Celebrating Basin heritage and hard work

Gov. Cox began the week in the Uintah Basin, where Vernal and Roosevelt are pairing vision with hard work to revive main streets, grow jobs, and protect local landmarks.

Vernal’s main street now counts fewer than five vacant storefronts — down from twenty‑five just three years ago — and is home to local favorites such as the 7‑11 Ranch Restaurant and the Hotel Vernal Haunt, whose 2024 haunted house raised $73,000 for charities in the area.

Business leader and volunteer Ann Stewart was honored as a Utah Treasure, while a visit to McConkie Ranch spotlighted some of Utah’s best‑preserved petroglyphs and the Cultural Site Stewardship volunteers who safeguard them.

The trip also included conversations with state employees at Remember the Maine Park, a stop at Skinwalker Ranch, and a burger run to Marion’s Variety in Roosevelt. Each stop underscored the Basin’s knack for turning bold ideas into practical results — a spirit the state is committed to supporting.

Restoring Utah Lake

A century ago, carp were introduced to Utah Lake as a quick fix — now we are pulling them back out, one trapload at a time.

Lt. Gov. Henderson joined the June Sucker Recovery team as they tested new gear to haul out the invaders and clear space for our native fish. Their hard work, along with strong local, state, and federal partnerships, is moving us closer to a healthy, resilient lake.

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services has teamed up with the Utah Cowgirl Collective to bring the state's suicide prevention campaign, Live On, to rodeos all across the state this summer, most recently the Days of ‘47 rodeo.

Since 2018, the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food has collected over 60 tons of waste pesticides through free public disposal events, held with UDOT and Clean Harbors. This year’s event is Sept. 3, 9 a.m.–1 p.m., at the Logan UDOT Shed (790 W 200 N), helping prevent expired or banned pesticides from threatening public health or the environment.

As part of the Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement’s America250 Utah initiative, the United in Service project in Vernal brought together 118 volunteers to place 700 flags honoring veterans. The UServeUtah event launched the “America Gives” campaign, encouraging ongoing service in Uintah County.

Last week was Pretrial, Probation and Parole Supervision Week. The Governor issued an official declaration recognizing the more than 500 Adult Probation and Parole staff within the Utah Department of Corrections who serve nearly 16,400 Utahns. This video highlights one powerful success story of recovery and redemption.

The Utah Attorney General’s Office and Department of Commerce secured protections for Utahns’ genetic data after 23andMe’s asset sale. Consumers can delete their data anytime, and privacy policies remain in place. Utahns retain full control over their genetic information.

Tomorrow, Gov. Cox will address Utah’s Tribal leaders. The public is invited to Friday’s Changemaker Awards at Utah Valley University, presented by the Utah Division of Indian Affairs within the Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement.

Over Pioneer Day weekend, Utah Department of Natural Resources officers and partners inspected over 13,000 boats to prevent the spread of quagga mussels and other aquatic invasive species, protecting Utah’s lakes from threats linked to Lake Powell and beyond.

The Utah Department of Commerce’s Division of Consumer Protection unsealed most of its lawsuit against Snap, Inc., exposing reckless AI practices and alleged exploitation of children. The complaint says Snapchat ignored 96% of abuse reports and secretly shared geolocation data and private conversations with third parties.