2022 in Review: Propositions, celebrations and drama highlight the year in Utah County
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- Members of the Halvorsen family and others unveil the “Spirit of the Candy Bomber” design placed on an active C-17 aircraft at the Provo Airport on Friday, May 20, 2022.
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- The exterior of the new Provo Airport terminal is shown on Tuesday, April 26, 2022.
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- LEFT: A demonstrator supporting Proposition 2 holds a sign to get the attention of drivers at the intersection of Center Street and State Street in Orem on Oct. 22, 2022. RIGHT: A demonstrator against Proposition 2 holds a sign to get the attention of drivers at the intersection of Center Street and State Street in Orem on Oct. 22, 2022.
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- Utah Lake is pictured from Utah Lake State Park on Monday, April 25, 2022.
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- Utah County Attorney David Leavitt speaks during a press conference at his office in Provo on Wednesday, June 1, 2022.
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- A rendering of The Point concept at The Point of the Mountain in Draper.
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- The Orem City Council holds a meeting at the Orem City Center on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022.
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- Delegates wave pink ballots in the air during the 2022 Utah County Republican Convention on Saturday, April 9, 2022. The convention was held at Cedar Valley High School in Eagle Mountain.
It was a busy year in Utah County. From the northern tip in Lehi down to Santaquin, from Provo across to Eagle Mountain and with plenty of attention on Utah Lake, intrigue touched every part of Utah Valley with news coming from everywhere.
Here are a few of the top stories from Utah County in 2022:
Candy Bomber’s legacy lives on after death
Born from humble beginnings, Utah County’s own Gail Halvorsen became a global sensation as “The Candy Bomber,” dropping candy to the children of Berlin during World War II. Halvorsen was a military hero, faculty member at Brigham Young University, humanitarian and crown jewel of Utah Valley until his death in February at the age of 101.
Though many of the celebrations and honors were planned before his death, it was a year of recognition for Halvorsen, creating an indelible legacy. In May, a bill passed the U.S. House and Senate approving a renaming of the Provo Veterans Center after him. A ceremony officially renaming the center was held in November.
Also in May, just days after the bill was approved, a two-day ceremony was held at the Provo and Spanish Fork airports, during which a U.S. Air Force C-17 was renamed “Spirit of the Candy Bomber.” German and American military officials came to Utah County all before a C-17 dropped candy bars attached to parachutes — replicating the colonel’s original act of kindness 74 years earlier.
Provo Airport opens doors to brand new terminal
Twenty-two years ago, a master plan for the airport was approved. After decades of work and disagreement, Mayor Michelle Kaufusi and her staff cut the ribbon on a new four-gate terminal in May. It was complete with check-in desks, luggage carousels, TSA checks, eateries, parking, rental car options, an observation and greeting room, and more.
At the grand opening, Allegiant, which has been flying out of Provo with commercial flights for 13 years, and newcomer Breeze Airways both announced the Provo Airport would be their home base for Utah.
With government funding from the Federal Aviation Administration, the state of Utah, Utah County and Provo City, the $55 million terminal brings a strong economic return on its infrastructure investment.
Proposition 2 draws city’s focus for months
The Orem City Council voted unanimously at a Jan. 8 retreat to have a feasibility study done on the possibilities of a split from Alpine School District. After several open house meetings, the city council voted 4-3 to put the issue on the November ballot.
Over several months, residents were inundated with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of billboards, yard signs, text messages and social media advertising on the future of Orem schools. Debate over the proposition even entered the City Council chambers — leading to a halting of the livestream and complaints to the Lieutenant Governor’s Office.
In the end, Proposition 2 was defeated with 71.26% of voters going against the split, an overwhelming show of support for Alpine School District by Orem voters, at least at the moment.
Alpine bond fails on the ballot
Occasionally overshadowed by Orem’s Proposition 2, all of Alpine School District was concerned with a proposed bond of $595 million. The district sought voter approval for a significant amount of money — what would have been the largest school bond in Utah history.
The district sought the funds to construct six new schools throughout Saratoga Springs, Lehi and Eagle Mountain, complete six school rebuilds and renovations, and fund three safety, security and land acquisition projects.
Islands project sunk in Utah Lake
Right in the center of Utah County, Utah Lake was the center of argument, debate and interest for all of 2022. Specifically, focus was on a proposal by Lake Restoration Solutions to build a series of islands in the water for future development.
The plan drew the ire of environmentalists and legislators, and the 2022 legislative general session led to the creation of the Utah Lake Authority, a new governing body determining the best way to move forward with Utah Lake.
By the time 2022 came to a close, Lake Restoration Solutions was required to perform an environmental impact statement, had its project called “not legally sound” by the director of Utah’s Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, had the plan canceled by the same agency and, finally, appealed that decision.
Attorney/sheriff spat goes public
On June 1, Utah County Attorney David Leavitt called a press conference. To a room full of reporters and television cameras, he called for the resignation of Sheriff Mike Smith and argued that the sheriff’s office colluded with a suspect to release disparaging accusations about Leavitt just before the primary election.
He argued that Smith colluded with Nicholas Rossi, who Leavitt’s office was prosecuting for a 2008 rape, after Rossi posted online about a case of ritualistic cannibalism alleging Leavitt and his wife were among the perpetrators.
In his own press conference hours later, Smith denied all accusations and Leavitt’s request that he resign. He also took aim at several statement Leavitt made about the alleged victim and said that the office did not release any documents to Rossi.
Economic growth visible across the county
From Silicon Slopes in Lehi to Payson Tech, a new 25-acre Class A industrial park in Payson, Utah County continued in 2022 to see major economic growth with several retail and housing developments.
Transportation plans for both ends of the valley have been started, with Utah Transit Authority and the Utah Department of Transportation making strong moves for countywide connectability, and eventually the Utah Valley will be linked to Salt Lake Valley through FrontRunner, rapid transit buses and TRAX options.
There were also plenty of economic highs and lows, from the second annual Growth and Prosperity Summit in October by the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce to a series of layoffs by Silicon Slopes tech companies at the end of the year — all while the county’s population continues growing at a rate five times greater than Utah’s next five counties combined.
Major developments with Vineyard/Point of the Mountain
There has been a lot of hoopla over the 250-acre development known as The Point of the Mountain, where the old state prison is currently being razed, though construction will be ongoing with the Lehi project until 2025.
Along the shore of Utah Lake, though, is a significantly larger development project — the 800-acre Vineyard Station project, first announced during the ribbon-cutting for Vineyard’s FrontRunner station. This is Vineyard City’s much planned for and talked about mixed-use, transit-oriented, walkable community that will be created around the new FrontRunner station and west. Land to the east of the station is owned by Utah Valley University.
Some things change, some don’t in Orem
On Jan. 4, Orem’s newly elected Mayor David Young and Council member LaNae Millett, along with reelected incumbent David Spencer and sitting member Terry Peterson, went to work to fulfill campaign promises regarding the present and future of Orem.
Within days of taking office, the city put a moratorium on the State Street Master Plan. Additionally, city codes were amended to change how planning commissioners are chosen, by taking it out of the hands of the city manager and making the commission part of a legislative body.
Young hired Jesse Riddle in January as legislative council, a new position in the city, attempted to bring back the “Family City USA” theme and logo in a major marketing campaign, and planned for a new city hall building.
The city also approved a severance and accepted the resignation in December of Jamie Davidson, the longtime city manager, and, throughout 2022, was subject to multiple ethics complaints made to the Lieutenant Governor’s Office. By the end of 2022, Utah County’s second-most populated city lost tenured employees, including its city attorney, city recorder and city manager.
Midterm mayhem in Utah County
Over 1,400 dedicated Republicans gathered in Cedar Valley High School on a Saturday morning in April to determine the party’s nominees for a host of county and state offices. With six county offices on the ballot — the clerk and auditor’s offices were split in two in late 2021 — delegates had significant responsibilities.
At the convention, party nominations were secured for County Commissioner Amelia Powers Gardner, Sheriff Mike Smith, County Auditor-elect Rod Mann and County Clerk-elect Aaron Davidson. The only races that moved on to a primary were for the county attorney — between Jeff Gray, Adam Pomeroy and incumbent David Leavitt, who gathered signatures — and the county commission seat held by Bill Lee between himself and Spanish Fork council member Brandon Gordon.
In the primary, it was a close win for Gordon, picking up 51.17% of votes to unseat the incumbent Lee. In the high-profile race for county attorney, it was Gray, a member of the Utah Attorney General’s Office, collecting 74.13% of votes against Leavitt. (Shortly before the election, Pomeroy dropped out of the race and endorsed Gray.)
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