Utah News

Does where you live impact your health? A new report by the Utah Department of Health shows asthma rates in Utah vary by county.

An average of 20 Utahns are hospitalized because of asthma attacks each week.  Still, Kellie Baxter, spokeswoman for the Utah Department of Health’s asthma program, says the state is doing well compared to the rest of the country.

“Our adult asthma prevalence is similar to the U.S. asthma prevalence and our child is significantly lower.”

Utah fire officials say there is still plenty of time left this fire season for major wildfires. Jason Curry, spokesman for the Utah Division of Forestry Fire and State Lands, says just this month, crews have been fighting fires started by lightning on a daily basis.

“We still have a few weeks here where conditions are still ripe. We have dry grasses and potential for dry lightning still exists and once you get dry lightning igniting a fire and then winds combined with that we have potential for some large fires.”

In mid August, Jessica Richards of Sandy made Utah History, at least in the world of pageantry. She represented Utah in Orlando at the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Pageant, the little sister program to the Miss America Pageant.

"I felt so comfortable. It wasn't really a competition, it was just friendship."

Richards came home with $3,500 in scholarship money after winning the Talent and Evening Gown Preliminary Awards, and the Glenn S. Harmon Instrumentalist award.

Becky Pringle is the Secretary-Treasurer of the National Education Association, the largest education union in the country.  She was  also a classroom teacher for over 30 years. She talks with UPR's Kerry Bringhurst about the NEA & Parenting Magazine survey released just in time for back-to-school anxiety and excitement. Pringle has ideas about how parents can help children succeed during the school year.

From the West Desert to the Uinta Mountains, Utah is known for its diverse landscape as well as its extreme weather conditions. Some believe the weather will continue to see more and more variation, noting the severe fires seen across the West this summer. A new report released last week by the Utah Department of Health examines Utah’s changing climate and how it may be affecting those living in different parts of state.

“We are not really here to get involved in the scientific or political debate in regards to climate change," says Melanie Spencer, an Analyst for the Health Department’s Environmental Epidemiology program and one of the authors of the new report. She says the goal of the report is to be a preventative tool for the public.