged is called a basic safety message of DSM. The vehicle is going to report to the intersection that I’m approaching, and the intersection is going to report back ‘oh, the light is about to turn red or my light is red’, but it’s all anonymous data,” Bhatt said.

The technology is being used in Salt Lake City, where travel time reliability and bus performance have improved.

“It is unequivocal that when you deploy technology, we are able to reduce crashes, we’re able to reduce congestion, we’re able to reduce the amount of time people sit in traffic, and the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from our system. And we look forward to more investments being made on the basis of the data that we get from this initial deployment,” Bhatt said.

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Utah

As the Youth Group Hiked, First Came the Rain. Then Came the Lightning

Published

12 hours ago

June 28, 2024

Press Room

As the Youth Group Hiked, First Came the Rain. Then Came the Lightning

Seven members of a youth group hiking in Utah were transported to hospitals on Thursday after lightning struck the ground near them. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints youth group from Salina, Utah, were in the eastern part of Sevier County around 1:45pm local time when a light rain began and the lightning hit, Sevier County Sheriff Nathan Curtis said in a statement. “Approximately 50 youth felt the shock of the lightning,” Curtis said, adding that seven of the young people had “medical concerns due to the electrocution,” per the AP.

Two of the victims had serious symptoms and were flown by helicopter to Primary Children’s Hospital in Lehi, Utah. Five others were transported by ambulance to Sevier Valley Hospital in Richfield and Gunnison Valley Hospital in Gunnison, Curtis said. None of the injuries were considered life-threatening, according to Curtis, who said the other hikers were returned to their families in Salina, about 140 miles south of Salt Lake City. (A man trying to warn kids was killed by a lightning strike on a New Jersey beach.)

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Utah

7 Church youth group members hospitalized after lightning strikes Utah hiking area

Published

19 hours ago

June 28, 2024

Press Room

7 Church youth group members hospitalized after lightning strikes Utah hiking area

Here are 7 facts about monsoon season.

SEVIER COUNTY, Utah – Seven members of a youth group from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were hospitalized Thursday after lightning struck near their hiking trail in south-central Utah.

The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office said a group of around 50 members were near an area known as Fremont Junction when the sudden rainstorm happened around 1:45 p.m. local time.

“Two of the youth were experiencing some serious symptoms and were flown via medical helicopter to Primary children’s hospital in Lehi. The rest of the youth were taken to Gunnison hospital and Sevier Valley Hospital,” deputies stated.

All of the injuries were thought to be non-life threatening, and the rest of the members were transported safely off the hiking trail.

SOUTHWEST MONSOON SEASON SHOWS SIGNS OF LIFE AFTER SLUGGISH START

Authorities praised the swift response of multiple agencies involved in the remote rescue operation.

The thunderstorm that triggered the rainfall and the lightning us part of an uptick of the monsoon season that has been scarce across the region.

The Southwest monsoon season typically kicks off around June 15 and lasts through late September, but its activity varies dramatically year by year.

Some communities in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and West Texas see half of their annual precipitation during these months, which is vital for the replenishment of waterways.

Lightning often accompanies the strongest storms, which can spark wildfires where dry vegetation exists.