SLC in the middle on foreclosure rates among U.S. cities

Salt Lake City is No. 52 on a list that ranks the nation's 100 largest metropolitan areas by their house foreclosure rates.

Detroit, Las Vegas and Stockton, Calif., topped the list, compiled by RealtyTracÂ, a company that tracks foreclosure statistics.

In Detroit, nearly 5 percent of households entered some stage of foreclosure last year, up 68 percent from 2006.

By comparison, just under 1 percent of households in the Salt Lake area entered the foreclosure process in 2007, according to RealtyTrac, down nearly 17 percent from 2006.

The national average foreclosure rate is about 1 percent.

- Lesley Mitchell

Wal-Mart

Retail giant to discuss plans for Sugar House store

Representatives of retail giant Wal-Mart will be on hand at two community meetings Tuesday and Wednesday to answer questions about its plans to build a Supercenter in the Sugar House area of Salt Lake City.

The world's largest retailer is seeking permission from Salt Lake City to demolish the aging Kmart building it acquired several years ago at 2705 E. Parleys Way and build a 113,000-square-foot Supercenter in its place after Kmart's lease expires in October.

The Sugar House Community Council will meet 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Sugar House Garden Center, 1602 E. 2100 South, to discuss the issue.

Other community councils in the area will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Dilworth Elementary, 1953 S. 2100 East.

Wal-Mart representatives will present their plans for replacing the Kmart building with

a Wal-Mart.

- Lesley Mitchell

Utah's Own

State promotes buying products, foods made here

Utah Business Magazine is running a 40-page advertising insert that explains the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food's new marketing program, Utah's Own, which alerts consumers to products made, grown and manufactured locally.

The magazine is the official publication of the Governor's Office of Economic Development.

Buying Utah's Own products helps create more jobs, said Marketing Division Director Jed Christenson. The program also conserves fuel by reducing trucks on the freeways and it helps preserve farmland.

- Dawn House