5/16/2022 Redrock Roundup: 5 news stories from Southern Utah

ST. GEORGE — This week’s Redrock Roundup includes stories about high fire danger in Southern Utah, Dixie State University beginning the change to Utah Tech, new city water ordinances, and an inspiring story from the Ironman World Championship.

1. Southern Utah under Red Flag Warning this week: high fire danger

The National Weather Service has placed Southwest Utah under a Red Flag Warning due to high fire danger. See map here. A Red Flag Warning means “warm temperatures, very low humidities, and stronger winds are expected to combine to produce an increased risk of fire danger,” according to the NWS. Burn barrels must be covered, do not throw cigarettes or matches out of a moving vehicle, completely extinguish outdoor fires, and never leave a fire unattended. Southern Utah has already seen at least one wildfire this year with the small Left Fork fire near Bryce Canyon.
Read the full article from Scott McKane with Fox13 News: https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/red-flag-wind-warnings-for-southern-utah-all-this-week

2. Southern Utah one of nation’s most at-risk areas for wildfire damage

The New York Times used recent data to map the areas of the country most at risk for facing damage from fires. Southwest Utah has some of the highest fire risk in the country. The article specifically highlights the Dammeron Valley and the Enterprise area as high-risk areas.
Read the full article from Christopher Flavelle and Nadja Popovich with the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/05/16/climate/wildfire-risk-map-properties.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur

3. Dixie State University has officially begun shift to Utah Tech University

This week, the university released new logos for Utah Tech, as well as began updating the school’s merchandise, websites, and branding.

Read the full article, as well as view a gallery of photos of the new logo, from Ammon Teare with St. George News: https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2022/05/15/ajt-move-over-dixie-state-utah-tech-university-has-arrived/#.YoKycfPMIWo

4. Ironman competitor with ALS helps fellow athlete finish the race

Kyle Brown, an athlete with ALS, was pulled from the Ironman world championship after going over the allowed time for the swim portion of the race. While spectating on the sidelines later in the day, Brown encountered another athlete who had collapsed, and said he would walk the rest of the race with him.
Read the full story from Julie Jag with the Salt Lake Tribune: https://www.sltrib.com/sports/2022/05/15/when-ironman-world/

5. Cities in Washington County pass new water use ordinances

Washington County is trying to reduce the amount of water used in the area. Some of the features of the ordinance include limits on grass lawns, car washes, and golf courses.
Read the full article from ABC4’s Jordan Verdadeiro here: https://www.abc4.com/news/washington-co-cities-pass-water-saving-ordinances/