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Plus, Millcreek Canyon may get a shuttle system to help with crowds.

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Salt Lake Parade of Homes

By Sarah Gambles

Wednesday July 16, 2025

☀️ 53 – 92° Logan | ☀️ 71 – 94° Salt Lake

⛅ 62 – 91° Manti | ⛅ 76 – 101° Moab

⛅ 62 – 91° Cedar City | ⛅ 77 – 101° St. George

🌅 Good morning!

Have you ever come across a mountain goat on a hike or seen one from afar? Their ability to scale mountains blows my mind.

Utah is home to about 1,500 mountain goats.

Dennis Romboy recently spoke with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and he laid out exactly what to do if you ever come across one in the wild.

Here are some of those tips:

Give them plenty of space (roughly 150 feet or more). If you see a mountain goat coming down the trail you are on, turn around and head back down the trail to avoid getting too close to them. Keep dogs leashed and under control. Never feed a mountain goat or let it lick you.

“Remember that they are wild animals, so always give them plenty of space. They are found in some pretty extreme terrain, so you don’t want to risk getting too close to one while on the edge of a cliff,” said Rusty Robinson, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources once-in-a-lifetime species coordinator.

“Be aware of your surroundings, stay alert and don’t put yourself in those situations. If you need to turn around and cut your hike short, do it," he continued.

🐐 Read more about what to do if you see a mountain goat in the wild.

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Utah primary care, other shortages could stifle well-being, spark public health crisis

Experts are warning that Utah has a shortage of family or general practice doctors, and that could spell serious trouble for the health of the state's residents. The state is also experiencing a shortage of nurses.

“Utah will need to grow health care capacity across the board, but especially in areas where we already fall short,” said John Poelman, interim executive director of the One Utah Health Collaborative. “Access to primary care, behavioral health and aging-related services are where we should prioritize expansion.”

Here are the numbers on provider-related shortages, as reported by Lois Collins:

Only 78.7% of Utah adults have a dedicated health care provider vs. 84% nationally, putting the state at No. 44 according to American Health rankings 2024. Utah ranks 47th in primary care provider supply with 231.6 per 100,000 people, per those rankings. (Meanwhile, Becker’s Hospital Review put the number even lower, ranking Utah No. 49 with just 96 doctors per 100,000 people. Idaho had a half-doctor less, coming in last.) Nearly a third (32%) of Utahns seeking mental health care couldn’t find the help they needed, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health 2022-23. Utah ranks 38th for geriatric clinicians and 35th for home health workers — “both essential as our population ages,” Poelman said, citing the American Health rankings 2025 senior report. Utah has 31 home health workers per 1,000 adults age 65+ years, based on that American Health report. Read more about health care staffing shortages.

Millcreek Canyon may get a shuttle system to help with crowds

Millcreek Canyon just got one step closer to having a shuttle service.

The Central Utah Commission’s board members have unanimously approved directing an updated feasibility study for Millcreek Canyon to have a shuttle service to avoid overcrowding from traffic, Amy Joi O'Donoghue reported.

“Ten years ago, at the launch of the Mountain Accord, the signers envisioned a shuttle program in Millcreek Canyon to reduce congestion, alleviate parking shortages, and minimize user conflicts in an already busy canyon,” said Jeff Silvestrini, Millcreek mayor and CWC board chair.

“A decade later, this beloved canyon is even busier, and the need for reliable transportation has only grown. ... This updated feasibility study is the next step toward making the recreation experience in Millcreek Canyon more efficient, accessible and enjoyable for everyone.”

Upper Millcreek Canyon will be closed for construction later this summer, resulting in a temporary loss of many parking spaces. That's a major reason for the push for a shuttle now.

The Central Wasatch Commission is accepting public comment now through Aug. 12.

🗓️ Events Calendar

We put together a calendar list of events and activities going on around the state of Utah during this month. Check it out, and let us know if we are missing anything!

Here are some highlights for events in Utah today:

American Fork Steel Days | American Fork Redwood Farmers Market | New Roots Redwood Farm Millcreek Farmers Market | Millcreek Common Orem’s Farmers Market and Food Fest Wednesdays | City Center Park Mozart vs. Salieri | Deer Valley Music Festival Rhiannon Giddens & The Old-Time Revue | Red Butte Garden Portrait of Aretha: CeCe Teneal celebrates the Queen of Soul | Davis Arts Council “The Importance of Being Earnest” | Lyric Repertory Company, Logan “Catch Me If You Can” CenterPoint Theatre, Centerville

Please reach out to me at sgambles@deseretnews.com if you have any thoughts, feedback or ideas you would like to share!

✨ Cheers ✨

— Gambles

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