Thursday, June 1, 2023 | 

Zakary Sonntag

A bald eagle that was brought into the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah for care.
Utah
Why the number of wildlife refugees is on the rise in Utah
Utah’s largest animal rehabilitation organization, is gearing up for a record year of animals in need.
By Zakary Sonntag
Rich Mauro, Salt Lake Legal Defender Association’s executive director, poses for a portrait at his office in Salt Lake City.
Utah
Is the virtual courtroom the future of the justice system?
Video proceedings have increased court access but raised questions of rights amid case backlog.
By Zakary Sonntag
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Utah
In one hour, vehicles killed 3 pedestrians in Utah. Is it time to get serious about road safety?
It’s been a fatal day — and a fatal past several weeks — for pedestrians and cyclists in Utah.
By Zakary Sonntag and Kyle Dunphey
Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Brandon Ayer walks back to his car on I-215 in West Valley City.
Utah
Did the COVID-19 pandemic make Utah roads more dangerous?
Utah Highway Patrol data show wrong-way driving, excessive speeding and drivers attempting to outrun police have surged.
By Zakary Sonntag
Copperhive Vintage owner Jacqueline Whitmore hangs vintage clothing at her store in Salt Lake City. The COVID-19 pandemic changed how some people shop for clothes.
Utah
Vintage in vogue: The newest trends in fashion are nothing new at all
COVID-19 pandemic changed how some people shop for clothes.
By Zakary Sonntag
Building materials sit on the side of the road at a construction site in South Jordan on Wednesday, April 6, 2022.
Utah
Is construction site theft getting worse?
Building boom and supply scarcity heighten incentives for theft.
By Zakary Sonntag
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Environment
Easter ducklings: The problem with buying birds as gifts
Swelling duck populations are causing ecological problems — cities take to culling, activists cry foul.
By Zakary Sonntag
A “for sale” sign is displayed outside of a house in the Sugar House neighborhood of Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021.
Utah
Selling your home? Watch out, you may have to pay capital gains tax
Large home profits can add complexity to an already intricate system that gets trickier as assets and income expand.
By Zakary Sonntag
Cattle eat on Reyes Carballo’s ranch in Parowan on Monday, June 21, 2021.
Utah
Will local meatpackers take advantage of federal dollars? Utah’s food security at stake
Aid for processing expansion will help the Beehive State achieve food security — but Utah’s meatpackers may lack the appetite for expansion.
By Zakary Sonntag
Weber State University students and staff listen and watch as photojournalist Lynsey Addario, who is currently covering the war in Ukraine for The New York Times, talks about her work during a video call at Elizabeth Hall in Ogden.
U.S. & World
Why women are uniquely able to document war, from the photojournalist sharing heartbreaking images of Ukraine
Photojournalist Lynsey Addario, on assignment in Ukraine for The New York Times, spoke to Utah students about the war in Ukraine.
By Zakary Sonntag
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Arts
After 2 years of pandemic neglect, these artists want to revive creativity
Why this gallery aims to be about more than retail, and how it’s helping artists.
By Zakary Sonntag
Nancy Rigby visits “Handstitched Worlds: The Cartography of Quilts” at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts.
Utah
Every quilt tells a story — from hardship to hope
New exhibit unfurls the deeply woven, multi-layered meaning of quilts.
By Zakary Sonntag
Sen. Rand Paul, R-KY, addresses prospective state GOP delegates at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center.
Utah
Sen. Mike Lee warns Utahns of ‘the tyranny of expertise’
Sen. Rand Paul and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem joined Sen. Mike Lee in Salt Lake City where the prominent Republicans warned prospective state party delegates against the consolidation of government power.
By Zakary Sonntag
This June 17, 2019, file photo shows 5-mg pills of Oxycodone.
Utah
Can mindfulness cure chronic pain and opioid addiction?
Researchers at the University of Utah’s College of Social Work have published the results of study that found 45% of mindfulness patients were no longer misusing opioids and that 36% had cut their opioid use in half.
By Zakary Sonntag
Cheryl Johnson in the backyard of her South Salt Lake home.
The West
Many are being forced to be house rich, cash poor to cope with rising home values
‘Circuit breaker’ program offers some relief to older home owners.
By Zakary Sonntag
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Utah
When the need for affordable housing runs up against zoning laws
A new report from the Utah Foundation finds that affordable middle housing is tough to build because most residential zoning only allows for single-family homes.
By Zakary Sonntag
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Utah
From Germany to Utah, leaders memorialize the ‘Berlin Candy Bomber’
The Utah native famous for candy airlifts to East Berlin died at 101.
By Zakary Sonntag
Stephen Greenwood and his fiancée, Amy Lloyd, check out a used 2019 Toyota Tundra at Performance Toyota Bountiful.
Business
Need to buy a used car? Good luck
The hike has demoralized buyers and possibly forever rewritten the rule book for the economy of cars.
By Zakary Sonntag
Floral designer Rhiannon Johnson works on a flower arrangement at Brown Floral in Holladay on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022.
Business
Need a last-minute Valentine? Good luck
Though supply chain issues have increased the price of roses, 37% of gift-givers plan to buy flowers.
By Zakary Sonntag
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Utah
How a new arts grant will flow directly to local artists and revive cultural industry hurt by pandemic
The money is seen as a godsend to a sector that was among the worst hit by a pandemic recession that dried up artistic patronage and left creatives scrambling for ways to stay fed.
By Zakary Sonntag
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Utah
The pandemic driving lull is over, but mutated commuter habits have changed the transportation equation
Utah traffic has is back up to levels that match, and in some cases exceed, pre-pandemic levels. Busy roads and commutes has brought back concerns about air pollution and roadway frustration.
By Zakary Sonntag
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Utah
University of Utah’s black hole discovery shines a light on how galaxies are formed
The black hole dubbed B023-G078 tells the story of what happens when stars collide.
By Zakary Sonntag
University of Utah Health announced that its scientists are testing a new contraceptive gel for men.
Utah
Birth control for men? How a new contraceptive could change family planning dynamics
University of Utah Health is doing a clinical study of contraceptive gel for men.
By Zakary Sonntag
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Utah
After a pandemic slump, Girl Scouts hope to sweeten cookie sales with a new flavor — Adventurefuls
In an apparent effort to ensure the debate over the best Girl Scout cookie remains eternally unsettled, the troops this year are introducing a new, brownie-inspired flavor.
By Zakary Sonntag
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Education
Quinoa. It’s tricky to spell, but BYU researchers think it’s an answer to global food security
Cultivating hybridized quinoa strains could make for a viable crop in communities where climate issues threaten food security.
By Zakary Sonntag
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Utah
Increasing calls to Utah’s crisis hotline show Utahns are struggling — but they’re also asking for help
The number of Utahns who called the state’s suicide crisis hotline jumped by 32%, bringing the total number of calls to 92,532 for the fiscal year period ending June 2021, according to the Huntsman Mental Health Institute.
By Zakary Sonntag
Apartments and townhouses on Traverse Mountain Boulevard in Lehi.
Business
Housing in the middle: What we want and what we can afford
Multifamily housing options that fall between single-family homes and large apartment complexes can help alleviate housing shortage pressures and give homebuyers more options.
By Zakary Sonntag
U.S. Postal Service letter carriers leave the post office in the Sugar House neighborhood of Salt Lake City on Oct. 7, 2020.
Utah
Postal service sets new record with help of dogged mail carrier workforce
The U.S. Postal Service delivered 13.7 billion packages and letters between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, including 7 million in Utah.
By Zakary Sonntag
The Utah State Prison in Draper is pictured on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020.
Utah
Why the Hatch Foundation says focusing on family can shift the criminal justice system from retribution to reentry
The foundation’s proposed family-centered approach seeks to shift the emphasis in criminal justice from retribution to reentry.
By Zakary Sonntag