Dolly Parton brings free books to Utah

Salt Lakers have been talking about comedian Shane Gillis’ exaggerated take on homelessness downtown. Meanwhile, Utah leaders are moving ahead with a years-in-the-making plan inspired by Miami, to better connect homelessness, mental health, and criminal justice services.

• What’s the Miami model? It’s an approach that steers people experiencing mental illness away from jail and into community-based treatment. Since launching the model in 2000, Miami-Dade County has cut annual arrests by more than half. Homelessness in Miami also fell from more than 8,000 people to fewer than 1,000. Utah leaders first went to see the model for themselves in 2022. [KSL]
• Now, the work begins: Salt Lake County has 25 recommendations, including better crisis response, jail screenings, shared data, and coordinated case management. State and local leaders launched workgroups this week to start putting those ideas into practice, though the full transformation could take a decade. [Utah News Dispatch]
• There’s one big catch: money. Miami-Dade has a dedicated tax for housing and services that helped unlock federal matching dollars. Utah doesn’t have that same setup, so leaders will have to piece together funding as they figure out which changes need new spending or legislative approval. [KSL]

Help Shape Former Schools

Salt Lake City School District wants your input on what should happen to three recently closed schools: Bennion, Hawthorne, and Mary W. Jackson Elementary. Take their five-minute survey to weigh in on the community services, amenities, or other uses you’d like to see prioritized. [Salt Lake City School District]

Pushback on Nuclear Billboards

Three Utah advocacy groups filed an FTC complaint over the state’s $1.8 million pro-nuclear billboard campaign, saying ads comparing nuclear energy to bananas or candles are misleading. [KUER]

Dolly Brings Free Book Program

The people’s princess, Dolly Parton, is teaming up with a Utah literacy non-profit to bring free books to kids around the state and improve reading levels. [KSL]

Utah’s Tourism Boom

Utah visitors spent a record $13.7 billion in 2025, supporting about one in every 10 jobs statewide. That’s even as national park visits, skier days, and overall travel dipped. [ABC4]

Does the 999 Bike Ride Need a Plan?

The 999, a Thursday night “critical mass” bike ride in Salt Lake City, is a protest. But increased police presence, neighbor complaints, and the city’s concerns about safety have lovers of the ride considering its future. [City Cast Salt Lake 🎧]

• Ballot Specialist at Salt Lake County Government | $20/hour
• Book Seller at Central Book Exchange | $14/hour
• Cow Cuddle Guide at Fold of Liberty Farms
• Plant and Horticulture Specialist at Cactus and Tropicals in Midvale
• Community Outreach Assistant at The Children’s Center | $17/hour
• Pumpkin Patch Team at Kinlands Farm | $17/hour