EPHRAIM—The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has set open house and dedication dates for the Ephraim Utah Temple, with public tours planned in September and the dedication scheduled for Oct. 11. A media day is set for Monday, Aug. 31, followed by invited tours on Tuesday, Sept. 1. The…
FAIRVIEW CANYON—About 25 people with an interest or stake in a potential Gooseberry Narrows State Park gathered at the site last Thursday, April 9, to look at, and talk about, what Utah Sen. Derrin Owens called the “Lazarus Project.” What did he mean by that? Essentially that a project that has been pending for 89…
EPHRAIM—The Utah Department of Transportation has temporarily halted plans to remove black willow trees on the west side of U.S. 89 between 300 North and 600 North. The work had been scheduled as part of a public safety maintenance effort. According to UDOT spokesman Kevin Kitchen, several trees in the corridor are in declining condition,…
CENTERFIELD—A March 18 special meeting between both Gunnison and Centerfield leadership about the future of Sanpete County dispatch moved beyond a routine budget discussion and into a broader debate over whether the county should create a dedicated tax line item or other countywide funding method to keep emergency dispatch local while covering rising state-driven costs….
SALT LAKE CITY—Longtime Manti coach and athletic director Susan Hatch has been selected as one of the 2026 Distinguished High School Coaches welcomed into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame Foundation’s Hall of Honor this spring. Hatch was recognized at the USHOFF Spring Honors & Awards Banquet on Monday, April 6, in Salt Lake City,…
GUNNISON— A major prison expansion approved by Utah lawmakers is poised to increase Gunnison’s role as correctional hub, with potential ripple effects for jobs, infrastructure and the broader Sanpete County economy. In the session concluded in mid-March, the Utah Legislature approved $130 million to expand the Central Utah Correctional Facility by as many as 768…
EPHRAIM—As in most years, Sanpete County high school students captured more than their fair share of honors at the Central Utah Sterling Scholar awards program on Monday, March 23, held in the Eccles Center at Snow College. The Central Utah Region takes in 12 high schools including North Sanpete, Manti and Gunnison Valley. Students competed…
NEPHI—The R6 Regional Council has purchased 930 acres about 4 miles northwest of Nephi and is beginning to prepare a master plan for the long-anticipated Central Utah Agri-park. The goal of the project, says Shaun Kjar, the director, is to “help legacy agriculture,” or put more simply to “save the family farm.” An agri-park is an industrial park that specializes…
MANTI — Sanpete County commissioners on March 17 heard updates on a proposed regional mental health receiving center, approved a new fee arrangement for the Take-the-Oath Memorial Day rodeo event and discussed a push to recruit more senior-companion volunteers in the county. One of the most substantial discussions came from Central Utah Counseling Center (CUCC),…
MANTI — Local officials, business leaders and aviation supporters gathered Thursday evening at the Sanpete County Regional Airport for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the airport’s new name and broader role as a countywide transportation asset. The event, facilitated by the Sanpete County Chamber of Commerce, had commentary from Chamber President Faylyn Warnick, True North Flight…
FAIRVIEW — The Fairview City Planning Commission spent much of its March 3 meeting discussing whether city rules should be adjusted to allow smaller-lot housing. The meeting’s longest discussion centered on an affordable housing presentation from David Mast, who told the commission he wants to build modest starter homes in town where water and sewer…
MANTI — Sanpete County filing records show several contested local races already taking shape for the 2026 election, with competition emerging for county commission, county auditor, sheriff, school board seats and Utah House District 66. Sanpete County’s official 2026 election notice also shows county voters will cast ballots this year in U.S. House District 4…
The 2026 election season kicks off in Sanpete County Tuesday, March 17, with Republican, Democrat and Constitution Party caucus meetings.Republicans have scheduled meetings for each of the 27 precincts in the county, beginning at 7 p.m. Democrats will hold a single countywide meeting by Zoom, also beginning at 7. The Constitution Party will hold a…
SALT LAKE CITY — After nearly a century of legal gridlock and federal red tape, the Utah Legislature has revived the Gooseberry Narrows project by authorizing a study intended to determine whether the reservoir in Sanpete County can move forward. In the final week of the session, lawmakers approved a substituted version of Senate Bill…
EPHRAIM—How do you move a cabin—specifically, a pioneer cabin that’s at least 150 years old? That was the challenge the Fort Ephraim Camp of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers (DUP), Ephraim City, the Ephraim Public Works Department, the Ephraim Power Department, C.O. Building Systems and LDS service missionaries tackled over six months between about…