Home Care In American Fork, UT

AMERICAN FORK, Utah (ABC4) — The Children’s Justice Center relocated its American Fork center, and hosted a grand opening for its newest location on Saturday.

The American Fork location is called the North Utah County Children’s Justice Center, and was relocated from a rental space to a 150-year-old historic home in American Fork that has been renovated.

Heather Allen is the associate director for the American Fork location. She said the historic building was originally purchased in November 2020. However, Allen said there were complications with COVID-19 and with working to make the older home meet modern commercial standards.

The CJC has said it is a “homelike facility” to help families and children who are experiencing the “crisis and chaos” that accompanies the disclosure of abuse.

“We provide a warm and comfortable environment so the child can feel safe to disclose what happened to them,” Allen told ABC4.com.

American Fork Mayor Brad Frost said the building is beautiful and well-planned, with furniture that feels like you’re in a home.

“There’s things in society that we can’t control, and there are things that we can,” Frost said. “A center such like this is something that we can control. It’s an environment where children can come, and it doesn’t feel like they’re in an institutional environment.”

On its website, CJC said nearly 2,000 cases of child abuse and neglect are reported in Utah County each year, with nearly 1,200 referrals involving “sexual or significant physical abuse.”

“By opening this center, we now have the right facility to better serve the victims that have been affected by abuse,” Allen said.

There is another location in Utah County — a center in Provo that Allen said has been in operation since the 1990s — but Allen said the American Fork center is in a more convenient location for people in the northern parts of Utah County, which means families don’t have to travel all the way to Provo just for the services.

“I can’t believe we’re finally here,” Allen said. “I’m so proud of the work that we’ve done.”

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Utahns officially have 20 names to choose from for Utah’s new NHL team.

The finalists include (in alphabetical order):

“Utah’s NHL team is for the community and will be named by the community,” the Smith Entertainment Group said.

The first round of voting starts May 8 and will be open until May 22. Fans are encouraged to vote for up to four of their preferred names from this initial list of 20 options.

The next round of fan favorites and more details on future steps in the name selection process will be announced later this summer.

The new branding for the former Arizona Coyotes will not be ready in time for Utah’s inaugural season in the fall of 2024. For the first year, the Utah NHL team will simply go by the name “Utah,” with no logo, no mascot and no official team colors. In place of any logo, the NHL team will just wear “Utah” on their jerseys.

“Once the team name has been selected, SEG will work diligently to craft the team identity – logo, mascot, colors, and other branding elements – which will debut for the 2025-26 NHL season,” the Smith Entertainment Group said.

Vote here.

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Gas-powered leaf blowers are small devices, but they produce an eye-popping amount of pollution on the Wasatch Front.

To run one of the two-stroke engine machines for an hour produces roughly as much pollution as driving a car from Salt Lake City to San Francisco, a journey of more than 700 miles.

In an effort to combat this type of pollution, Salt Lake City is currently hosting its first city-run landscaping equipment exchange.

“Our city officials and Mayor Mendenhall really wanted to provide tools directly to residents, which is why we are running our own program this year,” said Sophia Nicholas, deputy director of the city’s sustainability department.

This week, residents can enter a lottery to recycle their gas-powered lawn mower, leaf blower or weed whacker and get vouchers for new, cleaner-running electric tools.

“The whole goal of this program is to help improve air quality,” Nicholas said. “Gas-powered landscaping equipment is pretty polluting, string trimmers and leaf blowers in particular.”

The budget for the city’s program is $250,000. The lottery opened to Salt Lake City residents on Monday, and it’s set to run through Sunday. Already, 200 people have applied, Nicholas said.

How the program works

Two types of people can enter. The first are those who want to exchange gas-powered lawn mowers, weed whackers or leaf blowers.

If chosen in the lottery, these residents can exchange their lawn mowers for a $300 voucher or give up their gas-guzzling weed whacker/leaf blower for a $100 voucher.

“You can also combine your equipment for up to $500 in vouchers,” Nicholas said.

Residents will be able to exchange their gas-powered equipment and redeem their vouchers at either the Ace Hardware locations at 612 East 400 South and 477 North 300 West, or the Home Depot location at 328 West 2100 South.

“It’s not first-come, first-served, it’s a lottery system,” Nicholas said. “So make sure you pick the vendor that works best for you.”

Those without gas-powered equipment to recycle can also enter the lottery. The program offers these residents a $150 voucher for an electric lawnmower and a $50 voucher for a string trimmer/leaf blower.

According to Nicholas, applicants chosen to be part of the program will be notified by May 17.

Reducing pollution

In past years, Salt Lake City has worked with the Utah Division of Air Quality on similar lawn-care exchange programs. Currently, the DAQ offers a program for commercial lawn care companies with credits up to $3,000 for businesses that recycle gas-powered leaf blowers, trimmers and chainsaws.

Bryce Bird, director of the Utah Division of Air Quality, told ABC4.com earlier this year that pollutants from two-stroke engines are key contributors to the ozone pollution that plagues the Wasatch Front in the hot summer months.

“They really produce high amounts of air pollution for the work that we get out of them, and there’s a great alternative — that is to move to electric equipment,” he said.

According to the Department of Environmental Quality, pollution linked to lawn equipment contributes about 8 tons of volatile organic compound pollution per day on the Wasatch Front. That’s more than the combined emission from all of the Great Salt Lake oil refiners combined.

Courtesy Utah County Sheriff's Office

19-year-old McKenna Miner from Provo was reported missing Tuesday morning, Jan. 30, 2024, and was last heard from Sunday afternoon. Her car was found at Tibble Fork in American Fork Canyon, so search and rescue crews are currently searching for her in the area above Tibble Fork Reservoir.

A body believed to be that of a missing teenage woman was found Wednesday morning in American Fork Canyon.

Crews have been searching the canyon above Tibble Fork Reservoir since Tuesday morning for 19-year-old McKenna Miner from Provo after her family and roommates started to worry and reported her missing Tuesday morning. The search was paused at about 7 p.m. and resumed at about 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Approximately two hours later, search crews found the deceased body of a woman they believe to be Miner, although they will have to wait for the medical examiner to provide ultimate identification.

The Utah County Sheriff’s Office has been in contact with Miner’s family, roommates and friends, and the family has been notified that Miner possibly was found, Sgt. Spencer Cannon said.

The body was found about a mile and a half up Snake Creek Road toward Mineral Basin. As of Wednesday afternoon, crews were working on recovering and transporting the remains to the medical examiner’s office.

According to Cannon, a member of the horseback Mounted Posse was traveling up Snake Creek Road on Wednesday morning when they found Miner’s snow shoes. A law enforcement officer went with them and as they looked around they found footprints in the area and found the body a short distance away.

Cannon said, “Based on the evidence at the scene, we believe it was a suicide.” During the search, Miner’s family made the crews aware that she had been experiencing depression and anxiety, “so we knew that this outcome was a possibility,” he added.

Miner had gone to American Fork Canyon on Sunday. A deputy patrolling the area confirmed seeing her car in the parking lot at Tibble Fork Reservoir around 9 o’clock that night. Her car was also seen in the parking lot Monday night, and on Tuesday morning she was reported missing.

Cannon explained it is not unusual for people to leave their cars there overnight or for several nights, even during the winter, to go hiking, snowshoeing, camping or for other mountain activities. So until she was reported missing, the car being parked there did not raise suspicion, he said.

According to Cannon, the family had started to worry late Monday or early Tuesday that something had happened. Miner had gone up the canyon to go snowshoeing, an activity she had recently started doing. But while she spent a lot of time hiking and being outdoors, she was not yet experienced in snowshoeing, he said. Family reported that she volunteered at Timpanogos Cave National Monument last summer, so she was going up and down that trail several times a day.

Although officials believe it was a suicide, Cannon said as with every death investigation they do, they will be looking at all possibilities until the cause of her death is confirmed. However, he said currently all evidence suggests it was a suicide and there is no evidence to suggest it was anything else or that foul play was involved.

“It’s just sad that somebody who appears to be a vibrant young woman has these kinds of struggles in her mind and feels like this is the only option that she has left,” Cannon said. “We’d really like people to understand that there is always a better option than one taking their own life.”

For those who are struggling with thoughts of suicide, Cannon advised to reach out to a friend or to the National Suicide Crisis Lifeline, which provides free and confidential counseling, by calling or texting 988.

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If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call the suicide prevention hotline at 988. National Alliance on Mental Illness Utah: namiut.org

AMERICAN FORK, Utah (ABC4) — A body was found in American Fork Canyon, where search and rescue crews from the Utah County Sheriff’s Office have been searching for a missing 19-year-old hiker.

The Search and Rescue team has been searching American Fork Canyon since Tuesday morning for McKenna Miner, 19, of Provo. Authorities said she was last spoken to on Sunday afternoon around 3:30 p.m. and has not been seen since.

As crews resumed the search on Wednesday morning, officials said a member of the horseback search posse went up the main Snake Creek Road toward Mineral Basin where they found a trail of footprints that went up that mountain. The team member followed the trail and found a pair of snow shoes left by some trees and more tracks that led to finding an individual that appeared to be a woman.

Sgt. Dallin Turner with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team said detectives are working to confirm the identity of the individual but officials believe it is Miner. Turner told reporters at this point of the investigation the scene does appear to be a suicide.

“It’s a difficult time for [the family.] It’s the worst part of the job to have to come down and tell somebody that we’ve located something,” said an emotional Turner. “It’s just hard. Obviously, they are struggling with that news and the possibilities of what’s to come. But we are here supporting them and they’ve got great support around them.”

Family members found Miner’s car parked near Tibble Fork Reservoir on Monday. She has been known to hike the area often.

Turner said toward the end of their search on Tuesday night they had spotted clues that encouraged them to resume the search in the morning, resulting in the woman being found around 10 a.m. on Wednesday.

Turner told reporters on Wednesday that there were signs their search was for someone in a dark place, but it did not change their approach to the search.

“If you’re struggling with suicide, if you’re struggling with any of that nature, there is always hope,” said Turner. “There are resources. There are things that are out there that can help you.”

Turner said detectives will head up to the area and assess the area, collect evidence, and search for possible signs of foul play which is standard procedure.

Little India was the only Utah eatery to be featured, coming in at number 19.

| Updated: 11:26 a.m.

An Indian restaurant in American Fork that’s known for its chicken tikka masala and butter chicken has been included on Yelp’s list of 100 top places to eat in the U.S. for 2024, coming in at number 19.

Located at 987 W. 500 North, in a strip mall across from a Costco, Little India was referred to as a “hidden gem” in one Yelp review, and was the only Utah spot to be featured on the 2024 list. The restaurant, which opened in 2021 and has another location at 1266 U.S. Highway 189 in Heber, also made it on Yelp’s Top 100 Southwest Restaurants in 2023.

Manjit Singh, who owns the two locations with his brother Harjeet Singh and cousin Maninderpal Singh, said they feel “beyond blessed” that Little India made it on the national list this year.

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) A dish of butter chicken sits on a table at Little India, an Indian restaurant included on Yelp's Top 100 restaurants list for 2024, in American Fork on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024.

“It’s because of the customers we achieved what we did — their love, their support and their blessings,” Manjit Singh said. “Without them, honestly, these achievements wouldn’t be possible.”

As for Little India’s most popular dish, Singh said it’s a “battle” between the chicken tikka masala and the butter chicken. The chicken tikka masala, which features a sauce that’s rich in tomato and cream, takes three to four hours to make, he said. And the butter chicken, which is Singh’s personal favorite, is made with a butter and cream base. He said the garlic naan and the onion naan are the best accompaniment for both dishes.

All of Little India’s recipes have been passed down through generations. “That’s what makes our recipes stand out from others,” Singh said.

He said another way Little India stands out is through its emphasis on welcoming guests. “The huge difference with us is we basically treat our customers like family,” he said. “We want customers to feel like Little India is their second home.”

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Attar Singh, an employee at Little India, speaks with customers inside in the dining room of Little India in American Fork on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024.

Singh stressed that Little India has vegan options, and that all of their entrees are gluten free — they even make a gluten-free bread. “We like to cater to everyone’s tastes,” he said. All of Little India’s food is prepared at a mild spice level, he added, but people can ask for more heat if they wish.

Little India is opening a third location in March, in Highland. “We’re in this business to create lifelong relationships with our customers,” Singh said. “And we’re going to be serving Utah for many more years.”

The American Fork location is open from 4 to 9:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The Heber location is open Monday through Saturday for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and for dinner Monday through Sunday from 4 to 9:30 p.m.

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AMERICAN FORK — As Tanner Martin entered his front room on Feb. 16, tears of joy and sadness welled up in his eyes. There stood four of his professors from Utah Valley University with confetti in hand, and of course, his diploma.

Tears welled up in Tanner Martin's eyes as he hugged each professor. Those tears were met with more tears as the realization of what had been accomplished was coupled with a deep sadness for what is still to come.

At the young age of 29, Tanner Martin is in the thick of stage 4 colon cancer, which was diagnosed 3½ years ago. Nearly a year ago, he and his wife, Shay Martin, were hoping to have a baby before his battle put him in the hospital with serious infections.

Now, Tanner Martin fights on, even with a meager prognosis of months to live. He's trying to make the most of his time, even earning his diploma in February.

Being able to celebrate those moments in her husband's life are important, says the ever-loyal Shay Martin.

"Tanner walked at graduation last April, but he wasn't officially graduated because he had two classes left to finish," she explained. "Then, he was hospitalized for six months and was too sick to work on the classes."

Seeing her husband was so close to getting that official diploma, she decided to contact the school counselor to see if there was a way to get an honorary diploma, but soon found that there was something better: his actual diploma.

"The counselor was able to work with the provost and the department chair to get some classes that he had taken to apply to the last six credits that he needed, so that he could get an official bachelor's degree," Shay Martin said, adding it was a complete surprise to her husband.

He will forever be a UVU Wolverine.

–Todd Spencer, UVU

UVU professors Jeremy Boden, Julie Nelson and Todd Spencer were there to issue to degree. Spencer, who teaches Family Systems and Dynamics at the university, had kind words for his former student.

"Tanner represents the best of UVU," said Spencer. "In class, he was compassionate, intelligent and inquisitive. He is so loved by his classmates. It was incredible to see Tanner take a sincere interest in the other students' lives. He is a master at empathizing with others. It was incredible to watch him continue to love and serve others even while he was receiving chemo. During the course of the semester, we had several sensitive conversations exploring his hopes and fears, and during those conversations he never complained, was never negative, but always honest and optimistic. He is an incredible leader in and outside of the class. He is so loved by the faculty and students blessed to interact with him. I will always love Tanner."

"Awarding Tanner his diploma was one of the greatest professional and personal highlights," Spencer continued. "It was an honor to celebrate his efforts as a student and his example as a human. He absolutely earned his degree in every way. ... He will forever be a UVU Wolverine."

A bleak prognosis

Just weeks later, on March 1, the couple got news that Martin's cancer had spread beyond repair, giving him only months to live.

"Tanner had been hospitalized from July to early January because he kept getting sepsis, and during that time he wasn't able to get any treatment because he was too sick," his wife explained. "His cancer spread pretty significantly during that time, and his liver is failing due to the amount of cancer that's in his liver. Doctors are doing chemo to try to stop the growth of the cancer, but they won't be able to shrink it more than what it's at right now, and so his liver will just likely continue to get worse. … The doctors didn't give us a number, but just said that they were comfortable giving estimates in years, months, weeks or days — and Tanner has months."

Shay Martin said the news was very hard for both of them to hear, but they have been spending as much time as they can together while also looking toward the future.

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A post shared by Shay Wright (@shaylynnright)

"The news was pretty hard for Tanner to hear," she said. "He saw his therapist later that day and I think he felt some peace after that, but I would say it kind of ebbs and flows between acceptance and peace and then being scared. We've just been really intentional with our time and spending a lot of time together. We have been working with a death doula which has been actually really helpful."

As a mental health therapist, Shay Martin said, in situations like her husband's, working with an end-of-life therapist is so important.

"(As a society) we just don't prepare for death and it does the family and individual a lot of disservice," she said. "Tanner and I have been doing this for the past year, and it has been really helpful for us."

And while it doesn't look like he will realize his dream of becoming a father before he passes, Shay Martin said there is a chance she will be able to raise a future child of theirs.

"Tanner and I have been talking about still using the embryos after he's gone, which I'm planning on doing whether I'm single or married," she said.

Anyone wanting to follow updates on the Martins can follow @shaylynnright on Instagram.