It’s December, and Utah’s water providers are getting a head start on solutions to cut water consumption. The state opened a third round of funding for secondary water meters to get a more accurate reading on usage throughout the state.

By the numbers:

• The state authorized $190 million in the first two rounds of funding.
• So far, systems with secondary meters have seen a 20%-30% reduction water use.
• Approximately $58 million of the original $250 million remains.
• The division believes it can install 114,000 meters with a third round of funding.
• This should conserve around 54,000 acre-feet of water.

How much influence did attack ads have in 2022 election?

Attack ads played a large role in this year’s midterm elections, but did it change anyone’s mind? In a new Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll, nearly half of Utah voters said the constant barrage of negative mailers, ads, text messages and social media campaigns had no effect on who they voted for.

Here’s what the poll said:

• 47.6% said negative campaign ads had no impact.
• 23.1% said it made them want to vote for neither candidate.
• 22.4% said it confirmed who they voted for.
• 4.9% changed their minds on who they voted for.

Was money well spent on attack ads, or did they simply make people less likely to vote? Read the full story here.

More in Politics:

• Opinion: What the 2022 election reveals about election fraud (Deseret News)
• It's official: Former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson wants the job back (KSL)
• House Democrats choose Hakeem Jeffries to replace Nancy Pelosi (Deseret News)

Family:

• Perspective: Parents want more time with their kids. We should find ways to help them (Deseret News)
• Missing woman is reunited with her family through a DNA match after 51 years (Deseret News)

Culture:

• Politicians or performance artists? The 2024 presidential candidates you’ve never heard of (Deseret News)
• Inside the new temperance: Americans are drinking less alcohol. These ‘bars’ are counting on it (Deseret Magazine)

Business:

• New alliance seeks to boost number, diversity of U. graduates (Deseret News)
• Opinion: How a 14-year-old Hispanic immigrant became an entrepreneur in the U.S. (Deseret News)
• Utah has more unicorns than any other state. Why? (Utah Business)

Faith:

• Christmas lights return to the Washington D.C. Temple grounds; Elder Cook and Singapore’s ambassador press button to turn them on (Church News)

Wasatch Front:

• 'A revolving door': Salt Lake officials discuss changes in response to homelessness (KSL)

Southern Utah:

• ‘Like finding a needle in a haystack’: Man reported missing in September goes home (St. George News)

The West:

• The West’s next national monument? Biden ‘committed to protecting’ Nevada’s Spirit Mountain (Deseret News)
• This is the space: NASA’s next big mission — like big missions past — begins in the arid West (Deseret Magazine)

The Nation:

• What Nikki Haley said about a possible 2024 presidential run (Deseret News)
• New York mayor plans to clear homeless with mental illness from streets (Deseret News)
• House Jan. 6 committee members to meet Friday on potential criminal recommendations to DOJ (USA Today)

Trending:

• Reinstated Disney CEO addresses LGBTQ controversy, Gov. DeSantis responds (Deseret News)

Sports:

• ‘QB Whisperer’ John Beck believes Jets aren’t through with Zach Wilson (Deseret News)
• ‘Progress is not a straight line’: What’s next for Collin Sexton, Talen Horton-Tucker and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Deseret News)
• Lincoln Riley turned USC around quickly, but Utah can prevent Trojans’ coronation in Pac-12 title game (Deseret News)
• How many more changes are in store for BYU football? (Deseret News)

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