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5 takeaways from Utah's 1st Congressional District debate

The debate comes less than a month before the June 23 primary.

News

Four Democrats vying for the new, left-leaning <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="1st Congressional District" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2025/11/13/utah-democrats-congressional-district-map-mcadams-riebe" data-vars-content-id="4ba5f7a2-6110-406c-8e4d-e2eb50696765" data-vars-headline="5 takeaways from Utah&#x27;s 1st Congressional District debate" 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/2025/11/13/utah-democrats-congressional-district-map-mcadams-riebe" target="_self">1st Congressional District</a> laid out their policy priorities and traded barbs during a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="televised PBS Utah debate" data-vars-click-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCAyQ9wiaPA&amp;t=1173s" data-vars-content-id="4ba5f7a2-6110-406c-8e4d-e2eb50696765" data-vars-headline="5 takeaways from Utah&#x27;s 1st Congressional District debate" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCAyQ9wiaPA&amp;t=1173s" target="_blank">televised PBS Utah debate</a> Wednesday.Why it matters: The debate offered a major opportunity for State Sen. Nate Blouin, tax attorney Michael Farrell, former U.S. Rep. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Ben McAdams" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2026/04/21/utah-1st-congressional-district-democrats-fundraising" data-vars-content-id="4ba5f7a2-6110-406c-8e4d-e2eb50696765" data-vars-headline="5 takeaways from Utah&#x27;s 1st Congressional District debate" 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/2026/04/21/utah-1st-congressional-district-democrats-fundraising" target="_self">Ben McAdams</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="state convention winner" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2026/04/26/liban-mohamed-upset-ben-mcadams-democratic-convention-win" data-vars-content-id="4ba5f7a2-6110-406c-8e4d-e2eb50696765" data-vars-headline="5 takeaways from Utah&#x27;s 1st Congressional District debate" 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/2026/04/26/liban-mohamed-upset-ben-mcadams-democratic-convention-win" target="_self">state convention winner</a> Liban Mohamed to make their cases to voters before ballots for the June 23 primary are mailed out <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="next week" data-vars-click-url="https://vote.utah.gov/current-election-information/" data-vars-content-id="4ba5f7a2-6110-406c-8e4d-e2eb50696765" data-vars-headline="5 takeaways from Utah&#x27;s 1st Congressional District debate" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://vote.utah.gov/current-election-information/" target="_blank">next week</a>.

The uncomfortable familiarity of "Yesteryear"

The antiheroine's backstory closely parallels that of Ballerina Farm and other influencers with Utah ties.

If you haven&#x27;t read &quot;Yesteryear,&quot; prepare for some familiar, if distorted, refrains from Utah momfluencer culture.The big picture: The thriller by Caro Claire Burke burns down the pastoral images of tradwifery like stray voltage from a fallen power line — and readers are gobbling up the charred homemade biscuits.<ul><li>It&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="hovered" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/" data-vars-content-id="3850e60d-3e58-444a-8687-6ae723740149" data-vars-headline="The uncomfortable familiarity of &quot;Yesteryear&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/" target="_blank">hovered</a> near the top of the New York Times Best Seller List since its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="release" data-vars-click-url="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/mar/29/serve-smile-procreate-yesteryear-author-caro-claire-burke-on-the-rise-of-the-tradwife" data-vars-content-id="3850e60d-3e58-444a-8687-6ae723740149" data-vars-headline="The uncomfortable familiarity of &quot;Yesteryear&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/mar/29/serve-smile-procreate-yesteryear-author-caro-claire-burke-on-the-rise-of-the-tradwife" target="_blank">release</a> this spring. Anne Hathaway is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="already planning" data-vars-click-url="https://variety.com/2026/film/features/yesteryear-caro-claire-burke-tradwife-anne-hathaway-1236748015/" data-vars-content-id="3850e60d-3e58-444a-8687-6ae723740149" data-vars-headline="The uncomfortable familiarity of &quot;Yesteryear&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://variety.com/2026/film/features/yesteryear-caro-claire-burke-tradwife-anne-hathaway-1236748015/" target="_blank">already planning</a> to star in the movie.</li></ul>What&#x27;s inside: &quot;Yesteryear&quot; is the name of a fictional Idaho ranch occupied by the family of a young, conservative Christian woman who quits Harvard to marry the heir of a wealthy politician.<ul><li>She gains swift fame for the anodyne, idealized images she posts from her rural mom life in the mountains — until a few things go wrong.</li></ul>Catch up quick: The character&#x27;s backstory closely mirrors that of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Hannah Neeleman" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2024/01/29/ballerina-farm-utah-influencer-tradwife-controversy" data-vars-content-id="3850e60d-3e58-444a-8687-6ae723740149" data-vars-headline="The uncomfortable familiarity of &quot;Yesteryear&quot;" 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/2024/01/29/ballerina-farm-utah-influencer-tradwife-controversy" target="_self">Hannah Neeleman</a>, the Utah influencer who left her dance career after graduating from Juilliard to marry the son of JetBlue&#x27;s founder and raise their nine kids.<ul><li>Neeleman grew an online audience of millions with videos and photos from their Summit County ranch, which shares the name of her online persona: Ballerina Farm.</li><li>She&#x27;s been <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="called" data-vars-click-url="https://www.thecut.com/2023/09/tradwife-content-influencers-conservative-ideology.html" data-vars-content-id="3850e60d-3e58-444a-8687-6ae723740149" data-vars-headline="The uncomfortable familiarity of &quot;Yesteryear&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.thecut.com/2023/09/tradwife-content-influencers-conservative-ideology.html" target="_blank">called</a> the &quot;Ur-tradwife,&quot; showcasing traditional feminine roles with content that valorizes motherhood and domesticity.</li></ul>What they&#x27;re saying: &quot;There are so many examples of this vision,&quot; Burke <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="told Vogue" data-vars-click-url="https://www.vogue.com/article/yesteryear-caro-claire-burke-interview" data-vars-content-id="3850e60d-3e58-444a-8687-6ae723740149" data-vars-headline="The uncomfortable familiarity of &quot;Yesteryear&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.vogue.com/article/yesteryear-caro-claire-burke-interview" target="_blank">told Vogue</a>, citing Neeleman, influencer <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Nara Smith" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2024/03/07/nara-smith-mormon-tiktok-tradwife-model-cooking" data-vars-content-id="3850e60d-3e58-444a-8687-6ae723740149" data-vars-headline="The uncomfortable familiarity of &quot;Yesteryear&quot;" 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/2024/03/07/nara-smith-mormon-tiktok-tradwife-model-cooking" target="_self">Nara Smith</a> and the &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Mom-tok" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2025/05/21/secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-utah-reality-tv-hulu-season-2" data-vars-content-id="3850e60d-3e58-444a-8687-6ae723740149" data-vars-headline="The uncomfortable familiarity of &quot;Yesteryear&quot;" 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/2025/05/21/secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-utah-reality-tv-hulu-season-2" target="_self">Mom-tok</a>&quot; celebrities.<ul><li>&quot;They&#x27;re all presenting as perfect mothers who have a crazy hip-to-waist ratio, and many children, and they&#x27;re always smiling. The thing I really wanted to focus on was that image, because it&#x27;s propaganda.&quot;</li></ul>Friction point: Some readers have struggled with the novel&#x27;s antiheroine, Natalie Heller Mills, whose behavior is — spoiler alert — far more distressing than anything captured in even <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the most critical accounts" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2024/07/25/ballerina-farm-hannah-neeleman-times-profile-misogyny-tradwife-utah" data-vars-content-id="3850e60d-3e58-444a-8687-6ae723740149" data-vars-headline="The uncomfortable familiarity of &quot;Yesteryear&quot;" 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/2024/07/25/ballerina-farm-hannah-neeleman-times-profile-misogyny-tradwife-utah" target="_self">the most critical accounts</a> of life on Ballerina Farm.Erin&#x27;s thought bubble: Not every main character needs to be liked, even if they put on a good show.

Nearly 30K households in Salt Lake County lacked A/C in 2023

Nationally, just 6.9% of U.S. households did not have air conditioning as of 2023.

About 6.6% of Salt Lake County households lacked air conditioning in 2023, according to newly released Census data. Why it matters: That&#x27;s 30,000 households with no A/C and we&#x27;re expecting triple-digit heat this summer.

Grandma's new remedy: Pot edibles

Older adults are increasingly seeking cannabis edibles to alleviate their ailments.

Adults 60 and older are increasingly turning to cannabis edibles over traditional medicine to seek relief for their health problems, according to a new <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="study" data-vars-click-url="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2848773?guestAccessKey=1b34668e-afe8-4888-aa3d-dd05b3b83eff&amp;utm_source=for_the_media&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=ftm_links&amp;utm_content=tfl&amp;utm_term=050826" data-vars-content-id="c166e1cf-3c35-4aec-b3bc-403995e81a16" data-vars-headline="Grandma&#x27;s new remedy: Pot edibles" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2848773?guestAccessKey=1b34668e-afe8-4888-aa3d-dd05b3b83eff&amp;utm_source=for_the_media&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=ftm_links&amp;utm_content=tfl&amp;utm_term=050826" target="_blank">study</a>.The big picture: Older adults are among the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="fastest-growing group" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/16/well/mind/medical-marijuana-seniors.html" data-vars-content-id="c166e1cf-3c35-4aec-b3bc-403995e81a16" data-vars-headline="Grandma&#x27;s new remedy: Pot edibles" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/16/well/mind/medical-marijuana-seniors.html" target="_blank">fastest-growing group</a> of users, even as research on the psychoactive drug has <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="failed to keep pace" data-vars-click-url="https://www.aamc.org/news/why-doctors-know-almost-nothing-about-health-effects-marijuana" data-vars-content-id="c166e1cf-3c35-4aec-b3bc-403995e81a16" data-vars-headline="Grandma&#x27;s new remedy: Pot edibles" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.aamc.org/news/why-doctors-know-almost-nothing-about-health-effects-marijuana" target="_blank">failed to keep pace</a> with its high demand.

Utah high schoolers protest AI name-readers at graduation

At least one school is keeping its bot announcer despite student objections.

Utah high schoolers are protesting the use of AI to announce students&#x27; names at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="graduation ceremonies" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/19/college-graduates-ai-commencement-speech" data-vars-content-id="0fa3f2f5-6c1b-46ac-8ee6-5f4acfb0983a" data-vars-headline="Utah high schoolers protest AI name-readers at graduation" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/19/college-graduates-ai-commencement-speech" target="_self">graduation ceremonies</a> this month.Why it matters: The students are joining a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="nationwide mutiny against AI use" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/19/college-graduates-ai-commencement-speech" data-vars-content-id="0fa3f2f5-6c1b-46ac-8ee6-5f4acfb0983a" data-vars-headline="Utah high schoolers protest AI name-readers at graduation" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/19/college-graduates-ai-commencement-speech" target="_self">nationwide mutiny against AI use</a> and mentions at commencement ceremonies.

UVU drops Sharon McMahon as commencement speaker due to safety concerns

GOP backlash and resulting safety concerns led the university to cancel the graduation speech.

Utah Valley University has dropped educator Sharon McMahon as its commencement speaker after a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="wave of GOP-led backlash" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2026/04/15/uvu-gop-backlash-graduation-speaker-sharon-mcmahon-charlie-kirk-utah" data-vars-content-id="acac6c3b-0631-4e5e-859a-d998e95852a2" data-vars-headline="UVU drops Sharon McMahon as commencement speaker due to safety concerns" 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/2026/04/15/uvu-gop-backlash-graduation-speaker-sharon-mcmahon-charlie-kirk-utah" target="_self">wave of GOP-led backlash</a> triggered public safety concerns.State of play: The decision was made in coordination with McMahon and public safety professionals, the university said in a statement on Thursday.

Salt Lake City School District ends adult community ed classes

The district has offered all-ages classes in subjects like finance, languages and art, but they will end this summer.

After a half-century of enrichment courses in arts, sports, finance, foreign languages and dozens of other skills, the Salt Lake City School District is canceling its popular community education classes.Why it matters: Students of all ages have enrolled in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="dozens of courses" data-vars-click-url="https://files.smartsites.parentsquare.com/9075/spring_2026_catalog_draft.pdf" data-vars-content-id="4b38c409-3410-4c2b-95c2-48878458ec51" data-vars-headline="Salt Lake City School District ends adult community ed classes" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://files.smartsites.parentsquare.com/9075/spring_2026_catalog_draft.pdf" target="_blank">dozens of courses</a> offered each year, from How to Buy Your First Home to Instant Guitar for Hopelessly Busy People.

New acting president appointed for Utah Valley University

The leadership change comes nearly six months after Charlie Kirk's assassination on campus.

Wayne Vaught, Utah Valley University&#x27;s provost, has been named acting president following Astrid Tuminez&#x27;s decision to step down.Why it matters: The leadership change comes nearly six months after <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Charlie Kirk&#x27;s assassination on campus" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/10/charlie-kirk-shot-utah-valley-university" data-vars-content-id="ef3761c4-88ad-419c-8ad5-b0a61d307f44" data-vars-headline="New acting president appointed for Utah Valley University" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/10/charlie-kirk-shot-utah-valley-university" target="_self">Charlie Kirk&#x27;s assassination on campus</a> intensified scrutiny of the university&#x27;s security protocols.

How a middle school play became the hottest ticket in town

What, your junior high musical DIDN'T have aerialists dangling from the ceiling?

<figure><img alt="A stage production of &quot;The Little Mermaid,&quot; with an actor playing Ariel suspended over a cast of fish." height="449" id="d8f2617b-a9ef-4564-b4a5-1f3ba6172805" src="https://images.axios.com/0P4c7OfIz-5PYg6j3OBEX8OOxU8=/2026/03/02/1772471509809.gif" width="800"/><figcaption>A typical company number at the Clayton Middle School play. Video: Erin Alberty/Axios</figcaption></figure>If you haven&#x27;t seen the annual extravaganza that is the Clayton Middle School play, you might want to snag a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ticket" data-vars-click-url="https://cur8.com/23580/project/134596" data-vars-content-id="1db6e6b3-b78f-4f54-9045-3a557ab5a8a8" data-vars-headline="How a middle school play became the hottest ticket in town" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://cur8.com/23580/project/134596" target="_blank">ticket</a> — and preemptively schedule jaw reconstruction surgery.Why it matters: This is not your mother&#x27;s junior high stage production of &quot;The Little Mermaid.&quot;

Mr. Robinson's opus

Murray residents gather each December to sing the carols of William Robinson, who started teaching music there in 1907.

Scores of singers are gathering in Murray this week to honor a beloved schoolteacher whom the community has celebrated for more than a century.The big picture: The Robinson Carols Sing-Along is an annual tribute to William Robinson, a Murray music teacher who, starting in 1907, walked from one end of the district to the other, leading each school in Christmas concerts and sing-alongs.The intrigue: For more than 30 years, Robinson taught arrangements of Christmas songs he learned in Derbyshire, England, where he was born in the 1870s.<ul><li>They became a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="unique Murray oral tradition" data-vars-click-url="https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/details?id=23461216" data-vars-content-id="1061cbeb-c7e7-4aaf-9dea-f0cd51e5fe95" data-vars-headline="Mr. Robinson&#x27;s opus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/details?id=23461216" target="_blank">unique Murray oral tradition</a>, passed from <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="generation" data-vars-click-url="https://www.facebook.com/groups/murraymems/posts/2209253259098811/" data-vars-content-id="1061cbeb-c7e7-4aaf-9dea-f0cd51e5fe95" data-vars-headline="Mr. Robinson&#x27;s opus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/murraymems/posts/2209253259098811/" target="_blank">generation</a> to generation — until they were so ubiquitous in the Salt Lake suburb that many residents were <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="surprised" data-vars-click-url="https://www.facebook.com/groups/murraymems/posts/7368707549819997/?comment_id=7368801633143922" data-vars-content-id="1061cbeb-c7e7-4aaf-9dea-f0cd51e5fe95" data-vars-headline="Mr. Robinson&#x27;s opus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/murraymems/posts/7368707549819997/?comment_id=7368801633143922" target="_blank">surprised</a> to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="learn" data-vars-click-url="https://www.facebook.com/groups/murraymems/posts/7368707549819997/?comment_id=9154394997917901" data-vars-content-id="1061cbeb-c7e7-4aaf-9dea-f0cd51e5fe95" data-vars-headline="Mr. Robinson&#x27;s opus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/murraymems/posts/7368707549819997/?comment_id=9154394997917901" target="_blank">learn</a> they <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="weren&#x27;t" data-vars-click-url="https://www.facebook.com/groups/murraymems/posts/1353271358030343/?comment_id=1400669619957183" data-vars-content-id="1061cbeb-c7e7-4aaf-9dea-f0cd51e5fe95" data-vars-headline="Mr. Robinson&#x27;s opus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/murraymems/posts/1353271358030343/?comment_id=1400669619957183" target="_blank">weren&#x27;t</a> familiar <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="holiday" data-vars-click-url="https://www.facebook.com/groups/murraymems/posts/1764040273620114/?comment_id=1764208340269974&amp;reply_comment_id=1771485186208956" data-vars-content-id="1061cbeb-c7e7-4aaf-9dea-f0cd51e5fe95" data-vars-headline="Mr. Robinson&#x27;s opus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/murraymems/posts/1764040273620114/?comment_id=1764208340269974&amp;reply_comment_id=1771485186208956" target="_blank">holiday</a> standards <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="anywhere else" data-vars-click-url="https://www.facebook.com/groups/murraymems/posts/1353271358030343/?comment_id=1400704853286993" data-vars-content-id="1061cbeb-c7e7-4aaf-9dea-f0cd51e5fe95" data-vars-headline="Mr. Robinson&#x27;s opus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/murraymems/posts/1353271358030343/?comment_id=1400704853286993" target="_blank">anywhere else</a>.</li></ul>Case in point: Ethel Bradford, a longtime columnist for the Murray Eagle, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="wrote" data-vars-click-url="https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/details?id=23461216" data-vars-content-id="1061cbeb-c7e7-4aaf-9dea-f0cd51e5fe95" data-vars-headline="Mr. Robinson&#x27;s opus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/details?id=23461216" target="_blank">wrote</a> in 1963 that she learned Robinson&#x27;s &quot;Chime and Carol&quot; from her older siblings before attending school in another district.<ul><li>&quot;Each year I hopefully listened and waited for the song to be once more sung but never heard it again. In fact, I began to wonder where in the world I had learned it myself!&quot;</li><li>It wasn&#x27;t until Ethel had children of her own — enrolled in a Murray school — that she again heard the familiar lyrics.</li><li>&quot;It was a long time before I could listen or try to sing them without tears coming and my voice choking. ... I was a child again in my mother&#x27;s kitchen,&quot; she wrote.</li></ul><figure><img alt="A man holds a baby while singing and smiling in a crowded theater " height="2073" id="a2fafcee-ab76-464f-8edd-be4b0fcedf61" src="https://images.axios.com/kY1RYu3f16w7o5qKBiu8MLpkib4=/2025/12/02/1764653025365.jpg" width="3685"/><figcaption>Alan Black and his son Steve sing to Alan&#x27;s great-granddaughter Eden at Murray&#x27;s town sing-along Monday, making her the family&#x27;s fourth generation to learn the carols. Photo: Erin Alberty/Axios</figcaption></figure>Catch up quick: Murray students <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="sang" data-vars-click-url="https://www.facebook.com/groups/murraymems/posts/1353271358030343/" data-vars-content-id="1061cbeb-c7e7-4aaf-9dea-f0cd51e5fe95" data-vars-headline="Mr. Robinson&#x27;s opus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/murraymems/posts/1353271358030343/" target="_blank">sang</a> the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="carols" data-vars-click-url="https://www.facebook.com/groups/murraymems/posts/1353271358030343/?comment_id=1354149227942556" data-vars-content-id="1061cbeb-c7e7-4aaf-9dea-f0cd51e5fe95" data-vars-headline="Mr. Robinson&#x27;s opus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/murraymems/posts/1353271358030343/?comment_id=1354149227942556" target="_blank">carols</a> for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="decades" data-vars-click-url="https://www.facebook.com/groups/murraymems/posts/1090249130999235/" data-vars-content-id="1061cbeb-c7e7-4aaf-9dea-f0cd51e5fe95" data-vars-headline="Mr. Robinson&#x27;s opus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/murraymems/posts/1090249130999235/" target="_blank">decades</a> after Robinson retired.<ul><li>Eight years <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ago" data-vars-click-url="https://www.facebook.com/groups/murraymems/posts/1353271358030343/?comment_id=1398158073541671" data-vars-content-id="1061cbeb-c7e7-4aaf-9dea-f0cd51e5fe95" data-vars-headline="Mr. Robinson&#x27;s opus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/murraymems/posts/1353271358030343/?comment_id=1398158073541671" target="_blank">ago</a>, former students and descendants of Mr. Robinson revived his carols in the sing-alongs, which became popular, all-ages affairs.</li></ul>Driving the news: This year, the old-timey tradition has a new home in the recently renovated historic Murray Theater — which opened in 1938, two years before Robinson retired, and reopened in September.<ul><li>Demand for tickets was so high that the city arts department planned two this year.</li><li>Monday night&#x27;s show was sold out, but you can still <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="reserve seats" data-vars-click-url="https://www.showpass.com/robinson-carols-sing-along-3/?fbclid=IwY2xjawOa6GBleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFOVzhzM1FPcjVyN2NpMUh5c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHthbZTskMZdMWC2ZT9kFH3PrbbiCtFZJyPvN3xD_q7dlQ6WA0dy-J_crjpP4_aem_9HTKrcAdV94AifIb_hCmDg" data-vars-content-id="1061cbeb-c7e7-4aaf-9dea-f0cd51e5fe95" data-vars-headline="Mr. Robinson&#x27;s opus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.showpass.com/robinson-carols-sing-along-3/?fbclid=IwY2xjawOa6GBleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFOVzhzM1FPcjVyN2NpMUh5c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHthbZTskMZdMWC2ZT9kFH3PrbbiCtFZJyPvN3xD_q7dlQ6WA0dy-J_crjpP4_aem_9HTKrcAdV94AifIb_hCmDg" target="_blank">reserve seats</a> for 6:30pm Friday.</li></ul>The latest: Kids at Horizon Elementary are learning one of Robinson&#x27;s carols for their holiday program later this month.The bottom line: Teaching has gotten so difficult that many are <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="leaving the profession" data-vars-click-url="https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/overview-teacher-shortages-2025-factsheet" data-vars-content-id="1061cbeb-c7e7-4aaf-9dea-f0cd51e5fe95" data-vars-headline="Mr. Robinson&#x27;s opus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/overview-teacher-shortages-2025-factsheet" target="_blank">leaving the profession</a> — with music and art instructors particularly <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="vulnerable" data-vars-click-url="https://www.facebook.com/groups/799538373499977/posts/24869031786123966/" data-vars-content-id="1061cbeb-c7e7-4aaf-9dea-f0cd51e5fe95" data-vars-headline="Mr. Robinson&#x27;s opus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/799538373499977/posts/24869031786123966/" target="_blank">vulnerable</a> to funding <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="cuts" data-vars-click-url="https://ksltv.com/education-schools/many-utah-after-school-programs-to-end-due-to-federal-funding-cuts/798479/" data-vars-content-id="1061cbeb-c7e7-4aaf-9dea-f0cd51e5fe95" data-vars-headline="Mr. Robinson&#x27;s opus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://ksltv.com/education-schools/many-utah-after-school-programs-to-end-due-to-federal-funding-cuts/798479/" target="_blank">cuts</a>. <ul><li>It&#x27;s moving to see how one can make difference for more than 100 years.</li></ul><figure><img alt="A 1918 photo of a high school girls choir with their instructor." height="4898" id="46ed4481-12c3-49f5-8fa1-9e60ecb70434" src="https://images.axios.com/qs6BRy9-PocsHAjL_8htKvrJXZk=/2025/12/02/1764653096769.jpg" width="6103"/><figcaption>Murray High School girls choir, 1918, with director William Robinson at center. Photo: Courtesy of Murray Museum</figcaption></figure>

Is college worth it? It depends on how far you go

In Utah, advanced degrees bring in the big bucks — but your earnings may vary for other educational paths.

While <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="polling shows" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/14/college-jobs-gallup-ai" data-vars-content-id="964732f5-a37a-4d3a-81ab-09c9fa691cbd" data-vars-headline="Is college worth it? It depends on how far you go" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/14/college-jobs-gallup-ai" target="_self">polling shows</a> fewer and fewer Americans believe college is very important, income data shows a degree makes a big difference in most Utah cities.Why it matters: In Utah, the most financially valuable step in educational attainment is a graduate or professional degree — which isn&#x27;t the case in most of the country, where a bachelor&#x27;s degree correlates with bigger income gains.

Utah bans "Thirteen Reasons Why" in public schools

The 2007 novel joins 18 others banned under Utah's sensitive materials law.

&quot;Thirteen Reasons Why,&quot; Jay Asher&#x27;s 2007 best-selling young adult novel exploring mental health, bullying and the impact of rumors, is the latest title <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="banned from Utah&#x27;s public schools" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2025/05/09/utah-bans-books-water-elephants-women-authors" data-vars-content-id="22eb88a0-15ec-425c-944c-52c798ae1daa" data-vars-headline="Utah bans &quot;Thirteen Reasons Why&quot; in public schools" 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/2025/05/09/utah-bans-books-water-elephants-women-authors" target="_self">banned from Utah&#x27;s public schools</a>.State of play: Last week, the Utah State Board of Education <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="added the book " data-vars-click-url="https://usbe-my.sharepoint.com/:x:/g/personal/davina_sauthoff_schools_utah_gov/EbrZ_-SSE5RMqDxBhGxrmCUB_U3991VFqWry09cvgWRBZg?rtime=tvg0jneO3Ug" data-vars-content-id="22eb88a0-15ec-425c-944c-52c798ae1daa" data-vars-headline="Utah bans &quot;Thirteen Reasons Why&quot; in public schools" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://usbe-my.sharepoint.com/:x:/g/personal/davina_sauthoff_schools_utah_gov/EbrZ_-SSE5RMqDxBhGxrmCUB_U3991VFqWry09cvgWRBZg?rtime=tvg0jneO3Ug" target="_blank">added the book </a>to its growing list of prohibited texts.

BYU tops Utah colleges in 2025 U.S. News rankings

The Mormon church's flagship school is No. #110 in the nation, per U.S. News & World Report.

Brigham Young University is once again the top school in Utah, per U.S. News &amp; World Report&#x27;s Best Colleges <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="rankings" data-vars-click-url="https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges?src=usn_pr" data-vars-content-id="2bc927c2-11d8-4f7e-a075-f17464766f2a" data-vars-headline="BYU tops Utah colleges in 2025 U.S. News rankings" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges?src=usn_pr" target="_blank">rankings</a> released Tuesday.Why it matters: As universities face <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="changing demographics" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/03/education-enrollment-cliff-schools" data-vars-content-id="2bc927c2-11d8-4f7e-a075-f17464766f2a" data-vars-headline="BYU tops Utah colleges in 2025 U.S. News rankings" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/03/education-enrollment-cliff-schools" target="_self">changing demographics</a> and skepticism about the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="value of postsecondary education" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/09/college-blue-collar-gen-z" data-vars-content-id="2bc927c2-11d8-4f7e-a075-f17464766f2a" data-vars-headline="BYU tops Utah colleges in 2025 U.S. News rankings" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/09/college-blue-collar-gen-z" target="_self">value of postsecondary education</a>, competition between institutions has become steeper.

Most SLC kids go to school in extreme urban heat zones

Classes begin during some of the hottest days of the year.

Almost 80% of K-12 public school students in the Salt Lake metro attend schools in extreme <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="urban heat zones," data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/11/heat-islands-us-record-temperatures" data-vars-content-id="75df42c7-d3d4-4ef5-a032-e0934498a8cb" data-vars-headline="Most SLC kids go to school in extreme urban heat zones" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/11/heat-islands-us-record-temperatures" target="_self">urban heat zones,</a> a new analysis finds.Why it matters: The heat island effect can make some neighborhoods notably warmer than others, especially during <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="heat waves" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/06/23/heat-wave" data-vars-content-id="75df42c7-d3d4-4ef5-a032-e0934498a8cb" data-vars-headline="Most SLC kids go to school in extreme urban heat zones" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/06/23/heat-wave" target="_self">heat waves</a>.

Education 📚

Utah high schoolers protest AI name-readers at graduation

UVU drops Sharon McMahon as commencement speaker due to safety concerns

Salt Lake City School District ends adult community ed classes

New acting president appointed for Utah Valley University

How a middle school play became the hottest ticket in town