Sunrise Stories: Cox Calls for Neutrality at Utah Universities

KDXU Sunrise Stories: Volume 106

Statewide News – 12/04/23

Cox Calls for Neutrality at Utah Universities

Utah Governor Spencer Cox wants colleges and universities across the state to stay neutral on current events to encourage discussion among the students.

Cox appeared on CBS’ Face the Nation where he stated he wants robust discussions to take place across the many college campuses in Utah.

The Utah Governor said colleges and universities across the country are attempting to silence “dissent” from students, but Cox also said that students need to feel safe while receiving a higher education.

Lawsuit Among Rising Homelessness in Salt Lake City

ACLU Utah gave their opinion on a lawsuit in Salt Lake City that accuses city officials of allowing the homelessness rate to skyrocket.

The lawsuit was filed by nine residents and business owners who said the city is “inviting and fostering” homelessness on its property.

The plaintiffs said the police don’t respond to their homes and businesses being vandalized by the homeless population.

The ACLU said that fining or imprisoning the homeless would make it harder for them to find housing in the future, causing a tightrope effect.

Hogle Zoo Mourns Loss of Red Panda

Staff and visitors of the Hogle Zoo are mourning the loss of Priya, a red panda who passed away at the age of five.

Zoo officials report the red panda was surrounded by a dedicated care team when Priya unfortunately passed away due to unknown causes.

Priya had been experiencing health problems for some time, with the situation escalating to a transfer to the ICU unit at Advanced Veterinary Care. The team at Hogle Zoo is currently investigating the cause of death.

Southern Utah/St. George News – 12/04/23

Damage to Water Pipe Causes Issues for La Verkin

Residents of La Verkin are currently facing water issues due to a 24-inch water pipe being damaged near Toquerville on December 1.

The initial damage reportedly caused several homes in La Verkin to lose access to water for a few hours before returning, albeit with lower pressure.

The Washington County Conservancy District provided a statement on their Facebook page giving more details on the situation, and said the repairs are expected to take about two weeks before water levels return to normal for the Southern Utah community.

Southern Utah Drag Group Wins Grant

A drag group in Hurricane has been recognized for the work they’ve done in the community.

Southern Utah Drag Stars announced they’re the recipient of the Queer to Stay grant that will allow them to continue to host events in the area.

There is no word on how much the grant is worth, but the group said it will certainly help them put on shows and other events in the future.

St. George Gas Prices Continue to Falter Behind State Average

Despite the continued decline of gas prices in Utah, St. George continues to stay well above the state average.

According to AAA, the state average is sitting at $3.07 per gallon of unleaded while Washington County is over 30 cents higher at $3.44.

The cheapest county for gas in Utah is Tooele County which is currently at $2.80 cents per gallon. If the price continues to drop, we could see the state average drop below $3 by December 8.

Other

Fun fact about Stockton Myers, the writer of Sunrise Stories.

Even though gas is getting cheaper, Stockton still had to fork out over $100 to completely fill his 1995 Ford F-150 which he continues to drive despite how much of a gas guzzler it is. Stockton learned how to drive in this truck, but he said it’s slowly dying along with his bank account every time he needs to fill it up.

Happy Monday!