Unlicensed Drivers Creating Problem In Utah: KSUB News Summary

Thousands of unlicensed Utah drivers are raising safety concerns for all road users. The Utah Highway Patrol says it has cited more than 21 thousand drivers for either not having a valid driver's license or never obtaining one at all since 2020. The director of the Utah DPS Drivers License Division says unlicnesed drivers inhibits the state's ability to monitor driving behavior.

Cleanup is underway at Dixie Bowl and Billiards after fire ripped through the pro shop next door to the oldest bowling alley in St. George. No one was injured in the fire Tuesday night and fire damage is limited to the pro shop that's separated from the alley by a wall and that has separate entrances. The bowling lanes and old-style ball return that give the bowling alley at 146 East City Center Street its historic personality. Owner Elizabeth Sustin said she plans to get bowlers back on the lanes as soon as the "insurance man" and cleanup crews can make it happen.

Zion National Park is lifting campfire restrictions. The park announced this week that it's scaling back fire restrictions that had been in place for months, after recent rains and this week's forecast for more storms and cooler weather. The new rules allow campfires at the popular Watchman, South, and Lava Point campgrounds. The park's fire management officer Lindsay Fonger reminds campers to make sure fire pits are cold to the touch before leaving and avoid parking or smoking near dry plants.

Schools across Utah are dealing with a shortage of psychologists. According to the National Association of School Psychologists, there should be one psychologist for every five-hundred students, but Utah schools have an average of one psychologist for every 23-hundred students. Granite School District psychology coordinator Gerry Trelease is noticing the effects, and says he's seen an increase in anxiety symptoms among students. He says inadequate university programs and a lack of awareness regarding school psychology as a viable career path are likely to blame for the shortage.