This Week's Top Stories

sheriff

Wasatch County Sheriff Indicted on Felony Obstruction Charge, Will Stay in Office Through January

A grand jury charged Sheriff Jared Rigby with a second-degree felony tied to alleged interference in the Kouri Richins murder prosecution; he and his co-defendant pleaded not guilty Oct. 7.

A Utah grand jury has indicted Wasatch County Sheriff Jared Rigby on a second-degree felony count of obstruction of justice and a class B misdemeanor count of making a written false statement, following an investigation into alleged interference with the prosecution of Kouri Richins, who was convicted of poisoning her husband. The charges were unsealed Wednesday, Oct. 7, in Summit County's 3rd District Court — the same courtroom where Richins was sentenced in May to life in prison without parole.

transportation

UDOT Pushes Heber Valley Bypass Final Environmental Review to Spring 2027

The county manager previewed the delayed timeline at the Oct. 7 Wasatch County Council meeting, citing design changes under evaluation after more than 700 public comments on the preferred route.

The Utah Department of Transportation now expects to finalize its environmental impact statement on the proposed Heber Valley bypass road next spring, County Manager Dustin Grabau told the Wasatch County Council in a preview of the Oct. 7 meeting, according to KPCW. The delay pushes back a project that had been expected to reach its record of decision by the end of 2026.

election

November Ballot Takes Shape: Four Candidates Vie for Wasatch County Council Seat A as Write-Ins Join the Race

With the Nov. 3 general election three weeks out, Wasatch County voters face contested races for three council seats, sheriff, county attorney, and Utah House District 59 — and a candidate forum is set for Oct. 15.

Wasatch County voters will decide a crowded slate of races on Nov. 3, headlined by four candidates competing for the at-large County Council Seat A. Republican Rachel Kahler, who won the June primary, faces Democrat Robert McNeill — a former actor and television director who stepped in after the original Democratic candidate withdrew — and write-in candidates Jami Hewlett and Shawn Taylor. Taylor, a Charleston resident, entered the race after live-streaming local meetings and citing frustration with what he called a lack of transparency in government.

Upcoming Events

Saturday, October 10

Midway Farmers' Market (Final Saturday of the Season)

📍 150 W Main St, Midway · 10:00 AM–1:00 PM · Verify · City of Midway

Saturdays, October 10, 17, and 24

Pumpkin Train @ Heber Valley Railroad

📍 Heber Valley Railroad, 450 South 600 West, Heber City · Various times (10:00 AM–4:00 PM departures) · Verify · Heber Valley Railroad

Wednesday, October 14

Wasatch County Interlocal Symposium

📍 UVU Wasatch Campus, Heber City · 3:00–6:00 PM · Verify · Wasatch County

Thursday, October 15

Candidate Forum: Wasatch County General Election 2026

📍 Wasatch Fire District Community Room, 251 East 1200 South, Heber City · 6:00–8:00 PM · Verify · Heber City, UT

Thursday, October 29

Heber Valley Choir & Orchestra Fall Concert

📍 Heber Valley (venue TBC — check gohebervalley.com) · Verify · Go Heber Valley

More from the Community

Midway Officially Becomes a Two-Stoplight Town

UDOT activated a new four-way traffic signal at the intersection of Main Street (SR-113) and River Road (400 East) in Midway in late September 2026, nearly a decade after the intersection was…

Hunter Airlifted After Accidental Shooting at Soapstone Basin

Wasatch County Search and Rescue responded to Soapstone Basin on Saturday, Oct. 3, after a 28-year-old man was accidentally shot by his father-in-law while the two were hunting.

Wasatch County Students Outperform State Averages in 2025–26 Assessments

Statewide assessment results for the 2025–26 school year, released in September, show Wasatch School District students outperforming state averages in all three core subjects: over 59% were proficient in English, nearly 57%…

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