(Francisco Kjolseth | Tribune file photo) This Aug. 2, 2019, file photo shows a hopping Main Street in downtown Helper during one of the town's regular First Fridays, an event drawing people for a monthly gallery stroll. After it saw it's coal-based economy collapse, the town has reinvented itself as a haven for artists and tourists seeking to escape the hustle of the Wasatch Front and the crowds of southern Utah's national parks. The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the social and economic ebb and flow of the town, but stalwart residents vow it will come back to life again.
Leia Larsen is a sixth generation Utahn and a water and land use reporter reporter for The Salt Lake Tribune. She has covered environment, energy and political issues throughout the West. When she’s not chasing the news, Leia can be found exploring the Wasatch Mountains, sleeping in the desert or rooting around her garden.