Road To Understanding

Marc Giauque joins KSL's Doug Wright with a look at what we learned on the Road to Understanding with KSL Newsradio, KSL TV and KSL.com. We visited communities across the state of Utah on a sort of "listening tour," hoping to better understand our neighbors and their concerns and celebrations, whether rural or urban. Guests included Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox and Robert Grow of Envision Utah as well as former Uintah County Commissioner and current Executive Director of the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition. 

Salt Lake City's west side contains critical parts of the city, from the Airport to the State Fair park, to railroads, agriculture, and industry.  Yet the area still struggles with its identity while at the same time it celebrates diversity.  KSL Newsradio's Marc Giauque has more on our Road to Understanding.

What does immigration policy have to do with robots?  A lot, if they're robots that work in the agriculture industry.  In fact, there' s a Utah company helping to automate agriculture in Cache County.  Its one of a crowd of high tech, agriculture, and food businesses that have been quickly growing.   But even a booming business can bring with it some unique issues.  KSL Newsradio's Marc Giauque continues, on our Road to Understanding.

From bowling balls to peaches and cherries, to rocket motors and airbags, to golden spikes. Box Elder County in Northern Utah has some good economic reasons to be happy. But the county leads the state in one tragic statistic. KSL Newsradio's Marc Giauque has more as we continue our Road to Understanding.

It's the second largest county in Utah, with one area so remote, people who work there say they can see the curvature of the earth. Tooele County is dealing with some growing pains as more and more people see the county, with its rich history, as a place to call home. But on the flip side are places like Ophir, with a once booming population of 6,000, now down to 11. KSL Newsradio's Marc Giauque has more as KSL continues on the Road to Understanding.

People who live in Uintah County are somewhat accustomed to what happens when gas prices drop and when they rise. But the oil industry is dealing with a boom and bust economy has an impact on everything - from jobs to shopping, housing and more. KSL Newsradio's Marc Giauque continues on the "Road to Understanding." 

Utah's San Juan County has had a lot of attention lately, over the creation of the Bear's Ears National Monument. The monument has generated emotional argument on both sides over how that land should best be managed. But beyond Bear's Ears, fights over closed trails and other issues, are people who'd like to give their children what they need to succeed. KSL Newsradio's Marc Giauque has an example of one school's story, as we continue on our road to understanding. (Photo - Students at remote Navajo Mountain High School prepare their robot with help from students from another school, for a regional high school robotics competition in West Valley.)

For generations, Emery and Carbon Counties have been key suppliers of coal, and energy to much of Utah.  But some mines, and a power generating plant are being shut down, calling into doubt coal's future.  But County leaders are not giving up on coal, as they look for other ways to bring economic opportunity in.  (Photo, a worker at a newly opened robotics plant in Orangeville works on designs for future machines.)

It's a popular getaway destination for a lot of Utahns, and place where many people move to retire.  But that dynamic, combined with a growing economy are helping to feed a crisis for those seeking affordable housing.  KSL Newsradio's Marc Giauque continues our Road To Understanding, with a look at St. George and Washington County. (Photo Devon Dewey, Deseret Digital Media)

Piute County, in Central Utah, is one of the state's smallest and most impoverished counties.  But people who live there will tell you it's a rich and rewarding lifestyle, one they want to somehow preserve.  KSL Newsradio's Marc Giauque takes a look as we continue KSL's Road to Understanding. 

KSL Newsradio's Doug Wright and KSL TV's Deanie Wimmer and Dave McCann head to the Territorial Statehouse in Fillmore, Utah, to kick off our special series, Road to Understanding. The combined resources at KSL.com and KSL Newsradio and KSL 5 television are focusing on a listening tour to find out what matters most to people across the Beehive State. This is the beginning of that journey, where we hear from both elected officials AND ordinary citizens on a range of issues from education to jobs to growth to development and more. 

Utahns and Americans lately have heard a lot of loud voices. Differences of opinion over all kinds of issues from politics to public lands to immigration to the economy. But is what you're hearing truly a reflection of how most people feel?  Or is it more like one far end of the bell-curve shouting across to the other end?   With that in mind, KSL Newsradio, KSL television, and KSL.com are traveling the state to try to get some perspective.   KSL Newsradio's Marc Giauque begins part one of our series... The road to understanding.