Utah's year in review

January

The year got off to a tragic start when a mass killing brought Enoch into the international spotlight.

• After a father killed seven family members and himself, records showed his teen daughter told authorities in 2020 about his abuse, but no charges were filed.

The Salt Lake Bees announced plans to leave their longtime home at Smith's Ballpark and move to a new stadium in South Jordan.

• Yes, but: Three months later, city and state leaders announced a campaign to bring a Major League Baseball team to SLC's Fairpark neighborhood.

Gov. Spencer Cox swiftly signed a ban on gender-affirming health care for trans youth, amid a nationwide wave of anti-trans bills.

Federal researchers found that one company — U.S. Magnesium — is responsible for up to 25% of the fine particulate matter in Salt Lake's winter smog.

February

The NBA All-Star Game brought the stars to Salt Lake, but some of them thought we were boring.

Federal investigators fined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints $5 million, saying the church misrepresented its investments in a plan ordered by its senior leaders.

March

The HBO hit "The Last of Us" showed to the world in the season finale an apocalyptic Salt Lake City.

Utah's tech sector breathed a sigh of relief after federal regulators guaranteed clients' deposits at the failed Silicon Valley Bank.

• State regulators began looking at new banking rules after the calamity.

In a trial that launched a thousand memes and a stage musical, actor Gwyneth Paltrow was absolved of responsibility for injuries a retired optometrist suffered in a 2016 ski collision with her at Deer Valley.

April

Planned Parenthood and the ACLU sued over the state's new ban on abortion clinics and later won a temporary block on the law, keeping clinics open a while longer.

Utah broke its all-time snow record at the end of a BIG winter.

• The flooding began in Salt Lake about a week later.

May

Pornhub blocked all access from Utah devices to protest the state's new age-verification law.

• Apart from the state's longstanding war on porn, lawmakers also passed age-verification requirements for all social media platforms, starting next March. That led to a free-speech lawsuit by a group representing Facebook, TikTok, and X.

Homeowners hoping to take advantage of Utah's new incentives for drought-tolerant landscaping — one of the few measures lawmakers passed to address the water supply — encountered plant shortages.

Rep. Chris Stewart announced he would leave Congress in September, triggering a special election that his staffer Celeste Maloy won in November.

June

Davis School District banned the Bible under state rules prohibiting "vulgarity or violence" in library materials, which triggered a review by lawmakers.

• After outcry, the Bible was returned to shelves.

Pride month got off to a rocky start after Cox's dedication eliminated all mention of LGBTQ+ Utahns.

• Then, the Utah Transit Authority removed its Pride-themed bus after complaints from GOP lawmakers.

Homelessness spiked again this year, and housing was central to Salt Lake's ongoing mayoral and city council campaigns.

• Mayor Erin Mendenhall ultimately won re-election in November.

July

We were bored and hot.

August

300 West finally reopened after years of construction.

September

U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney announced his retirement effective next year, igniting multiple campaigns and prompting reflection on his role in shaping public perceptions of Mormonism.

Anti-sex-trafficking crusader Tim Ballard was disavowed by the Mormon church as reporting by Vice News and Utah journalist Lynn Packard unveiled accusations of sexual misconduct by multiple women who eventually filed lawsuits.

• Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes later said he would not run for office again, in part because he was such a prominent ally of Ballard and the nonprofit that Ballard founded, Operation Underground Railroad.
• Scandals surrounding Ballard surfaced just a month after the release of "The Sound of Freedom," a surprise-hit movie about his anti-trafficking stings.

October

Bad Bunny announced his 2024 "Most Wanted" tour will launch in Salt Lake.

• This is clearly more significant than the presidential debate scheduled here next October. Come back, Mr. Bunny! We'll have a captive audience waiting for you.

November

Multiple Salt Lake City elementary schools were slated for closure due to declining enrollment.

• The superintendent cried. Board members cried. Erin's kid cried.

SLC was named a finalist — and probable host — for the 2034 Winter Olympic Games.

December

The LDS Church's response to sexual assault was again scrutinized after an AP exposé found the church paid $300,000 to an alleged victim in exchange for a non-disclosure agreement.

The controversial gondola planned for Little Cottonwood Canyon is the target of an environmental lawsuit filed by Salt Lake City and Sandy.

And with that, it's Dec. 20, winter's solstice. Time to calm down and brace for a new year.