The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with Utah Stories. The trek into the office is a necessary evil for many employees; it’s unpaid time that could be spent elsewhere. But some state employees are able to cash in on their commutes. That includes one member of Gov. Spencer...
Category: News
Critics say Utah law gives unelected developers too much taxing power
The following story was reported by the Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with KSL.com. SALT LAKE CITY — When a city decides to issue a bond and increase property taxes or other fees on residents, it’s a big deal in Utah. Notices go out, articles are written and people line up at microphones to...
Hidden developers’ tax is zapping Utah homebuyers for billions
The following story was reported by the Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with KSL.com. SALT LAKE CITY — When Don Brown and his wife bought a studio apartment at the exclusive Black Desert resort community outside St. George, they were excited for a smaller place to live that was big on amenities: fine restaurants,...
Wasatch County sheriff under criminal investigation for actions tied to Kouri Richins trial
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with Utah News Dispatch. Wasatch County Sheriff Jared Rigby is under criminal investigation by the Summit County Attorney’s Office for obstruction of justice. Investigators are now questioning whether Rigby attempted to leverage accusations against a political opponent to influence the high-profile Kouri...
Tax credit for huge oil producer raises questions about Utah board’s transparency
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with Salt Lake City Weekly. When Utah officials awarded a tax credit to one of the state’s largest oil companies, at least one member of the voting board knew that environmentalists would make noise about a corporate handout to a multi-billion-dollar company. The...
DOGE killed a potentially life-saving Utah air quality project. Could the Legislature step in?
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with Utah News Dispatch. In 2024 clean air advocates had high hopes that a $1 million EPA grant could help communities understand how toxic the air in their neighborhoods can be and would install life-saving radon systems in at-risk homes across the...
Garfield County received thousands from opioid settlements. Is it spending the money properly?
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with Utah News Dispatch. Garfield County has received tens of thousands of dollars in opioid settlement money, but a lack of records and conflicting statements from county officials raise questions about whether the county is using the money to plug holes in...
Failure to activate: When Utah officers violate body-cam policies
The following story was supported by the Fund for Investigative Journalism and was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with Utah News Dispatch. When a Unified police lieutenant tried to pull body-worn camera footage for a case where the suspect had confessed to arson and attempted homicide, he discovered something curious. The...
Who got the better end of a multi-million US 89 land deal: Stuart Adams or UDOT?
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with KUER. On June 30, 2023, a beaming Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, joined a handful of local politicians to celebrate the completion of the U.S. 89 highway expansion. For years, Davis County commuters had negotiated orange traffic cones while the project...
SLC’s airport has chemical spill safeguards. It’s still a risk for Great Salt Lake
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with KUER. The Salt Lake City airport covers more than 8,000 acres and serves tens of millions of passengers a year. Most of them come and go without thinking much about the airport itself or the land around it, including sensitive wetlands and a...









