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ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
• Seventeen students from Brigham Young University have been nominated for the Television Academy Foundation’s 45th College Television Awards. BYU received a total of five nominations across three awards categories, the most nominations for a university for the 2026 awards. The nominations were in the Animation Series category (one); the Commercial, PSA or Promo category (three); and the Comedy Series category (one) that also qualifies for the inaugural $10,000 Chance Perdomo Legacy Scholarship. The annual College Television Awards are open to undergraduate and graduate students and recognize and reward excellence in student-produced programs from colleges across the country. Winners in the competition will be announced March 28. Nominees were selected from over 185 entries from colleges nationwide by academy members for the 2026 awards show. BYU students swept the Commercial, PSA or Promo category securing all three nominations for their spec ads, titled “Gap: Wear with Care,” by Porter Christensen, director; Maren Edwards, writer; Jill Jackson, producer; and Taylor Slade, producer; “Ink Up. Wash Out,” by Mia Shumway, writer; Eli Rothas, producer; and Kyle Gilmour, director; and “Never Leave Home,” by Mia Shumway, writer; Joseph Larsen, director; Carly Garrett, producer; Abe Tullis, producer; and Jeff Yi, producer. Nominated in the Comedy Series category is “Thanksgiving,” by Ryan Jones, producer; Austin Lawrence, director; and Abigail Tolley, writer. Nominated in the Animation Series category is “Love & Gold” by producer Jaysen Duckworth and director/writer Connor Van Dyke.
CONTESTS
• The Utah Worksite Wellness Council is accepting applications through Jan. 31 for its annual Healthy Worksite Awards, to be presented at the UWWC awards luncheon April 22 at the Zions Bancorporation Technology Center in Midvale. The awards program recognizes Utah employers for their exemplary work in adopting best practices to improve and advocate for the physical, mental, emotional, social and financial health of their employees. Companies may qualify for bronze-, silver-, gold- or platinum-level recognition based on the scores they receive. Public, private or government organizations that are located in Utah and have employee wellness programs in place during the past 12 months are eligible to receive the award. Applications and supporting materials may be submitted at https://uwwc.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_enYDxE6V7atAXJk. Questions about the program may be emailed to awards@utahworksitewellness.org.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
• Job-stayers in Utah saw their pay increase an average of 4.6 percent between December 2024 and December 2025, according to data from ADP Pay Insights. That put Utah No. 15 among states for wage growth. The median annual salary for Utah job-stayers was $55,500. Nationally, median annual wage growth for job-stayers remained unchanged from the previous month at 4.4 percent. The figure grew 6.6 year over year for job-changers nationally. Details are at https://payinsights.adp.com/. ADP’s national employment report is at https://adpemploymentreport.com/.
• Two Utah companies are on a list of “local companies people trust most amid AI replacement,” compiled by Resume.io and based on a survey of workers about employers who would protect them most in the era of AI. They are Brigham Young University, ranked No. 74 nationally, and No. 127 Intermountain Health. The top-ranked company nationally is Ben & Jerry’s in Vermont. Details are at https://resume.io/blog/employers-americans-trust-most.
• Property tax is the “most hated tax in Utah,” according to a survey by 5StarLoans.com. It characterized property tax as “utterly despised.” It was followed by vehicle registration tax (“pretty much universally hated”) and utility and service surcharges (“loathed on principle alone”). Details are at https://5starloans.com/most-hated-taxes-by-state/.
• Utah is ranked No. 15 on a list of “2026 Best States to Retire,” compiled by CareScout (formerly Seniorly). Utah saw the largest jump in the ranking, climbing from No. 39 last year. On breakout lists, Utah is No. 5 for average Social Security income, at $29,257; No. 5 for lowest percentage of older population (65 and older), at 12.4 percent; and No. 5 for doctors per 10,000 seniors, at 204. The overall best state for retirement is Wyoming. The worst is New Jersey. Details are at https://www.carescout.com/resources/best-and-worst-states-to-retire-in-2026.
• Sixty-seven percent of Utahns believe the self-improvement culture is harming their mental health, according to a survey by A Mission for Michael. That equates to 1,713,323 Utahns. The survey explored the mental health impact of New Year self-improvement culture, or the relentless push toward better bodies, sharper productivity, cleaner finances, and fully optimized lives. The survey suggests that rather than motivating people, January’s reset mentality often replaces hope with pressure. The national figure is 21 percent, the equivalent of more than 56 million Americans starting the year feeling worse, not better. The figure was highest in Wyoming, at more than 67 percent, and lowest in Georgia, at 10 percent. Details are at https://amfmtreatment.com/blog/reset-reality/.
• Salt Lake County is No. 14 on a list of “America’s Snowiest Counties,” compiled by Lawn Love. For the 213 U.S. counties with data available, it explored average monthly historical snowfall rates from November through April from 1991 to 2020 (the most recent data available); single- and three-day historical snowfall records; and access to snow removal services, among eight metrics. The “snowiest” county in the U.S. is Coos County, New Hampshire. The bottom-ranked location on the list is Indian River County in Florida. Details are at https://lawnlove.com/blog/snowiest-counties/.
EDUCATION/TRAINING
• Club Ability, a nonprofit dedicated to “Tech for All,” is launching the AI Innovation Challenge, a bilingual program for young adults (ages 18-25) focused on AI mastery and career readiness. The program takes place Feb. 12-March 28 and features AI mastery, career development and a final pitch competition. Offered in English and Spanish, the program costs $149 with scholarship. Applications can be completed at www.clubability.org/tec. The application deadline is Jan. 27. The program is supported by Union Pacific, Zions Bancorporation and the Suazo Business Center.
INTERNATIONAL
• World Trade Center Utah will lead a business trip March 23-27 (excluding travel) to Australia, designed for consumer goods companies. Participants will meet directly with distributors, 3PLs and retail buyers in Sydney; tour key retail locations to understand local trends; and gain practical guidance on pricing, compliance and positioning a brand for success. Two targeted industry tracks are aerospace and defense and consumer products (CPG, wellness, outdoor, lifestyle). The participation fee is $3,000. Details are at https://www.wtcutah.com/tradeevents/australia-business-trip-2026.
PHILANTHROPY
• Chartway Credit Union, based in Virginia but with members in Utah, Texas and Virginia, has announced that its charitable arm, the Chartway Promise Foundation, in 2025 awarded more than $1 million in grants to a record 33 nonprofit charitable partners helping medically fragile children and their families through unforgettable experiences, to help them with their 2026 programs. The group includes nine charitable partners in Utah who received a total of $387,000: Ability Found, Eye Care 4 Kids, Intermountain Healthcare Foundation Inc., Make-A-Wish Utah, Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Intermountain Area Inc., Best Seat in the House, Utah Kids Foundation, Walk With Autism Ltd. and Wasatch Adaptive Sports Inc. Utah Kids Foundation and Wasatch Adaptive Sports are new partners. Since its inception in 2005, the foundation has granted $17 million to its charity partners.
• Bank of America Utah is awarding $400,000 to Junior Achievement of Utah and Salt Lake Community College for their work in the fields of education and preparing students for success. As the bank’s 2025 Neighborhood Builders, the two nonprofits will each receive a $200,000 grant over two years that will continue to grow their impact of readying young people for the future. Junior Achievement and SLCC will also receive leadership training and access to a national network of nonprofit peers. Junior Achievement of Utah offers a range of school-to-career programs focused on entrepreneurship, financial literacy and work readiness to help young people plan for their future and make smart academic and financial choices. The new grant funding will help grow the impact of the organization’s work, which reaches more than 119,500 Utah students each year. Neighborhood Builders is one of the nation’s largest philanthropic investments into nonprofit leadership development and also provides unique, multiyear flexible funding annually to high-impact nonprofits in communities nationwide. Since 2004, the program has invested more than $346 million in communities across the U.S. and trained more than 4,000 leaders at nearly 2,000 U.S. nonprofits.
• Employees from locally owned and operated Larkin Mortuaries & Cemeteries donated more than 100 volunteer hours to the Salvation Army Angel Tree Warehouse on Dec. 15. Volunteers helped sort clothing and toys that were distributed to individuals and families in need throughout the community. The Angel Tree Program provides Christmas assistance to families living below federal poverty guidelines. The program serves children ages 12 and under, with the goal of ensuring each child receives a new warm coat, clothing, shoes and a toy during the holiday season. This past Christmas, the Angel Tree Program provided assistance to 2,389 children; 1,398 seniors; and 14 families through the Adopt-a-Family Program. In addition to volunteering, Larkin hosted a food drive for The Salvation Army in partnership with students from Canyons Technical Education Center during its annual Live Nativity Open House on Dec. 11. Community members donated nonperishable, nutritious food items, resulting in 4,157 pounds of food collected to support those facing hunger in the community.
RESTAURANTS
• Pinkbox Doughnuts, based in Las Vegas, has opened a location at 610 W. Main St., American Fork. Established in 2012, Pinkbox Doughnuts operates 13 locations throughout the Las Vegas Valley and one location in St. George. The brand is working toward opening a Sandy location this summer.