All Access

Salt Lake City

Get smarter, faster on the most consequential news unfolding in Salt Lake City

Axios Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City Alerts

Axios Salt Lake City Thought Bubble

Democratic party leaders are calling for Sen. Gene Davis to resign.

Driving the news: A former intern publicly accused the Salt Lake City Democrat of sexual harassment earlier this month. 

The latest: In a statement on Friday, Thom DeSirant, executive director of the Utah Democratic Party, said party leaders and members asked Davis to step down from his position in the Utah Legislature.

After Davis didn't resign, DeSirant said they voted to extend his suspension last week to include all party-related events while awaiting the outcome of a probe by the Utah Senate. 

DeSirant also requested the Senate share its findings with the party. 

Davis did not respond to Axios' request for comment.

What they're saying: "We find ourselves faced with multiple credible allegations of misconduct by Senator Davis and must err in favor of the safety and well-being of our members," DeSirant said.

He also added the party was reviewing its training for staff and volunteers about steps to take when a complaint is received.

Context: On Aug. 3, Sonia Weglinski, who worked as Davis' legislative intern and later as a campaign staffer earlier this year, alleged he invaded her personal boundaries, describing an incident where he wiped dirt off her buttocks against her will in a now-deleted Instagram post. 

Two days after Weglinski's social media post, Utah Senate President Stuart Adams announced he was launching an independent investigation into the claims. 

The big picture: Her allegations against the longtime senator have prompted a growing coalition of women in politics to denounce sexual harassment in the workplace and call for aggressors to be held accountable.

Yes, but: A year before Weglinski came forward, Elizabeth Converse, a former legislative staffer, accused Davis in a Facebook post of inappropriately putting his arm around her waist and suggesting body shots.

Weglinski said she believed her experience with Davis could have been prevented had the Utah Democratic Party held him accountable for previous sexual harassment claims.

In a previous statement this month, the party claimed it couldn't conduct an investigation unless a formal complaint had been received. 

Go deeper: Davis has served in the Utah Legislature since 1987 and joined the Senate in 1999. 

He lost his Democratic primary race against Nate Blouin in June.

Sen. Gene Davis asked to resign by party leaders amid sexual harassment claims

The request comes a week after the Utah Senate said it would launch an independent investigation into a former intern's claims against Sen. Davis.

Democratic Sen. Gene Davis looks on from the Senate floor at the Utah State Capitol Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2017, in Salt Lake City. Photo: Rick Bowmer/Associated Press

Utah

Democratic party leaders are calling for Sen. Gene Davis to resign.Driving the news: A former intern publicly accused the Salt Lake City Democrat of sexual harassment earlier this month.

Politics

Note: The analysis includes U.S. Social Security Number holders born 1984–1992 measuring their childhood locations at age 16 and young adult locations at age 26; Data: Center for Economic Studies, et al., 2022, "The Radius of Opportunity: Evidence from Migration and Local Labor Markets"; Chart: Skye Witley/Axios

About a quarter of young adults who grew up in Salt Lake City packed their bags and moved to other parts of the state or the West Coast by the age of 26, according to census data.

Details: Axios looked at a Center of Economic Studies analysis of census migration data comparing where Salt Lake City residents lived at the age of 16 to where they moved by 26.

Yes, but: The data only measures where millennials born between 1984 and 1992 moved up until 2018, which is not reflective of moving trends that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.

State of play: Whether it's due to seeking educational opportunities or wanting to move to cities where the cost of living is lower, the data show a glimpse as to why millennials are leaving town. 

The big picture: On average, young adults who grew up in Salt Lake City moved 165 miles away for a job — 17 miles below the national average.

By the numbers: Overall, about 8% of millennials who moved out of Salt Lake City remained in Utah, with 4.6% moving to Provo, followed by Logan (1.7%) and St. George (.9%)

Some of the largest higher education institutions in the state are located in or near Provo, Logan and St. George, like BYU, USU and Southern Utah University. 

Aside from Los Angeles, the cost of living in top cities millennials moved to were 2% to 6% lower than Salt Lake City, according to NerdWallet's cost of living calculator. 

Of those who left Salt Lake City, 17% moved to a different state. The top states among them include Arizona, California, Colorado, Texas, and Washington. 

Here's where Salt Lake City millennials go when they leave

About 17% of millennials who moved out of Salt Lake City left the state, while 8% moved to another Utah town.

Census

About a quarter of young adults who grew up in Salt Lake City packed their bags and moved to other parts of the state or the West Coast by the age of 26, according to census data.Details: Axios looked at a Center of Economic Studies analysis of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="census migration data" data-vars-click-url="https://migrationpatterns.org/" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://migrationpatterns.org/" target="_blank">census migration data</a> comparing where Salt Lake City residents lived at the age of 16 to where they moved by 26.

News

The Salt Lake County Health Department is working with LGBTQ rights organizations to frame public health messaging around the spread of monkeypox and the availability of vaccines. 

Driving the news: While U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has urged every American to take monkeypox seriously, the outbreak has disproportionately impacted men who have sex with men.

Local health departments across the country are also grappling with targeting messaging to the most impacted, without incurring additional stigma to the LGBTQ community. 

What they're saying: "When we had our first two cases in May … we knew we had to start immediately in ensuring that those who are at the highest risk had the information they needed to make decisions to protect themselves," said Nicholas Rupp, a spokesman for the Salt Lake County Health Department. 

State of play: In May, Rupp said the county health department held a virtual meeting with the Utah Pride Center, Equality Utah, the Utah AIDS Foundation and the state health department to discuss how to get the word out ahead of Pride Festival festivities.

Rupp said community-based organizations have better trust and connections with the MSM community and LGBTQ residents. 

"We always err on the side of safety and public health, but we do our best to temper that with not encouraging stigma," Rupp said. "When it comes down to it … we're going to be direct to make sure we can protect people."

Rupp said community-based organizations are also helping inform the MSM community about vaccine clinics. 

 Jessica Dummar, co-CEO at the Utah Pride Center, said the organization has helped review and edit some of the county’s public health messaging. 

“This isn’t a queer disease," she said. "This is a disease that is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact."

Dumar believes the county's approach has been effective at disseminating critical health information to queer communities about the virus. 

Of note: Due to a federal vaccine shortage, appointments and walk-in clinics organized by the county have been open to only men who have sex with men who are not in monogamous relationships and don't have monkeypox symptoms. 

Last month, the county health department distributed about 900 doses to people. An estimated 500 were given out or scheduled earlier this month.

The latest: So far, the state has reported 58 monkeypox cases, with the majority concentrated in Salt Lake County.

What's next: The county health department expects to receive a new shipment of doses next week from the federal government. Rupp said that vaccine appointments will be made available as soon as they arrive. 

If you have symptoms: Health officials recommend calling your health provider to get tested and treated. Those who don't have health resources can call the county at 385-468-4242. 

According to the CDC, symptoms include a rash, fever, chills and swollen lymph nodes.

What we're watching:  The CDC reports  Black and Latino communities are overrepresented in monkeypox cases. Among the 88% of U.S. cases with available data, 41% were among White persons, 28% were Latino and 26% were Black. Black and Latino Americans comprise nearly 14% and 19% of the U.S. population, respectively, according to the census bureau.

Salt Lake County works with LGBTQ groups on monkeypox messaging

Most monkeypox cases are concentrated in Salt Lake County.

Illustration of a hand holding a syringe underneath a giant red dot. 

Monkeypox

The Salt Lake County Health Department is working with LGBTQ rights organizations to frame public health messaging around the spread of monkeypox and the availability of vaccines. Driving the news: While U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has urged <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="every American" data-vars-click-url="https://www.npr.org/2022/08/05/1116036167/talking-about-monkeypox-effectively-without-stigmatizing-men-who-have-sex-with-m" data-vars-content-id="46b03184-d55a-4bc3-9adf-ceeef3e4e0e7" data-vars-headline="Salt Lake County works with LGBTQ groups on monkeypox messaging" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.npr.org/2022/08/05/1116036167/talking-about-monkeypox-effectively-without-stigmatizing-men-who-have-sex-with-m" target="_blank">every American</a> to take monkeypox seriously, the outbreak has <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="disproportionately impacted" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-health-and-wellness/lesions-headaches-debilitating-pain-gay-men-monkeypox-share-stories-rcna36789" data-vars-content-id="46b03184-d55a-4bc3-9adf-ceeef3e4e0e7" data-vars-headline="Salt Lake County works with LGBTQ groups on monkeypox messaging" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-health-and-wellness/lesions-headaches-debilitating-pain-gay-men-monkeypox-share-stories-rcna36789" target="_blank">disproportionately impacted</a> men who have sex with men.

Salt Lake County Council member Dave Alvord is facing backlash on Twitter over inaccurate medical claims he posted in regard to how fetuses are developed in the womb. 

Background: Alvord, a Republican who served as mayor of South Jordan, said babies are not part of women's bodies and claimed umbilical cords and placentas do not connect to women. 

"The baby floats inside the woman. It is not about the woman's body, it's to kill then remove the baby's body. It is done in greater proportion to black babies," he said in the tweet Aug. 6. 

The tweet was in response to Vice President Kamala Harris' post saying women could make their own choices about abortion without government intervention. 

By Thursday, Alvord's post had received over 400 retweets, with the majority scrutinizing him. 

Reality check: "Obviously, this is inaccurate, and it's not how pregnancy develops," said Dr. Lori Gawron, an OB-GYN in Salt Lake City. 

If a placenta is not attached to a mother, that would be called placental abruption, a medical emergency that would result in the immediate death of the fetus, she said. 

The placenta, which is attached to the walls of the uterus, connects to the fetus through the umbilical cord.

"This is an area where I just wish … our policymakers would be much more humble in their statements and acknowledge that this is outside of their knowledge and seek guidance from people that have spent their lives studying aspects of human reproduction and sexual health," she said. 

Of note: The extent of Alvord's medical training is unclear. His professional biography on the Salt Lake County website says he "practiced dentistry for 16 years." 

The latest: While Alvord did not respond to Axios' request for comment, he tweeted on Wednesday to say he stood by his original post.

"My tweet was not a biology lesson but was intended to simply point out that a baby, the umbilical cord, and the placenta are part of a new and developing body, with its own unique DNA and gender, separate from the mother."

Alvord then shared links to articles from Insider and Wikipedia in an attempt to support his claims. 

A spokesperson for Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson did not respond immediately to a request for comment on Alvord's tweets.

Background: This isn't the first time Alvord makes bizarre statements on social media. 

Last year, he claimed in a Facebook post that "the left won't be happy until we each have light brown skin," and "until there are no males, no females, and we each have the same muscle mass, brains, talents, and energy," The Salt Lake Tribune reported. 

Salt Lake City OB-GYN refutes council member's floating baby claims

The tweet was in response to Vice President Kamala Harris' post saying women could make their own choices about abortion without government intervention.

A screenshot of a tweet by Salt Lake Council member David Alvord.

Abortion

Salt Lake County Council member <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Dave Alvord" data-vars-click-url="https://twitter.com/DaveAlvord" data-vars-content-id="aca1ce92-f8c1-4d67-bed1-70820ad28ec2" data-vars-headline="Salt Lake City OB-GYN refutes council member&#x27;s floating baby claims" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://twitter.com/DaveAlvord" target="_blank">Dave Alvord</a> is facing backlash on Twitter over inaccurate medical claims he posted in regard to how fetuses are developed in the womb. Background: Alvord, a Republican who served as mayor of South Jordan, said babies are not part of women&#x27;s bodies and claimed umbilical cords and placentas do not connect to women.

From hot air balloons to dinosaurs, check out these fun events happening in Salt Lake County this weekend.

What's happening: Witness a different kind of rainbow in the sky at Sandy's annual hot air balloon festival. 

The festival will also feature a free concert, a crafts station and a 5k race.

When: Hot air balloons launch Friday and Saturday at sunrise around 6:30am.

Where: Storm Mountain Park, located at 1000 E. 11400 S. in Sandy. Check out this website for other event locations. 

What's happening: With over 300 exhibitors, the 14th-annual Craft Lake City DIY Fest is considered the state's largest local art, music, science and technology festival. 

When: Friday from 5pm to 1opm. Saturday from noon to 8pm and Sunday from noon to 6pm.  

Cost: Tickets for Friday cost $15. Saturday or Sunday tickets cost $7 if you buy in advance or $10 the day of. Children 12 and under get in free.

Of note: Your dog will require its own ticket for $5. 

Tip: Take the TRAX Green Line and stop at Fairpark to avoid the $7 parking fee.

What's happening: Experience the 2015 film "Jurassic World" with a live score performed by a full symphony orchestra. 

Where: Abravanel Hall, located at 123 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. 

Cost: Seats range from $30 to $95. Students and concertgoers under the age of 30 can receive a 50% discount on tickets. 

No weekend plans? Here's what to do in Salt Lake City Aug. 12-14

Illustration of a switch with a briefcase icon, shifting from on to off.

1 fun thing

From hot air balloons to dinosaurs, check out these fun events happening in Salt Lake County this weekend.<h5>1. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Sandy Balloon Festival" data-vars-click-url="https://sandy.utah.gov/518/Balloon-Festival" data-vars-content-id="c86f8ef5-1839-4936-a7dc-3625d7a95bdf" data-vars-headline="No weekend plans? Here&#x27;s what to do in Salt Lake City Aug. 12-14" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://sandy.utah.gov/518/Balloon-Festival" target="_blank">Sandy Balloon Festival</a></h5>What&#x27;s happening: Witness a different kind of rainbow in the sky at Sandy&#x27;s annual hot air balloon festival.

Kim Bojórquez

Featured stories

Sen. Gene Davis asked to resign by party leaders amid sexual harassment claims

No weekend plans? Here's what to do in Salt Lake City Aug. 12-14

Salt Lake City OB-GYN refutes council member's floating baby claims

Salt Lake County works with LGBTQ groups on monkeypox messaging

Here's where Salt Lake City millennials go when they leave