State grant program closes application window due to heavy demand

A state grant program designed to boost consumer confidence during the coronavirus pandemic has closed its application window, less than two weeks after launching, due to heavy demand.The “Shop in Utah” program has received 748 applications since July 27 and was nearing its $25 million cap, said Dane Ishihara, economic analyst at the Governor’s Office of Economic DevelopmentThe program initially sought to provide grants between $50,000 and $100,000, he said, but the office deci