ST. GEORGE — A two-car collision by Vernon Worthen Park badly damaged two cars Friday, but no one was injured in the mishap.
A 2-car accident Friday damaged two cars, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News
A Hyundai sedan was traveling south on S. 400 East approaching E. 300 South just after 3:30 p.m. A westbound Nissan sedan was stopped at the stop sign by the St. George Recreation Center and pulled out in front of the Hyundai sedan, St. George Police Sgt. Rich Triplett said.
The Hyundai sedan struck the Nissan sedan and pushed it through the intersection, Triplett said. The Hyundai sedan continued through the intersection and came to rest partially on the sidewalk on the southwest corner, with a wheel hanging over the deep rain gutter.
All occupants were wearing their seat belts and air bags deployed. Triplett said that contributed to no injuries being suffered in the crash.
The driver of the Nissan sedan was cited for a stop sign violation, the officer said.
Units from the St. George Police and Fire Departments responded to the accident.
This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.
A 2-car accident on Flood Street Friday damaged two cars, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News
A 2-car accident Friday damaged two cars, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News
ST. GEORGE — The Dealer Collision Center of St. George officially opened doors at its new location Friday afternoon during a festive ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house that allowed visitors a unique look inside the state-of-the-art facility designed to bring customers the utmost in car repair care.
Mayor Pike (L) and Dealer Collision Repair Center General Manager Jesse Thompson (R) stand at the entrance to the office of the new Dealer Collision Location, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Located at 184 W. 1600 South in St. George, the new facility sits just one block from its existing facility and provides over 25,000 square feet of the most up-to-date repair technology available as well as services and amenities, such as a rental car company right on site and a comfortable office that helps ease customers’ minds and make the repair process as smooth as possible.
Dealer Collision Center has always focused on maintaining the highest standards in the vehicle repair industry, General Manager Jesse Thompson said, and its new location will further facilitate the company’s ability to keep up-to-date with the latest technology and standards.
“I just want to convey how important it is in this industry to stay up with technology,” Thompson said. “Technology is very important, equipment is very important, training is very important and facilities are very important … this facility is going to give us all the mechanisms and resources we need to maintain that standard.”
It is those high standards, Thompson said, that drive how they do business adding that one of their internal mottos is to try and always return a car looking better than before the accident. To that end, the company’s staff use the most technologically advanced equipment and methods to repair the vehicle’s damage as well as clean out and detail it before the customer picks it up.
Car repair with care
The new facility represents the culmination of a dream for Thompson who has put a lot of his own love and care into the designing of the facility, done with safety, standards and, perhaps just as importantly, the customer in mind.
The new, state-of-the-art Dealer Collision Repair Center is ready to serve the customer, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Thompson said he recognizes that the customer does not want to be there and understands the stresses of being in a car accident and having to have a vehicle repaired. The new facility’s office space was designed to create a homelike atmosphere that will help welcome customers and make them feel more comfortable.
Staff members are trained and available to help customers with their insurance claims to make sure the process is as simple as possible, Thompson said; and, there is a rental car company right on site so the customer can more easily get into a temporary vehicle while the repairs are taking place.
St. George Chamber of Commerce President Gregg McArthur said:
Collision Center’s played a huge part in Southern Utah because we all inevitably have fender benders with our cars and they’ve done a really good job … one big thing that a lot of people don’t know about Dealer Collision Center is they give back a lot to this community, donating to so many different causes and we just really appreciate all they do: for fixing our cars and for giving back.
McArthur, who himself has had five different cars repaired by the Dealer Collision Center, was excited to attend the ribbon-cutting for the center’s new facility, he said.
Employees of the Dealer Collision Repair Center and St. George Mayor Jon Pike join members of the St. George Chamber of Commerce as well as the Dixie Sunshiners in a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of the new Dealer Collision facility, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Ribbon Cutting
Friday’s ribbon cutting was attended by St. George Mayor Jon Pike, members of the St. George Chamber of Commerce and Dixie Sunshiners as well as members of the public who came out to take part in the festivities. Those in attendance enjoyed tours of the new shop, games, free shirts and food from World’s Best Corndogs, Loaded, Stuffed Burger and Waffle Love.
In addition to the St. George location, Dealer Collision Center also opened doors on its Cedar City facility. Located at 845 S. 555 W. in Cedar City, the new business was welcomed there with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday.
Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys tocycle through the gallery.
The new, state-of-the-art Dealer Collision Repair Center is ready to serve the customer, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Inside the new facility for the Dealer Collision Repair Center employees are hard at work repairing and detailing customer cars, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Inside the new facility for the Dealer Collision Repair Center employees are hard at work repairing and detailing customer cars, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Members of the St. George Chamber of Commerce and the Dixie Sunshiners gather at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Dealer Collision Repair Center facility, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
General Manager Jesse Thompson speaks to the crowd before the ribbon cutting at the opening of the new Dealer Collision Repair Center, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Shirts worn at the ribbon cutting celebrate the opening of Dealer Collision Repair Center's new facility, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Employees of the Dealer Collision Repair Center and St. George Mayor Jon Pike join members of the St. George Chamber of Commerce as well as the Dixie Sunshiners in a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of the new Dealer Collision facility, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Mayor Pike (L) and Dealer Collision Repair Center General Manager Jesse Thompson (R) stand at the entrance to the office of the new Dealer Collision Location, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Resources
Dealer Collision Center | Website | 184 W. 1600 South, St. George | Telephone: 435-673-5694 | Towing: 435-467-5201
ST. GEORGE – In the premiere of Mortgage Minute, Shane Eagan, regional vice president of Major Mortgage in St. George, discusses the pros and cons of both renting and buying.
“I currently rent a place in Ivins, but have been thinking about buying a home. Would I even qualify?” Spencer from Ivins asked Eagan. “What are the benefits of buying over renting?”
Watch the video above – click to hear Shane’s answer addressing considerations like cost, equity benefits, financing and more.
COMMENTARY – For the first time in 11 seasons, BYU’s football program will be looking for a new head coach as Bronco Mendenhall took the vacant Virginia head football coaching position today.
Many BYU fans are in shock.
This agreement is a five-year deal worth $3.25 million dollars per year and takes him to a whole new coaching level. There was no real sign of him leaving this season, but he has applied for other coaching positions in previous years, so it was going to eventually happen for him while he continued to have solid winning seasons year after year.
Some BYU fans will take it as really bad news, while others may look at it as great news. Mendenhall was 99-42 in his 11 seasons as head coach. The Cougars have not missed a bowl game since he took over from Gary Crowton over 11 seasons ago.
BYU announced today that the school will allow Mendenhall to lead the Cougars to their 11th straight bowl game appearance, Dec. 19, in the Las Vegas Royal Purple Bowl. As BYU’s coach, Mendenhall is 6-4 in bowl games and his all-time record at the Y is just a win away from the 100-win benchmark.
Over the years, I’ve run into so many people with their own formulated opinions of Bronco and many were good and some not so good. I will say this: It’s tough to have a bad opinion of a guy that wins so many games for one program and always gets his team to a bowl game.
But many people never saw Mendenhall as the coach that will get BYU to the next level.
Bronco Mendenhall
I still remember when Coach Mendenhall asked me to speak to the team for their first team meeting with him as the newly crowned head coach. I recall vividly the look of determination to be great in his eyes.
I always knew he would do some great things for the program, but defense is where I personally see him at his best. He has a great defensive mind and Virginia will be lucky to have him.
Cavalier fans are expecting some ACC championships in the near future and I wish him the best of luck. As a former player, I would like to give him a huge congratulations on having a great career at BYU and signing this new big deal with Virginia. I have a lot of respect for Mendenhall and how he has stuck to “winning the right way,” in his eyes. There are many players that love him and some alumni that do not particularly like him, so I am sure there will be mixed emotions for all who are Blue Blooded.
Mendenhall will be surely missed from the defensive side of the ball, but maybe this is a good separation in all reality. BYU was once known as the original QB factory for its amazing high-powered West Coast offense. LaVell Edwards cannot ever be replaced, but had once established such great things from the offensive side of the ball.
Truthfully, most folks do not go to games to see a defensive battle with very little scoring. Fans love to see lots of points hit the board. Deep down, Cougar fans all wistfully recall the glory days, when averaging 50 points a game was the norm.
Moving forward, there are many directions that BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe and the program can go, but I truly believe it needs to be focused in on a head coach with a “head coach mentality” vs. an offensive or defensive mindset.
There isn’t a coach that will come in to BYU and replace Bronco Mendenhall for what he brought to the program defensively, just like there wasn’t someone who could come in and replace Edwards offensively. BYU will need someone to come in that can really recruit and be a guy that can moderate great offensive, defensive and special teams programs as a whole.
Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo (AP Photo/Rob Carr)
There are many great coaches out there and early talk is swirling around Navy’s Ken Niumatalolo, who had a great year for the Midshipmen. Niumatalolo is LDS and already has name recognition among LDS circles as one of the stars of the LDS movie “Meet the Mormons.
But coaching BYU will be a little more difficult than most schools for many reasons. It’s harder to recruit because of the honor code and Provo is not the most attractive destination for most young players.
BYU is not in a conference, which makes the program somewhat less attractive. But I guess it still has ESPN for now, so there is national attention that may intrigue players of high caliber.
Would Niumatalolo leave Navy? The real question is, what great coaches are out there that are willing to leave their current program and head for Provo, where they may have to take a pay cut – BYU hardly pays market value, which is probably the biggest reason Mendenhall is leaving.
I don’t think there is someone internally in the program who can give Cougar Nation what it really needs, so who?
It almost certainly will have to be a member of the LDS faith, given the Honor Code and other factors. So where does that leave us? Here’s a short list: Derrell Bevell, offensive assistant for the Green Bay Packers; Robbie Bosco, former BYU quarterback and former QB coach at BYU; Kalani Sitake, former Cougar and assistant at Utah; Mike Leech, head coach at Washington State; Andy Reid, head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs; Dave Campo, former assistant coach for the Dallas Cowboys; Danny White, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and Arena Football coaching legend.
There are a lot of possibilities, none of them completely off the table. I hear Steve Young may be looking for a change of careers.
It certainly will make for an interesting off season, won’t it?!
CEDAR CITY — At Wednesday’s City Council meeting, students from Southern Utah University’s fall Public Finance 3840 class revealed the results of a semester-long project about the financial feasibility of the Cedar City Fire Department participating in “Supplemental Fire Suppression.” To accommodate the presentation, the meeting took place two hours earlier than usual.
Cedar City Mayor Maile Wilson expresses her gratitude to students and City Council members in regards to the hard work employed in completing the study, Council Chambers, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 2, 2015 | Photo by Carin Miller, St. George News
When the study began at the start of the semester, it was perfect timing, Cedar City Mayor Maile Wilson said, because it coincided with the department’s decision to part with valuable community resources to aid in the wildfires threatening the Washington mountains.
The decision did not come lightly, Cedar City Fire Chief Mike Phillips said, but with thoughtful consideration as to whether or not sending help would be a financial burden to the city’s finances.
“We were thinking about sending a truck to Washington or sending it out of our jurisdiction to a fire,” he said. “We wanted to know that it was the best thing for the community and that we weren’t loaning out equipment and losing money.”
The public finance course is designed to give students the experience of researching and studying the “microeconomic functions of government and the way government affects the allocation of resources and the distribution of income,” according to the catalog description.
Making it an experiential learning opportunity by combining the class requirements with a real-life application for study is an important goal, SUU Economics Professor Joe Baker said.
Each fall, he finds a project to connect the students to the community, he said. So when he approached the city about working together, the topic of supplemental fire suppression came up.
Southern Utah University Economics Professor Joe Baker introduces his class and their project to the audience in Council Chambers, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 2, 2015 | Photo by Carin Miller, St. George News
“I told the class that to do these types of things you have to let the data speak,” Baker said, explaining that there were no anticipated results of the study. “So we try to do the best we can to give an accurate analysis; however it turns out, it turns out and that’s the way you’ve got to do these sorts of papers.”
Overall, the study proved that though supplemental fire suppression would require some initial investment on the city’s behalf, the exponential financial benefits would be more than worth the gamble.
Taking into consideration oil, gas, and maintenance expenditures and combining them with opportunity costs — the cost of an alternative option that is forgone to explore a specific action — the class surmised that supplemental fire suppression would cost the city $18,218 to aid other communities in need of resources.
The projected benefits, however, were large. The city would reap nearly $212,000 dollars in revenue in just the first year through direct monetary gains. Additionally, the city would receive indirect benefits of valuable field training and experience for Cedar City firemen worth $54,000.
Slide from presentation that illustrated the possible monetary benefit to the community, Council Chambers, Cedar City, Utah Dec. 2, 2015 | Photo by Carin Miller, St. George News
The class based their study on three separate scenarios, each involving one firetruck and varying lengths of time spent in the field actively working supplemental fire suppression.
To provide conservative estimates to the council, SUU senior economics major Kyle Harvey said they chose to present the median scenario. Some scenarios showed that the city could anticipate much higher revenues, he said.
The study validated research that he had done three years ago while working through his executive fire officer program through the National Fire Academy, Phillips said.
Though his research didn’t look at the specifics of how and why it would work at generating revenue in Cedar City, Phillips said, he did show that other communities statewide were benefiting from loaning out resources when needed.
“My research had shown that we can create revenue from this and it would help benefit the community,” he said. “And their research just validated it.”
Cedar City Fire Chief Mike Phillips discusses study results with the council in council chambers, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 2, 2015 | Photo by Carin Miller, St. George News
The results may contribute to future city decisions when it comes to helping other states and communities with supplemental fire suppression in the future, Phillips said, but Cedar City’s needs will always be the top priority for community leaders.
Whether to loan out resources would be situational, he said. For instance, if California was requesting help during 4th of July week, Phillips said, they would have to say no, because it is a high-risk time of the year; but knowing that by helping others the city could benefit financially makes it a lot easier to say yes when it’s a low-risk period in the future.
“It’s just knowing that when we loan equipment out to people that are in need, like in Washington this last summer, that Cedar City residents aren’t at risk because we’ve loaned out that equipment,” Phillips said. “And that we recoup our costs and actually make some revenue to then put into future programs in the fire department.”
Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.
Cedar City Mayor Maile Wilson expresses her gratitude to students and City Council members in regards to the hard work employed in completing the study, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 2, 2015 | Photo by Carin Miller, St. George News
Southern Utah University Economics Professor Joe Baker introduces his class and their project to the City Council and the audience, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 2, 2015 | Photo by Carin Miller, St. George News
Cedar City Council listens intently to the study results as presented by a student from the public finance class, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 2, 2015 | Photo by Carin Miller, St. George News
Slide from presentation that illustrated the yearly expense in participating in supplemental fire suppression, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 2, 2015 | Photo by Carin Miller, St. George News
Slide from presentation that illustrated the possible monetary benefit to the community, Cedar City, Utah Dec. 2, 2015 | Photo by Carin Miller, St. George News
Cedar City Fire Chief Mike Phillips discusses study results with the City Council, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 2, 2015 | Photo by Carin Miller, St. George News
CEDAR CITY – A fundraising holiday boutique Saturday will benefit a Cedar City woman recently diagnosed with a rare and aggressive type of cancer.
Janna Davidson with her husband James and her children. Davidson was recently diagnosed with a rare and aggressive type of cancer, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Stephanie May
Janna Davidson, who was diagnosed with stage 4 appendiceal adenocarcinoma, is the mother of three boys ages 13, 10 and five, and a daughter age three.
Davidson first noticed a pain and a hard spot in her abdomen, and being employed at the Cedar City Institute of Women’s Health, she asked a staff doctor about it.
An ultrasound showed that Davidson had a large ovarian tumor requiring surgery. During surgery, the ovarian tumor and Davidson’s appendix were both found to be cancerous – and the cancer was spreading.
After her diagnosis, Davidson was flooded with support and love from family and friends. She does not want sympathy but has asked instead for “good vibes only.”
“She is a beautiful person with a smile that lights up any room and she is taking this whole thing very positive,” Stephanie May said. May is a life-long friend of Davidson.
May organized a holiday boutique fundraiser at the Creative Touch Salon in Cedar City. The salon staff is offering hair and nail services, and will donate 100 percent of their earnings to Davidson, May said.
Several vendors including GK Apparel will take orders for t-shirts and sweatshirts to be printed with “Good Vibes Only.” GK Apparel and other vendors will donate part of their proceeds towards the cause.
“When I heard about her having cancer I was just beside myself,” May said. “I just knew I had to do something. Hopefully, this will help relieve some of the stress.”
Raina Robertson, the owner of Creative Touch, invited May to hold the boutique at her salon because she and her staff wanted to be a part of a good cause.
“We have all had cancer touch our lives, so when Stephanie needed a place for this boutique, all the girls in the salon wanted to have a part in it to help this family,” Robertson said. “We are all very excited.”
The boutique is an opportunity for the community to get some Christmas shopping done and for the salon’s clients to pamper themselves while knowing their money is going toward a great cause, Robertson said.
Community members interested in helping Davidson’s family pay some of the medical costs can contact May at 435-592-1960, or donate to a Go Fund Me account. Anyone interested in helping with the boutique is invited to bring snacks or drinks to the event.
Event details
What: Holiday boutique/fundraiser for Janna Davidson
When: Dec. 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Creative Touch Salon, 1410 S. Providence Center Drive, Cedar City
RICHFIELD – All six Region 9 teams were in action Friday night in non-league prep basketball, with the region going 4-2 on the day.
Dixie 63, Grantsville 49
A couple of 6-0 runs and some hot shooting helped the Flyers blow out the Cowboys in the mid-day game.
Tyler Bennett scored 32 points and Nate Crockett buried four 3-pointers for Dixie, which had a quick turnaround after a Thursday night game at Richfield High.
“It was really nice to get back out on the court just 12 hours or so after that loss last night,” Dixie coach Ryan Cuff said. “The sun did come up today and everything’s going to be all right.”
Nate Crockett scores, Dixie vs. Grantsville, Richfield, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015. | Photo by Terry Dyches, special to St. George News
The Flyers and Cowboys were close throughout the first half, though a Dixie run at the end of the first quarter did give DHS a 20-14 lead after one. Grantsville matched Dixie bucket for in the second quarter to stay within 36-30 at the half.
It was 48-41 after three, but Bennett got hot to start the fourth quarter, going on a personal 6-0 run to push the lead to double-digits and the Cowboys never seriously challenged after that.
“It was fun to get right back out on the court and forget about last night,” Bennett said. “Today was a fun game. Everybody was working the ball around and sharing. We’ve got a lot of people on the team that can score this year.”
That includes Crockett, who hit all four of his treys in the first half.
“Last night was definitely a wake-up call,” Crockett said. “It was the best thing that could have happened to us early in the season. We needed to be slapped in the face with a loss in order to get better.”
Connor Dyches defends Jared Roberts (22), Dixie vs. Grantsville, Richfield, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015. | Photo by Terry Dyches, special to St. George News
Bennett’s 32 points came on an efficient 13 of 22 shooting and came with seven rebounds and four steals. Crockett’s 14 points included 4 for 8 from downtown. Malachi Otis added 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 assists.
“I knew the guys would respond well,” Cuff said. “For us to have success this year, other guys have to step up besides Tyler Bennett.”
Dixie, 1-1, will face Logan Saturday in a 10:30 a.m. game from the Sevier Valley Center.
Hurricane 52, Tooele 47
In a revenge win for the Tigers from their football playoff loss a few weeks ago, Hurricane scrapped its way to the win.
The Buffaloes had a distinct size advantage with 6-foot-8 center Connor Searle and 6-6 forward Ace Hymas, but the Tigers grabbed the lead with a strong third quarter. Tooele opened the second half with a 6-2 run to take a 28-24 lead. But with point guard Kirt McDaniel challenging the tall Searle in the lane, the Tigers ripped open an 8-0 lead to seize the lead.
The Buffs rallied early in the fourth to take a one-point lead, but McDaniel and his mates closed the game strong, pushing the lead out to seven points. Tooele was within three with a minute to go, but late free throws and a key offensive rebound by reagan Hinton sealed the Hurricane win.
McDaniel had a team-high 14 points, while Josh Parker and Jackson Last had eight points each. Hymas had 20 points for THS and Searle finished with a stat-stuffing 14 points, 9 rebounds, 5 blocks and 4 assists.
Hurricane may have won by much more, but shot a miserable 8 of 19 from the free throw line, including 0 for 5 from Hinton.
Hurricane, 1-1, plays South Sevier Saturday at 6 p.m. at the SVC.
Desert Hills 52, Richfield 44
The Thunder closed the game on a 12-0 run to beat the hometown favorite Wildcats.
Porter Robinson hit a bucket inside to put Richfield ahead 44-40 with 4:10 left in the game. No one knew at the time, but the Wildcats would not score again.
Logan Hokanson scored a layup to make it 44-42 at the four minute mark. After a Richfield turnover, Hokanson then nailed a 3-pointer from the corner to put the Thunder ahead 45-44 with 3:44 left.
Both teams missed front end of one-and-one free throws over the next two minutes before DH pushed the lead to 47-44 on two freebies by Marcus McKone with 1:07 to play.
Richfield tried to go inside, but missed two contested post shots and Hokanson hit three free throws to make it 48-44 with 35 seconds left.
Another Richfield turnover led to two more free throws by Hokanson to make it 50-44 with 22 seconds to play and McKone hit a layup with one second left ot close out the 12-0 game-clinching run.
McKone led the team with 17 points, with Hokanson right behind him with 16. DH forced 16 turnovers and allowed just 36 percent shooting from the Wildcats. Easton Hunt was the top scorer for RHS with 16 points.
The Thunder, 2-0, will face Morgan at noon Saturday on the second day of the 3A Preview at the Sevier Valley Center.
Logan 70, Pine View 50
The SVC arena was buzzing after the hot-shooting game by the Grizzlies, who made 12 of 19 3-pointers in the blowout win over the Panthers.
“Man, if they shoot like that every game, they won’t lose much,” said PV coach Darrell Larsen. “They were hot.”
All-totaled, Logan made 27 of 45 shots in the game for a whopping 60 percent from the floor. The ringleader was Rylan Jones, who made 7 of 8 shots (including 4 of 5 from deep) for 18 points. The kicker: he’s only a freshman.
Logan’s Jared Bagley, who had 16 points on 6 of 9 shooting, also handed out seven assists. He’s a sophomore.
Pine View hung relatively close in the first half behind the strength of post Cody Ruesch, who finished the night with 16 points and 5 rebounds. But with the score 40-25 at the half, Logan left no doubt which team would emerge victorious by going on 13-3 run to start the second half.
Pine View made just 18 of 47 shots for 38 percent, and just 4 of 18 3-pointers, 22 percent.
Logan had 22 assists on its 27 made baskets.
The Panthers, 2-1, play early Saturday with a 9 a.m. date with Grantsville. Logan, 2-0, will face Dixie immediately following.
Cedar 59, Morgan 32
The Redmen destroyed the Trojans, with Keenan Neilson holding the cannon.
The Cedar junior guard had 16 points and played a solid floor game at the point, sharing with seven teammates in the scoring.
This one was never a contest as Cedar led 16-4 after one quarter and 31-17 at halftime. The Trojans never got closer than 14 the rest of the game.
It was a good bounce back game as Cedar was coming off a 19-point loss to Salem Hills in which coach Craig Cardon said his team looked “jittery” and “nervous.”
It was a balanced effort as well as six Redmen scored at least six points, with Abraham Brower chipping in nine, Ethan Fletcher and Mason Fakahua adding eight each, Ben Brinkerhoff scoring seven and Braden garrett getting six.
The Redmen, 1-1, will battle Manti at 7:30 p.m. in Richfield Saturday night.
Juan Diego 62, Snow Canyon 44
In Draper, the rough start to the season continued for the Warriors, who were right in the game until the fourth quarter.
Trailing just 39-36 heading into the final period, Snow Canyon ran out of gas, getting outscored 23-8 in the final eight minutes.
Big guy Justin Loveless had 13 points and Brock Staheli scored 12 for SC, which fell to 0-3 with three straight rod games. The Warriors play two more on the road before some games in St. George for the Coach Walk Classic.
SC doesn’t play a true home game until mid-January in what coach James Brown called a “scheduling quirk.” The Warriors do play five home games in January.
Avery Ames and JD Ahlstrom scored 14 each to lead the Soaring Eagle.
ST. GEORGE – It’s a life or death situation that’s fun for the whole family. The Mystery Escape Room, a new entertainment venue in St. George, challenges groups to solve a series of puzzles, codes and equations to make good their escape from a locked room. The challenge lasts for 60 minutes and requires teamwork and mental agility to succeed. Since the business opened Nov. 9, no one has escaped.
“It’s a way to get away from being inside your phone or inside your device and getting outside of that and interacting with other people, to use your mind, instead of Google, to solve things, to solve puzzles,” Jeff Tuscano, manager of the St. George location, said.
Located in the historic Sheriff Hardy home in Ancestor Square, groups of eight to 12 people can choose between two scenarios, Moriarty’s Parlor or The Ghosts of Christmas, both designed to pit brainpower against the clock. The business hopes to lure families, businesses and students into its web.
Owner Les Pardew opened the original Mystery Escape Room in Salt Lake City last November with an eye on corporate clients.
“We always knew this would be a great activity for corporations,” Pardew said. “We thought that we were going to have to go out and solicit them. What surprised us was, when we opened, they started coming to us almost immediately. We were very pleasantly surprised that it just kind of grew on its own.”
Pardew said about half of his business comes from corporate clients who were looking for new and unique teambuilding opportunities. Both sites are located close to lodging and restaurants for the ease of visiting groups.
The Mystery Escape Room in Salt Lake City currently hosts about 50 groups a week or roughly 500 people, Pardew said. Of those, 200 to 300 participants are from businesses. Corporate clients fill the rooms during the day and students, families and fun-seekers account for most of the evening bookings.
Business has been so brisk, the Salt Lake location will soon move to larger digs, expanding from its current three rooms to five rooms, with one of the rooms designated for smaller groups.
“Now that we’ve had it running for a year and we’ve had a great response to it,” he said, “it’s time to move forward and build a state-of-the-art facility that is more immersive.”
Pardew, his wife and his five children run the escape rooms as a family business. Not long after opening up north, the Pardews began searching for a second location. After reviewing sites in neighboring states, St. George was chosen, not only for its common media market but because it feels like home.
“St. George just felt right,” he said.
The Pardews are part of a very small group of owners with multiple escape room locations. When they began the project 18 months ago, Pardew said, there were only half a dozen locations nationwide.
Today there are more than 300 escape room venues across the country. Pardew described the phenomenon as the newest kid on the block when it comes to entertainment. The industry is moving so quickly franchises are now available and Pardew and other owners are working to form an association of owners to bring together their talents and creative vision.
Pardew and company have a competitive advantage when it comes to dreaming up new adventures for their guests. Pardew spent more than 30 years as a video game developer with more than 160 published titles to his credit. He said many owners struggle to come up with new scenarios for their escape rooms.
“We kind of have that locked up,” he said.
Although escape rooms have been flourishing in Europe and Asia for almost a decade, the concept is still relatively new in the U.S. Pardew plans to ride the wave of growth as the idea catches on. Although he sees similarities between the birth of the video game industry and the escape room craze, he doesn’t expect the same exponential growth.
“I don’t see escape games becoming something like that because I think that they’re too closely aligned with other live-action entertainment types,” he said.
While escape rooms may be in competition with other entertainment businesses, the concept and the ability for anyone to participate sets it apart from other recreation.
“Once you’ve gone through it and you’ve experienced it, you’re going to understand it so much better,” Pardew said. “It’s like stepping into a movie. It’s not role playing. You’re playing yourself.”
ST. GEORGE – It wasn’t the best night of hoops for the Region 9 girls teams Friday, with southern Utah squads taking four losses.
Springville 49, Pine View 32
Though Springville led from start to finish, the game stayed close till the last few minutes when the Lady Panthers were forced to foul and Springville nailed its free throws at the end.
“We played a good team tonight,” said Pine View head coach Chris Brinagh. “We scheduled tough teams in the early season to gauge where we are as a team and where we need to improve so that we don’t have these losing scores in region play.”
The Red Devils jumped out early taking a quick 9-2 lead halfway through the first quarter. A basket by Stefani Gleave and five straight points by Kenya Schone pulled the Panthers to within one at the end of the first 10-9.
Pine View’s Natasha Fiame (32), Pine View vs. Springville, Girls Basketball, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
In the second quarter, Pine View continued its stiff defense, but could not find a way to get the basketball in the hoop. The Red Devils limited Pine View’s scoring to a Celeste Fiame field goal and a Saraven Allen free throw. At the half, the score still favored Springville, 17-12.
“We knew that (Lydia) Austin and (Olivia) Park were their best shooters,” said Panther wing Stefani Gleave. “We did a good job on closing out on them in the first half.”
In the third quarter, Springville extended the lead to 25-14 thanks to two 3-pointers from Park. The lead grew to 29-16 when Park hit two free throws. The Panthers closed the quarter on an 8-2 run with Tayvia Ah Quin hitting two baskets to close the period. Pine View trailed by seven 30-23.
Pine View pressed the Red Devils in the fourth quarter. However, Springville was able to break the press and create scoring opportunities in the process for post Savannah Sumsion. She accounted for all of Springville’s points in the first five minutes of the final period, hitting three field goals and four out of six free throws for 10 points.
Pine View’s Tayvia AhQuin (24) dives for a loose ball, Pine View vs. Springville, Girls Basketball, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
Offensively, the Panthers played much better after the break. “We played better offensively in the second half,” said Fiame. “We began to post up their smaller players and get some points around the basket.”
Pine View kept with the Red Devils but were still not able to cut into the lead.
With 1:35 remaining and the Panthers trailing by 10 points, Brinagh called a timeout. The Panthers attempted to steal the ball, but immediately fouled afterward when unsuccessful. The Red Devils hit seven of their last 10 free throws while Pine View could not capitalize at the other end.
Brinagh said he is still looking for someone to fill Claire Newby’s role as the point guard. Newby, who broke her collar bone in the last game, will be out 5-7 weeks.
“Celeste Fiame came in and did some good things,” said Brinagh. “She penetrated well and also saw the court well.”
Springville was led by Park’s 15 points. Austin and Sumsion scored 14 apiece. For Pine View, Ah Quin and Schone scored nine and six points, respectively. Springville improves to 3-0 while the Panthers fall to 1-1.
Pine View will play again on Thursday when the Panthers will host Enterprise.
North Sanpete 42, Hurricane 35
The Lady Tigers played well on the road at North Sanpete and held the lead at halftime, 23-21. The Lady Hawks surged ahead in the third quarter and built on the lead in the fourth to prevail 42-35.
“We played great team defense,” said Hurricane head coach Franci Homer. “In the first half, Jayden Langford did a good job distributing the ball and getting her teammates in good scoring position. She ran into foul trouble in the third quarter and that stalled our offense.”
Hurricane could only muster four points in the third quarter. In the fourth the Tigers were forced to foul and North Sanpete was able to hit the free throws late. Individually for the Tigers, Morgan Huntsman and Taylor Anderson had 12 and 10 points, respectively. Huntsman also recorded eight rebounds. Post Carrie Marshall had six points and 12 rebounds. Kyrie Stephens recorded five steals.
Hurricane travels to Manti Saturday for a 5 p.m. game.
Snow Canyon 56, Pleasant Grove 42
The Lady Warriors came out strong in the first quarter, nearly blanking 5A Pleasant Grove with a 20-2 margin. But the Lady Vikings reciprocated in the second quarter, pulling nearly even at halftime 25-24.
After a close third quarter, Snow Canyon began the fourth with only a 40-37 lead. Stiff defense in the fourth has been the Warriors trademark early in the season as they have outscored opponents 37-13 in the last two games.
“I am really proud of how the girls held on,” said Warrior head coach Dan Roden. “They took control of the game in the fourth quarter.”
Individually for the Lady Warriors, Madison Mooring had 22 points, three assists and three steals. Nikenna Durante had 11 points and five rebounds. Shaylee Reed recorded 10 points.
Pleasant Grove drops to 2-2. Snow Canyon moves to 2-0 and will play Granger Saturday at 11 a.m.
Salem Hills 73, Desert Hills 60
The 4A Salem Hills Skyhawks defeated the Lady Thunder on their home court in the late game of a triple-header at the Rock Canyon Holiday Classic. The second quarter proved decisive as the Lady Skyhawks outscored Desert Hills 27-12.
Lauren Gustin led four teammates in double-figures with 26 points for Salem Hills. Also scoring in double-figures were Erin Parker (17), Jane Nelson (11) and Sadie Hodgson (10). For Desert Hills, Ashley Beckstrand scored 25 points. Elly Williams poured in 20.
Salem Hills improves to 2-1. The Thunder fall to 1-1. Desert Hills will play Pleasant Grove Saturday. Game time is set for 2 p.m.
Centennial (NV) 75, Cedar 32
Preseason Region 9 favorite Cedar ran into a hot Centennial squad that handily outscored the Lady Reds in each quarter. Courtney Morley had seven points for Cedar. Morgan Myers and Carly Davis chipped in six points apiece.
Cedar will host Springville Saturday at 4 p.m.
Pine View's Natasha Fiame (32), Pine View vs. Springville, Girls Basketball, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
Pine View's Tayvia AhQuin (24) dives for a loose ball, Pine View vs. Springville, Girls Basketball, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
Pine View's Claire Newby (center) is out with a broken clavicle, Pine View vs. Springville, Girls Basketball, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
Pine View's Kenya Schone (34), Pine View vs. Springville, Girls Basketball, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
Pine View's Stefani Gleave (31), Pine View vs. Springville, Girls Basketball, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
Pine View's Celeste Fiame (1), Pine View vs. Springville, Girls Basketball, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
Pine View's Saraven Allen (3), Pine View vs. Springville, Girls Basketball, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
Pine View's Tayvia AhQuin (24), Pine View vs. Springville, Girls Basketball, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
Pine View's Tayvia AhQuin (24), Pine View vs. Springville, Girls Basketball, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
Pine View head coach Chris Brinagh, Pine View vs. Springville, Girls Basketball, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
Pine View's Rachel Lusk (21), Pine View vs. Springville, Girls Basketball, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
Pine View's Breana Moeai (33), Pine View vs. Springville, Girls Basketball, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
Pine View's Kenya Schone (34), Pine View vs. Springville, Girls Basketball, St. George, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
WASHINGTON COUNTY — An 18-passenger limousine caught fire on Interstate 15 with nine members of the Los Amos de la Sierra band inside.
The limousine was travelling southbound on Interstate 15 near mile marker 13 when the rear passenger-side wheel suddenly froze up, breaking the rear axle in half and starting a tire on fire.
Officers responded to the report of a fire a little before 7 p.m. and found nine men on the side of the freeway near a white limousine. Officers discovered charring around the passenger-side wheel well and next to the vehicle, Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Danny Ferguson said.
The driver had pulled over to the emergency lane and come to a stop as smoke filled the interior of the vehicle. All nine passengers and the driver got out safely, and the fire in the wheel well was extinguished by band members using bottles of water before emergency vehicles arrived, Los Amos de la Sierra Band member Jesus Soto said.
The Los Amos de la Sierra band was traveling from Greeley, Colorado, to Los Angeles to perform in two different venues before returning to their homes in Greeley.
“We are supposed to be in L.A. by 3 p.m.,” Soto said, “but it doesn’t look good right now.”
Utah Highway Patrol and fire crews responded to the scene, but difficulties for the band continued as they waited for a towing service capable of transporting a vehicle measuring over 30 feet in length, Ferguson said. Members of the band were unsure of where they would spend the night, or when the limo could be repaired.
The Utah Highway Patrol remained with the inoperable limousine until a tow truck arrived on scene.
Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.
An 18-passenger limousine carrying nine members of Los Amos de la Sierra catches fire as rear wheel freezes on Interstate 15 in Washington County, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015| Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News
An 18-passenger limousine carrying nine members of Los Amos de la Sierra catches fire as rear wheel freezes on Interstate 15 in Washington County, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015| Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News
An 18-passenger limousine carrying nine members of Los Amos de la Sierra catches fire as rear wheel freezes on Interstate 15 in Washington County, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015| Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News
An 18-passenger limousine carrying nine members of Los Amos de la Sierra catches fire as rear wheel freezes on Interstate 15 in Washington County, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015| Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News
An 18-passenger limousine carrying nine members of Los Amos de la Sierra catches fire as rear wheel freezes on Interstate 15 in Washington County, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015| Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News
An 18-passenger limousine carrying nine members of Los Amos de la Sierra catches fire as rear wheel freezes on Interstate 15 in Washington County, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015| Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News
ST. GEORGE – Area residents warmed themselves by fire pits and strolled down Main Street in St. George Friday night, enjoying the usual offerings of “George, Streetfest on Main”: music, vendors, food trucks and good vibes.
Various prizes were given away at 8 p.m. by the Town Crier on the Main stage before the winner of the annual “Gingerbread Tour” was revealed.
Gingerbread Tour 2015 meme, St. George News
Ten downtown businesses took part in the season’s “Gingerbread Tour,” with merchants making, baking, crafting and displaying their creations of edible masterpieces from castles to courthouses. The imaginative gingerbread houses had been on display since Tuesday and continued vying for votes at Streetfest until ballots were counted.
Mayor Jon Pike announced the 2015 “Gingerbread Tour” winner, Twenty-Five Main, and awarded the restaurant possession of the coveted rotating trophy that 2014 winner, Judd’s Store, has held for the past year.
The Jazz Garden offered a more relaxed alternative where Streetfest-goers could enjoy some vocal jazz tunes from Crooner Jim Griffiths.
DJ Lex was spinning lively Christmas tunes on the Main Stage, followed by Bloomington Elementary Choir and Desert Hills High School Jazz Band. Headliner Soul What!? closed out the evening with an energetic set.
“George, Streetfest on Main” will next rock and warm Historic Downtown on the first Friday in January, with a Masquerade-themed New Year’s Day night. So start working on those costumes and plan to start the New Year off with the city’s monthly community fest Jan. 1.
Resources
George, Streetfest on Main – First Friday | Facebook page
Twenty-Five Main | 25 N. Main St., St George | Telephone 435-628-7110 | website
REVIEW — For the first time, Disney’s Pixar Animation Studios has released two animated films in the same year. Film critics Bruce Bennett and Adam Mast discuss the merits of “The Good Dinosaur.”
ANCHORAGE – Dixie State saw its 2015 season come to an end as the eighth-seeded Red Storm’s upset bid of No. 9-ranked and west region top-seed Alaska Anchorage came up just short in a five-set thriller, 18-25, 25-15, 21-25, 25-20, 12-15, Friday night at the NCAA Division II West Regional Volleyball Championship in the Alaska Airlines Center.
After dropping the opening set, the Storm (19-11) rolled through the second set, breaking an 11-11 tie with six-straight points as part of a 14-4 run, to even the match at a set apiece. Freshman Taylor Duryea tallied two of her set-high four kills in the frame, while Delayne Daniel started the rally with a kill and the Storm scored five-consecutive points with her on serve.
The Seawolves (27-2) fought back in game three, scoring 11 of the stanza’s first 15 points to jump out to an 11-4 lead. DSU hung tough, however, as the Storm slowly chipped away at the deficit and pulled to within three points on a couple of occasions late in the set on pair of Duryea kills, but UAA hitter Caitlin Hanson put away the final point of the set to give the Seawolves a 2-1 advantage.
Dixie State bolted out to a quick 4-1 lead to start set four and had a 6-4 edge after a Makenzi Bird-Murphey kill, but the Seawolves rallied to score 10 of the frame’s next 15 points to take control of the set at 14-11. DSU clawed back with a 5-1 spurt to reclaim the lead at 16-15 and force a UAA timeout. However the stoppage in play did not slow down the Storm’s momentum as DSU extended its lead to 20-16 and clinched the set on consecutive blocks from Duryea and junior Lindsay Jones to force a deciding fifth game.
Lindsay Jones, Dixie State University Volleyball, St. George, Utah, Sept. 2, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
The Storm looked as if they were poised for their second regional first-round upset in as many years in the early going of set five as DSU raced out to a 7-3 lead. Bird-Murphey tallied two kills during the run, while Duryea had a kill and an ace, which forced UAA to call another time out and silence the crowd of just over 2,600 fans.
Unlike the Seawolves’ time out in the previous set, this stoppage put a stop to Dixie’s momentum as Alaska Anchorage came back out on the court and rattled off four-straight points to tie the score at 7-7. After a Bird-Murphey kill gave the Storm the lead back at 8-7 at the crossover, the Seawolves took back the lead for good by outscoring the Storm 8-4 the rest of the way to end Dixie State’s tourney run.
Snow Canyon alum Makenzi Bird-Murphey fires a shot across the net, Dixie State University Volleyball, St. George, Utah, Sept. 4, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
Duryea led the Storm with 15 kills to go with six total blocks and four digs, while Bird-Murphey finished with nine kills and four total blocks in her final collegiate game. Junior Kailey Frei notched her seventh double-double with 35 assists and 11 digs, and Alex Anderson recorded a match-high 25 digs in her final college match.
Erin Braun led the Seawolves with 14 kills, while Hanson added 13 kills with seven block assists.
Notes: Friday’s crowd (2,627) ranked No. 22 all-time in NCAA Division II history for a women’s volleyball match … DSU fell to 2-3 in NCAA regional play overall … senior Alex Anderson closed her four-year Dixie State career as the school’s all-time leader in sets played (389), second in career digs (1,756) and fourth in career aces (81) … senior Makenzi Bird-Murphey ended her four-year DSU career as the program’s all-time leader in block assists (238), third in total blocks (262) and fourth in solo blocks (24).
On Dec. 4, 2015, McKay Donald Christian, age 69, passed away at his home due to complications from cancer. He was surrounded by his loving family as his soul winged its way into eternal life. Born Aug. 17, 1946, he was the sixth child to Lewis Earl and Mary LaRue Leavitt Christian.
He was a gifted athlete in football, basketball and baseball, where he was known for hitting home runs out of the park. In later years, he excelled at tennis and, most especially, golf.
He attended the local St. George schools of East Elementary, Woodward Junior High and Dixie High School, where he served as senior class president. He then attended Dixie Juior College, where he played baseball and football while achieving a 4.0 GPA and the school’s Outstanding Science Award.
He served a two-year LDS mission to northern Germany where he was assistant to the president. It was during his mission that he made the decision to become a doctor as he learned of the joy and importance of serving others.
He attended the University of Utah to graduate with honors and a pre-med degree in medical biology. After graduating from University of Utah School of Medicine in 1974, he attended Texas Tech University to complete his residency in Family Practice.
He then joined Medical Associates in St. George, being part of the first group of doctors in town. After suffering a stroke in 2014, he retired, having practiced medicine for 40 years.
In 1970, he married Kay Pearce of Hurricane, Utah, in the St. George LDS Temple. They are the loving parents to six children: Derek McKay of St. George, Darcie Lyn Chamberlain (Alton) of Blanding, Utah, Rachel Marie Andrew (Matthew) of Nampa, Idaho, Tamara Lee Hansen (Clinton) of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Toni Kae Brown (Peter) of St. George and Laura Anne Shrout (David) of St. George. He is grandfather to 17 grandchildren.
He is also survived by siblings, Paula Jolley of Santa Clara, Utah, Grant (Geniel) of Bountiful, Utah, Clark (Laurel) of Diamond Valley, Utah, Wayne of Santa Clara and Karen Jensen (Joe) of Bountiful, as well as Elva Christian, wife of his deceased brother Ralph; many brothers- and sisters-in-law; and nieces and nephews.
McKay is preceded in death by his parents, two brothers and one grandson.
A devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he served in many capacities, including Elder’s Quorum president, bishop, high counselor and Gospel Doctrine teacher, which was his all-time favorite calling. As an avid reader he spent his entire life enjoying books, and in 1995, he realized his dream to open the used bookstore, Doc’s Book Loft.
He loved and served the community of St. George with his whole heart, and as a sports enthusiast, he supported local teams and often attended the high school games. Being a large contributor to the Jubilee of Trees, he and his wife helped raise money for Dixie Regional Medical Center and designed many Christmas trees together. A gifted healer, he leaves behind many loyal patients and colleagues whom he loved dearly. A beloved husband, father, grandfather, doctor, mentor, teacher and example, he will be greatly missed.
Funeral services
Funeral services will be Saturday, Dec. 12, 11 a.m. in the St. George East Stake LDS Chapel, 449 S. 300 East, St. George, Utah.
Visitations will be Friday, Dec. 11, 6-8 p.m. in the Spilsbury Mortuary, 110 S. Bluff St., St. George
Additional visitations will be at the Chapel Saturday, 9:30-10:30 a.m., prior to services.
Interment will be in the Tonaquint Cemetery, St. George, Utah.
Condolences may be left online. Arrangements have been made under the direction of Spilsbury Mortuary, 435-673-2454.
CEDAR CITY — Beginning in late December, the Bureau of Land Management-Utah’s Color Country District will begin a rangeland restoration project on public land in Iron County. The project area is approximately 100 acres, located west of Cedar City in the Three Peaks Recreation Area and the Cedar Valley Estates Subdivision.
Ten year fire occurrence map | Image courtesy of Bureau of Land Management, St. George News | Click image to enlarge
Land managers designed the project to provide community wildfire protection, protect recreation opportunities and facilities in Three Peaks and improve watershed conditions.
“By removing encroaching pinyon and juniper trees, favorable shrubs and grasses will return to the site, increasing rangeland productivity,” BLM Natural Resource Specialist Melanie Mendenhall said.
She also said the treatment’s primary objective is to open and expand existing pockets of understory vegetation using mechanical equipment.
The project is scheduled to be completed by Mar. 1, 2016.
Landscape restoration projects like these are supported and funded by Utah’s Watershed Restoration Initiative, a variety of private, state and federal cooperators including the Mule Deer Foundation, Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, Safari Club International, Utah Forestry Fire and State Lands and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
While the projects are in progress, the public is asked to adhere to safety signs surrounding the treatment area.
IVINS — With hundreds of runners decked out in reindeer antlers and Christmas sweaters, and with Santa Claus himself urging everyone on to greater heights, the fifth annual “Run Run Reindeer” 10K, 5K, and a children’s 1-mile run went off without a hitch Saturday morning in Ivins.
A 10K, 5K and kids 1-mile run in Ivins Saturday benefits Toys for Tots, Ivins, Utah, Dec. 5, 2015 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News
The family-friendly race was led by Steve and Kendra Hooper of Red Mountain Running, the racing entity of the St. George Running Center. The Hoopers took over the race three years ago, and they have watched participation grow each year.
The race benefits Toys for Tots, with the entry fee for the kids 1-mile run being a new unwrapped toy for the toy drive. All of the runners were encouraged to donate as well.
The Toys for Tots program collects and distributes toys for families in need of extra help over the holidays.
Last year, the event collected between 300 and 400 toys, and Hooper expects to match that number with this year’s event.
Families who are in need and want help can log onto the Toys for Tots website and fill out an application.
CEDAR CITY — Administrators and staff gathered in the lobby of the newly renamed Cedar City Hospital, formerly Valley View Medical Center, Friday to celebrate the 12-year-old facility’s name change.
New gear sporting new logo for hospital name change. Cedar City Hospital, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Carin Miller, St. George News – Cedar City News
The event was complete with treats, hot chocolate and fixings, holiday music and balloons, as well more than a hundred employees shuffled into the lobby near the main entrance to collect their new Cedar City Hospital gear – jackets, lanyards, water bottles and other items.
“Employees here really enjoy working together,” hospital Administrator and CEO Jason Wilson said, who is preparing to leave Cedar City to take a position Jan. 4, 2016, as administrator of American Fork Hospital, also in the Intermountain Healthcare system. He began working with Intermountain in 2002 as an administrative fellow, spending time in each of its regions to support operational improvements. He was then selected as assistant administrator at Valley View Medical Center, now Cedar City Hospital, and worked in a regional role supporting several key service lines until 2007, when he became hospital administrator and CEO for the Cedar City hospital.
Jason Wilson, administrator and CEO of Cedar City Hospital, campaigned for several years to change the hospital’s name from Valley View Medical Center. Cedar City, Utah, circa | Photo courtesy of Intermountain Healthcare’s Cedar City Hospital, St. George News – Cedar City News
Leaving behind colleagues who have become like family will be hard to do, Wilson said at Friday’s gathering.
Wilson began the campaign for a hospital name change many years ago. It wasn’t easy to get support from those in a position to make the change, he said, but after years of back and forth, the powers that be eventually began to come around.
“It is a process that’s taken years to get people to understand the importance of it,” Wilson said, “and there is so much importance in how you represent yourself to your customers and to the community.”
Once they built momentum and got enough people on board, the decision was made to move forward with a name that would connect the facility to the community in a more identifiable way.
Deciding to change the name, however, is only the beginning of a long road ahead for hospital employees and administrators, Wilson said. There is about another six months worth of work to be done and much of it will be tedious.
Changing the name on the sign will be the easy part, Wilson said. Each insurance and billing group that works with the hospital must be notified and all of the paperwork throughout the hospital will need to bear the new brand. New business cards will have to be created for each employee; prescription pads, billing documentation, hospital equipment will be rebranded; all for the sake of changing a name, Wilson said.
Boxes filled with gear sporting the new logo. Cedar City Hospital, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Carin Miller, St. George News – Cedar City News
“In addition to that,” he said, “there is licensing and contracts and all other sorts of things like that, that we will need to get changed.”
There is good reasoning behind expediting the expense and time involved to make this leap, Wilson said. The name Valley View Medical Center does nothing to tell others about who, what or where the hospital is, and visitors to the community get confused.
“The need to connect with our patients and our community better with a more clear and coherent brand is really a compelling reason for doing this.”
In a technological era it is important to make places like hospitals easy to find for visitors, Cedar City resident Kassie Brinkerhoff said. Cedar City is a tourist town that draws visitors from all over the country and the world.
“I feel like Valley View was really broad and no one really knew what they were talking about,” Brinkerhoff said. “But Cedar City is our town, this is our hospital and people can relate to that.”
Hospital gathering celebrating change of name to Cedar City Hospital, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Carin Miller, St. George News – Cedar City News
Photo gallery continues below – use left-right arrow keys to cycle through the photos.
Front of Intermountain Healthcare's hospital in Cedar City, formerly named Valley View Medical Center, renamed Cedar City Hospital in the fall of 2015 | Photo courtesy of Cedar City Hospital, St. George News - Cedar City News
Hospital gathering celebrating change of name to Cedar City Hospital, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Carin Miller, St. George News - Cedar City News
Administration and staff gather in the main lobby to celebrate the new name of the hospital and grab free gear that sports the logo, Cedar City Hospital, Cedar City, Utah | Photo by Carin Miller, St. George News
Treats and eats at hospital gathering celebrating change of name to Cedar City Hospital, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Carin Miller, St. George News - Cedar City News
New gear sporting the new logo for name change to Cedar City Hospital, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Carin Miller, St. George News - Cedar City News
New gear sporting new logo for hospital name change. Cedar City Hospital, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Carin Miller, St. George News - Cedar City News
Administration and staff gather to celebrate their hospital's name change and collect gear sporting the new logo. Cedar City Hospital, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Carin Miller, St. George News - Cedar City News
Administration and staff gather to celebrate their hospital's name change and collect gear sporting the new logo. Cedar City Hospital, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Carin Miller, St. George News - Cedar City News
Boxes filled with gear sporting the new logo. Cedar City Hospital, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Carin Miller, St. George News - Cedar City News
Boxes filled with gear sporting the new logo. Cedar City Hospital, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 4, 2015 | Photo by Carin Miller, St. George News - Cedar City News
Jason Wilson, administrator and CEO of Cedar City Hospital, campaigned for several years to change the hospital's name from Valley View Medical Center. Cedar City, Utah, circa | Photo courtesy of Intermountain Healthcare's Cedar City Hospital, St. George News - Cedar City News
FEATURE — Co-hosts Paul Ford and Grady Sinclair traveled all the way to Tropic for Episode 67 of the “No Filter Show” to investigate stories of the Bryce Valley Ghost at Bryce Valley Elementary. The investigative duo interview people about their experiences with the ghost, check out a rumored American Indian burial ground and tour the school, looking for their own evidence of the spirit.
There’s another giveaway this week, this time valued at $100. Watch the video to find out how you can win.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis highlighted key provisions Wednesday included in the Obama administration’s National Park Service centennial proposal and a draft bill from House Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop, R-Utah.
Jarvis emphasized the importance of the park service’s 100th anniversary in 2016 and the agency’s focus on preparing for a second century of public service during a hearing on proposed centennial legislation held by the House Natural Resources Committee’s subcommittee on Federal Lands.
“The National Park Service centennial is focused on connecting with and creating the next generation of park visitors, supporters and advocates,” Jarvis said. “To that end, Congress must increase funding — including mandatory appropriations — to improve park infrastructure and visitors (visitation) and to help develop the next generation of park stewards.”
The Obama administration’s proposal was introduced in September by House Natural Resources Ranking Member Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-New Mexico, as HR 3556.
Four areas are common to the Bishop draft and the Grijalva bill:
Authority for an endowment for the National Park Foundation and authority to accept gifts, bequests and devises and additional funds for use on national park projects
Authority to create the next generation of park stewards by increasing the number of volunteers in national parks and the number of young people eligible for the Public Lands Corps, a program that provides a path to National Park Service employment; as well as direction to adopt new technologies for interpretation and education programs to engage park visitors and new audiences
Authority to obtain fees or royalties from the sale of reproductions of museum objects in NPS collections
Authority to reorganize the National Park Foundation by allowing the board of directors to elect its own leadership and to provide annual appropriations that the foundation can use to match private funds for projects that support the park service
Jarvis said the Bishop draft and Grijalva’s bill both seek to reduce $11.5 billion of deferred maintenance of national park facilities and to increase support for the National Park Foundation so that it may leverage citizen and business contributions for national park projects.
Many park roads, trails, buildings and other infrastructure visitors rely on are wearing out or have had scheduled maintenance deferred because of limits on federal budgets in the past decade. Jarvis highlighted the administration’s proposal for a Centennial Challenge: a three-year effort to invest up to $1.5 billion of federal dollars for deferred maintenance and to address high-priority projects and programs of the NPS.
It would also create a National Park Foundation endowment to bolster annual maintenance funding and other needs of the NPS. The Bishop draft creates an endowment but does not include the three-year, federally-funded deferred maintenance effort.
“The advantage of the president’s proposal is that it targets the highest priority maintenance work, which will stop the growth of deferred maintenance, and it provides other sources of funding that can leverage private dollars for the benefit of the National Park Service,” Jarvis said. “When the fund expires after fiscal year 2018, we’ll be positioned to use our regular annual appropriations with the additional funding authorized in the proposal to continue to reduce the backlog.”
Jarvis said congressionally authorized flexibility in its visitor services management authority is another way to improve visitor services.
“We believe this flexibility would allow us to move away from one-size-fits-all models for contacts (sic) and bidding to use of industry standard contract models or to negotiate contracts,” Jarvis said, “especially for park lodging.”
Overall, Jarvis said, the bipartisan approach to the centennial legislation illustrates the overwhelming public support for America’s national parks.
“I think helping the National Park Service get ready for the next century of preservation, stewardship and service to America is an example of the good work we know Congress can accomplish,” he said.
to find out.
above