At the Guv's annual Xmas party at the mansion, I discovered an unreported cutback in state spending: No Santa.

St. Nick apparently was replaced with a decorated antique Salt Lake City fire engine. Big and red — what's the difference, right? Sorry, Guv and Mary Kaye, the kids noticed.

The swirling mass of lobbyists, however, seemed to have mistaken Huntsman for the Jolly o'l Gift Giver. The line to sit on the Guv's lap extended through three rooms, with spillover into the old Kearn's mansion butler's pantry (whatever that is). True Xmas spirit.

The absence of Santa also may have been a bow to political correctness, budget cutting or maybe the Guv just wants us to focus on the true meaning of the holidays: people — this year, first responders in particular.

Speaking of highs and lows in the world of first responders, the hero of Trolley Square, Officer Ken Hammond, is accused of abusing a suspect and sexually assaulting a woman earlier this year. For details, go here.