Columbus
The Utah Investigative Journalism Project
Emergency calls from US Magnesium workers show disorganized response
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with The Salt Lake Tribune, with support from the McGraw Center for Business Journalism at CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. The urgent call came into the Tooele County 911 dispatcher just after 9:30 one...
Utah in danger of losing hundreds of affordable housing units in next few years
MILLCREEK — Ivette Vickory loves her Millcreek apartment, but seeing her rent nearly double since she moved into the complex in 2009 has been hard to stomach. Then she found out rent could rise even more as her low-income complex exits a federal program that subsidizes low-income housing. “That...
Controversial Moab developer quietly makes major donations in AG’s race
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with The Moab Sun. Derek Brown’s campaign website for the attorney general’s race brands him as a “constitutional conservative,” ready to take on the overreach of bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. meddling in Utah’s state’s rights.
County commissioner and former Utah wildlife official investigated for alleged big game baiting
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with The Salt Lake Tribune. It was a dream hunt more than 20 years in the making — that’s how long Robert’s father had been applying in annual state drawings for a highly sought after bow hunting tag.
Utah gave $40M in tax breaks to a solar company accused of fraud
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with Salt Lake City Weekly. “I guess you could call me a tree hugger,” said Washington state resident Tammy Crough on why she decided to install home solar power in 2023. “I love trees, the Earth,...
He wanted a Utah campsite refund. An officer cuffed him and took him down.
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with The Salt Lake Tribune. Kamal Bewar insists the campfire was out. But when he, his friends and their children returned to their site at Storm Mountain Picnic Area last summer, they found a note accusing them of having left it burning. They had to leave, the camp hosts had written.
Teacher says pleas for better ventilation were ignored, then he was diagnosed with lung disease
MONTICELLO — Retirement isn’t shaping up to be quite how LaMarr Walker pictured it. Activities he still planned on enjoying for years to come — running, hunting with his kids or operating two side businesses — are no longer a given. Instead, Walker wakes up each...
Utah could look to these countries to outlaw “coercive control” in intimate relationships
The following story was supported by funding from The Alicia Patterson Foundation and the Fund for Investigative Journalism and was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with The Salt Lake Tribune. Imagine a hostage situation. A woman is trapped in her home, and her life and the...
A Utah man never hit his wife–until he tried to kill her. But how he treated her was a warning sign
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project with funding from The Alicia Patterson Foundation and the Fund for Investigative Journalism in partnership with The Salt Lake Tribune. Jennifer Andrus didn’t have any bruises. She didn’t have black eyes, or other injuries to her face or head...
Free webinar on requesting public records 4/23
Join us for this free webinar on April 23, 12-1 pm where we will run through everything you need to know to file requests for public records in Utah. We’ll go over strategies for successful requests and how to fight records denials. This is a crash course on our...
US Senate candidate received $50k from vape shop owners
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with Utah News Dispatch. Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs, one of a handful of candidates vying for the U.S. Senate seat soon to be vacated by Mitt Romney, welcomed Florida GOP Congressman Matt Gaetz to stump for him at a recent rally of several hundred enthusiastic attendees.
Wilson’s Senate campaign disclosures show how closely development and government can align
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with KUER. In his U.S. Senate campaign ad, Republican Brad Wilson, former speaker of the Utah House, leans into his career as a real estate developer. He walks through a construction site and the camera cuts to...
Are Utah victims being left behind by a 50-year-old understanding of domestic violence?
The following story was funded by The Alicia Patterson Foundation and The Fund for Investigative Journalism and was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with The Salt Lake Tribune. Carla feels like she’s “on a roller coaster” with her boyfriend, Jake. He’s dragged her back to her...
Utah County doesn’t provide methadone to jail inmates. That may be about to change.
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with the Daily Herald. Many incarcerated Utahns still have a hard time getting their hands on addiction medication, even during the opioid epidemic. “It’s a feeling that is, I think, indescribable to most people who’ve not experienced...
How Utah lawmakers disclose–or don’t disclose– conflicts of interest
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with Salt Lake City Weekly. The Utah Legislature is made up of part-timers whose day jobs shape their approach to lawmaking. In many cases, their expertise as doctors, educators, business owners and more offers insight into a myriad of issues affecting Utahns. But lawmakers’ professional interests can also open the door for conflicts of interest.
Stressed rural domestic violence shelters are turning people away
The following story was supported by funding from the Alicia Patterson Foundation and the Fund for Investigative Journalism and was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with The Salt Lake Tribune. On a typical afternoon in 2021, Kait Sorensen answered the phone at a rural Utah domestic...
Critics say bill prioritizes hunting access over money for schools
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with Utah News Dispatch. Hunting interests could take precedence over the interests of Utah students and private parties like the Ute Indian Tribe, say critics. HB262 gives the Utah Department of Natural Resources (DNR) preferential treatment during...
Tax break program for Utah seniors could disappear for lack of use
SALT LAKE CITY — A four-decades-old property tax relief program that helps some of Utah’s most vulnerable seniors is now itself at risk of fading away due to sheer legislative neglect. The Circuit Breaker program, established some time in the 1980s, targets low-income homeowners age 66 and up,...
Judge blasts the office of Attorney General Sean Reyes for ‘haphazard’ record keeping
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with The Salt Lake Tribune. As controversy engulfed his predecessor, who was accused of doing favors for wealthy supporters and friends and receiving improper gifts, Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes was swept into office. Reyes now faces...
One of Utah’s best-known police chiefs has had a decadeslong side career defending police misconduct
This story was reported by the Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with the Invisible Institute and Salt Lake City Weekly. Ken Wallentine is one of Utah policing’s most high-profile figures. He frequently gives testimony to legislative committees considering bills affecting the criminal justice system, and served as president of the Utah Chiefs of Police Association, in addition to his role as chief of police for West Jordan, Utah’s third-largest city.
The Utah Investigative Journalism Project
511+
Posts
812K+
Views
The Utah Investigative Journalism Project was founded in 2016 as a non-profit, public service journalism and educational resource for the state and region.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.