This is your daily news rundown for Wednesday, Aug. 5. In this edition:
- Some fire evacuations were lifted in Millard County, but more could come
- Riverton residents disagreed on a partnership with immigration enforcement
- July had lots of rain, but reservoirs didn't see much benefit
Some evacuations for the Widemouth 2 Fire were lifted
Most Fillmore and Meadow residents who evacuated from the Widemouth 2 Fire were able to return home on Wednesday.
However, the Millard County Sheriff’s Office said residents need to be ready to leave again immediately if necessary.
Other evacuation orders are still in place, including private properties near Joseph Peak and part of Kanosh.
The fire has burned over 84,000 acres since it first sparked last Monday.
Riverton residents debated their police’s partnership with ICE
Residents of a Salt Lake Valley city disagreed on a partnership with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
The Riverton Police Department was the first in the state to sign an agreement with ICE back in 2025.
At a city council meeting on Tuesday, some residents said that partnership helps keep people safe.
Other residents and the Democratic Socialists of America, however, said it’s an overreach and targets innocent people. Several public comments also expressed concern about ICE wearing masks and no badges during their operations.
No action was taken on the agreement during the council meeting.
July’s rain brought some hope for Utah, but reservoirs are still struggling
The latest monthly update on Utah’s water availability shows some hope during a historic drought, though the end is still not in sight.
July had lots of rainfall, averaging about one and a half times more than normal. Both low and high elevation areas got more precipitation than usual, and some even reached records.
However, mountain rains didn’t help much for reservoirs. As of Aug. 1, statewide reservoir storage was at half capacity, down 15% from last year.
