We had a bit of drama and sadness at our house last week. One of our chickens died. Yes, we eat chicken almost every day, but things are different when it's a pet chicken you've named, played with, and raised from a fluffball. R.I.P., Willamina.

When my family and I started raising chickens earlier this year, I was only dimly aware that we were participating in an exploding national trend. We live in a neighborhood with large lots, and in our immediate area raising a few chickens isn't that unusual. However, raising chickens for eggs and as pets is becoming more popular in all kinds of neighborhoods, and the trend has caused city councils throughout the Salt Lake Valley to revisit chicken regulations.

At their meeting today beginning at 7 p.m., the Salt Lake City Council will hold a public hearing on proposed changes to the city's chicken keeping ordinance. If the changes are approved, the number of backyard chickens Salt Lakers can keep will be limited by lot size, with the minimum lot size for keeping chickens set at .11 acres. The council also proposes changing the required distance between the chicken coop and the owner's home from 50 feet to 25 feet. Chicken coops will still have to be at least 50 feet from a neighbor's home. The proposed ordinance also prohibits slaughtering the chickens.

I've closely watched debates that have taken place throughout the valley as several cities have revamped chicken ordinances in response to the chicken-keeping trend. I've been a little surprised at the attitudes of some Salt Lake Valley residents who eat eggs and chicken on a regular basis but still think chickens will spoil a neighborhood's pristine atmosphere. In my experience, chickens are no more of a nuisance than dogs and cats.

However, most of the Salt Lake residents who have commented on the proposed changes to the chicken ordinance have been in favor of chicken keeping. Many have requested that the minimum distance between the coop and a neighbor's dwelling be reduced from 50 to 25 feet and that the number of birds allowed be increased slightly. Others have questioned the ban on slaughtering, since chickens outlive their ability to produce eggs.

Read the proposed ordinance and citizen comments

Visit About.com's small farms guidesite for tips on raising chickens

Photo by Allison Maxwell

The Salt Lake County Health Department is now out out of H1N1 Swine Flu vaccines at its clinic locations, but they have distributed a limited number of doses to selected Smith's, Harmons, and Walgreens pharmacies around the county. Click here for a list of pharmacies that have the H1N1 vaccine. Not every Smith's, Harmons or Walgreens location has the vaccine, so be sure to check the list.

Only people who meet specific criteria can receive the vaccine. Those people include pregnant women, young people between the ages of 13 and 24, health care workers, people who live with or care for babies younger than six months old, and people between the ages of 25 and 64 who have chronic health conditions. Even though the vaccine is recommended for children between the ages of six months and 13 years, by law pharmacies can't vaccinate children.

I called my neighborhood Smith's, Harmons and Walgreens and found that each store is following a slightly different procedure for distributing the vaccines. Smith's is currently scheduling vaccine appointments for Thursday, Friday, Monday and Tuesday. Note: the SLVHD website says Smith's will accept appointments starting Thursday, but that isn't the case. They are scheduling appointments now, so don't wait until Thursday to call. The cost to receive the vaccine at Smith's is $10. The vaccine itself is free; the $10 is an administrative fee.

Walgreens locations on the list will distribute tickets for the vaccines Thursday morning beginning at 8 a.m. Those who receive a ticket will be told to come back to Walgreens during a specific one-hour block between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Thursday. The vaccine administrative fee at Walgreens is $18.

Harmons is currently accepting vaccine appointments for Friday, Nov. 6 between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. The cost is $10. Again, the SLVHD website says Harmons will start taking appointments Thursday, but they have started already.

If you miss this round of vaccines, there will probably be another shipment next week, but details are unknown at this time, pharmacists told me. Watch the SLVHD website for the latest information.

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With a full moon overhead, fans dressed in black, a scary-good performance by the defense, and the shocking surprise of a new QB emerging from the shadows in the second half, it was a memorable Halloween night at Rice-Eccles Stadium as the Utes beat the Wyoming Cowboys 22-10.

The Utes overcame a sluggish first-half offensive performance, with freshman quarterback Jordan Wynn making his game-time debut and replacing Terrance Cain after halftime. After the game, Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham explained his decision to put Wynn in the game by saying, "We were just trying to get some continuity on offense and rhythm." Whittingham said he wanted to find a way for the offense to finish drives, something they had struggled with in the first half, managing only one third-down conversion and scoring only two field goals.

True freshman Wynn had been the Utes' backup QB but hadn't seen any playing time all season, fueling speculation that he might redshirt this year. Wynn passed for 82 yards but more importantly threw a touchdown pass to Jereme Brooks in the third quarter. Eddie Wide rushed for another touchdown, and those two scores combined with spectacular defense in the second half allowed the Utes to pull off the win. After the game, Wynn acknowledged the defense's role in the Utes' victory. Utah's defense held Wyoming to only 202 yards total offense, and only 74 of those came in the second half.

It was the second annual "blackout" game at Rice-Eccles Stadium as game organizers tried to overcome a less-than-desirable Halloween Night home game by encouraging fans to wear black and come in Halloween costumes.

I had a great time at the game, and I wasn't really surprised to see Wynn get some playing time. It would be unusual for a team to get through an entire season without using a backup quarterback. What remains a mystery is whether Whittingham will start Wynn against New Mexico next week, something I'm sure will fuel lots of speculation in Salt Lake City over the next seven days.

Photo by Marsha Maxwell