Good morning! Here’s today’s forecast:

🌦️ 22 – 34° in Logan | ❄️ 20% chance

🌦️ 32 – 42° in Salt Lake City | ❄️ 60% chance

🌧️ 38 – 47° in St. George | 💧 90% chance

I have a confession to make: As a lifelong Salt Lake City-ite, I have never once called the Utah Jazz’s home venue the Vivint Smarthome Arena or EnergySolutions Arena. I have always called it the Delta Center — much to the chagrin of confused tourists to whom I gave directions over the years.

I have also continued to call the Smith’s Marketplace on 400 South “Fred Meyer.”

I was excited to hear that the Jazz ownership will be changing the name of the venue to the Delta Center once more. According to team owner Ryan Smith, when he and his wife bought the team from Gail Miller, she encouraged them to be good stewards of the Jazz’s legacy.

I think many Jazz fans will agree this is a great way to honor the team’s history.

Tell me: Did you ever stop calling it the Delta Center? ✈️ Are you excited about the name change?

Also on our minds: The power of a dream, the unusual history of an obscure Utah town and tips for new state legislators from a seasoned veteran.

A little town called Dearfield: How one man’s vision became a haven for Black westerners

In 1911, a small group of Black settlers moved to Dearfield under the guidance and vision of Oliver Toussaint Jackson. The idea was to create an agricultural colony where Black people could own homes, have business opportunities, control the municipal government and thrive on the promise the West represented.

Dearfield was once a thriving and prosperous community, but like many farming communities in the West, the turbulent economy of the late ‘20s and ‘30s caused its fall. Once vibrant, it has all but disappeared.

Learn the rich history of this community and what is being done to preserve its memory here.

Will 2023 bring another ugly fight over transgender issues in Utah?

On the last evening of the 2022 Utah legislative session, Gov. Spencer Cox felt blindsided when an 11th-hour vote hijacked a bill his administration and LGBTQ advocates had been negotiating: an all-out ban on transgender girls from competing in school sports.

What happened in 2022:

Cox immediately vetoed the bill citing “serious legal and financial implications.” He also expressed concerns that the bill targeted a small number of children from a demographic that already struggles with suicidality.
Lawmakers overrode the veto because they didn’t think negotiations were going anywhere.
The bill was challenged in court, halting the ban and triggering a provision to develop a commission determining student eligibility.

What to expect in 2023:

At least two bills have been filed in preparation for the 2023 legislature:
- SB16: This bill would ban certain surgeries on transgender minors.
- HB132: Seeks to punish doctors who perform such procedures on minors.
Senate Pres. Stuart Adams said to expect legislation on puberty blockers in this session as well.

Yes, and:

According to Cox: “It is a culture war issue … which is the part I don’t like, I wish we could take that piece out. But this is an issue that even very progressive governments in other countries are looking at.”
Last year, Sweden and Finland both limited access to puberty blockers and hormone treatments with the exception of extreme circumstances.

Read the full story here.

Martin Luther King, Jr.:

How personal faith anchored Martin Luther King Jr.’s public life (Deseret News)
Perspective: The power of a dream (Deseret News)

Tech:

These new year tech goals will declutter your gadgets and your mind (Deseret News)
Judge says Twitter workers can't pursue group lawsuit (Axios)

Business:

In 2023, Utah nonprofits need your dollars more than ever (Utah Business)
Want to keep your Dry January? A Salt Lake City dry bar might be the ticket (KUER)

Culture:

Are Utah cities good for bagel lovers? (Deseret News)
Small but consistent: BYU student-led project uncovers forgotten history of students of color (KSL)
Why Utah’s Natural History Museum is still working to return Native American remains (KUER)

Health:

41% of Utah homes have dangerous radon levels, association warns (KSL)
Sgt. Hansen is still clearing the way for his fellow soldiers (Deseret News)

Snow:

Utah's snowpack to get another boost, as another storm arrives this weekend (KSL)
There’s plenty of snow to be found in Utah. It’s plow drivers that are hard to come by (KUER)

Faith:

Can you read the New Testament like a disciple and a scholar? (Deseret News)
How do we live together when we profoundly disagree? A conversation with john powell (Deseret News)
Sister Mary Hales, wife of Elder Robert D. Hales, dies at age 90 (Church News)
Indian harvest festival held at Utah Hindu temple (FOX13)

Northern Utah:

Weber County Sheriffs seek footage of possible gunshots in Ogden (FOX13)

Wasatch Front:

1 dead, 2 injured in separate hit-and-run crashes in Salt Lake City (KSL)

The West:

History of Orderville: The town where the Saints practiced consecration (Deseret News)

The World:

Nepal crash: Dozens killed as plane crashes near Pokhara airport (BBC)

Sports:

How has NBA All-Star selection changed over the years? (Deseret News)
How BYU benefited from a true team effort in win over Pepperdine (Deseret News)
Perspective: Will Nadal be Nadal without Federer? (Deseret News)

Check your inbox tomorrow morning for more news from the Beehive State and beyond!

Hit reply or send a message to newsletters@deseretnews.com to tell us what you think of Utah Today!

— Kathleen 🐝