The Grand County Commission hopes to select the final boundaries of new county commissioner districts by mid-December. At a Nov. 30 workshop, commissioners narrowed map options down to two possible choices, and will look at them again at their next meeting. The body has been working on the p…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a press release on Nov. 17 with the sobering news that the United States reached a record number of deaths from drug overdose in a 12-month period for the period ending in April 2021. There were an estimated 100,306 deaths, a 28.5% increa…
The Salt Lake Express recently expanded its services to stop in Vernal, Heber City, Price, Blanding and Moab. The Blanding route, which Moab is on, stops in Monticello, Moab, Green River, Price, Spanish Fork, Orem, and Salt Lake City, with stops at the airport and downtown.
Jerry Lehman first experienced Moab as a volunteer with a nonprofit called Wilderness Volunteers, working on the trail in Grandstaff Canyon in 2015. On a day off from trail work, he cycled through Arches National Park, and was moved by its beauty.
The Youth Garden Project announced that Emily Roberson will replace outgoing executive director Kaitlin Thomas. Roberson has worked at the Moab food and farming educational nonprofit as outreach & development coordinator for two years after working a season as a garden intern.
Moab City, the town of Castle Valley, and Grand County are all participating in the Utah 100 Communities Renewable Energy Program, an initiative made possible by the 2019 House Bill 411, which allows local governments to pursue net 100% renewable electricity for their residents and businesse…
Maria Sykes first came to Green River as an AmeriCorps member just after graduating with an architecture degree from Auburn University. Her role was to develop affordable housing in collaboration with the community center.
About 20 volunteers gathered at the Pack Creek Picnic Area on Thursday, Nov. 18 to help Forest Service personnel spread native seeds over areas affected by the Pack Creek fire and along riparian drainages.
On Nov. 3, local nonprofit Science Moab launched its new program “Science Certified,” which provides custom training for local outdoor guides to learn about natural sciences relevant to their activities and destinations and in turn share that understanding with clients. Ten students gathered…
The official vote canvass for Moab’s general election occurred on Nov. 16. According to City Recorder Sommar Johnson, 1,856 ballots were counted out of the 3,249 eligible voters in the City of Moab, meaning this year’s general election had a voter turnout of 57.13%.
A 5-foot, paper maché beaver named Chomps keeps watch outside the Moab Arts and Recreation Center, reminding passers-by of the importance of the keystone species and offering suggestions of small actions individuals can take to reduce their environmental impacts.
The Grand County Commission approved a letter to the Bureau of Land Management regarding plans for future management of Mill Creek Canyon, after tabling the issue at its last two meetings. The commission also considered a proposal for a cell phone tower near Highway 313, approved a slight ch…
After a closed session following its regular Nov. 16 meeting, the Grand County Commission voted 6-1 not to settle in a lawsuit against national opioid distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson and opioid maker Johnson & Johnson.
The Synergy Company has been making organic wellness supplements in the Moab area since the 1990s. This summer, the company obtained a B Corporation certification, a designation that indicates a business’s high standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal…
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources issued a press release reminding people that the daylight savings time change will likely mean lower visibility on roads during evening commutes, and that big game are also more active this time of year, creating a higher likelihood of vehicle/wildlife…
Every Sunday afternoon, Herman Herrera’s plum-colored 1949 Oldsmobile is parked outside the KZMU community radio station, and Herrera can be found inside broadcasting his weekly show, Entre Las Piedras.
The Moab City election has been an exciting race, with six candidates running for mayor and five candidates running for the two open seats on the city council. Last week, results for the city council seats were too close to be sure—Luke Wojciechowski and Josie Kovash were within one vote of …
Last week, the Federal Drug Administration gave the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine emergency authorization for use in children ages 5-11. The approval also started a count-down in the Grand County School District—after Dec. 18, the first day of holiday break, the Southeast Utah Health Depa…
If you follow Helen M. Knight Elementary on Facebook (@hmkelementary), you’ll notice an influx of posts showing students doing “kindness challenges,” like writing thank you notes, introducing themselves to someone new or sharing messages of gratitude.
At their regular city council meeting on Nov. 9, the Moab City Council discussed and voted on a myriad of infrastructure updates, including on the sewers, Mill Creek Canyon, and Pack Creek Bridge. The city also discussed updates to their Water Conservation Plan, which is due to the state by …
The Moab Area Community Land Trust announced this week that crews are breaking ground on the first homes at Arroyo Crossing, a new subdivision in Spanish Valley that will have homes to own and to rent deed-restricted to Grand County workers with middle to low income. Construction of the firs…
This week the Utah State Legislature passed new districts for congressional, state house and senate, and state school board districts in Utah. Two smaller bodies, the Utah Legislative Redistricting Committee and the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission, have been collecting public input…
Julia Buckwalter has an entrancing way of capturing the movement of desert clouds in her paintings: she’s drawn to big, fluffy clouds that roll over the sky, bringing the promise of rain; patchy clouds that offer the barest solace from sunlight; wispy clouds that drag through the horizon.
Under the Utah State Government Records Access and Management Act, referred to by the acronym GRAMA, that charge should only have happened once, or even not at all.
Liz Holland, former executive director at the Moab Arts and Recreation Center, has resigned.
Mill Creek Canyon is a riparian natural area close to Moab, popular with hikers and for wading or soaking in the creek. In recent years, the area has seen significant increases in visitation, causing damage to natural resources and parking congestion at the trailhead and in adjacent neighbor…
Some residents of Spanish Valley called in to the Nov. 3 Grand County Commission meeting to say they were fed up with campers in their neighborhoods, and saying that their complaints to the county hadn’t seen any results.
The first ranked choice election in Moab led to a tight race for the three Moab governance positions up this year.
The deadline to register to vote was Oct. 22, but if you missed it, don’t worry: you can still vote in person during early voting—Oct. 29 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Nov. 1 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the City of Moab Recorder’s Office (217 E. Center St.)—or on Election Day, Nov. 2, from 7 a.m. …
At the regular city council meeting on Oct. 26, the city council continued discussions on creating more workforce housing with accessory dwelling units and on changing sewer rates. Council members also heard comments from residents Jayne May and Happy Morgan, who recently spoke at the Sept. …
Mike Newbold and Ross High were neighbors on Kane Creek Boulevard for about a decade. They were part of a quirky neighborhood wedged between the Colorado River and the Behind the Rocks Bureau of Land Management Wilderness Study Area: Motorists driving by the neighborhood on their way to popu…
For over 30 years, local nonprofit Seekhaven Family Crisis and Resource Center has been providing services to those who have experienced sexual assault or domestic violence or abuse.
In spite of Tuesday’s dreary weather, about 45 people attended an open workshop hosted on Oct. 26 by the Utah State University Moab Extension to talk about recovery efforts for the area burned by the Pack Creek fire this summer.
Grand County Commissioners and community leaders are working on a proposal for a public lands bill they hope will be considered by Congress in the next few years.
At its Oct. 19 meeting, the Grand County Commission heard several presentations from county departments, neighboring agencies, and community entities.
Three Moab governance positions are up for election in 2021: the position of mayor and two positions on the Moab City Council. Current mayor Emily Niehaus and council members Karen Guzman-Newton and Mike Duncan are not running for re-election.
Southeast Utah Group of National Parks Superintendent Patricia Trap, as well as National Park Service Regional Chief of Public Affairs Marco De Leon, attended the Grand County Commission meeting to discuss a pilot timed-entry program at Arches National Park.
Twenty local Girl Scouts attended a meet-and-greet event at Rotary Park on Oct. 6. Girls of different ages enjoyed getting to know one another, playing volleyball and an “ice-breaker” bingo game. Ages ranged from kindergarten to eighth grade.
The City of Moab announced that work on improvements to water infrastructure along Mill Creek Drive are set to begin. The work will take place along a 1.5 mile stretch of Mill Creek Drive between 400 East and the Pack Creek Bridge near Murphy Lane, as well as a short portion of 400 East and …
Last week, a 19-year-old man, later identified as Tu Ngo, posed as a student at both Grand County High School and Margaret L. Hopkin Middle School. After school he followed two students into their home; police arrested Ngo for trespassing, and have connected with local resources to assess hi…
Moab’s lack of affordable housing is becoming a defining feature of the city: local Facebook pages are packed with people searching for rooms or houses to rent, the Housing Authority of Southeastern Utah’s “What’s For Rent Wednesday” typically only has five available rentals, and every singl…
The father of Kylen Schulte has hired a private investigator to look into the murders of his daughter, Moab resident Kylen Schulte, and her wife, Crystal Turner.
At its regular meeting on Oct. 12, the Moab City Council discussed a state-funded community plan to add more dispersed parking in downtown Moab, a letter outlining the city’s priorities in the Manti-La Sal National Forest’s new management plan, and heard updates from city staff. [For more on…
Jace Jarman, 33, passed away on Oct. 10 at his home in Moab. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, Oct. 16 at 11 a.m. at Spanish Valley Mortuary. A viewing will be held on Friday, Oct. 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. and one hour prior to the service at the mortuary. Burial will follow the services…
Everett Gist has left the Moab City Police Department, bidding farewell to his co-workers and superiors with a crude and bitter remark made over a police dispatch radio, using an expletive to describe acting Moab Police Chief Braydon Palmer. Media outlet Fox 13 News reports that before joini…
Over the past couple of years, Moab has been struggling to balance a boom in off-highway vehicles (sometimes referred to as UTVs or ATVs) with other outdoor enthusiasts’ and residents’ desire for quiet streets and places to enjoy the outdoors. In Utah, OHVs may be operated on public streets—…
On Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021, James D. Charles (Big Jim), passed away at the age of 66, due to complications of surgery at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, Utah.
Crisp, cool temperatures and long, clean cracks draw crowds of rock climbers to Indian Creek in the fall. The popular climbing area south of Moab, which is within the boundaries of the Bears Ears National Monument, is world-famous for its unique rock formations and climbing style and has see…
After several years with no confirmed director, the Bureau of Land Management finally has a new head: President Joe Biden’s nominee Tracy Stone-Manning, who has been serving as the senior advisor for conservation policy for the National Wildlife Federation, was narrowly confirmed to the posi…
On Oct. 8, President Joe Biden signed three proclamations restoring the former boundaries of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments, and restoring protections to Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monuments, which had been reduced by the previous administration.
Three Moab governance positions are up for election in 2021: the position of mayor and two positions on the Moab City Council. Current mayor Emily Niehaus and council members Karen Guzman-Newton and Mike Duncan are not running for re-election.
