ST. GEORGE — John Berg and his wife, Kris, were on their normal bike route near the Dinosaur Crossings on April 16 when he began to experience heart attack symptoms.
File photo of bikers on the Halfway Washington Trail, St. George, Utah, April 17, 2020 | File photo by Chris Reed, St. George News
This bike route is a normal one for the Bergs. They bike 5 miles down the trail to a bench and then back. When the two reached the end of their usual ride, John Berg wanted to go farther, but his wife decided to ride back to their car and wait for him there.
About 15 to 20 minutes later, he called her and said he was having chest pains. He was about a mile away from his wife, who went back to him with his nitroglycerin. If a person has to take another nitroglycerin after five minutes, common wisdom says it’s time to call 911.
In this case, he fell back, gasping and struggling to breathe before the five minutes was up, and that is when Kris Berg started CPR and chest compressions, a skill she learned while working for the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch.
“I just started doing the compressions,” she said, adding that the natural – but incorrect – tendency of most people doing chest compressions is to start slowing down.
“It has to be 100 to 120 compressions per minute,” she said.
While some people use their phone to keep track, Berg said she kept her beats per minute on track through the song “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees.
“Some other places train their people to ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ (by Queen),” she said. “It’s that disco beat.”
Kris Berg spent 20 years as the marketing director for the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch, a company that makes the software for dispatch all over the world.
After repeating the chorus to “Stayin’ Alive” about five or six times, she gave her husband another nitroglycerin and continued. Thirty seconds later he began to regain some consciousness, and then the paramedics arrived.
“I was panicked,” she said. “I don’t think it’s easy for anybody, especially when it’s your loved one in front of you. … I was really panicked, but I was glad that he came back so quickly, because some people don’t.”
Berg estimated that the ambulance came in less then 10 minutes, with the first paramedic arriving on a mountain bike. Due to her job, she had the knowledge to perform CPR on her husband, and she said it was crucial.
“If you have that knowledge, all of the sudden you have a way to keep that chain of life going until you can get somebody there that can really take over,” Berg said.
St. George Police Officer Tiffany Atkin said a basic knowledge of CPR is really important for every citizen.
“You never know when you’re going to be faced with the possibility of needing to help somebody,” Atkin said. “You don’t know if it’s going to be a family member, a neighbor or just a stranger off the street that you may be able to have a huge effect on in saving a life.”
When paramedics arrived, John Berg was transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center and survived the heart attack.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.
IRON COUNTY — At the last Iron County Commission meeting, County Auditor Dan Jessen provided an analysis of potential financial impacts to the county as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jessen said there have been several questions and concerns raised regarding the potential impact on the local government and economy. While it varies in every city, county and state, Jessen said it’s important to know which of the county’s revenue sources could be affected and how.
“We want to keep an eye on this and make sure we don’t get caught shorthanded and behind the curve, trying to react too late and have to do layoffs or something like that,” he said at the April 13 meeting.
Jessen discussed several of the uncertainties surrounding the pandemic, such as what consumer trends will look like as the economy opens back up.
“If everybody goes into a wait-and-see mode, then what happens is it literally creates the recession – it’s a downward spiral,” he said. “Then as businesses don’t have the revenue then they have to lay off more; that’s how recessions start. It’s a domino effect. … It’s easy to see the things that are right in front of our face, but it’s hard to know the side effects that are going to circle back around.”
Jessen said the impact on Iron County’s economy will result largely from how the county’s revenue sources are impacted, specifically the sources that are more dependent on the market and consumer trends.
A graph showing Iron County’s revenue sources from Dan Jessen’s financial analysis presentation | Screenshot by Kelsey Cooke, St George News / Cedar City News | Click to enlarge
The county’s revenue is generated largely through grants, fines and fees, property taxes, interest income, tourism taxes, sales taxes and payments in lieu of taxes. Of those, Jessen said, the sales and tourism taxes are the most concerning currently due to the dependency on the market.
“Sales tax is the biggest concern by far,” Jessen said. “Sales tax is directly tied to consumer spending. … We know that this will take a hit.”
Although the overall impact on sales tax will be negative, Jessen said not every business and industry will be negatively affected, and there is still uncertainty regarding whether people will choose to save their money or spend it as the pandemic subsides.
Regarding the tourism taxes, Jessen said there may be “pent up demand” for travel and hotel rooms, but the tourism bureau’s budget also will likely be impacted negatively. Although people may have the desire to travel as quarantine becomes less necessary, the effect of potential fear and social distancing practices on summer events in Iron County is uncertain.
“We’re just going to have to play it by ear and be very cautious, but we do need every penny that we have to try to stimulate the economy, try to get people to do tourism when that is available,” he said. “There is a demand that happens, hopefully people will resume and (will need) to get out of the house after they’ve been pent up.”
Graph from County Auditor Dan Jessen shows that during the SARS outbreak international travel decreased, but demand for domestic hotel rooms did not, and both trends spiked after the outbreak | Screenshot by Kelsey Cooke, St George News / Cedar City News | Click to enlarge
Jessen said the gas tax – and subsequently the municipal service fund – will be impacted by the pandemic as well.
“Regardless of what’s going on with gas prices, what affects Iron County’s revenue, and hence how we’re going to repair the roads, and we subsidize it with our general fund — that’s why this is so important — is how many gallons are being bought,” Jessen said.
Jessen explained that gas prices have lowered due to low demand and high supply and said that as preventative measures are lifted, there may be an increase in gallons purchased compared to previous years.
“A lot of those gallons are bought by tourists, and if those tourists aren’t driving, then it will impact us,” he said.
He added that the gas tax is currently providing about $2 million to the county for road repairs, which the county subsidizes with an additional $1 million.
“If we take a hit there that means it’s going to have even more of a burden on our municipal services fund, which is what we largely subsidize our road fund from.”
County Auditor Dan Jessen’s graph displaying the decrease in revenue acquired from building permits due to the 2008 recession | Screenshot by Kelsey Cooke, St George News / Cedar City News | Click to enlarge
Jessen also discussed revenue from building permits, which is directly tied to the local housing market and how many new homes are being built. The 2008 recession resulted in a $700,000 decrease in revenue from building permits being added to the municipal services fund.
“This is real money,” he said. “This goes into the general pot that is a municipal services fund that we fund our sheriff’s department and our building maintenance and our building inspector, and we have a bunch of things that are located in that fund.”
Jessen outlined several potential scenarios of what the impact of COVID-19 may look like for the Iron County economy, including one similar to the 2008 recession.
“Yes I’m worried, but I’m not panicking. We’re, largely speaking, very healthy overall as a county,” he said. “Here’s the problem: We have 26 different funds that all have their own unique sources of revenue, and some funds are going to be more sensitive to this than others.”
He added that Iron County is financially strong currently.
“We have been paying off debt and filling our allowable savings and our reserves,” Jessen said. “We are, financially, probably stronger than Iron County has ever been.”
Jessen’s recommendation to the commissioners was to be cautious moving forward and only make necessary expenditures but not make drastic changes to the 2020 budget.
“Hopefully there’s enough of a picture developing when it comes budget time in the fall, that we can get an idea of what is going to happen in 2021,” he said.
While the future may be uncertain and caution is being recommended in regard to expenditures and the budget, county commissioners moved forward with drafting a statement requesting Iron County be excluded beyond May 1 from future extensions of public health orders issued by the Utah Department of Health.
“We greatly appreciate the input of experts and professionals who help us make local decisions in the best interest of public health and safety,” the statement, which is signed by all three county commissioners, said.
The realities of Iron County’s rural location and relatively sparse population make it less vulnerable to the outcomes seen in more densely populated areas. … Our curve has not only flattened, but has been eliminated before it could start. Due to the substantial difference in impact between our community and more urban areas, we urge the Department to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach.
The statement goes on to specifically request local restaurants be able to reopen while implementing “as many recommendations as practicable” from Gov. Gary Herbert’s “orange/moderate” designation that he specified in his “Utah Leads Together 2.0” plan, which was announced Friday.
The color-coding system allows for some counties to be one color while other areas can be at a different phase with fewer recommended restrictions. The orange designation would allow for some relaxing of closures for individuals who are not high risk and would permit dine-in restaurant services as long as they take substantial distancing and cleanliness precautions.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.
ST. GEORGE — Debate over commercial development in Washington Fields was sparked Wednesday evening as the Washington City Council discussed the possibility of storage units being built on 3650 South.
Councilman Daniel Cluff during a Washington City Council meeting, Washington City, Utah, Jan. 22, 2020 | File photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
The proposed storage units are part of a rezone request from an open space area to planned unit development-commercial zone. The storage facility will cover an area of nearly 3.5 acres along a future extension of 3650 South that will be built by the developer if approved.
The location would likely be a busy roadway in the future, as the incoming Washington County Temple sits at the street’s western end in St. George, while its yet-to-be built eastern end will connect to the Southern Parkway. The street currently ends at Sugar Plum Way.
Councilman Daniel Cluff said Wednesday that he was hesitant to move ahead on approving the zone change in that part of the Washington Fields area.
“There are so many explosive constraints in the Fields area,” Cluff said. “Our Fields are in dire need for people to be more respectful of those constraints.”
As the city also currently has a study into future land use and development guidelines for the Washington Fields area taking place, Cluff said he was in favor of putting a moratorium on commercial development in that part of the city until the study was finished.
“I don’t think that’s inappropriate,” he said, adding that he had visited the area and spoken with residents who don’t want storage units in their neighborhood. “I feel the concerns of the people aren’t being addressed.”
Debate over the future of Washington Fields has been a continuing issue as the population has grown over the last two decades. While residential development is welcomed to a point, many residents have balked at the idea of any sort of commercial development in Washington Fields.
The general area between 3560 South and the Southern Parkway where a proposed storage facility would be built, along with an extension to 3650 South. | Map courtesy of Google Maps, St. George News
The storage units were the subject of a public hearing held electronically, with residents able to submit comments online through the city’s website. Over 70 comments were submitted between April 3 and the closing of the comment period during Wednesday’s meeting.
Each comment was read by a member of the city staff. The majority of comments were in opposition to the zone change.
One comment stated the zone change is inconsistent with the area, while another asked the City Council why it wasn’t waiting on the Washington Fields study to conclude before even considering the zone change.
“A zone change will destroy the character of the Fields and the storage units will bring crime and light pollution,” another comment stated.
Concerns over increased traffic on 3650 South were also mentioned, as well as pleas to keep any commercial development along the Southern Parkway only. Some also said they would rather see a park in that area instead of a storage facility.
Others remarked how they moved to the Washington Fields area for the rural feel and to get away from the core of the city.
Some residents, however, supported having storage units in the area.
“There’s a desperate need for storage units in Washington City,” one comment read, while another stated, “It’s a great idea, we could use storage close to home.”
Developer Doug Dennett was asked if planners had considered proposing other projects versus storage units, and he said they had; however, it wasn’t considered feasible due to property being in a potential flood plain. Previously considered projects had included apartments and a small shopping center.
“We thought we were doing what would be good for this area,” Dennett said.
Cluff asked Dennett if he might be willing to hold off on trying to push through a zone change until after the Washington Fields study was done. Dennett said he was open to the idea, as well as going by the study’s possible design recommendations, but he added it also depended on how long the study would take to conclude.
“We can’t go beyond what we can’t afford,” Dennett said.
Cluff acknowledged he wasn’t sure when the study would finish and said he appreciated Dennett’s willingness to consider the study.
Due to the pandemic, however, City Manager Roger Carter said the company commissioned by the city to conduct the study was at least six weeks behind schedule.
The City Council took no action on the zone change Wednesday and will vote to either approve or deny it during its next council meeting.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.
ST. GEORGE — Authorities are investigating a cases of vandalism at Confluence Park and Wanlass Park in LaVerkin.
Authorities are investigating incidents of graffiti found at and around the old power station at the Confluence Park near LaVerkin, Utah, April, 22, 2020 | Photo courtesy of Laura Snow, St. George News
Confluence Park
According to a Thursday press release from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a report of graffiti at the nature park and are asking for the public’s aid in finding the party responsible.
Incidents of graffiti appear to be focused around the hydroelectric old power station with “SSM3,” “Troubles” and other markings scribbled on the building, wall and nearby piping.
“If you have seen similar graffiti, or possibly know who may have vandalized this property; we are asking you contact the Sheriff’s Office,” the Sheriff’s Office said in the press release.
Sheriff’s Lt. David Crouse told St. George News that people should contact authorities if anyone saw anything suspicious in the area or may have come across discarded blue and black paint cans at the park, as those were the colors used in the graffiti.
Anyone with information is being asked to call dispatch at 435-634-5730 or email tips@washeriff.net. Tipsters can remain anonymous if they choose. Reference Incident no. 20W001722.
Confluence Park covers 344 acres where Ash Creek and LaVerkin Creek meet and is managed by Washington County through the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve office. Recently, the park has become the focus of restoration work that includes plans for a trailhead and bridges in the area connecting various trails, as well as possibly turning the old power station into a museum or other public space.
Graffiti found at Wanlass Park in LaVerkin, Utah, April 23, 2020 | Photo courtesy of the LaVerkin Police Department, St. George News
Wanlass Park
The LaVerkin City Police Department reported Thursday afternoon that it was also investigating similar graffiti found at Wanlass Park.
“Officers determined that the graffiti observed at the park matched the same graffiti style that had been reported in Confluence Park,” the LaVerkin Police stated in a press release.
The LaVerkin City Police is asking the public for assistance in identifying the party responsible for the vandalism of city property. If anyone has information, they are asked to call the nonemergency dispatch number at 435-634-5730 and reference LaVerkin Police Incident no. 20L000639.
Ed. note: This story has been updated with information from the LaVerkin City Police Department.
Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.
Authorities are investigating incidents of graffiti found at and around the old power station at the Confluence Park near LaVerkin, Utah, April, 22, 2020 | Photo courtesy of Lura Snow, St. George News
Authorities are investigating incidents of graffiti found at and around the old power station at the Confluence Park near LaVerkin, Utah, April, 22, 2020 | Photo courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News
Authorities are investigating incidents of graffiti found at and around the old power station at the Confluence Park near LaVerkin, Utah, April, 22, 2020 | Photo courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News
Authorities are investigating incidents of graffiti found at and around the old power station at the Confluence Park near LaVerkin, Utah, April, 22, 2020 | Photo courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News
Authorities are investigating incidents of graffiti found at and around the old power station at the Confluence Park near LaVerkin, Utah, April, 22, 2020 | Photo courtesy of Lura Snow, St. George News
Authorities are investigating incidents of graffiti found at and around the old power station at the Confluence Park near LaVerkin, Utah, April, 22, 2020 | Photo courtesy of Lura Snow, St. George News
Graffiti found at Wanlass Park in LaVerkin, Utah, April 23, 2020 | Photo courtesy of the LaVerkin Police Department, St. George News
Graffiti found at Wanlass Park in LaVerkin, Utah, April 23, 2020 | Photo courtesy of the LaVerkin Police Department, St. George News
Graffiti found at Wanlass Park in LaVerkin, Utah, April 23, 2020 | Photo courtesy of the LaVerkin Police Department, St. George News
Graffiti found at Wanlass Park in LaVerkin, Utah, April 23, 2020 | Photo courtesy of the LaVerkin Police Department, St. George News
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.
SALT LAKE CITY — A Cedar City man was recently charged in connection with the illegal killing of a buck deer in 2018.
According to a press release from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, conservation officers received a tip about a poached deer at a house on Dec. 23, 2019. The tip led officers to 25-year-old Michael Grant’s house, where they discovered him driving with a loaded firearm in his vehicle.
Upon further investigation, they discovered the antlers of a buck deer, which officers later learned had been killed illegally in the Chloride Mountains west of Cedar City in November 2018, during deer breeding season.
In addition, investigators also discovered the heads of two trophy buck deer, which they determined had died two to three days prior. During interviews, Grant claimed he had found the dead animals and harvested their heads, but they weren’t reported to DWR.
“You have to report ‘dead heads’ – animals with antlers still attached to the skull – when you find them, so officers can investigate and make sure the animals didn’t die under suspicious circumstances,” DWR conservation officer Joshua Carver said in the press release. “If it is determined that the animal died of natural causes, oftentimes, the person who finds and reports the animal can be granted a certificate to keep the antlers.”
Unregistered snare traps found by Utah DWR officials at the residence of Michael Grant, Cedar City, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Utah DWR, St. George News / Cedar City News
Conservation officers also discovered several snare traps that weren’t legally registered. Grant led officers to additional snare traps that had been set up without a valid furbearer license.
Grant was charged March 27 in Iron County’s 5th District Court with wanton destruction of protected wildlife, a class A misdemeanor; two counts of taking, transporting, selling or purchasing protected wildlife, a class B misdemeanor; carrying a loaded rifle, shotgun or muzzle-loading rifle in a vehicle, a class B misdemeanor; and driving with a suspended or revoked license or registration, a class C misdemeanor.
His initial court appearance is scheduled for June 9. If Grant is convicted and sentenced, conservation officers will also recommend a hunting license suspension.
For more information on how to help conservation officers fight poaching in Utah, visit the DWR website.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Unemployment slowed somewhat again in Utah last week, but jobless claims remained crushingly high during the coronavirus pandemic that’s dealt a body blow to the economy, state officials said Thursday.
About 19,800 people filed for unemployment last week, down from more than 24,000 the week before.
“We are encouraged to see another decrease in new claims filed, though we continue to receive them at record levels,” Kevin Burt, unemployment insurance division director for the Utah Department of Workforce Services, said in a statement.
Average weekly claims last year were about 1,100, a small fraction of last week’s total.
The state paid out more than $17 million in benefits last week and distributed $42.6 million in federal stimulus money through a program that bolsters unemployment by $600 a week.
Last week was the second time since the coronavirus crisis hit that unemployment claims ticked downward from a staggering high of 33,000 three weeks ago.
Though food and beverage workers took the brunt on the layoffs at first, administrative workers have formed the largest portion of the claims more recently.
Nationally, new claims decreased somewhat as well, but the combined impact has left a stunning 1 in 6 American workers out of work, a level last seen during the Great Depression. More than 4.4 million new workers applied for unemployment benefits in the U.S. last week. In all, about 26 million people have now filed for jobless aid in the past five weeks.
Written by LINDSAY WHITEHURST, Associated Press.
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
ST. GEORGE — As Todd Simon listed out some of the opponents the SUU men’s basketball team has played during his tenure as head coach, names like Michigan State, USC, UCLA, Oregon State and Nebraska all came to mind. When looking at college basketball there have not been many consistently great programs, but the Kansas Jayhawks are one of them. SUU announced on Thursday that they will be traveling to Lawrence, Kansas to play at Allen Fieldhouse on Nov. 13, 2020.
Maizen Fausett of SUU makes a breakaway dunk, with 4:19 left, putting the T-Birds ahead 45-43. Montana State at Southern Utah University, Cedar City, Utah, Jan. 4, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
“It’s hard to get much more historic then Phog Allen and Kansas but hey, that’s part of what makes college basketball fun,” SUU head coach Todd Simon said. “We’re going to try and compete against the best and go out there and compete every day.”
The Jayhawks finished their regular season as the best team in the Big 12 and have been so for most of the last 20 years. They had won 14 straight Big 12 regular season championships before finishing third in the 2018-19 season. They came back this season and finished atop the Big 12 in the regular season while finishing as the top team in the country according to the final AP college basketball ranking.
As for the history behind Allen Fieldhouse and Kansas, the program’s first coach was Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of the game of basketball. The original rules that he created for the game in 1891 are housed in the Allen Fieldhouse as well.
John Knight III of SUU brings the ball upcourt, Montana State at Southern Utah University, Cedar City, Utah, Jan. 4, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Since then players such as Wilt Chamberlin, Paul Pierce, Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid have played for the historic college program.
When asked about playing in an environment like Allen Fieldhouse against a team like Kansas, Simon said that it will be a memory one way or another. SUU values the college basketball experience and Simon said it is something that is important for their student-athletes.
“If you can’t get motivated to play big games then you don’t have a pulse in this thing,” Simon said. “I think it’s going to be a good experience for everybody to see the history there.”
Big-name games like Kansas also look good on the recruiting trail. The Thunderbirds played on the road against BYU, UCLA and Nebraska last season. While they did lose at UCLA and BYU, they got one of the biggest wins in program history against the Big Ten’s Nebraska.
Simon talked about how the scheduling helps in recruitment and getting some exposure around the program.
“The real competitors want that, and I think that’s important,” Simon said. “We’re kind of a program that’s been on the rise and we’re trying to get exposure at all corners of the country and our scheduling has kind of reflected that. That’s part of our mission here, continue to expose what we’re doing and make people want to be apart of it.”
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.
CEDAR CITY — The Cedar City Police Department has reported a string of vehicle burglaries — at least 12 cases — in the past 10 days.
Cedar City Police Sgt. Clint Pollock told Cedar City News although there are no strong leads as of yet, it is likely that the same person or group of people is responsible for many of the incidents.
“Usually when we have a rash or a string of vehicle burglaries, it’s typically the same person when we’re getting them so frequently,” he said. “We can speculate that it’s possibly the same people doing it, but right now we just don’t know.”
Pollock said the incidents have been primarily occurring in the northeast and southeast areas of Cedar City and urged community members to apply the “9 p.m. routine” of locking doors and turning on outside lights.
“Hopefully we can get people to remember to lock their doors at minimum, but they could hide their valuables and keep an outside light on to have the area lit up,” he said. “It makes a little bit of a deterrent for those that are looking for those kinds of opportunities of checking doors and finding them unlocked.”
Pollock said the majority of reported incidents have involved vehicles that were unlocked.
He said community members can report suspicious behavior to the department’s dispatch at 435-586-2956.
“We’re always looking for help, if people see suspicious behavior or someone peering into vehicle windows or checking doors to call dispatch and get us going in that direction and give us the best description of the person they can,” Pollock said.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.
CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — The nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the lives of many Americans, but it has hit charities, local business owners and their employees especially hard. Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy, accounting for more than 50% of the country’s payroll, and while most business owners understand it’s often hard to stay afloat even in the best of times, some are finding it particularly difficult to endure the latest challenges.
Cache Valley Bank, Tabernacle Street location, St. George, Utah, date not specified, St. George News
As many businesses in Utah are struggling during this unprecedented time, John Jones, president of Cache Valley Bank, said they want to do whatever they can to help people weather the current financial storm. He told St. George News that since President Donald Trump signed the CARES Act – a $2 trillion economic relief package approved by congress at the end of March – almost 1.7 million applications have been processed for the act’s Paycheck Protection Program.
Jones said 3,700 applications were processed through Cache Valley Bank’s 18 locations, 1,600 from Southern Utah alone.
“We want to help as many people as we can in Southern Utah,” he said.
The program allows for $350 billion in forgivable low-interest loans of up to $10 million to help out the 30 million business owners across the United States keep their doors open. It is meant to cover operating expenses for an eight-week period and is available to companies that employ 500 or less workers, as long as at least 75% of the proceeds are used for payroll to keep or rehire workers.
The initial $350 billion earmarked in the package to help owners protect their employees was used up last week, leaving many in Utah wondering where to turn and searching for a bank that will process their application. However, it is not too late and Jones advises anyone who was unable to obtain funds to apply now for the next series of loans just approved by congress in a $484 billion package.
Cache Valley Bank was able to successfully secure funds for 100% of eligible customers during the first round of the program, and they are determined to help all small businesses and nonprofits in the St. George area overcome the economic damage arising from the coronavirus pandemic.
“We’re trying to encourage people, big and small,” Jones said.
He has seen loans go across his desk as low as $1,000 — whatever somebody needs to get by. The bank anticipates processing 1,000-1,500 more applications for the program.
“We’re not going to pick and choose which ones we help.”
While there have been some reports of business owners in Utah having problems getting started and being able to apply for the program at some banks, Jones said as a community lender, Cache Valley Bank is there to solve those problems.
When customers come in for help, he said it is a different experience than they’ve come to expect from other banks. Their neighbors are extremely important to them, and they put in the necessary man hours and grit to make the entire process smooth, efficient and stress-free for their clients.
Jones cautioned that the Paycheck Protection Program funds are limited, but they will treat all applicants on a “first-come, first-serve basis.” Although they can’t guarantee funds will be available for every application, he said that Cache Valley Bank cares deeply about all small businesses, both existing customers and new customers, and they will continue to process applications until funding runs out.
“We’re just taking people one-by-one and getting them through the process,” Jones said, adding that they expect the funds to deplete quickly again — so it is important to apply now. “Most businesses in Washington County qualify.”
Once approved, funds are distributed in about 10 days. The best way to get started is for business owners to contact their accountant and have them submit their application to the bank at no cost. The application is complex, and this helps to avoid errors and allows the bank to process submissions more quickly.
“They know the checklist of items that we need, and it will really just expedite the process,” Jones said.
The loans are due after two years and carry a 1% interest rate, but given the extreme nature of the coronavirus pandemic, Cache Valley Bank has agreed that 100% of the proceeds it earns on these loans will be donated to local health care providers. CEO George Daines said they are grateful to the health professionals in our communities who are putting their lives and their families at risk to help the sick of Utah.
“We consider this program to be an important and necessary bridge from our present difficulties to a brighter future for small businesses in our communities,” Daines said.
Jones echoed his statement, saying everyone is going to survive together and Cache Valley Bank wants to do whatever they can to help.
“It’s a great way to help us through these next two months,” he said.
Cache Valley Bank is a member of FDIC. They operate four offices in Southern Utah and 14 other locations across the state. For more information, visit their website or call 888-418-5333. Members await.
Written by ANDREW PINCKNEY, St. George News.
• S P O N S O R E D C O N T E N T •
Resources
Cache Valley Bank – Tabernacle | Address: 294 E. Tabernacle St., St. George | Telephone: 435-673-9610 | Website.
Cache Valley Bank – River Road | Address: 1224 S. River Road, St. George | Telephone: 435-627-1100 | Website.
Cache Valley Bank – Sunset | Address: 1091 N. Bluff St., St. George | Telephone: 435-652-8200 | Website.
Cache Valley Bank – Washington | Address: 710 W. Telegraph St., St. George | Telephone: 435-656-5515 | Website.
ST. GEORGE — After two straight days without a new coronavirus case in Southern Utah, the Southwest Utah Public Health Department announced there were six positive COVID-19 tests on Thursday – tying for the highest number in one day since the pandemic began.
A motorist comes up to an Intermountain Healthcare drive-through coronavirus testing site in an undisclosed location. Undated photo | Photo courtesy Intermountain Medical, St. George News
The six cases were divided equally between Washington and Iron Counties, bringing the total to 76 coronavirus cases since the first one was reported locally on March 21.
“We don’t know for sure, but the spike could be from increased testing or a little catch-up from reporting delays,” David Heaton, spokesperson for the Southwest Utah Public Health Department, said.
It was the third time that Southern Utah recorded six positive tests in a day, with the other two instances being March 31 and April 1. Like the two days without a case, it remains to be seen whether Thursday’s spike is an aberration or the sign of a new trend.
The increase in cases locally comes as the state has remained steady at around a 5% growth rate in cases per day. A total of 3,612 cases have been reported in Utah with 35 deaths. The governor has until April 30 to decide whether to reopen parts of the state’s economy because of a mandate by the Utah Legislature.
“There is much reason to be optimistic. We have the most comprehensive plan in America,” Gov. Gary Herbert said during the state’s daily coronavirus press conference Thursday. “The good news shows that our plan is working. It is slowing the spread of the coronavirus.”
Herbert’s assertion is bolstered by a study by the New York Times utilizing statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as state and local health agencies. According to the study, Utah is among the top states in the nation as far as preventing deaths from the coronavirus. Utah has had one coronavirus-related death per 100,000 residents, which is sixth in the nation.
Overall, Utah has had 96 COVID-19 cases for every 100,000 people, according to the Utah Department of Health. Southern Utah has had 31.8 cases per 100,000 people. The highest rate – 818 per 100,000 – is in Summit County.
At the “Walk for Freedom” in St. George protesting coronavirus-caused closures and restrictions protesters claim are impeding constitutionally-protected freedoms, St. George, Utah, April 15, 2020 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
Beyond the legislative mandate, there are the growing protests by some groups for Herbert to rescind his orders and recommendations for closures in the state, including a protest last Wednesday in St. George that featured more than 200 outside the Washington County Administrative Building defying social distancing practices.
State epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn said Thursday while health departments can’t tell if a lack of social distancing is causing more cases to occur, they can tell if a single event or a gathering in one place causes a spike in cases.
“When we identify any confirmed case, we are able to determine their actions and where they were,” Dunn said. “Because of that, we are able to quantify cases and where they came from.”
Another tool that will be used by health departments is the Healthy Together app that was launched Wednesday. The app will allow users to know if they have had contact with someone infected with the virus and better trace the locations of outbreaks.
Herbert said in it’s first day, the app had around 15,000 downloads statewide.
Small business loans released
Herbert announced Thursday that the Governor’s Office of Economic Development has finished requests for small businesses statewide seeking bridge loans during the pandemic.
Herbert said 645 small businesses have been approved for loans and were sent contracts Thursday to sign.
“They can be signed today and checks sent out as soon as tomorrow,” Herbert said. “This amounts to 15,000 plus jobs.”
Ethnic minorities taking big hit from virus
According to Herbert and other state officials, ethnic minorities are taking a disproportionate hit in Utah from the COVID-19 pandemic. For that reason, Herbert announced the formation of a separate multicultural task force to deal with the pandemic in the state.
“These are trying times for everybody, but we have found in data we have more significant issues in our minority groups,” Herbert said. “There’s a higher rate of infection among Latinos and Pacific Islanders, so we want to see what we could do to remedy that.”
According to the Utah Department of Health, 33% of coronavirus cases statewide have come from Latinos despite their representing 14% of the state’s population. While Pacific Islanders are 1.5% of Utah’s population, they represent 2% of Utah’s COVID-19 cases.
Virus underfoot?
While people have been concentrating on washing their hands in regard to coronavirus prevention, medical workers are finding an additional place where the COVID-19 virus can reside: the soles of their feet.
Chart showing the results of a recent study by the Centers of Disease Control indicating the COVID-19 virus on surfaces in an intensive care ward. | Chart by Chris Reed, St. George News
A study by the CDC determined that among medical staff, the sole of medical workers’ feet proved to be the most contaminated surfaces.
The soles of doctors, nurses and other medical workers in an intensive care ward with COVID-19 patients had a 50% positive rate, as opposed to a 25% rate on their gloves and a 16.7% rate on their sleeves.
The study also showed that computer mice in the wards were among the most contaminated surfaces. But the most contaminated surface of all was the pharmacy floor after medical workers tracked the virus onto that surface through the soles of their feet.
The study does not have a great deal of bearing for the general public who, if social distancing is practiced, won’t be interacting with those with the coronavirus on a constant basis. But it does have a large bearing on the medical workers who care for those patients who need to do their job uninterrupted without contracting the virus themselves.
The act of just taking their shoes off after a long day could do that.
“The soles of medical staff shoes might function as carriers,” the conclusion of the study said. “We highly recommend that persons disinfect shoe soles before walking out of wards containing COVID-19 patients.”
A medical worker demonstrates Kizik footwear. | Photo courtesy Kizik, St. George News
Medical workers at DRMC, Cedar City Hospital and other medical facilities in the state are getting a boost from a Utah-based shoe company. The Kizik footwear company, out of Vineland, Utah, is donating 1,000 pairs of shoes to medical workers in the state – including those at Dixie Regional – that are designed to be put on and removed without the use of hands.
“It’s not a great time sales-wise for us. But when you can take the opportunity, and so we decided we could sacrifice a thousand pairs of shoes to help healthcare workers, these modern-day heroes,” Monte Deere, CEO of Kizik, said.
The shoes use a titanium band that is preloaded into the back of the shoes, which push down as the foot is inserted allowing a snug fit. Unlike a slip-on or slippers, there is no need for adjustment after the foot is inserted.
A representative for Dixie Regional Medical Center said they can’t speak for individual donations, but their gratitude is just the same.
“We have received donations from many companies, locally, across the state of Utah, and beyond. Each donation is important and helps us alleviate need during this difficult time. We are so grateful and appreciative of the many giving hands and hearts that are making a difference in the efforts to combat this virus.”
Deere’s own son is a doctor in Iowa, though he’s not working with coronavirus patients. However, he said the company didn’t set out to create shoes to deal with pandemics.
“We made them not necessarily to be hygienic. Our primary intention was to make shoes that will be convenient to put on and take off,” Deere said. “It was a bit of a happy surprise that in this new day was an excuse to help people.”
Medical workers seeking a free pair of Kizik shoes can go to this link.
Margo Wood died peacefully on April 18, 2020, in her home in Saint George, Utah following a 19-month struggle with cancer.
Margo is survived by her husband, Charles; children: Katherine Colby and Walter Bahr; stepchildren: Courtney Wood and Matthew Wood; surrogate daughter, Rebecca Wokibula; 10 grandchildren and surrogate grandchildren; and sister, Martha Ullrich.
Margo was born on Sept. 19, 1943, in Omaha, Nebraska to Odessa and Carl Shaffer. She attended Briarcliff College and two semesters with the University of Seven Seas aboard the MS Seven Seas. She married Charles, her teenage sweetheart, in 1989. Margo served as a licensed securities broker’s assistant for EF Hutton and subsequently for Wells Fargo Wealth Management Services before retiring in 1998.
After retiring, Margo became a licensed group fitness and Zumba instructor, and she avidly pursued this activity until she was first diagnosed with cancer in October 2018. In addition, she served two years as a director of The Learning Center for Families in Saint George, three years as a very active member of Dixie Regional Medical Center Volunteer Services, Governor of the Iowa State University (ISU) Foundation and 11 years as advisor to the ISU Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (CSRL). She, along with Charles, was passionate about CSRL and made six trips to Uganda’s Kamuli District to observe and support the CSRL facilities and activities including her most recent visit in July 2018. Margo was a certified therapy dog handler and, with her beloved Kallie, visited many Saint George assisted living and skilled nursing facilities to the delight and comfort of their patients. She was a member of the Episcopal Church.
Memorial services in Saint George and Spencer, Iowa will be scheduled and announced after coronavirus restrictions on group gatherings have ended. All are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, please provide donations to Dixie Alano Club or ISU Center for Sustainable Livelihoods. Condolences can be sent to chas_wood@hotmail.com. The family thanks the entire staff of the Saint George Intermountain Cancer Center for their care and thoughtful dedication.
Arrangements entrusted to the care of Metcalf Mortuary, (435) 673-4221. Please visit our website at www.metcalfmortuary.com for condolences, complete obituary and funeral listings.
ST. GEORGE — A controlled burn in Santa Clara drew the attention of area residents as large clouds of black smoke were visible for miles while crews on the ground burned debris from behind the Laub Pond Dike retention basin.
Santa Clara-Ivins Fire and Rescue conducts a controlled burn west of Snow Canyon High School, Santa Clara, Utah, April 20, 2020 | Photo by Ron Chaffin, St. George News
“This is something we do every year as the weather and clearing index allows,” Santa Clara-Ivins Fire Chief Randy Hancey said.
The clearing index is used to determine how quickly a pollutant, such as smoke from a fire in this case, will be ventilated through the atmosphere by wind. If the index is low, then it means the atmospheric ventilation is too poor to conduct a controlled burn.
Donned with drip torches and flare pistols, fire crews conducted the annual burn in two stages, the first of which took place last week, and the final burn was performed Monday.
The prescribed burns of seasonal grasses and cattails are important for two primary reasons, Hancey said. The first is to keep the basin behind the dike from filling with silt and clogging drainage pipes in the structure.
Santa Clara-Ivins Fire and Rescue conducts controlled burn west of Snow Canyon High School, Santa Clara, Utah, April 20, 2020 | Photo courtesy of Jeff Germain, St. George News
“If it gets clogged, it won’t release this water and it will back up and flood,” he said.
The second is to mitigate the high fuel levels created by cheatgrass, an annual invasive grass that grows in the spring and then dies off between late April and June, just in time to provide fuel for the upcoming fire season, as well as other dead brush so it does not become an issue during the hot summer months.
The debris is so dry and dense that it burns very hot and fast and typically sends clouds of thick black smoke into the air that can be seen over a wide area.
The operation did not go unnoticed, he said, and this year there was a spike in the number of calls reporting smoke in the area.
A video that includes clips courtesy of Jeff Germain can be viewed at the top of this report.
The rise in the number of residents calling in to report the smoke was likely due to the fact that residents are sheltering in place because of the pandemic and were home when the burns took place.
“We know that this year a lot of people were aware of it I’d say,” he said.
He attributed the blackness of the smoke to the type of vegetation burned, which burns quickly and gets very hot, he said, as opposed to sagebrush, for example, which has more moisture and acts as a slower-burning fuel.
Fire crews are careful to burn only season growth that is problematic and leave the natural vegetation. The annual burn covered 3-5 acres and is part of the management of the retention basin.
The timing of the prescribed burn is also based on fire restrictions that are typically set in place by mid-May, he said.
The cheatgrass takeover
Cheatgrass has become a problem across many of the western states as it dries out much earlier than native vegetation, which can lengthen the fire season significantly. Moreover, this type of vegetation grows very close together, creating a continuous supply of fuel, according to a 2018 article in the Sage Grouse Initiative.
Making matters worse, these plants also have very fine leaves and stems, which makes it ignite easily and causes fire to spread rapidly, Hancey said.
The issue of this invasive grass was noticed as far back as 1905 when the U.S. Forest Service recognized cheatgrass as an emerging problem. And 115 years later it has been dubbed one of the “biggest invasive species problems” in the western U.S. and covers an estimated 50-70 million acres, according to the Sage Grouse Initiative.
Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.
Santa Clara-Ivins Fire and Rescue conducts controlled burn west of Snow Canyon High School, Santa Clara, Utah, April 20, 2020 | Photo courtesy of Jeff Germain, St. George News
Santa Clara-Ivins Fire and Rescue conducts controlled burn west of Snow Canyon High School, Santa Clara, Utah, April 20, 2020 | Photo courtesy of Jeff Germain, St. George News
Santa Clara-Ivins Fire and Rescue conducts controlled burn west of Snow Canyon High School, Santa Clara, Utah, April 20, 2020 | Photo by Ron Chaffin, St. George News
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.
CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — As Greater Zion residents and Utahns continue to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are wondering when they can safely get back to work and return to some sense of normalcy.
Volunteers at the Red Cliffs Mall testing site stand ready to test participants for COVID-19, St. George, Utah, April 22, 2020 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
To that end, state, economic, technology and other entities have created the Utah Leads Together health and economic recovery plan. The plan lays out the three phases – urgent, stabilization and recovery – which are in part designed to help businesses correctly balance the health and safety of their employees while also planning imperatives for returning to or continuing operations.
A major part of moving into the stabilization phase and ultimately getting to the recovery phase, which includes workers returning to their job sites, is widespread testing and data-gathering.
That is why Joshua Aikens, an organizer with Silicon Slopes St. George Chapter, said they, along with city, county and state leaders, have partnered to join TestUtah.com, a free online COVID-19 assessment.
Information on the site says testing provides crucial data needed to track the spread of the virus, contain it and to help find a cure and save lives.
“We need to get back to work and we know that the best way, the safest way to get back to work, is to have the data to make the safe decisions,” Aikens said. “That’s why our time and energy is being spent on TestUtah.com.”
Visitors to the TestUtah website will be met with a standard online survey developed by Utah company Qualtrics.
The survey includes gathering some personal data such as a phone number, date of birth and address, so the assessment can collect accurate user data.
A sign instructs test participants at the Red Cliffs Mall drive-thru COVID-19 test site on how to easily and safely get tested, St. George, Utah, April 22, 2020 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
The rest of the survey asks users if they are experiencing any symptoms related to COVID-19, if they have been in contact with anyone who has tested positive for the coronavirus and other lifestyle and medical questions.
Aikens said that the information is only being gathered by the state of Utah, that it is privacy protected and will be destroyed once the emergency of the pandemic has passed.
“They’re trying to be as transparent as possible,” Aikens said. “There’s very little potential for anyone to be scammed through TestUtah.com.”
Following the survey, many participants will be invited to get tested for COVID-19.
According to a previous St. George News report, TestUtah is hosting its testing efforts in the Red Cliffs Mall parking lot outside JC Penney. To be able to test, participants must first take the assessment and scan a QR Code on a smartphone if instructed.
The Red Cliffs Mall site acts to augment other testing sites in the county, including one at Intermountain Dixie Regional Medical Center, in collecting widespread testing data.
At this time, Aikens said they are testing only to see if a person has the coronavirus. Antibody tests are not being done currently.
Aikens, who said he was one of the early guinea pigs at the Res Cliffs Mall testing site, described the testing process as quite simple, though not very comfortable.
Still, despite the temporary discomfort of being tested, helping to provide the state with accurate health data is critically important, he said.
A sign and orange cones direct participants to the Red Cliffs Mall drive-thru COVID-19 test site, St. George, Utah, April 22, 2020 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Results will be sent to participants through text message and email, hopefully within 72 hours of taking the test, Aikens said.
There is no charge for taking the assessment or for getting tested, he said.
The assessment and the test fulfill a two-fold purpose. One, it helps mobilize resources for those who are sick; and, two, it helps communities get closer to reopening businesses and social activities.
“It’s just as important for us to find out who’s not sick and who’s not been in contact with anyone that’s sick as it is to find out who’s not feeling well,” Aikens said.
Kevin Lewis, director of the Greater Zion Convention and Tourism office, said that the more people who take the assessment and get tested, the more information the county has to make decisions on when to safely return to normal life.
“Our perspective of it is that in order to get the economy going again, we have to have some data that this is a safe and healthy place to be,” Lewis said, adding that even if people are not feeling sick, it is a good idea to get tested to help validate the big picture.
From a tourism and hospitality standpoint – industries that have felt a huge impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic – Lewis said it is important to show the world that Greater Zion is healthy.
Aikens agreed, encouraging everyone to take the assessment and invite their friends and family members to take it as well.
“If Washington County blows that thing up and we have numbers upon numbers of who’s healthy, who’s not been in contact with anyone that’s sick as well as who’s not feeling well today, or who has been tested and has or has recovered from the virus, we will have the data that we need to reopen the county,” Aikens said.
ST. GEORGE — Concern over the financial well-being of the employees of Summit Athletic Club amid a continuing economic shutdown has prompted its reopening with sanitation and social distancing measures in place.
The entrance to Summit Athletic Club’s River Road location in St. George, Utah, April 22, 2020 | Photo by Chris Reed, St. George News
Joe Levine, founder and CEO of Summit Athletic Club, said that when he voluntarily closed the St. George fitness centers on March 18 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, he could live with it. Gov. Gary Herbert had just recommended against large gatherings, and the move was proactive, considering it was a week before the governor’s “Stay Safe, Stay Home” recommendations.
But a month later, Levine said he had trouble living with the effects the closures were having on his employees. That, he said, is the reason why Summit went ahead and reopened some of its services at one location this week.
“What I couldn’t live with anymore was some employees not having anything except hope for something good to happen,” Levine told St. George News. “We decided that if we opened, at least some could have a choice to come to work, or if they felt safer staying at home and had to stay away to take care of themselves, that’s good, too.”
Summit reopened its River Road location at 1532 E. 1450 South Street to members only on Monday, and by Wednesday morning, the parking lot was nearly full. A blue-tarp temporary awning stands at the entrance where employees in masks check patrons and have them wash their hands before entering the building.
Sink placed as a precaution against the spread of coronavirus outside the doors at the Summit Athletic Club River Road location in St. George, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Summit Athletic Club, St. George News
Inside, Summit said they have discs marked on the floor designed to keep members six feet apart at check-in. The saunas, locker rooms, indoor pools and Jacuzzis are still closed, but machines and equipment are available, as well as pickleball courts.
“We don’t feel we can keep people as safe if we reopen everything,” Levine said. “Bottom line is we are going to need our members’ help to keep our distances and everyone safe working together.”
Summit says that before opening each day, equipment will be scrubbed, cleaned, bleached and sanitized, down to the last dumbbell.
Summit isn’t breaking any law by forging ahead with a soft reopening ahead of the state recommendation that all fitness centers and gyms remain closed through May 1. Most of the “Stay Safe, Stay Home” directives are recommendations, rather than orders.
David Heaton, spokesperson for the Southwest Utah Public Health Department, said the closures have always been voluntary.
“We’ve had guidelines for gyms and fitness centers,” Heaton said. “If they do want to be open, we have guidelines, and those that are open, from what we have seen, have followed them.”
Social distancing reminders at Summit Athletic Club in St. George, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Summit Athletic Club, St. George News
Heaton also pointed out that as the May 1 date approaches when the governor will need to decide if some businesses are no longer under the recommendations, the signs are that Southern Utah is on track for a move into the “Orange” or moderate-risk phase of reopening businesses as stated in the joint Legislature-governor “Utah Leads Together 2.0” plan released last Friday.
For gyms that choose to reopen under the Orange phase, the state recommends that they follow space and cleaning guidance, which Summit appears to be following now.
“We have been planning for weeks how to open safely,” Levine said. “I’m confident things will work out, and we might help some of our staff feel better, too.”
Since Summit Athletic Club voluntarily closed its centers on March 18 to deal with the public health emergency, its employees have been coming back to Levine with stories of threats to their economic well-being.
Levine said his employees were hoping for full unemployment benefits. However, some ended up not being eligible because they worked a second job.
“That seems crazy wrong,” Levine said. “In my opinion, they are paying the unemployment insurance and working twice as hard in two different places. They shouldn’t be excluded.”
With the soft opening, some employees are back to work, but not all.
Cars parked outside Summit Athletic Club’s River Road location in St. George, Utah, April 22, 2020. | Photo by Chris Reed, St. George News
“Some are really happy to come back and get some income. Some are staying on the unemployment because we can’t do classes and other things yet,” Levine said.
Some of those employees will have the opportunity to come back shortly, as the slow soft reopening will include the return of fitness classes at the River Road location on April 27.
Basketball and tennis courts will be used to allow the classes to be spread out enough to allow six feet of distance between participants.
Also on April 27, child care for patrons will return while they work out in the center, with three rooms limited to nine children and one caregiver each.
From there, Levine said if the River Road location gets too busy, the other two Summit locations on Sunset Boulevard and Bluff Street will soft open as well.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.
FEATURE — St. George News is making it a point each week to highlight how the Southern Utah community is coming together to help each other through the uncharted territory of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the spirit of the #StayGreater campaign, launched by the Greater Zion Convention and Tourism Office in a call for Southern Utahns to support local businesses, artisans and their neighbors, here are the top 5 stories published in the last week spotlighting the commendable efforts of the community.
The entrance to Hurricane Family Pharmacy in Hurricane, Utah, April 20, 2020 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
ST. GEORGE — The Hurricane Valley, which includes Hurricane, LaVerkin and Toquerville, is about to see an influx of two-dollar bills infusing the local economy with much-needed cash.
St. George strong logo | Photo courtesy of Power Image, St. George News
ST. GEORGE — In an effort to give back to local businesses in Southern Utah, Power Image has started the St. George Strong fundraiser. The fundraiser is selling T-shirts with generic St. George Strong logos, as well as shirts specific to certain local businesses.
Banners displaying song lyrics on Main Street in Cedar City, April 22, 2020 | Photo by Kelsey Cooke, St George News / Cedar City News
CEDAR CITY — Brightly colored with banners with inspiring song lyrics have been put up along Main Street to help spread positivity to community members.
Stock image | Photo by Allan Swart/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News
ST. GEORGE — Recovery from alcoholism or addiction can be a constant battle, and with job losses and the subsequent economic challenges that have followed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the loss of face-to-face support groups and 12-step meetings in the age of social distancing can leave some individuals struggling to cope.
A group of 15 women come together to make face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ivins, Utah | Photo courtesy of Jennifer Burch, St. George News
ST. GEORGE — Over the last week, a group of women from Ivins sewed hundreds of face masks for the Southern Utah Veterans Home and others at risk as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
ST. GEORGE — Earlier this week the County Commission approved a marketing opportunity between Washington County and a northern Utah-based bicycle company that would feature parts of the county on popular social media accounts while also providing volunteers who will aid in trail maintenance.
Stock image, St. George News
The commission unanimously approved an agreement Tuesday between the county and Lindon-based Fezzari Bicycles.
According to a county staff member during the meeting, Fezzari approached the county about doing a destination ride in Washington County with their “ambassadors,” who are also social media influencers.
“They will come into the county and ride our trails and talk about our trails on all of their social platforms,” the staff member told the commissioners. “As a part of their ambassadorship, they will also do some trail maintenance. They have a trail selected that they will come in and actually help build out, so it’s a win-win situation for us.”
In exchange for the exposure and trail work, the county will help offset the cost of lodging for Fezzari’s ambassadors.
Commissioner Dean Cox said he was excited for the agreement and particularly for the project Fezzari would be helping to build.
Washington County Commissioner Dean Cox, St. George, Utah, Jan. 7, 2019 | File photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
The project in question is being developed between the Pine Valley Ranger District of the Dixie National Forest and Dixie Mountain Bike Trail Association, which aims to turn an area at the bottom of Pine Valley Mountain into a mountain biking destination.
“This is going to be a mountain biking venue like no other I’m told,” Cox said. “This is going to be an awesome partnership with Fezzari.”
In February, Nick Glidden, District Ranger for the Pine Valley Ranger District, and Dixie Mountain Bike Trails Association president Kevin Christopherson were in the proposed area marking corridors they believed would make good cycling trails.
The area is located above the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve where the Old Turkey Farm Road – also known as the Old Dump Road and Cottonwood Springs Road – crosses into the Dixie National Forest. This area is also near the split in the road that can take someone to either the Dammeron Valley area or Silver Reef.
Dixie National Forest district ranger for the Pine Valley Ranger District, Nick Glidden, and Dixie Mountain Bike Trails Association president Kevin Christopherson look at a digital map of the area in the Dixie National Forest where a proposed new mountain bike trail could be built, Washington County, Utah, Feb. 4, 2020 | Photo by Hollie Reina
“Fezzari thinks it will be a phenomenal mountain biking destination,” Cox said following the commission meeting.
A proposal to turn the area into a mountain biking destination similar to that of Gooseberry Mesa has been in the works for a while yet didn’t pick up steam until recently.
“The U.S. Forest Service is looking at creating mountain biking trails there,” Glidden told St. George News. “We’re currently laying trails out and doing an environmental analysis.”
While possible trails have been marked, the overall project is still preliminary, Glidden said. An environmental impact study still needs to be done as a part of the required National Environmental Protection Act process.
Parts of the proposed project include the creation of trail loops and a 12-mile downhill trail.
Christopherson previously told St. George News that although the county is blessed with hundreds of miles of great mountain biking trails – many of which the Dixie Mountain Bike Trails Association can take credit for building or maintaining – there are really no high-altitude trails where riders can escape the heat of the late spring or early fall. Nor are there any true gravity/downhill trails.
Dixie Mountain Biking Trails president Kevin Christopherson places a flag on a tree in the Dixie National Forest Pine Valley Ranger District, Utah, Feb. 4, 2020 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
It is anticipated that the area could potentially become what Glidden called a “world-class” downhill mountain bike trail, traversing nearly 30 miles and incorporating a stacked loop design in the lower sections.
The trails will also be accessible to riders of any skill level, as well as offer a new location for mountain biking events and local high school cycling teams that have been displaced by residential development.
Due to the higher elevations of the location, Glidden said it will extent Washington County’s mountain biking season.
Calls to Fezzari for additional comment about the agreement with Washington County were not returned by the time of publication of this article.
St. George News reporter Hollie Reina contributed to this story.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.
ST. GEORGE — In connection with the Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office’s #StayGreater campaign, Canyon Media is holding a coloring contest with a coloring book created by the Canyon Media creative department and featuring local businesses, scenery and heroes from Southern Utah.
One of the pages in the #StayGreaterHero coloring book created by Canyon Media, St. George News
“We wanted to come up with something for the team to do that would be positive, keep them focused on something creative while also giving back to the community,” Canyon Media director of digital media James Kreitzer said of the coloring book. “We decided we would create coloring pages and make them available on our pages. We had been working with Greater Zion and we decided to merge the concepts.”
According to Colorit.com, the activity of coloring provides several therapeutic benefits to adults, which can be especially important during the world’s current environment. Some of the benefits include a reduction in stress and anxiety, and many people have integrated the activity into their meditation and mindfulness practices. And you don’t have to be an artist; you just need coloring tools.
As for the inspiration behind the book and contest, Kreitzer said they began by focusing on the beautiful places in Southern Utah that residents are still able to enjoy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The idea then morphed to include local businesses and heroes as well.
The book has some scenic photos, but there is also a picture of a nurse as a way to show appreciation for medical workers, as well as a picture of the historic Thomas Judd’s Store in downtown St. George.
“Whether we can visit them or not, they’re still here. We can still see them, and we can still color them and think about them,” Kreitzer said.
The response on social media so far has been amazing, and Kreitzer said it has been a big motivator for his team and something they may do more of in the future. Beyond the therapeutic benefits, he said it was something that could bring people together in the downtime while they’re at home.
“We really wanted to create something that families could do together that would inspire them to think about the area they live in, kind of relax and do something that’s really stress relieving,” Kreitzer said. “It’s a nice bonding experience.”
The coloring book pages can be found and printed here. Pick one or all the of many cool designs to show Canyon Media and the community how you are “Staying Greater.”
Be sure to share your photos on your social media sites using the hashtags #StayGreaterHero #CanyonCreates. (See Ed. Note)
You could even win some cool prizes from local businesses, including a Family-4-Pack for one of the following local restaurants:
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Legislature is giving immunity to businesses and property owners who might face lawsuits for exposing someone to COVID-19.
According to a report from Fox13Now, the bill sponsored by Sen. Kirk Cullimore, R-Draper, passed the Legislature’s “virtual” special session Thursday after considerable debate in both the House and Senate. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers are not meeting in the Capitol but rather voting and debating online.
“We should give those businesses some assurances as they work to give their customers assurances that they will get immunity from these types of claims,” Cullimore said during floor debate. “One concern is, will the businesses then just skirt duty of care altogether? I don’t think that’s the case. I think the free market is going to work itself out. That patrons and employees are not going to want to work or participate in businesses that are not demonstrating active care for their employees and patrons and maintaining cleanliness.”
However, the bill, designated as SB 3007 in the Legislature special session, faced pushback. Sen. Jani Iwamoto, D-Salt Lake City, who argued it was too broad.
“It could be at a restaurant or a business… or it could be at a school event or a concert or a rally,” she said.
The bill passed 22-6 in the Senate, with all Southern Utah senators voting in favor of the bill.
In the Utah House, the bill also faced considerable debate as lawmakers push for economic recovery from the pandemic, but it ultimately passed by a vote of 54-21, with all Southern Utah representatives voting in favor except Reps. Lowry Snow and Merrill Nelson.
“Businesses, under current law, simply have to take reasonable precautions under the circumstances,” Nelson said. “Current law would not make businesses insurers or guarantors that no one coming onto their premises would contract the virus. The effect of the bill would be to do away with that reasonable care standard under the circumstances.”
Nelson said the bill would immunize businesses from liability for negligence.
“For example, if a business failed to wipe down a door handle or a tabletop or a counter top, that would probably be considered negligence. With this bill, we’re immunizing them from responsibility for that type of behavior. … I don’t think anyone would try to pin on a business a liability for someone who merely contracts the disease despite taking reasonable precautions.”
However, co-sponsor of the bill Rep. Marc Roberts, R-Salem, said it did not provide safe harbor for recklessness.
“There’s retailers, grocery stores that are supporting this,” Roberts said.
St. George News contributed to this report with comments from comments from Rep. Merrill Nelson.
ST. GEORGE — To boost spirits and foster community bonding during the COVID-19 pandemic, the city of St. George has issued a challenge to its residents.
The city’s Leisure Services Department will kick off its “Stay Brighter Campaign” on April 30, and it will run through May 30.
According to a press release from the city, the 60-minute daily challenge encourages citizens to stay active, stay kind and stay smart every day — 20 minutes for each of the three disciplines.
Staying active may involve a walk or bike ride around a neighborhood. Staying kind might mean mailing a card to a grandparent or donating to a local food bank. Staying smart could include reading a book or learning something new.
“We want to continue to spread joy and to work together, though we are physically apart, to show love, concern and support for others,” said Michelle Graves, deputy director of arts and events. “This time is a gift to stay sharp, creative, giving and healthy. We encourage St. George citizens to be a positive change in our city.”
The daily challenge log, as well as examples of each of the three disciplines, can be found at www.sgcity.org/staybrighter. Register online, download the log and track progress between April 30 and May 30.
All participants will receive a free STG Stay Brighter T-shirt upon completion of the challenge.
Graves told St. George News the idea of the campaign is to boost people’s spirits.
“Through this initiative, we just want to spread cheer,” she said. “We want our community to stay active, focus on their physical and mental health … and try to do random acts of kindness each day.”
The goal is to get people engaged and flood the city with people wearing Stay Brighter T-shirts.
“We are calling on our residents to be our best selves and stay brighter during this unprecedented situation,” city of St. George Recreation Supervisor Nikelle Pledger said in a press release. “COVID-19 is impacting and reshaping daily life everywhere. Let’s take this opportunity to consider boosting spirits and strengthening the bonds within our communities by joining the Stay Brighter campaign.”
Participants are invited to share the campaign on social media through #stayingbrighter or #staybrighter.
As with many people and organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic, the city believes we are all in this together philosophy.
One way to practice social distancing is getting out and ridding one St. Geroge’s biking trails like Bearclaw Poppy Trail. St. George, Utah, Jan. 23, 2020 | Photo by David Louis, St. George News
“Our department provides social, cultural and physical wellbeing,” Graves said. “We feel this aligns well with this philosophy.”
During these hard times, Graves added, this initiative is a way to support the city’s goal to keep its residents physically and mentally healthy along with throwing down the gauntlet of a fun challenge.
“We are going to use this campaign for a lot of things,” Graves said. “We realize this is a time of worry … but we want everyone to have peace and know that this too will pass and we will make it through.”
Perseverance is key she added.
“We believe in the three steps of this: active, kind and smart,” Graves said. “If everyone acts according to these three messages we can support each other, support small businesses, support our community and be thankful to those who work on the frontline. The message is to stay positive, uplift others … be kind and take care of ourselves.”
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.
ST. GEORGE — Utah will be moving to a less stringent directive toward businesses for coronavirus prevention as early as May 1, including a limited reopening of sit-down service in restaurants, Gov. Gary Herbert announced Friday.
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, left, and Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, listens during a press conference with legislative, community, and business leaders Friday, April 17, 2020, at the Utah State Capitol, in Salt Lake City, Utah. | Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred/Deseret News/Pool, via Associated Press, St. George News
Herbert said during the daily coronavirus press conference that much of the state will move from the red, or urgent, phase that has seen orders closing sit-down restaurant service and recommended other closures.
“Because there are many moving pieces, I want the people of Utah that I plan to change by as early as May 1. We want people to be ready,” Herbert said. “This does not mean going back to business as usual. But we may see some opportunities for businesses to open up.”
David Heaton, spokesperson for the Southwest Utah Public Health Department, told St. George News that Southern Utah will be ready to move into the less stringent phase if the governor gives the go ahead on May 1.
“We expect to move forward with those plans based on a declining trend in new COVID-18 hospitalizations, low hospital ICU and bed utilization, and increased testing capacity,” Heaton said.
Heaton said Southern Utah reported five additional cases of COVID-19 Friday for a total of 11 in two days. There have been 81 cases overall in Southern Utah with one death.
All five of the new cases Friday were in Washington County. Heaton said there is no evidence the increase in cases over the last two days has anything to do with the gathering last week April 15 in St. George outside the Washington County Administrative Building.
Heaton said the last two weeks have seen an increase in the number of people who were able to be tested after the state allowed anyone with any kind of symptom to be tested.
“It’s more likely we’re seeing the results of more emphasis on testing with less restrictive criteria,” Heaton said.
The color phases come from the “Utah Leads Together 2.0 plan” formulated after a mandate by the Utah Legislature, which lays out a color-code system for when the state, a county or a city is recommended to move into a different phase of reopening the economy. The color codes are red, for the high-risk state the entire state is in now; orange for moderate risk, where some closures are relaxed for non-high-risk individuals; yellow for low-risk to everyone but high-risk individuals; and green with normal risk to everyone but high-risk individuals. The complete plan can be found at this link.
Moving into an orange phase would mean restaurants could allow dine-in services as long as they take substantial distancing and cleanliness precautions.
In this file photo, customers dine at the Painted Pony in St. George. Restaurants and bars in Washington County and across the state were ordered to suspend dine-in operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in a heavy economic hit for these and other businesses, St. George, Utah, Aug. 8, 2019 | File photo by Mikayla Shoup, St. George News
It would also recommend allowing for some haircutting and other personal services to reopen, though it would have to be under strict hygiene protocols. The stylist and the customer would both need to wear face coverings and there needs to be meticulous monitoring of symptoms.
Also in the orange phase, fitness centers and gyms are recommended to be closed but can open if they follow strict social distancing and cleaning guidelines. Summit Athletic Club, the St. George-based fitness center, is among those already following those recommendations.
Other businesses that would have soft openings recommended would be hotels and tourism, which would have to keep buffets closed and have a strict cleaning arrangement in shared spaces and have all staff wear face coverings. Some personal services would also be opened up with strict distancing and cleanliness guidelines.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.
