🌱 Bedbugs Shut Down Assisted Living Center + Sex Assault At UofU

Hey, people of Salt Lake City! It's me again, Joseph Peterson, your host of the Salt Lake City Daily.

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First, today's weather:

Times of clouds and sun. High: 42 Low: 23.

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Here are the top 3 stories in Salt Lake City today:

1. Fraternity and sorority students at the University of Utah flooded the anonymous app Yik Yak with stories of sexual assault after a Wine Wednesday event. The messages appeared on the app before the University sent out an alert last week that it was investigating sexual assault at a frat house. This prompted a student employee of the U's McCluskey Center of Violence Prevention to compile and share some of the messages in a blog post for the center. (KUTV 2News)
2. Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall released her 2022 work plan, which highlights 4 key areas of focus, and features 75 goals for the year. "From advocating for the health and longevity of the Great Salt Lake, to beginning preliminary design for light rail connections in the Granary and Southwest Downtown neighborhoods, we have a full plate and I'm ready to get to work," Mendenhall said in a released statement. The key focus areas are community, city employees, environment, and growth. (KSL.com)
3. Sewage contamination, bedbugs, and unsanitary living conditions at an assisted living facility in Midvale led the Salt Lake County Health Department to shut the facility down. Evergreen Place at 163 East 7800 South was cited as an "imminent health hazard" and 16 residents were immediately relocated. The troubling details in the investigation are outlined in Fox 13's report. (fox13now.com)

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Today in Salt Lake City:

• The Paint Mixer presents the next Creativi-TEA at Tea Zaanti: Winter in the Wasatch. This series of all-ages events pairs creativity classes with the wine, tea, and food offerings from Tea Zaanti for a perfect evening out. (5:00 PM)
• Martin Media presents Captain Sandy: Lead-her-ship Tour featuring Captain Sandy from Bravo's hit series Below Deck Mediterranean. See it tonight, at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, downtown. (7:00 PM)
• Comedian Jeff Ross headlines tonight at Wiseguys Comedy Club - Downtown. (7:00 PM)
• Salt Lake Acting Company presents the Utah premiere of a provocative psychological thriller. See "Egress" by Melissa Crespo & Sarah Saltwick, tonight, streaming online. Additional times and days are listed at the link. (7:30 PM)

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From my notebook:

• Did you miss last night's Pioneer Park Vision Plan meeting? Don't worry! Here's a video recording. The meeting included a presentation about the Vision Plan and a Q&A session. Check out the video and let us know if you have other questions about the project! (Salt Lake City Public Lands)
• "Thank you, thank you, thank you! We received an incredible donation from Raising Cane's in West Valley. Thank you to everyone who purchased a plushy and to Raising Cane's for its support of CAWS." (CAWS - Salt Lake City)
• "Four Salt Lake City School District educators were honored by the Board of Education this week for completing their recertifications as National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs). NBCTs have to recertify every five years, and these four did it during the middle of a pandemic!" (Salt Lake City School District)
• "Today, we're sharing this recipe for a spicy-to-your-liking, mouthwatering goose chorizo dish for you to whip out at your next taco Tuesday. Complete with tips for making successful chorizo and suggestions for other game meats you can swap out for goose, you've got to try this recipe, and let us know what you think!" (Utah Division of Wildlife Resources)
• "Highland High School student Yassin Assad spoke at the legislature Friday in support of HB 230 Refugee and Immigrant Student Policies Amendments. Yassin is a senior and spoke to the committee about his experience arriving with his family as a refugee. He was joined in the picture by his former teacher, Stephanie Hunt, who currently teaches at West High School, and Precinct 5 Board Member Mohamed Baayd, who also spoke in support of the bill." (Salt Lake City School District)
• "Joyce Yang knew from a young age that music was always going to be a part of her life. With the amount of love and dedication she puts into her work, just imagine how extraordinary the Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1 will sound! Read about what motivates her and what to listen for here." (Utah Symphony)
• "Experience the power of local theatre — from home! This year, the Edward Lewis Theatre Festival will take place as a virtual event on Vimeo. Four local theatre companies will perform scenes from plays written by local and national playwrights." (Salt Lake City Public Library)
• "SLCC Community Relations has launched a newsletter, SLCC Connections, to share the stories of our partnership with our neighbors and community organizations. Check out the first issue!" (Salt Lake Community College)
• "Our Curator of Paleontology and Chief Curator Randy Irmis is brilliant at bringing to life past worlds from many millions of years ago. Check out this talk on Utah's Hidden Ecosystems posted by the Bureau of Land Management - Utah." (Natural History Museum of Utah)

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Looking for tips on where to go to get flowers for Valentine's Day? Salt Lake Magazine has you covered. OK, thanks for following along and staying informed. Have a great weekend and I'll see you all next week for another update!

— Joseph Peterson

About me: Joseph is a writer and marketing communications strategist with a degree in Mass Communication and Public Relations from the University of Utah. He's keen on city life, public libraries, national parks, and promoting events that build community.