🚙 Your biggest gripe is Utah drivers, too

West Valley Homeless Shelter

West Valley City could be getting a temporary shelter this winter. The proposition stems from a collective initiative by Salt Lake Valley mayors, as outlined in their homelessness plan submitted to state officials. It would be West Valley City’s first shelter and would contribute 170 of the proposed 600 additional beds to open by winter. [Salt Lake Tribune]

• Related: Should SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall declare a homelessness emergency? [City Cast Salt Lake 🎧]

Davis School District’s $2M Settlement

Davis School District will pay $2.2 million in two separate legal settlements involving bullying, harassment, and racism. The first is $2 million to the family of Izzy Tichenor, a 10-year-old who died by suicide in 2021 after her school ignored numerous reports of bullying. The second settlement is $200,000 to the parents of three Black students who experienced racist taunts and abuse at school. [KSL]

Utah Swindlers

Utah scammers have struck again. This time, the victim is Big Deluxe Tattoo on State Street. Someone impersonating the business online swindled “customers” out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Last fall, City Cast Salt Lake host Ali Vallarta asked Deseret News columnist Meg Walter why the beehive state always tops the charts for fraud. [City Cast Salt Lake 🎧]

This week in reader comments, you tell us why Utah drivers are the worst and why North Salt Lake is the best.

On Bad Drivers

“Utah drivers are THE WORST. The inability to deal with a four-way stop, the tailgating, the wild west of freeways south of 2100 S. or north of Centerville, the speeding through parking lots, the children running in parking lots. I have lived here for 20 years (this month!) and I am still amazed at how terrible it all is.” — Kate R.

“I am from CA and drove my whole career for my job so I am a good driver and follow the rules of the road. So many SLC drivers drive too fast and don’t follow rules. It’s scary out there. Those blinking yellow lights are the worst!” — Merrilee D.

“For a city with some of the friendliest people you will find, I often wonder what happens when they get behind the wheel. Aggressive, rude, distracted, and plain dangerous. What will it take for this to change?” — David W.

On North Salt Lake

“I live in Bountiful, near Tunnel Springs Park, and I agree that it is hands down one of the best things about North Salt Lake! Hundreds of people stop there every week to take photos, but what is much less taken advantage of is the amazing hiking along the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, beginning at Tunnel Springs.

“The hillsides there are insanely gorgeous. In the springtime, it looks like Ireland with all the lush grasses and rolling hills. The views are vast. Ogden, Tooele, and Salt Lake are all within sight. It just takes a couple of hours, and if you have cars parked at both ends, it’s easy to shuttle back and forth.” — Lindsay K.

Evening Market  🛍 Thursday | 4:30-8 p.m.

Sugar House Coffee hosts an evening market on Thursdays with local artists. Don’t miss it! [Free entry, Sugar House]

Hot Air Balloon Festival 🎈 Friday & Saturday | Various Times

There will be events from sunrise to sundown at the Hot Air Balloon Festival, including a drone show and glow party. [Free entry, Sandy]

Wild Wild Westside Arts Fest  🖼 Friday & Saturday | Various Times

Celebrate the west side’s vibrant art scene at the Wild Wild Westside Arts Fest. There will be live performances, an artist market, and a bar area for adults. All ages welcome. [Free, Taylorsville]

Why Utah Is Rife With Scams

Utah is known for a lot of things: the greatest snow on earth, fry sauce, national parks — and getting scammed. Year after year, Utah is named one of the top states for fraud and was even one of the first to set up a white collar crime registry because of this. Deseret News Features Writer Meg Walter joins host Ali Vallarta to categorize Utah’s various scammers and figure out who’s to blame.