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Happiness: How To Find It Even When Things Are Hard

Everyone wants to be happy, and we put a lot of effort into it. We focus a lot of our life on being happy. And it’s not even just an individual matter. For example, our Constitution even protects “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

So, are you happy?  You say you’re happy, but what makes you truly happy?  Is it genetic, and out of your control? Who are the happiest people in the world, and why isn’t that you?

KSL’s Michelle King talked to three experts and got some great happiness tips.  They go through hard times, but always find a way to choose “happy”.

Sometimes your problems are the everyday variety. On the other hand, you may combat unexpected tragedies, like addiction and depression. With these tools, you are better prepared for what life throws at you.

General Conference Documentaries

You can watch more General Conference documentaries like this one with the KSL-TV app. The app is free, with no cable subscription required, and available for a variety of Connected TV and smartphone platforms including Amazon Fire, Roku, iOS, Android and fourth-generation Apple TV boxes.

NANTUCKET, Mass. (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday wished Americans a happy and closer-to-normal Thanksgiving, the second celebrated in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic, in remarks welcoming the resumption of holiday traditions by millions of families — including his own.

“As we give thanks for what we have, we also keep in our hearts those who have been lost and those who have lost so much,” the president said in a videotaped greeting recorded with first lady Jill Biden at the White House before their trip to Nantucket, Massachusetts, for the holiday.

On the island, the Bidens visited the Coast Guard station at Brant Point to meet virtually with U.S. servicemembers from around the world and personnel at the station. “I’m not joking when I say I’m thankful for these guys,” the president said when asked what he was thankful for, referring to the Coast Guard members standing ramrod straight before him on the grounds as he departed.

Reporters were kept out of the room for Biden’s virtual remarks, apparently because of tight space in the building. Well-wishers waved and cheered as Biden’s motorcade navigated the island’s narrow paved and cobblestone streets to and from the Coast Guard compound.

Biden, whose late son Beau was a major in the Delaware Army National Guard, said he has watched U.S. service members in action around the world, from the South China Sea and Iraq and Afghanistan to South America. He said when foreigners wonder what America is, “they don’t see us here,” meaning civilians. “They see them,” he said of members of the Coast Guard and the other branches of the U.S. military. “It makes me proud.”

From Nantucket, the Bidens also called in to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, briefly bantering on air with NBC broadcaster Al Roker. Shut out a year ago, spectators again lined the route in Manhattan as some 8,000 participants joined the parade. Parade employees and volunteers had to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and wear masks.

Biden and his wife started spending Thanksgiving in Nantucket since before they were married in 1977 because they were looking for a way out of choosing whose family to spend it with. They did not visit in 2015 following Beau’s death earlier that year from brain cancer at age 46, or in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic put the kibosh on large family gatherings.

Biden instead dined at home in Delaware last year with just his wife, daughter Ashley and her husband.

But this year, the president joined the millions of Americans who are celebrating the holiday with big groups of loved ones. Biden’s entire family flew up with him Tuesday night on Air Force One to resume the Thanksgiving tradition: his wife; son Hunter and his wife, Melissa and their toddler son Beau; daughter Ashley; and grandchildren Naomi, Finnegan, Maisy, Natalie and young Hunter, as well as Naomi’s fiance, Peter Neal.

Naomi Biden and her fiance rode bicycles along on a local path just before her grandfather’s SUV departed the secluded home where the family is staying. The home belongs to David Rubenstein, a billionaire philanthropist and co-founder of the Carlyle Group private equity firm.

Biden’s visit, his first as president, is markedly different from his previous holidays here when he was a U.S. senator and later vice president. Then, he might have been seen walking around downtown.

Biden lost much of his freedom to move around on his own when he became president and now travels with a large group of security personnel, White House and other officials, and journalists. His every public move is closely watched by the U.S. Secret Service and other law enforcement.

Jill Biden was heard telling the Coast Guard members she would see them again Friday night at Nantucket’s annual Christmas tree lighting, another Biden tradition.

“We’re all going together,” she said of her family. The tree lighting ceremony is where Beau Biden proposed to his wife, Hallie, in 2001. They were wed on the island the following year.

Biden is expected to return to the White House on Sunday.

___

Associated Press writer Calvin Woodward in Washington contributed to this report.

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – For the first time ever, viewers of General Conference will be able to live stream sessions on the big screen – and to watch them on-demand – with the KSL-TV app.

In addition to KSL-TV’s broadcast coverage, General Conference sessions will air live on the KSL-TV app at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. MDT on Saturday, September 30 and Sunday, October 1. The app will also have all sessions available for later viewing on-demand.

The KSL-TV app is available for Amazon Fire, Roku, iOS, Android and fourth-generation Apple TV boxes — this means viewers aren’t limited to watching on mobile devices or scheduled timing: General Conference sessions can be watched on the big screen, whenever it’s most convenient.

To find the KSL-TV video app, search “KSL TV” in app stores.

General Conference Documentaries

In addition to providing sessions live and on-demand, all of KSL-TV’s General Conference documentaries will be available on the KSL-TV app. Simply select “Documentaries” in the ON DEMAND section (tap the remote control icon) – or search “General Conference.”

Documentaries this session include:

• History of the Saints: Respected scholars come together to answer questions and address concerns about Joseph Smith the Prophet.
• Choosing Happy: Key strategies to find happiness, with specific techniques to get through severe setbacks and sorrow.
• An Artistic Vision: The first-ever Mormon Arts Center festival in New York City, where artists, scholars, and musicians come together to elevate the concept of why Mormon Art matters.
• Civility: Changing the Conversations: Civility has taken a serious hit, but despite the trend toward negativity, there are positive voices working hard to make communication more civil.

The KSL-TV video app, found by searching “KSL TV”, offers live KSL-TV video streams along with an extensive library of on-demand news, entertainment, and sports content.

KSL has new and exciting ways to watch General Conference this year. In addition to KSL-TV 5’s broadcast coverage, General Conference will also be streamed live in the KSL-TV mobile and Connected TV apps (iOS, Android, Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV). No cable subscription required. And don’t worry if you miss anything or want to watch again later. All sessions and KSL Conference documentaries will also be available in the app on-demand.

Conference Sponsors

A lot of work and production goes into our Conference documentaries and coverage. Thank you to all of our sponsors: The Piano Guys, EDGEhomes, Deseret First Credit Union, Siegfried & Jensen and Living Scriptures.

General Conference Documentary Schedule

Here is KSL-TV’s programming documentary schedule for General Conference October 2017:

Saturday, September 30, 2017

• History of the Saints: 9:30-10:00 am
  Joseph Smith is the Prophet of the Restoration and as such occupies a unique and singular place in Latter-day Saint history. Because of who he is and what he represents he frequently comes under attack by critics. This History of the Saints special brings together respected scholars to answer questions and address concerns about Joseph Smith the Prophet.
• 50 Years of Miracles: 12:00-12:30 pm
  Once a year the quiet community of Manti Utah is transformed into a hub of activity as thousands of people from around the world flock there to experience the Mormon Miracle Pageant. What began as a one-time performance, at the foot of the Manti Temple, has transpired into a half a century of tradition. Join KSL News Specialist Sam Penrod as he explores “50 Years of Miracles” the story of the Mormon Miracle Pageant in Manti.
• LDS News and World Report: 12:30-1:30 pm
  This one-hour semi-annual report explores some of the major news events around the world pertaining to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• Choosing Happy: 1:30-2:00 pm
  Who doesn’t want to be happy? It’s one of the basic rights Americans were guaranteed when this country was founded — “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” But how much of your happiness is due to your circumstances? What portion is genetically determined? Who are the happiest people in the world? And, if you’re not happy—why not? Host, Michelle King talks to three experts who lay out some key strategies for finding happiness. You’ll meet several strong everyday people who’ve used those techniques to get through severe setbacks and sorrow. From dealing with the typical adversities life throws at you, to combating unexpected tragedies, addiction, and depression, you’ll be better prepared, once you’re armed with new tools and actually make the choice to be happy.
• To The Rescue: 4:00-5:00 pm
  Members of the LDS Church have been counseled to reach out and help refugees. KSL News Specialist Deanie Wimmer shows how this call to service has inspired many people to step outside their comfort zones to help those most in need. A young woman, drawn to help in whatever way she could set up a successful nonprofit organization that now provides thousands of pounds of needed items to those fleeing their dangerous homelands. Some members have traveled to refugee camps to show compassionate care, while others serve closer to home helping in their own communities. It’s a movement that is gaining momentum — it’s a desire to help those who cannot help themselves.

Sunday, October 1, 2017

• Connecting Roots: Freedmen’s Records: 9:00-9:30 am
  The Freedmen’s Bureau Project has changed the very fabric of genealogy for African Americans. “Connecting Roots” explains the history behind this project and the personal stories about why this is so meaningful for so many families.
• Family History 2.0: A New Generation of Genealogy: 12:00-12:30 pm
  Think genealogy is digging through musty libraries and church basements? Think again. Family History research has come a long way in the past few years. Today, you’re just as likely to uncover hidden mysteries on your smartphone, or in your DNA results. Popular television programs like Relative Race have helped intensify interest in family history research. Program host, Michelle King explores how modern technology is making your family research fun, engaging and memorable.
• An Artistic Vision: 12:30-1:00 pm
  Artists, scholars, musicians and interested observers come together for the first-ever Mormon Arts Center festival in New York City. This gathering is dedicated to elevating the concept of why Mormon Art matters. KSL Arts and Religion Specialist Carole Mikita shares the humble beginning of this movement and how the festival came to be. Visit the studios and art spaces of both new and known Mormon Artists and hear the music created by some very talented Mormon Composers.
• Members in Many Lands: 1:00-1:30 pm
  Travel to far off places with News Specialist Ashley Kewish to see what life is like for Mormons around the world in India, Mali, Mexico, Jamaica, Austria, Brazil, and Ghana. Many of these members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are recent converts who have adopted a new lifestyle as they embrace the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Civility: Changing the Conversations: 1:30-2:00 pm
  Civility has taken a hit lately. The art of disagreeing gracefully has been replaced with vitriol comments and caustic feelings. It seems no matter the topic, discussions in online comment boards, on social media sites, and in public gatherings have become increasingly more hostile. These disagreements affect our families, our schools, and our workplaces. Despite this trend towards negativity, there are voices working to change the communication—to make it more civil. We highlight these positive voices.

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah voters are gathering Tuesday with a dozen other states to cast their Super Tuesday votes for president.

For Republicans, this year’s vote for president is happening in a presidential preference poll at caucus nights across the state.

A caucus is a neighborhood gathering where people will be discussing issues and voting for people who go on to represent them in other party votes at the state and national conventions, known as delegates.

A primary, however, is run by local county clerks and ballots are mailed out to voters who return them or vote in person. A primary also has the oversight of the state while the party controls the organizing, execution, and security of a caucus.

The states Republican party chose to hold their vote for President with a caucus because they say it promotes community engagement, saves taxpayers money from administering an election, and provides valuable incentives to presidential candidates who may not see Utah as relevant in the national race.

But not everybody is happy about the change.

“The Republican party with the caucus system is disenfranchising every Republican voter who is disabled or elderly. That’s how I feel about them, they are betraying us,” said Coleen Jones, an elderly voter in Holladay.

Jones touted her love of country, serving as a young journalist to help 18 year-olds gain the right to vote who were going to Vietnam. “I have never missed voting in any election,” she said. But what she doesn’t love is how hard she believes voting is this year for Republicans, specifically for the elderly and disabled.

“[Showing up to caucus] is hard on you when you have hearing disabilities. You get run over by people. You have stand in long lines with bad knees,” she said. ”I don’t know who thought this up, but they have never been old,” she said.

The party does have a process for absentee voting, but Jones argues it’s cumbersome. The process requires printing a ballot, photocopying identification, and turning it into your precinct. If you can’t turn it in, the party allows you to send it with someone.

Jones said finding someone to do that was hard because the party only allows one person to bring up to 3 ballots.

“We had to call a bunch of people and we didn’t find anybody who can take it,” she said.

Despite what she views as hardships, Jones stressed the importance of voting, especially when it comes to choosing between the frontrunners in the Republican candidates for President this year – Nikki Haley and Donald Trump.

“Someday, God willing, you will be old and you’ll understand how difficult even to walk out to the mailbox is. People need to remember that. And all you want to do is show up and cast your vote,” Jones said.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — LeBron James still wants to participate in the Paris Olympics this summer, sure sounds like extending his NBA career for at least a couple more seasons is an option and said he would like to see his playing days end as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Of course, not even he knows if any or all of that is possible.

James played in his 20th All-Star Game on Sunday, extending his record for appearances in the NBA’s midseason showcase, but arrived with a plan to not be on the court in Indianapolis for very long because of an ongoing treatment plan for his problematic left ankle. He had eight points in 14 minutes during the first half and didn’t start the second half, giving up his spot to Golden State’s Stephen Curry.

“The most important thing for me is definitely my health,” James said.

And that will be the deciding factor in just about all of James’ basketball decisions for the rest of his career — short-term, long-term, however long he has left on his unprecedented resume. The first priority right now is the playoffs, with the Lakers currently 30-26 and ninth in the Western Conference even after winning six of their last seven games.

“We’re trending in the right direction,” James said.

He is 39, having played more minutes than anyone in NBA history. If he comes back this fall for a 22nd season — and he intends to — he’ll tie Vince Carter for the NBA record in that department. He insists that he doesn’t know how long he wants to play, either.

For now, it’s all about the Lakers and their postseason push. After that, he’ll decide whether to play for USA Basketball this summer. At this point, Paris is in his plans.

“I told myself before the season, when I committed to being part of the Olympic team, obviously it was all predicated on my health,” James said. “As it stands right now, I am healthy enough to be on the team and perform at a level that I know I can perform at.”

The Olympic question is a bit tricky.

The Lakers’ season could end in April, May or June. If it ends early, James will have tons of time to heal up and get ready for a U.S. training camp that starts in early July, then will have a number of exhibition games, followed by the Olympics that will end in mid-August. But if the Lakers make a deep postseason run, it might prompt James to say he’ll value time off and getting ready for the 2024-25 NBA season over jamming another five or six weeks of basketball into his summer schedule.

“It’s more miles put on these tires,” said James, a three-time Olympian and two-time Olympic gold medalist. “But if I’m committed — which I am — to Team USA, then I’m going to commit my mind, body and soul to being out there for Team USA, being out there representing our country with the utmost respect and go out there and play.”

He’s 132 points away from reaching 40,000 for his regular-season career, which means he’s likely somewhere around five games from hitting that milestone. There aren’t a lot of records left to chase; James is already the scoring king and his place in history was secured long, long ago. He’s long said he wants to play in an NBA that has one of his sons in it and USC freshman Bronny James would be eligible to enter the draft this spring.

“I have not mapped out how many seasons I have left,” James said. “I know it’s not that many.”

He hasn’t even figured out if he wants a retirement tour for a final season where he’ll be saying goodbye in every NBA city or if choosing to “Tim Duncan it” — meaning going out very quietly, like the San Antonio star who never wanted any attention — will be the plan.

“I’ve never been that great with accepting praise,” James said. “It’s a weird feeling for me.”

James could also be a free agent this summer if he chooses to go that route. He has a player option for more than $51 million for next season and most players wouldn’t pass up making that kind of money. But James’ net worth has been estimated to exceed $1 billion already, his off-court investments are varied, and it’s probably a safe bet that the size of the paycheck no longer is a top priority.

“I am a Laker, and I am happy, very happy, being a Laker the last six years and I hope it stays that way,” James said. “But I don’t have the answer to how long it is, or which uniform I’ll be in. Hopefully, it is with the Lakers. It’s a great organization, with so many greats with it. I don’t know how it’s going to end, but it’s coming. It’s coming for sure.”

SALT LAKE CITY — Workers at the Tracy Aviary are adding a new skill to their resumes: matchmaker.

The aviary is protecting an endangered species by cultivating bird-pairing relationships with a facility for lovebirds. The rare birds are a species found only in New Zealand, called the kea. They are part of the world’s only alpine parrots and are one of the most intelligent birds in the world.

Like many of the humans strolling through the aviary on Valentine’s Day, the green-feathered creatures seek life-long companions, which is why the Tracy Aviary is helping them find love.

“Kea tend to bond for life,” said Allie Abel, agriculture manager at the aviary. And the aviary is one of the only places set up to help the birds find a suitable match.

“We have a bunch of young kea come here to Tracy Aviary, (they) grow up together and kind of build their relationships from a young age, decide who they want to pair with.”

But the birds have a reputation.

“They get into everything, so they’ll pull roofing nails out of roofs,” Abel said.

“They’re naughty birds,” aviary visitor Connor Beazley said. “They like to rip off your windshield wipers.”

“Keas are very special to Connor because his mom is from New Zealand,” visitor Aidan Dean said. Wednesday was the first time they learned that Keas, like humans, long for a life partner.

“I hope they fall in love,” Beazley said.

One of the birds currently in the Utah exhibit is the product of the program.

“We sent Arthur and Ikaroa over to the Sedgwick Zoo in Wichita, Kansas,” Abel said. “And there they successfully bred and raised Tahi, who is this young fella.”

Even though the kea are known to ruffle some feathers, the charismatic, clever birds like to choose who they’ll match with.

“When you just put one and one together, it’s less successful,” Abel said. And only so many zoos have the space and ability to house a flock that allows the choosing process to happen.

“We matched on Tinder first … so this is kind of like Tinder for birds,” Dean said.

“I think it’s amazing that they’ve got the good facility here to do it, and hopefully we’ll make some true matches,” visitor Rudy Albachten said.

Kea require a lot of attention, time and enrichment toys.

“They have a similar intelligence level to 5-to-7-year-old human children,” Abel said.

Along with keeping the intelligent birds happy and healthy, aviary keepers watch for signs of a love match. They hope that keeps the chicks coming.

“They might preen through each other’s feathers,” Dean said.  “They’ve got a little ‘Love Island’ going on.”

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SALT LAKE CITY — To David Bench, a tomato sandwich is a lot more than just a few slabs of beefsteak between two slices of pesto-lathered bread. It’s a way to bring back memories.

A tomato sandwich made by David Bench, with produce grown from the facility garden he tends to. (KSL TV)

Bench is a chef on staff at The Auberge, a memory care facility in Holladay where he set up garden boxes and a large garden plot to grow tomatoes, basil, peppers, zucchini, and other garden staples. A few chickens and beehives (Bench is a beekeeper) provide pollination, honey, and farm ambiance.

He tries to involve residents in the farm-to-table process — picking crops, planting, harvesting, and cooking wherever he can.

David Bench cooking with residents in the facility kitchen. (Peter Rosen)

“Anything that will spark their memories, anything that they’ve done in the past — getting into the garden, getting their hands in the soil, pulling away putting the plants in.” Bench said. “When you bring those flavors and those foods in those smells, it sparks those memories and gets them thinking about their life.”

For Bench, the garden brings back memories of his grandparents.

A young David Bench pictured with his grandmother, who inspired him to see food and connection the way he does today. (Peter Rosen)

“Those are some of my fondest memories, going out in the garden picking fresh peas. We’d pick strawberries every day and every couple of days she’d make fresh freezer jam. Amazing to see how much she loved you. And she showed [me] through that,” Bench said.

Bench says his goal isn’t to impress the residents with gourmet cooking but to create the tastes and smells they remember.

“It’s not about being making really fancy food. It’s making food that people can connect to. ’Oh, this tastes like what mom made.’ Thoughts of happy times and things that make you feel good,” Bench said. “When they enjoy it, it’s good for you. It’s good for your soul.”

Chef Bench choosing seeds with residents, so they can play a part in the process. (KSL TV)

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This desktop buying guide is sponsored by PC Laptops. Visit PC Laptops today for free virus and malware scan because PC Laptops really loves you.

Choosing a new desktop computer can come with a lot of questions. That’s why we created this desktop buying guide. If you are wondering how to choose the right computer, we outline a few factors to consider when you start your purchase journey. 

Benefits of Desktops vs Laptops

Choosing between a desktop and a laptop often depends on your personal needs, lifestyle, and the tasks you plan to perform on your computer. Here’s a quick comparison to help you understand why a desktop could be a more beneficial choice:

Performance: Desktops, with their larger size, are capable of housing more powerful hardware than laptops. This means that for tasks like gaming, video editing, and other resource-intensive applications, a desktop will often perform better.

Upgradeability: One of the major advantages of desktops is their upgradeability. You can easily replace or upgrade components like the CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage drives, allowing your machine to keep up with technology trends and demands.

Price-to-Performance Ratio: Generally, desktops provide a better price-to-performance ratio. For the same price, a desktop typically has better specs than a laptop.

Ergonomics: Desktops allow for a more ergonomic setup, with a separate monitor, keyboard, and mouse, which can be positioned for your comfort, reducing the risk of repetitive strain injuries.

PC vs MAC

While Macs are known for their aesthetics and user experience, PCs offer a wide range of benefits that make them a superior choice for many users:

Flexibility and Customization: PCs provide more flexibility in terms of hardware and software customization. You can easily upgrade or change parts, install a variety of operating systems, and run a broader range of software.

Affordability: PCs can be more cost-effective than Macs. Pre-built PCs can be found in a wider range of prices, accommodating different budgets and needs.

Software Compatibility: PCs, specifically those running Windows, tend to have better compatibility with a broader range of software. This is especially important for gamers, and workers, as most video games and cutting-edge software are designed with Windows in mind.

Variety: With PCs, you have an almost unlimited choice of hardware manufacturers, models, and configurations. This means that you can find a PC that matches exactly what you need, whether it’s for gaming, graphic design, or everyday tasks.

How to Shop Smartly for a New PC

Photo: Adobe Stock

Shopping for a new PC can be overwhelming, especially with the variety of options available. Here are some smart shopping tips:

Look for Modern Parts: Ensure that your new PC has the latest parts, such as the most recent generation of processors and graphic cards. This will provide better performance and longevity, or let a PC shop help you.

Check the Warranty: Before purchasing, check if the PC is covered under a parts and service warranty. A good warranty can save you significant costs and hassle in the future.

Ask About Financing Options: Some retailers offer better financing options than others, allowing you to spread the cost over a period of time. This can make purchasing a higher-end machine more feasible.

Research: Spend time researching the parts and specifications. Understand what each component does and how it affects performance. This will help you make an informed decision or let one of your local PC shops help you make the best decisions for you.

Consider Your Needs: Be clear about what you need from your PC. If you’re a gamer, focus on powerful GPUs, CPUs, RAM, and cooling systems. If you’re into video editing or 3D modeling the same suggestions apply.

Ask about service: Does the place you are buying your PC from do service and repairs in-house? Are you going to have to mail your PC back and go without your work computer for weeks or months while the manufacerer fixes or replaces your computer? If you do have to mail your computer away are your files going to be safe? All in all, local PC stores are the way to go since they provide in-person service that is often much quicker and more secure than sending your computer and files back through the mail to a warehouse in a different state or country.

By taking the time to understand your needs and the benefits of different systems, you can find the perfect PC for you. Happy shopping.

The 2024 PC Laptop S4 is ideal for business owners, students, and even hardcore gamers. It offers high-quality graphics and storage memory for maximum performance while boasting a slim profile. PC Laptops include lifetime warranties and financing options with 0% interest. 

Related articles: 

• Old Laptop Upgrades You Need to Try Before Throwing it Away
• 3 Easy Ways To Protect Your PC

This is a sponsored article brought to you by KSL TV in conjunction with the advertiser. The advertiser paid a fee to promote this article and may have influenced or authored the content. The views expressed in this article are those of the advertiser and do not necessarily reflect those of KSL TV, its parent company, or its staff.

PROVO, Utah — Colored light filters in from all the windows at the Gomms’ house and stained glass artwork peeks out from every corner.

Jeanne Gomm is often hard at work, cutting and grinding glass in her home-based studio in Provo, laying out pieces of glass, turning amorphous colorful shapes into beautiful landscapes.

Gomm recently created a four-panel stained glass mural of Utah Lake for the Provo Airport. The artwork was unveiled on April 5 and is on permanent display on the upper level of the new terminal. It is an area of the airport that is always open to the public.

Gomm was chosen from a group of artists to complete the mural and said Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi had asked about having a stained glass mural at the airport.

It took Gomm about 10 months to create the massive intricacy, from its initial design to the final product.

Provo artist Jeanne Gomm stands in front of her Utah Lake stained-glass mural at the unveiling of her artwork at Provo Airport on April 5. (Provo City Government)

“We have lived here for a long time and we love the lake,” Gomm said, adding that it was a pleasure to work with the mayor and the airport committee on the project.

Gomm’s daughter kayaks the lake every morning, when weather permits, and if the water is too choppy or icy, she still goes down to the lake to enjoy the scenery. As she kayaks, she picks up trash to help keep the lake clean.

“She’s a real asset to Utah Lake,” Gomm said.

If you look closely at the mural, there is a small red piece of glass on the far right side that depicts her daughter’s kayak. “It’s kind of like a ‘Where’s Waldo!'”

The airport mural isn’t Gomm’s only piece of art on display in Utah County. She and her husband David created a mosaic for the Springville Smith’s; a mosaic mural of a waterfall at the Covey Center for the Arts; and, donated 100 feet of stained glass at the Covey Center for the Arts in the secure gallery.

The couple has helped with stained glass for some temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including the Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple and, one of their former students now works for the church as a stained glass artist.

But the majority of the art the Gomms make ends up in people’s homes.

Stained glass artwork hangs inside Jeanne Gomm’s home in Provo on April 18. (Cassidy Wixom/KSL.com)

Why stained glass?

“It was all David’s fault,” Jeanne Gomm jokes.

David Gomm liked reading books about alternative lifestyles, such as “Woodstock Handmade Houses” and “Rolling Homes.” He tried his hand at making stained glass artwork, then read an article from Mother Earth News about how to cut glass and he realized all the things he did wrong on his first try.

He found a nearby studio and signed up for a class, where he learned all of the old fashioned techniques to create stained glass. Ever since that day in 1983, he was hooked.

David Gomm started teaching his wife, but with seven kids to raise, it took Jeanne Gomma a few years before she was invested, too.

Then about five-and-a-half years ago, David Gomm had triple-bypass heart surgery. Jeanne Gomm had a part-time job, but she needed to decide what to do to support him in his recovery, while making money for the family.

Jeanne and David Gomm smile in their home studio in Provo on April 18. (Cassidy Wixom/KSL.com)

After lots of thought and prayer, the words “I’m all in” came to Jeanne Gomm’s mind. So she and David started their home studio full-time and, “thankfully, it has paid the bills since then,” she said.

Jeanne Gomm spends most mornings working on projects and commissions, then teaches classes in the evening. David Gomm spends most of his time on the computer, finalizing designs and patterns and editing videos for their YouTube channel Gomm Stained Glass that has more than 400 videos, including tutorials for the craft.

Although choosing colors for projects is hard, Jeanne Gomm said it’s really fun for her. David Gomm, however, does not like picking the colors, which is why he’s glad they make such a good team when they work together to make glass art.

The Gomms had about 110 students during 2022, when they taught beginner to advanced individual and small group lessons on stained-glass construction and mosaics.

Simplified, the process of stained glass starts with drawing the design, printing out a computer-finalized design on card stock, tracing the pattern on glass, cutting the glass pieces, grinding the glass edges, assembling the glass into the design, and soldering it together.

“Not only is the glass beautiful, but the light is part of the window. It’s part of the whole art of it,” Jeanne Gomm said. She loves how the artwork changes throughout the day, as the light hitting it shifts.

Jeanne Gomm cuts out a piece of glass in her home art studio in Provo on April 18. (Cassidy Wixom/KSL.com)

The Gomms are hoping to help others see that stained glass isn’t just a craft or an architectural thing, but it’s also fine art.

“Think of stained glass windows in cathedrals and churches — if that’s not fine art, I just don’t know what is,” Jeanne Gomm said.

Jeanne Gomm submits her glass to art shows and, even though she doesn’t always get accepted or win, she is hoping it introduces judges to the idea that stained glass should be considered as fine art.

“Art is so important to our society. Without it, how would we tell the stories of our society?” Jeanne Gomm said.

Meeting new people

“All kinds of people can do this medium,” Jeanne Gomm said. “I love meeting people and going though the process.”

People come to the Gomms’ studio to cross this activity off their bucket list, commission a window, enjoy some “art therapy” and heal through creating something, or to make art for a school project.

Jeanne Gomm said she thinks every school subject is enhanced with art and she’s so happy anytime a student comes to her to incorporate stained glass with their studies. They’ve had a violin maker tasked with making something in a different medium, a BYU student assigned to make art that related to their religious class and many more.

“I can’t think of any subject that wouldn’t be enhanced by introducing art,” Jeanne Gomm said.

Stained glass is displayed around Jeanne Gomm’s home art studio in Provo on April 18. (Cassidy Wixom/KSL.com)

Jeanne Gomm loves that she has the opportunity to encourage and congratulate people on their hard work. She also loves learning about her clients so she can create something magical for them.

“When I do a window for a client and there’s tears, I know I nailed it,” Jeanne Gomm said.

Whether you make the art or just commission a piece to be in your home, Jeanne Gomm said stained glass makes people smile.

“It just makes you happy. I think that’s what it can do,” Gomm said. “How blessed I’ve been to meet amazing students and clients and people.”

WEST JORDAN, Utah — It doesn’t matter if it’s shooting hoops or throwing a baseball, 12-year-old Angel loves being active.

“I like to play sports at school, mostly basketball,” Angel said.

Sports are an escape for Angel, who has lived in foster care for nearly two years and is concerned about his family.

“I’m worried because I want to know if my mom is okay, and I want to help her with things,” Angel expressed.

Family is important to Angel. He entered foster care with his siblings, who have since been adopted, and he misses them.

“Especially my baby sister,” Angel said.

“Angel just genuinely cares. He cares about his younger siblings, he cares about those he calls family, and so something that would be really important for Angle is to keep that sibling contact,” said Gabbi Pagan, Angel’s Youth Connections Advocate at Raise the Future. “It doesn’t have to be every single weekend or every month, but just so he knows that his siblings are being taken care of would be something very important to him.”

Living in foster care isn’t something that Angle often talks about, but he opened up about his experience with KSL TV’s Shara Park while visiting Rush Funplex in West Jordan.

“I would. It’s scary because you don’t know, like, if they’re like, strict or mean and stuff,” Angel said.

Angle says he doesn’t tell his friends he’s living in foster care because he’s afraid they’ll unfairly judge him.

“If I tell them, I’m going to be embarrassed,” Angel explained. “Because I feel like other people might spread it out and talk about it and probably laugh at it.”

Angel says he tries to remind himself that living in foster care is only temporary, and he hopes he’ll be able to find a permanent home with a loving family soon.

“A family means to me that I have a happy family, that I can hang out with them a lot,” Angel said.

“Angel is one that really needs that family with structure. He would do best in a family that kept a schedule going for them and really helped him foresee what was going to happen,” Pagan added.

Along with sports, Angel enjoys playing video games. He also loves school, especially math. He says he hopes to be a police officer someday to help other families in need.

“I like to stay up all night and stuff, and help other people, help with what they’re supposed to do and not do,” Angel said.

Angel is ready for a forever family, one that will allow him to have that spotlight and shine as a big brother.

“He’ssuch a funny kid,” Pagan said. “He loves to tell jokes and loves to shine in that spotlight.”

Pagan says Angel is a protector, and he cares about those around him. She hopes there is a family out there willing to get to know him, love him, and adopt him.

“He would need to see that these people care for him and that they’re choosing him,” said Pagan. “He really needs to be shown that he’s loved and being chosen.”

To learn more about Angel, please contact Raise the Future at 801-265-0444 or visit the organization’s website.

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SALT LAKE CITY — Six of Utah’s universities announced record-breaking enrollment numbers for the fall 2022 semester.

The University of Utah, Southern Utah University, Utah Tech University, Utah Valley University, Weber State University, and Utah State University each had an increase in enrollment since the previous year.

Utah Valley University

UVU had record enrollment of 43,099 students for fall semester, according to data from the Utah System of Higher Education, an increase of 4.45% over last year.

“Utah Valley University provides accessible and equitable educational opportunities for every student who wants to receive a rewarding postsecondary education,” said Astrid S. Tuminez, UVU president. “UVU’s approach to education enables all students to come as they are. We are committed to small class sizes, low tuition, and learning experiences that prepare students to enter Utah’s robust job market.”

According to UVU’s release, the majority of students this fall are from Utah County.

Here are the stats:

• 21.2% are age 25 or older
• 12% of students are Black and African Americans, Native Americans, and Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders
• 50.4% of students identify as female
• 49.6% identify as male

The top majors for fall 2022 include Business Management, Computer Science, Psychology, Pre-Professional Endorsement Education, Biology, Exercise Science, Outdoor Recreation, Elementary Education, Art and Design, and University Studies.

University of Utah

The U’s enrollment has an incoming class of 5,520 students, breaking all historic records of enrollment for the third year in a row.

Overall enrollment increased by 0.8% to make a total of 34,734 students.

The U. announced they had the largest number of incoming freshmen of color at 1,655 students and the highest number of freshmen that identify as female at 2,779 students.

“Students across Utah and the rest of the country see the University of Utah as a destination and it is only natural then that we see record enrollment year after year,” Steve Robinson, senior associate vice president for enrollment management said. “When students learn more about the U, why would they want to go anywhere else?”

“The fall enrollment data is very encouraging,” U. President Taylor Randall said. “Establishing a continued pattern of growth across all groups is the first step towards building a campus community that will transform lives. I want all our students to know that we are happy they chose the U and that we are working daily to create an educational experience second to none where they will thrive and succeed.”

Utah State University

USU had record enrollment this fall with first-year student enrollment up 13.3% in Logan and 14.1% overall across the university’s statewide system.

USU’s stats included:

• Concurrent enrollment, students taking USU courses while in high school, was up 17.4% across all of USU’s campuses over fall 2021.
• New and transfer students who are the first in their families to attend college increased 16.3% over the last year.
• Graduate student enrollment was slightly down on the Logan campus, but up across most of USU’s statewide campuses.
• Total enrollment, including both undergraduate and graduate, as well as concurrent enrollment, increased by 1.9% over fall 2021.

“USU has always excelled at offering access to a world-class education with innovative opportunities for undergraduate research, community-engaged learning, and real-world experience,” USU Executive Vice President Robert Wagner said. “On top of all that, USU has an expansive alumni network of Aggies that allows our students to leverage prestigious internship opportunities, capitalize on advanced career placement, and connect with fellow Aggies around the globe.”

Utah Tech University

Utah Tech’s enrollment had an increase for the seventh consecutive year with a 2.36% increase since last year.

According to a release from the school, the university’s total enrollment includes 3,035 new students such as freshmen, transfer students and new graduate students. The percentage of the student body who are Utah residents has grown by 2.5% to 10,231 and 21% of students represent diverse populations.

“As our institution continues to expand its academic offerings, we are proud that more students than ever before have chosen to pursue their educational and professional aspirations at Utah Tech University,” Utah Tech President Richard “Biff” Williams said. “Utah Tech remains committed to providing a comprehensive polytechnic education that prepares our students for a successful transition into the workforce after graduation.”

Women make up 57% of the Utah Tech population.

Southern Utah University

SUU had a 5.28% enrollment increase totaling 14,330 students in both on-campus and online programs.

“We are pleased that so many students are choosing SUU to continue their education,” SUU President Mindy Benson said. “Taking into consideration the impact of on-campus growth on the Cedar City community, we made a concerted effort to increase our online degree enrollment and it paid off. Our robust online programs give greater access to students, especially non-traditional students looking to earn a college degree.”

SUU has 2,437 online students, that’s 17 percent of the University’s total enrollment. Online enrollment grew by 5.5 percent year to year.

Stats include:

• 19.7% international students
• 9.8% graduate students
• 4.7% undergraduate students

“We are fully committed to providing increased access and affordable degree options to students looking to further their education,” Stuart Jones, SUU vice president for advancement and enrollment management said. “We have frozen tuition for four straight years and created innovative programs like the $9,000 Bachelor of General Studies online degree to give greater access for people to earn a college degree.”

Weber State University:

WSU also had positive growth in enrollment numbers. According to a release from the school, the enrollment is at its highest ever at 29,914 including a  1.3% growth of first-time student enrollment and a 2.5% increase over last year’s enrollment.

“It’s exciting to see the number of students being served by Weber State continuing to grow,” WSU president Brad Mortensen said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to meet these students where they are and help guide them to find their passion and complete a meaningful degree at Weber State.”

Additionally, WSU students who identify as Hispanic or Latino now make up 12.5% of the full-time equivalent undergraduate student body.

Other universities:

Brigham Young University had total enrollment numbers of 34,390, with 31,389 undergraduate students and 3,001 graduate students, a 1% decrease from Fall 2021.

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SPANISH FORK, Utah — One person is in the hospital after a garbage truck crashed into a home in Spanish Fork.

“The dining room is in shambles, furniture everywhere, bricks are everywhere,” said homeowner Daniel Raith.

The crash happened at approximately 7:40 a.m. Tuesday at the home near 300 North and 200 East, where minutes earlier, Raith had been standing in his dining room feeding his three cats.

“It was like thunder just came through my house,” Raith said.

The garbage truck jumped the curb and crashed through Raith’s garage and into the dining area, sending smoke and debris throughout the home. Raith and his husband were on the opposite side of the house when it hit, as was a third person who is renting a room in their home.

“I walked out and thought our roof caved in and it was smoking. I couldn’t see very well,” Raith said.

One injured after garbage truck crashes into Spanish Fork home

Raith said he tried to get to the driver of the garbage truck, but the surroundings were unstable and the dining area was filled with debris.

“The wheels were still spinning on the truck and creating a big cloud of smoke everywhere,” Raith said.

Spanish Fork police say it appears the driver of the garbage truck suffered a seizure, losing consciousness behind the wheel.

“When our officers arrived, the driver was still inside the cab of the truck unconscious,” said Lt. Cory Slaymaker with the Spanish Fork Police Department. “He has been taken to Spanish Fork Hospital for treatment.”

Slaymaker said Tuesday afternoon the driver is now alert, suffering only minor injuries in the crash.

“It could have been much worse,” Slaymaker said. “There is a lot of structural damage to the home, but we’re glad there were no occupants in the home that were injured.”

SCARY: A garbage truck driver was taken to the hospital Tuesday after the vehicle crashed into the garage of a Spanish Fork home.

More on what happened here: https://t.co/y0ST4RI4DT

Pic 1: Derek Petersen, KSL TV
Pic 2: Josh Ellis, KSL TV
Pics 3 & 4: Provo Fire & Rescue pic.twitter.com/kIt4UhjSsF

— KSL 5 TV (@KSL5TV) October 11, 2022

As the garbage truck was pulled from the home, Raith and his husband stood nearby, trying to process the damage it caused.

“I’m in shock,” Raith said. “I look at that and I just feel numb right now.”

The Red Cross is helping the couple and their renter find temporary shelter, however, finding a location that will also accept their two dogs and three cats has been a challenge, according to Raith.

“We have Newt and Jonesy and Xeno,” Raith said, describing his three cats who went missing after the crash but were later found.

Repairs to the house could take weeks, possibly even months, according to Raith, who has lived at the home for about four years.

“I’m still kind of shaking from it,” he said.

But despite the destruction, Raith said he is choosing to remain positive about the situation.

“I’m counting my lucky stars right now,” Raith said. “The fact that I was just in that room and left, I’m just happy that I’m here.”

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SALT LAKE CITY — Thousands gathered at the Conference Center and overflow seating in Temple Square for a big event that hasn’t taken place with this many people in-person, since before the start of the pandemic.

Many of them took away more than just a message and connected with others sharing their age and beliefs.

President Russell M. Nelson and his wife, Sister Wendy Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints invited young adults between the ages of 18-30, and those in their last year of seminary, living within an hour and a half drive of the Conference Center to a Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults.

Approximately 24,000 secured a seat between the Conference Center, and the Tabernacle and Assembly Hall on Temple Square. Many more who couldn’t make it in sat outside the Conference Center, watching the talk on their phone.

The sound of thousands of voices echoed with excitement across the Conference Center courtyard, with many showing up two hours or more early in hopes of making it inside for the event.

“I haven’t been in this atmosphere for a long time, so I was like, ‘Yes! We are back again.’ I was so happy,” said Ericson Weih, who lives in Sugar House and arrived two hours before the devotional began.

Naomi Gonzales said she drove down from Clearfield and found it “really awesome” to be surrounded by so many people with similar beliefs, and who care about the Church as much as she does.

“With people my age, I can relate to them more,” she said.

Inside the Conference Center, thousands of young adults eagerly listened to President Nelson and his wife. President Nelson shared a message centering on choosing what kind of life one wants to live forever and understanding fundamental truths to prepare for their future course—relayed in a way young adults could appreciate.

“These truths ought to prompt your ultimate sense of FOMO,” President Nelson said, as everyone laughed. The crowd chuckled again as he continued. “Or, ‘fear of missing out.'”

Gonzales shared how she loved hearing President Nelson describe important labels about who she is, including being a child of God, that she will now prioritize in her life.

“Everything he said was so perfect with what I needed,” she said.

“It pushes me to go back again, to come back to myself, go back to the principals– which is learning and improving all the time,” Weih said.

Gonzales and Weih also felt something else resonate during the event—finding connection and friendship with each other. The two met outside the Conference Center, after they couldn’t make it in. Weih saw Gonzales taking notes, and the two opened a conversation.

“To be honest, I didn’t really expect it. I just kind of expected to come and take notes,” Gonzales said. “But that was really awesome to have someone talk to me, and it was really nice– so thank you.”

She said it was good for her to step out of her comfort zone and meet new people her age, who share the same belief as she does.

“I want to experience more of these things, and especially as this gospel is centered around people,” Gonzales said. “What a good opportunity for me.”

(CNN) — Nine European and US fossil fuel companies have paid a collective $15.8 billion to Russia in various forms of taxes and fees since the country annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, a group of NGOs said Thursday.

The groups, Global Witness, Greenpeace USA and Oil Change International, used data from the Oslo-based Rystad Energy, an independent energy research firm, to calculate how much money oil and gas companies based in North America and Europe had sent to the Russian state. They looked only at companies with exploration and production operations in Russia.

The data was shared amid criticisms that the West’s purchases of Russian coal, oil and gas — which are largely state-owned assets — have helped fund Russia’s war in Ukraine. These payments underscore how much capital Western energy companies that chose to continue operating in Russia after Crimea was annexed have transferred to the state.

The groups looked at royalties, export duties, bonuses, taxes and fees, as well as “government profit oil,” which includes the value of any actual oil that the companies may have given to Russia to come up with the $15.8 billion figure.

They came up with a list of nine companies from these regions that had paid the most money. All those payments were legal, and other multinational companies outside the energy sector have also have made similar kinds of payments to the Russian state.

Shell, which is registered in the UK, sent $7.85 billion, the highest amount of the companies listed, the groups said in a statement, shared first with CNN. It was followed by US-based ExxonMobil ($2.81 billion). Two companies registered in Germany, Wintershall and Wintershall DEA, which have since merged, paid a combined total of $2.86 billion. BP, the British multinational oil and gas company, paid $817 million, the data from Rystad shows.

The three groups that compiled the data said that while the $15.8 billion figure was substantial, the companies identified were also responsible for tens of billions of dollars more flowing to the Russian state because of stakes they hold in Russian oil and gas companies.

BP until recently held a 19.75% stake in the Russian energy company Rosneft, for example. Rosneft paid $353.16 billion to Russia in taxes, fees, royalties and oil profit between 2014 and 2021, Rystad’s data shows.

While BP may not have paid that money directly to Russia, Murray Worthy, gas campaign leader at Global Witness, said that it still bore some responsibility for the payments.

“The true amount that these companies are responsible for paying to Russia is much closer to the $100 billion mark, but it is obscured by their stakes in Russian companies. We believe that BP alone are responsible for $78.4 billion going to the Russian government through the stake in the oil and gas giant Rosneft it says it held until just a few weeks ago,” he told CNN. He was referring to payments during the period between Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the end of 2021.

In a statement, he added: “The Russian energy industry is Putin’s biggest earner and companies like BP that (continued to do business with Russia in spite of) … the Crimean invasion, continuing to support money pouring into his war chest, should surely be questioning whether they now have Ukrainian blood on their hands.”

BP announced it would give up that shareholding just days after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. A number of other fossil fuel companies have since followed.

In an email to CNN, BP spokesman David Nicholas said that the company did not recognize the $78.4 billion figure and explained that the only money BP paid the Russian state directly was $350 million in taxes for the six years between 2015 and 2020. The spokesperson was unable to provide data for the whole eight year period.

“On February 27 we announced that we will exit our shareholding in Rosneft, that the two BP-nominated directors are resigning from its board with immediate effect and that we will exit our other businesses in Russia with Rosneft,” Nicholas said.

BP now faces a potential loss of $25 billion related to its exit.

Worthy said that while BP might deny responsibility for Rosneft’s payments to the Russian state, “it has always been more than happy to benefit from the billions that have flowed from its involvement in the company.”

While the dataset focused on payments made mostly through taxes and fees, much more money flows from the West to the Russian state’s coffers in actual oil and gas purchased — which is used for everything from gas for home heating to fuel for cars. The true amount of money that goes from oil and gas companies in the West to the Russian state would be much higher than any amount paid in taxes and fees.

“So when Rosneft sells its products for export, those sales transactions are the way that it earns most of its money,” said Alexandra Gillies, an advisor to the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), which focuses on resource-rich countries achieving sustainability.

According to a database by NRGI, Rosneft transferred $58.6 billion to the Russian state in 2019 alone, the last year before the pandemic.

Gillies said that while Western companies choosing to exit Russia was a step in the right direction, it should have come much sooner.

“It took this invasion of Ukraine for Western oil companies to say, ‘You know what? We don’t want to enable what this regime is doing anymore.’ They should have made that call much earlier with the invasion of Crimea, or with the repressive nature of the Putin regime, or with the Putin regime interfering in US elections, or poisoning opposition figures, including on UK soil,” Gillies said.

“There were so many moments over the past few years that should have led Western companies to divest from their cooperation with the regime.”

The other four companies listed in the NGOs’ statement are France-based TotalEnergies ($568 million); Norway-based Equinor ($455 million); Austria-based OMV ($246 million) and Switzerland-based Trafigura ($202 million).

Rystad told CNN that its datasets were based on estimates derived from limited reporting available on taxes.

TotalEnergies also has stakes in Russian oil and gas companies that have paid hundreds of millions of dollars more to the government, according to Rystad data.

CNN reached out to all companies listed, as well as Rosneft, for comment. ExxonMobil did not respond to CNN’s request.

Nikita Patel, a spokesperson for Shell, told CNN: “The world’s reliance on Russia for energy has built up over many years through decisions taken by governments as well as businesses. As Shell is one of the biggest global suppliers — particularly in Europe which depends heavily on Russia for fuel — the money we have paid reflects the large number of customers we serve, as you would expect.”

On March 8, Shell published a press release in which the company announced it would withdraw its involvement in all Russian fossil fuel activities “in a phased manner” and stop purchasing Russian crude oil.

Shell CEO Ben van Beurden also apologized in the statement after the company was criticized for buying a cargo of Russian crude oil in early March while other companies and traders were shunning the product following Russia’s February invasion.

TotalEnergies announced Tuesday it would stop buying Russian oil by the end of the year but that it would continue to buy Russian gas. The company did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.

Equinor has shut down its operations in Russia and says it has stopped trading Russian oil. Its spokesperson, Ola Morten Aanestad, did not confirm the $455 million figure in an email to CNN, and said it was “is too early to be specific on the exit process,” when asked whether the company would stay out of Russia permanently.

An OMV spokesperson did not comment on the amount of money it had transferred to Russia when asked by CNN, and pointed to a recent statement in which the company said it was “reevaluating its engagement in Russia.”

Wintershall DEA told CNN the company was “not in a position to verify the figures presented to us” and that it “always conducted our business in compliance with all applicable laws.”

A Trafigura spokesperson said the company did not pay anything to the Russian government “arising from production of fossil fuels.” The company has a 10% stake in the Vostok Oil project, of which Rosneft is the majority shareholder. The spokesperson said “no further monies have been paid” since the acquisition of the stake in 2020. “Trafigura has not received any dividends or similar payments from its shareholding in Vostok Oil.”

Lorne Stockman, Research Co-director at Oil Change International, said the world must now avoid looking to other autocratic regimes to replace the fossil fuels they are shunning from Russia.

“Fossil fuels are the currency of despots, dictators, and warmongers. Our global reliance on oil and gas is not only killing our planet, but also making the world a less safe and equal place. Big Western polluters like BP and Shell have been all too happy to work in countries with despicable human rights records for over a century,” Stockman said.

“Now is the moment to end the fossil fuel era.”

This story has been updated with a response from Shell.

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SALT LAKE COUNTY — As the temperature inversion intensifies and traps more pollution in our neighborhoods, Utahns look for ways to escape to breathe clean air. Many are also looking for ways they can reduce their pollution.

Right now, none of the pollution generated along the Wasatch Front is leaving the Wasatch Front, and it could be here for a few more days.

People we spoke with at a high elevation trailhead, where the air is not as bad, were looking for short-term relief from high levels of particulate pollution. But they say long-term solutions are just as important.

“It’s weird being able to see the air you breathe,” Abagael Balavitch said.

Balavitch moved to Utah a few years ago from Michigan, and tries to stay out of the bad air as much as she can.

“At least up here in this area, which is nice, it’s nice to kind of get out of it,” she said, looking at the pollution in the valley below.

But, she’s a dog hiker, and gets outside every day, regardless of the pollution.

“Definitely. It’s not that fun breathing it,” she said. “I’ve definitely noticed it does kind of affect my lungs a little bit. So, I definitely prefer to stay inside when it’s really bad.”

Warm air aloft has again trapped cold air and pollution in Utah’s low elevation neighborhoods.

It will take a storm to clear the smog.

“It’s making me not want to live here,” Dina Drits-Esser, who moved here 15 years ago, said.

Long-lasting inversions like this one make her rethink that decision.

“When it’s this bad, I often think that I want to go back to the Midwest,” she said. “But, I have a job, my husband and I have a family here, and we have a really nice community.”

So, it’s not likely her family would really leave, but Drits-Esser said it’s not good for their kids who are in school lower in the valley.

When the air is this bad in the valley, she said, they take extra precautions at home.

“We have our windows closed all the time, and run our indoor air filters all the time,” she explained. “It just makes me feel like this is not a sustainable way to live.”

Others are encouraged that Utah communities and the state are increasingly more willing to take action.

“I’m happy to see that, politically, we are recognizing it as an issue as something we have to deal with,” Alex Khajavi said. “But, there’s absolutely much more we could be doing, and there’s much more we should be doing.”

LAYTON, Utah — Being diagnosed with cancer is traumatic at any age, but can be particularly difficult for adolescents and young adults who are finishing school, choosing a career or starting a family.

One Layton woman has found support through a special program.

For Nayeli Gomez, painting is her way favorite to relieve stress.

“You can make a mistake and find out that it actually looks better,” she explained. “Sometimes they’re not great paintings, but they make me happy.”

Nayeli Gomez finds painting to be a good form of stress relief, especially in the last year when she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. (KSL TV)

Unfortunately, she’s experienced a lot of additional stress during the pandemic from the challenging experience she finds herself in.

“Well, I found a lump myself in my chest up here,” she said. “I’m 34. I have no history of family cancer … my thought was, ‘My mom can’t bury her only daughter.'”

Gomez was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer on May 21, and now she faces fears she never anticipated like her ability to have children following chemo.

“I don’t have kids yet. I feel like I haven’t really started my life,” she explained. “I was faced with a decision that I had to make way too quickly. Do I freeze my eggs? And I couldn’t. I couldn’t afford it … It’s a scary thought. I’ve always wanted to be a mom.”

Nayeli Gomez, 34, sorts through her medications including chemotherapy pills and other medications to help with the side effects. (KSL TV)

Gomez also has a dream to go back to school to become a physician assistant. “But I don’t know now if I can do that, because chemo brain is a very real issue,” she said.

Gomez said she also lost her job when she was undergoing treatment. She found a new job but is only able to work part-time to accommodate her treatment schedule and because a lot of the time, she doesn’t feel well.

Dr. David Gill, an oncologist with Intermountain Healthcare, said cancer can disrupt big milestones and create professional challenges.

“You may have to take a year off college, or you may have to take Friday’s off work to get your chemotherapy infusion, (or) maybe you get passed up for a raise and wonder, ‘Is it in part due to my treatment?'” he described.

Gill said patients ages 15-39 are the most underserved cancer population often with little financial support. “So whether that’s uninsured or underinsured patient status,” he explained.

Through the Huntsman Intermountain Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program, or HIAYA, Gomez has found help.

“When I was in unemployment, they put me in contact with people who could answer my questions about, ‘What am I filing? Where do I go?'” Gomez said.

She’s also connected with others through the Facebook support group who’ve sympathized with Gomez when she’s experienced severe pain or needed advice on how to treat a chemo burn.

Nayeli Gomez has found help through the Huntsman Intermountain Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program where she’s connected with other cancer patients and found professional help through patient navigators. (KSL TV)

“It’s really nice to have someone else who’s going through the same thing and being able to both get help and know that your horrible experience can help someone else,” she said.

Gomez has also been grateful for the professional help she’s received from patient navigators who are trained in cancer care, fertility preservative, and family building.

“But being able to call her or text her and just say, ‘I’m hurting,'” Gomez said. “It’s been wonderful.”

Gill said through a combination of contributions from charitable foundations that are willing to assist with the financial costs of fertility preservation and insurance coverage, HIAYA helps patients plan their future. “Some of the treatments we give, including chemotherapies, can cause infertility so fertility counseling is extremely important,” he said. “Building a family is an important part of many of our patients’ lives.”

He said going through this experience at such a young age can be isolating. “Your friends and those around you aren’t having the same challenges,” Gill said. “Anxiety and depression really is the norm after you’ve been through something like this, so providing those resources is incredibly important.”

Though Gomez feels as though she’s benefited from the support group more than contributed, Gill said otherwise. “It’s been amazing to watch her,” he said. “She’s helped a lot of other people as they go through their cancer journeys. She’s very selfless.”

Right now, the group meets together through virtual social events, but when it’s safe to gather again, Gill said they plan to get together again for in-person social events like escape rooms, ax throwing or Top Golf.

Gomez reminds other cancer patients that there is hope. She said her last scan was clear, though she greatly anticipates the day when her doctor tells her she is completely cancer-free. Gomez is so grateful to her boyfriend and her family who have also offered their unconditional support.

She urges others to put their needs first and reach out for help.

“It is the most important thing to advocate for yourself,” Gomez said.

Nayeli Gomez finds painting to be a good form of stress relief, especially in the last year when she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. (KSL TV)

The HIAYA program is free and available to cancer patients ages 15-39 no matter who their healthcare provider is. To support Gomez on her cancer journey, visit her GoFundMe* page.

*KSLTV.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Vaccines are now available to all Utahns 16 years old and up, but local officials have noticed vaccine hesitancy among certain minorities. One Salt Lake woman decided to get vaccinated after overcoming some of her initial concerns.

The Ocampo family has every reason to be excited. The addition of their 3-month-old puppy Luna is one reason, and Ana’s recent COVID-19 vaccination is another. But choosing to get vaccinated wasn’t an easy decision for her.

“It brought back fear from when COVID first hit,” Ocampo said. “You just don’t know what to expect.”

Ana Ocampo is a food and nutrition services supervisor and LDS Hospital and delivers meals directly to patients. For this reason, she ultimately felt it was important to get vaccinated. (Photo Courtesy of Ana Ocampo)

Between misinformation on social media and discouragement from her family, Ana was hesitant to take the vaccine. “Seeing it and hearing about it every day just kind of made me think maybe it’s real and so that made me doubt it too,” she said of negative comments and myths on Facebook.

“They were like, ‘Are you sure you want to get it?’ You know, making me doubt like my decision,” she said.

Marco Verdeja, community health specialist with Intermountain Healthcare, says it’s issues like these that have created access barriers for some populations.

“There are a lot of access barriers that we’ve seen along with misconceptions that come with the lack of access to … correct information because of the language barrier, perhaps, and the inability to get that information firsthand,” Verdeja explained. “Getting that information translated into Spanish takes time and that lag can lead to mistrust, and historically we already have mistrust in this particular group, because of historical trauma (such as) immigration status that might lead to fear.

“With Hispanics, we’ve seen surveys that have been done nationally show that there is a higher hesitancy to the vaccine than the general population, about 10 points,” Verdeja described, according to recent studies.

Verdeja said this is especially true among the younger Latino demographic. Verdeja reinforces the notion: “You might feel that you don’t need it right now, because of your age… however by protecting yourself, you’re actually protecting everyone else around you.”

He said this is especially important in multigenerational homes.

“I have a big family. So gatherings are a big thing for us,” Ocamp said.

After doing research, Ocampo ultimately decided to get the shot even though she already had the virus. “I can’t even explain the pain that I went through,” she said detailing the month-long stomach pain she battled after getting COVID-19.

Her work interactions with patients at LDS Hospital as a food and nutrition services supervisor played a role along with her desire to protect her extended family. “That was a big thing for me — is my family, and so that’s mostly the reason why I decided to do it,” Ocampo said.

Her oldest child, Elizah has a horseshoe kidney and is high risk as a result. Ocampo wanted to do everything she could to protect those around her. “I just would mostly think about my daughter, how it could affect her,” she said.

Elizah and Saul Ocampo play with their new, three-month old puppy, Luna. (Photo Credit: KSL TV)

Ocampo was vaccinated in December with her health care coworkers and said she simply experienced a sore arm. “Do your research. If you’re having any doubts, talk to your doctor,” she said.

“I also wanted to show my family to not live in fear — that if I could do it, so can they,” she said. “And if I need to be the first one to show them and why not.”

Being vaccinated has given Ocampo a lot of comfort knowing she can socialize with other people and not worry about exposing someone to the virus or being exposed herself.

“I am so happy that I got vaccinated so that we can show them that we’re okay. We can overcome this together,” she added.

Ocampo is looking forward to enjoying normal life again with her kids. “Whatever we missed from last year, I want to recover that time this year,” she said.

Verjado said there is no cost to the vaccine even if someone is uninsured and it is available to anyone regardless of their immigration status. “These are also barriers that sometimes we hear about, so these are things that you don’t need to worry about with a vaccine, you can get it easily,” he confirmed.

To register online in Spanish, visit the Utah Department of Health or Intermountainhealthcare.com, or call the Coronavirus Hotline at 1-800-456-7707.

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Matt Rascon, KSL+: Welcome to KSL+, where we break down important topics and stories so have the information you need. I’m Matt Rascon. The Utah legislative session is wrapping up–and we want to look deeper at one of the session’s most controversial bills. A bill that would ban transgender girls from competing on sports teams with other girls. It dosen’t address transgender boys playing with other boys. And it’s a conversation playing out across the country. The bill passed the house but ultimately died in the senate committee, after Governor Cox said he would not sign it as is. I spoke to Deseret News reporter Ashley Imlay. She’s been following this bill and helps us understand all sides.

Matt Rascon: Okay, so we’re talking about House Bill 302–Preserving Sports for Female Students is what it’s called. Talk about what’s in this bill.

Ashley Imlay, Deseret News: So this bill is to ban female athletes or transgender female athletes from playing on girls’ teams at public schools. And it would only affect transgender girls and not transgender boys.

Matt Rascon: It’s just for the K through 12.

Ashley Imlay: Yes, yes. So it really would just affect secondary education where there are school teams.

Matt Rascon: Can you talk about the what the bill sponsor that’s Kera Birkeland. What is she saying about them? Why was this bill introduced? And what is she hoping to accomplish here?

Ashley Imlay: Yeah, she is very passionate about the history of women’s sports. And the crux of this argument is, women weren’t really given opportunities to compete until the mid-20th century. And before that, it was just men and women have fought for their place in sports and their opportunities to compete.

Matt Rascon: Here’s Rep. Birkeland’s speech on the floor.

Utah Rep. Kera Birkeland: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am sure that this bill is something that most people have on their radar. I just want to take a quick moment and explain that women’s sports matter in Utah. They matter to me and they matter to every parent of young girls. And they matter to every athlete out there, trying their best. It used to be, when I was playing sports, that we played sports because it was fun. It was good fitness and health. That’s what I grew up being told what women’s sports is about. These days. women’s sports are about competition. They’re about scholarships. They’re about opportunities to excel and exceed. Currently in our state. There’s litigation, because we have women’s football, women who want to play football. But they were told they weren’t welcomed on the boy’s team. When they played on the boy’s team, they were mistreated. And they felt unwanted. They wanted to have a girl’s team that could play against the boys. They were told no. They wanted to create their own league where they could play. And they again, were told no, because it’s not safe for them. On the other hand, in Utah, we just recently saw a couple days ago in the headlines that we have girls wrestling, finally in Utah. These young women are thrilled for the opportunity to compete. And if you read the articles out there, the interesting part is that we talked about how it is safer now co-ed sports are harmful to our female athletes. So, here’s an opportunity to stand behind that to get behind the triumphs and the successes that we have made as females in the sports arena and to say, You matter and we want fairness for you not just in parts of your life, but in every aspect, including sports.

Ashley Imlay: There are some who feel that their places are being taken away by transgender women and girls. And there have been a few instances where there were transgender women who have won races or who have kind of dominated in their sports and, and so that’s led some cisgender–those born female–athletes to speak out against it, but then there are some who support them, transgender women being able to compete. Really passionate.

Matt Rascon: You said there’s actual instances in Utah?

Ashley Imlay: There are no transgender females who compete at Utah schools. We heard from some track runners at Southern Utah University who testified in the first committee hearing for it, who talked about running against a transgender woman from another school, an out of state. And they talked about how–one of the girls said that just from the start of the race, she knew that she didn’t have the chance and, and that her only chance of winning would be if this the transgender woman let her win. And so yeah, that was a really emotional hearing on both sides.

Matt Rascon: Then you have the other side. So I mean, it seems like it’s trying to even the playing field for women, and it’s in support of those who are born female to be able to compete on an even playing field. And on the other side, it sounds like it’s sort of discriminatory. Let’s talk about the argument against this.

Ashley Imlay: There are quite a few arguments against it. So, there is the argument that we’re only talking about transgender females, and it doesn’t affect transgender males–they still would be allowed to play on, like a boys football team under that bill. So just the fact that it’s targeting this small, small population. And then there is the argument that we already are in a mental health crisis and these kids are already going through a lot and having the opportunity to play on a team, to belong, could really help them. But there are no transgender athletes playing in Utah schools already. So there’s also the argument that it’s an issue that doesn’t even exist, it’s a culture where a bill to get ahead of the issue when it’s not even an issue. So that’s what the LGBTQ advocates say are some of their biggest arguments against the bill.

Matt Rascon: We spoke with Transgender activist Sue Robbins. Here’s what she had to say about the bill.

Sue Robbins, Equality Utah: I am happy to hear that it’s showing some thoughtfulness. Throughout this process, we have been reaching out and saying that this is moving fast, we had no input on the original bill. And we have basically been told that if we want to have an effect on it, it’ll go to the floor and it may get passed, but we can keep talking throughout the year. So the bill, and all the discussions around it have a lot of problems. And I think talking is important, and the governor pumping the brakes, I think will be a very good thing. And then we could sit down and bring sides together and talk because this has become this enormous amount of misinformation. And we should have concern for our girls, whether they are transgender or not, we should protect things for everybody, including our transgender girls. And this discussion has gone heavily down the road of comparing boys to girls and girls who are on a transgender path are girls, they’re not boys. So it is a poor comparison. Transgender girls go on puberty blockers. They go on hormone therapy. And we already have those policies in place. And we don’t have an issue. And that includes the Olympics, that has had this policy since 2004. And we’ve had zero transgender people get out of the trials, never mind being dominant. In the NCAA, they’ve had the policy for 10 years. One medal in Division II out of thousands of competitors. And this bill even covers kindergarten through 12th grade. Pre-pubescent kids are all the same. And we’re sitting here blocking them all in this and impacting our youth based on a broad fear. So I very much welcome this. I very much welcome discussion. I very much welcome calm, cool heads coming together and pulling the science together and looking at the reality of what’s already happening. And not creating fears for the future that we have years of data to show it doesn’t exist.

Matt Rascon: I even noticed that some other representatives we’re talking about how it goes beyond sports–that this would actually hurt the state. Are they talking about this?

Ashley Imlay: Utah plans on making a bid to host a future Olympics and, and those against this bill see that it could really hurt Utah’s chances and take us completely out of the running. Because transgender athletes have been allowed to compete in the Olympics. And the sports community is already trying to address the issue and looking into the science. And there is the fear that it will that it will prevent other tournaments from being held in the state. There are those from Silicon Slopes Commons–which is the kind of sister organization of Silicon Slopes–they’ve spoken out against it and said that it will really hurt companies in Utah with recruiting and it will prevent companies from choosing to move to Utah. And Salt Lake Chamber has also said they feel it should be left in the hands of athletic associations.

Matt Rascon: There’s that argument also that lawmakers should not even be the ones deciding the fate of these transgender athletes.

Ashley Imlay: Yeah, yeah. There’s also the concern that Utah will face heavy lawsuits from this. Idaho–which passed a similar bill last year– already seen lawsuits and unseen economic effects. According to those who are against the bill, they’re worried that Utah will go down that same path and that it’ll hurt the state’s reputation in the country.

Matt Rascon: Now, Governor, Spencer Cox has weighed in on this. And in the past, of course, he’s been looked at as an advocate for the LGBT community. And so I think that a lot of people were interested in “Okay, what’s he going to say about this?” Because in the house, you know, it seemed to be mostly along party lines, right. Republicans voting yes. Democrats now. What is Governor Spencer Cox saying about this bill?

Ashley Imlay: Yeah. So here’s something that really stood out to me what he said. He said, both sides are right, which really, I think illustrates how tough of an issue it is and how both sides are so passionate, and they’re both fighting for the same thing, which is fairness.

Matt Rascon: And the Governor says one of his biggest concerns is maligning a group that is already ostracized more than their peers.

Gov. Spencer Cox: These kids are … they’re just trying to stay alive. There’s a reason none of them are playing sports … I just think there’s a better way.

Matt Rascon: He kind of acknowledges, yeah, there are biological advantages with your birth gender. Women’s sports have had a disadvantage and that’s something that we need to make up for. But then on the other side, sympathizing with transgender students, who he says are just trying to stay alive. I think that was a big quote that stood out to me. And, pointed to that, there’s a reason why they’re not playing right now is because of kind of fear and discrimination, things like that.

In 2019, suicide was the leading cause of death for Utahns ages 10 to 17 and 18-24. Between 2017 and 2019, 414 teens died by suicide. Many advocates and mental health experts believe many of those teens were members of the LGBTQ community. Again, we want to mention, if you are having thoughts of suicide, there is support for you. The SafeUT app and the National Suicide Hotline–1-800-273-8255

Lawmakers in more than 20 states have introduced bills this year that would ban transgender girls from competing on girls’ sports teams in public high schools. Mississippi passed a bill almost identical to this one. Georgia is still debating it. For some that raises the question of so called “culture war bills” or “message bills.” According to the Associated Press, in almost every case, the bills’ sponsors cannot cite a single instance in their own state where this has caused problems. Proponents have said the bill is about being proactive — preventing possible problems in the future. Some point to a pair of runners in Connecticut. Between 2017 and 2019, two transgender sprinters won a combined 15 championship races, prompting a lawsuit. Supporters of transgender rights say the Connecticut case gets so much attention from conservatives because it’s the only example of its kind. They argue these bills address a threat that doesn’t exist.

Ashley Imlay: And then there’s another really interesting aspect–what’s the point of sports? Is it for the competition and for scholarships and, other opportunities? Or is it for friendship and for learning teamwork and, having a place to belong? I think sports are all of those things, but one side of the issue is focusing on the competition and the opportunities that that people get from playing sports and succeeding in sports. And one side is looking at all these opportunities then, and life lessons that that students get, and that they should have the opportunity to get.

Matt Rascon:  The legislative session ends March 5. Debate on the bill at the Utah capitol has ended. But we likely haven’t heard the end of the discussion on this topic. Thanks for jumping on. We’ll be back next week with a deeper look at the future of business, healthcare, and education as we are now a year into COVID.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Ani Sirois, a respiratory nurse, has spent months caring for coronavirus patients at a Portland, Oregon, hospital, and she’s only getting busier as infections — and hospitalizations — surge before the holidays.

But on a recent sunny day, COVID-19 seemed far away as she, her husband and their 2-year-old daughter roamed a Christmas tree farm in search of the perfect evergreen for a holiday season unlike any other. The family was tree-shopping nearly a week before Thanksgiving and, for the first time, they were picking their own tree instead of buying a pre-cut one.

“It’s nice to have home be a separate safe space away from the hospital, and whether we can have a gathering with family or not, I know we’ll have our own little tree with the purple lights, and that’ll be something small to look forward to,” she said.

The real Christmas tree industry, which has been battling increased interest in artificial trees, is glad to see that more Americans appear to be flocking to fresh-cut evergreens this season, seeking a bright spot amid the virus’s worsening toll.

It’s early in the season, but both wholesale tree farmers and small cut-your-own lots are reporting strong demand, with many opening well before Thanksgiving. Businesses say they are seeing more people and earlier than ever.

At some pick-your-own-tree farms, for example, customers sneaked in well before Thanksgiving to tag the perfect tree to cut down once the business opened. As demand surges, big box stores are seeking fresh trees up to a week earlier than last year, and Walmart is offering free home delivery for the first time.

“The season is running approximately six to seven days ahead of what we’ve seen in the past. We’ve never seen the demand like we’ve had this year,” said McKenzie Cook, who ships between 1.8 million and 2 million trees a year combined from McKenzie Farms in Oregon and Happy Holiday Christmas Trees in North Carolina.

A number of reasons are driving the uptick in interest. More Americans are staying home for the holidays amid pandemic restrictions and are realizing that for the first time in years — or maybe ever — they will be home to water a fresh-cut tree. With holiday parades and festivals canceled, stir-crazy families also are looking for a safe way to create special memories.

Plus, fresh-cut Christmas trees are largely displayed outside, where there’s a lower risk of viral spread, said Marsha Gray, executive director of the Christmas Tree Promotion Board.

The national organization says industry research tells them many people who put up an artificial tree last year plan to buy a real tree this year, and most are citing the pandemic as the reason.

“Yes, it’s a product, it’s a decoration that you put in your home, but getting a real tree involves the choosing, the hunting for it, the family outing. It really is a memory maker, it’s a day you spend together, and it really becomes much bigger than the tree itself,” Gray said. “It’s really making family memories and people really seem to gravitate to that right now.”

The growing interest in real trees comes after the industry has struggled to attract new, younger customers in recent years as more Americans buy artificial trees.

Between 75% and 80% of Americans who have a Christmas tree now have an artificial one, and the $1 billion market for fake trees has been growing by about 4% a year — despite them being reusable.

No one tracks annual sales of real trees because independent tree lots are so scattered, but those in the business estimate about 20 million trees or more are sold each year, most of them at big box stores such as Costco and Home Depot.

Oregon, the nation’s No. 1 supplier of fresh-cut trees, expects to ship nearly 6 million evergreens this season to places as far away as Japan and China. Other top tree exporters are Washington state, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

The fresh-cut tree industry in 2018 launched a social media campaign called “It’s Christmas. Keep It Real!” to attract young families and media-savvy millennials.

This year, the Christmas Tree Promotion Board also asked Rob Kenney, creator of the “Dad, How Do I?” YouTube channel, to make an instructional video for newbies on how to shop for and put up a real tree, then keep it alive. It’s gotten tens of thousands of views.

“We want to introduce real Christmas trees to young families and new buyers and create greater demand among those people who say, ‘I’m a little nervous about just taking a tree and dragging it into my house,'” Gray said.

It appears that message is breaking through as Americans seek a happier way to close out a difficult year.

Lee Farms, a sixth-generation family farm in Tualatin, Oregon, opened for the season a week earlier than last year. It sold more than 100 trees in the first four hours and was seeing new faces at a business that normally welcomes the same customers each year.

“It’s almost a new — or a renewed — experience for a lot of families this year,” said Teagan Milera, co-owner of Lee Farms. “Having that real tree smells so good in your house, something to take care of and decorate together, that nothing beats that for the holiday season.”

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Recent data from the Utah Department of Transportation shows a significant leap in walking and biking amid COVID-19.

The trend is not only good for reduced traffic, but it has a positive impact on the mental and physical wellbeing of the community.

One Utah family in particular tells KSL it has been life-changing for them.

“I went over a month without being in a car, which is crazy because before the pandemic I was in a car every single day,” said Tristin West with her husband, Mike, and their two young children.

Now, the Wests say they are biking every single day.

“We’ve become a biking family,” said Tristin.

Resisting travel right now, the married couple’s investment in a cargo bike fills their son, Jayson, who is non verbal, with excitement.

“Anytime we are in the bike he gets this big smile on his face and he just squeals and babbles and he makes everyone smile as we are passing by because he’s like, ‘Whoo!’” said Tristin.

Jayson has a rare genetic cranial facial syndrome called MCTT Syndrome. The Wests said he’s one of 25 in the world diagnosed. At just 8 years old, he’s already overcome three brain surgeries, two cranial surgeries, and more than 20 other surgeries. His biggest daily battle is headaches, and biking offers some relief.

“He can have a really rough day with headaches, and we can get him in that bike and he may have a few in the bike but he’s just happy for those few moments,” said Tristin.

The Wests are among many Utahns choosing to be more active in the outdoors, according UDOT’s John Gleason.

“In some trails we are seeing a 300% or more increase in use from last year to this year,” said Gleason. “It’s a great thing for your body, your mind, and it also is a wonderful thing for congestion on our roads.”

During a year that has brought so much heartache, the Wests have found something that fills theirs.

“He’s gone through a lot of challenges in his life, and to see the happiness that brings for him is, there’s nothing better than that,” Mike said about Jayson.

UDOT also said with more people out walking and biking, there is always a shared responsibility for drivers and pedestrians to be on the lookout for each other.