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Extremely hot, dry conditions forecast across much of the West through the Fourth of July are heightening concerns about wildfires and the dangers of fireworks, including in Salt Lake City where officials are replacing their traditional explosive extravaganza with a drone light show.

An unusually wet winter and spring has allowed for the return of live fireworks shows in some other areas that canceled them in recent years due to drought, including parts of Nevada, California and Arizona.

But wildfire risks are growing with triple-digit temperatures forecast this weekend — up to 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 Celsius) in Phoenix, where a shortage of professional-grade fireworks prompted cancellations last year but red-white-and-blue bursts resume this Independence Day.

In Utah, Salt Lake City for the first time is replacing fireworks with a drone show. Fireworks are still planned in most suburbs and neighboring towns.

“As temperatures rise and fire danger increases, we must be conscientious of both our air quality and the potential for wildfires,” Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said this week.

A laser light show replaces conventional explosions again in Flagstaff, Arizona. And at Lake Tahoe straddling the California-Nevada line, communities on the north shore will celebrate with a drone show they implemented last Fourth of July due to lingering drought and wildfire risks....

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Hordes of grasshoppers descend on and decimate Utah crops (www.ksl.com)

submitted 1 year ago by hidden_splendor to c/utah

1 comments fedilink

Like monsters right out of your nightmares, and swarms fresh off weather radar, hundreds of thousands of grasshoppers have taken over in parts of Tooele County.

Farms are dealing with the destructive menace.

"Every bit of alfalfa that's in my fields is gone," rancher Michael Dow said. "I planted a pasture and all the seedlings were about 3/4 of an inch tall Sunday morning, and on Sunday evening, they were gone, it was bare dirt."

Dow said there are approximately 70 grasshoppers per square yard. They started showing up a couple of weeks ago but the infestation has just become worse.

"They'll take out a crop in a matter of days and you can poison them with a spray, you can create a buffer zone with poison, it's not a threat to pets or livestock. But you have to catch them early," he said. A grasshopper infestation is affecting some ranchers and farmers in Utah. A grasshopper infestation is affecting some ranchers and farmers in Utah. (Photo: Shelby Lofton, KSL-TV)

Utah's Department of Agriculture did give him poison for the grasshoppers.

"But we just didn't catch them in time, and they came on really quick," he said. "We're talking thousands of dollars in seed, in water, in time; not to mention, the lost feed," Dow said.

When Dow kicks up dirt, he is also kicking up insects.

"As we're driving through them with the side-by-side and they're jumping all over you, they land on your face. It's not a good feeling," he said. "They'll stick to your clothes and get in your pockets, they're just kind of nasty little creatures."

In a record water year, good for crops, Dow has faced the grasshopper infestation.

"We're just out here trying to make a living," he said.

Read the full LDS Church letter on political participation and straight-ticket voting in c/utah

[–] hidden_splendor 1 points 1 year ago

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Citizens of the United States have the privilege and duty of electing officeholders and influencing public policy. Participation in the political process affects their communities and nation today and in the future. We urge Latter-day Saints to be active citizens by registering, exercising their right to vote, and engaging in civic affairs, always demonstrating Christlike love and civility in political discourse.

We urge you to spend the time needed to become informed about the issues and candidates you will be considering. Some principles compatible with the gospel may be found in various political parties, and members should seek candidates who best embody those principles. Members should also study candidates carefully and vote for those who have demonstrated integrity, compassion, and service to others, regardless of party affiliation. Merely voting a straight ticket or voting based on “tradition” without careful study of candidates and their positions on important issues is a threat to democracy and inconsistent with revealed standards (see Doctrine and Covenants 98:10). Information on candidates is available through the internet. debates, and other sources.

While the Church affirms its institutional neutrality regarding political parties and issues, it may occasionally post information about particular issues that directly affect the mission, teachings, or operations of the Church or that Church leaders believe are essential to preserving democracy or the essential functioning of the United States Constitution.

Political choices and affiliations should not be the subject of any teaching or advocating in Church settings. Leaders ensure that Church meetings focus on our Heavenly Father, our Savior, and the gospel.

For more information, see newsroom.ChurchofJesusChrist.org and “General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” 38.8.30.