Author: Eric Peterson (Eric Peterson)

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Man had prior charges dropped despite police witnesses, then went on to kidnap 3 kids in St. George
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Man had prior charges dropped despite police witnesses, then went on to kidnap 3 kids in St. George

The following story was reported by Eric S. Peterson and Sydnee Chapman of The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with St. George News. The reporting was funded with support from the Alicia Patterson Foundation and the Fund for Investigative Journalism. On Aug. 20, 2024, law enforcement agencies across multiple states were hunting David Gene Remley. Alerts had...

Utah plant linked to Kingston polygamist group cited for dumping chemicals into Bear River tributary
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Utah plant linked to Kingston polygamist group cited for dumping chemicals into Bear River tributary

The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with The Great Salt Lake Collaborative. In August 2019, an anonymous tipster reported that a company located in Portage, Utah, was illegally dumping chemical waste in ponds, sewers, storm drains and on the ground and had been doing so intentionally for months....

Down the Drain: Records show enforcement of storm drain pollution affecting Great Salt Lake is hit or miss
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Down the Drain: Records show enforcement of storm drain pollution affecting Great Salt Lake is hit or miss

The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with The Great Salt Lake Collaborative. Dead sheep carcasses dumped above the confluence of the Bear River. Ibises at the edge of the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge “struggling to rid themselves” of contaminated oil leaked from a nearby property. A business...

Woman says Iron County Sheriff’s deputy sexually assaulted her and prosecutors sided with him
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Woman says Iron County Sheriff’s deputy sexually assaulted her and prosecutors sided with him

Editor’s note: This report contains frank language details of a sexual nature. Reader discretion is advised. The following story was written by Eric S. Peterson, Sydnee Chapman and Tracie Sullivan. The story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with St George News. “Jane” found herself in an impossible situation last fall....

The 2025 Utah Reporters Almanac now available!
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The 2025 Utah Reporters Almanac now available!

We are excited to announce the newest edition of The Utah Reporters Almanac is here! Every year we produce our Almanac as a resource to journalists and curious and engaged citizens and fill it with information on understanding and accessing open government. In this edition we recapped the 2025 legislative session’s brutal impact on state...

Free webinar on using state transparency website
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Free webinar on using state transparency website

Transparent Utah is a site that can show you everything from the highest paid salaries of government officials to how different government agencies are spending taxpayer dollars. You can explore per-student spending patterns across the state, analyze property assessments across the state and compare costs for common healthcare procedures in your community. It’s an incredible...

Glowing pains: Developing nuclear power could cost Utah tens of billions
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Glowing pains: Developing nuclear power could cost Utah tens of billions

The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with Utah News Dispatch. Gov. Spencer Cox announced Operation Gigawatt in 2024 to double the state’s energy capacity in 10 years. For the governor and state lawmakers an ambitious energy plan means big investments now in all energy options — including nuclear....

Spending your tax dollars to hide government secrets
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Spending your tax dollars to hide government secrets

The following was written by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with Utah News Dispatch. Utah lawmakers are not only trying to close off your access to records about how the government does (or doesn’t) work — they want you to pay the bill for it. Two bills are taking direct aim at the...

How to advocate for yourself as a DV/SA Survivor
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How to advocate for yourself as a DV/SA Survivor

On February 27 from 6-9 pm we are hosting a special training virtually, and in-person, to help crime victims know how to navigate the court database, request copies of their police reports and understand how the criminal justice system works. The event will especially focus on helping survivors of domestic violence and/or sexual assault advocate...