THUMBS UP: The Monarch has a new sculpture on display, but it ran into some issues with creating a potential fire hazard. Luckily the city fire marshal was able to help make some adjustments so the project can continue to be displayed for coming months while it is temporarily installed. 

THUMBS DOWN: We’ve heard of harmless office pranks like turning up the phone volume or putting tape on the bottom of a mouse, but secretly giving your co-workers pot brownies without their knowledge, clearly crosses a significant line. We’re not sure how that was ever considered appropriate by a South Ogden man who was later charged by Clearfield police with third-degree felonies of surreptitious administration of a substance. This is not as “harmless” as the man thinks; drugging someone in a professional setting — or any setting — with an illegal substance is reckless and unethical.

THUMBS UP: After experiencing issues made public about hot temperatures in the Weber County Animal Shelter, news this week pointed to steps being made to incorporate 11 new temperature and humidity controls in animal holding areas as an act of transparency with the public and those that visit the facility. They have listened to the community’s concerns about providing a safe environment for the animals, and we expect they will continue to look into a solution for the old cooling system so as to prevent the spread of disease.

THUMBS UP: Numbers recently released point to the economic success Ogden found in visitors this year due to the transcontinental railroad anniversary and events planned in the city. Despite predicting much larger crowds of 200,000 downtown, it looks as if about 100,000 materialized — still a large number for the area, considering a chunk of events also took place elsewhere in the state.

The bump of spending, $800,000 or so according to Visa credit card reports, helped the local businesses in May, while the city reports month-to-month spending for the rest of the year has remained status quo or even dipped. Local businesses should now be concerned moving forward how to continue to bring in more monthly spending so that interest generated in Ogden does not slowly fade away and taking its revenue with it.

THUMBS UP: Trishelle Duncan has an inspiring story that the Utah Department of Transportation hopes will spur other Utah parents to walk and bike more to their children’s schools. The department has an official program, Safe Routes Utah, to encourage children to get to and from school through the benefits of walking and biking. Ducan, who also works for the program, has shared her own experience doing so and how it has helped her family, but another benefit of doing this with your own family is that it also takes more vehicles off the road, reducing traffic and strain on Utah’s air quality. 

THUMBS DOWN: This week Utah saw its first death related to vaping. While the state department has released little detail about the situation, we know that it was an individual under 30 years of age, who had vaped THC. Beyond that the public still knows little about the harms as agencies work to research and understand the harms of e-cigarettes. This death now counts among 19 across the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control. While so much remains unknown, it would be in best interest of all those who use the devices to exercise greater caution by stopping use until they actually understand the dangerous consequences.

THUMBS DOWN: Security protocol in airports should hardly come as a surprise to U.S. travelers now since the TSA overhaul after 9/11. Despite standard procedures of limited liquids and other limited items listed online, on signs in the airport, and also hilariously presented on TSA’s own Instagram account, the Salt Lake City Airport saw seven travelers bring seven different guns through security last week; they were confiscated. It would seem it should be clear, but weapons aren’t allowed in airports and on flights.