Happy Friday from #OneUtah, a weekly update from the office of Gov. Spencer J. Cox. Here’s your recap of what we did this week, what's on the horizon, and more. Reply to this email with any questions or suggestions regarding the newsletter. And thank you for subscribing!

Disagree Better

As chair of the National Governors Association, we’re focusing on promoting healthy conflict and looking at the problems of polarization. America has to learn how to Disagree Better. When we listen with respect and we’re open to learning from other people, that’s when we can make a difference. 

Through healthy conflict, we can find common ground and improve our families, our communities and our nation. You can learn more about our Disagree Better Initiative here.

Visiting Utah businesses

This week we joined the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity to visit Waterford School and tour their new science building. 

Waterford is one of Utah’s premier college preparatory private schools for students in preschool through high school. They recently built a state-of-the-art science building that will allow students to have more interactive learning experiences in the sciences. Grateful to meet with students and faculty and talk about the school’s 2023-24 theme: purpose.

Zipline is a startup tech company on a mission to build the world’s first logistics system that serves all people equally. We were able to see the makeup of the drones and learn how their inventions have enhanced the delivery quality and help Utah’s hospitals deliver medication to their patients.    

Great to see innovation in action! See photos from our visit here.

Vote in the primary election on Tuesday!

Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson took to the airwaves this week with a singular mission – encourage Utahns to vote whatever way makes them comfortable. Let’s go, Utah!

Ahead of Utah’s municipal primary elections and the special election for Utah’s 2nd Congressional District, here’s what you need to know:

• Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 5. Visit vote.utah.gov to find a polling place or secure drop box near you.

• Your ballot must be postmarked by the USPS by Tuesday, Sept. 5.

• You can register to vote in person and vote provisionally on election day. You’ll need a photo ID and proof of residency.

• Counties will begin posting preliminary election results for the 2nd Congressional District on electionresults.utah.gov as soon as polls close on Sept. 5. After election night, the results will update every day by 5 p.m. until the official canvass. Municipal results will appear on county and city websites. 

• Send reports of concerning activities to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor via email at [email protected] and your local county clerk.

Welcome back to school, Utah! 

This week we chatted with Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson to answer questions about going “back to school” from students across our state! We tackled tough questions like why do we have principals and what’s your favorite cookie? 

Have a great school year, Utah!

Spirit of Service Award: Switchpoint

Switchpoint Community Resource Center is a stepping stone for individuals experiencing homelessness and is one of this year’s Governor’s Spirit of Service Awardees. 

Switchpoint CEO Carol Hollowell created Switchpoint eight years ago, collaborating with the city of St. George, to open a 24/7 homeless shelter. Since then, Switchpoint services have expanded from Washington County to Tooele and Salt Lake counties. Learn more about Switchpoint here.

Fruit Festivals in Utah

It’s the end of summer but that doesn't mean fruit festivals are over yet! Fruit festivals have been a big part of Utah celebrations since the early 1900s. Strawberry Days in Pleasant Grove and Raspberry Days in Bear Lake filled this summer with a lot of excitement and family fun. 

Coming this month, Brigham City’s Peach Days will be a weekend-long event filled with parades, a car show, and of course, lots of peaches. 

Towards the end of September, Green River is putting on Melon Days, a weekend of square dancing, 5k run/walk, parades, and a variety of delicious melons for everyone to enjoy.

What better way to commence this fall then by enjoying a slice of small town Americana with your family and friends!

Learn more here.

ICYMI

• September is Constitution Month in Utah! Our nation was founded on the idea of a government run by the people, for the people. And that’s exactly how it should be. I invite all Utahns to learn about this remarkable document.

• Congratulations to the Utah Department of Workforce Services for receiving the NASTA North Star Award at #EMWB23!  

• We joined Julie Mason on SiriusXM this week to talk about our Disagree Better Initiative. Listen to the full episode here. 

• Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson joined Dave & Dujanovic and UPR’s Access Utah to talk about all things elections.

   

Coming up

Get involved!

Looking for a new job opportunity? From great employee benefits to versatile work schedules, the career opportunities with the state are truly endless. Join Team Utah today! 

Those looking to volunteer can also consider more than 300 boards and commissions. Find out which openings are available and how you can get involved here!

Get in touch!