After nearly two years of uncertainty and sharply reduced funding, federal support under the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program has been restored for Kane County and other rural Utah communities. In December 2025, Con­gress passed the Secure Rural Schools Reauthori­zation Act of 2025, which the president signed into law, reinstating full SRS payments for fiscal year 2026 and directing retro­active payments for 2024 and 2025. The bipartisan legislation restores a key funding s

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

On December 15, 2025, at 6 p.m., Fredo­nia Elementary School welcomed families and community members for a joyful Christmas concert that filled the campus with music, laughter and holiday spirit. The event was a heartfelt way for the school to wish the community a merriest Christmas this season. A young singer smiles for the camera during the Fredonia Elementary School Christmas concert. Photo courtesy of FMUSD. The concert was led by the school’s dedi­cated music teacher, Mr

Kane County EMS is pleased to announce it has received $24,000 in grant funding from the Kane County Commission and the Kane County Econom­ic Opportunity Board to support advanced emergency medical services education for its providers. This investment will directly strengthen emergen­cy care across Kane County’s rural com­munities and for the many visitors who rely on local EMS each year. Image courtesy of Kane County Hospital The grant funding is being used to support an Adv

January 1 has a way of making people feel like they should be doing something big. New goals. New rou­tines. New versions of themselves. For many older adults, the start of a new year is less about reinven­tion and more about taking stock: what is working, what is not and what is worth car­rying forward. Starting the year strong does not neces­sarily mean starting over. It can simply mean paying attention. One place to start is health, but not in the all-or-nothing way Januar