The Fredonia Town Council met at the Town Offices on Wednesday, November 12, 2025. Council members Dirk Ballard, Kenny John­son, Frank Banks, Vice- Mayor Cecil Scott and Mayor Don Johnson were in attendance, as were Town Clerk Tracy Stumpf and Deputy Town Clerk Brittany Jackson. Mayor John­son called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. Fredonia Town Council reciting the Pledge of Allegiance before their November 12 meeting at the town hall. Photo courtesy of Town of Fredonia. T

The North Rim of Grand Canyon Na­tional Park closed ear­lier than planned this year after a tough fire season and an early push of winter weather forced park managers to shut things down ahead of schedule. North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, image via USGS. Park officials ended the North Rim sea­son on November 14, cutting short what is normally a late fall shoulder period that of­ten stretches through the end of the month. The decision came af­ter the Dragon Bravo Fire

During the ongoing fed­eral government shutdown, visitors continue to stream into Zion, Bryce Canyon, and other southern Utah national parks, but no one is paying to get in. Entrance stations are unstaffed, and fee booths sit empty while the state helps keep the parks running. Entrance station, Zion National Park, Utah. Image via National Park Service. Utah stepped in early in the shutdown to fund basic operations - a move Gover­nor Spencer Cox said was necessary to prevent l

The results of the 2025 Municipal Elections are in, and local city councils and mayors’ seats are - unofficially, pending a grace period - settled by the votes. In Big Water, incumbent Mayor David Schmuker received 138 votes to opponent Vince Olson’s 23. Tara Chiasson and Jennie Lassen filled two empty seats, rendering votes in their favor - Chiasson with 87 and Lassen at 107 - shows of support without election consequences. The two-year city council seat went to James Lybarg

On October 28, Governor Spencer Cox announced to the Utah Transportation Conference the finalization of the Utah Trail Network Master Plan, the blueprint for a series of over 3,000 miles connecting major locations throughout the state. The trails are in­tended to be paved, inter­connecting towns and cities down to the level of making navigation to local stores, schools and parks more accessible by foot, bike or scooter. Said Governor Cox at the conference, “We need to spend m

Following the recent property value assessment season, and in keeping with rising home values across Utah and in Kane County specifically, home and property owners in Kane County are seeing increases in property taxes that have them concerned. According to a recent legislative au­dit, as reported on by KSL and Deseret News, Utah has experienced a “perfect storm” of tax issues that lead to the state’s higher-than-average tax rates. “More people are moving to Utah” is a refrain

After 11 years of dedicated service, Dan McClendon, Garkane’s Chief Executive Officer has announced his retirement effective January 2, 2026. Under his leadership, the cooperative has grown stronger, expanded its services and remained true to its mission of providing reliable, affordable electricity to the communities it serves. Left to right: Dan McClendon, Bryant Shakespear. Photos via Garkane. Throughout McClendon’s tenure, the cooperative has achieved major milestones, in