Welcome to The Local, your source for community news from your friendly neighborhood public radio station. KPCW is the only nonprofit source of daily news across Wasatch and Summit counties.
We have hand-selected a few recent articles that reflect the happenings in our vibrant, eclectic and engaged community. Go to kpcw.org to read – and listen – like a local.
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‘It is the lifeblood’: State leaders celebrate end of Deer Creek Dam upgrades
By Grace Doerfler
State and local leaders are lauding a three-year, $97 million project to update the Deer Creek Dam, which helps deliver water to half of Utah’s population.
Construction included replacing the dam’s guard gates, which manage water levels and reduce flood risks. Crews also updated intake systems, where the water flows to the guard gates.
The renovation added technology to guard against quagga mussels and other invasive species.
The upgrade project began in 2023 and relied on specialized divers who worked under water.
First finished in 1941, the dam is at the reservoir’s south end and supplies water to more than 1.5 million Utahns along the Wasatch Front.
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Midway book, skate, coffee shop moves into former Fill’er Up station
By Grace Doerfler
Midway’s old Fill’er Up building is beginning a new chapter as Storyboard: a bookstore, skateboard shop and cafe.
The beloved local coffee shop first opened as a gas station in the 1930s. It closed in 2024 and is reopening under the ownership of an author and skateboarder.
Claire Carusillo and Galen DeKemper say visitors can grab a cup of coffee, then browse a wide selection of skateboards and books inside the cheery red-and-blue building.
The partners are lifelong readers and writers. DeKemper is taking charge of the skate side of the shop, while Carusillo will focus on the bookstore portion.
Her debut novel, “The Responsible Party,” comes out in August.
Storyboard will be the second bookstore to open in Midway in the past two years.
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Wasatch County sheriff proposes major jail renovation
By Grace Doerfler
Wasatch County leaders are considering significant upgrades and expansions to its sheriff’s office and jail.
After a study of the facilities, the sheriff’s office envisions a multimillion-dollar overhaul that will take more than five years. It would be built in three phases and require the purchase of land.
Sheriff Jared Rigby said a growing population and years of wear on the 1990s-era Wasatch County Justice Center are behind the needed improvements.
Construction would include an expanded booking area and evidence locker and more barriers between inmates and staff to increase safety.
More medical facilities with exam rooms, as well as additional staff offices are included in the plan.
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