Utah (KUTV) — Evacuations were ordered for a South Salt Lake neighborhood after a gas leak ignited a power line went down and started a truck fire Firefighters with the South Salt Lake Fire Department and Unified Fire Authority responded to the scene and noticed that the ground and a gas meter caught fire as well Crews determined there was a gas leak underneath the road and residents in the area from 3300 South to 3500 South and from West Temple to 200 West in South Salt Lake were asked to evacuate immediately The gas leak was finally shut off around 9:30 p.m Crews needed to excavate the road to secure the gas line and then ventilate the structures to make sure there were no residual fumes South Salt Lake Fire Chief Terry Addison said his biggest concern was whether gas continued to go into buildings "We don't want any of the gas to go inside any of the structures and find an ignition source where they could possibly start another fire or Crews allowed the fire to burn to keep some of the pressure off the line monitor the different areas around the different buildings," Addison said "There's no evidence of any gas beyond east of this location." Utah Transit Authority set up a warming bus for those who evacuated but have nowhere to go and an evacuation shelter was set up at 3805 South Main Street Additionally, Rocky Mountain Power confirmed 2,747 customers were without power although it was unclear if the two events were connected SOUTH SALT LAKE—Evacuation orders have been lifted with gas and power restored to an area of South Salt Lake where city officials ordered evacuations Sunday evening due to a gas leak and fire The city announced that evacuation was mandatory for everyone between 3300-3500 South Residents are now being allowed back into their homes Watch: Officials provide update on South Salt Lake evacuations South Salt Lake Fire Chief Terry Addison said the incident began shortly after 5 p.m Firefighters said a power line was down on top of the truck the crew noticed flames coming from the ground They determined that there was a gas leak under the road and notified the gas company but the evacuation was still in place as of 9:45 p.m the fire chief said the evacuation order will remain in place overnight South Salt Lake Fire Department says as of 7:30 a.m. but the road is still closed along West Temple as the gas company still has heavy equipment and holes in the road from trying to reach gas lines TRAX service in the area was shut down temporarily An evacuation shelter is available at a church at 3805 S Addison estimated that about 300 people were evacuated from the area LOCAL NEWS 7:42 PM | Updated: Apr 28 BY ALTON BARNHART AND MARIAH MAYNES SOUTH SALT LAKE — A gas leak in South Salt Lake prompted mandatory evacuations on Sunday evening after it caused a fire near West Temple Fire officials asked anyone between 3300 South and 3500 South and West Temple and 200 West to evacuate Officials announced the order would finally be lifted at approximately 7:30 a.m South Salt Lake Fire Department said crews were extinguishing a truck that caught fire from a fallen power line when they noticed the ground was also on fire An evacuation shelter was set in place at 3805 S with the Utah Transit Authority implementing a bus bridge between the Millcreek to Meadowbrook stations The South Salt Lake Fire Department confirmed the fire was at a “controlled burn” late Sunday night There was no estimated time of resolution provided by fire officials Artist Connor Weight and his team of 15 youth artists are hard at work this week the South Salt Lake Arts Council is working with Weight and aspiring artists from the Promise South Salt Lake after-school program at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School to create a mural that will inspire kindness in the city and beyond The final work will be unveiled at Mural Fest Weight has been working with about 15 youth to create mini-murals that incorporate symbols of kindness as seen through their eyes Weight sketched the symbols on the mural wall the budding artists started adding paint to the mural located behind South Salt Lake City Hall facing Whitlock Park The South Salt Lake Arts Council hopes to infuse fresh foster the next generation of South Salt Lake artists named South Salt Lake a “City of Kindness” on March 12 The city is working with One Kind Act a Day an initiative by the Semnani Family Foundation to promote kindness in the city through ‘kindness in action’ moments and event activities for Mural Fest at www.themuralfest.com Deseret News photojournalist Tess Crowley spent the afternoon with the youth artists and shared their energy through photos: SOUTH SALT LAKE CITY — An evacuation order was lifted Monday morning following a gas leak and resulting fire that led to the evacuation of the area of 3300 South to 3500 South and West Temple to 200 West in South Salt Lake Sunday The South Salt Lake Fire Department said at 7:29 p.m. in a post on X said the evacuation was mandatory An evacuation shelter was set up at 3805 S The evacuations were lifted shortly after 7 a.m which said gas and power had been restored to the area and the leak had been stopped Officials are still working to determine the cause of the leak and will go door-to-door to check that all meters are working correctly who were in the area after a downed power line had caused a truck fire South Salt Lake Fire Department: Mandatory Evacuation due to a gas leak Anyone in 3300 South to 3500 South & West Temple to 200 West in South Salt Lake must evacuate immediately Utah (KUTV) — For the third time in 10 days homes and businesses in a portion of South Salt Lake were left without power impacting 4,707 customers in both South Salt Lake and Salt Lake City without electricity It wasn't immediately known if any of the same customers were affected all three times or if the three outages were in different parts of the city churches and buildings not in use but are hooked up to the grid Rocky Mountain Power spokesperson Jona Whitesides said crews were able to restore electricity to about 900 of those customers by noon leaving around 1,000 were still waiting for the service to be restored in the Highland Park area along with a smattering of individual outages in the surrounding area RMP hasn't confirmed if the three outages are connected in any way or if the incidents had different causes Matthew Jacobson reported from Salt Lake City (FOX 13) Evacuation orders have been lifted with gas and power restored to an area of South Salt Lake where city officials ordered evacuations Sunday evening due to a gas leak and fire Evacuation orders have been lifted with gas and power restored to an area of South Salt Lake where city officials ordered evacuations Sunday evening due to a gas leak and fire Read the full story at fox13now.com. For e-edition questions or comments, contact customer support 801-237-2900 or email subscribe@sltrib.com sltrib.com © 1996-2025 The Salt Lake Tribune SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah (KUTV) — A gas leak under a roadway, discovered only after it was ignited by a truck fire, forced the evacuation of 370 residents in Salt Lake City was contained Sunday night The order was lifted Monday morning after crews secure the gas line The incident began with a downed power line and truck fire but quickly escalated when firefighters discovered the ground and a gas meter had also caught fire revealing the gas leak beneath the road in the city's Millcreek Station Neighborhood Officials ordered immediate evacuations for everyone in the area which encompassed six city blocks from West Temple to Main Street between 3300 South and 3500 South more than two dozen residents had to stay at Red Cross shelter overnight located an area meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Red Cross shelter was equipped to accommodate small pets allowing evacuees to keep their animals with them and ensuring they have a safe place is essential," according to a Red Cross statement "Allowing pets at the shelter reduces stress for owners and helps them focus on their well-being during this difficult time." South Salt Lake has been keeping residents apprised of the evacuation situation overnight via its social media which they said residents should keep an eye on for any new developments Utah — A person of interest has been identified and taken into custody in connection with a homicide in South Salt Lake Saturday night Police were looking for 21-year-old Salman Ahmed on Sunday and announced within a few hours that he had been found Officers were called to the area of 2500 South 400 East around 11:45 p.m The 18-year-old male victim was taken to the hospital The victim's name is not yet being released According to court documents obtained by FOX 13 News Salman was driving a vehicle in the area with 3 females and 1 male passenger Detectives say a verbal argument led to Salman exiting the vehicle and punching two of the women in the face He then allegedly retrieved a gun from the front of the vehicle and threatened to shoot one of the female passengers Police say the male passenger then tried to intervene before a physical fight began Ahmed closed the doors of the vehicle and drove away Ahmed was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail Ahmed was charged in connection with a deadly shooting outside a convenience store in Millcreek He pleaded guilty to lesser charges of discharging and possession of a firearm for which he served about a year and eight months in jail before being released on probation We had worked out a disposition based on some evidence issues between the two shooting parties There was a question based on their expert and ours regarding who shot first and who was defending themselves,” Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said in response to FOX 13's inquiry about the 2022 case “There was some history between the two groups We agreed to a disposition with a guilty plea that if he violated the law then we could come back to conviction and sentencing.” SOUTH SALT LAKE — Up to 85 families will soon be able to take shelter in a first-of-its-kind facility converted from a motel to temporarily house families facing homelessness In contrast to most congregate homeless shelters in Utah South Salt Lake's Family Interim Non-Congregate House will provide families with private space to live while they get back on their feet any shelter and services is better than no shelter and that's the reason we have big dorm-style congregate shelters," said Laurie Hopkins executive director of Shelter the Homeless a nonprofit that owns and manages the FINCH property is some families are struggling," Hopkins continued it really makes it so that they are able to have a feeling of stability much more quickly." will feel to these families like they're able to replicate what they want as well as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The former Motel 6 at 315 West and 3300 South has been converted to feature 85 units with beds Several common areas include a dining room Caseworkers will also be available on site to help connect families with school which operates several other emergency resource centers in the Salt Lake area Wayne Niederhauser, the state homeless coordinator, said he expected things to move faster when he took the post but realizes that alleviating homelessness is "very complicated and challenging." He said FINCH represents a significant step toward keeping children and families off the street in Salt Lake County "While we don't want anybody unsheltered or living in a place unfit for human habitation we especially don't want children living in that situation," he said "Having a noncongregate facility like this — this is real Finding cities willing to host homeless resource centers has long been an obstacle for state leaders and advocates and several people credited South Salt Lake and Mayor Cherie Wood for their willingness to step up "I think we were intrigued specifically about this new model the noncongregate for families," Wood told KSL.com "We've built a citywide system of after-school programs and .. a support system around cradle-to-career work in our community so we have a lot of partners that are in our community every day helping already we're fairly confident that it will not impact this neighborhood." hugs South Salt Lake Mayor Cherie Wood after the ribbon-cutting of the new Family Interim Non-Congregate Housing (FINCH) facility in South Salt Lake on Wednesday Deseret News)FINCH will start accepting families in phases in early May with several families expected to move in each day until it reaches capacity Between 60 and 80 families have already been on a waiting list so she says she expects the shelter to have a significant impact on struggling families in Salt Lake County While other facilities, such as Lantern House in Ogden Hopkins said she hopes to see more cities adopt a similar model to help local families "This can be replicated," she said "There needs to be a lot of community members stepping forward to help with the funding to get it to a place where these families can move in and feel comfortable But it is absolutely doable and should be done to a higher level than we currently are in our state I really encourage all of the cities to really look at what the need is in their own community come together and get some more of these built." 11:17 AM | Updated: 2:08 pm BY BRIAN CARLSON SOUTH SALT LAKE — Families are finally back home after Sunday night’s dangerous gas leak fire in South Salt Lake The fire forced surrounding homes and businesses to evacuate looks much different from the wall of flames ignited by the gas leak “That gas can travel along that conduit like water on your sprinkler pipe … it will find an ignition source and it will ignite,” said Terry Addison South Salt Lake Fire Chief Terry Addison stands at the scene of a gas leak near South West Temple Street and 3400 S in South Salt Lake on Sunday Firefighters said a power line fell onto a truck and started the fire they noticed a nearby gas meter was also on fire They then discovered a leak under the road it’s in the storm drains and the sewer lines,” Addison said The leak forced the closure of the road and a Utah Transit Authority’s TRAX line and it also forced surrounding homes and businesses to evacuate A gas leak that led to a fire in South Salt Lake near West Temple on Sunday 2025 forced the evacuation of residents in the area for the night told KSL TV he had to spend the night in his car “We were waiting for updates and seeing if we could go home,” Glines said Other residents went to a nearby American Red Cross shelter inside a meetinghouse for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “It means I didn’t have to rely on family for emergency shelter,” said Austin Hedin The Red Cross made it available to anyone who needed it “Very important that the shelter is here so they can order the evac to have a safe place to come to that’s warm and you can get some food,” said Leigha Westover, Utah American Red Cross Community Disaster Program Manager American Red Cross Disaster Team associate Margaret Moore speaks with colleagues in an American Red Cross evacuation shelter at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in South Salt Lake on Sunday and between West Temple and 200 West due to a gas leak crews worked throughout the night to find and fix the leak “It takes a village to handle incidents like this and we have that set up and it worked out really well,” Addison said the situation played out relatively smoothly Although it caused disruptions and one truck was burned it didn’t cause any significant destruction Utah (KUTV) — An outage is affecting 2,747 customers in South Salt Lake Rocky Mountain Power said the cause of the outage is under investigation the estimated time of restoration is unknown Utah — Police have located the suspect in a homicide that occurred during a Saturday night shooting in South Salt Lake was said to be a person of interest in a shooting that occurred at 11:40 p.m Authorities reported they detained Salman before 1 p.m on Sunday and took him into custody for questioning without incident and three counts of unlawful discharge of a firearm Ahmed was found to be offering cocaine for sale via social media An undercover Davis County Task Force officer contacted Ahmed who agreed to meet in the Layton High School parking lot for a drug deal surveillance agents followed Ahmed’s vehicle as he drove away A traffic stop was conducted after he was seen committing multiple traffic violations prompting a pursuit involving Utah Highway Patrol troopers He eventually pulled over at a rest stop in Kaysville and was seen throwing a fanny pack into nearby brush The pack was found to be carrying a fully loaded gun and cocaine He attempted to flee again but was ultimately taken into custody officers discovered he was wearing an ankle monitor He then admitted to being on pretrial release for the 2022 Millcreek murder case Ahmed was booked on multiple felonies including distribution of a controlled substance failure to stop at the command of law enforcement possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person along with multiple misdemeanors and traffic infractions Utah (KUTV) — Residents started to return to normal after a gas leak ignited a fire and forced nearly 400 evacuations the South Salt Lake Fire Department and Unified Fire Authority responded to a truck fire caused by a downed power line According to South Salt Lake Fire Chief Terry Addison but it went undetected because the burning gas was odorless MORE | Gas leak, fire: Evacuations ordered for South Salt Lake neighborhood after gas leak ignites into flames Addison said the fire crews did not detect the leak until water on the ground started bubbling said she was worried her business would catch fire but can't get too dramatic right now," she said Enbridge technicians deemed the area safe on Monday morning after inspecting the area for further leaks a senior advisor with the Pipeline Safety Trust was grateful that the situation was controlled by first responders "It could've been very serious with a distribution line," he said "The fact that it was detected allowed the fire department and the utility to take the appropriate action to stop the flow of gas." Hall emphasized that while this incident did not cause a major disaster Enbridge should thoroughly inspect the gas line infrastructure "They need to look at the integrity of the line and make sure that there weren't any pre-existing leaks," Hall said "And if there were pre-existing leaks they should be doing a leak survey in that area." KUTV 2News reached out to Enbridge for comment Enbridge Gas was called to respond to a fire in the area of 3400 S and West Temple in South Salt Lake it was determined that a fallen power line had damaged the natural gas line Working safely alongside the local fire department Enbridge crews were able to secure the line around 9 p.m. and began making repairs to the damaged pipeline a specified area near the incident was evacuated Road closures were implemented to isolate the escaping natural gas and contain the fire gas was restored to normal operating conditions and customers were able to return to their homes Crews have been able to relight all homes and businesses to which they were able gain access If a customer wasn’t available or home during the initial relight please call Customer Care at 1-800-323-5517 We are appreciative of the collaboration and partnerships with South Salt Lake City and South Salt Lake City fire and police for getting the word out about the necessary evacuations We are also appreciative of the American Red Cross and other parties who set up a temporary shelter for the displaced residents overnight Additional details surrounding the incident are currently under investigation SOUTH SALT LAKE CITY — A gas leak and resulting fire led to the evacuation of the area of 3300 South to 3500 South and West Temple to 200 West in South Salt Lake, the South Salt Lake Fire Department tweeted on Sunday post on X said the evacuation was mandatory The evacuations were to remain in place throughout the night the South Salt Lake Fire Department said late Sunday Anyone unable to evacuate was asked to call the Salt Lake Valley Emergency Communications Center dispatch at 801-840-4100 It is anticipated that the gas will remain shut off to the area A bus bridge is in effect between the Millcreek and Meadowbrook stations Crews were still working on the leak Monday morning and road closed signs remained in the area Utah — Just off Silver Avenue in South Salt Lake sits Kathy Smith’s House and her vegetable garden full of onions But across the street sits debris from Sunday night's gas leak that caused hundreds to be evacuated from the neighborhood, including Kathy. “I heard a big boom, and so I thought there was a car accident in front of my house," Smith recalled. "Then I went to the kitchen sink and I saw the fire at the end of the street.” Smith thought the fire would be put out in just a few hours, but a knock on her door told her otherwise. “A fireman stopped me and said, 'You can’t be on the street. There’s a natural gas line under the street, and therefore, the whole block can blow up,'” Smith said. Didn't get emergency alert on your phone? Here's why: So, why didn’t that happen? Bill Caram, the Executive Director of the Pipeline Safety Trust, explained. “Often when we see an explosion, what’s happened is, you have an enclosed space where the methane or the natural gas has been accumulating for some time. If it’s out in the open, methane is lighter than air and it will dissipate. So that’s often when you see a singular flame, versus an explosion,” he shared. Bill Caram said there are some potential risks that companies look at in the pipe systems, such as aging, corrosion, or cracking. While operators are required to do regular leak surveys, Caram says federal regulations are not that strict when it comes to leak detection and repair. “There’s no standards as to what type of equipment they need to use," explained Caram. "How sensitive, accurate, or reliable that equipment is, so we don’t have a lot of consistency operator to operator, community to community.” The director of the Utah Division of Public Utilities, Chris Parker said Enbridge Gas has an aggressive infrastructure replacement program for their distribution lines. He added that they help set an annual budget that the company can spend on aging infrastructure. Parker said Utah participates in the Interstate Natural Gas Program, and they do regular audits and field work to assure things are running smoothly. Over the past several years, he said their audits have had perfect scores Educating the public can help stop a leak from getting any worse. “Using your nose," said Daren Anderson with Black Diamond Experts. "If the customer smells something, of course, they know there’s a problem. We have different tools to find the problem, we have meters that’ll beep the closer you get to it, the more the leak is happening.” Back on Silver Avenue, the streets are now marked with spray paint to outline the work that Enbridge is currently doing. As for Kathy Smith, she says she will continue to tend to her garden because she’s grateful it’s still there. “I didn’t know if I was going to have a house to come back to, but fortunately I do.” President Donald Trump makes a major sports announcement. The announcement comes amid reports Washington, D.C. will host the 2027 NFL Draft. WATCH12-year-old girl missing endangered out of South Salt Lakeby Megan Brugger Utah (KUTV) — UPDATE: The girl has been found A 12-year-old girl is missing and endangered out of South Salt Lake She left her South Salt Lake home on Saturday around 3 p.m the South Salt Lake Police Department said If you have any information about her location the police department asks you to call them at 801-840-4000 Sinikka was born on March 30,1950 to Laina and Erkki Passila in Kauhava Sinikka was well-lived and with few regrets She loved deeply and served fervently to her last breath Her immense beauty and radiance will be deeply missed Her untimely death was preceded by the departure of her loving and exceedingly good looking first husband Andrew Gorham her astoundingly good looking second husband whom all loved her dearly and will never forget her tenacity A visitation will be held in her honor on Wednesday from 10:00 to 11:15 am followed by the funeral services beginning at 11:30 am - all events will be held at the LDS Wasatch 3rd Ward Interment will be at the Larkin Sunset Lawn For those unable to attend the service in person Please click on the Watch Service button above determination and grit as well as JOY and OPTIMISM and BEAUTY She accomplished so much and lived a wonderful/honorable/ beautiful life We mourn her premature passing but know that her Spirit will always be be FOREVER YOUNG SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake City Fire Department is battling a 3-alarm fire at the old Golden Dragon restaurant near 1500 South Main Street early Tuesday with the first flames being seen just after 7:15 a.m The building now houses the La Rana Mexican Snack Factory according to the Ballpark Community Council which gives us about 14 heavy apparatus on scene," said Capt "We have approximately 60 Firefighter personnel here fighting this fire right now we also have assistance from our police department.” they immediately called for a second alarm to be pulled firefighters were forced to back off and take a defensive posture against the flames at which point the blaze grew to a three-alarm fire Drone video shows size of fire at old restaurant site: "[Firefighters] went offensive and conducted a fire attack in the interior of the building where they encountered heavy flames and smoke in the back of the building where they also had some flashover in the back they had to pull out of the building so that they could protect themselves and we transitioned to a defensive fire since then," said Hancuff Video below shows the size of the fire when crews arrived on scene (Austin Begay): Some of the fire personnel on the scene were there to keep the flames from spreading to nearby buildings All of the factory employees were able to get out of the structure without injury A local coffee shop owner nearby was concerned as soon as she saw the smoke I just saw that there was like so much smoke all around and again in the direction of my business so I came in our street was closed,” said Veronica Bojorquez Bojorquez now worries about the business owners so it was a little scary and knowing the business and it’s just so sad so sad that they’re a small Hispanic business and now they’ve lost everything,” she said Investigators are still attempting to learn how the fire started Stay with fox13now.com and FOX 13 News for more on this breaking news story Utah — Two suspects are in custody after a police chase that started in South Salt Lake ended in Salt Lake City early Sunday morning South Salt Lake Police tells FOX 13 News that the investigation began around 4:30 a.m. when officers responded to reports of shots being fired near 2700 South 300 West Callers gave dispatch a description of an SUV that was believed to be carrying the people responsible and attempted to initiate a traffic stop to investigate The vehicle fled after they turned on the emergency lights but later crashed near 1500 South 500 East whose identities still remain unknown at time of reporting later being apprehended near 500 East Emerson Avenue with assistance from Salt Lake City Police "We're still currently investigating the shots fired but there is no known threat to the public," says Detective Ryan Alvarez "We have an individual who had minor injuries but [they're] not cooperating with police." ABC4 Utah The evacuation order of South Salt Lake neighborhood after a gas leak and resulting fire was still in place by 7 a.m We kicked off the work week with soggy weather and lingering moisture will spell a few more showers today before things start clearing out Whether it's a domesticated animal or a wild animal it's important to know what to do when seeing either one out in the wild The West Valley City Police Department (WVCPD) has arrested a woman on allegations of child abuse after a 5-year-old child was found with blood on their face and soaked with water George has agreed to move a new power substation to a different plot of land in the city preserving an excavation site right across the street from the St UDOT crews have been working for weeks to clear Guardsman Pass to get it ready for the summer season Could grizzly bears cross Utah’s border soon What to keep in mind to stay safe during spring runoff Barbershop hosting free haircuts in honor of Sgt Progress on preparing Guardsman Pass to reopen the department lost its first officer in the line of duty when Sgt Bill Hooser was struck and killed by a suspect in a semi-truck during a traffic stop the friends he made on the force are remembering him as one of the most dedicated officers who took work seriously but also made an emphasis to build relationships A low-pressure system is working its way through the region and will settle over the Four Corners more compact low drops in on the west side of the main low Residents of a South Salt Lake neighborhood were ordered to evacuate after a fire broke out on Sunday evening Utah transit officials are warning TRAX riders to prepare for a week of major delays on all three of its lines as crews carry out maintenance work along a critical section of the track in Salt Lake City Construction work to repair the rail crossing by Main Street and 500 South is scheduled to begin on Saturday causing large impacts to the full TRAX system as the Blue Green and Red lines all share that section of the line Delays of up to 15-45 minutes across all lines are possible until service returns to normal on Saturday bus bridges will be set up for all three lines: The agency set up signs at all the stations posted about it on social media and even put warnings on its online schedule to get the word out before the closure Although rail maintenance projects are common there’s a larger focus on this one because it’s a rail section used by all three lines the fact that it’s going to affect all three lines it’s triply important to get the word out and let people know what to expect,” he said We’ll still be able to get people from A to B.” The rail section has reached the end of its service life which causes all sorts of trouble if it’s not repaired Repairs aim to protect the service life of the trains while improving the quality for riders riders traveling from one end of the bus bridge to the other will likely experience the longest delays Crews will be working around the clock to get the line operational again but that also means residents could deal with noise dust and vibration impacts at all times during the closure The construction is also expected to impact traffic at the Main Street intersection with 500 South Lane shifts and work zones are planned during the TRAX closure although there will still be access in and out of businesses like the Grand America and Little America hotels More information can be found on UTA’s website (Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Fire crews respond to a call at the La Rana Mexican Snack Factory in the former site of the Golden Dragon restaurant A fire at a Mexican snack factory sent smoke up into the Salt Lake City skies Tuesday morning Brandt Hancuff said fire crews first arrived on the scene at around 7:20 a.m The fire was under control by about 11 a.m. though Hancuff told The Salt Lake Tribune that the scene remained “an active firefight.” Firefighters began by attacking the fire directly but encountered heavy smoke and fire — so the crews backed off and took a defensive stance La Rana workers watched as the fire continued causing the building’s roof to collapse as the fire smoldered Some areas of the fire were difficult to access so when the flames burned through the roof it became easier for firefighters to get control of the blaze The building “appears to be a total loss,” Hancuff said Salt Lake City police posted that they had closed off traffic between Cleveland and Bryan avenues said her husband reported the fire when he took their kids to school Firefighters evacuated people living next door to the blazing business and sprayed their houses and lawns Hancuff confirmed that neighbors west of the factory were evacuated Firefighters went door to door at the Main Street Motel though Hancuff said he wasn’t sure if the motel is currently operating or if anyone was inside Kerns said the activity died down by 11:30 a.m. and crews spent the afternoon going through the wreckage La Rana Snacks’ website advertises its “Duritos,” wheel-shaped wheat snacks Smoke from the fire was visible from Interstate 15 and downtown Salt Lake City (Jeff Parrott | The Salt Lake Tribune) Smoke from a fire at 1518 S in Salt Lake City is visible from downtown office buildings and Interstate 15 commuters on Tuesday morning Developers have been working on plans to build an apartment complex on the land where the factory and the adjacent Main Street Motel are located, according to the Building Salt Lake website Those plans are tangled up in a legal dispute with the property owner a judge issued a preliminary ruling that property owner David Pope and his company breached a real estate purchase contract with developer Urban Alfandre and RRM Ventures by withdrawing a building permit application for the project ahead of a September 2023 Salt Lake City Planning Commission meeting a summary judgment dismissed two of the developers’ other claims adding that the developers cannot pursue damages related to the breach of contract because the developers chose to compel the property owner to fulfill their part of the contract if the property owner was ever in breach — waiving the potential to pursue damages instead the ruling added that the developers may be entitled to damages in addition to compelling the property owner to fulfill their part of the deal if the developers can prove post-trial that they are supported by Utah case law The development is part of the city’s development plan for the Ballpark Station Area, first proposed in 2022. Tribune reporters Shannon Sollitt and Jordan Miller contributed to this report. (Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) People watch as fire crews respond to a call for the La Rana Mexican Snack Factory, in the former site of the Golden Dragon restaurant, in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. Residents in a South Salt Lake neighborhood are concerned about their neighborhood's safety after a fatal shooting Utah (KUTV) — Residents in a South Salt Lake neighborhood are concerned about their neighborhood's safety after a fatal shooting "I heard the shot and I thought it was fireworks," Diego Troncoso said An 18-year-old man was shot just down the street from where Troncoso has lived for almost four years The man was transported to an area hospital MORE | South Salt Lake shooting: Police take South Salt Lake homicide suspect with felony criminal history into custody spends a lot of time outside at a nearby park He said having more police presence around would restore some peace of mind KUTV 2News reached out to the South Salt Lake Police Department with the following questions Police said this shooting was not gang-related The victim’s identity has not been released SOUTH SALT LAKE (KUTV) — The South Salt Lake City Council may soon approve a second homeless shelter The city council voted mid-December to change zoning laws paving the way for a final decision early 2025 on a temporary shelter at an old motel near 3300 South and 300 West next to the I-15 off-ramp the facility would operate under strict guidelines to address safety and ensure residents are working toward stability a longtime South Salt Lake resident who raised her children in the city said she appreciates the close-knit community but feels frustrated about the prospect of a second shelter Christiansen has seen the city accommodate a men’s homeless shelter and questions the fairness of adding another facility and I feel like our city is the county’s dumping grounds” Christiansen said The proposed Family Interim Non-Congregate Children Housing Facility (FINCH) would provide free temporary non-congregate housing for families including at least one minor child or young adult still attending public school Families staying there would be required to meet certain criteria: parents or guardians must look for work South Salt Lake Councilwoman Natalie Pinkney said the council initially hesitated about approving another shelter “When we talked about having another homeless shelter ‘What about other cities that can really help with this responsibility?’” Pinkney said She added that the city’s existing resources make the area suitable for a temporary family shelter but the council remains firm in its expectations “The council also has your frustration,” Pinkney said “That’s why the council has made it clear to both the county and the state that we have done our part and it’s time to ask someone else to do it.” the city’s decisions raise personal concerns where residents can weigh in on the conditional use permit for the proposed shelter (Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) The lobby at Cozy Coffee in South Salt Lake on Thursday This article is excerpted from the Utah Eats newsletter. To get the full newsletter every Wednesday, subscribe at sltrib.com/newsletters it will be time to start thinking about patios Cozy Coffee Lounge has two locations: a sit-down coffee shop at 2580 S and a drive-thru spot called Cozy Coffee 2 Go at 435 S The South Salt Lake location has a spacious patio that connects two buildings (Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Owner Dzenef Beganovic makes Turkish coffee in hot sand at Cozy Coffee in South Salt Lake on Thursday Owner Dzenef Beganovic was born in Berlin to Bosnian parents and moved to Salt Lake City with his family when he was 3 He said he has dreamed of opening his own coffee shop since he was 12 “our main focus is to showcase a lot of diversity and different culture.” That diversity can be seen on the drink menu where traditional Turkish coffee brewed with Balkan beans on hot sand can be found alongside matcha and espresso (Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) A burek sits on display at Cozy Coffee in South Salt Lake on Thursday which features items you probably wouldn’t find anywhere else Balkan toast with beef prosciutto imported from Croatia scroll down to the “Treat of the Week” section of this newsletter.) Cozy Coffee holds a lot of cultural events on its patio ranging from belly dancer performances to yoga sessions Cozy Coffee has been holding “coffee parties” every Saturday from noon to 2 p.m that feature different artists and musical performances on the patio Beganovic said everyone is welcome to “come and vibe (Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) The igloo experience at Cozy Coffee in South Salt Lake on Thursday at the corner of Redwood Road and 4100 South in Taylorsville — the exact address is 4121 S Its menu features a wide variety of appetizers Raising Cane’s is known for its chicken fingers and crinkle-cut fries • Beard Papa’s has closed its Utah locations It had locations in Sugar House and Daybreak (Palak Jayswal | The Salt Lake Tribune) Tea Zaanti in Sugar House • Tea Zaanti Stop in early to get some tea and a piece of specialty toast all the proceeds go toward ending homelessness The grand opening is scheduled to feature coffee tastings and information about Switchpoint’s mission (Kolbie Peterson | The Salt Lake Tribune) A ruska capa pastry, pictured at Cozy Coffee Lounge on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (By the way, Beganovic told me that this individual cake would be considered four servings in Europe. Pastries are a lot bigger in America!) FILE: Rocky Mountain Power and emergency crews respond after a construction crane hit power lines on 900 East near 2100 South in Salt Lake City on Tuesday BY MARIAH MAYNES SOUTH SALT LAKE CITY — 2,747 Rocky Mountain Power customers were left without electricity during a South Salt Lake outage on April 27 the company did not provide an estimated restoration time We are aware of an outage affecting 2,747 customers in South Salt Lake, UT. The cause of the outage is under investigation and there is not currently an estimated time of restoration. For updates, text “STAT” to 759677 or visit https://t.co/OMTwaA4Ds9 pic.twitter.com/sA3LEdkTwJ — Rocky Mountain Power UT (@RMP_Utah) April 27, 2025 For updates on the South Salt Lake power outage (Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) People tour the new Family Interim Noncongregate Housing (FINCH) facility in South Salt Lake for the grand opening on Wednesday The facility will provide shelter and services for up to 85 families in need South Salt Lake • A retrofitted Motel 6 in South Salt Lake will offer refuge to some of Utah’s most vulnerable families as they seek more stable housing The Salt Lake Valley’s first homeless shelter of its kind is almost set to start hosting residents in a newly converted building at 315 W It will be the largest noncongregate facility designated for homeless families in the state Since 2022, the only regional facility meant for families seeking shelter in Salt Lake County — the Connie Crosby Family Resource Center in Midvale — has operated at or above capacity. That has forced staff of The Road Home, the nonprofit operating that shelter and the new FINCH to turn away families on cold nights and sweltering days “We are going to move forward with this and ensure we take all those families that are currently on waiting lists or camping in their cars,” Shelter the Homeless Executive Director Laurie Hopkins said “And we’re going to make sure they’re safe and warm,” she said “in a place that provides services to get them back on their feet.” Shelter the Homeless and The Road Home collaborated on acquisition and planning for the converted South Salt Lake facility (Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) South Salt Lake Mayor Cherie Wood speaks during the dedication of the new Family Interim Noncongregate Housing (FINCH) facility in South Salt Lake on Wednesday South Salt Lake Mayor Cherie Wood said her city was well-suited to help homeless Utah families “This new shelter demonstrates what’s possible when people come to the table with yes in their heart,” Wood said The FINCH — an acronym for Family Interim Noncongregate Children Housing — will be able to host up to 85 families Families will have their own private room that can host four people and one additional infant The noncongregate setup in the former motel rooms differs from the Midvale family shelter If families have child behavioral concerns a newborn needing privacy and safety or other situations a crisis services staffer with The Road Home “this facility is able to provide that more confidential more intimate shelter setting for them so that they can get back on their feet and put the pieces back together.” Backers of the new facility say its individual rooms will give kids more stability and a more comfortable environment to ease the traumas of homelessness a small table with two wooden chairs and a private bathroom “While we don’t want anybody unsheltered or living in a place unfit for human habitation,” state homelessness coordinator Wayne Niederhauser said “we especially don’t want children in that situation “Having a noncongregate facility like this,” Niederhauser said The Road Home will operate a variety of other services for the families staying at the former motel The nonprofit anticipates serving 146,000 meals in its dining room over the first year On-site staffers will help families address the root causes of their homelessness and run therapy sessions Young also said the Fourth Street Clinic’s mobile bus will swing by the FINCH regularly to provide health care The school-age kids will be a part of the Granite School District during their time at the shelter so officials are working out a bus pickup system The Road Home will still operate the 300-bed Midvale shelter as “the open door” for families to get assistance The nonprofit intends to use the FINCH to house families with more complicated needs that would be better off in private rooms (Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) South Salt Lake Mayor Cherie Wood cuts a dedication ribbon along with other advocates of the homeless during the dedication of a new Family Interim Noncongregate Housing (FINCH) facility in South Salt Lake on Wednesday Young said the average length of stay for anyone living in a Road Home-operated facility is 90 days His goal is to get families staying at the FINCH into stable housing in that time frame The nonprofit will implement a range of security measures at the new shelter as well, in accordance with new state laws, including adding a metal detector at the front entrance, regular room checks and contracting with a private security company to do patrols. Young said staff will ramp up the number of families accepted at the facility over the coming weeks, so the nonprofit can hone its processes for managing the site before it’s filled. The first families should start arriving in the next few days. Patricia BrandtPR/Communications ManagerHuntsman Mental Health InstituteUniversity of Utah HealthEmail: Patricia.Brandt@hsc.utah.edu SALT LAKE CITY, UT – March 28, 2025 – Today, Huntsman Mental Health Institute celebrated a transformative milestone for mental health care in Utah with the grand opening of the Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center The $64 million facility is designed to revolutionize how the state responds to mental health emergencies "This pioneering facility is the first to integrate community services, training, and research with crisis care," said Brett Graham, MBA, MPA Huntsman Mental Health Institute interim CEO and Chief Strategy Officer for the University of Utah "The programs and collaborations at the Center will ensure that patients and their families receive immediate high-quality help and support in one convenient location." The new center represents a unique partnership between State and County officials, the University of Utah, Huntsman Mental Health Foundation, Kem and Carolyn Gardner, and other community donors. It features a comprehensive "no wrong door" approach to mental health care designed to eliminate barriers to accessing treatment “For too long, stigma has kept people with mental health and substance use disorders from receiving the care they deserve,” said Christena Huntsman Durham, Co-CEO, of Huntsman Mental Health Foundation. “Many people in our community face mental health challenges, and knowing how to access timely, compassionate care has never been more crucial. At Huntsman Mental Health Foundation we are committed to providing the support people desperately need We are deeply grateful for the partnerships that made the Crisis Care Center a reality.” The Crisis Care Center arrives at a critical time as Utah currently has the 7th highest suicide rate in the nation at 20.9 per 100,000 people The center is projected to serve over 9,600 unique patients annually through its first-floor crisis support services alone “Addressing the mental health needs of our community is a top priority for our administration The opening of the Huntsman Mental Health Institute Crisis Care Center represents the state’s commitment to the well-being of Utahns,” said Lt “This new facility aims to significantly increase our capacity to serve those in crisis and help reduce the suicide rate in Utah.” located at 955 West 3300 South in South Salt Lake will begin providing 24/7 walk-in care for adults ages 18 and older experiencing mental health or substance use crises starting Monday Crisis stabilization is provided to any adult regardless of their ability to pay The center offers a more tailored approach to mental health care than a traditional emergency department patients will be assessed by a care provider provided access to inpatient or outpatient services and connected to onsite community resources If you or someone you love is in crisis, call or text 988, or visit the Huntsman Mental Health Institute Crisis Care Center, 955 West 3300 South, South Salt Lake, UT 84119. For more information, visit hmhi.org/ccc. Huntsman Mental Health Institute at the University of Utah is a first-of-its-kind model created to address one of our nation’s greatest challenges: mental health and substance use disorders The institute combines the strength of one of America's leading research universities with the nation’s best integrated mental health crisis care model and a comprehensive continuum of care that includes a 161-bed hospital and more than 85 outpatient locations We educate hundreds of learners every year and provide both unique and wide-ranging educational opportunities in psychiatry and mental health Our innovative approach to research uses “teams of teams” to bring together different disciplines to uncover new ways to tackle complex problems A gift of $150 million from the Huntsman family helps power our mission to advance mental health knowledge Learn more at hmhi.utah.edu and join the conversation on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn Copyright © 2025 University of Utah Health (Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) The In-N-Out Burger in South Salt Lake on Thursday If you’re craving a Double-Double hamburger you’re in luck: The new In-N-Out Burger location which has been under construction for months in South Salt Lake Fast-food fans can expect a lot of hubbub around the opening of the location which was built on the former site of the Greek restaurant Mad Greek Harry Snyder opened the first In-N-Out in 1948 in California which allowed customers to order and receive their meals without leaving their cars In-N-Out’s iconic arrow made its first appearance on the restaurant’s sign With the opening of the South Salt Lake store The location is in a popular area for fast-food diners. Across 2100 South, there is a Subway, a Del Taco and a Jack in the Box. When the Jack in the Box opened in June 2023, its arrival caused traffic tie-ups that spilled out onto State Street. Utah (KUTV) — South Salt Lake police are seeking the public's help identifying suspected ATM thieves Police said the two suspects broke into ATMs at Brighton Bank around 4:55 a.m An "undisclosed amount of money" was stolen from the ATMs at the bank on 93 West 3300 South The suspects were seen driving a "light-colored Toyota Camry," the model being from somewhere between 1997 and 2001 If anybody has information on the theft or those involved Utah (KUTV) — Thousands of customers in South Salt Lake were left without power Sunday afternoon Rocky Mountain Power officials reported an outage east of Sugar House Park the outage had impacted 4,865 customers in the 94115 and 84106 ZIP codes Crews are working to determine the cause of the outage and restoration efforts are expected to be completed by 3:30 p.m 8:48 PM | Updated: 8:58 pm FILE - A Salt Lake City Police Department patrol SUV parked on Redwood Road (SLCPD photo from July 9 BY ALTON BARNHART SALT LAKE CITY — The Silver Alert for a 66-year-old man was canceled Sunday night according to the South Salt Lake Police Department SALT LAKE CITY — The South Salt Lake Police Department issued a Silver Alert for a missing 66-year-old man According to the Silver Alert website 66-year-old Dale Frank Curtis was last seen in the area of 300 E tall with chin-length brown hair and blue eyes Curtis also has a distinct hunch and was left with a mountain bike If you have any information on Curtis’s whereabouts contact the South Salt Lake PD at 801-840-4000 or Dial 9-1-1 Utah (KUTV) — A man was hit and killed by a pickup truck in South Salt Lake The man was hit Thursday night around 6 p.m South Salt Lake Police Detective Ryan Alvarez said The driver of the truck that hit the man is a man in his 30s Alvarez said the area will be closed until after 11 p.m it was unclear if the man who was killed was in a crosswalk when he was hit SALT LAKE CITY — Utah transit officials are warning TRAX riders to prepare for a week of major delays on all three of its lines as crews carry out maintenance work along a critical section of the track in Salt Lake City Blue and Green: A bus will run between the Gallivan Plaza and Ballpark stations 900 South stations along the way.Red: A bus will run between the Library and Ballpark stations there's a larger focus on this one because it's a rail section used by all three lines the fact that it's going to affect all three lines it's triply important to get the word out and let people know what to expect," he said We'll still be able to get people from A to B." which causes all sorts of trouble if it's not repaired More information can be found on UTA's website (Trent Nelson|The Salt Lake Tribune) The former Motel 6 at 315 W 3300 South in South Salt Lake on Wednesday a plan to refashion a former Motel 6 in South Salt Lake into a long-planned shelter for up to 85 families moved forward after the suburb’s City Council signed off on zoning rules for the facility Council members voted unanimously this week — with embattled representative Paul Sanchez absent — to approve the opening of the new shelter at 315 W “We’ve spent a lot of hours working with the applicant and their staff … making sure all the details are dialed in,” said Jonathan Weidenhamer South Salt Lake’s community and economic development director “We understand exactly how this will operate We are very comfortable at this time bringing this rezone to you tonight.” The council moved quickly to OK the facility at Wednesday night’s meeting No council members commented on the plan before the vote Homelessness leaders have been trying to open a new family facility since 2022 the first year in nearly a quarter century that parents with kids were turned away from shelter due to capacity the waiting list at Salt Lake County’s one homeless resource center dedicated to families includes 80 to 100 groups project leaders plan to open the shelter in March or April 2025 The shelter approved Wednesday could have gotten a faster start on opening its doors, but South Salt Lake officials slowed the facility’s advance since September due to fears of potentially having to host a new 1,200-bed homeless campus at the site of the county-owned Oxbow Jail. Project leaders from The Road Home and Shelter the Homeless The suburb of 26,000 residents currently hosts two jails and a men’s homeless shelter Text messages obtained through a public records request show South Salt Lake officials planned to discuss the family shelter proposal at a Sept. 25 council meeting but postponed the hearing as state officials eyed Oxbow “[South Salt Lake] is placing family shelter on pause,” Nick Coleman assistant state coordinator of the Office of Homeless Services executive director the of Utah Impact Partnership “and Mayor [Cherie Wood] is planning to publicly oppose Oxbow.” Before the session was scrapped, the project seemed to be on the right track — the city’s planning commission had already forwarded a positive recommendation to the council “Our discussions with state representatives about a potential campus have centered on better understanding the likelihood of a third shelter in our city,” Wood said last month we would like to adequately address the needs of the family shelter without the enormous pressure of considering another 1,200 homeless individuals in our city at the same time.” State Homeless Services Board chair Randy Shumway, who also sits on the board of Utah Impact Partnership, did not reply to a question about whether the Oxbow site was officially no longer an option to host the new campus. County residents voted down a bond measure in November that would have cleared a path for county officials to shut down the jail there and sell the land There’s only one other family shelter in the Salt Lake Valley: the Connie Crosby Family Resource Center in Midvale In West Jordan, South Valley Services runs an emergency space for adults and their children, and elsewhere across the county, Family Promise helps those experiencing homelessness temporarily stay at churches As a part of an omnibus homelessness bill this year, Utah lawmakers required that 85% of family shelter occupants be eligible for federal poverty assistance, making it harder for those without permanent legal status in the United States to access emergency services The Road Home’s Midvale shelter can host up to 300 individuals it had to turn away 3,107 people — two-thirds of them children — because of a lack of space 21 presentation to a joint meeting of the South Salt Lake City Council and planning commission Service providers have said finding shelter for families has been tough the past two years “We’ve had waiting lists and people being turned away families sleeping in cars,” said Bill Tibbitts deputy executive director of Crossroads Urban Center it’s really important that we’re finding a way to get those families indoors.“ The new shelter will have four two-story buildings with private rooms for each family It will have additional common areas and on-site laundries Project leaders plan to have 24-hour staff and security at the shelter and serve twice-daily meals provided by Catholic Community Services Gov. Spencer Cox’s proposed fiscal 2026 budget provides $5.8 million in ongoing funds to operate the new shelter. Now that the suburb’s council is on board, the South Salt Lake planning commission will work out additional permitting requirements with project leaders next month. Correction • Dec. 14, 9:50 a.m.: This story has been updated to correct Nick Coleman’s title. He is the assistant state coordinator of the Office of Homeless Services. by Taylor Anderson | Feb 6 Fears of snarled traffic were an exaggeration In-N-Out opened its South Salt Lake location on Thursday to relatively little fanfare at least by wildly popular drive-thru chain standards The new burger joint saw steady traffic throughout the afternoon while its double-stacked drive-thru lanes — snaking across the former site of the Mad Greek near South Salt Lake’s new “downtown” — handled traffic from people looking to grab some food on the opening day of the chain’s newest location The day one response didn’t live up to the madness that ensued across the street when Jack in the Box opened its first location in June 2023 when people sat for hours in a queue that stretched down State Street and into the parking lot That’s the type of response that has been seen when In-N-Out enters a new market and people sit in their cars for hours to eat Americans waiting to get to the front of the car drive-thru line at a Jack in the Box fast food restaurant. Salt Lake City, Utah. June 2023 pic.twitter.com/OaV4937djz The In-N-Out originally was slated to be built on the site that eventually became the Jack in the Box across the street in Salt Lake City’s Ballpark neighborhood But city regulations blocked that from happening and developers moved across the street to South Salt Lake which has been aggressively adding suburban retail outlets in the immediate area The In-N-Out location was the latest drive-thru addition to an area South Salt Lake once saw as its key to building a thriving urban downtown It has also seen the construction of a drive-thru Chipotle and a drive-thru Raising Cane’s near the sprawling parking lot of its anchor tenant WinCo Part of the relative calm may have come from a lack of PR hype before the location’s opening There was no readily available information about the opening on the company’s website or elsewhere online until the morning of the opening It also could be that — unlike Jack in the Box — there are other options to eat at In-N-Out a short bike or bus ride down the road the location helped to further cement 2100 South west of State Street into a car-dominated landscape well into the future Email Taylor Anderson Data is out for Q1 2025 market performance across multiple product classes A developer has submitted plans to replace a former single-family home near the North Temple corridor with a new 35-unit micro studio apartment.. Four months after the previous owner was sentenced to probation on marijuana conspiracy charges the Downtown music venue The Complex has been sold.. The Delta Center overhaul is officially underway — and the arena we all know will look much different next year You must be logged in to post a comment Site built by John Battenfeld Homelessness among families, the elderly and youth rose steadily from 2020 to 2023, as noted in a report from the Utah Office of Homeless Services published last year the report attributes this rise in homelessness partly to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic The Family Interim Non-Congregate Housing (FINCH) Facility in South Salt Lake had its grand opening on Wednesday unveiling the future interim housing with onsite services for up to 85 Utah families experiencing homelessness “I want to make sure that everyone knows that the FINCH is not just a facility ensuring that children and families are not on the streets,” said Laurie Hopkins executive director of nonprofit organization Shelter the Homeless meaning it offers private housing units without requiring a lease signature or occupancy agreement shelters in Utah have struggled with limited capacity said Hopkins approached the board expressing the need for another family shelter in Utah — specifically a private family shelter — which ultimately found its home in South Salt Lake like Midvale’s Connie Crosby Family Resource Center have large open settings that provide less personal privacy board president of the private nonprofit social services agency The Road Home it causes families to bounce back and forth out of shelters “That creates even more instability for children.” “The goal of The Road Home is to connect families with housing and that means making sure that it’s sustainable when they move out of shelter making sure that they have the appropriate support necessary to integrate into our communities,” Wagner said The Road Home helped 178 families transition out of shelter and into more stable housing — a total of 639 individuals “I truly believe our communities are richer for it My experience with these kids and these families is that anyone would benefit from having them as part of their school and community and I am so grateful to be a part of this great organization that will be operating the shelter.” SOUTH SALT LAKE — Granite School District officials say they are ready and able to help families of students impacted by evacuation orders for a South Salt Lake neighborhood Monday morning City officials ordered the evacuations for a several-block radius in South Salt Lake Sunday evening due to a gas leak and fire The evacuation was mandatory for everyone between 3300-3500 South Granite School District says they are prepared to help families impacted by the evacuations saying in a statement " We gladly accept all students at our schools today where we can provide safety we understand that it may not be possible for all families we encourage families to work with their school administrator and any school social workers for any ongoing services they may need for any absences or tardies today." (Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Visitors gather before the opening of the Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center in South Salt Lake Note to readers • This article discusses suicide If you or people you know are at risk of self-harm call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for 24-hour support Russell Belt walked through the doors of the Huntsman Mental Health Institute’s hospital up at the University of Utah’s Research Park last September hoping to get treatment for his alcohol addiction that was spinning out of control “The drinking has kind of been there for a better part of two decades and just progressively got worse and worse to the point where that became my primary coping mechanism it unfortunately got to the point where I couldn’t really control it Belt, who works as an automation manager at Codale Electric Supply, said getting help was hard, especially in the face of stigma around mental health. In the end, he went through a full inpatient detox at the Research Park facility (Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Russell Belt acknowledges the audience during the opening of the Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center in South Salt Lake “It was a very comfortable environment that I feel like I could start to heal in On Friday morning, Belt was on hand to witness the next step in providing mental health care to Utahns, as officials opened the Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center in South Salt Lake which will be run by the Huntsman Mental Health Institute is well-positioned to offer more people the comfortable healing environment he experienced The comprehensive center will offer around-the-clock care to anyone who walks through its doors at 955 W is referred there or arrives with emergency responders it will be able to handle about 45 people for crisis stabilization care that lasts less than 23 hours and two dozen people for inpatient stays that average seven days in length continuing outpatient services and on-site clinics that deal with physical ailments and legal challenges make the building the first of its kind not just in Utah Speakers at Friday’s opening ceremony shared personal stories of mental health struggles in their families and lauded the center as an answer to a vexing mental health question: Where can Utahns go when they are in crisis? The Beehive State has the seventh-highest suicide rate in the country “Hope has a new location,” Sandy Republican Rep. Steve Eliason said, in a nod to earlier efforts that established Utah’s emergency mental health hotline 988, or hope’s “new phone number,” as he called it. (Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Sandy, delivers remarks during the opening of the Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center in South Salt Lake on Friday, March 28, 2025. The $64 million emergency center is the culmination of collaboration between state leaders, county officials and private philanthropists. It will host 200 mental health professionals providing care and expects to serve almost 10,000 patients annually. Officials not only believe the center will provide better, more integrated care to more patients, but that it will also take the burden off of Salt Lake Valley emergency rooms that are not equipped to handle mental health crises. “Emergency rooms are designed for unconsciousness and bleeding, right? They are designed for physical emergencies,” said Kevin Curtis, the center’s director of operations. “... You really want to go to a place that’s designed for the mental health crises. So, what that means to us is spaces that are softer, warmer, more inviting. That means staffing that’s oriented around understanding mental health concerns.” (Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Visitors tour the receiving center at the Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center in South Salt Lake, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Visitors tour a movement therapy room at the Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center in South Salt Lake, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) An observation room at the Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center in South Salt Lake, Friday, March 28, 2025. The center also will foster collaboration between U. researchers, students and practitioners, helping to train the next generations of mental health workers. Belt, the automation manager, said his healing process continues. He praised Huntsman providers for teaching him the tools he uses to stay healthy now, and urged all Utahns contending with mental illness and substance abuse to seek similar help as soon as they can — at the new center or elsewhere. “Don’t wait. Yesterday is too late, quite honestly,” Belt said. “There’s people that really want to help and, no, it’s not going to be an easy road, but it’s very worth it.” (Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Visitors tour the opening of the Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center in South Salt Lake on Friday, March 28, 2025. (Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Items to take home at the opening of the Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center in South Salt Lake, Friday, March 28, 2025.