2+ hour, 1+ min ago (449+ words) Brigham Young University ushered in the Christmas season Monday night on its campus with a new tradition. Approximately 10,000 people packed into Brigham Square to witness the university's first-ever Christmas tree lighting as part of the school's ongoing 150th anniversary celebration and its theme of celebrating gifts of light. Students counted down from 10, and a yellow luminescent glow then appeared from the towering tree standing between the Wilkinson Center and Harold B. Lee Library, prompting a loud roar from the crowd. "The whole point of this sesquicentennial celebration was to remind us of our unique mission as a university, but to do it in fun, celebratory ways," BYU Advancement Vice President Keith Vorkink said. "We'd done some research, and we don't think there's been a Christmas tree on campus, at least in recorded history, so we thought, what a cool way to celebrate…...

2+ day, 15+ hour ago (407+ words) In a key milestone for the Alpine School District split, Lake Mountain, Aspen Peaks and Timpanogos school district board members were sworn into their new positions last week. The seven school board members in each new district will set out to hire a superintendent and prepare for July 1, 2027, when the Alpine School District is dissolved and the new districts officially begin operations. In the temporarily named Lake Mountain School District, which covers Eagle Mountain, Saratoga Springs, Fairfield and Cedar Fort, Julie King (Seat 2) " the current board president of the Alpine School District " was named board president, and Matt Isaacson (Seat 5) was named vice president. Julie Myers (Seat 1), Charity Judkins (Seat 3), Ilene Strong (Seat 4), Melissa Sauser (Seat 6) and Joylin Lincoln (Seat 7) were also sworn in as board members. Lake Mountain approved a proposed $750,000 budget for the 2026 fiscal year, which will run…...

4+ day, 21+ hour ago (719+ words) Some years arrive gently, wrapped in hope. This one began that way for me, with new possibilities, a blooming relationship, and the quiet belief that life was finally opening its doors again. I allowed myself to dream, to trust, to feel a kind of tenderness I hadn't felt in years. But hope can sometimes blur our vision, and there were truths I was not ready to see. By spring, life had shifted. Challenges swept in, affecting not only me but my 10-year-old daughter, who faced each change with more courage than I sometimes felt I had. What I once believed was stable began to unravel. Yet even in the hardest weeks, there were bright spots. My three older boys were building lives of their own, and watching them take flight gave me strength. My oldest son, especially, happily in love,…...

5+ day, 20+ hour ago (706+ words) Tuesday was a historic day inside Orem High School as board members of the new south district, derived from the three-part Alpine School District split, were sworn into their positions and held their first board meeting. Much remains to be done before the temporarily named Timpanogos District's official start on July 1, 2027, and the board took its first steps Tuesday. Jennifer Lyman was unanimously elected board president, while Sterling Hilton was unanimously elected vice president. Two three-person committees were created to lead searches for a superintendent and to find a permanent district name. "Alpine School District has been in existence for over 115 years, and to think that we are beginning something similar, it just makes us feel like this is a very momentous and historic occasion," board member Michelle Sorensen said. "We are grateful for the support of our community, and…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago (583+ words) September 10, 2025, was filled with many emotions for the students of Utah Valley University. The shooting and loss of Charlie Kirk had many impacts, both large and small, on the community of UVU, their families, friends, and those who loved him. The moments following the incident were stressful, chaotic, and overall fear filled. However, [] Letter: Learning to thrive again: The aftermath of Charlie Kirk's death at UVU September 10, 2025, was filled with many emotions for the students of Utah Valley University. The shooting and loss of Charlie Kirk had many impacts, both large and small, on the community of UVU, their families, friends, and those who loved him. The moments following the incident were stressful, chaotic, and overall fear filled. However, UVU combated these problems with poise and hope for a brighter future. Over the span of a few weeks, the University…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago (283+ words) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" lineup for the 2025 Light the World Giving Machine kiosks includes the addition of a new Utah Valley location. According to a map of 2025 Giving Machines released Wednesday, the kiosks will be at Brigham Young University from Dec. 1 to Dec. 23. Natalie Ipson, a digital communications director for BYU, confirmed to the Daily Herald on Wednesday that the university will have Giving Machines on campus this December for the first time. Ipson said the school will receive six digital kiosks and that the machines will split time and locations between the Wilkinson Student Center and the Marriott Center. She added that the machines will be launched during BYU"s 150th: Night of Light event at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 1 at Brigham Square. A Giving Machine will also return to its usual Utah Valley location at University Place in…...

3+ week, 6+ day ago (502+ words) The Aspen Institute named Snow College as one of the 200 institutions eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation's premier recognition of high achievement and performance among two-year colleges. EPHRAIM " Snow College has once again earned national recognition for its student success and academic excellence. The Aspen Institute announced this week that Snow College is among the top 200 community colleges in the nation eligible to compete for the 2027 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the country's most prestigious award for two-year colleges. The honor places Snow College in the running for a share of the $1 million prize, which recognizes institutions achieving outstanding outcomes in student retention, completion, transfer, and bachelor's degree attainment. This marks the fifth consecutive time since 2017 that Snow College has been named to the Aspen Institute's list, underscoring the college's consistent…...

3+ week, 6+ day ago (666+ words) The big headlines about job losses tend to focus on the big employers. Layoffs at UPS, 48,000 " at Intel, 24,000. Amazon is cutting up to 30,000 workers, and Target, 1,800. These pink slips are being dropped largely on white-collar positions. The thinking is that artificial intelligence will be able to handle much of the work now being done at desks. Dropping heavier workloads on those who remain seems to be another part of the plan. AI is considered "intelligent" automation. In other words, it has cognitive abilities. That is not quite the same thing as robotics, which is "mechanical" automation. But the robots have gotten really good " with the help of AI. Self-driving cars are robots, but their "brains" are powered by AI, which tells them how to steer, brake or accelerate. Now envision a job market in which human drivers are no longer…...

4+ week, 2+ hour ago (247+ words) A gas leak in Lehi prompted city officials to place an evacuation notice for a nearby elementary school and residents midday Tuesday before lifting the notice in the afternoon. According to Lehi spokesperson Jeanie Livingston, a call came in from a contractor at 11:21 a.m. reporting they had hit a gas line while doing work near Traverse Mountain Elementary school. The Lehi Fire Department ordered the elementary school and residents and businesses in a quarter-mile radius of the gas leak to evacuate immediately. Traverse Mountain students were relocated to Eagle Summit Park at 5100 N and 2600 West, where parents were asked to pick up their children. Enbridge Gas responded to the scene, secured the gas line and then went into the nearby homes and the school and confirmed there were no gas leaks in any buildings, according to Livingston. The evacuation was lifted,…...

4+ week, 22+ hour ago (334+ words) Jacob Nielson, Daily Herald The founding school boards for the three new school district created from the Alpine School District split will be determined during the General Election Tuesday. Here are the unofficial results for 21 school board races through the second wave of released voting data at 10:16 p.m. Tuesday. Results are not final. Seat 1:Diane Knight " 52.77% (676 votes)Megan Mullins " 47.23% (605 votes) Seat 2:Steve Sparti " 50.02% (1,438 votes)Stacy Bateman " 49.98% (1,437 votes) Seat 3:Nicki Brammer " 55.13% (1,445 votes)Mary Thomas " 44.87% (1,176 votes) Seat 4 (5-year term):Amber Bonner " 59.17% (1,510 votes)Wendi Jensen " 40.83% (1,042 votes) Seat 5:Jason Hart " 51.91% (1,075 votes)Mindy Quist " 48.09% (996 votes) Seat 6:Jeanne-Marie Burrows " 51.21% (950 votes)Tyler D. Bahr " 48.79% (905 votes) Seat 7:Jason Theler " 56.97% (1,614 votes)Stephanie Jones " 43.03% (1,219 votes) Seat 1:Julie Myers " 59.33% (932 votes)Ashley Lott " 40.67% (639 votes) Seat 2:Julie King " 100.00% (682 votes) Seat 3:Charity Judkins " 59.02% (815 votes)Michael O'Connor " 40.98% (566 votes) Seat 4:Ilene Strong " 51.18% (456 votes)Holland Rymer " 48.82% (435 votes) Seat 5:Matt Isaacson " 52.18% (418 votes)Amanda Clawson " 47.82% (383 votes) Seat 6:Melissa Sauser " 62.30% (874 votes)Marion…...