The Moab City Council met for their regular meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 23, where councilmembers gave updates regarding the recent art vandalism on Center Street, the current Utah state legislative session and the 2021 City of Moab Grant Program.
Friday, February 26, 2021
Just five miles outside the town of Helper in Carbon County, a fifty-foot L-shaped band of grey and tan sandstone sticks up between Spring Canyon Road and Sowbelly Gulch Road. Upon closer inspection of the cliff known as the Volkswagen wall, it’s speckled with a few aging bolts, delineating …
Akekaphop Kesavadhana, a Grand County High School junior who goes by Sam, decided he wanted to be a pilot when he was in second grade.
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At their regular meeting on Feb. 16, the Grand County Commission voted unanimously to take an official stance on several bills being discussed at the state legislature during the ongoing 2021 general session. County Attorney Christina Sloan outlined the impacts of several proposed bills on G…
Friday, February 19, 2021
A multi-agency rescue effort was launched after a woman fell and suffered an ankle injury while canyoneering in Granary Canyon on Feb 13. One member of the group of seven students from Brigham Young University was able to climb out of the canyon and call 911 after the woman fell about 10 fee…
Moab Regional Hospital, a nonprofit critical access hospital, celebrated ten years of service to the Moab community on February 14.
Hi, everyone! It’s Cosmo, the Library Cat. Have you ever wondered how the writers of your favorite books came up with their ideas? When you’re looking at pictures in books do you ever wish you could draw pictures like that? If so, you might want to check out a website I discovered recently, …
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Grand County staff and elected officials spent many hours in research, meetings, and discussions in the months leading up to the passing of the High Density Housing Overlay in January 2019. The overlay is designed to allow higher housing density on included lots than the underlying zoning ar…
Two controversial governmental actions recently surfaced regarding water rights, as government officials seek to ensconce water rights for development at both state and local levels. Governor Cox has created a new state agency to advocate for Colorado River water and, in Southwest Utah, coun…
As of Feb. 16, the Utah State Senate has temporarily postponed discussion of Senate Bill 168, which is being closely watched by noise-weary Moab residents, local officials and off-highway vehicle business owners and advocates. Consideration of the bill, which would allow resort towns like Mo…
“If we don't do something to clean up the town out here, we're just looking at a powder keg,” said Thompson Springs Fire Chief Mark Marcum at the Jan. 5 meeting of the Thompson Springs Special Service Fire District.
The agenda for the Feb. 16 Grand County Commission meeting included two items related to special event permits, with an eye toward allowing the beloved annual Easter Jeep Safari event to take place this spring after being canceled in 2020. Both items passed unanimously.
Thursday, February 11, 2021
Three art installations on Center Street were damaged by vandals late Wednesday evening, Feb. 10, or early Thursday morning, Feb. 11, Moab City Manager Joel Linares said in a press release on Thursday.
Thousands of acres of land along the largely undeveloped Highway 191 corridor north of Moab are owned by the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, a state entity tasked with generating revenue from its lands to benefit educational and public institutions in Utah.
Residents near a development in Spanish Valley called Creekside Estates are dismayed at an amendment to the plan for the next phase of building, which was approved by the Grand County Commission. Neighbors question the judgment of county staff and officials, while some county officials quest…
The Moab City Council’s regular meeting on Feb. 9 featured a lengthy Citizens to Be Heard period, during which several members of the community, the majority all-terrain and off-highway vehicle business owners and stakeholders, urged the council to rethink their approach to Moab’s noise problem.
According to the Southeast Utah Health Department, 1,273 residents throughout the tri-county region have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Feb. 10. Statewide, efforts to get people inoculated against the coronavirus continue, despite issues with supplies and organization.
Moab Police Chief Bret Edge pledged to improve the department’s reporting of the use of force by officers in alignment with its existing policy at a June 23 meeting of the Moab City Council.
Friday, February 05, 2021
Angeles Lemus-Lemus has been chosen as the seventh-grade student of the month for her hard work, kindness and her dedication to learning. Angeles is always prepared for class, on-task and ready to learn from the moment she sits down. She also is willing to participate in class activities and…
The staff and faculty at Grand County High School would like to share their GCHS December students-of-the-moth: Kaci McKinney and Diego Winn. Kaci and Diego both exhibit excellence as both students and citizens of Grand County.
Even after they’re extinguished, wildfires continue to sculpt landscapes and alter water flows. This week, we talk with Natalie Gillard, a graduate student in watershed sciences at Utah State University, who explains how wildfires can trigger massive floods and landslides, and how these even…
Confused yet? After being canceled, then being “in a fluid situation,” then canceled again: the 2021 Easter Jeep Safari is back on pending approval from the Grand County Commission, according to organizers.
Ronald Cass Johnson was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and spent his life living in the American West. Ron was raised in Tucson, Arizona, until his family moved to southern California, where he graduated high school and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in business management from Calif…
De Wayne “De” Shepherd passed away peacefully in his comfortable chair, surrounded by family in the early morning hours on Jan. 29. He fought a courageous battle over the past year, but ultimately lost his fight against cancer.
Bob Lee Adkison, 88, passed away on Jan. 31, 2021, at his home in Moab.
John Cowan, a true renaissance man, was put on this earth by John and Marian Faustman on May 17, 1950, in Baltimore, Maryland. John’s parents ran a traveling marionette show and even had a patent for a hand puppet approved just a few months after his birth. The family moved to Chicago and th…
Jerry Edward Guido Smith, 69, passed away on Jan. 29, 2021, at his daughter’s home in Salt Lake City. At Jerry’s request, cremation has taken place and a memorial service is pending at this time. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.spanishvalleymortuary.com.
A very pregnant dog found wandering the Navajo Nation gave birth to nine puppies just four days after arriving t the Rescue Ranch. The pups were given the warmth, nourishment and care they were looking for at a foster home and we have slowly been adopting them out since. Little Wyoming is th…
Hey t(w)eens! The library is putting together some sweet Take & Make bags for February. It’s still too cold to find flowers outside, but you can make your own using recycled book pages! The Book Page Roses Take & Make activity bag will be available starting Feb. 8, and can be picked …
Local artist Peter Plastow passed away on Jan. 22 at the age of 90. “He would tell me stories about how he would sit outside for hours picking up dirt just to understand how the dust works to make his paintings so realistic,” said his grandson, Celtin Johnson. Obituaries for Plastow, De Wayn…
Peter Plastow was born on Sept. 21, 1930, to Charles Edward Plastow and Dorthea Frederica Leese in Orlando, Florida. As part of an Army family, he traveled extensively during his early years, returning to Florida during his high school years and graduating in 1950.
Last week President Biden halted all new leases for oil and gas on public land as part of a broader set of executive orders addressing climate change. The order directed Secretary of the Interior nominee Deb Haaland to review both federal leasing practices and royalties from the extraction c…
Rally on the Rocks, an annual UTV event that has sparked heated debates between event organizers and county officials over the past two years, will not take place in Grand County this spring.
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The Utah State Legislature is two weeks into their 2021 General Session, and local elected officials are making an effort to keep track of the bills likely to affect Grand County and to make local concerns heard at the state capitol.
Tuesday, February 02, 2021
Off-road enthusiasts who are registered for the 2021 Easter Jeep Safari, scheduled for March 27 through April 4, are waiting to hear whether the event is on or off. The Safari is hosted by Moab’s Red Rock 4-Wheelers club and has taken place every spring since 1967, except in 2020 when COVID-…
Today, the National Park Service announced an across-the-board mask requirement for all parks and federal buildings, including Arches and Canyonlands national parks, commenting that the mandate is to "protect the health of those who live, work and visit our national parks and facilities," in…
Thursday, January 28, 2021
If you held on to your Buy Local Bucks coupons, you’re out of luck: the successful program has concluded after Grand County residents spent $100,000 in funding at local businesses.
Richard De Jarnette passed away on Jan. 26, 2021, at Canyonlands Care Center in Moab. Services are pending at this time. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.spanishvalleymortuary.com.
Jill Childs passed away on Jan. 26, 2021, at her home in Moab. Services are pending at this time. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.spanishvalleymortuary.com.
John Cowen, 70, passed away on Jan. 24, 2021, at his home in Moab. Services are pending at this time. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.spanishvalleymortuary.com.
On Jan. 19, 2021, Papa Angel got his wings. Dale Henry Holyoak was born on May 12, 1929, to Jesse Gilbert Holyoak and Mattie Alberta Blackmore Holyoak in Moab. He was one of four children. Dale shared his childhood with Gilbert and Betty Joyce; Floyd Don passed away shortly before Dale was born.
Peter Plastow, 90, passed away on Jan. 21, 2021, at Moab Regional Hospital. A graveside service will be held on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021, at Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.spanishvalleymortuary.com.
The Underdog Animal Rescue and Rehab Mutt of the Week is Wanda. A person driving to Moab for Christmas passed through Mexican Water and saw this girl trotting down the highway. They soon connected with Underdog Rescue and drove two hours to drop Wanda off at our ranch. This little one was qu…
Hi Kids! I hope you are all enjoying our beautiful winter landscape. I like to go out and play this time of year, but sometimes it’s just too cold…and that’s when I curl up with a great book. If you’re looking for a fun book series to binge on while you stay warm inside and wait for spring, …
On Jan. 20, Utah’s congressional delegation issued a statement opposing the Biden Administration’s intent to immediately restore the boundaries of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, which were reduced by former President Donald Trump.
What were mammals like when dinosaurs roamed the earth? Discussing Mesozoic critters with Dr. Brian Davis, a paleontologist at the University of Louisville, we learn what these rodent-sized beings looked like, how they lived and how we’re able to learn about them millions of years later.
On Jan. 20, the Grand County Board of Education voted unanimously to name the new middle school building the Margaret L. Hopkin Middle School, honoring the beloved local educator and community member who died on Dec. 20, 2020.
A new highway project outside of St. George will involve a land swap to protect popular biking and climbing areas, but may impact the habitat for the desert tortoise population, an endangered species.
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The different scenarios and circumstances that fall under the term “camping” are broad and diverse, from relatives attending a family reunion parked in RVs on side streets for a weekend to van-life devotees spending a season parked in a friend’s driveway. However, when the Grand County Plann…
Moab Sun News reader Dave Erley caught this view of fresh morning snow on Jan. 25 looking up at fins in Mill Creek Canyon and the La Sal Mountains. “Much needed,” Erley called the snowfall. [Photo: Dave Erley]
Thursday, January 21, 2021
Deserts all share one fundamental feature, as we learn in elementary school: they have very, very little water. Some plants can still thrive in the desert despite the scarcity of this essential resource, as the soil holds on to just enough water for their survival. But climate change could d…