Kane County Hospital has received formal ap­proval from the Arizona Department of Health Services to provide ambu­lance services in northern Arizona, clearing the final regulatory hurdle in a process that has been un­derway for months. The state issued a fa­vorable decision on the hospital’s application for a Certificate of Necessity, allowing Kane County Hospital’s EMS program to operate across the Utah– Arizona border and serve the community of Fredo­nia, as well as surroun

Glendale Town officials and community members gathered at noon on Janu­ary 5, 2026, for the swear­ing-in of newly elected leaders during a formal ceremony held in town. Glendale Town’s new mayor and council members being sworn into office on January 5. Photo courtesy of Betty Chamberlain. Jeremy Chamberlain was sworn in as mayor alongside two new town council members, Raleigh Franklin and Marshall Cox. With their right hands raised, each official solemn­ly swore to support, d

Fredonia officials have announced a 10 percent increase in electric rates begin­ning in January 2026, implementing rate hikes that were origi­nally approved by the Town Council in 2018 but have not been ap­plied since 2021. Ac­cording to the town, the increases were deferred for several years, but are now be­ing put into effect to address rising power costs. The adjustment represents the final two previously ap­proved increases. Under the updated rate structure, resi­dential

Utah officials have released an updated statewide wildfire risk map, offering the most detailed look yet at where communities and landscapes face the highest danger from wildland fire. The map, published in late December, is intended to guide plan­ning, mitigation, and public awareness as the state heads into another fire season shaped by drought, growth and changing climate conditions. Image via Utah Department of Forestry. The new map was developed by the Utah Division of F

The Willow munici­pality, a proposed new town east of Kanab, moved forward with its preliminary feasibil­ity study in late No­vember. Early drafts of the study found the municipality not feasible, citing high municipal service costs and an uncertain de­mographic base. However, the final report reversed that conclu­sion, determining the municipality to be fiscally feasible and allowing the project to continue through Utah’s Preliminary Municipality process. Under state law, a

Utah health officials continue to describe the state’s measles situ­ation as an outbreak, and new information released this week adds a direct cross-border exposure involving Kane County Hospital. Since the Southern Utah News last re­ported on measles ac­tivity in late December, health authorities say additional cases have been confirmed in Utah and neighboring Ari­zona, reinforcing con­cerns about sustained regional spread. Coconino County Health and Human Services announced

On January 1, 2026, a new anti-drinking-and-driving law will begin requiring alcohol sellers to check every single ID before sale, regardless of age ap­pearance, checking for a new red banner that forbids sales to repeat or serious DUI offenders. HB437, passed in the 2025 legislative ses­sion, enacts an array of legal measures de­signed to restrict alco­hol sales to any person labeled “interdicted,” a status assigned to individuals convicted of an extreme DUI. Utah law labels