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 Summit and Wasatch counties.
As we head into the season of giving, first-time donors can help unlock a NewsMatch challenge grant with their gift to KPCW. If you’ve never given to the station, Live PC Give PC is a great time to contribute, or any time before Dec. 31, 2026.
From local stories to the people behind them, here’s what’s happening across the Wasatch Back.
New Heber City code provides cellphone tower buffer from homes
By Kristine Weller
Heber City has adopted new rules that require cellular towers to be 300 feet from existing homes.
Towers must also be set back from residential property lines by 150% of their height. For an 80-foot tower, that means at least 120 feet.
The council approved the ordinance in October after residents raised concerns about a proposed 65-foot cell tower along East Center Street downtown.
The new code also raises the maximum height for monopoles from 35 and 65 feet to 80 feet in some zones.
City officials say the additional height allows multiple carriers to share one tower, reducing the number of poles needed.
New towers must also be at least a mile apart.
Cell towers will not be allowed in downtown Heber between 500 North and 600 South and between 600 West to 600 East.
Heber sculptor’s George Washington statue displayed at Utah Capitol
By Grace Doerfler
A statue of President George Washington crafted by Heber City artist Steven Neal is on display on Utah’s Capitol Hill as part of the America250 celebration.
Neal says Washington is “life-size and a half,” or about 7 feet tall. A statue of Thomas Jefferson, by the artist’s friend, sculptor Michael Hall, is also on display.
Both will be in place for about 18 months.
The sculptures will eventually become part of Neal’s planned 12-acre Monument of the Americas sculpture garden in northern Heber. He is creating 71 works centered on the Book of Mormon and the founding of the United States.
The garden will feature a waterfall cascading over a wall designed to look like the golden plates, which Latter-day Saints believe are the source of the Book of Mormon.
Neal says the garden’s crown jewel will be an 18-foot statue of Jesus, visible from much of the Heber Valley.
Heber City to add more parking in heart of downtown
By Grace Doerfler
Heber City plans to build a new parking lot about two blocks from Main Street park as part of its downtown revitalization efforts.
The lot will be near 100 West and Center Street. City leaders have said additional parking and safer pedestrian access are important to bringing more activity downtown.
Demolishing the existing building and paving the lot will cost about $80,000.
Improving walkability is a separate challenge. There are no crosswalks at the intersection.
Councilmember Mike Johnston said the Utah Department of Transportation has been hesitant to add one because another crosswalk is a block away.
Any content, resident submissions, guest columns, advertisements, and advertorials are not necessarily endorsed by or represent the views of Best Version Media LLC (BVM) or any municipality, homeowners associations, businesses, or organizations that this publication serves. BVM is not responsible for the reliability, suitability, or timeliness of any content submitted, inclusive of materials generated or composed through artificial intelligence (AI). All content submitted is done so at the sole discretion of the submitting party.
