Diapers are a basic necessity for infants and young children, yet many families struggle to afford a steady supply. The HomeAid Utah Diaper Drive provides critical support, helping ensure families have access to the essentials they need to care for their children with dignity. Since its start, this effort has collected nearly 3 million diapers for vulnerable families across Utah.

This year’s Diaper Drive will be held on Friday, August 22, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM at IKEA in Draper. HomeAid Utah invites the entire community to donate diapers, wipes, and formula. Every contribution helps ease the financial burden on families in our state.

By joining this effort, community members have the opportunity to directly impact the well-being of Utah families. Whether it’s a single pack of diapers or a larger donation, every gift helps create lasting, positive change.

— HomeAid Utah

Pump Prices Stay in Their Lane as August Begins

While gas prices fluctuated slightly this past week, the average for a gallon of regular gasoline in Utah stayed the same at $3.38. Nationwide the average for a gallon of regular gasoline is up two cents to $3.16.

“Crude oil prices are hanging in the mid-60 dollar per barrel range, keeping pump prices steady,” said John Treanor, spokesperson for AAA Mountain West Group. “Supply remains abundant, as OPEC + (a group of oil producing countries) recently announced it will be boosting production again next month, following several other increases this year.”

According to AAA Utah, the average price for a gallon of unleaded gas in the Provo-Orem area is currently $3.36.

— AAA Utah

Ensign College Expands Access with New Fall 2025 Scholarships

Ensign College, operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is excited to announce bold new scholarship offerings for Fall 2025. The scholarships are designed to remove barriers and open doors–enabling students to develop skills and build careers.

Ensign College is introducing two exciting scholarship initiatives for Fall 2025:

• Stackable Scholarships: For the first time, students can qualify for multiple Ensign College scholarships (including the PathwayConnect discount) up until the combined value of the scholarships equals full tuition. After applying Ensign College scholarships, many students may even receive a cash refund through Pell Grants or other external sources of aid.
• Student Referral Scholarships: Enrolled students can receive a $500 scholarship for each new full-time student they refer who enrolls by August 26. Each referred student also receives a $500 scholarship. These awards are stackable up to full tuition.

These scholarships reflect Ensign College’s commitment to affordability, access, and Christ-centered support. As one of the lowest-cost options in Utah, and the most affordable school in the Church Educational System, Ensign enables students from all backgrounds to gain job-ready skills with little to no debt.

— Ensign College

Church of Jesus Christ Donates US$5.1 Million to the American Red Cross

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is donating US$5.1 million to the American Red Cross to support critical efforts, including blood donation programs (which are receiving equipment for new donor centers) and programs supporting sickle cell disease treatment.

“Through our collaboration, we are increasing blood donations, advancing sickle cell disease treatment and strengthening our ability to bless millions of lives,” said Blaine Maxfield, managing director of Welfare and Self-Reliance Services. “By uniting our efforts, we extend the Savior’s love to those in need.”

This year’s donation provides additional blood collection equipment and supports sickle-cell-treatment-related donor recruitment. The blood collection equipment includes platelet collection devices and red blood cell collection machines. The donation will also help increase the number of compatible units of blood that are available for patients with sickle cell disease.

“The Church’s donation will support Red Cross efforts and initiatives in Utah and across the country,” said Heidi Ruster, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross Utah/Nevada Region. “But this collaboration goes far beyond funding. It’s a testament to our shared dedication to serving and supporting those in need.”

— The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Utah joins multistate Operation Robocall Roundup, issues warning letters to 37 telecom companies

On Thursday, Utah joined 51 bipartisan attorneys general in Operation Robocall Roundup, a multistate effort to safeguard Utahns from illegal robocalls. The Utah Department of Commerce’s Division of Consumer Protection (DCP) works alongside the Office of the Utah Attorney General (OAG) to investigate and enforce Utah’s consumer protection laws involving robocalls.

The Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force is sending warning letters to 37 voice providers, demanding that they act now to stop illegal robocalls from routing through their networks.

These providers have not complied with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules about responding to government traceback requests, have not registered in the FCC’s Robocall Mitigation Databases, or have not filed a plan that describes how they will reduce illegal robocalls on their network. By disregarding these simple rules, these companies are allowing robocallers onto their phone networks and then passing their calls on to other downstream providers until they reach the phones of Utahns.

The task force is also sending the letters to 99 downstream providers that accept call traffic from the 37 companies, so that they know they are doing business with bad actors that are not willing to follow the rules that apply to everyone equally.

— Office of the Utah Attorney General