On October 22, 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) stated its intent to address the straining American beef indus­try. The report cited over 17 percent loss of U.S. cattle ranches, over 150,000 indi­vidual beef production businesses. Said the press release, “The national herd is at a 75-year low, while consumer demand for beef has grown nine percent over the past decade. Because in­creasing the size of the domestic herd takes time, the USDA is in­vesting now to ma

A southern Utah woman who pleaded guilty to defacing a petroglyph panel on federal land in Kane County has been sen­tenced to probation and ordered to pay nearly $15,000 in fines and restitution. Image courtesy of Kane County Sheriff’s Department. The case drew wide atten­tion last year after hikers reported fresh carvings over an an­cient design near the junction of Buckskin Gulch and Wire Pass, an area managed by the Bureau of Land Management. South­ern Utah News first repo

In a recent Truth Social post, President Donald Trump stated, “The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country. This was accom­plished, including a com­plete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office. Be­cause of the tremendous de­structive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years. Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed t

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