(Google) The Iron County sheriff's office and jail pictured in 2019 Cedar City • A Cedar City couple accused of multiple felonies for allegedly bilking a business partner in a joint venture out of $7.1 million remain in the Iron County Jail Ryan Allen, 41, and Terry Allen, 29, were arrested in mid-April in connection with an elaborate “float” scheme in which they allegedly transferred large sums of cash over the course of a year to defraud the Leavitt Group Enterprises (LGE) four of which are second-degree felonies for theft of more than $5,000 pattern of unlawful activity and money laundering according to an affidavit filed in 5th District Court in Cedar City The Allens’ legal troubles began in October 2024 when Zions Bank notified Leavitt Group officials there was evidence of fraud activity with the Allen Marketing Group (AMG) accounts the company jointly owned with the couple Bank officials told LGE executives the Allens appeared to be using an “Automated Clearing House” (ACH) or “kiting scheme” for fraudulent purposes ACH is an electronic network used for transferring funds between bank accounts. Kiting occurs when fraudsters misuse the system to take advantage of the typically two-day time lag between the initiation of ACH transfer funds and when those transactions clear one or both of the Allens used the ACH system to repeatedly transfer money from AMG’s Wells Fargo account to the company’s Zions Bank account the latter of which made those funds immediately available to the duo When the transfer request from Zions arrived at Wells Fargo the Allens would deny the request and stop payment on the Wells Fargo account the fraudulent transfers artificially inflated the balance in the accounts to mislead people into thinking there was more money than actually existed The Allens were then free to withdraw and use the money “Because of the multiple and consistent ACH transfers the Zions Bank account always had a float showing that funds were available thus allowing the scheme to continue for at least a year,” according to court documents the requests were for several times the available balance in the account.” Once Leavitt’s officials were informed of the scam They then placed the pair on unpaid administrative leave pending an internal investigation the Allens withdrew another $48,100 from the Wells Fargo account and switched passwords on the AMG joint accounts to prevent LGE officials from accessing them Ryan Allen allegedly withdrew another $145,000 from a Wells Fargo branch in Las Vegas of the $7.1 million the Allens netted from the fraudulent money transfers between October 2023 to October 2024 came from the Zions Bank account The company and investigators alleged in the court documents that the couple funneled more than $1 million in funds to several accounts belonging to the Vacation Offer Travel Company which the couple set up and secretly owned Terry Allen edited out the ACH transfers in the documents he supplied to the Leavitt Group “It was also found that each month on the Wells Fargo statements there were hundreds of micro transactions of one dollar on a daily basis,” the affidavit said “These transactions made the statement significantly longer and harder to audit and obscured fraudulent transactions.” Ryan Allen’s next hearing is slated for May 9 and Terry Allen’s next court appearance is May 14. LGE is one of the nation’s largest private insurance brokerages, with more than 90 agencies spread across 250-plus locations in 27 states. For e-edition questions or comments, contact customer support 801-237-2900 or email subscribe@sltrib.com sltrib.com © 1996-2025 The Salt Lake Tribune This file photo shows Cedar City Police Chief Darin Adams This file photo shows a Cedar City Police vehicle in Cedar City George police officer attending a gathering at Vernon Worthen Park in St more than 5,000 communities use Flock cameras and software in the United States An automatic license plate reader is seen in Cedar City Iron County Attorney Chad Dotson speaks during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Iron County Children's Justice Center's new facility in Enoch The Cedar City Council discusses agenda items in this file photo In a city where safety and privacy are both fiercely valued the recent rollout of automated license plate reader cameras by Cedar City Police has sparked a debate as old as the Constitution itself: How much liberty should be exchanged for security Cedar City Police recently implemented new cameras throughout the city that help solve crimes their use is raising questions among the public about the future of privacy and the Constitution in an age of accelerating surveillance mirrors a national trend as police turn to technology to offset staffing shortages and speed up response times The decision to test the readers was driven in part by rising crime “We’ve seen drug offenses go up 34% from 2022 to 2024 and kidnapping cases — while still rare — are up by 60%,” he said “That kind of shift puts real pressure on a small department.” The license plate reader technology captures and logs plates from every passing vehicle cross-referencing them against national databases to identify stolen vehicles missing persons or suspects in ongoing investigations Officers describe the tool as a “force multiplier” — but many in the public say they see something else: The quiet expansion of a surveillance infrastructure with few external checks “It’s like having more eyes on the street,” Iron County Sheriff Ken Carpenter said “And it doesn’t do anything more than what an alert officer could do — it just does it faster.” Facebook backlash highlights public concern When Cedar City Police announced the program on Facebook in March Many residents voiced concern that the technology marked a shift toward government overreach and “Big Brother”-style surveillance Others questioned how long the data is retained who has access to it and whether it could be misused “There is more concern about these cameras that we should all be thinking about," said Hayley Henderson Hahn in his Facebook post "Will this feed into the mass surveillance system nationwide that Flock is known for This needs some oversight or it will be open to abuse Abuse is happening all over the country with mass surveillance and no oversight.” Several commenters invoked Benjamin Franklin’s famous warning: “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither.” The 18th-century quote has resurfaced often in modern surveillance debates Others drew comparisons to George Orwell’s "1984," the dystopian novel where every move is monitored by an all-seeing state yet it feels awfully ‘1984’-ish,'” said Ethan Gale I realize I’m walking around with a supercomputer in my pocket that already tracks my every move — I’m just lamenting the loss of it all.” Some pointed out that modern life is already saturated with surveillance — from smartphones to social media — and argued that tools like license plate readers are justified if one has nothing to hide this is great news,” Rin Shizune Shirono said “It’s not like they’ll be tracking everybody with this system It’s specifically going to be used to track criminals — so if you aren’t one Adams said he welcomes the public scrutiny The department’s decision to test the readers wasn’t made lightly The selection process began over a year ago and involved multiple vendor presentations in part because it offered tighter privacy controls and did not include invasive features like facial recognition or live tracking “We had several vendors pitch to us,” Adams said “But this one checked the boxes — it doesn’t track people it doesn’t scan faces and we can control how data is stored and used.” The system scans license plates from passing vehicles in public view — something any officer or citizen could do manually What makes the readers different is their speed and automation If a plate matches a law enforcement hotlist such as real-time GPS tracking or geofencing Cedar City’s system does not monitor people’s movements flag minor violations or scan biometric data “It’s not tracking people or building profiles … There’s no secret surveillance going on here," Adams said Adams said the department’s goal was twofold: Strengthen officers’ ability to solve crimes while protecting the rights of law-abiding citizens “We didn’t want anything that could be misused or cross a constitutional line,” he said Cedar City Police Department built guardrails into the system from the start Reader data is retained for 30 days — far shorter than the nine-month maximum allowed under Utah law — and only a handful of trained officers are authorized to access it Each use of the system is automatically logged we know exactly who it was and what they searched,” Adams said Internal audits are conducted regularly to further prevent abuse and data used in criminal cases must meet evidentiary standards ‘There’s the car — let’s go arrest someone,’” Adams said “The cameras are only one link in the chain Cedar City retains full ownership and control over all reader data including the authority to deny access requests from outside agencies “We don’t just open this to everyone,” Adams said That was part of the deal when we chose this system.” The policy reflects a deliberate effort to avoid the kinds of data-sharing controversies that have plagued Utah in the past reports revealed that federal immigration authorities — including U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the FBI — had used facial recognition tools to scan Utah’s driver's license photo database which included thousands of undocumented immigrants who had legally obtained driving privilege cards Though state officials claimed such access was limited and case-specific the revelation drew sharp criticism from civil liberties advocates who argued residents were never properly informed that their data could be used in immigration enforcement The incident prompted public outcry and calls for stricter data-sharing safeguards “We specifically avoided any system that auto-syncs with federal databases or lets third parties tap in without our approval,” Adams said “We wanted a system where we decide who sees what We’re not flipping a switch and letting someone in just because they ask.” George police departments use automated license plate readers their policies on data retention and interagency sharing reflect various approaches While Cedar City requires agencies to submit individual requests for license plate data which is integrated into a national law enforcement network data is retained for the full nine months allowed under state law and automatically shared with other agencies under standing agreements built into the Motorola system George Police Public Information Officer Tiffany Mitchell confirmed that agencies using Flock George began piloting its system in May 2023 and officially adopted it in July 2024 it has been credited with helping solve several major cases Mitchell said the department performs periodic audits and has not recorded any substantiated misuse of the technology Utah passed a law requiring all government agencies to establish policies for using generative AI tools like ChatGPT and DALL·E the statute does not address how law enforcement uses surveillance technologies or whether the public has any say in their deployment tools like automatic license plate readers geofencing and real-time tracking collect and analyze real-world data Both fall under the expanding category of AI-driven enforcement — and that is exactly why broader legal scrutiny is needed said he agrees it’s time to revisit how other technologies are regulated “I think it’s a legitimate concern,” Shipp said “We’ve got to make sure we’re protecting privacy and constitutional rights and that’s something I’m open to looking at.” Utah has passed laws addressing facial recognition But tools like the readers and geofencing still exist in legal gray areas the Utah Supreme Court ruled that prolonged warrantless surveillance using a pole-mounted camera pointed at a home could violate the Fourth Amendment While the ruling didn’t mention license plate readers civil liberties advocates say the same concerns apply The slippery slope: When tools become threats While most law enforcement agencies in the U.S describe surveillance systems as “just tools” to help catch “the bad guys,” civil liberties advocates aren’t so sure They warn that even well-intentioned technology can quickly outpace the safeguards meant to keep it in check The 2002 film "Minority Report" portrayed a future where police arrest people before a crime is ever committed that kind of predictive enforcement no longer feels like science fiction the Communist Party operates a sweeping surveillance network called the Integrated Joint Operations Platform The system aggregates data from facial recognition cameras Wi-Fi networks and police checkpoints — all in real time AI flags individuals based on behavior patterns religious attendance or simply installing certain apps particularly within the Uyghur Muslim population Critics of the program call it “pre-crime” policing but on what algorithms predict they might do predominantly Muslim ethnic group living in China’s Xinjiang region with Beijing cracking down on their religion language and culture under the guise of national security Chinese authorities have deployed mass surveillance forced labor and even forced sterilization — actions that many international bodies now classify as crimes against humanity or cultural genocide Iron County Attorney Chad Dotson said the comparison isn’t entirely far-fetched especially as surveillance becomes more predictive and less transparent “We have to be very careful about how these tools are used and how far they go,” he said “The line between solving crime and overreach can get blurry if we don’t have strict guardrails in place.” While Dotson supports the use of automatic readers he said he also believes they must be deployed within clear constitutional limits “License plate data alone is not enough to justify arrests or charges,” he said “We still need corroboration and probable cause.” Dotson warned that as technology gets faster and more predictive “It’s a powerful investigative tool,” Dotson said “But it has to be part of a process that respects civil rights These tools should never be used in isolation.” That concern is one Adams said he shared from the outset — and why the department built Cedar City’s system around transparency and restraint “I wasn’t going to bring in something that compromised people’s rights,” Adams said “We wanted to make sure from the very beginning that there were layers of protection The automatic license plate reader system remains in a pilot phase The Cedar City Council is expected to vote at the first meeting in June on whether to make the program permanent it’s just a pilot,” said Cedar City Councilman Tyler Melling and we’re taking the community response seriously.” The pilot program began in March and was designed to last 90 days the city paid just under $50,000 to install Flock Safety cameras at several high-traffic intersections The cost was covered through funds already allocated in the Police Department’s technology budget the city would enter into a three-year contract valued at approximately $300,000 Adams emphasized that the agreement includes strict contract language: Flock is prohibited from selling or mining the city’s data and Cedar City retains the right to terminate the contract at any time “We were very deliberate about that,” Adams said “We’re not handing our data over to be used by someone else We control it — and we can pull the plug if that ever changes.” Melling said he will likely support making the program permanent calling it a useful tool to fight crime without hiring more officers But he said that transparency and oversight remain essential The real question facing Cedar City — and cities across the country — is not whether law enforcement will use technology oversight and public dialogue can evolve fast enough to ensure those tools are used responsibly without eroding the civil liberties they’re supposed to protect That conversation is no longer theoretical Email notifications are only sent once a day summary of the weather details and news of any severe weather We'll send breaking news and news alerts to you as they happen Receive Sunday Local Offers Coupons from St Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account that the unthinkable happened to Trinity Dorris when the 14-year-old was hit on Interstate 15 right across from her middle school in Cedar City Dorris suffered broken bones and underwent multiple surgeries Trinity was hit after crossing over a short fence next to Canyon View Middle School and stepping onto the freeway "The reason I did it was because I thought the world would be better without me," Trinity said It really changed my perspective of life." She ran out of school after morning gym class following an argument with a classmate I remember going to school and I don't remember all of it but I got into a fight with someone," Trinity shared "They said 'I'm done' and he meant I'm done with the argument but I thought he meant he was done with me The moments before the impact remain fragmented in her memory "I remember running out the doors," she recalled "I threw my backpack off and I remember running up and climbing up onto the pathway and then I don't remember exactly like hopping over the freeway and standing in front of the car." Trinity is now advocating for better safety measures near the school noting how easily accessible the freeway is to students "It's very easy to get up to the freeway," she said "I know people who have thought about doing it after I got hit I know people who have thought about getting hit as well Dorris explained that she was familiar with the area having previously spent time there with friends "I used to go up there with a guy and my old friends and we used to sit up there and yell at cars or yell at people," Trinity said "I didn't know if she was going to make it or not," Charles said The teen's first memories after the incident were confusing "I remember waking up in the hospital bed and the first thing I remember when I first woke up was I was ice skating and I remember falling and then I woke up in the hospital bed so I thought it was from the ice skating," Trinity said "My parents came in and they said I got hit by a car and then it all kind of came back." She's now grateful to the medical professionals who cared for her at the hospital in St George and later at Primary Children's Hospital they actually gave me a safety plan so that if I do feel that way They were people who really took good care of me." Trinity still has more rehab visits to hospitals in St But her recovery has been quicker than expected doctors say she might be able to walk again in three weeks Trinity also expressed special gratitude for an unknown nurse who stopped her car on the freeway and resuscitated her "I would have been dead if it weren't for her The Dorris family is planning a welcome-back party and hopes to invite the nurse This isn't the first tragedy for the Dorris family with circumstances the family still questions "The final report was that he had taken his own life although I have evidence to prove otherwise," Charles said "I even talked to the governor at one point and he said that he would have somebody who could help me figure out what had really happened and of course creating an unexpected bond with Trinity through their shared recovery experiences "We've always had a good relationship and we've noticed things that are similar," he said "We're very happy and jokey kind of family and there's been some things that have been interesting as far as recovering from brain injury and stuff showing some things that are very similar." One such moment came during Trinity's hospital stay "She woke up and she was crying and she was just distraught and I couldn't figure out what was going on," Charles recalled Where's my superpowers?' And it's just one of those things that her brain was kind of being wired back together and she thought I was Deadpool and Superman but it's something that we're going through and getting through and it's made our family healthier," Bridget said The Cedar City community has rallied around the family providing financial support for medical bills that included two life flights the outpouring of support has been eye-opening Like I did not know I was that special," Trinity said " I thought the world would be better without me And I thought that it would help a lot of people Even if you feel worthless or useless or something like that If you or someone you love is struggling with mental health or suicidal thoughts Dial 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Hotline 24 hours a day A flag waves in the dark as fireworks are set off Girl Scouts ride a float during Cedar City Lions Club’s annual Fourth of July Parade Cedar City Lions Club’s annual Fourth of July Parade Actors depicting historical figures appear in Cedar City Lions Club’s annual Fourth of July Parade A Civil Air Patrol cadet honor guard carries the flags at the beginning of Cedar City Lions Club’s annual Fourth of July Parade Participants line up at the start of Cedar City Lions Club’s annual Fourth of July Parade Scott Phillips welcomes attendees to "Wreaths Across America" program at Cedar City Cemetery Iron County is gearing up for the United States' 250th birthday with a series of events scheduled to begin this year On April 23, the Cedar City Council voted unanimously to pass a resolution supporting America250 and Utah250 creating a local committee to make "the July 4th celebrations in 2026 even bigger and better than the ones before," according to the City Council packet The committee will plan these celebrations in honor of the country's semiquincentennial 250 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed "This is a national effort that is coming out of the federal government and then it's been filtered down to the state governments," Phillips told the council on April 16 "And we want to participate as an America250 community what that means is that we will be doing a number of activities throughout the year executive director of the Visit Cedar City-Brian Head Tourism Bureau said America250 offers a "great opportunity to celebrate." even though I was pretty small," she told St And I think this is a great opportunity to unify our county and celebrate why we are the United States of America." George News that he's "very humbled that our community and our city leaders have chosen to participate in this." and I'm glad our nation is celebrating it," he said "For all of our struggles and all of the issues with our American government it is still the flagship of democracy that the world turns to say How can we emulate what the American people do?' Do we have problems and issues and it's written right in the preamble of our Constitution 'In order to form a more perfect union.' Because we will never be there But if we are constantly working to form a more perfect union And I'm hoping that these activities and these experiences that we'll put forth in our county will help us all realize and all work towards forming a more perfect union so we have it for our children our grandchildren and all the future generations to come." There are currently 22 members on the committee with Phillips and Twitchell serving as co-chairs Other organizations represented include Southern Utah University Frontier Homestead State Park and the Cedar City Interfaith Alliance "We've tried to really cover a cross-section of the community to make sure that we are coordinating and trying to match activities that would meet an entire city," Phillips said Twitchell said local governments throughout the county will participate with Parowan Mayor Mollie Halterman and Brian Head Town Manager Bret Howser attending the committee's first meeting And Iron County is expected to vote on its own resolution in the next few weeks Phillips said Kanarraville and Enoch have also joined the committee To qualify for funding through the Utah Department of Cultural and Community Engagement Phillips said the City Council needed to pass a resolution in support of America250 and approve Cedar's committee Phillips said he plans to request $10,000 for the upcoming budget and that the city could obtain $10,000 from the state as well as $ 10,000 to $15,000 from Iron County "And then we might use some fundraising," he said We don't know all the activities we're going to be doing yet and I won't be here next time it comes around starting July of this year through July of next year." George News that the committee hopes to plan at least two projects per month during that period Although the work is still in its preliminary stages These include encouraging residents to walk 250 miles throughout the year flying "an enormous flag" over Cedar Canyon expanding Brian Head's Independence Day celebration putting on a production of "1776," recognizing 250 outstanding locals hosting an America-themed spelling bee and planning a July Fourth Cedar City Community Band concert Phillips said the committee has considered recreating Paul Revere's ride between Parowan and Kanarraville painting 13 sheep during the annual Sheep Parade in honor of the original 13 colonies and planting 250 trees in Cedar City "(Planting trees) is part of our personal city initiative because these things will last generations and be here for years," he said such as the Southern Utah Museum of Art's planned exhibition on Native American history Individuals who want to join the committee, volunteer or have event ideas should contact Twitchell or Phillips "We're trying to put this master calendar together," Twitchell said "We're encouraging existing events to figure out a way to incorporate it into this whole theme of America250 … This is definitely about community and education and celebration High school athletes compete in the SUU Eccles Coliseum Championships High school athletes compete at the SUU Eccles Coliseum Championships Dixie sprinter Ran Sawyer wins the 100-meter dash at the SUU Eccles Coliseum Championships A Cedar High athlete competes in the 2,000-meter steeplechase at the SUU Eccles Coliseum Championships High school athletes compete in a hurdles race at the SUU Eccles Coliseum Championships High school athletes compete in the 100-meter dash at the SUU Eccles Coliseum Championships A Canyon View High School athlete competes in the SUU Eccles Coliseum Championships A Delta High School athlete competes in the long jump at the SUU Eccles Coliseum Championships Kanab junior Kenidee Glazier competes in the 400-meter run at the SUU Eccles Coliseum Championships High school athletes compete in the 4x400 relay at the SUU Eccles Coliseum Championships Southern Utah University hosted the inaugural SUU Eccles Coliseum Championships on Friday and Saturday in Cedar City which attracted more than 1,000 athletes from 36 schools provided an alternative to the much larger BYU Invitational held the same weekend in Provo Although many of the schools at the SUU meet were from Southern Utah it was Cedar Valley High School from Eagle Mountain in Utah County that coasted to team victories in both the girls and boys categories The Aviators finished with 117.5 team points to win the girls meet, with Hurricane taking second at 98 points and Pine View finishing third with 67. Meanwhile, in the boys meet, Cedar Valley had 105.5 points total, while runner-up Hurricane had 77 and third-place Delta had 69.5. For complete meet results, click here. Following are recaps of selected highlights from the meet, with emphasis on top-three finishes by athletes from Southern Utah schools. Dixie High senior Ran Sawyer won the 100-meter dash in a time of 10.60 seconds, with Kanab senior Preston Brown taking second in 10.95 and Pine View junior Kwade Sorensen taking third in 11.08. Although wind-aided, the time was a personal best for Sawyer, who has committed to play football for the SUU Thunderbirds starting this coming fall. Dixie sprinter Ran Sawyer wins the 100-meter dash at the SUU Eccles Coliseum Championships, Cedar City, Utah, May 3, 2025. Kanab’s Brown won the 200-meter dash in 22.64, with sophomore Clay Gray of Bryce Valley and junior Carson Young of Dixie taking third and fourth, respectively. Hurricane junior Trevor Wilcock won the 300 hurdles with a time of 40.74, with Parowan sophomore Gunner Tuttle taking second in 41.54. Wilcock also placed second in the 110 hurdles with a time of 15.57, while Parowan senior Daniel Bernhardi took third in 16.46. Karter Holt, a sophomore at Hurricane, won the 400-meter run with a time of 51.39. He also placed fourth in the 800. Taking third in the 400 was Canyon View junior Jackson Bealer with a time of 51.71. A Cedar High athlete competes in the 2,000-meter steeplechase at the SUU Eccles Coliseum Championships, Cedar City, Utah, May 2-3, 2025. Canyon View senior Logan Hadley won the 1,600-meter run with a time of 4:29.75. Pine View junior Trevor Prior came in second in that event with a time of 4:30.98. Pine View sophomore Nate Lee won the 3,200-meter run in commanding fashion. Lee’s winning time of 9:49.77 was around 18 seconds ahead of runner-up Paul Gardner from Manti. In field events, Bridger Leavitt, a senior at Canyon View, placed third in the discus with a throw of 141 feet, 3 inches.  The top three finishers in the shot put were within 7 inches of each other. Milford junior Cannon Carter won with a top throw of 46-4.5, while runner-up Wyatt Orton, a senior from Kanab, had 46-0 and third-place finisher Eitan Martinez, a senior from Hurricane, threw 45-7.5. Two more seniors from Kanab, Dixon Kelly (175-11) and Troy Federkeil (169-2), placed a respective second and third in the javelin throw. The Dixie boys won the 4x100 relay in 44.09, with Hurricane placing second in 44.32. Hurricane also took second in the 4x200, while Pine View came in second in the 4x800. Tevye Geddes, a freshman at Pine View, won the 1,600-meter run in a time of 5:24.68. Her teammates Avery Smith and Sariah Jones, both juniors, placed a respective second and third in that same race. Smith also won the 3,200-meter run in a time of 11:29.48, in addition to placing third in the 800. High school athletes compete in the SUU Eccles Coliseum Championships, Cedar City, Utah, May 2, 2025. Hurricane teammates Grace Anderson and Sophie Robinson posted a narrow 1-2 finish in the 400-meter run, with Anderson winning in 1:00.00 and Robinson crossing the line at 1:00.05. Ruby Lurth, a freshman from Beaver High, placed second in the 200 and fifth in the 300 hurdles. Her teammate Taelyn Marshall, also a freshman, placed second in the 800 with a time of 2:22.90. Grand County High school sophomore Makenna Jackman placed second in the 300 hurdles with a time of 48.46. She also finished third in the 100 hurdles. Hurricane junior Aimee Lynn Sapp took second in the 100 hurdles (15.69) and third in the 100-meter dash (12.75). Canyon View junior Kinzlee Brindley placed third in the 200 with a time of 27.03. High school athletes compete in the 4x400 relay at the SUU Eccles Coliseum Championships, Cedar City, Utah, May 3, 2025. In field events, Aspen Adams, a senior at Pine View, won the discus with a top throw of 110 feet, 8 inches. Taking second at 105-2 was Hurricane senior Kate Carter. Carter also won the javelin throw with a mark of 134-1, with Panguitch senior Kadee Harland taking third with 127-1. Snow Canyon senior Kennedy Scott won the shot put with a mark of 40 feet, 7.75 inches. Senior Alexis Brunstad of Hurricane placed second with 38-2.25, with her teammate Carter taking third with 36-6.25. The Hurricane girls won three relay events: the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400. The meet also featured a 2,000-meter steeplechase, which is not part of the official repertoire typically seen at Utah high school track meets. Pine View’s Smith ended up taking third in that uncommonly staged event with a time of 8:41.28. Eccles Coliseum will be filled again with high school athletes this week when SUU hosts the Region 9 championship track meet on Wednesday and Thursday (May 7-8). Kanab junior Kenidee Glazier competes in the 400-meter run at the SUU Eccles Coliseum Championships, Cedar City, Utah, May 2, 2025. A Delta High School athlete competes in the long jump at the SUU Eccles Coliseum Championships, Cedar City, Utah, May 2, 2025. High school athletes compete in the 100-meter dash at the SUU Eccles Coliseum Championships, Cedar City, Utah, May 2, 2025. A Canyon View High School athlete competes in the SUU Eccles Coliseum Championships, Cedar City, Utah, May 2, 2025. High school athletes compete in a hurdles race at the SUU Eccles Coliseum Championships, Cedar City, Utah, May 2-3, 2025. High school athletes compete at the SUU Eccles Coliseum Championships, Cedar City, Utah, May 2-3, 2025. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Each day's obituaries, delivered to your inbox. Get our expert short-term forecast, summary of the weather details and news of any severe weather. We'll send breaking news and news alerts to you as they happen! Receive Sunday Local Offers Coupons from St. George News. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account. © 2025 BVM Sports. Best Version Media, LLC. allowing just one run through six strong innings Coach Don Don Williams emphasized the significance of this achievement the Thunderbirds will face tougher competition in the upcoming tournament potentially challenging their postseason momentum The Thunderbirds will compete against the winner of the UT Arlington and California Baptist matchup in the WAC tournament starting on May 7 The Thunderbirds' determination and performance have positioned them as strong contenders in the postseason reinforcing the importance of teamwork and resilience in achieving their goals The summary of the linked article was generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence technology from OpenAI We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it OK Privacy policy Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here His objectives include identifying land and development opportunities Green Street’s global news publications are not provided as an investment advisor nor in the capacity of a fiduciary  Our global organization maintains information barriers to ensure the independence of and distinction between our non-regulated and regulated businesses is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 482269) and a private limited company incorporated in England and Wales with company number 06471304 Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Ryan passed away with his wife by his side surrounded by friends and co-healthcare providers April 26 at the Intermountain Health ER in Cedar City Utah at the McKay-Dee Hospital where his mother worked as an RN His father Rick David Kennedy was also at the main event Ryan graduated in 1994 from Clearfield High School After returning from serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Mexico City south mission he began working as an orderly for McKay-Dee Hospital It was while working there he was invited to sit in the Life Flight Helicopter and visit with the pilot The seed was planted for the dream of flying for the hospital he became an instructor pilot while earning more flight hours he began to fly transport in the Gulf of Mexico oil fields His first EMS flight position was with Good Samaritan AirCare in Kearney While there he completed his BS in Flight Sciences from Utah Valley University and earned Chief Pilot He also flew for OSF Life Flight in Bloomington The goal of flying Life Flight Helicopters for Intermountain Health was finally achieved in January 2023 All along the way he made countless friends that he kept in contact with Ryan flew his final mission just hours before his passing He loved flying and getting his patients where they needed to be as fast and as safely as possible Ryan and Marissa were married in Las Vegas on November 27 Ryan and Marissa made their home in Kearney and Ethan were blessed with the people they met and the opportunities they all found with the move to Cedar City Funeral services will be held Monday May 5 A second viewing will be held Sunday May 4 Private family burial site services to be held in Eden Family and friends are invited to a luncheon at Liberty Second Ward at 4279 N 3300 E The funeral service will be lie-streamed and may be viewed by scrolling to the bottom of Ryan's obituary page at www.lindquistmortuary.com ORDER VIDEOS Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors CEDAR CITY — Friends and family members of Trinity Dorris, the 14-year-old middle schooler who was struck by a car and injured in Cedar City on April 4 say she is making progress in her recovery Family spokesperson Lori Mosley said she visited Trinity at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City on Sunday "Trinity is tired due to not sleeping well but is awake and aware," Mosley shared in a written social media post "She can talk in whispers when she wants and also will nod or shake her head to answer questions." Mosley said Trinity has been moved out of the pediatric intensive care unit and is now staying in the neurotrauma section Read the full article at St. George News here. Designed for the culturally-minded and curious at heart this self-paced walking tour will introduce you to a variety of artifacts that weave our campus together in story and metaphor Look forward to meeting a cast of fascinating characters from the pages of Shakespeare and coming face to face with icons of local and global history as you wind your way through our meticulously manicured campus grounds we believe art enriches the student experience and inspires all who take the time to observe Download the Art & Sculpture Stroll Map Designed by Los Angeles-based architects Brooks + Scarpa The building’s overall structure is influenced by sandstone formations found at nearby Bryce and Zion National Parks with representation of slot canyons on the east and west exterior 6,600 square feet of climate-controlled gallery space features both permanent and moveable walls for adapting to exhibits of various sizes Gary Herbert was present at the building’s dedication in 2016 Consider the juxtaposition of the minimalist Stillman courtyard and the series of elegant See “The Sower” by Jane DeDecker What type of seeds do you presume this sower is sowing Adams and his wife Barbara created the Tony-award winning Utah Shakespeare Festival Adams with arms outstretched welcoming Festival goers from all nations Notice the pop culture icon Adams is known for wearing on his wristwatch the statue was dedicated in 2006 with Utah Gov circular garden features favorite characters including King Lear Be sure to notice narrative-themed benches located here and throughout the Beverley Center grounds This sculpture brings to life Shakespeare’s queen of the fairies from A Midsummer Night’s Dream Tatiana is known for standing up for what she believes in This campus landmark symbolically divides campus into two parts the classroom filled with learning and love for adventure the serenity that permeates the university atmosphere Present at the fountain’s dedication in 1982 was Utah Gov “Meditation and water are wedded forever,” quoted Tanner from Herman Melville’s Moby Dick in his dedication address the newly organized Utah Legislature called for establishment of a teacher training school in southern Utah to provide for the region’s emerging pioneer settlement communities when the legislature announced in December a building must be constructed and ready by the following fall or the community would lose the opportunity residents organized winter lumbering expeditions and began pouring labor and resources into the project construction was completed in time and dedicated in 1898 Located at the heart of SUU’s campus the story of Old Main of serves as an inspirational legend of fortitude This free-standing bell tower represents a rite of passage for SUU students When freshmen begin their education at SUU they are paraded as a class beneath this 76-foot-tall tower heading east toward cheering faculty and staff the formal processional moves beneath the bell tower heading west toward the setting sun symbolizing the end of an era the tower was constructed in 2008 and chimes every hour on the hour be sure to keep an ear open for the tower’s chiming bells “Escher’s Elevator” by artist Jack Archibald is a striking stained glass installation in the stair tower of SUU’s Emma Eccles Jones Education Building the intricate glasswork adds vibrant color and dimension to the space interior lighting transforms the tower into a glowing beacon These striking metal pillars are topped with laminate prisms and are purposely placed outside the J.L Created by New Mexico artists Howard and Kathleen Meehan in 2001 the sculpture serves as a visual metaphor for the union of body It is intended to serve as a reminder that the focus of these three parts results in peak human performance Try standing at the base of the pillars and look up From the ground to its three pinnacle points This stunning glass art installation,” Canyon Light,” graces the atrium of the SUU School of Business Inspired by the vibrant colors and dynamic light of Bryce Canyon’s Wall Street Slot Canyon it features suspended acrylic panels treated with dichroic film The installation radiates shifting hues and reflections transforming the space into an ever-changing visual experience as light and perspective evolve throughout the day This larger-than-life bronze sculpture depicting SUU alumnus Sharwan Smith represents the enthusiastic spirit of SUU students Smith’s energy and compassion touched the lives of many before an untimely death in 1995 as the result of a tragic auto accident The sculpture was created in 2000 by artist Jerry Anderson of Leeds The Sharwan Smith Student Center is the only major college building in Utah named after a student One of the university’s oldest remaining artifacts this modestly-constructed wagon is the actual vehicle used to haul lumber for the construction of Old Main through heavy blizzard conditions between January and March 1898 The wagon is built from wood cut between 1894 and 1895 and was restored by Blaine Allan in 1998 The dramatic account of SUU founders provides an example of fortitude for today’s modern university experience This scene depicted by artist Jerry Anderson centers around an old sorrel horse forging its way through snow drifts and embankments the piece exemplifies the extent of the commitment of Utah's early pioneers to the cause of education The first contemporary sculpture to be placed on SUU’s campus this brushed aluminum creation was crafted by California artist James Devore in 1977 Savage Rose was selected from 62 small-scale prototype entries to a national sculpture competition administered by the Cedar City Art Committee The 1976 competition was one of Cedar City’s Bicentennial commemoration events The sedimentary layer wall in Bristlecone Hall is a stunning tribute to the natural beauty of southern Utah This artistic installation replicates the layered sandstone formations found in the region seamlessly blending the warmth of nature with the modern architecture of SUU’s newest academic building Echoing the persistence and adaptability symbolized by the bristlecone pine this design element connects the university’s innovative learning spaces to the geological wonders surrounding the campus Dedicated in 1997 as part of the university’s 100-year anniversary celebration this inspiring outdoor rotunda features the likenesses of 12 great thinkers of Western civilization The men and women depicted at the Centurium are honored for their significant intellectual contributions and for inspiring learning long after their own lives and times Sculptor Jerry Anderson took three years to complete the sculptures comprising this considerable collection Artist David Phillips of Massachusetts created this fascinating compilation of ancient and modern symbols in 1995 Featured monoliths were quarried from Cedar Canyon the included symbols depict a variety of eras and empires Panels include characters ranging from Egyptian hieroglyphs to ancient writings from Easter Island and characters from the Dead Sea Scrolls to cattle brands This piece is best viewed from the bottom floor of level of the Geralt R Something to look for: Panel 9 includes a verse from the Gutenberg Bible published in 1455 Standing at the south door of the Geoscience Building at Southern Utah University this life-size Utahraptor pays homage to a fierce predator that once roamed the area 125 million years ago As the largest raptor species ever discovered—measuring up to 25 feet long and weighing over 1,000 pounds—Utahraptors are a testament to the prehistoric legacy of Cedar Mountain where the first specimen was unearthed in 1991 Visitors can marvel at this incredible creature connecting the past to SUU’s commitment to discovery and education When 9-year-old Nellie left her home in Tintwhistle she could not have imagined the journey that lay in store the four-member Pucell family began their journey to join with Latter-day Saints in the new Rocky Mountain Zion the Pucells connected with the Martin Handcart Company at Iowa City for what would become the ill-fated final stretch of their journey Nellie and her sister Maggie arrived with rescue teams in Salt Lake City Nov The sisters migrated to Cedar City where Nellie met and became a plural wife of William Unthank She gave birth to six children and made an income by taking in washing sculptor Jerry Anderson beautifully commemorates the story and positive perspective of Nellie Pucell Unthank Located in the front lobby of the Science Center three-dimensional mosaic contains images symbolically related to the various areas of study in the College of Science and Engineering Created in 1993 by California artist Allen Bishop this brightly-colored abstract features five panels that visually represent the ascent of human scientific inquiry The bottom panel begins with physics and moves through microbiology Suspended seemingly effortlessly in mid-air this piece’s main character appears to be in the process of making a string of new stars the elegant Starmaker was created by Utah artist Nolan Johnson in 1994 Surrounded by pines in this serene corner of campus take note of the many birds chirping as if to accompany the Starmaker in her work we invite you to look up to take in our oldest living campus legacy These two giant elm trees on 300 West are among the last remaining of a row planted in 1898 in preparation for the dedication of Old Main they represent some of nature’s greatest works of art Notice that a main branch of the north-most tree sustained significant damage in a May snowstorm a few years ago the university’s commitment to forestry management earned SUU recognition as a Tree Campus by the Arbor Day Foundation GEORGE — Two men have been charged with multiple felonies after investigators in Cedar City say they uncovered a financial "float" scheme whereby the duo allegedly made fraudulent transfers of large sums of money over a period of several months According to documents filed Friday in Cedar City's 5th District Court have each been formally charged with five felony counts as follows: one count each of theft of more than $5,000 each a second-degree felony; plus one count of forgery Terry Allen was arrested on April 10 and booked into Iron County Jail that same afternoon Ryan Allen remains at large as authorities are reportedly in the process of obtaining a warrant for his arrest The exact relationship between Ryan Allen and Terry Allen is not specified in the charging documents Read the full article at St. George News here. Utah — A community is rallying around a middle school student who's undergoing surgery more than 200 miles away after being struck by a vehicle near her school The Utah Highway Patrol is still investigating the auto-pedestrian collision that took place around 8:38 a.m where they said Trinity Dorris was hit while crossing Interstate 15 The UHP said it is still trying to determine if one or two vehicles hit Dorris It was between the first and second periods at Canyon View Middle School Trinity's family said she underwent a successful three-hour surgery at the University of Utah Hospital Monday evening to repair a fractured pelvis not regaining full consciousness since the crash but still responsive She also suffered a blood clot in the crash the director of the Iron County Cinderella Miss pageant met the Dorris family about nine years ago when they moved to the area from Oregon All three Dorris daughters had participated in the pageant over the years She'd be like the first runner up,” Mosley said "There were a couple of times that she said 'I just don't want to do it anymore because I can't win.' And we just kept saying 'but you never know when it's gonna be your turn.' "These girls and their moms just become our best friends." and she "came into her own and figured out how to glow," Mosley said It wasn’t a surprise to Jennifer Christiansen "Trinity was in my sixth-grade class a couple years ago but just one of the sweetest people," Christiansen said the 14-year-old eighth grader was crossing I-15 As Dorris hasn’t been fully conscious as of yet officer say they aren’t sure why Dorris was crossing the interstate This is not the first tragedy the Dorris family has faced died in 2021 under circumstances that family and friends say they prefer not to discuss The father, a veteran who served in Afghanistan, is still recovering from a fall down a 50-foot mineshaft back in November. the community is rallying behind the Dorris family Lori Mosley has created a group called "Trinity's Army," and community members and businesses are raising money and providing meals for the family They are asking people to donate directly to a Venmo account (@CharlesNBridget-Dorris) Mosley says a fake Venmo account has appeared posing as the family She says the actual Venmo account has no picture "The thing with this family that people need to understand is they will give you the shirt off their back and two more shirts from the drawer,” Moseley said “They are the first to be there to help people." She said the same goes for Cedar City as a whole known for coming together when there's tragedy this community come together for not just kids people that have tragic moments in their life." The Utah Highway Patrol conducts measurements at the scene of a crash on state Route 56 Damaged vehicles could be seen at the scene of a crash on state Route 56 A car that veered through a fence can be seen at the scene of the crash on state Route 56 First responders investigate a crash on state Route 56 Vehicles pass the scene of a crash on state Route 56 A driver crashed through a chain-link fence in Cedar City early Wednesday morning First responders were dispatched to the scene on state Route 56 near 2800 West after receiving a call reporting the crash at approximately 3:30 a.m Bryan Moore told Cedar City News the crash involved a blue Honda Civic that was traveling east on SR-56 at high speeds The Honda driver reportedly veered north off the roadway crashing through the fence into a parked utility trailer "Initial investigation indicates that the vehicle crossed into on-coming traffic before leaving the roadway and colliding with multiple unoccupied parked vehicles in the area," according to a press release issued by the department The driver was transported to Cedar City Hospital via Gold Cross Ambulance The passenger "suffered more serious injuries" and was airlifted by Intermountain Life Flight to St Utah Highway Patrol troopers were seen conducting measurements as part of an accident reconstruction investigation at the scene In addition to the Cedar City Police Department and UHP personnel with the Cedar City Fire Department and the Iron County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene This report is based on statements from law enforcement officials and may not contain the full scope of findings to include additional details from Cedar City Police Attendees leave the building at conclusion of National Day of Prayer gathering at Community Presbyterian Church Pastor Jonathan Holiman of True Life Center delivers the benediction at conclusion of National Day of Prayer gathering at Community Presbyterian Church A trio of Messianic dancers performs during National Day of Prayer gathering at Community Presbyterian Church The Community Presbyterian worship band performs "Because He Lives" during National Day of Prayer gathering at Community Presbyterian Church delivers "Prayer for Our Nation" during National Day of Prayer gathering at Community Presbyterian Church Robyn Eddy of Community Presbyterian Church delivers "Prayer for Our Families" during National Day of Prayer gathering at Community Presbyterian Church Jenn Londo and Katie Baker perform "The Blessing" during National Day of Prayer gathering at Community Presbyterian Church Green delivers "Prayer for Our Community" during National Day of Prayer gathering at Community Presbyterian Church A children's choir from the Cedar North Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints performs the song "I'm Trying to be Like Jesus" during National Day of Prayer gathering at Community Presbyterian Church A women's vocal quartet known as Sidenote performs the national anthem during National Day of Prayer gathering at Community Presbyterian Church president-elect of the Cedar Area Inter-Faith Alliance (CAIFA) speaks during National Day of Prayer gathering at Community Presbyterian Church Cindy Dudley of Westview Christian Center prepares to give the opening prayer at National Day of Prayer gathering at Community Presbyterian Church Timm High of Community Presbyterian Church welcomes attendees to National Day of Prayer gathering at Community Presbyterian Church Approximately 150 community members from various faiths gathered in Cedar City to observe National Day of Prayer on Thursday evening which took place at Community Presbyterian Church was organized and sponsored by Cedar Area Inter-Faith Alliance (CAIFA) In addition to an invocation and benediction were proffered during the hourlong program In his “Prayer for the Community,” Cedar City Mayor Garth O Green expressed appreciation for the community’s elected leaders and prayed that the municipal elections scheduled for this year would go well “We are thankful for those who will be willing to apply for the different roles this year “We pray for the citizens who will cast their votes and for the process of democracy that creates the system Green also prayed on behalf of the city’s staff “We pray for their safety and also pray for their wisdom and their good judgment … we pray that they will show kindness in their dealings Green also prayed for increased compassion among the community’s residents “We're thankful for our citizens,” he said that we will create great neighborhoods in this city and that we will show compassion in those neighborhoods … for those who are … suffering with illness lonely and suffering from debilitating circumstances and needing a friend May we be a friend for them and be there for them now.” Following a musical duet by Jenn Londo and Katie Baker Robyn Eddy of Community Presbyterian Church offered the “Prayer for Our Families.” you are like a mother who cannot forget her nursing child You are like a father who lifts us to your cheek,” Eddy said as she began her prayer to raise and love a child and to lose a child You encompass family and in your loving grace Eddy then spoke of diverse types of families “You created us in all of our vast diversity and we are all equally loved by you,” she said “We lift up to you families who do not fit the traditional mold who create loving ties in unique ways and adapt to challenges.” Eddy specifically prayed for various types of families including households who are single-parent your loving presence surrounds and upholds us all,” she said we pray urgently for your hope and peace to surround families in the midst of crisis.” Eddy also mentioned immigrant families who may be living in fear of incarceration along with those who are living in areas affected by war “We pray for parents who have lost their jobs and wonder how they will care for their little ones,” she continued “ We pray for families who are gathered even at this very moment in hospital grounds or gravesites You hear the cries of families who are in anguish Eddy concluded her prayer by mentioning various important role-players in a child’s upbringing “It truly takes a village to raise a child and we thank you for our village,” Eddy said running across the park or squirming in our own lap May their imagination spark our own creativity may their resilience leap build our own commitment may their curiosity invite us to greater openness may their faith in the goodness of this world you have made inspire us to work to multiply and protect that goodness in their world and in ours.” a female vocal quartet called Sidenote performed the numbers “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" and “Let it Be.” Earlier in the program The third and final featured prayer was the “Prayer for Our Nation,” which was offered by Tony Spatafore “The Lord has built up America from its foundation,” Spatafore said God has imbued himself in its DNA: the blueprint of America is God.” Added Spatafore: “We are a people who started from all different countries all around the world Spatafore then called for collective repentance during his prayer for the ways that we kicked you out of our schools kicked you out of every sphere of this society … You still love us abundantly and mightily and so we come before you and we lay in the United States at your feet and on your altar and ask that your blessing would be upon it let your kingdom come and let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven We bless the United States of America right now,” Spatafore said at the conclusion of his prayer president-elect of Cedar Area Inter-Faith Alliance explained the history of the National Day of Prayer which was first instituted in 1952 when Harry S Erickson noted that the observance is a day “on which the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation at churches “The bill setting a date as the first Thursday of May in each year was signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1988,” Erickson said President Bill Clinton signed into law Bill required all sitting presidents to issue a proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as a National Day of Prayer Also performing musical numbers during the program were a children’s choir from the Cedar North Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as the Community Presbyterian Church’s worship band A trio of Messianic dancers also performed to a song called “Your Great Name.” The program’s opening and closing prayers were given by Paston Cindy Dudley of Westview Christian Center and Pastor Jonathan Holiman of True Life Center Note: An earlier version of this story had said Pastor Dan Maruyama of the Red Hills Southern Baptist Church had delivered the "Prayer for Our Nation," as indicated on the event's official program Maruyama was unable to make it and Tony Spatafore File photo of 5th Judicial District Courthouse in Cedar City File photo of sign in front of 5th Judicial District Courthouse in Cedar City File photo of Aldric Felipe and defense attorney Ryan Stout appearing before 5th District Judge Meb Anderson File photo of Michael Hess-Witucki as he makes a court appearance before 5th District Judge Meb Anderson Two of the four men charged in connection with the Jan 17 shooting death of KayLee Dutton entered guilty pleas on Tuesday appeared separately in Cedar City’s 5th District Court before Judge Meb Anderson As previously reported 18 following an extensive manhunt involving multiple law enforcement agencies The investigation had started late the previous evening when two suspects in a dark-colored pickup truck reportedly followed a red pickup truck driven by the 17-year-old Dutton for several miles along Lund Highway and Midvalley Road multiple gunshots were fired at the red truck killing Dutton and injuring another teenage girl riding in the passenger seat Hess-Witucki was the owner and driver of the pursuing truck is accused of being the passenger who fired as many as a dozen shots at the girls’ vehicle reportedly stayed behind at their residence located in a condominium complex just west of Lund Highway those two defendants were charged with obstructing justice and illegally possessing or transferring a firearm who was accompanied by defense attorney Matt Munson gave brief yes or no responses to the judge’s questions After waiving his right to a preliminary hearing Hess-Witucki agreed to the factual basis outlined in the charging documents and pleaded guilty to two first degree felonies: one count of murder and one count of felony discharge of a firearm Judge Anderson noted that the murder charge carries a potential penalty of 15 years to life in prison and a fine of $10,000 while the felony firearm charge is punishable by five years to life in prison more than a dozen charges against Hess-Witucki were dismissed His sentencing was scheduled for the afternoon of July 1 accompanied by defense attorney Ryan Stout After waiving his right to a preliminary hearing and possession of a firearm by a restricted person Felipe’s sentencing was scheduled for the afternoon of May 27 He faces a potential sentence of 1-15 years in prison on the obstruction count and 0-5 years on the firearm count More than two dozen Dutton family members and supporters attended Tuesday’s hearing several of them wearing black shirts or jackets that said “Fly High KayLee.” are next scheduled to appear in court on May 6 for waiver and detention review hearings is facing a single count of first-degree felony murder along with 12 counts of felony discharge of a firearm He also faces one count of possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person the charges against Sorber-Petrie were amended to add a single charge of first degree murder and one misdemeanor drug possession charge He also still faces the three counts he was initially charged with namely one count of obstruction of justice a second-degree felony; one count of possession of a firearm by a restricted person a third-degree felony; and another misdemeanor drug charge All four men have remained held without bail in Iron County Jail since their arrests on Jan Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact Stock image | Photo by Barbol88/iStock/Getty Images Plus This file photo shows the Iron County Jail Two men have been charged with multiple felonies after investigators in Cedar City uncovered a financial “float” scheme whereby the duo allegedly made fraudulent transfers of large sums of money over a period of several months According to documents filed Friday in Cedar City’s 5th District Court According to the probable cause statement filed in support of Terry Allen’s arrest the alleged fraud was first reported in October of 2024 when executives at a Cedar City insurance business notified police about an apparent scheme involving automated clearinghouse monetary transfers between the company’s account and another account belonging to a separate marketing company called Allen Marketing Group wherein the two Allens each had part ownership the alleged fraud scheme involved transferring large sums of money from one bank account to another the suspects would deny the initial request and place a stop order preventing the actual transfer During the interval of time when the funds appeared to be available the money would allegedly be withdrawn and diverted the account in question “always had a float showing that funds were available thus allowing the scheme to continue for at least a year.” approximately $7.18 million had been fraudulently obtained and dispersed both Allens reportedly denied any wrongdoing When company officials began their internal investigation they reportedly revoked the Allens’ email and credit card access and told them to cease any and all activity associated with Allen Marketing Group within approximately 13 minutes of receiving this notice a withdrawal from AMG's Wells Fargo account was initiated by the Allens in the amount of $48,100,” the affidavit alleges noting that the Allens are also accused of attempting to change passwords and otherwise lock out company officials from the financial accounts in question At least four different financial institutions are mentioned by name in the charging documents including a vacation travel club and a holding company Investigators also reviewed bank statements showing each canceled automated transfer and noted that Terry Allen was supposed to provide such statements each month to company executives the affidavit states that in the copies that were sent to the company the listings of canceled transfers had been edited out of the documents Investigators also reportedly found “hundreds” of daily microtransactions of $1 listed in the bank statements “These transactions made the statement significantly longer and harder to audit and obscured fraudulent transactions,” the affidavit alleges who made his initial court appearance on Monday continues to be held without bail in Iron County Jail His next scheduled appearance is a roll call and detention hearing on Wednesday before 5th District Judge Matthew L Ryan Allen remains at large and may be out of state This report is based on preliminary information provided by court documents and law enforcement officials and may not contain the full scope of findings All is quiet near the entrance of the Utah Iron mining facility where operations were indefinitely suspended earlier in the day Sign at the entrance to the Utah Iron mining facility Officials at Utah Iron LLC announced on Wednesday that the company is suspending its mining operations at its Iron County facility According to a news release sent out by Jenn Rhodes executive director of operations for Utah Iron “Significant fluctuations in global markets have created an unusual and strenuous amount of uncertainty for buyers and sellers.” the news release quotes company officials as saying “We are navigating uncharted waters with unfamiliar and seemingly insurmountable risks While it pains us to suspend our mining operations it is a necessary step while we regroup and adjust to current market pressures." Located approximately 15 miles west of Cedar City Utah Iron is one of Iron County’s larger employers “The company also supports many other small and large business(es) locally and regionally as well as major transportation providers Rhodes confirmed to Cedar City News that more than 100 employees are affected but declined to elaborate in further detail The Utah Iron news release concludes by stating mine officials will be working diligently with their strategic partners to find the right solutions.” Cedar City News spoke with one of the mine’s employees who said he first learned that something had happened when a coworker in a company group chat mentioned that the app they were using was about to be shut down here's my number … we’ll be providing references and things like that,” Godwin said “So I kind of had an idea of what was going on his bosses reached out to him directly and offered to provide references to other employers “They're encouraging everybody to seek different employment,” Godwin said Godwin said he was told by his bosses that the recent tariff hikes against China were the primary reason for the shutdown and then gets shipped back to the United States,” he said “That’s as much as I know about the process But it played into why they're shutting the mine down right now and it makes it not economically feasible for them to keep the mine up and running right now Godwin said he reached out to Cedar City News to help dispel some of the rumors that were floating around on social media earlier in the day “I feel like it's important to raise awareness about the effects Trump’s economic policies are having on our local community,” he said He said he hopes to find a similar job in the Cedar City area The mine closure was mentioned by Cedar City Mayor Garth O Green toward the beginning of Wednesday evening’s City Council meeting you'll know why they don't think they can ship to China today,” Green said during the meeting “I guess it's sort of understandable that they have problems and are trying to address them … we'll be mindful of those who are now instantly unemployed.” Utah (KUTV) — A hit-and-run crash in Cedar City left a Canyon View Middle School student in critical condition Friday morning The girl was struck by two vehicles while walking in the northbound lanes of I-15 near mile marker 61 at approximately 8:38 a.m Investigators determined that she had crossed a fence and entered the freeway on foot though they are still working to establish why she was on the highway One of the vehicles involved did not stop and continued northbound UHP is attempting to identify and contact the driver of the vehicle that fled the scene The second vehicle stopped and remained at the scene The girl was airlifted from the scene in critical condition to an area hospital Northbound I-15 was closed for several hours during the investigation the girl had crossed a fence and entered the freeway on foot Investigators are working to determine why the juvenile was on the highway and further updates will be provided as they become available the Iron County School District issued a statement confirming that the victim was a student of Cayon View Middle School "With deep sadness we are able to confirm that the female involved in the auto-pedestrian accident on the freeway was one of our students," administrators said "We understand that she is currently receiving medical attention at a hospital We are working with law enforcement authorities to further investigate the incident and students affected by this tragic accident." The district added that a support team would be available at Canyon View Middle and Canyon View High schools on Monday "Counselors and therapists will meet with any students or staff in need throughout the day and next week as needed," they stated The district reminded parents and students "If you or someone you know is struggling please reach out to your school counselor or a trusted adult You can also contact safeUT.org or call 833-372-3388 The Utah Highway Patrol is working with the Iron County School District to gather information and provide assistance as needed --------------------------------------------- A woman is transferred to a Life Flight helicopter following auto-pedestrian collision on northbound Interstate 15 near mile marker 61 Authorities investigate the scene of an auto-pedestrian collision on northbound Interstate 15 near mile marker 61 Motorists are lined up behind the scene of an auto-pedestrian collision on Interstate 15 A middle school student was critically injured in an auto-pedestrian collision on Interstate 15 in Cedar City on Friday morning happened on northbound I-15 near mile marker 61 at the overpass that crosses over Northfield Road just west of its intersection with Falcon Way Cameron Roden said a female individual was reported to have been walking on the interstate “There were no vehicles in the area that she could have come from,” he said adding that the girl is believed to have been struck by two vehicles Emergency personnel from multiple agencies responded to the incident which prompted the full closure of northbound I-15 for more than two hours After being treated at the scene by Gold Cross Ambulance crew the girl was then transferred to an Intermountain Life Flight helicopter which then transported her to an area hospital in what Roden described as critical condition The helicopter lifted off shortly before 9:30 a.m officials were seen directing smaller vehicles that were able to turn around had to stay where they were until the roadway was opened again Cedar City’s Main Street was congested with northbound traffic that had been detoured off the freeway between Exits 59 and 62 the Utah Department of Public Safety posted a news release that included additional information about the incident including that only one of the two vehicles that reportedly struck the girl remained at the scene “One of the vehicles did not stop and continued northbound,” the statement said “The Utah Highway Patrol is currently attempting to identify and contact this involved party The other vehicle stopped and remained at the scene and is cooperating with investigators.” “The juvenile apparently crossed a fence and entered the freeway on foot,” the UHP statement continues “Investigators are currently working to establish why the juvenile was on the highway.” Iron County School District issued a statement about the incident which was also sent via automated text to parents of Canyon View middle and high schools “With deep sadness we are able to confirm that the female involved in the auto-pedestrian accident on the freeway was one of our students,” the district’s statement said adding “We understand that she is currently receiving medical attention at a hospital.” School officials are working with law enforcement authorities to further investigate the incident “The family has been notified,” the statement said “Out of respect to the family and the privacy of (the) student we cannot release any more information at this time We will provide further updates as they become available.” staff and students affected by this tragic accident,” the statement adds School district officials said a support team will be available at Canyon View Middle and Canyon View High schools on Monday Counselors and therapists will meet with any students or staff in need throughout the day and next week as needed “We want to remind parents and students, if you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to your school counselor or a trusted adult,” the district’s statement said. “You can also contact safeUT.org or call 833-372-3388 In addition to multiple Utah Highway Patrol troopers officers and personnel from various other agencies also responded SUU Police and Utah Department of Transportation This report is based on statements from law enforcement officials and other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings Note: Although the injured person was originally described as a woman in preliminary reports authorities later confirmed she is a student at Canyon View Middle School Utah (KUTV) — Two people were injured and hospitalized after a driver allegedly crossed into oncoming traffic and crashed into several parked vehicles officers with the Cedar City Police Department and other emergency personnel responded to the scene on SR-56 near 2700 West Initial investigations suggested the vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic MORE | Crash: Tesla may have captured 'valuable video evidence' of Pleasant Grove fatal hit-and-run The driver was transported to Cedar City Hospital The passenger suffered more serious injuries and was airlifted to Intermountain St The cause of the crash has not been determined workers clear debris from a channel just south of Coal Creek Road near the Woodbury Split Coal Creek's waters rush through the channel on state Route 14 east of Cedar City Flowers grow outside the Heritage Center Theater in Cedar City A parcel of land near East Nichols Canyon Road and Main Street is slated for a park This conceptual design was made by a Cedar City resident to illustrate what the park could look like The sign sits outside the Cedar City Regional Airport Tyson Williams and Ashtyn Giles perform during “Dancing with the Community Stars,” at the Heritage Center Theater Tanley McCurdy performs “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin'” during “Dancing with the Community Stars,” at the Heritage Center Theater A Delta Connection commercial aircraft takes off from Cedar City Regional Airport including the anticipated Fiddler's Canyon Park moved forward at a recent City Council meeting the Cedar City Council approved multiple agenda items concerning upcoming projects at the Cedar City Regional Airport Coal Creek and the future site of Fiddler's Canyon Park which means they were discussed at the March 5 work meeting and council members agreed to vote the items up or down with a single vote on March 12 The Fiddler's Canyon Park has been in the works for several years. Last year, the city settled on a location for the park near East Nichols Canyon Road and Main Street after obtaining two parcels from the Utah Trust Lands Administration, Cedar City News reported previously The highly-anticipated park could cost $3-5 million to build Ken Nielson, Cedar City Leisure Services director, said the city released a request for proposals for the engineering and architectural design for the 2.5-acre park The design is expected to include pavilions The city received three bids from Blu Line Designs for $137,520 Civil Science for $132,800 and Terracon for $86,336 The department recommended the City Council approve Terracon's bid "Their timeline is really quite good," Nielson said and they think that they can have it completely done on their timeline George News that the Fiddler's Canyon Project is "very important to our citizens." “It’s something that’s been needed for a very long time and we’ve been committed to try and find the right place for the recreation project," he wrote in a text message "I think the design (that) has been put forward and approved for the first phase will be greatly appreciated by everyone in our community We will continue to make sure that leisure services and recreation is an important part of our future.” Ryan Marshall, Cedar City public works director, spoke on two items related to projects at the Cedar City Regional Airport. The first was to approve a Federal Aviation Administration change order for the airport's Terminal Expansion Project bringing the total budget to nearly $4.8 million The city will contribute $480.45 for their portion of the additional funds The $5.2M expansion project broke ground last May, St. George News reported and now there's a lot of the small finishing touches that we're trying to work through," Marshall said Most of the additional funds are needed for work on the Transportation Security Administration room The change still needs to be approved by the FAA the airport is applying for a grant through the FAA's Airport Improvement Program for asphalt maintenance on one of the runways and several taxiway connectors The department is requesting $939,900 in Entitlement Funds to apply crack sealant and seal coating "It's been about 5-6 years since we redid that runway and those taxiways along there," Marshall said Marshall said the city would cover 5% of the project's costs the project is expected to go out for bid in late spring asked the City Council to consider a consulting agreement with Schuler Shook to help "determine the scope accompanying price estimates to renovate the Heritage Theater," according to the council packet "We've finally reached a point where we need to do some serious consideration of the renovation of the Heritage Theater," Clark said Work on the project is expected to begin in 2028 as city staff address issues simply because of certain things are just beginning to wear out," Clark said I was instructed by the mayor to get some additional information I attended a major trade show in Las Vegas." he said Mayor Garth Green asked for a report and we need people who have done this more currently,'" he said This led the city to send out a request for proposals with one of the major requirements being that consulting firms must be willing to meet in person While several firms were interested in working on the project Schuler Shook's Dallas office was the only one willing to meet that requirement and we had a very delightful visit," Clark said "The main thing we were looking for is someone who can bring us up to current standards in the industry." Heritage Theater staff recommended hiring the firm for their bid of $89,915 The city previously set aside $500,000 for the project but an anticipated expenditure was not included the city can either create a budget revision for the current fiscal year or add the expenditure to the Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget "It sounds like the revision is the way to go then .. but I don't want to hold this up too much longer because we do need to get moving on this." Clark said staff believe "it's money well-spent." we could easily make a $90,000 mistake and not even know it," he said Coal Creek Emergency Watershed Protection project The Coal Creek Emergency Watershed project is being sponsored by the National Resources Conservation Services to "armor along Coal Creek," the council packet states Crews will place riprap — rock or other material added to shoreline structures to reduce erosion — along the channel bottom from the Center Street Bridge to approximately 800 feet downstream Cedar City received nine bids on the project if a bidder located in Iron County is within 5% of the lowest bid was given this opportunity and opted to match the bid City Engineer Kent Fugal said the city will pay Perco Rock out of pocket with the National Resources Conservation Services reimbursing its expenses The city was prepared for the expense but has since requested over $345,000 in additional funds The total funding is now $3,692.964.50 for the project with current expenses totaling $2,367,084.50 The city must match 25% of the funds but is exceeding this requirement by contributing over $800,000 in riprap materials CEDAR CITY — A 14-year-old girl was critically injured Friday when she was hit by two vehicles while walking on I-15 in Cedar City The Utah Highway Patrol initially said it was a woman who was hit but later discovered the girl is a student in the Iron County School District "apparently crossed a fence and entered the freeway on foot" and was hit shortly after 8:30 a.m. Investigators are still working to determine why she was walking on the freeway One of the vehicles that hit the girl stopped but troopers say the other continued north on I-15 UHP is attempting to identify and contact the driver of the vehicle that left The girl was treated on scene by paramedics and then flown to a hospital via helicopter An update on her condition was not available Friday afternoon The Iron County School District released a statement confirming the girl is a student "We understand that she is currently receiving medical attention at a hospital," the statement says "We are working with law enforcement authorities to further investigate the incident staff and students affected by this tragic accident." the district says a support team will be available at Canyon View Middle School and Canyon View High School on Monday Counselors and therapists will also be on hand to meet with any students or staff in need throughout the day on Friday and next week All northbound lanes of I-15 were closed at exit 59 for several hours while the incident was investigated A wrecked sanitation truck leaks fluids after its driver rear-ended another truck's flatbed trailer on SR-56 near 5100 West Responders direct traffic at the scene of a collision on SR-56 near 5100 West A wrecked sanitation truck leaks fluids onto the roadway at the scene of a collision on SR-56 near 5100 West A yellow semitractor pulling a flatbed trailer blocks the roadway at the scene of a rear-end collision on SR-56 near 5100 West An Iron County Sheriff's Office volunteer posse member helps direct traffic at the scene of a collision on SR-56 near 5100 West Two large trucks collided on state Route 56 west of Cedar City on Tuesday afternoon occurred at approximately 5100 West on SR-56 and involved a red Peterbilt sanitation truck that was carrying a roll off garbage container and a yellow semitractor that was pulling an empty flatbed trailer Clay Allred said both vehicles were heading westbound on SR-56 when the driver of the yellow truck slowed to make a right turn “The sanitation truck failed to slow down and rear ended the flatbed truck causing both semis to block the road,” Allred said The driver of the red truck was transported via ambulance to a local hospital for treatment The sanitation truck driver’s injuries were relatively minor and not life-threatening adding that the man did receive a citation The red truck sustained significant front-end damage and needed to be removed from the scene via heavy towing equipment Although the yellow truck did have some moderate damage to its trailer Traffic along SR-56 was impacted in both directions for about 90 minutes Responders were able to keep at least one lane moving in each direction during the incident deputies and volunteers from Iron County Sheriff’s Office responded as did a Southern Utah University Police officer and a Gold Cross Ambulance crew This report is based on preliminary statements from first responders and law enforcement officials and may not contain the full scope of findings CEDAR CITY — A southern Utah man accused of sending illicit photos to an underaged decoy was arrested as part of an undercover "chat case" by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in Illinois the Iron County Attorney's Office filed formal charges against 27-year-old Darin Michael Mangum that included a second-degree felony count of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor two third-degree felony counts of dealing harmful materials to a minor and a misdemeanor count of enticing a minor The charges were filed after police received information about an Internet Crimes Against Children's chat sting last month an investigator with the Dekalb County Sheriff's Office in Sycamore contacted a Cedar City Police detective to say she had been working undercover as a 14-year-old decoy Read the entire story at St. George News. chairman of the Washington County Democratic Party speaks to the crowd at a Hands Off protest at Vernon Worthen Park Several dozen people gathered at a downtown street corner in support of Cedar City’s Hands Off protest one of many such gatherings across the nation Several dozen people gathered at a downtown street corner in support of Cedar City’s “Hands Off” protest Over 700 people attended a Hands Off protest at Vernon Worthen Park Jo Campbell helped organize a Hands Off protest at Vernon Worthen Park carries an American flag at a Hands Off protest at Vernon Worthen Park George resident Chad Spann (right) and his dog film a Hands Off protest at Vernon Worthen Park George residents gathered at Vernon Worthen Park Saturday afternoon to collectively shout chanting protesters marched and encouraged each other in solidarity Numerous people driving by honked their car horns in support “It was a little frightening when I started to realize how many people were coming,” organizer Dr adding that she was told the count was over 700 people They made all those signs they’re carrying More than 1,300 protests took place in cities across the nation on Saturday that featured protests against President Donald Trump’s recent policies and executive orders Campbell said it took a month of work to put all the details for Saturday’s event together “All these organizations are working together,” she said was to provide an outlet for people to voice their concerns and be heard “I think we provided a service today because people needed to get together,” she said George resident Chad Spann stood along the parade route with his dog and cheered the protesters as they walked by “I’m really surprised because whenever I’m out in town I feel scared to even speak my mind a lot of times,” Spann said “I know that we have to come together on certain things but there’s a lot of animosity created by this administration against us.” President Trump’s rhetoric and policies pit American citizens against themselves “And what I love about this is it lets me know that there’s other people out there and we have solidarity,” Spann said The main body of protestors met in the southwest corner of the park where they congregated for speeches and sign making before the festivities began “Hands off!” and toting their signs in a line with enough people to completely encircle Vernon Worthen Park chairman of the Democratic Party in Washington County He said it was heartwarming to see the huge turnout noting that it ended up being six to eight times more people than organizers expected I think the country is kind of figuring out what’s going on and there’s about to be a big flip,” Goode said “It’s got to come home to people that we need to take back our democracy We know we’re not obeying the Constitution.” “So this is why we’re saying ‘Hands off!’” he added “Hands off of all of the rights that are being taken away.” Goode mentioned several times that the protestors at the park were not all Democrats “It is not really about party,” Goode said “We sponsored this because we’re so diverse “We don’t all agree but we do all have the same goals and we have the same patriotism,” he added smaller protest took place on Saturday afternoon at the corner of 200 North and Main Street Several dozen people gathered at the Cedar City sign on the corner of Main Street Park Some of the messages on the signs included “No one voted for Elon Musk,” “Our America Cares About Everyone,” and “The Holocaust started as a mass deportation.” said she joined the effort at the invitation of a friend “I really want to help the community out,” she said said the gathering was about people across the country “standing up for what’s good and what’s right.” “It really transcends partisan politics at this point,” Rhodes told Cedar City News Rhodes said he was encouraged by the turnout “Every person here makes it a little easier for someone else to stand up.” he said adding that the crowd likely included a “fair share” of registered Republicans really falls away in the face of the health of the community and the well-being of our nation,” Rhodes added Also joining the crowd in Cedar City were two men who said they support Trump was wearing a Trump T-shirt and was carrying a U.S with a rifle strapped over his left shoulder “I’m here to protect people’s rights,” Arthur said I don’t want men in women’s sports beating them up I don’t want to lose our right for free speech.” “I don’t want to lose my right to the second amendment and I don’t want to see this country go to hell the way it’s been going the last four years under this Democratic fascist Nazi nationalist trying to take the rights away,” he added Cedar City News reporter Jeff Richards contributed to this report A crash on Interstate 15 near mile marker 61 has caused northbound lanes to be shut down Motorists headed north on Interstate 15 may have faced delays due to a reported crash on Friday morning in Cedar City Following a closure of northbound lanes between mile markers 57 and 62 According to information posted by the Utah Department of Transportation at 8:42 a.m a crash on northbound I-15 near mile marker 61 has prompted the closure of the interstate Northbound lanes from mile marker 57 to 62 are reportedly closed Gold Cross Ambulance and Intermountain Life Flight responded to the scene Supporters of Trinity Dorris (L-R) RanDee Ekker Jen Bernardy and Jett Ekker pose with "I Love You Trinity" poster during "Stay Strong" gathering Lori Mosley (right) shares a hug with another supporter during "Stay Strong" gathering on behalf of injured teen Trinity Dorris Friends of Trinity Dorris write messages on a T-shirt during "Stay Strong" gathering holds up her handmade "I Love You Trinity" poster during "Stay Strong" gathering Lori Mosley collects gifts and messages from friends and supporters of Trinity Dorris during "Stay Strong" gathering Lori Mosley and Jen Benardy admire poster made by RanDee Ekker for her friend and fellow pageant contestant Trinity Dorris during "Stay Strong" gathering Friends and family members of Trinity Dorris the 14-year-old middle schooler who was struck by a car and injured in Cedar City on April 4 at Intermountain Health Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City on Sunday “Trinity is tired due to not sleeping well but is awake and aware,” Mosley shared in a written social media post “She can talk in whispers when she wants and also will nod or shake her head to answer questions.” Thursday evening, six days after the incident, more than two dozen of Trinity’s friends gathered on the Canyon View Middle School grounds, not far from where their classmate was hit by a vehicle on Interstate 15 the preceding week, as previously reported in St letters and stuffed animals to be delivered to Trinity They even took turns signing their names on a T-shirt and writing messages of love and support Many took turns hugging one another and verbally expressing their love and support “I was able to get her to do some small giggles and questioning looks when I would ask her something crazy.” Surgery to repair Trinity’s broken pelvis was successful and her breathing tube was subsequently removed Mosley said it’s unknown how long Trinity is expected to remain hospitalized “Our girl is a fighter!” Mosley added as she encouraged people to continue supporting Trinity and her family in her recovery as the family feels them and miracles are happening,” Mosley said The three-story Cedar City warehouse on fire on Feb BY MICHAEL HOUCK CEDAR CITY — Several fire departments responded to a massive fire at a manufacturing plant Monday morning The Cedar City Fire Department said crews responded to the Nurico LLC building at 821 E crews reported that the three-story facility was fully engulfed in flames and covered in heavy smoke A plume of smoke was seen from the traffic camera on E Smoke from the fire caught on a UDOT traffic camera in Enoch “The Cedar City Fire Department requested additional help from the Kanarraville Fire Department, Paragonah Fire Department, and Parowan Fire Department,” the department said in a Facebook post. “There was a total of 28 personnel on the scene.” The Iron County Sheriff’s Office said no hazardous materials were in the building which allowed fire crews to focus on extinguishing the fire and preventing it from spreading to a nearby drying tower and another warehouse “Employees reported that the fire was initiated on the northwest side of the building following a loud popping sound before flames became visible,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release The office said no one was inside the building when it caught fire The state Fire Marshal has been notified of the fire and is expected to assist with investigating this fire Follow @KSLMichaelHouck Utah (KUTV) — An early morning snowstorm created hazardous road conditions Tuesday pushing crews with the Utah Department of Transportation to their limits as they worked to clear highways and mountain passes UDOT began pre-treating roads before the storm arrived including Cedar City and mountain passes along I-15 saw particularly difficult driving conditions “This one’s a wet and heavy one,” said Kevin Kitchen Senior Communications Director for UDOT Region Four “Some areas have been hit harder than others One of the ways we prepared was to pre-wet the roads UDOT crews struggled to keep up with the rate of snowfall Kitchen emphasized that plows face the same traffic challenges as other drivers meaning crashes and slowdowns can delay their ability to clear roads MORE on UTAH WEATHER: Avalanche traps three vehicles, forces closure of Little Cottonwood Canyon reminds drivers that even if they don’t see plows they can trust that they are out on the roads “One of the things I think is really confusing for people when they’re driving is they think ‘Oh there’s so much snow and where are the snowplows?’ That snowplow may be just behind you or just ahead it may seem like a snowplow hasn’t been there,” Kitchen said He said that once snow falls at a rate higher than one inch per hour Cedar City businesses also felt the impact said his service had to shut down temporarily due to low visibility “We had whiteout conditions and heightened risk,” Thomas said sometimes you just have to wait for the plows to come through before it’s safe to drive." commended the efforts of the Cedar City and UDOT plows one thing when it comes to Cedar City is we have the best crews but our cleanup crews keeping everything up and running and check road conditions before traveling Officials warn that ice can quickly form after snow stops falling who also has a background in medical transport and defensive driving reminds drivers to use all the tools they have available to them that’s letting people know you’re going slower than normal that you're being precautious,” Thomas said He also recommends keeping preparedness in your car in case you get stuck on the roads “Your clothing is your first line of defense dress appropriately for the weather,” Thomas added A 53-year-old Cedar City woman is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly stealing from her employer by writing company checks and depositing them in her own personal account Carolyn Rae Orton was arrested Friday evening and booked into Iron County Jail She has since been released after posting $10,000 bail Orton faces 10 counts of theft of more than $5,000 Police say the investigation is ongoing and that additional charges are possible According to the probable cause statement filed in support of the charges Cedar City Police were notified on Friday of a business that had reported more than $165,000 in missing funds due to unauthorized checks being deposited by an employee The name of the company is not mentioned in the affidavit was identified by the reporting party as being the person responsible for the fraud “Carolyn has written over a dozen checks from the business to her husband Mark Orton,” the document alleges adding that the checks were then cashed at a local bank with the money being deposited in the couple’s personal account but all were well over $5,000,” the affidavit states Carolyn Orton was reportedly interviewed by detectives at the Cedar City Police Department “She admitted to being in trouble and admitted to creating the checks forging her husband's name and depositing it in their personal account,” the affidavit alleges an initial court appearance had not yet been scheduled The case has been assigned to 5th District Judge Matthew L A search of Utah court records does not show any prior criminal history for Carolyn Orton This report is based on statements from court documents and law enforcement officials and may not contain the full scope of findings CEDAR CITY, Utah (KUTV) — A husband and wife were sentenced to prison after a woman died from taking the fentanyl they provided Parry and Hare pleaded guilty in November 2024 to distribution of fentanyl Attorney's Office District of Utah said They were also ordered to pay $4,616.08 in restitution to the victim's estate for costs associated with her funeral Parry drove from Cedar City to Salt Lake City to pick up fentanyl He reportedly used Hare's social media account to communicate with the victim about selling her three pills who delivered them to the victim at a Cedar City hotel both of which were confirmed to be fentanyl our hearts are with the loved ones of the victim," said Acting U.S "No amount of imprisonment will justify the loss of life in this tragedy but it is our hope that the sentence imposed will help them find closure and deter others from distributing this deadly drug." Officers from the Cedar City Police Department receive lifesaving awards This file photo shows a Cedar City Police vehicle Cedar City Police Chief Darin Adams speaks during Southern Utah University’s “Patriot Day” program commemorating the 21st anniversary of the 9/11 attacks A Cedar City Police vehicle is parked at the scene of a collision A new report is recommending the Cedar City Police Department hire 20 additional staff members over five years highlighting a "critical need for strategic growth." completed the report titled "Five-Year Strategic Staffing Plan" for the Police Department in March Fritsch has over 20 years of experience completing staffing studies having done over 50 for city police departments he told Cedar City Council members during a presentation of his findings "This is like my core research area," he said I do a comprehensive review of data and reports." Fritsch requested data from the department reviewed city documents and interviewed 11 staff members the Cedar City Animal Adoption Shelter manager and Police Chief Darin Adams "I look at any nationally recognized best practices and temporary staffing standards that exist that would apply to the city which is primarily focused on patrol," Fritsch said "And so patrol's always the largest chunk of your personnel."  The model for Cedar City included 36 variables It also looks for self-initiated activities He used these variables to create a base map based on the workload completed by the current workforce of 21 patrol officers and four corporals "Then we look for modifications that need to be made," he said adding that they use a predictive model to determine how many personnel the department will need to hire over the next five years based on a projected 7.7% annual increase in calls for service Fritsch said the department's response time is about six minutes for Priority 1 or serious calls and approximately 12 minutes for all others The department's response time goals are five minutes for the highest priority calls eight minutes for Priority 2 calls and 12 for Priority 3 calls "The model will tell us how many officers .. we need in order to handle that cost for service growth and then also to be able to lower your response times for Priority 1 and 2 calls to meet the standards that were set by the chief and the command staff," he said you need 12 additional patrol officers over the next five years." The report recommends hiring these additional officers over five years two detectives and two police services specialists who are civilian personnel that would fulfill quartermaster duties A specialist could also handle walk-in and online reports the report recommends converting two part-time clerk positions to full-time Adams said the study's findings "highlight the critical need for strategic growth within our police department to ensure we continue delivering the highest level of service and safety to our community." and this report provides valuable insights to guide our planning and resource allocation," he wrote in an email to St "We are committed to working with city leadership and residents to implement solutions that enhance public safety while maintaining fiscal responsibility." Construction is underway at Park Discovery in Cedar City talks about what to expect from the updated Park Discovery in Cedar City former Cedar City Mayor Maile Wilson swings on the playground at Park Discovery Friday after she reopens it to the public following a clean-up project Cedar City's popular Park Discovery is under construction and city officials hope the changes will allow for "imaginative and explorative play for generations." with the design and funding courtesy of community members the city's community relations and public information officer we were able to build a beloved playground with money and materials that were community-supported," Costello wrote in an email This issue was brought before the previous Cedar City Council a few years ago as the issues with the park raised red flags with the city's insurance company The company "was either going to flag it unusable or we needed to do renovation." "The City understands the community ties to this park and hopes it can continue to be a place of imaginative and explorative play for generations," Costello wrote "safety is of the utmost concern in renovating Park Discovery much of the play structure was made of wood and had many safety concerns." Cedar City Parks Division Lead Anthony Pearson added We want to make sure that we provide a safe place for kids to play and through time -- things degrade." Plans for the project began to be finalized in 2024 we didn't see much opportunity to receive funding for Park Discovery in the coming years," Costello said "That's when the Parks Department decided we had to try to move forward with the renovation utilizing the (Recreation which is overseen by the RAP Tax Committee made of community members." The project received $420,000 in RAP Tax funds Pearson said while the money is sourced from taxes the city still competes for funds with other local applicants the project was given the OK to move forward and City Council members reviewed an initial concept from the Leisure Services Committee which is also comprised of community members Costello said the design was approved later that month Pearson said that while the department received official approval in August the project didn't begin immediately as the City Council "wanted to make sure everything was OK because they knew the impact on the community." with Big T Recreation out of Draper providing the playground equipment Costello said the city expects to finish construction this spring The Leisure Services Committee was asked to consider what the park needed "We received many recommendations from 'shade' to 'more swings,' and 'ziplines.' However an overwhelming number responded with sightlines being of high importance," Costello wrote "Making sure parents/guardians can keep an eye on their children as they play was a big part in the park's design." Costello said the new vision maintains the sense of discovery using an open space concept Equipment and features include a multilevel structure including one that would comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act "It will also feature ADA-compliant amenities As news of the project has spread, Cedar City residents have responded with dismay at the removal of some play structures that were built by locals, excitement that new areas will be ADA accessible and myriad other ways. One citizen, Brenden Whitelaw, took to the Real Cedar City Blog Shop on Facebook to question how the park was demolished and how materials were being reused "I believe there could have been a lot more conscious planning around demolishing Park discovery," Whitelaw wrote "Quite frankly the way that it was demolished was extremely insulting to everybody who helped build it and insulting to all of those who had so much fun at that Park." Whitelaw asked if it would be possible to save the remaining resources at the park to upcycle and reuse them "Recycling the structures could have been a educational and learning experience for the community," he said "Instead it will contribute to ever growing contamination of our landfills." Pearson said he helped build the park when he was 12 or 13 years old and understands that the park's future is a sensitive subject "I understand where people are coming from especially with the emotion and the connection to it," he said adding that parks staff has been sorting through materials with a goal of repurposing them where possible What can't be used at Park Discovery could be saved for future repairs of benches "We are trying to recoup and hold on to as much as possible is money and my budget's not unlimited," he said adding that the city has also retained materials from other parks to reuse in upcoming projects The city salvaged some sentimental items, like hand print tiles and returned them to the person who left the print or their loved ones Pearson said others could be used in a commemorative wall dedicated to the park's original supporters One reason the fence posts featuring community member names weren't returned is that they were double-sided "We had somebody come through and document every single name that was on the benches throughout the whole playground and in structures," he said "And what we're going to do is make a memorial wall with them all … and to have all those names continue to be part of the future growth of this park." Pearson said he hopes to continue adding to the park as funding becomes available Cedar City News Reporter Jeff Richards contributed to this report CEDAR CITY — A rural Utah hospital is about to get a lot bigger Officials gathered Wednesday for a groundbreaking on the construction of a 5,000-square-foot expansion to the Cedar City Hospital emergency room It is the first project for the hospital since 2006 Intermountain Health's Cedar City Hospital at 1303 N Main in Cedar City first opened in 2003 and the cancer treatment center was added in 2006 Robinett said the project will almost double emergency room space "This community is growing and will continue to grow … and we're going to be here to answer that," Robinett said Three of the new rooms will be designed for mental health emergencies upping the ability to help as the hospital currently has just one "We are happy that our expansion will provide a safe spot for them to come and stabilize and get the best next treatment option for them," Robinett said He said the emergency room gets about 21,000 visits each year the hospital can treat most patients but sometimes needs to send patients to St George or another hospital with a higher-level trauma designation "With our proximity to amazing state parks to a great ski resort with Brian Head — when injuries happen we often see patients who come down from those locations and receive care at our facilities," he said During busy weekends of outdoor activities or when a weather event hits the I-15 corridor Robinett said the hospital sees an influx of patients Cedar City Police Chief Darin Adams said the expansion would be a "gift of health safety and peace of mind" and called it a lifeline for the community "Our first responders rely on this hospital Cedar City Hospital delivers," he said Construction on the 5,000-square-foot expansion has already begun but the ceremonial groundbreaking was delayed for warmer weather It is expected to be completed early next year A rendering of an emergency room expansion being built at Intermountain Healthcare's Cedar City Hospital The ceremonial groundbreaking for the expansion happened on Wednesday an emergency medicine physician at the hospital said the nine new beds will make a difference The hospital used to have a five- to 20-minute wait time He also said the additional three mental health beds will help with a spike in mental health challenges among young people "We're so grateful for this expansion," Wilson said Cedar City Mayor Garth Green said while he has never been in the hospital's emergency room he did go to the emergency room in Brazil with three bullet wounds in 2001 He said what he remembers about that experience is the professionals who helped him when the seconds were critical He expressed gratitude for the health care providers in Cedar City and said he's grateful for the world-class system they provide the city but we do know you will be here," Green said Robinett said on Tuesday the National Rural Health Association listed the Cedar City Hospital in the top 20 rural hospitals in the U.S — and it is the only hospital to be on that list for 10 years in a row He credits that continuing success to the hospitals' caregivers "This hospital is powered by caregivers who fiercely care about their community They feel a higher calling because of that tight-knit feel here in Cedar City Hospital When you have engaged caregivers who love those they serve and love those they serve with quality recognitions and top hospital designations do follow," Robinett said The hospital will be increasing its staff along with the added space in the emergency room adding that the area has a strong pipeline of nurses in training to help fill those positions Intermountain Health is opening a new sports medicine and performance center at its Park City Hospital this week The company said the center has a range of programs to help everyday athletes recover and competing athletes gain an advantage will hold a public open house on Thursday from 5 p.m A Cedar City property manager could face federal prison time after pleading guilty to federal wire fraud and bank fraud charges in a scheme that embezzled over $2.1 million from homeowners associations and financial institutions entered his guilty pleas on Thursday in the U.S Prosecutors accused him of defrauding multiple homeowners associations and financial institutions Cozzens opened unauthorized accounts in the names of homeowner associations and used them to embezzle funds He also deposited fraudulent checks and transferred money into accounts he controlled Federal prosecutors allege he used the stolen money for personal expenses prosecutors say Cozzens embezzled funds representing tenants' prepaid rents and security deposits he fraudulently obtained at least $510,000 from Cedarbend HOA $51,300 from Velocity Holdings and $210,000 from AppFolio Inc The scheme also resulted in a $1.4 million loss for JPMorgan Chase Bank largely due to canceled payments on fraudulent cashier’s checks Court records state Cozzens obtained seven cashier's checks from the bank worth a total of $1,414,000 to Las Vegas casinos in exchange for gambling credits Cozzens falsely claimed to the bank that the checks had been lost "The object of the scheme and artifice to defraud was for Cozzens to obtain money through materially false pretenses and promises" prosecutors stated in court documents Thursday’s plea agreement also led to the dismissal of state-level charges in Utah "The United States Attorney’s Office and I both feel like resolving this matter as we did today Cozzens — as well as all of the victims involved — some of whom he has had close relationships with for many years," Munson said Cozzens is trying to do everything within his power to accept responsibility for his actions." Cozzens is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11 He faces potential prison time and could be ordered to pay approximately $2.16 million in restitution Munson said he intends to request that Cozzens serve any period of incarceration at a federal facility in Texas The federal government has filed a notice of intent to seek forfeiture of funds held in accounts connected to Cozzens including those at Robinhood and Cache Valley Bank Cozzens faces civil lawsuits from victims seeking to recover losses Those cases are expected to be resolved through the federal restitution process as part of his sentencing Attorney’s Office and was investigated by several agencies the Cedar City Police Department and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Grand Canyon has secured the WAC regular season title and top seed at the tournament in two weeks but spots two through six remain separated by just one game in the loss column 7-6) are currently tied for fifth with Abilene Christian one game back in the loss column of Tarleton State The Wolverines secured their berth in the WAC Tournament quarterfinals with their win last Saturday at Seattle U to cap a 2-0 week that also included a decisive home win over Utah Tech Saturday's game is pivotal in terms of potential conference tournament seeding UVU is two games in front of Southern Utah in the loss column but an SUU win on Saturday would also give the T-Birds the tiebreaker and move them within one game with two to go Amanda Barcello had an impressive week for the Wolverines going 8-for-8 combined from the 3-point line over the two wins including six makes and a career-high 22 points in the win over Utah Tech Barcello averaged 17.0 points per game and was 11-for-14 overall from the field Thanks for visiting Jamison Robinett has been selected as the new president of Intermountain Cedar City Hospital He will succeed current Cedar City Hospital president Eric Packer who retires this December after serving for the past eight years “Eric will be greatly missed. He is a phenomenal leader who will leave a legacy of excellence for Cedar City Hospital It has been a pleasure to get to work with him,” said Natalie Ashby president of the Southwest Utah Acute Care Market of Intermountain’s Desert Region and St His exemplary leadership over the course of his career was recently recognized by the Utah Hospital Association when he was awarded the 2024 Distinguished Healthcare Executive His commitment to providing quality care in the Southwest Utah region has guided caregivers to build a successful environment of patient-focused care His impact on the growth and quality of healthcare services in the southern Utah community will be felt for years to come he will work to transition responsibilities to Robinett.  who most recently served as Chief Operating Officer at HCA Florida Palms West Hospital in Palm Beach County He began his healthcare career in Intermountain at the Southern Utah Neurosciences Institute in St George They are excited to put down roots in Cedar City. Robinett says his biggest passions are caring for the people he serves by fostering caregiver engagement and quality excellence Robinett joins Cedar City Hospital from HCA Healthcare where he has held progressive executive leadership positions within the organization over the past five years he led hospital operations as well as several strategic growth Robinett was instrumental in managing over $100 million in capital projects and other imaging/procedural projects.  Palms West saw significant growth in cardiology and successfully added new programs such as a weight management center and cardiac MRI the hospital proudly increased colleague engagement scores and made major improvements to campus safety and security Robinett began his career in health administration at St where he started as an executive resident and was later promoted to associate administrator He holds a Master of Health Administration degree from the University of Iowa and Bachelor of Health Administration degree from Weber State University Robinett considers his greatest accomplishment as being the husband to his beautiful wife Robinett enjoys being with his family in the mountains He says he looks forward to serving such an amazing hospital and community Intermountain Cedar City Hospital proudly serves the communities in Iron County The 48-bed hospital is a full-service community hospital that ranks as one of the top community hospitals in the country and is a fully accredited Level IV Trauma Center with more than 450 caregivers Cedar City Hospital offers a state-of-the-art cancer center a robust surgical service program and various clinics Intermountain Health welcomes the opportunity to work with local and international journalists and news media outlets We are always available to respond to your questions and help support your newsgathering efforts Interview requests with Intermountain Health medical experts should be directed to our media relations team FOR NEWS MEDIA ONLY: To contact a member of the Intermountain Health Media Relations team for assistance:  > Email: IntermountainNews@imail.org  > Phone: On-Call Media Relations Representative: 385-275-8245  CEDAR CITY — A dispute over barking dogs between neighbors in southern Utah culminated in one man stabbing and killing the other was booked into the Iron County Jail on Wednesday and on Thursday was charged in 5th District Court with murder a first-degree felony; possession of a weapon by a restricted person a class A misdemeanor; drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia He is accused of killing 45-year-old Cory Whittenburg after the two became "involved in a dispute .. over barking dogs," according to the Iron County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to the area of 4200 West and 6800 North in Cedar City on a report of a stabbing Vandermeer was found inside his car with "numerous lacerations to his hands and face," a police booking affidavit states He told deputies that he had met a neighbor a couple days prior and they had a dispute regarding their dogs he had taken a case of beer to this neighbor in an attempt to smooth things over they began arguing and an altercation ensued," according to the affidavit Iron County Sheriff Kenneth Carpenter said Thursday the two men had not known each other long he said the dispute between the two "was over victim's dogs running loose and stirring up suspect's dogs." Vandermeer told police he went to Whittenburg's residence on Wednesday to make amends But as to what specifically their confrontation was about "We don't know what it was last night," the sheriff said the Iron County Metro SWAT team was sent to search his residence which the sheriff's office says was a Conex shipping container "They found the neighbor deceased with multiple stab wounds a green leafy substance consistent with marijuana and drug paraphernalia were also discovered in the victim's residence," the affidavit states After being treated for what Carpenter described as "mostly superficial" wounds Vandermeer was released from the hospital and questioned again He said he and his neighbor watched television and drank and talked But investigators noted that while Vandermeer "was able to provide significant details about the objects that were inside the victim's residence" and "provided substantial details about his interaction with the victim," he did not remember much about the fight with Whittenburg and "stated he could not remember how it started or what happened and that his memory of the altercation was extremely limited," according to the affidavit The Iron County Correctional Facility is part of the sheriff’s complex on north Main Street in Cedar City A Cedar City property manager already facing multiple felony charges for alleged financial crimes is now the subject of a civil lawsuit seeking to recover more than $750,000 that was allegedly misappropriated filed in 5th District Court by Velocity Holdings LLC claims that Blake Floyd Cozzens and his company operating as Stress Free Property Management improperly handled homeowners association funds making unauthorized transfers and creating bank accounts without approval Cozzens was arrested Jan. 15 and charged with 10 counts of unlawful fiduciary dealing Prosecutors allege he used his position as property manager to divert Cedarbend HOA funds for personal use through unauthorized accounts and complex financial transfers served as the HOA's declarant and was responsible for managing the association until the development was fully established and control could be transferred to homeowners In addition to Stress Free Property Management is also named in the lawsuit as plaintiffs seek to freeze company assets Investigators said it remains unclear whether the landscaping company played any role in the alleged misconduct Law enforcement is still working to determine the full extent of Cozzens’ financial dealings as they suspect additional accounts may exist making it difficult to track all missing funds The lawsuit seeks to recover damages and gain access to financial records to determine the full extent of Cozzens’ financial dealings said a full forensic accounting is necessary to track missing funds related to Cozzens’ management of HOA and rental properties While nearly $1.9 million in unauthorized transfers from just one HOA account has been allegedly identified not all of those funds are considered missing Court records indicate Cozzens allegedly used a "shell game" financial strategy repeatedly moving funds between various accounts to conceal missing money with the potential for higher losses as investigators continue reviewing financial records across multiple institutions Concerns over financial discrepancies arose when Velocity Holdings began preparing to transfer control of the Cedarbend HOA to homeowners they attempted to access the HOA’s bank records but were denied The resulting police investigation uncovered several financial irregularities The civil suit claims Cozzens opened multiple unauthorized bank accounts under Cedarbend HOA’s name Court documents state he also forged financial records falsely identifying himself as the sole officer to establish and control the accounts America First Federal Credit Union and Chartway Federal Credit Union as financial institutions where accounts were allegedly opened Plaintiffs contend that these accounts were used to transfer funds between institutions further complicating efforts to trace financial activity “Defendants engaged in unauthorized withdrawals and the creation of multiple accounts under the name of Cedarbend Homeowners Association while maintaining sole access to the funds,” the lawsuit states represent a violation of fiduciary responsibilities and form the basis for claims of breach of contract and violations of the Utah Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act The lawsuit also includes claims from additional property owners and real estate entities who allege financial losses tied to Cozzens’ rental management practices Plaintiffs contend that Stress Free Property Management engaged in fraudulent handling of several rental properties Melling said the lawsuit seeks to prioritize repaying the HOA concerns before addressing claims from the other plaintiffs any remaining assets would then be used to compensate additional claimants "The first priority is to make the homeowners whole," he said the other claimants will seek restitution." Cozzens appeared in 5th District Court for a roll call hearing on Jan He told the judge he needed to be released to organize his business affairs as a property management owner The court denied the request and rescheduled the hearing for Feb That hearing was later postponed to March 11 Garrett Galt shows off his award with the crew at the Cedar City Diabetes Clinic with the impact award certificate Garrett Galt (L) works at the Cedar City Diabetes Clinic Garrett Galt stands with the impact award certificate Family nurse practitioner Garrett Galt opened the Cedar City Diabetes Clinic in 2023 a family nurse practitioner at Intermountain Cedar City Hospital was awarded the "Impact Award" for his work in establishing and leading the Intermountain Cedar City Diabetes Clinic the Utah Department of Health and Human Services Office of Primary Care and Rural Health presents this award to honor health care workers on National Rural Health Day celebrated on the third Thursday of November In a region where health care resources can be limited the clinic has filled a gap in diabetes care and Galt credited his team and co-workers’ hard work and dedication to its success Galt opened the clinic in 2023 and earned top patient satisfaction scores six months after opening “It’s me and my entire team who’s been able to have that success,” he said “It definitely wasn’t a one-man show type of thing and took a lot of us to be able to make that impact on our community and be able to help.” He said support from both Cedar City Hospital and contributors in St George has been vital to the success and that their assistance has played a significant role in helping to make a positive impact on patients Already working at the hospital in Cedar City Galt noticed a significant gap in care for diabetes patients who were struggling to receive necessary treatment He said some of these challenges stemmed from a lack of knowledge diabetes care can easily fall behind the required standards Galt approached local administrators in Cedar City presenting the idea of addressing this gap in care The administration supported the initiative allowing them to move forward and begin work on the clinic but with the support of providers in Cedar City and across Iron County Galt and his team were able to grow the practice He said that much of the success came from collaborating with other providers and building professional relationships He explained that diabetes patients don’t always fit the idealized model of what care should look like — such as a good diet challenges like insurance limitations complicate things further Galt and his team have to think outside the box when approaching diabetes care Diabetes is a disease that occurs when blood sugar levels in the body are too high “It’s not about finding a ‘magic pill’ that solves everything but rather understanding that managing diabetes requires a more personalized and flexible approach,” he said Galt emphasized the importance of seeing patients as more than cases or numbers on a spreadsheet He said understanding each patient’s unique life circumstances allows him to identify and remove barriers that have been preventing patients from effectively managing their diabetes and that’s where it’s really helped having this clinic here and I’ve been able to sit down with those patients and take a closer look and get to know them as a person.” He said that managing diabetes comes with a learning curve and is a notoriously difficult condition to manage It requires a lot of time and effort and “finding a balance can be tough,” he said Being located in Cedar City has its own challenges as Galt and his team have fewer resources compared to larger hospitals and urban areas it often requires more effort and Galt finds himself wearing multiple hats as a health care professional He works in the clinic while also helping with C-section procedures and other various work as well “If I was in a bigger hospital or a bigger area I probably wouldn’t wear those different hats and do those different things,” he said we learn to balance things a little bit more and sometimes take a little bit more on our plates It’s a blessing to be able to do that and hopefully a blessing to the people that we’re trying to help out as well.” The clinic is now expanding its reach and will be adding an endocrinologist — a medical specialist who treats and diagnoses conditions related to hormones — and will increase the clinic’s ability to serve the community Galt said there is a “major need” for endocrinologists in Southern Utah and with his area of service reaching from Richfield to Kanab In recognition of his efforts, Galt was also awarded the 2023 Patient Experience Award of Excellence, which recognizes young programs ranked in the top 5% nationwide for patient satisfaction. For more information about rural health in Utah, visit this website LOCAL NEWS The Cedar City Police Department announced Tuesday afternoon the rollout of a new crime-fighting technology called "Flock Safety." (Cedar City Police Department) BY ALTON BARNHART CEDAR CITY — The Cedar City Police Department announced Tuesday afternoon the rollout of a new crime-fighting technology called “Flock Safety.” the new technology aims to help solve crime to continue ensuring the safety of the community “Flock Safety” uses 24-hour recording cameras and automated license plate readers (ALPR) to provide our officers with objective evidence to solve crimes more efficiently The press release states ALPR are used to used to capture license plates on the rear of vehicles The plates will then go through the law enforcement database and notifies officers if the vehicle is wanted and/or has been involved in a crime we are constantly seeking and evaluating new methods to improve public safety,” Police Chief Darin Adams said “Flock Safety technology will greatly assist us in our efforts to better protect our community and keep our residents and visitors safe.” “Flock Safety” has already been launched across the state and country The CCPD said the data collected can be searched and analyzed across several platforms helping in solving crime statewide and nationally The CCPD will be rolling out the technology in the next few weeks Thanks for visiting CEDAR CITY, Utha (KUTV) — Two men are facing over a dozen felony charges each in connection with a drive-by shooting that resulted in the death of a 17-year-old girl on Friday night and discharge of a firearm by a restricted person in connection with the incident were arrested on felony charges of obstruction of justice and the transaction of a firearm by a restricted person related to their involvement in the shooting The two were also arrested on an unrelated drug charge The incident occurred just before 10:45 p.m at the intersection of Midvalley Road and 4300 West after the victims were reportedly pursued for five miles by Hess-Witucki Deputies stated that Hess-Witucki pulled alongside the girls’ vehicle while Galloway fired twelve rounds from inside their car striking the 17-year-old and endangering her passenger Authorities responded shortly after and found the teen driver with gunshot wounds and began life-saving measures before she was transported to Cedar City Hospital officials identified the suspects and learned that they believed they were being “stalked” by the victims it was later revealed that this wasn't the case Hess-Witucki confessed to pursuing the victim's car while Galloway admitted to firing the shots that killed the victim with Hess-Witucki even writing an apology letter to the victim’s family Sorber-Petrie and Felipe were arrested on involvement Sorber-Petrie admitted to allowing Hess-Witucki and Galloway to use his firearm knowing they intended to use it to confront the victims A search warrant executed at one of the suspect’s residences led to the recovery of several firearms The identity of the deceased victim has not been released but officials confirmed she was a lifelong resident of Cedar City ------------------------------------------------ formerly a 2014 Republican candidate for District 72 of the Utah House of Representatives 2021 stock photo of the Fifth District Courthouse in Cedar City A Cedar City property manager is facing multiple felony charges following an investigation that uncovered alleged financial irregularities involving a homeowners association account was arrested Wednesday and charged with 10 counts of unlawful fiduciary dealing Authorities allege that Cozzens misappropriated more than $1.9 million from accounts belonging to a Cedarbend Homeowners Association account he managed through his business The charges stem from an investigation into discrepancies reported by the HOA as it prepared to transition control from the developer to property owners Cozzens allegedly engaged in unauthorized withdrawals wire transfers and the creation of multiple accounts under the association’s name while maintaining sole access to the funds Court records detail the investigation that began in December 2024 when representatives of the HOA requested financial records from the bank managing their accounts citing that Cozzens was the sole account holder a practice inconsistent with the association’s standard operations where accounts are typically under the control of an HOA board This irregularity prompted Cedarbend Homeowners Association representatives to contact law enforcement investigators obtained a search warrant for bank records tied to accounts managed by Cozzens The warrant sought documentation of financial transactions and account holders focusing on potential unauthorized transfers or withdrawals Cozzens was the sole signatory on several accounts registered under the HOA’s name Bank records revealed numerous large transactions including a $400,000 wire transfer that was returned days later and a $325,000 withdrawal investigators said they believe Cozzens ultimately misappropriated over $1.9 million despite the expectation of significant reserve funds remaining Cedar City Police executed a search warrant at Stress Free Property Management following Cozzens’ arrest Details of the search have not been released HOA representatives said they are working with law enforcement to ensure restitution for affected property owners the HOA confirmed the transition to a new property management company and adding measures to prevent similar issues in the future Cozzens was booked into the Iron County Jail citing the seriousness of the charges and concerns over a potential flight risk citing familial ties in Texas and the Philippines which authorities believe could enable him to evade prosecution the affidavit references concerns about possible threats directed at the public and family members related to the ongoing investigation "The defendant has also caused multiple members of the public to fear for their lives and those of their families if he is released to the point they want to leave town,” the affidavit states the totality of financial loss suffered by the victim being over $1.9 million with much still potentially outstanding and law enforcement I am requesting he be held without bail." Cozzens pleaded guilty in 2018 to soliciting a prostitute in a law enforcement sting for which he received probation and a $1,900 fine Iron County Attorney Chad Dotson forwarded the case to the Washington County Attorney’s office citing Blake Cozzens’ relationship to Iron County Commissioner Paul Cozzens Felipe and his attorney Ryan Stout appear before 5th District Judge Meb Anderson Felipe appears before 5th District Judge Meb Anderson Sorber-Petrie appears before 5th District Judge Meb Anderson Defendant Michael Edward Hess-Witucki appears before 5th District Judge Meb Anderson Defendant Ethan Andrew Galloway appears before 5th District Judge Meb Anderson Iron County Metro SWAT officers prepare to execute a warrant at a townhome complex off Lund Highway The four suspects charged in connection with the killing of a 17-year-old girl near Cedar City on Jan 17 made their first in-person court appearances on Tuesday morning briefly appeared for roll call hearings in Cedar City’s 5th District Court before Judge Meb Anderson as approximately three dozen family members and friends of Kaylee Dutton were there to observe the proceedings Several wore black T-shirts reading “Fly High KayLee” in Dutton’s honor police investigators believe that shortly after 10:30 p.m aggressively followed a red pickup truck driven by Dutton for several miles along Lund Highway and Midvalley Road  before one of the men allegedly opened fire on the teens’ vehicle killing Dutton and injuring another teenage girl who was riding in the passenger seat The following afternoon, on Jan. 18, both of those suspects, along with two other roommates, were arrested in Cedar City after Iron County Metro SWAT officers served a warrant at their townhome residence The suspects reportedly told investigators they believed they were being stalked by the driver of the red truck All four men have been held without bail in Iron County Jail since their arrest. They had previously made their initial appearances via WebEx on Jan wearing standard issue orange jumpsuits and shackled in handcuffs as they stood alongside their respective attorneys the alleged owner and driver of the truck that engaged in the pursuit was represented by private attorney Matt Munson Galloway and Hess-Witucki are each facing a single count of first-degree felony murder They also each face one count of possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person Also appearing in court on Tuesday morning were Sorber-Petrie who is being represented by public defender Steven Nielsen Both Sorber-Petrie and Felipe have been charged with one count of obstruction of justice one count of possession of a firearm by a restricted person The court set an in-person detention review hearing for Felipe at 9 a.m Judge Anderson also scheduled roll call / detention review hearings for Galloway Hess-Witucki and Sorber-Petrie for the afternoon of Feb 25 via the court’s WebEx videoconferencing system CEDAR CITY (KUTV) — A Cedar City property manager and former Iron County Republican Party chairman was arrested after allegedly embezzling more than $1.9 million from his client through unauthorized bank transfers and withdrawals Blake Floyd Cozzens, 35, who was one of five arrested and convicted in a high-profile prostitution sting in 2018 on ten second-degree felony counts of unlawful fiduciary dealing The charges stem from separate transactions authorities discovered two bank accounts at the State Bank of Southern Utah where Cozzens was listed as the sole signer Both accounts reportedly showed multiple unauthorized transactions ranging from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of dollars Cedar City police opened an investigation after the victim's legal counsel reported suspicious activity on Dec An investigative subpoena was granted for both accounts which revealed that Cozzens allegedly transferred funds from the victim’s account to his personal accounts and then made numerous withdrawals Cozzens was booked into the Iron County Jail on a no-bail order on the charges previously listed Arrest documents noted that Cozzens has “caused multiple members of the public to fear for their lives and those of their families if he is released to the point they (would) want to leave." This investigation is ongoing and authorities have emphasized the potential for outstanding financial loss to the victim both accounts involved in the investigation were reportedly empty