Heber City is one of the fastest growing cities in the country, which can affect things like housing and zoning laws. But it’s also leading to higher population densities in schools. 

Over the next ten years, Heber’s K through 12 student population could grow by more than 30%, according to Wasatch County Superintendent Paul Sweat.

He said he doubts there are any other counties in the nation increasing at the same rate. 

The Park City Ice Arena at Quinn’s Junction was in a unique situation over the last 13 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. As an indoor facility, the arena was subject to strict health guidelines many of the other recreation options in Park City were not. Despite the challenges, the arena has soldiered on and now is looking ahead to a summer of facility upgrades. 

Arena General Manager Amanda Angevine says although she’s hard pressed to think of an aspect of the arena that wasn’t affected by the pandemic, there were a number of success stories.

During a contentious public hearing at the Park City School District’s office on Wednesday, April 20, the Park City Board of Education heard from unmasked parents who want the school district to override the state mask mandate still in place for schools through the end of the school year. 

Parents involved with the baseball program also asked the board to install artificial turf on the high school diamond.

Citing Gov. Spencer Cox’s declaration of a drought emergency, on April 14 the Oakley City Council passed a moratorium on culinary water usage for water features in town including ponds and outdoor pools.

The ordinance halts the use of culinary water for all indoor or outdoor water features that don’t have a culinary purpose including ponds, lakes, outdoor pools and waterfalls.

After more than a year of pandemic, Summit County is gradually reopening its buildings to in-person public services.

During Tuesday night’s meeting of the Council of Governments, County Manager Tom Fisher reported that county buildings are opening up. Staffers are filtering back in, though they are talking with their directors about whether they will work in person, remotely or some combination of the two going forward.

Fisher said they’ve decided to take a gradual approach.

Controversy has erupted across the country after a police officer shot and killed a 20-year-old Black man, Daunte Wright, in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.

Wright died after a Kim Potter, a 26-year veteran of the force, reportedly mistook her firearm for a taser in attempting to subdue him. Potter, who has resigned, has been charged with second-degree manslaughter. 

The killing occurred just days before a jury found former Minneapolis Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd less than 13 miles away.

On The Mountain Life, Neuropsychologist Simon McCarthy-Jones joins the show.

McCarthy-Jones has written a book about the basic human instinct - spite.

He draws on research in biology, game theory, economics, and psychology to argue that spite comes from our primal impulse for fairness and justice. 

This week on The Mountain Life, Lynn and Pete talk with Amber Raleigh.

Raleigh is the co-founder, and CEO of the Grow Community Center, Cafe, and Food Truck, which is now open for business in Park City.

Health, compassion, and sustainability are the pillars of Grow's mission and Raleigh shares how it all began.

On today's Local News Hour:

(08:09) - Heber City Council member Ryan Stack talks about last night's council meeting. (24:17) - Tom Kelly has details on the lecture he's giving tonight for Park City Musuem 

(38:15) - Park City Historic Alliance Executive Director Alison Kuhlow with an update from yesterday's board meeting.