Author: Jesse

The post Utah Jazz’s perfect move in 2025 NBA offseason appeared first on ClutchPoints.

After ending the 2024–25 season with a franchise-worst 17–65 record and allowing 121.2 points per game, the Utah Jazz needed more than just another draft pick or quiet roster tweak. They needed a foundational adjustment. Instead of chasing flashy names or overcommitting their future, they made one move that was clean, effective, and deeply strategic.

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Trading for veteran big man Jusuf Nurkic may not have stolen headlines, but it perfectly addressed the team’s needs on and off the court.

Veteran Exodus Paves Way for New Core

This offseason, the Jazz leaned fully into their rebuild, parting ways with key veterans who had once formed the locker room backbone. Jordan Clarkson, a fan favorite and Sixth Man of the Year in 2021, was bought out. In five seasons with Utah, he delivered clutch performances and high‑energy scoring, but at age 32, he no longer fit the franchise’s timeline.

The Jazz also traded Collin Sexton to Charlotte, moving on from another former cornerstone guard. More recently, veteran John Collins was sent to the Clippers as part of a three‑team trade. Last season, he averaged 19.0 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in just 40 outings, even while dealing with injury . Losing Clarkson, Sexton, and Collins cleared valuable roster spots and signaled Utah’s commitment to change.

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In return for Sexton, the Jazz acquired a tough, experienced center in Nurkic. Meanwhile, the deal involving Collins brought in veterans Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson, reinforcing veteran presence without blocking younger players. Love provides shooting and championship experience, while Anderson contributes versatile wing skills and high basketball IQ. Together, these additions add structure to a roster now filled with first‑ and second‑year players looking for direction.

Reinforcing the Frontcourt with Grit

Utah’s frontcourt features two promising talents in Walker Kessler and Lauri Markkanen. Kessler has proven to be one of the league’s best young rim protectors, while Markkanen continues to be a reliable scorer and rebounder. What the team lacked was an enforcer. Someone who could box out heavy bigs, battle in the post, and take pressure off the younger players.

Nurkic brings that edge. A 7-foot, 290-pound presence in the paint, he does the dirty work that does not always show up in the box score. His physicality allows Kessler to roam more freely as a help defender and gives Markkanen more space to operate offensively. The trio now gives Utah a balanced mix of shot-blocking, floor spacing, and interior strength.

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During the 2024–25 season split between Phoenix and Charlotte, Nurkic averaged 8.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in just 20.8 minutes per game and shot 47.7 percent from the field. His rebound rate and passing ability stand out, especially the 2.3 assists per contest, which is well above average for a traditional big.

When he was with the Suns, he logged 9.2 rebounds and 8.6 points over 23.7 minutes, showcasing his physical play and ability to contribute across the board. This level of production in limited minutes highlights why Utah sees him as a key stabilizer. He can anchor a full 20–25 minute stint, boosting both the box score and the locker room when sharing the court with their rising young core.

A Mentor for the Next Generation

The Jazz drafted highly athletic forward Ace Bailey with the fifth overall pick and added shooting guard Walter Clayton Jr. at No. 18. They also retained young guards Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier. These players are rich in talent but raw in NBA experience.

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Nurkic can serve as the mentor this team needs. He has spent a decade in the league, played in high-stakes playoff environments, and developed a reputation for being a reliable communicator on the court. His passing ability from the high post can open up off-ball actions for the guards and wings. His understanding of defensive positioning can help young players learn proper rotation and timing.

He is not a star, and he does not need to be. His value lies in providing stability. For a team building from the ground up, stability is gold.

A Rebuild With Clear Purpose

The Jazz could have opted to keep all their veterans and hope to sneak into the play-in tournament. Instead, they fully embraced a development-first approach. But unlike other teams that strip everything to the studs, Utah kept smart pieces in place and added a player who enhances the team’s structure.

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They preserved future cap flexibility while opening up more minutes for their draftees. They did not trade away any of their core youth, nor did they mortgage future picks. Nurkic’s contract runs through 2026 with a team option, giving the Jazz financial control.

Just as importantly, the team sent a message that they want their young players to learn how to compete, not just play. This is not a tank job; this is a foundation being built one smart brick at a time.

Why This Move Stands Above the Rest

Of all the offseason moves the Jazz have made so far, bringing in Nurkic was the most balanced. It addressed a real weakness in their frontcourt and has brought in a player who will not demand touches or attention but will lead by example, and has made room for young players to grow while surrounding them with real NBA guidance.

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It also helped set the tone. This is not a team drifting in uncertainty, but a team with a vision. Add in the steady hand of coach Will Hardy and the flexibility to make more moves next season, and the Nurkic trade becomes even more meaningful.

The Jazz may not win 50 games next season, but they are no longer flailing. They are building, and trading for Jusuf Nurkic was the perfect step forward.

Related: Utah Jazz 2025 NBA free agency grades for every signing

Related: Warriors’ Draymond Green voices support for Kevin Love’s veiled callout

More than 50 years ago, a handful of states were competing to host research and launch facilities for what would become the U.S. Space Shuttle program, and Utah was very much in the mix.

For a moment, at least.

In 1971, Utah lawmakers passed a proposal to create a “Space Port Committee.” The group of business leaders, politicians, scientists and engineers was to make the state’s best argument for becoming the new home for what was then the world’s first reusable spacecraft that launched on a rocket but landed back on Earth like an airplane.

Utah would lose out to Cape Canaveral, Florida, and all 135 Space Shuttle flights would later lift off from the coastal city’s Kennedy Space Center.

The countdown starts

But now, the Beehive State is ready to take another run at hosting its own space launch facility and this time the effort is entirely homegrown. And it lifts off amid a local aerospace and defense sector that has evolved dramatically over the past five decades and now accounts for a fifth of the state’s overall GDP.

Earlier this year, a bill, SB62, to create the Spaceport Exploration Committee drew overwhelming bipartisan support from state lawmakers and set the table for a year-long effort to assess the feasibility of a Utah-based space vehicle launch facility.

The 13-member committee, co-chaired by Sen. Ann Millner, R-Ogden, and Utah Department of Transportation executive director Carlos Braceras, is tasked with establishing “key objectives that the state should pursue in establishing a spaceport” and includes conducting a feasibility study, spaceport site assessment and evaluating Utah’s relative advantages and disadvantages.

“I’ve been engaged in meeting the needs of our growing aerospace and defense industry for many many years in different roles,” Millner said. “This is a next step in that process. Utah has competed before. And, as we looked at and had conversations with companies out there, the message is clear that space is part of our future and industry will be driving our space launches and be used for many more needs than in the past.”

In a Deseret News op-ed, Sen. Jerry Stevenson, R-Layton, who sponsored the legislation, noted the aerospace and defense industry accounts for 20% of the state’s economy and employs nearly 300,000 people. He made the case for Utah’s readiness to join the 10 other states that host facilities designated as “spaceports” by the Federal Aviation Administration.

“Why Utah? The answer is simple: Utah’s aerospace ecosystem is already soaring, and we’re about to take it to a whole new altitude,” Stevenson wrote. “Our existing aerospace infrastructure provides a solid foundation, while our geographic advantages — clear airspace, favorable weather and excellent transportation networks — make us an ideal candidate.”

Launching into ‘newspace’

Aaron Starks, spaceport committee member and president and CEO of Utah aerospace and defense advocacy group 47G, told the Deseret News that fast-rising demand is creating exciting new opportunities in space-related operations.

“We know that the U.S. Defense Department and commercial enterprises are experiencing bottleneck conditions when it comes to launch services,” Starks said. “There’s not enough launch facilities or capacity in the United States and we think Utah is positioned really well to release some of that bottleneck and provide new, enhanced ways to develop test technology.”

While once the exclusive domain of government entities, the global space economy is now mostly driven by commercial enterprises and is a sector, sometimes referred to as “newspace” that’s been expanding at a breakneck rate, topping $630 billion in 2023. A 2024 report from McKinsey & Company projects the space economy will outstrip world GDP growth by 200% in the coming years and is on pace to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035.

The McKinsey report suggests that while many observers may still perceive space operations as driven by moon landing efforts or preparations for interplanetary travel, the newspace economy is one made up of more mundane and broad-based commercial activities.

“While mega rocket launches and record spaceflights are the headlines that capture the public’s imagination, routine rocket launches and satellite data services are, in fact, the product of decades of behind-the-scenes innovation,” wrote McKinsey senior partner Ryan Brukardt and Jeremy Jurgens, managing director of World Economic Forum.

“And they are delivering greater benefits to a more diverse set of stakeholders than ever before — including in industries as varied as food and beverage; retail, consumer goods and lifestyle; supply chain and transportation; and even climate disaster mitigation.”

Rock solid space credentials

Some of the biggest names in the aerospace industry have a Utah presence including Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, L3Harris and others, and the state’s connections to the business of space tracks back to the industry’s advent.

Highlights of Utah’s long history of space bona fides includes upper atmospheric research work Utah State University did 1950s, the early seeds of what would become the institution’s massive Space Dynamics Lab; the state’s previous competition with Florida’s Kennedy Space Center to host the Space Shuttle program; and the increasing use of the Defense Department’s Dugway Proving Ground in the west desert as a preferred destination for both private and public space flight operations.

Utah is rife with aerospace heavy hitters but Starks notes companies with names you’ve probably never heard of are powering the engine of new space, in much the same way the state’s 300,000-plus small businesses drive Utah’s booming economy.

“In the state of Utah, we lead the nation in (Small Business Administration) lending per capita,” Starks said. “Why is that important? Because this industry, unlike others, is being dominated by small- and mid-market companies doing innovative things that are all looking to build their headquarters and establish a presence in states that share that same thesis for growth.”

Science fiction becomes science fact

OxEon Energy can count itself among those smaller companies finding success in Utah and its groundbreaking innovations are turning processes once reserved for the world of science fiction into science fact.

OxEon sprang to life in 2017 but its founders have been engaged for the last 30 years in researching and developing solid oxide fuel cells, with the last 15 years focused on the development and improvement of solid oxide electrolyzers. Their systems can extract critical components from the atmosphere or liquids that can be converted into fuels. OxEon’s systems are being designed for a wide variety of earth-bound and even extraterrestrial deployments, as the company proved out as part of NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover mission.

OxEon’s technology powered the MOXIE (Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment) which traveled to the Red Planet aboard Perseverance and was able to extract and capture oxygen from the Martian atmosphere, a critical element for both life support and rocket fuel which typically combines oxygen with methane or hydrogen to power space travel.

For fans of science fiction author Andy Weir’s “The Martian”, which follows the trials of an astronaut stranded on Mars, MOXIE may sound a lot like the “oxygenator” device from the book. Weir’s oxygenator, like OxEon’s technology, uses an electrolysis process to produce oxygen from Martian carbon dioxide and helps keep the protagonist Mark Watney alive.

In a 2023 press release, NASA celebrated MOXIE’s success, describing the experiment as one that exceeded expectations and proved out critical new technology that would be required to maintain life and create fuel in the Martian environment.

“MOXIE’s impressive performance shows that it is feasible to extract oxygen from Mars’ atmosphere — oxygen that could help supply breathable air or rocket propellant to future astronauts,” said NASA deputy administrator Pam Melroy. “Developing technologies that let us use resources on the moon and Mars is critical to build a long-term lunar presence, create a robust lunar economy, and allow us to support an initial human exploration campaign to Mars.”

During a Deseret News tour of OxEon’s research and manufacturing facilities in North Salt Lake, the company’s co-founders shared a peek at their cutting-edge technology which includes systems that can convert sea water into jet fuel and another process that makes fuel out of food waste.

OxEon co-founder and chief operating officer Jessica Elwell said in-situ, or on-site, fuel production capabilities will be absolutely essential for extending space travel into the deeper regions of our solar system, and beyond.

“It’s really important to be able to produce fuel or electricity on site, because the cost of bringing the materials you need with you is prohibitive,” Elwell said. “Also, the volume alone is staggering. What they would need in terms of fuel for a return mission from Mars, the volume is about the same size as a space shuttle, so it’s a considerable cost savings.

“The logistics themselves just get much simpler and the materials are available there. So we’ve been working on developing these technologies where we can use what’s there and produce what’s needed for fuel and life support.”

A future of possibilities

Millner, former president of Weber State University and a Utah legislator for the past decade, has been a champion of Utah-based technological developments like those coming out of OxEon throughout her career. She said exploring the feasibility of a Utah-based spaceport reflects the responsibility to nurture a fast-growing part of the state’s economy.

She also underscored the state’s readiness to find the best pathways to up the ante on its space-related commitments.

“I think we have a really solid foundation in terms of both preparation and workforce in the aerospace and defense industry along with the research work we’ve done,” Millner said. “The alignment of a project like this will only accelerate those possibilities in the future.”

Millner said she’s excited to begin the work of the Spaceport Exploration Committee, which is scheduled to hold its inaugural meeting July 28. She said she’s looking forward to a robust process that will examine the economic realities of a spaceport project and prioritize public input on the path to a possible recommendation due by September, 2026.

“Utah is home to a growing and thriving economy that’s earned number one rankings in many areas,” Millner said. “There’s no reason we can’t lead in the space industry as well.

“I love working on big picture issues that will make a difference over the coming decades and am excited to roll my sleeves up and work with this committee to create a plan that is in the best interest of the state of Utah.”

MIDWAY — It is somehow fitting that the 36-hole championship match of the 119th Utah State Women’s Amateur will be played on Pioneer Day this coming week.

That’s because defending champion Kelsey Chugg, the six-time winner of this combination stroke-play, match-play event, could be chasing a rare feat if she makes it to the final day.

Only one other woman — eight-time champion Bev Nelson — has won the championship more than seven times.

Chugg, 34, can move past fellow six-time winners Mary Lou Baker, Florence Halloran, Helen Hofmann Bertagnole and Marcia Thayne with another trophy-winning performance at Wasatch Mountain State Park’s Lake Course.

The aforementioned were all considered pioneers of Utah women’s golf in their day and age, and the same could be said of Chugg, who has managed to hold off younger, longer-hitting college golfers more often than not in becoming one of the legends of the game in the Beehive State.

“I am trying not to think about it too much, but it is definitely something I would like to achieve,” Chugg said last week at the media day gathering at the scenic par-72 course above Midway.

“I don’t know if or when it will happen, but it is a pretty cool thing to have dangling there to chase.”

As of last Monday, 71 hopefuls had signed up to play in the most prestigious tournament for amateur women in the state, an unusually high number and the most since a few more than that played in the 117th iteration at Jeremy Ranch.

The only other former champion in the field is former Arizona State golfer Grace Summerhays, who spent her early childhood in Farmington and won the title in 2020 at the other state-owned facility in Wasatch County — Soldier Hollow.

How does Chugg keep churning out championships?

“I don’t know,” she said, humbly. “I just love the game so much. It is a huge part of my life, and what brings me the most joy in my life, usually.

“That’s what keeps me going. It’s just a passion for the game, more than winning. It’s just the love of this silly game.”

Standing in the way of Chugg’s seventh title is Summerhays, who recently graduated from ASU with her brother, Preston, and mother, Barbara Jean, who earned a master’s degree in May.

Other top players in the field include St. George’s Kate Walker, BYU golfers Berlin Long, Aadyn Long and Whitney Banz, Nebraska golfer Arden Louchheim of Park City, Utah Tech golfers Jenna Anderson and Jane Olson, Southern Virginia golfer Sydney Richards and teenager Faith Vui, from Samoa.

“I think Grace Summerhays is one of the big favorites, along with Kelsey,” said Richards, 20, who played high school golf for Farmington. “I am a big fan of hers, obviously.”

Last year, Summerhays lost to teenager Ali Mulhall — who has since turned pro — in 19 holes in one of the semifinals at TalonsCove in Saratoga Springs, while Chugg beat Vui 4 and 3 in the other semifinal.

Chugg then edged Mulhall in the championship match, 1 up.

“There are tons of good players who could win it,” Chugg said. “Faith (Vui) is a great player. She was tough (to beat) in the semis last year. Jane Olson is a good player. There is a deep level of talent now, in this field.”

Olson, 21, made the semifinals two years ago at Jeremy Ranch before losing 4 and 2 to Summerhays in that round, and is heading into her senior year at Utah Tech.

She likes her chances because she believes Wasatch will be “more difficult for the big hitters,” a group of which she does not consider herself a member.

“The course is in great shape, and I think it is a great setup for my game, personally,” she said. “I think it will be great for match play. … I play a little more precise off the tee and rely a lot on my wedges, which I think will be super helpful.”

The tournament begins Monday with 18 holes of stroke-play qualifying for match play. The match play Round of 32 will be held Tuesday morning and the Round of 16 will be played Tuesday afternoon. The quarterfinals and semifinals are Wednesday.

For the first time, the championship match — which will be held Thursday, Pioneer Day, will be 36 holes, just like the men. For the second time, the champion of the Utah Women’s Amateur will receive an exemption into the U.S. Women’s Amateur.

This year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur is August 4-10 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon.

Chugg, whose day job is the associate director of golf for Salt Lake City, said she is a bit rusty, having only played in a couple of tournaments the past six months. She predicts the cut for match play (low 32 golfers) will come around 78 or 79, while Olson and Richards guessed around 82, maybe a tad higher if the wind is blowing.

“I think if you break 80, you got a good shot of moving on,” Olson said.

“Based on the past few years, something like 10 or 12 over should do it,” Richards said.

Last year, Mulhall and Jenna Anderson shot 7-under 65s at TalonsCove to tie for medalist honors. The cut came at 9-over 81, with Whitni Johnson, Annette Gaiotti, Steph Belnap, Susan Tiffner and Amanda Henneman surviving a playoff; Libby Ward and Reimi Bieyl did not survive the playoff.

Richards won two matches and then lost 3 and 2 to Vui in the quarterfinals; Olson won a first round match and then lost 4 and 3 to Mulhall in the Round of 16.

“I would just love to make match play. I love match play. This is one of the few events where match play is part of it. I think it would be really fun to be a part of that again,” Richards said.

“Then if I make match play, I would love to improve upon my quarterfinal finish from last year.”

Former Wisconsin basketball star wing John Tonje was back on an NBA Summer League court on Friday night. After missing the Utah Jazz‘s contest against Washington on Wednesday with a right ankle sprain, Tonje returned to the starting lineup for Friday’s contest against the Chicago Bulls.

The All-American wing had a quiet night offensively, as the Jazz fell 105-92, dropping to 1-4 in Summer League action. In 22 minutes of action, Tonje tallied just four points, six rebounds and two assists on 1-of-9 shooting from the field and 0-of-6 from 3-point range. He also turned the ball over six times.

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The performance is a step back from his stellar Summer League debut last week. In a narrow overtime loss to the San Antonio Spurs, the second-round draft pick notched 16 points, three rebounds and three assists in 23 minutes of action. That performance included an efficient 5-of-9 shooting clip from the field and 4-of-7 from 3-point range.

Tonje’s spot on the Jazz’s active roster should be safe entering the 2025-26 season, regardless of his Summer League and preseason play. Utah was the worst team in the NBA last season, finishing with a 17-65 record. It hopes an incoming draft class of Tonje, Rutgers star Ace Bailey, Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. and St. John’s guard R.J. Luis Jr. can help retool its roster and redirect the franchise’s trajectory.

Eyes are on the future in Utah. Tonje should get an extended chance to etch his name into those plans.

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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball John Tonje stats from Jazz’s Summer League loss

“There’s absolutely nothing else I would rather do in my spare time than pitch horseshoes,” Steven Gibson, the reigning Utah state men’s horseshoe pitching champion, said this week as he prepared to chase a world title.

And while pitching horseshoes might seem like a fun spare-time event, things will get a little more serious this coming week.

Beginning Monday, the World Horseshoe Pitching Championships will take place in Sandy. For some competitors, the tournament is a true family affair.

Blaine Scott, who has been pitching horseshoes since he was a teenager, will be joined by 11 of his family members in the tournament. Scott’s son and 10 grandchildren, ages 7 to 19 will be competing.

“It has been a blast,” Scott said about having his family involved. “I really personally enjoy it.”

As Scott raised his four kids, all got involved in horseshoe pitching and then passed the same opportunity on to his grandchildren.

“There’s a lot of things that you can do to keep yourself busy or to have activities in your life, but if you can have that kind of a positive relationship, teach them how to get along with others, teach them how to be honest and fair and to play, you know, without cheating,” Scott said, as he prepared for the week ahead with his posterity.

When are the World Horseshoe Pitching Championships?

The tournament, held through the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association, begins July 21 with the preliminaries taking up the first few days, followed by the championship rounds on July 28-30. Competition will be held at the Mountain America Expo Center in Sandy.

Pitchers of all ages will compete in the different age groups at the tournament, including folks in their 80s all the way down to 7-year-olds.

Scott said there are 665 registered to compete in the tournament this year, with contestants coming from across the U.S. as well as from other countries like Canada and Germany.

Competitors will be grouped into different pairings for the preliminaries and those with the highest ringer percentage will move on to the championships.

The opening ceremony for the tournament will be Monday morning, with Sandy Mayor Monica Zoltanski pitching the first horseshoe.

Horseshoe pitching in Utah

Utah has two horseshoe pitching charters; the Northern Utah Horseshoe Pitching Association which Scott and Gibson are both a part of, and the Southern Utah Horseshoe Pitchers Association.

Gibson started horseshoe pitching around 15 years ago. He put a horseshoe pit in his backyard. A friend would come over about once a week and they would pitch horseshoes together.

“It was more social than anything else,” he said.

He soon became interested to see if there was any organized horseshoe pitching, and discovered the National Horseshoe Pitching Association and the Utah groups.

The Northern Utah Horseshoe Pitching Association has around 50 or 60 members while the southern Utah group is about twice that, according to Gibson. The oldest person in the northern Utah charter who regularly pitches with them is 92 years old.

Both charters regularly hold tournaments.

Utah has a strong history of horseshoe pitching and is hosting the world championships for the 16th time. Most recently, St. George hosted the championships in 2013 and 2017.

Why people love horseshoe pitching

Gibson and Scott agree that horseshoe pitching is a great family-friendly sport with a strong social aspect.

“The camaraderie with the rest of the horseshoe pitchers is better than any sport I’ve ever played, and I’ve always been a sports guy,” Gibson said.

Scott started horseshoe pitching when he was a teenager and over the years he has become more and more involved in the organized side of the sport within both his charter and at a national level.

“It’s a big family, it’s a horseshoe family,” Scott said.

Gibson said the people are the reason he enjoys the sport.

“I fell in love with horseshoe pitching, and some of it is the people that are involved with it, some of the best people I’ve ever been involved with, and it makes great friendly competition.”

Gibson added that he also enjoys it because he gets exercise and it also gives him a goal to work toward, a want to get better.

Scott shared that as he’s gotten his kids and grandchildren into the sport, it has helped them become more confident, build their self esteem and have better social skills.

He also said he likes that at tournaments there is no drinking or smoking and people aren’t supposed to swear, making it a good wholesome family-friendly environment.

The Utah State Railroad Museum in Ogden has a new addition — a Western Pacific caboose — while the restoration of a boxcar that was a gift to Utah from France after World War II is complete.

Museums at Union Station in Ogden manages the railroad museum and opens Western Pacific Railroad Caboose No. 438 to the public on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., when admission will be free. The recent acquisition is meant to complement the Western Pacific GP35 electric diesel engine acquired last year and bolster the representation from the now-defunct rail line at the Ogden museum.

“We’ve really tried to create a collection that shows both the locomotives and cabooses from each of the major rail lines,” said Hope Eggett, the Museums at Union Station administrator, and Western Pacific is one of the last rail operations that served Utah that was unrepresented. The Western Pacific cars — among more than 50 at the museum — are meant to help “tell the story of the workers who worked on the railroad.”

Meantime, Eggett said the restoration of the Merci Boxcar — given to Utah by the people of France in 1949 as a way of saying thanks for U.S. assistance during the post-World War II era — is complete. The unique gray boxcar, previously displayed outside Union Station, had fallen into disrepair and was sent last year to Cheyenne, Wyoming, to be restored by experts there at a cost of some $100,000.

“We are really eager for it to get back to Utah. We don’t have a firm date yet, but we do expect it back soon,” Eggett said.

A ceremony to welcome it back will be organized once it returns to Ogden. It had sat exposed to the elements, but upon its return will be displayed in a covered exhibition area to better protect it.

Caboose No. 438 was built in 1955 and retired from service in the 1980s, when rail lines started phasing out use of cabooses amid technological advances that rendered them obsolete. It had been on display at the Inland Northwest Rail Museum in Reardan, Washington, and was acquired by the Union Station Foundation, an independent, nonprofit entity, for $16,000.

“With only a handful still on public display nationwide, this rare caboose captures the spirit of Western Pacific’s golden era and stands as a testament to Ogden’s role in shaping the West through rail,” reads a press release from the city of Ogden. Only 13 of the cabooses survive, Eggett said.

Museums at Union Station is the umbrella organization that manages the Utah State Railroad Museum and gun and car museums, also housed at the historic railway station. The free museum entry on Saturday coincides with the Ogden Arts Festival, a ticketed event taking place at Union Station on Saturday and Sunday.

First responders tend to a man injured in a shooting at the “No Kings” protest in Salt Lake City on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)

After Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said state public safety officials had told Utah 50501 “No Kings” organizers that having “peacekeepers” during the protest was a “bad idea,” the organizers are contesting the governor’s comments. 

“It appears Governor Cox has been grossly misinformed about an alleged conversation between the Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Utah50501,” the organizers said in a statement issued Thursday night to Utah News Dispatch through their attorney Mary Corporon. 

“The organizers of Utah50501 are not aware of anyone having such a conversation with DPS in which they were ‘warned’ against having a volunteer safety team at events,” the statement added. “At no time did Utah50501 request or require any safety and de-escalation volunteers to carry weapons. No organizers in Utah50501 ever said to DPS, ‘we think it’s a good idea’ for our safety volunteers to carry weapons, and any claim to the contrary is false.”

The statement, however went on to say that “Utah50501 spoke with the Utah Highway Patrol (UHP) regarding protests at the Utah State Capitol when we asked whether people carrying weapons could be asked to leave the protest.” 

The Utah Highway Patrol is a division of the Utah Department of Public Safety. 

“UHP advised us that individuals have a constitutional right to ‘open carry’ or to carry a concealed weapon, and Utah50501 could not lawfully prohibit anyone from doing so at our events,” the organizers’ statement said. 

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While they said “we respect” the Second Amendment rights of protesters and Utah’s laws, “at no time did Utah50501 or any of its organizers encourage or request any participant carry a weapon to the protest.”

“The Governor is misinterpreting the law if he says Utah50501 had any lawful authority to prevent participants, whether volunteers or protestors, from carrying a weapon to a protest on public streets or in public spaces,” the statement continued. 

Cox on Thursday did not say protest organizers should have restricted people from legally open or concealed carrying of firearms. He called himself a “big believer of the Second Amendment,” but also said he believed there were “a lot of good people that made mistakes” leading up to the shooting. 

According to Salt Lake City police, the shooting during the June 14 protest happened after two men, who described themselves to police as “peacekeepers,” confronted 24-year-old Arturo Gamboa, who was openly carrying an AR-15-style rifle during the protest. 

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One of the men, reportedly part of the event organizer’s volunteer security team, told police he thought Gamboa was acting suspiciously, which led him to fire three shots from a handgun, hitting Gamboa in the back but also inadvertently striking innocent bystander Arthur “Afa” Ah Loo, who was later pronounced dead at a hospital. 

Gamboa — the man who had openly carried the rifle during the protest but did not fire a shot — was arrested shortly after the shooting but was conditionally released from jail six days later, on June 20. 

In the wake of the shooting, the national 50501 group that has organized “No Kings” protests across the country disowned the Utah chapter that organized the Salt Lake City protest, citing a strict “no-weapons policy” and saying the chapter had disregarded “our nonnegotiable values.” 

The “peacekeeper” who was involved in the shooting was a military veteran, the protest organizers said last month. Neither police nor the organizers have publicly named him. 

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In their statement issued Thursday night, Utah50501 organizers said they coordinated with the Salt Lake City Police Department “to inform them of plans” per their event permit. 

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“Communications with law enforcement, whether it was UHP from previous events at the Capitol or SLCPD, have always been centered around crowd safety, and communication with SLCPD was continued throughout the protest on June 14th,” their statement concluded. 

In response for more information about the communications between state public safety officials and the “No Kings” protest organizers, the Utah Department of Public Safety issued a statement to Utah News Dispatch Friday morning that DPS officials “communicated with the 50501 group from February through May to support public safety and property protection during their various events at the State Capitol.” 

“During this time, the group requested that the Utah Highway Patrol (UHP) remove counter-protesters from their gatherings,” the DPS statement said. “We informed them that such action is not permissible, as all individuals have a constitutional right to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly.”

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State public safety officials added that “the group also expressed interest in utilizing private security or safety volunteers.”

“We made clear that while they may designate individuals to assist with basic support, such as offering aid in cases of dehydration or minor medical issues, or helping de-escalate conversations, they do not have law enforcement authority and therefore cannot take enforcement actions or attempt to remove individuals from public spaces,” DPS said. 

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DPS added: “When the group raised the idea of their private security personnel being armed, we did not tell them they were prohibited from doing so. However, we cautioned against it, explaining the risks and implications of individuals carrying firearms without law enforcement authority. DPS remains committed to ensuring the safety of all individuals exercising their rights at the Capitol.”

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Cox’s comments Thursday came after reporters asked him during a PBS Utah news conference if there’s anything the state can or should do to prevent similar tragedies like the shooting that left Ah Loo dead. 

“I don’t know that there’s more that we can do,” the governor said, noting state officials “work very closely with organizations across the state,” including the ‘No Kings’ protesters. 

“That was an absolute tragedy,” Cox continued. “I can tell you that they were warned months and months and months ago that it was a bad idea to have these peacekeepers to be a part of what they were attempting to do, that it could lead to something like this, and sadly, it did.” 

Asked to give more details about those warnings, Cox said “the leaders of the event were warned many months ago when they first started doing this, and they were warned by our Department of Public Safety.” 

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“Our DPS said, ‘It’s a bad idea. You can do it, it’s not illegal, there’s nothing illegal about it, it’s just a bad idea,’” Cox said. “‘They said, ‘Well, we think it’s a good idea.’ End of conversation.” 

Pressed on who he believed was responsible for Ah Loo’s death, Cox said, “That’s a good question, and the (Salt Lake County) district attorney will eventually make that decision as it goes forward.” 

Cox added there were “a lot of good people who made mistakes.” 

“I don’t know who’s ultimately responsible, but I think a lot of people are responsible for what happened,” the governor said. “It’s a terrible tragedy. My heart goes out to his family. I think, again, mistakes were made by the organizers, by the peacekeepers, by the protester who brought his rifle. Lots of mistakes were made.” 

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No charges have been filed in relation to the shooting. It’s up to the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office to decide whether anyone involved will be charged with a crime.

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