🌱 Second Year Of Juneteenth Celebration + Salt Lake City Man Missing

Good morning, everybody! Michelle Paul here with your Tuesday edition of the Salt Lake City Patch newsletter. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about what's happening in our community.

But first, today's weather:

A brief shower or two. High: 73 Low: 52.

From our sponsor:

Today’s Salt Lake City Patch newsletter is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. T-Mobile has invested billions to light up their best network ever, covering 99% of people in America with LTE, which helps to keep communities like ours informed and connected. We thank T-Mobile for their support and for making today’s Salt Lake City Patch newsletter possible.

Here are the top three stories in Salt Lake City today:

1. This past Monday, Salt Lake City and the state of Utah celebrated Juneteenth for the second time since it was declared a national holiday. Community members were invited to celebrate, starting with a morning walk that led participants to the Black-owned business expo at the Gateway, where over 50 vendors were set up. The event was filled with several different activities, food, music, and even roller skating for those who were interested. The black-owned business expo has been growing over the past two years and the hopes are that with more visibility and increased access, the underrepresented communities in the city and state will grow. (KSLTV)
2. Over the weekend nearby in Farmington, a potential suspect in a West Valley shooting Sunday morning was arrested. Anthony James Valdez was booked in the Salt Lake County Jail for multiple charges, including illegal discharge of a firearm, failure to stop at the command of an officer, and investigation of aggravated assault. West Valley police were called to the scene on S. 2700 West around 3:30 a.m. on reports of shots being fired at a house party. The homeowner told officers that although he was not injured Valdez did fire a shot at him, and a bullet hole was located in the house as well as a casing on the ground. Valdez allegedly is a gang member, and was arrested at an apartment in Farmington following a short chase. (KSL.com)
3. The Salt Lake City police are requesting assistance from the community in the search for 73-year-old Dan Anderson, who was last seen this past Friday. Anderson was last seen in the area of 260 East 800 South, and there is not any information on where he may have gone. He is known to drive a 2012 Chevy Aveo with a Florida license plate. Anderson is a 5'11" white male with brown eyes and grey hair and weighs around 150 pounds. If you see or make contact with Anderson please reach out to the police immediately. (KUTV 2News)

Today in Salt Lake City:

Tuesday, June 20

• Seven Creeks Walk Series At Three Creeks Confluence (10:00 AM)
• How Yelp Can Help Your Business At 201 S Main Street #2300 (12:00 PM)
• Starting Your Business 101 (Virtual), Hosted By Salt Lake Chamber (4:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Come out and join those at the Utah Arts Festival as it welcomes Adeem the Artist in making their Utah debut as one of the headliners Sunday, Jun. 25. You can learn more about Adeem, the other headliners, and the event by following the link. The show will start at 6:15 p.m. (Utah Arts Festival via Facebook)
• The Salt Lake City Ballet is officially selling tickets for the Summer Gala that will be taking place at the end of the month, and tickets are available here. The show will include several solo variations and choreography from the faculty. (SLC Ballet via Facebook)
• Tonight, Jun. 20, Salt Lake Community College will be hosting the Juneteenth Freedom Day Celebration at the Alder Amphitheater. For more information on the event and why Juneteenth is celebrated you can click on the blog post linked here. The celebration starts at 6:00 p.m. (Salt Lake Community College via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Fresh Perks Every Week (June 20)

Thanks for following along and staying informed. I'll see you around!

— Michelle Paul

About me: Michelle Paul is a Utah-based writer and photographer with a professional background in content management and registered nursing. When not working on projects ranging from photo editing to copywriting, they enjoy traveling, video games, and expanding their skills.