LOGAN — Utah State University and the Governor’s Commission on Marriage released the results of a study that provides detailed information on marriage and divorce in Utah.

“This study dramatically demonstrates the desire for relationship education, especially among low-income families. The desire is clearly there, but right now we lack the resources to meet those needs. Hopefully this will add to the body of growing evidence and persuade leaders to support family-friendly initiatives such as the one President Bush is proposing,” said David Schramm, Utah State University researcher and principal author of the study.

Some findings of note follow:

• MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE:

Adult Utahans who are married indicate higher levels of marital happiness than married people nationally (74 percent vs. 62 percent)
The average age at marriage for Utahans is 3.5 years younger than national counterparts.

Eighteen percent of all Utah adults in the sample had never divorced, compared to 21 percent nationally. Of those who had divorced, 75 percent had at least one child.

Ninety-two percent of the respondents believe divorce is a very serious or somewhat serious national problem.

• COHABITATION BEFORE MARRIAGE:

Sixteen percent of currently married respondents lived together prior to marriage, compared to 53 percent nationally.

On average, when compared to those couples who did not live together prior to marriage, those who lived with their spouse prior to marriage reported lower levels of marital satisfaction, commitment and religiosity; higher levels of negative interaction; and greater tendencies to be thinking and talking about divorce.

• VIEWS ON PREVENTION POLICIES AND PROGRAMS:

Ninety-two percent of respondents believed it was very important or somewhat important for couples to prepare for marriage through educational classes, workshops or counseling designed to get them off to a good start.

Among currently married respondents, 27 percent participated in premarital preparation, such as educational classes, workshops or counseling, prior to marrying.

Those who had experienced premarital education reported higher scores relating to commitment and overall satisfaction in their marriages. They also had lower divorce proneness scores than those who had not experienced premarital education.

Sixty-seven percent of those who experienced premarital education indicated the education was obtained from a religious setting.

A larger percentage of low-income Utahans (83 percent) indicated a need for some type of relationship education than did the general population (79 percent).

Eighty-seven percent of the total respondents believed that a statewide initiative to promote marriage and reduce the rate of divorce would be a good idea.

The Governor’s Commission on Marriage entered into a cooperative agreement with Utah State University Extension Services and the Oklahoma State University Bureau of Social Research. Oklahoma released a similar study in 2001. Data for the Utah study were collected between February and April 2003, and included a statewide sample of 1,316 adults. Respondents represented a variety of racial, religious, gender and age groups. The entire study can be found online at www.utahmarriage.org.

1:03:19 PM    

Increasing numbers of Utahns are taking advantage of the convenience offered 24/7 at the state’s most popular online government service. Comparing 2003 with the prior year, utah.gov saw a 34% increase in the usage of Renewal Express, an easy option for citizens who do not want to brave the crowds at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in order to renew their vehicle registrations

Since its launch in 2000, over 500,000 people in Utah have renewed their vehicle registrations over the Internet, and the percentage of people who choose to use the online option continues to increase each month. Currently, the online application processes upwards of 20,000 renewals a month, making it one of the most widely used eGovernment services of its kind in the nation.

Utah’s DMV numbers show that over 60% of people waiting at their offices are there simply to renew their registration.

With Renewal Express, instead of having to leave work and wait in line at an office, they can be finished with their business in just minutes, regardless of the time of day. "Our goal is to serve Utah citizens, and Renewal Express clearly offers something people want, which is to do business when it is convenient for them, not just for government," said Rod Marrelli, Executive Director of the Utah State Tax Commission, the state agency which includes DMV among its various divisions.

Governor Olene Walker concurs. "We’ve had 500,000 people use Renewal Express to-date, and I’m hoping we’ll have even more this year. It’s the fastest and easiest way to renew a vehicle registration, and I encourage our citizens to take advantage of this service."

The online service allows Utah citizens to completely renew automobile, watercraft, snowmobile, trailer, and off-road vehicle registrations 24 hours a day and seven days a week, without ever leaving home. Renewal Express also accepts credit card payments. Using the online option allows citizens to print an immediate temporary permit, even for vehicles that have expired registrations (good news for all you last-minute nellies out there). Permanent registration decals are mailed within ten days of completing the online process. Citizens and business owners alike benefit from the convenience of Renewal Express. Utahn Russell Daly has this to say about Renewal Express, "It is so much more convenient to do it this way. Please keep up this great service!"

Stephanie Pappas, owner of Roofers Supply in Salt Lake City, uses the online service to renew registrations on her fleet of vehicles. "Before Renewal Express I either had to go do the renewals myself or pay a helper to go and wait in line and do the renewals for me. I have a fleet of approximately 30 vehicles that I can renew online, and the savings in time alone is valuable to my business."

12:39:34 PM    

SALT LAKE CITY — Hundreds of wild turkeys from Oklahoma, South Dakota and Texas found new homes in Utah over the past two weeks, while hundreds more were moved within the state.

All of this "turkey moving" is part of the Division of Wildlife Resources' wild turkey management program, which is seeking to increase the number of wild turkeys in Utah. The recent transplants were made possible with help from the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) and the Utah-based Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife (SFW). Both groups raised thousand of dollars to help get the birds to Utah. Members of each group also volunteered to drive to the three states and transport the birds back to Utah.

"It's hard to put into words how much the help of these groups means to Utah's wild turkey management program," said Dean Mitchell, upland game coordinator for the DWR. "With their volunteer and monetary help, and money raised through the sale of wild turkey conservation hunting permits, Utah now has one of the fastest growing wild turkey populations in the country."

This year's transplants started Jan. 31, when about 75 wild turkeys were moved from their South Dakota home to Utah. Carbon County received 37 birds, and the remainder went to the Uintah Basin.

In Carbon County, 19 turkeys were released in Nine Mile Canyon, and 18 were turned out in the Gordon Creek area near Coal City. Brad Crompton, DWR wildlife biologist, reported that about 30 resident turkeys came out to investigate the newly transplanted birds. "It looked like a welcoming committee," Crompton said.

DWR biologists also worked with NWTF and SFW members to transport more than 500 additional wild turkeys from Texas and Oklahoma. By Feb. 12, a total of 555 Rio Grande wild turkeys from Oklahoma, South Dakota and Texas had been released in Utah. Turkey populations have been established in eight new areas, and 24 additional populations have received supplemental birds. By Feb. 12, an additional 341 Rio Grande turkeys had also been trapped and relocated within the state.

"All of these birds will dramatically increase existing populations throughout Utah," Mitchell said. "They'll provide hunters with additional hunting opportunities and a unique wildlife viewing opportunity for everyone who visits the areas where these birds live."

12:35:31 PM