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Utah Olympic leaders study Milan’s Games operations ahead of 2034 Winter Olympics – KSLTV.com

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Utah Olympic leaders study Milan’s Games operations ahead of 2034 Winter Olympics – KSLTV.com


MILAN, Italy — Inside Milan’s massive Central Station, where marble floors meet towering ceilings, and thousands of travelers pass through each hour, Utah’s Olympic planners are taking notes.

For the Utah Transit Authority, transportation is one of the most important pieces of the Olympic puzzle.

“It is beautiful to walk in here, but we all want a station where we can find our way easily and trains are on time. That’s the most important thing for a traveler,” said Jay Fox, executive director of UTA. “The Utah Transit Authority is going to be moving everybody in the Games.”

Fox said watching Milan’s system operate during the Olympics has been eye-opening.

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“As big as I thought it was, it’s even bigger,” he said.

Fox said UTA’s goal in 2034 is simple: He wants to make transportation feel effortless.

“We want transportation to be seamless so that you don’t ever think about where you’re going,” he said.

Officials are paying close attention to how Italy handles moving large crowds between urban venues and mountain sites.

In Cortina, where some events are held, bus transportation has presented challenges. Many buses are often packed, forcing people to wait for the next bus, which then is often full as well.

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“Having the opportunity to see mountain operations in Cortina is going to be very beneficial for us,” said Andres Colman, UTA’s chief operating officer. “I have a lot of questions, a lot of things I need to learn, to make sure we can do it seamlessly.”

Colman has personal ties to the Olympics. He joined UTA just before the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City.

“Oh, the Olympics is the reason I’m at UTA,” he said.

State lawmakers are also participating in the Observer Program, using the experience to better understand what Utah will need in the coming years.

“The Olympic Observer Program allows future host committees to observe what the current host committee is doing,” said Rep. Jon Hawkins from Utah County.

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Hawkins said seeing the preparations in person helps legislators understand how they can support the Games through policy decisions and funding.

“Especially around security,” he said. “We just need to make sure that we’re ready.”

Utah Olympic leaders say the Games of 2034 will look very different from those held in 2002.

“There are 40% additional events compared to ’02,” said Colin Hilton, CEO of the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation. “A lot of things have changed over the years in terms of how the games operate at venues and a lot more hospitality spaces, a lot more, what we call fan engagement.”

Hilton said even those who worked on the 2002 Games are learning new approaches.

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“There’s always things to learn from those who are hosting a Games,” he said.

About 80 members of Utah’s 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Committee, as well as Utah state leaders, are in Italy as part of the Olympic Observer Program.

The Committee is also learning how Milan is managing venue operations, signage, and other critical systems during the Games.

Utah’s planning efforts for 2034 have already drawn praise from international officials.

Last week, members of the International Olympic Committee told Utah organizers to slow down because they may be moving too quickly since they are so far ahead of schedule.

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State and transit leaders say the feedback is encouraging, but they remain focused on improving.

“We are already very well prepared,” said Fox. “What we’re learning is really how to refine as opposed to how to do it.”



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Utah man dies of injuries sustained in avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon

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Utah man dies of injuries sustained in avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon


A man died after he was caught in an avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon over the weekend.

A spokesperson for the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Thursday that Kevin Williams, 57, had died.

He, along with one other person, was hospitalized in critical condition after Saturday’s avalanche in the backcountry.

MORE | Big Cottonwood Canyon Avalanche

In an interview with 2News earlier this week, one of Williams’ close friends, Nate Burbidge, described him as a loving family man.

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“Kevin’s an amazing guy. He’s always serving, looking for ways that he can connect with others,” Burbidge said.

A GoFundMe was set up to help support Williams’ family.

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911 recordings detail hours leading up to discovery of Utah girl, mother dead in Las Vegas

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911 recordings detail hours leading up to discovery of Utah girl, mother dead in Las Vegas


CONTENT WARNING: This report discusses suicide and includes descriptions of audio from 911 calls that some viewers may find disturbing.

LAS VEGAS — Exclusively obtained 911 recordings detail the hours leading up to the discovery of an 11-year-old Utah girl and her mother dead inside a Las Vegas hotel room in an apparent murder-suicide.

Addi Smith and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, lived in West Jordan and had traveled to Nevada for the JAMZ cheerleading competition.

The calls show a growing sense of urgency from family members and coaches, and several hours passing before relatives learned what happened.

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MORE | Murder-Suicide

Below is a timeline of the key moments, according to dispatch records. All times are Pacific Time.

10:33 a.m. — Call 1

After Addi and her mother failed to appear at the cheerleading competition, Addi’s father and stepmother called dispatch for a welfare check.

Addi and her mother were staying at the Rio hotel. The father told dispatch that hotel security had already attempted contact.

“Security went up and knocked on the door. There’s no answer or response it doesn’t look like they checked out or anything…”

11:18 a.m. and 11:27 a.m. — Calls 2 and 3

As concern grew, Addi’s coach contacted the police two times within minutes.

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“We think the child possibly is in imminent danger…”

11:26 a.m. — Call 4

Addi’s stepmother placed another call to dispatch, expressing escalating concern.

“We are extremely concerned we believe that something might have seriously happened.”

She said that Tawnia’s car was still at the hotel.

Police indicated officers were on the way.

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2:26 p.m. — Call 5

Nearly three hours after the initial welfare check request, fire personnel were en route to the scene. It appeared they had been in contact with hotel security.

Fire told police that they were responding to a possible suicide.

“They found a note on the door.”

2:35 p.m. — Call 6

Emergency medical personnel at the scene told police they had located two victims.

“It’s going to be gunshot wound to the head for both patients with notes”

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A dispatcher responded:

“Oh my goodness that’s not okay.”

2:36 p.m. — Call 7

Moments later, fire personnel relayed their assessment to law enforcement:

“It’s going to be a murder suicide, a juvenile and a mother.”

2:39 p.m. — Call 8

Unaware of what had been discovered, Addi’s father called dispatch again.

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“I’m trying to file a missing persons report for my daughter.”

He repeats the details he knows for the second time.

3:13 p.m. — Call 9

Father and stepmother call again seeking information and continue to press for answers.

“We just need some information. There was a room check done around 3:00 we really don’t know where to start with all of this Can we have them call us back immediately?”

Dispatch responded:

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“As soon as there’s a free officer, we’ll have them reach out to you.”

4:05 p.m. — Call 10

More than an hour later, Addi’s father was put in contact with the police on the scene. He pleaded for immediate action.

“I need someone there I need someone there looking in that room”

The officer confirmed that they had officers currently in the room.

Addi’s father asks again what they found, if Addi and her mother are there, and if their things were missing.

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The officer, who was not on scene, said he had received limited information.

5:23 p.m. — Call 11

Nearly seven hours after the first welfare check request, Addi’s grandmother contacted police, describing conflicting information circulating within the family.

“Some people are telling us that they were able to get in, and they were not in the hotel room, and other people saying they were not able to get in the hotel room, and we need to know”

She repeated the details of the case. Dispatch said officers will call her back once they have more information.

Around 8:00 p.m. — Press Conference

Later that evening, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police held a news conference confirming that Addi and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, were found dead inside the hotel room.

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The investigation remains ongoing.

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Ban on AI glasses in Utah classrooms inches closer to passing

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Ban on AI glasses in Utah classrooms inches closer to passing


AI glasses could allow you to get answers, snap photos, access audio and take phone calls—and now a proposal moving through the legislature would ban the glasses from Utah school classrooms.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Kizzy Guyton Murphy, a mother who accompanied her child’s class on a field trip to the state Capitol on Wednesday. “You can’t see inside what the student is looking at, and it’s just grounds for cheating.”

Mom Tristan Davies Seamons also sees trouble with AI glasses.

“I don’t think they should have any more technology in schools than they currently have,” she said.

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Her twin daughters, fourth graders Finley and Grayson, don’t have cell phones yet.

“Not until we’re like 14,” said Grayson, adding they do have Chromebooks in school.

2News sent questions to the Utah State Board of Education:

  • Does it have reports of students using AI glasses?
  • Does it see cheating and privacy as major concerns?
  • Does it support a ban from classrooms?

Matt Winters, USBE AI specialist, said the board has not received reports from school districts of students with AI glasses.

“Local Education Agencies (school districts) have local control over these decisions based on current law and code,” said Winters. “The Board has not taken a position on AI glasses.

MORE | Utah State Legislature:

Some districts across the country have reportedly put restrictions on the glasses in schools.

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“I think it should be up to the teachers,” said Briauna Later, another mother who is all for preventing cheating, but senses a ban could leave administrators with tired eyes.

“It’s one more thing for the administration to have to keep track of,” said Later.

The proposal, HB 42, passed the House and cleared a Senate committee on Wednesday.

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