Learn more about in-home care options for your loved ones

Given the choice, most of us want to stay in our homes. Sometimes, people need help to remain at home. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.

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“1. Stay active. Exercise may be the last thing you want to do when your arthritis hurts, but many studies show that physical activity is one of the best ways to improve your quality of life. 2. Eat a balanced diet. Studies show that a variety of nutrients may help ease arthritis symptoms. 3. Lose weight. Being overweight puts undue strain on weight-bearing joints such as your knees, spine, hips, ankles, and feet. 5. Use hot or cold packs. By increasing blood flow, hot compresses can ease pain and stiffness. 6. Keep pain under control. Over-the-counter medications can help ease arthritis pain. 7. Talk to your doctor about supplements and complementary medicine. Many supplements have been tested for the treatment of arthritis. 8. Try splints, braces, and other aids. Devices that support painful joints, such as splints, braces, and canes can help ease your discomfort and prevent injury. 9. Seek support. Living with arthritis isn’t easy. Finding other people that you can talk to and share ideas with can help. Check out arthritis support groups online or in your area. 10. Stay positive. Your mental outlook can have a big impact on how you feel, and how well you function. #SelfCare #Osteoarthritis #Arthritis #Disability #GoodHealth #PainRelief #SeniorCommunity #Caregiver #Caregiving #WECANHELP #OlderAdult #SeniorCare #SeniorLiving #SeniorServices #SeniorHousing #AlwaysBestCare #Exercise #SelfManaging #Tips”

Always B.
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“Always Best Care has some of the friendliest staff. They are quick to learn & eager to assist. Great schedulers who are on top of managing the schedules & keeping their employees accountable. I sure appreciate all the help they give!”

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“I can leave a long review if I wanted to . I can talk about always best cares credentials and talk about mine. But What’s the point of leaving a review if it sounds like everybody else’s. The bottom line is , that they are great at their jobs from the bottom to the top. They have a process and people in place . They keep accountability and are communicative . Ive represented many companies in the past and still do till this day contract with only the best.. If you feel you want to hear more about this company on a deeper level just lmk. Happy Healthy Safe”

Jay R.
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“I like working for ABC because it works well with my busy nursing school schedule! I also like how I get to work on my own, but there are options to work with other CNAs for the care of some of the clients. It’s the best of both worlds! I’ve been with Always best care since 2021 and have thoroughly enjoyed working with the clients I work with!”

Olivia S.
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“Love always best care ❤️”

Breezy H.
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“Amazing business. Staff are helpful and kind.”

Margot K.
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“Always Best Care is always best!!! Highly recommended! Brent listens and hears what we need for my 94 year old mom and matches caregivers accordingly. Sometimes, the schedule changes and he works to fill the needs immediately and always with a great attitude! The caregivers are compassionate. Again, I highly recommend Always Best Care.”

shell S.
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“They are seriously so amazing to work with and really care for their clients. I came to them with some pretty difficult challenges that I was not sure we could work with but they were able to make it happen and truly did more than I thought was even possible. I highly recommend them.”

Mandy M.
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“Love working for this company”

Christina P.
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“Love them! Staff is always super sweet and easy to work with! Highly recommend.”

Olivia L.
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“As an employee of this company I could not ask for a better team to work with. They work with schedules, are understanding caring and all around amazing people. The clients are wonderful and have nothing but good things to say. They treat you as family and care from day one!”

Cassandra O.
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“Always Best Care has provided caregivers for my mother and now my father for the last year. They always send the best people to take care of them and give me peace of mind when I have to be at work. I highly recommend them if you’re seeking care for anyone in need.”

Salle A.
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“Alway best care! They are so giving and caring to their staff and clients❤️❤️❤️”

Brianne W.
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“I've been using ABC for about 2 1/2 years and have really met some wonderful people and great caregivers. I know they all work hard and are experienced and dependable which is important to me. At times I've needed a flexible schedule and they've been able to accommodate my needs and been very friendly about it. At times I've also had to ask these caregivers to do things for me outside of their job description and they've been very accommodating. Brent is also been great to follow up with phone calls and help adjust my schedule when needed. I do recommend this company.”

Jim J.
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“The best home health company that I have ever worked for. Friendly office staff, great scheduler, and the kindest CNA’s and workers that I know.”

Jenny J.
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“I work with Always Best Care and they're always flexible with my schedule. Everyone there is very nice and understanding and I enjoy working with ABC.”

Anna S.
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“Always Best Care has been an amazing company to work for! They are flexible with my schedule being a single mom and I can tell they are always putting their clients and the individuals that they care for, the needs and their happiness above all else. I know they care for every individual that they have and they make sure their staff are the same way!”

Aubrey S.
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“Always best is such an incredible company! They are so accommodating to all of the needs of their clients and do their best to help any way that they can. They are reliable and really seem to care. I would recommend Always Best to anyone looking for these kinds of services!”

Anni H.
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“Always best care has been warm and welcoming. They start off with a really good pay start and they also give really good hours and are very flexible with my work and school schedule. They are very kind even throughout my shifts they will sometimes ask me how my shifts went and make sure I’m doing ok and even through the holidays they send me messages or cards wishing me the best of holidays and always making me feel part of their family and business. And if I have any questions or concerns they are always supportive and always there for me I definitely recommend working hear and also I love working there my clients are all very nice and if you are ever looking for help always best care is the best place to call.”

Mackenzie C.
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“I work for Always Best Care now and have for some time now. I love how much people care about their clients and how the company is always there if we need something or have questions about something. This is one of the best places I have worked in the last 6 years of being a CNA. I love that the clients are the top priority to not just me but the whole team as well.!”

Ashley O.
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“Great company”

kathy N.
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“Always Best Care are the people to go to! Julie and Henry Lee are amazing people to work with!”

Bentley S.
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“Very caring, and great to work with!”

Jeff S.
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“I have used this company for a few of my residents. They take such good care of their clients and do such a good job at taking the time with each and every one of them. They go above and beyond for their clients. I’d definitely recommend them!”

Kaylee N.
 In-Home Care Kingston, UT

How does In-home Senior Care in Kingston, UT work?

Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it's especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age. When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.

The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.

At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one ages, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.

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 Senior Care Kingston, UT

Aging in Place: The Preferred Choice for Most Seniors

While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit.

In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a unfamiliar assisted living community, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.

Here are just a few of the reasons why older men and women prefer to age at home:

Comfort
Comfort

How much does a senior's home truly mean to them? A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old. With the help of elderly care in Kingston, UT, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.

Healthy Living
Healthy Living

Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors. Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.

Independence
Independence

For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like an assisted living community. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.

Cost and Convenience
Cost and Convenience

More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, can be less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.

With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care in Kingston, UT gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.

Empowers Seniors

Affordable Care Plans

In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.

Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.

At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.

In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:

Veteran's Benefits
Veteran's Benefits

Attendance and aid benefits through military service can cover a portion of the costs associated with in-home care for veterans and their spouses.

Long-Term Care Insurance
Long-Term Care Insurance

Many senior care services like in-home care are included in long-term care insurance options. Research different long-term care solutions to find a plan that provides coverage for senior care.

Private Insurance
Private Insurance

Home care can be included as part of a senior's private insurance plan. Read over your loved one's insurance policy carefully or speak with their insurance provider to determine if in-home care is covered.

Life Insurance
Life Insurance

Depending on the life insurance plan, you may be able to apply your policy toward long-term care. You may be able to use long-term-care coverage to help pay for in-home elderly care.


Respite Care Kingston, UT

During your Care Plan consultation with Always Best Care, your Care Coordinator will speak with you about in-home care costs and what options there may be to help meet your budget needs.

Compassionate Care. Trusted Caregivers

When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.

Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.

At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Kingston,UT understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.

Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.

Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.

 Caregivers Kingston, UT

Taking the First Step with Always Best Care

The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:

An assessment of your senior loved one

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An in-depth discussion of the needs of your senior loved one to remain in their own home

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Reviewing a detailed Care Plan that will meet your senior loved one's needs

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Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.

If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.

When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.

Latest News in Kingston, UT

‘Further pollution is unacceptable’: Nashville leaders decry TVA Kingston project

Share:The Tennessee Valley Authority is planning a gas plant and pipeline project in Kingston.Tennessee residents, over many years, will pay for it.But should they?The fossil fuel project is not a good investment, economically or morally, according to Nashville’s political leaders.Mayor John Cooper’s office formally opposed the Kingston project this week in written comments to TVA, citing long-term economic risks, climate change and the viability of clean alternatives.“If we are to ...

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The Tennessee Valley Authority is planning a gas plant and pipeline project in Kingston.

Tennessee residents, over many years, will pay for it.

But should they?

The fossil fuel project is not a good investment, economically or morally, according to Nashville’s political leaders.

Mayor John Cooper’s office formally opposed the Kingston project this week in written comments to TVA, citing long-term economic risks, climate change and the viability of clean alternatives.

“If we are to ask our city’s residents to pay for a major investment in replacing (Kingston), it should be in renewables and storage,” the office wrote. “TVA needs to serve as a leader in addressing the existential threat of climate change.”

In Kingston, a town about 30 minutes west of Knoxville and the site of the nation’s worst coal ash spill, TVA is planning to replace its old coal plant with 1.5 gigawatts of methane gas facilities, including one traditional gas plant and 16 peaker plants, a small solar farm — about .2% of the total project — and a storage facility.

The project will also include a 122-mile pipeline, which the mayor’s office said, as it did in comments on TVA’s 1.5-GW Cumberland gas project, would “stand as a stark symbol that TVA is doubling down on the fuels that have led to our climate crisis.”

‘Nashvillians on the hook to pay for further pollution’

TVA calls the project the “best overall solution to provide low-cost, reliable energy to the TVA power system.”

In the past decade, major blackouts, including TVA’s Arctic incident in December, have been challenging the narrative that gas is reliable. Gas accounts for a disproportionate share of power outages in the U.S., Bloomberg reported last week.

TVA has not shared the Kingston project costs yet, but the TVA Board has approved $3.5 billion for both the Kingston and Cumberland projects, according to TVA’s latest 10-K filing.

Gas could become more expensive soon. In May, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule that would require large gas plants to capture 90% of their carbon emissions or have 30% hydrogen use by 2035 — or close early.

“The lifespan of the proposed plants undermines any cost-based argument made by the TVA,” the mayor’s office comments read. “Leaving Nashvillians on the hook to pay for further pollution is unacceptable.”

Wind and solar are cost-competitive with gas. From a climate perspective, gas is much more expensive than renewable options. For the Kingston project, the total social costs of greenhouse gas emissions for gas would be about $6 billion more than for solar, based on one of TVA’s own calculations. But, given that TVA cites the American Gas Association for the estimated climate pollution released by fracking and pipelines and not the latest science, the climate cost is likely much higher.

NES Board says TVA’s gas plans threaten business

The Nashville Electric Service board has also publicly opposed the Kingston project. The board submitted comments last week asking TVA to focus on renewables to make Nashville more competitive with other big American cities.

The board emphasized concerns for business since most companies are considering local energy in their environmental, social and governance, or ESG, portfolios.

“The lack of clean, renewable energy places NES and the Nashville region at a competitive business disadvantage in attracting more businesses to the Middle Tennessee area,” the board wrote.

Vanderbilt University and the Metro Nashville government, NES’ largest industrial and government customers, have been able to hit sustainability targets because of “100 percent customer investment,” but smaller business customers “without significant resources do not have the choice or option to consume environmentally sustainable power,” the board wrote.

TVA power is nearly 50% fossil fuels

In 2022, nearly half of TVA’s power came from fossil fuels.

TVA has proposed about 4 GW of new gas in the past year, between the Cumberland, Kingston and Cheatham projects. The three pipelines required for these projects equate to more than half the length of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a 300-mile project that was recently approved through a congressional deal following significant pushback.

The utility is also currently constructing another 2 GW of gas at its sites in New Johnsonville; Paradise, Ky.; and Colbert, Ala.

Together, the gas projects are equivalent to more than 15% of the utility’s current capacity of 38 GW.

Witness against brothers from polygamous Kingston Group offered to help Utah attorney general raise money

An informant in the prosecution of two brothers from a Utah polygamous sect made overtures to Utah politicians, including Attorney General Sean Reyes, according to a new court filing and interviews.The informant, identified for the first time in court papers as Santiago Garcia, was employed by the two brothers — Jacob and Isaiah Kingston — who are now accused of fraud and money laundering.Isaiah K...

An informant in the prosecution of two brothers from a Utah polygamous sect made overtures to Utah politicians, including Attorney General Sean Reyes, according to a new court filing and interviews.

The informant, identified for the first time in court papers as Santiago Garcia, was employed by the two brothers — Jacob and Isaiah Kingston — who are now accused of fraud and money laundering.

Isaiah Kingston’s lawyer, in a motion filed on New Year’s Eve, accuses Garcia of shady and sometimes illicit dealings, including embezzling from the Kingstons’ company and giving money and favors to politicians.

Garcia-Reyes reference (p. 10)

View the entire document with DocumentCloud

The only politician the filing names is Reyes, though the motion doesn’t say Utah’s attorney general actually took anything. Reyes campaign consultant Alan Crooks said Garcia never contributed to Reyes.

Garcia “did offer to do fundraisers,” Crooks said Tuesday, “but we chose not to do any fundraisers with him.”

Utah’s campaign disclosure website lists no contributions from Garcia.

Jacob and Isaiah Kingston ran Washakie Renewable Energy, which promoted itself as a manufacturer and seller of biofuels. For a stretch in 2014 and 2015, Washakie was one of Utah’s highest-profile businesses. It advertised at Utah Jazz home games and on game broadcasts.

The U.S. Department of Justice alleges Washakie made almost no biofuel and instead bought and sold products and fabricated papers to collect a tax rebate from the federal government. Prosecutors have alleged the fraud amounted to almost $511 million, with the money going to the purchase of property in Turkey, among other things.

Court filings and hearings have discussed a government informant who duped Jacob Kingston into sending incriminating messages about trying to bribe or intimidate witnesses and prosecutors. The motion filed on New Year’s Eve is the first to identify that witness as Garcia. He was once an executive at a Washakie subsidiary called United Fuel Supply.

The new motion is aimed at getting Isaiah Kingston out of jail until his trial. His lawyer, Scott C. Williams, who filed the motion, wrote that Garcia was fired from Washakie for embezzling and is cooperating with the government to get immunity for his crimes.

In a phone interview Tuesday, Williams called Garcia an unsavory character whom prosecutors are relying upon to prosecute Isaiah Kingston and keep him in jail until trial. The motion argues the Justice Department probably knows more about Garcia’s misdealings but has not yet provided those records to the defense.

“Our point is the government is not giving all the information,” Williams said. “It’s cherry-picking what looks bad” for Isaiah Kingston.

Williams said prosecutors have provided him screenshots of telephone text messages between Garcia and Reyes and between Garcia and Crooks. Some of those messages included invitations from Garcia for Reyes to travel to Texas and Florida for campaign fundraisers. Garcia worked in both states as part of his job with United Fuel Supply.

Williams clarified Tuesday he is not accusing Reyes of any wrongdoing; the attorney included the mention of the attorney general in an effort to show how it was normal for Garcia to be communicating with government officials, and Jacob and Isaiah Kingston might not have realized Garcia was suggesting bribery or intimidation of them.

Williams declined to provide the screenshots Tuesday, citing prohibitions imposed by the judge in the case.

Garcia could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Representatives of the Justice Department did not return calls seeking comment.

Isaiah Kingston was Washakie’s chief financial officer. Yet Williams’ motion contends his client was far less involved in the company and its finances than his brother was and was not responsible for the alleged money laundering.

Jacob Kingston is charged with 25 counts of filing false returns with the IRS and money laundering. Isaiah Kingston is charged with six counts of money laundering. They belong to the Davis County Cooperative Society, also known as the Kingston Group, which believes in polygamy.

Another co-defendant, Lev Aslan Dermen, commonly known as Levon Termendzhyan, has been indicted on four counts of money laundering.

Jacob and Isaiah Kingston, their companies and family members donated a total of $50,985 to Reyes during 2014 and 2015, according to campaign records. Reyes placed those contributions into an escrow account after federal agents raided Washakie offices in 2016. Crooks has said the money will remain in escrow until the outcome of the federal cases against the brothers and their businesses.

Crooks said Tuesday he recalled Jacob Kingston introducing him to Garcia, perhaps in 2014. The Reyes campaign opted not to hold fundraisers or work with Garcia, Crooks said.

Then, sometime after Elizabeth Elena Laguna-Salgado disappeared from Provo in April 2015, Garcia called Crooks again, Crooks said Tuesday. Garcia offered to help investigators make contacts in Provo’s Latino community as well as in Mexico, Crooks said.

Garcia never called back with such information, Crooks said. Laguna-Salgado’s body was found in May 2018 in Hobble Creek Canyon. Police believe she as the victim of a homicide. No arrests have been made.

As for the investigation into the Kingston brothers or Washakie, Crooks said neither he nor Reyes has been questioned by federal investigators.

“They don’t have any reason to get a hold of us, to be honest,” Crooks said.

Utah restaurant supply company with ties to polygamous group cited for violating child labor laws

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutesSALT LAKE CITY — Amid increased enforcement efforts in the region, the U.S. Department of Labor assessed nearly $17,000 in penalties to a Salt Lake City-based restaurant supply company connected to the polygamous Kingston sect that was in violation of child labor laws, the department announced Tuesday.A federal investigation found Specialty C...

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

SALT LAKE CITY — Amid increased enforcement efforts in the region, the U.S. Department of Labor assessed nearly $17,000 in penalties to a Salt Lake City-based restaurant supply company connected to the polygamous Kingston sect that was in violation of child labor laws, the department announced Tuesday.

A federal investigation found Specialty Consulting Services LLC — operating as Standard Restaurant Supply — allowed 22 employees between the ages of 14 and 15 to work as many as 46 hours per workweek and to begin work after midnight, both of which are illegal practices under child labor laws, specifically the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The investigation also found that Standard Restaurant Supply "failed to keep accurate time records including the date of birth for one minor-aged employee," another violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act's recordkeeping provision.

In response to the investigation, the division assessed $16,595 in penalties "to resolve the child labor violations."

A year ago, the division's Southwest Region released a reminder to Salt Lake City-area employers reiterating the importance of complying with federal child labor laws and said that it would be "stepping up its efforts to identify child labor violations in the Salt Lake City area."

"We urge employers in the region to gain a full understanding of child labor regulations and ensure they are abiding by the law, or they should be prepared to face costly consequences," Kevin Hunt, Wage and Hour Division district director in Salt Lake City, said in a statement.

On Wednesday, the labor department announced that Utah soda and dessert shop Sodalicious violated federal child labor laws at its Midvale, Orem, Provo and South Jordan locations.

"The division determined that Sodalicious allowed 14 and 15-year-old employees to work past 7 p.m. when school was in session, after 9 p.m. during summer months and more than 3 hours on a school day at four of its Utah locations," the department said in a release.

"Employers like Sodalicious are legally responsible for knowing and complying with federal child labor laws and making sure their employment practices do not jeopardize the safety of young workers or interfere with their education," Betty Campbell, Wage and Hour southwest regional administrator, said in a statement.

In response to the Sodalicious locations violating the fair labor act, the division assessed the company with $13,946 in penalties to resolve the infractions.

The latest investigations by the labor department come after it was revealed in December that 11 Crumbl Cookie locations, including four in Utah (Bountiful, Centerville, Layton and Ogden locations), were in violation of child labor laws.

"Minors as young as 14 and 15 years old not only worked beyond permitted hours but more than half of them were employed in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act by being allowed to work long shifts often exceeding eight hours," Hunt said.

Founded in 1980, Specialty Consulting Services LLC has nine locations throughout Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.

The company's Better Business Bureau profile lists Ellery Kingston as the president of Standard Restaurant Supply. A 2003 blog post, written by Ellery Kingston, on the Davis County Cooperative Society, a northern Utah polygamous sect often referred to as "the Kingstons" by outsiders, also mentions the company.

In September, 10 plaintiffs, mostly women, filed a 109-page lawsuit against 24 identified and 20 unidentified members of "the Order" — another moniker of the Kingston polygamous sect — alleging rampant abuse and exploitation.

The federal department's Wage and Hour Division in 2022 found more than 3,800 minors employed in violation of child labor laws in the U.S. — an increase of 37% over the previous year, according to the data.

"Our investigators continue to see an increase in child labor violations in several industries. We will take vigorous action whenever we discover young workers' safety and well-being are being jeopardized by employers who fail to follow the law," Hunt added.

Standard Restaurant Supply didn't respond to requests for comment from KSL.com.

Wife, mother latest to be indicted in federal fraud case connected to polygamous Kingston Group and Washakie Renewable Energy

| Updated: 3:29 p.m.Prosecutors have indicted two more members of a polygamous family — this time the wife of one defendant and the mother of two defendants — in what prosecutors have called a $511 million fraud using biodiesel tax credits.A prosecutor also explained for the first time how the U.S. Department of Justice believes fraud at Washakie Renewable Energy is related to the ...

| Updated: 3:29 p.m.

Prosecutors have indicted two more members of a polygamous family — this time the wife of one defendant and the mother of two defendants — in what prosecutors have called a $511 million fraud using biodiesel tax credits.

A prosecutor also explained for the first time how the U.S. Department of Justice believes fraud at Washakie Renewable Energy is related to the Kingston Group, also known as the Davis County Cooperative Society. In federal court Tuesday, Richard M. Rolwing, a special assistant U.S. attorney, said one of the new defendants, Rachel Ann Kingston, was helping two of her sons forge documents and commit fraud to benefit her husband, John Daniel Kingston.

He is one of the top men in the sect, though he has not been charged with any crimes in the case.

Rolwing said John Daniel Kingston “has some amorphous stewardship over Washakie Renewable Energy.”

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Sally Kingston, the wife of Jacob Kingston, leaves the federal courthouse, after a hearing for Jacob and Isaiah Kingston on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2018.

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Rachel Ann Kingston, mother of Isaiah Kingston, leaves the federal courthouse after a hearing for defendants Jacob and Isaiah Kingston on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2018.

The new indictment describes how, in 2013, Washakie transferred $6.2 million to the Kingston Group’s incorporated church or businesses operated by church members. An account controlled by the sect then returned $4.5 million to Washakie.

For now, the five defendants are the three men charged in August: brothers Jacob and Isaiah Kingston, the chief executive officer and chief financial officer, respectively, of Washakie Renewable Energy; one of the business associates, Lev Dermen; and the two women whose indictments were unsealed Tuesday, Rachel Kingston, 63, and Sally Louise Kingston, the 41-year-old wife of Jacob Kingston.

Rachel Kingston, 63, was charged with five counts alleging fraud, money laundering and obstruction of justice. The charges could amount to 60 years in prison. She is the mother of Jacob and Isaiah Kingston.

Sally Kingston is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one count of money laundering. She faces up to 40 years in prison. The two women surrendered over the weekend but were not booked into jail. They appeared in Salt Lake City’s federal court with an attorney Tuesday morning for an arraignment.

Rolwing wanted the women to post a $10 million bond — the same amount Jacob Kingston has offered to leave jail pending trial — and sought to bolster his argument by explaining prosecutors’ view of the case to Judge Paul Warner.

While Jacob Kingston might have been the public face of Washakie and the most culpable, Rolwing said, his mother drafted forms to submit to the federal government and showed others how to file false information. The move would have allowed the company to collect tax credits on biodiesel it did not actually produce.

The judge opted to let the women remain free without a bond, though they need to surrender their passports, wear ankle monitors and remain in Utah.

Businesses owned by Kingston Group members are often considered to be consecrated to the sect. Revenues typically go into a church account. The sect will then return what money the business needs for operating expenses.

Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune Polygamist John Daniel Kingston, left, in attendance at a memorial for the victims of a flash flood. The memorial was held in Maxwell Park in Hildale, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015.

John Daniel Kingston did not return messages seeking comment Tuesday. He was jailed for beating his daughter into unconsciousness in 1998 after the girl, then 16, ran away from an arranged marriage to her uncle. John Daniel Kingston, who according to court testimony once had 14 wives, was on hand in 2011, when his sons held an open house at the Washakie production plant in Plymouth near Interstate 15 and the Idaho line.

Rolwing also referenced a 2016 federal raid on Washakie offices in South Salt Lake that prosecutors have alleged the defendants knew about in advance. Rolwing said Rachel Kingston told other employees there was mold in the offices and sent them home while she destroyed evidence before IRS and FBI agents arrived.

Rolwing said some computer hard drives remain missing, though federal agents were available to recover emails and other data on a backup server. It still hasn’t been explained how anyone at Washakie would have known about the raid.

New indictments were not a surprise. In a December hearing, federal prosecutors disclosed they planned to indict new defendants by mid-January.

But the hearing Tuesday ended days of behind-the-scenes legal wrangling. Motions, apparently filed by the Kingston Group and member businesses, were sealed, and the entire court docket for the prosecutions was sealed from public view Thursday — a rare event in Utah’s federal court. The motions, the new indictment and the docket were all unsealed Tuesday morning before the hearing.

(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kingston brothers Isaiah (left) and Jacob co-own WRE or Washakie Renewable Energy, which produces 10 milion gallons of biofuel. The largest biodiesel producer in Utah, Washakie held an open house in Plymouth on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2011, to showcase its new production facility.

The new indictments arrive as the three original defendants are challenging their detentions and the cases against them. Jacob Kingston has filed a motion for pretrial release and offered to post $10 million in bail.

His brother Isaiah Kingston asserts he has medical problems that have caused him to lose weight while being held in the Weber County jail.

Both he and Dermen have pushed for prosecutors to accelerate the disclosure of evidence so the cases can move to trial. For now, all three men remain in jail. Their trials are scheduled for May.

Washakie Renewable Energy promoted itself as a manufacturer and seller of biofuels. For a stretch in 2014 and 2015, Washakie was one of Utah’s highest-profile businesses. It advertised at Utah Jazz home games and on game broadcasts.

The U.S. Department of Justice alleges Washakie made almost no biofuel and instead bought and sold products and fabricated papers to collect a tax rebate from the federal government. Prosecutors have alleged the fraud amounted to almost $511 million, with the money going to the purchase of property in Turkey, among other things.

The new indictment charges Jacob Kingston with 43 counts of filing false returns with the IRS, money laundering, threatening a witness and obstruction of justice. Isaiah Kingston is charged with 19 such counts.

Dermen, also known as Levon Termendzhyan, has been indicted on 10 counts of fraud and money laundering.

Polygamy-linked charter school pays hundreds of thousands of dollars to Kingston companies

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (KUTV) — A former staffer at Vanguard Academy in West Valley City told our Beyond The Books investigative unit, that every day at the school was stranger than the day before."There was something that was weird to me,” the former teacher, who did not want to be identified, told us. “I noticed everyone was very similar, the other teachers, all the kids,” says the teacher who worked for the school durin...

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (KUTV) — A former staffer at Vanguard Academy in West Valley City told our Beyond The Books investigative unit, that every day at the school was stranger than the day before.

"There was something that was weird to me,” the former teacher, who did not want to be identified, told us. “I noticed everyone was very similar, the other teachers, all the kids,” says the teacher who worked for the school during 2015-2016 year, Vanguard, inaugural year.

The teacher says she was troubled by a story from one of the students who, although only 16 years old, admitted that she was already married and living with a man. The teacher said the student would often ask the teacher, the mother of two children, what it was like to be pregnant.

"She stopped coming to school after December,” said the teacher, who assumed she went on to have her child.

The teacher said the students would talk about sisters and brothers who she said looked nothing alike. The teacher said one day a colleague explained why the school seemed so different to her.

He just said, I think his exact words were, ‘You know this is run by polygamists right?'

I was like, ‘oh, that makes sense,’” she said.

Beyond The Books research reveals Vanguard Academy’s student body is made up of a small number of families, most prominent among them are the Kingstons. The Kingston name is tied to the powerful and secretive polygamist group known as “The Order.” Beyond The Books has obtained a yearbook from the school’s first year of operation.

Of the 200 students in attendance, 44 them — or 22 percent — had the last name Kingston. Beyond The Books also discovered that at least five of Vanguard’s eight board members and four teachers have links to the Kingston polygamist family.

Charter schools are public schools funded by taxpayer money and must follow all state and federal civil right laws. Since 2017, Vanguard has received $17 million from Utah taxpayers. Vanguard maintains it does not deliberately exclude any students. Vanguard said it also follows all state laws and regulations. The school uses a state-approved lottery system that selects applicants who have applied for the school. The lottery does, however, give preference to the children of the school's founders, school board members, and siblings of kids who are already enrolled.

Beyond The Books broached the subject with the Vanguard’s director, Suzanne Owen.

CHRIS JONES: There is a large polygamist population at the school and that is the reason that so many siblings crowd out minorities and other white students from attending your school.

SUZANNE OWEN: Vanguard is a public charter school, we do not have an affiliation with any other kind of religious or belief system.

CJ: That’s 22 percent of the student population being from one surname, is that just a coincidence?

SO: I had not looked at the data in that way.

CJ: But it doesn’t take a data scientist to realize that there’s one surname that sort of appears on the rolls.

SO: We don’t discriminate.

In addition to the student body, Beyond The Books also had questions about the companies that do business with the school. We found that unraveling the mysterious web of businesses with ties to the Kingston group to be nearly impossible. Then we uncovered a 2003 lawsuit filed against the family.

It identifies 200 Kingston members and the businesses they run. From this lawsuit and help from former Kingston group member Jeremy Tucker, we identified at least seven different companies associated with the Kingstons. These companies have been paid more than $1.6 million since the school's first year.

Kingston Linked Companies Doing Business With Vanguard

In addition, Vanguard had paid nearly $2 million to a private school linked to the Kingstons called “Ensign Learning Center." Ensign, located across the street from Vanguard Academy, appears to own the building, and Vanguard pays rent to Ensign.

Owen said the school has legally followed the state’s strict bidding process, known as a Request For Proposal or RFP.

"We do all of the RFP procedures,” Owen said.

The former Vanguard staffer said, as a taxpayer, the questions about spending at Vanguard concern her, but as a parent, what worries her more is fear that some students may have been turned away.

"It’s just anybody outside their group, I think if I wanted to apply for my kids to go there I don’t think they would get in," she said.

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