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‘Lifesaving, game-changing’: Heber LGBTQ+ community mourns Encircle’s closure
By Grace Doerfler
(Submitted by Grace Doerfler)
After three years providing a safe space for the Heber-area’s LGBTQ+youth, the Encircle home has closed due to low attendance.
The home offered therapy, game nights, community meals, programs for parents and drop-in hours. It was one of four Encircle homes statewide.
Kelleen Potter was Heber City’s mayor when Encircle opened. She also raised two LGBTQ+ children and said prior to Encircle, no resources existed in the community.
She says she watched many young people struggle and for those who weren’t accepted at home, the center provided hope and positive role models.
Research from the Trevor Project, an LGBTQ suicide prevention organization, shows over 40% of young queer Utahns seriously considered suicide in 2024.
Queer youth and their families are now fundraising to create a new source for programming for LGBTQ+ kids in the Heber valley.
Wasatch County to hire first full-time historian
By Grace Doerfler
(Submitted by Grace Doerfler)
Wasatch County is hiring a full-time historian to gather and share stories from the community’s past.
Councilmember Erik Rowland said the idea position grew out of the Wasatch Fire District’s move to a new building. He says a trove of artifacts were found; others may be discovered as more county services move to a new building.
Rowland says without a system for preserving county records and artifacts, valuable history will be lost along the way. He’d like to see historical displays in all county buildings.
Wasatch County has set aside $58,000 to hire someone for the remainder of 2026. After that, leaders will need to seek grants or allocate more funding in the 2027 budget.
Midway ponds don’t pose ‘apparent public health hazard,’ researchers say
By Connor Thomas
(Submitted by Rob Winder)
Midway residents have had concerns about a sulphurous smell for years – an odor so strong that some believe it was making them sick.
The suspected source is the sewer facility just outside city limits south of state Route 113, where wastewater sits in ponds for treatment.
But a state health department study found the hydrogen sulfide levels in the pounds pose no risk to public health, even when they exceed the lowest odor threshold.
Hydrogen sulfide is known for its rotten egg aroma, and it can cause symptoms like headaches, fatigue and respiratory problems. But neighborhood monitors never detected unhealthy levels.
It’s not clear whether the state will conduct additional studies.
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