5/23/2022 Redrock Roundup: 5 Southern Utah stories you missed

ST. GEORGE — This week’s Redrock Roundup features several stories involving new and upcoming developments in the Southern Utah area, as well as stories about our changing environment. Read on!

1. Near record-breaking May temperatures expected this week for most of Utah

After some cooler temperatures the last couple weeks, Utah will head into a brief heatwave. Higher than average temperatures for this time of year are expected in Northern and Southern Utah. It could get up to a high of 98 on Thursday this week, before normalizing at the weekend.
Read the full article from Scott Pierce with the Salt Lake Tribune here: https://www.sltrib.com/news/2022/05/23/utah-is-going-get-hotter/

2. 115,000 square feet of sod removed in Washington County as part of water saving measures

Volunteers removed about two football fields, or 2.6 acres of grass from areas around Washington County as part of local water-saving efforts. The areas targeted were places containing “non-functional” grass, like in park strips or traffic medians.
Read the full story from Mori Kessler with St. George News here: https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2022/05/23/mgk-115000-square-feet-of-sod-replaced-in-washington-county-as-part-of-statewide-water-saving-campaign/#.YowJaPPMIWo

3. Zion National Park shuttle now operating for summer

Shuttle service in Zion National Park began on May 22, and will run with its current schedule until September 18. While the park is operating, the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive (the road leading to the lodge and up toward the Temple of Sinawava) is closed to recreational drivers.
The first bus into the canyon from Zion Canyon Visitor Center departs at 6:00 AM, and the last bus departs at 6:00 PM. The last bus out of the canyon departs from Temple of Sinawava at 8:15 PM.
Shuttle schedule and more park information available here: https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/zion-canyon-shuttle-system.htm

4. $11 Million awarded to outdoor projects in Utah, including $500K for trails in Washington County

The Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation will send $11 million in funding to 85 outdoor projects all over the state, including several projects in Washington County. The office has allocated $500,000 toward the Spring Hollow Project, which will extend six trail segments within the Pine Valley Ranger District.
Read the full article from Carter Williams with KSL here: https://www.ksl.com/article/50408351/11m-awarded-to-85-outdoors-projects-in-utah-heres-whats-in-the-works?fbclid=IwAR0-7paMK96sXNstGhwJznuMSekkAANV8-YHrktRBLI29OJEATU1oIlH2pk

5. Cedar City aiming to create more livable, pedestrian friendly downtown

A Cedar City housing committee has produced several proposals aiming to improve the downtown area of the city through updating zoning laws and increasing available housing. The proposals aim to encourage more people to live and work downtown, and to explore parking policies that lead to more residential, commercial, and restaurant use downtown.
Read the full article from Alysha Lundgren with St. George News here: https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2022/05/23/agl-where-do-the-neighborhoods-go-cedar-city-looking-to-create-more-livable-walkable-downtown/#.YowJc_PMIWo