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Community Corner

🌱 Does SLC Have Highest Rent Prices In Nation? + More School Walkouts

The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Salt Lake City.

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Good day, people of Salt Lake City! Joseph Peterson here with the latest Salt Lake City Daily.

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny and warmer. High: 77 Low: 53.

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

  1. Students from five Salt Lake City area high schools staged a walk out in support of abortion rights Friday. It was an effort to make their voices heard and demonstrate their First Amendment rights despite it not being a school-sanctioned event. These walkouts are no longer rare occurances, a reality that is not lost on the school district. But according to a spokesperson, the walkouts have been respectful and orderly and the voice of the rising generation deserves to be heard. (FOX 13 News Utah)
  2. President Joe Biden ordered flags across the nation be lowered to half-staff at all public buildings as the expected toll of COVID-19 in America reaches a million deaths. For Salt Lake City, the flag at the Utah State Capitol was lowered Friday to honor the grisly milestone and will stay at half-staff until Monday. "As a Nation, we must not grow numb to such sorrow," the president said in a proclamation. Also recently announced, Utah's governor, Spencer Cox, has released a statement saying he has tested postive for COVID-19. (KUTV 2News)
  3. While Salt Lake City continues to grow and experience a real estate market that won't slow down, Utah's capital city also finds itself atop the list of the most expensive rental rates in the country. It is also the third highest on the list of most dramatic average rental rate increases over the last two years. What that means in numbers is that SLC saw an almost 25% increase in rental rates since 2019, from $1,189 just a couple years ago to $1,475 today. (ABC4.com)

Today in Salt Lake City:

  • Join the Aviary on World Migratory Bird Day for a weekend-long celebration of the connection between nature and the city at our Liberty Park campus. It's the Urban Bird Festival at Tracy Aviary & Botanical Gardens (10:00 AM)
  • Heading to Logan for the weekend? Hear the Salt Lake Children's Choir's concert "At Springtime." It's free and open to the public, at St. John's Episcopal Church in Logan. (7:30 p.m.)
  • This show gives you the best of both worlds: scripted punchlines and on-the-fly theatrics. It's the stand-up inspired Improv LIVE at Why Kiki. (7:30 p.m.)
  • Attend a free family-oriented multiethnic performing arts festival at The Gateway Olympic Legacy Plaza. It's a Celebration of Cultural Diversity. (10 p.m.)

From my notebook:

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Thanks for following along and staying informed. If you have any feedback about what you see or would like to see in this newsletter, you can hit the like button below and leave a comment. OK, that's it. See you all tomorrow morning for another update!

— Joseph Peterson

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

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Salt Lake City Daily? Contact me at saltlakecity@patch.com

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