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Two Franciscan priests arrived at the Wasatch Front 250 years ago this week.

Why it mattered: The expedition of Silvestre Vélez de Escalante and Atanasio Domínguez was the first time white people were documented to have set foot in what is now Utah.

This is Old News, where we trace the map of Utah's past.

Zoom in: On Sept. 23, the entourage was greeted by the Timpanogos Utes near Spanish Fork Canyon. 

A Ute guide was tasked with explaining Roman Catholicism 101 to the community, and Escalante wrote that people asked to be baptized immediately. 

Reality check: Escalante's journal should probably be taken with a grain of salt; he also claims the Utes "offered the Spaniards all their land so they might build their houses wherever they pleased."

Between the lines: His account suggests an alliance with Spain against the Comanche was a big factor in their enthusiasm.

They were surprised the expedition had passed through Comanche lands without violence, "thus verifying what the [priests] had said: Namely, that God would deliver us from all our enemies," Escalante wrote.

Yes, but: Even the priests hit the brakes on formal conversion.

"We told them that after finishing our journey we would return with more fathers … to baptize them." 

In the meantime, they told the Ute people to "say only 'Jesús Maria! Jesús Maria!'" to earn God's favor.

They also asked for "tokens" of the Utes' faith to share with Spanish authorities. The Utes produced figurines of tribal leaders and painted little crosses on them.

The bottom line: It took the better part of a century for Catholicism to return and establish a permanent presence.

Caveat: For a while, the Spanish-Mexican explorer Juan Rivera was thought to be the first European to reach Utah, in 1765.

But the historian who first mapped Rivera's journey later found evidence that he probably stayed east of the now-state line. 

The first white people in Utah

Escalante and Domínguez promised salvation. Then they left.

Curved-wall interior mural of explorers and Native Americans by a lakeside, with a priest pointing, one holding a cross; reads "Father Escalante Discovers Utah Lake 1776".

A painting of Fathers Escalante and Domínguez arriving at Utah Lake, under the Utah State Capitol rotunda. Image via the State of Utah

Two Franciscan priests arrived at the Wasatch Front 250 years ago this week.Why it mattered: The expedition of Silvestre Vélez de Escalante and Atanasio Domínguez was the first time white people were documented to have set foot in what is now Utah.

News

History

Tennessee's failed attempt to execute Christa Pike is renewing scrutiny of lethal injection — but Utah law still reserves the firing squad as a backup plan.

Why it matters: Lethal injection is Utah's primary execution method, used for five of the state's eight executions since the U.S. Supreme Court approved the death penalty 50 years ago.

Driving the news: Tennessee officials tried to execute Pike with pentobarbital last week, but she survived two doses of the drug and was hospitalized in critical condition.

Pike's attorney said at least seven needles were used in the failed attempt, which he described as torture — adding that her arm turned purple and showed blistering and burning around the injection site. 

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee called the failed execution "deeply disturbing," halted executions and ordered an independent review.

Friction point: The botched execution escalated national tension over capital punishment less than a week after death row inmate Douglas Carter was released from the Utah County Jail due to new DNA results that could challenge his conviction in a 1985 murder.

Prosecutors have said they won't seek the death penalty if they decide to retry him. 

The latest: Now the Utah Prisoner Advocate Network is calling for a death penalty moratorium here in light of Pike and Carter's cases.

Gov. Spencer Cox's office did not immediately respond to Axios' query as to whether a pause was under consideration.

Between the lines: Utah is one of five states that allows firing squads instead of lethal injections.

Update: The map labels were changed to consolidate primary and secondary execution methods. Data: Death Penalty Information Center; Note: New Hampshire abolished the death penalty but retains one prisoner on death row; Map: Erin Davis/Axios

Catch up quick: Before 2004, defendants could choose firing squad at sentencing, but now it's only a backup in the event that lethal injection is ruled unconstitutional or the chemicals are unavailable.

How it works: The state administers a sedative or barbiturate, commonly pentobarbital, to cause death, or:

A sedative or anesthetic is followed by a paralytic before a final drug stops the heart.

Yes, but: Pentobarbital itself has been under scrutiny, with critics questioning whether it really causes a painless death.

Witnesses have described some prisoners gasping for air and struggling to breathe.

Autopsies have found evidence of prisoner suffering from pulmonary edema, which is a buildup of fluid in the lungs that can create the same sensation as drowning, per NPR.

By the numbers: The Death Penalty Information Center says 75 of 1,054 lethal injections (about 7%) were botched from 1890 to 2010 — the most of any method.

President Trump's Justice Department reauthorized the federal use of pentobarbital after it had been halted by President Biden's DOJ. 

Flashback: Only one of Utah's three remaining death row inmates — Troy Michael Kell, sentenced in 1996 in the murder of another inmate at the state prison in Gunnison — chose the firing squad. 

The bottom line: Even if lethal injections end, Utah law orders a return to firing squads, whether the defendant chose it or not.

death row inmate Douglas Carter was released

Utah reserves firing squad option as doubts rise over lethal injection

If Tennessee's botched execution ends lethal injection, Utah law spells out the state's backup plan.

Photo illustration of Louisiana State Penitentiary.

Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photo: Giles Clarke/Getty Images

Tennessee&#x27;s failed attempt to execute Christa Pike is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="renewing scrutiny" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/10/01/christa-pike-lethal-injections-drugs-pentobarbital" data-vars-content-id="672fa963-6b42-43b9-9802-ba1790df637c" data-vars-headline="Utah reserves firing squad option as doubts rise over lethal injection" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/10/01/christa-pike-lethal-injections-drugs-pentobarbital" target="_self">renewing scrutiny</a> of lethal injection — but Utah law still reserves the firing squad as a backup plan.Why it matters: Lethal injection is Utah&#x27;s primary <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="execution" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2026/07/09/charlie-kirk-tyler-robinson-death-penalty-gary-gilmore-ron-lafferty" data-vars-content-id="672fa963-6b42-43b9-9802-ba1790df637c" data-vars-headline="Utah reserves firing squad option as doubts rise over lethal injection" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2026/07/09/charlie-kirk-tyler-robinson-death-penalty-gary-gilmore-ron-lafferty" target="_self">execution</a> method, used for five of the state&#x27;s eight executions since the U.S. Supreme Court approved the death penalty 50 years ago.

Public Safety

Hundreds of Utah families will start losing their child care subsidies this week — not just for daycare, but also for after-school care. 

Why it matters: Utah's unmet demand for after-school care is already more critical than in most other states, according to the Afterschool Alliance's latest data.

Driving the news: New state income limits took effect Thursday, lowering the maximum amount a family can earn and still receive subsidies.

By the numbers: A single parent in Utah with two kids would now have to make less than about $51,000 a year to apply for help, compared to $87,000 under the previous limits.

More than 900 Utah families will lose assistance.

Catch up quick: The change comes two years after federal pandemic relief expired, reducing Utah's funding by more than $20 million.

Then, in July, the Trump administration rolled back a Biden-era rule that required enough assistance to ensure low-income families don't spend more than 7% of their income on child care.

Friction point: The Trump administration also reversed rules that required states to pay providers up front and base assistance on enrollment, rather than attendance. 

Those policies were intended to stabilize revenue for center operators so they don't close amid already-dire shortages.

Case in point: Hundreds of West Side families were thrown into a lurch last year when Poplar Grove's Lied Boys & Girls Club closed due to $2 million in federal funding cuts. 

Flashback: The Trump administration also withheld nearly $7 billion last year that Congress had allocated for after-school and summer programs, throwing Utah's after-school programs into budget and hiring crises.

What they're saying: Cost is the prohibitive factor for more than half of the Utah parents surveyed by the Afterschool Alliance, who said they haven't enrolled their kids in after-school programs even though they want to.

Nearly half cited transportation and inconvenient locations, and 40% said nearby programs don't have availability.

About 83% of Utah kids whose parents want after-school care don't have it, the group estimates — the sixth-highest rate in the country. 

Between the lines: Utah doesn't provide state funds for after-school care, but the Utah Afterschool Network is asking officials for part of the state's recent $212 million Meta settlement.

It's unclear whether lawmakers will agree.

What we're watching: The Trump administration wants to further cut child care subsidies for working parents and use the money to pay parents to stay home.

closed due to $2 million in federal funding cuts

Utah parents scramble for after-school care 

Some families are losing subsidies under new state and federal rules.

Illustration of a playground slide with a hole at the bottom of the slide part.  

Hundreds of Utah families will start losing their child care subsidies this week — not just for daycare, but also for after-school care. Why it matters: Utah&#x27;s unmet demand for after-school care is already more critical than in most other states, according to the Afterschool Alliance&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="latest data" data-vars-click-url="https://afterschoolalliance.org/AA3PM/data/national/demand" data-vars-content-id="9aebdef2-445f-4d49-b87d-65d76dc5910a" data-vars-headline="Utah parents scramble for after-school care " data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://afterschoolalliance.org/AA3PM/data/national/demand" target="_blank">latest data</a>.

Education

FanX is bringing a galaxy's worth of stars to Salt Lake this weekend, with a guest lineup that has fully escaped niche-fandom containment.

Why it matters: The appearance of more Hollywood A-listers is broadening the notion of "fandom" at FanX beyond tight-knit, sometimes-elitist communities that recite deep cuts and debate the limits of "canon." 

Driving the news: This year's guests include rock star Gene Simmons, action hero Kiefer Sutherland, Jane Seymour of 1980s miniseries fame, and ubiquitous generational icons like Ann-Margret and Alec Baldwin.

Catch up quick: The guest list has grown exponentially since the first convention in 2013, when William Shatner and Stan Lee were the only truly legendary household names. 

Zoom in: These days you can expect to find fans of pretty much any pop culture artifact that is broadly liked.

Yes, but: Even the megastar guests of previous years typically were celebrated for roles that generated their own intense fan cultures.

When fans pay for a photo-op with Geena Davis, "Beetlejuice" is the likelier connection than "The Accidental Tourist," which won her an Oscar.

Between the lines: It's unclear what fictional realm Gene Simmons represents — but Kiss is nothing if not fantastical.

Who else is coming: Helen Hunt, Hayden Christensen, Molly Ringwald, Bryce Dallas Howard, Giancarlo Esposito and Mr. T. Also:

The voice actors behind Disney princesses Ariel, Belle and Jasmine.

The FanX celebrity lineup keeps getting bigger

With Gene Simmons on the guest list, it's stranger than fiction.

Grid of FanX poster cards on a dark background; each card features a collage portrait with purple accents and a purple caption area beneath the image.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="FanX" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2025/09/25/fanx-guide-best-panels-celebrity-events" data-vars-content-id="af864059-e0ae-4269-bd10-8b9f15484c3c" data-vars-headline="The FanX celebrity lineup keeps getting bigger" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2025/09/25/fanx-guide-best-panels-celebrity-events" target="_self">FanX</a> is bringing a galaxy&#x27;s worth of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="stars" data-vars-click-url="https://fanxsaltlake.com/guests/" data-vars-content-id="af864059-e0ae-4269-bd10-8b9f15484c3c" data-vars-headline="The FanX celebrity lineup keeps getting bigger" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://fanxsaltlake.com/guests/" target="_blank">stars</a> to Salt Lake this weekend, with a guest lineup that has fully escaped niche-fandom containment.Why it matters: The appearance of more Hollywood A-listers is broadening the notion of &quot;fandom&quot; at FanX beyond tight-knit, sometimes-elitist communities that recite deep cuts and debate the limits of &quot;canon.&quot;

Things to Do

With Salt Lake consistently ranking near the top of Major League Baseball's projected expansion markets, we asked what you thought our home team should be called.

You had lots of thoughts — and reader Natalie P. even sent the above mockups for logos to accompany her suggestions! 

🐝 Christian M. wants to revive the Bees' former name: the Salt Lake Buzz, which is " built in local memory" and would make the "old hats become cool." 

"Buy whatever the old naming rights cost," he advised.

🐂 Jordan H. said, "Pioneers for sure makes the most sense. Runner-up — Golden Spikes."

🤩 "The Salt Lake Sensations" is Robert R.'s pick.

🪰 From Gavin D.: "Salt Lake Brine Flies."

⬅️ Flashback: When the campaign for an MLB team began in 2023, Mayor Erin Mendenhall proposed the Westsiders.

💭 Our thought bubble: Kim wants to cheer for the Salt Lake Stingers.

I'm rooting for the Salt Lake Hot Pavement, which I consider to be our most threatening local feature. 

Your names for Salt Lake's potential MLB team

Readers have big dreams, from the Red Tails to the Brine Flies.

Three Utah baseball logos on dark panels: left shows a masked cowboy with 'UTAH OUTLAWS'; center features a red-tailed hawk and 'UTAH REDTAILS'; right depicts a gold scorpion with 'UTAH SCORPIONS'.

Proposed MLB logos for a Utah team, submitted by reader Natalie P.

With Salt Lake <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="consistently ranking near the top" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2026/09/14/how-mlb-s-expansion-timeline-gives-salt-lake-an-edge" data-vars-content-id="b769be36-d5c5-4928-96f0-a4dc1cd97af1" data-vars-headline="Your names for Salt Lake&#x27;s potential MLB team" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2026/09/14/how-mlb-s-expansion-timeline-gives-salt-lake-an-edge" target="_self">consistently ranking near the top</a> of Major League Baseball&#x27;s projected expansion markets, we asked what you thought our home team should be called.<ul><li>You had lots of thoughts — and reader Natalie P. even sent the above mockups for logos to accompany her suggestions! </li></ul>

Erin Alberty

Featured stories

Utah reserves firing squad option as doubts rise over lethal injection

Utah parents scramble for after-school care

The FanX celebrity lineup keeps getting bigger

The first white people in Utah

Your names for Salt Lake's potential MLB team