The last year was a busy one — on immigration, elections, activism, dealing with tragedy

Miscellaneous pictures from the last several months, by Tim Vandenack

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Following, belatedly, are a few faves going back a year or so (I’ve lapsed, as you can see, in keeping this up).

Immigration, Latinos, Muslims, Black Lives Matter:

• Box Elder County immigrant moves from the shadows to the light of legal residency, March 7, 2020
• Ogden library class offers immigrants help in becoming US citizens, Feb. 23, 2020
• Rosa’s Cafe offers big, spicy burritos, reminders of Ciudad Juárez, El Paso, June 7, 2019
• WSU Latinos celebrate graduation, emphasize import of higher education, April 20, 2019
• Venezuelan unrest inspires Ogden expat’s concerto, ‘a prayer for our country’, March 25, 2019
• South Ogden Islamic center hosts open house, aims to forge ties with community, Oct. 12, 2019
• Northern Utah Black Lives Matter group forms to focus on area incidents, uniting the community, March 1, 2019

Elections, politics, politicians:

• Weber County move to Election Day voting at Union Station surprises, miffs some, March 3, 2020
• Weber County Democrats knock on doors, hit the phones as Super Tuesday looms, March 2, 2020
• Weber County advocates laud League of Women Voters on group’s 100th birthday, Feb. 13, 2020
• South Weber City Council write-in candidate bucks odds, tops balloting, Nov. 11, 2019
• Mother-daughter duo seek office in West Haven, South Weber, hope to shake things up, Nov. 3, 2019
• Ogden’s John Thompson is 0-10 in vying for office, but he’s not discouraged, Aug. 24, 2019
• U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop on the Green New Deal, hamburgers and genocide, March 25, 2019

Activism:

• Weber County foes of tax reform measure blast planned hikes in food, gas taxes, Jan. 5, 2020
• Liberty man fights for tax refund, urges others to ‘double check your numbers’, April 7, 2019
• Suit dropped against Layton mobile home park residents, but concerns linger, Aug. 16, 2019
• Layton mobile home park residents complain of backed-up sewage, inattention, Feb. 16, 2019

People, dealing with tragedy:

• Ogden neighbors say there’s an apparition up there in the mountains — D.J., Feb. 19, 2020
• Ogden man’s home, ex-fire station, put on National Register of Historic Places, Feb. 9, 2020
• Marines veteran injured in Iraq gets Hooper home, gift for military service, Dec. 18, 2019
• A year later, Jennie Taylor and her 7 kids are moving forward, in stops and starts, Nov. 3, 2019
• Roy man seeks WWII veteran’s kin — medals, folded flag ‘belong to his family’, May 27, 2019
• Ogden auctioneer marking 60 years in the business, has seen them ‘come and go’, June 24, 2019
• Weber County anti-poverty program helps woman remake her life, Dec. 27, 2019
• Weber Fire District launches new initiative to help retirees grapple with PTSD, Dec. 17, 2019
• James Peak monument memorializes Ben Geiger, ‘those who love that mountain’, Oct. 5, 2019

Growth, neighborhood issues:

• Riverdale landslide is still cause for continued questions, heartache 2 years later, Nov. 20, 2019
• Riverdale city administrator’s job status focus of attention in landslide suit, April 7, 2019
• Weber County’s growth forcing farmers to make tough decisions about selling land, June 16, 2019
• Ogden Valley’s popularity a double-edged sword, testing the patience of some, May 19, 2019
• Roy calming circle, a new traffic feature on 5700 South, fraying some people’s nerves, Feb. 9, 2019
• Roy’s calming circle is gone, but some still chafed over abrupt removal, May 8, 2019
• Western Weber County residents mull incorporation, turning zone into city, March 17, 2019
• Ogden man pushes for tiny homes, says they could ease Utah housing crunch, Jan. 13, 2019

Trash, plane crashes, cannabis, cougars:

• Weber County mulls new trash deal with Republic, draws ire of Promontory Point, Jan. 29, 2020
• Roy plane crash spurs debate about dangers of living near the Ogden airport, Jan. 24, 2020
• Roy plane crash victim, operator of Ogden ski firm, contributed to industry, city, Jan. 16, 2020
• Weber County to get marijuana-growing facility, cannabis industry rolls out in Utah, Dec. 9, 2019
• Eden lawmaker seeks tougher Utah laws against pot-using drivers, spurred by fatal crashes, Sept. 15, 2019
• Roy High class aims to spur interest in firefighting, offers glimpse into field, Sept. 8, 2019
• Forest Service leader laments trash, illegal trails, seeks help in safeguarding land, Aug. 25, 2019
• James Ebert’s Rich County Sheriff’s Office stint, pension comes under scrutiny, Aug. 17, 2019
• Ogden leaders grasped the array of problems in the Swift building before buying it, July 21, 2019
• EPA official: Workers sorting the Swift building clutter are the real heroes, July 21, 2019
• Golden Spike anniversary draws history buffs, Chinese Americans, more to Box Elder County, May 10, 2019
• Harrisville man’s shooting spurs debate over police training for crisis situations, April 3, 2019
• Eden killing of cougar spurs debate on how best to live with, manage big cats, Feb. 12, 2019

Taxes, taxes, taxes: Weber County’s valuations, property tax bills were fodder for a lot of coverage

March 1, 2019

Cyril Nopper at his Ogden home. The valuation on his home rose by more than a third in one year, and it got him concerned about rising property taxes, prompting him to probe valuations around his neighborhood. By Tim Vandenack

Taxes and death — the two certainties  of life.

Well, I focused a lot on taxes late last summer after property tax bills came out in Weber County and as a handful of locales considered property tax hikes. I jumped in, and, man, there were a lot of numbers to crunch. But then, I like numbers.

Here’s a look at some of the coverage:

• New Weber County property valuations reflect strong real estate market, July 29, 2018
• West Haven considers instituting city property tax for the first time, July 31, 2018
• South Ogden weighing $275K property tax hike in 2019 budget, Aug. 1, 2018
• Weber County homeowners’ property tax bills for 2018 likely heading up, Aug. 5, 2018
• South Ogden homeowners, on average, will have the biggest city property tax bills, Aug. 13, 2018
• West Haven officials reject 2019 budget after outcry against new property tax, Aug. 16, 2018
• Huntsville, Pleasant View homeowners pay the most, factoring city, fire district taxes, Aug. 22, 2018
• West Haven officials trim $860K from 2019 budget after new property tax nixed, Aug. 23, 2018
• Ogden man has questions after valuation spikes, but few answers forthcoming, Aug. 27, 2018
• Weber FD, Weber schools, Ogden, South Ogden to see biggest property tax bumps, Sept. 2, 2018

A look back to Weber County’s busy, busy election season last fall

Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019

On the campaign trail. Clockwise from top left, GOP U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, United Utah U.S. House hopeful Eric Eliason, Democratic U.S. House hopeful Lee Castillo (with family), Bishop and then-U.S. Senate hopeful (and eventual winner) Mitt Romney, Pam Harrison (a proponent of the medical marijuana proposal) and Green Party U.S. House hopeful Adam Davis. By Tim Vandenack

Weber County’s 2018 elections are in the history books and here are links to some of my coverage ahead of the Nov. 6, 2018, general election.

First, profiles of the four 1st District U.S. House hopefuls:

• Eliason runs 3rd-party House bid, leery of special interest money, main parties, Sept. 7, 2018
• Rep. Bishop focuses on limiting federal power, touts conservative credentials, Sept. 24, 2018
• U.S. House hopeful Lee Castillo focuses on the underdog, says Bishop is disengaged, Sept. 30, 2018
• Green Party hopeful for U.S. House aims to give disenfranchised voters a choice, Oct. 10, 2018

Here’s more:

• Weber County Democrats express optimism in House races, but Republicans aren’t daunted, Sept. 17, 2018
• Weber County Democrats down, but say they’ll keep up the fight against GOP dominance, Sept. 25, 2018
• U.S. Senate hopeful Wilson touts Utah roots, wants to shake up ‘stale’ Congress, Oct. 4, 2018
• Weber Co. medical marijuana boosters heighten efforts as Prop 2 debate sizzles, Oct. 11, 2018
• 1st District U.S. House hopefuls Bishop, Eliason, Castillo spar in Logan debate, Oct. 17, 2018
• Weber County Dems say House districting shortchanges them as voters weigh Prop 4, Nov. 3, 2018
• Mitt Romney laments ‘angry’ tone of discourse, Rep. Rob Bishop says bipartisanship is still alive, Nov. 6, 2018

There were more articles, profiles of all the varied races. Indeed, it was very busy heading up to the vote and in the aftermath. We used to have a few people who would help cover elections, but I did most of it this go-round. That’s how it is these days in newspapers with lower staffing. Even so, I like writing about politics, so no major complaints.

GOP candidate selection process sows confusion in Weber Co. primaries

Wednesday, Dec. 5. 2018

Steve Waldrip, candidate for the District 8 Utah House seat, speaks at the Weber County Republican Party convention at Weber High School on April 14, 2018. By the Standard-Examiner

OGDEN — Election season is over, but here’s a look back at some of the highlights heading into the primary here in Weber County last June.

The rules governing how Republican candidates in Utah can secure a place on the primary ballot is a focus of sharp debate — petition or convention? — and the controversy reared its head here. Some GOPers don’t like the fact that candidates can get on the ballot via petition, bypassing scrutiny of GOP stalwarts at convention, making for some interesting guidelines.

Meanwhile, one race in particular generated a lot of heat — for a Weber County Commission post. Here are some highlights:

• As Weber Co. GOP convention looms, candidate-selection process draws fire, April 13, 2018
• 2018 Weber County GOP convention recap: rule changes sow confusion, April 18, 2018
• After Weber Co. GOP convention, candidate selection rules called into question, May 6, 2018
• Weber Co. Republican Party rebuffs 3 convention winners, endorses runners-up, June 8, 2018
• Weber Co. Commission hopefuls spar on taxes, business growth, spending, June 10, 2018
• Weber Co. Commission hopeful Froerer rebuffs questions, criticism in campaign, June 14, 2018
• Weber Co. Commission hopefuls Couts, Froerer hammer Ebert on property tax hike, June 20, 2018
• Weber County Commission candidates get $105,000 in donations, spend $96,000, June 22, 2018

 

 

Weber County Commissioner Gibson targeted in Ogden police probe

Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018

Weber County Commissioner Kerry Gibson, right, at a Feb. 20, 2018, meeting. He’s the focus of a police probe but he and his backers say he’s done nothing wrong. Commissioners Jim Harvey and James Ebert are also pictured. By Tim Vandenack

OGDEN — Weber County Commissioner Kerry Gibson is the target of an Ogden Police Department investigation of some sort.

Public information is hard to come by, but it’s been a surprise, the fact of an elected leader here, seemingly out of the blue, falling onto the radar screen of law enforcement. Gibson has rebuffed any notion of wrongdoing and any hint of what may be behind this has actually come from him and his supporters. They suspect a multi-million dollar flood-prevention project in western Weber County may be at the root of things, but they say nothing untoward happened as the project, overseen by the county and completed in 2015, unfolded.

The apparent sticking point is that Gibson, through his family dairy operation, owns land in the area where the project occurred, abutting the Weber River, in fact.

Here are a few of the stories I’ve done thus far:

• Gibson backers, officials say river project handled properly as probe continues, Feb. 21, 2018
• As Gibson police probe continues, Utah DNR head remains supportive, Jan. 23, 2018
• Weber County Commissioner Gibson denies wrongdoing, says he’ll stay in post, Dec. 15, 2017
• Weber County Commissioner Kerry Gibson facing Ogden police investigation, Dec. 13, 2017

Most of anything that’s come out has been sided in favor of Gibson. Police are saying little as things proceed.

Weber County growth causes jitters, scrutiny among some

Monday Jan. 22, 2018

Taylor residents, left to right, Eric Page, Greg Bell, Michelle Peasley and Shae Bitton, worry about runaway growth in the zone west of Ogden. They’ve been pushing for more controlled growth. By Tim Vandenack

TAYLOR — Growth is the mantra along the Wasatch Front in Utah.

Though viewed as a good thing by many — an indicator of the strong economy and popularity of the area — expected population increases and expansion don’t have everyone clicking their heels. In the rural Taylor area in western Weber County, west of Ogden, some are leery of growth, worry it will happen too quickly and there will be too much. It may be inevitable, but residents in the area want more control over how growth evolves and they’ve been clamoring to be heard.

Here are a pair of stories:

• Rural Weber County residents bristle at development, but growth is coming, Jan. 11, 2018
• Weber County 180-unit housing plan sparks ire, concern about overdevelopment, Nov. 16, 2017

The Taylor people aren’t the only ones worried. It’s been an issue in North Ogden (among other places), near the site of a planned large-scale, high-density development of apartments and townhomes. Here are a pair of articles from last year:

• North Ogden officials OK 32.9-acre project, try to assuage neighbors’ concerns, Oct. 11, 2017
• Large-scale North Ogden housing development spurs worries among homeowners, Oct. 7, 2017

***

Laura Rentmeister, left, and sister Kathy Rollman hold a photo of their mother Verna Marriott. By Tim Vandenack

In a different vein, I recently wrote the sad, tragic story of a woman suffering dementia who inexplicably left her home early one morning, got lost and ended up dead in the yard of a home a half-mile away. Sounds like she lived a full life, had many who loved here. Sad, nonetheless:

Ogden woman’s family finds solace after her death in cold, but questions linger, Dec. 28, 2017