I'm beyond excited to announce that I got hired as a reporter for the Times-Independent (@MoabTimes)! I look forward to reporting on and living in such a vibrant community. I start on May 13. Email me achristiansen@moabtimes.org if you have any story ideas or tips.

Here is what we know about the shots fired during Salt Lake City’s “No Kings” rally. Prior to this, the event was incredibly peaceful. https://t.co/FbkZejemVm

Built in 1994 to centralize scattered park offices, Moab’s NPS HQ transformed how Arches, Canyonlands and more were managed. Now it's at risk under DOGE’s lease review, and former staff say replacing it would be costly and inefficient.

After decades of hauling water, generations of Navajo families in Westwater, UT, are celebrating a life-changing milestone: running water in their homes. A four-year collaboration across tribal, state, and local partners made it possible. https://t.co/dxLG7kq9Ba

The Grand County Commission is urging Utah’s congressional delegation to evaluate the possible closure of three federal offices in Moab, warning the move could jeopardize public safety, land management and the region’s tourism-based economy. https://t.co/2vOJ1zeUKw

Grand County is exploring a new economic study on Arches' timed-entry pilot system. Supporters say it’s needed to assess local business impacts. Opponents argue a recent federal study already shows no harm, and new research may not say anything different.

Grand County has approved $350K in funding to keep EMS services stable through 2025, avoiding cuts to its third ambulance. The move comes amid falling revenues and billing challenges, with both EMS and the commission focused on long-term solutions.

“Sundance was one of our ways of getting to experience a little bit of a counterculture to the mundane, typical Republican culture that we are so heavily influenced by here in Utah."

I'm devastated that Sundance is leaving Utah. It’s been a place for independent voices, bold storytelling and countless amazing films. Salt Lake City would’ve carried that legacy forward beautifully. Such a missed opportunity.

Property tax relief for low-income seniors and disabled Utahns could change under a bill that replaces abatements with a deferral system for new applicants starting in 2026, prompting concerns about future financial strain. Gov. Cox has until Mar 27 to act

A bill that would have used some state funds to retrofit unused state buildings for child care facilities died in the House yesterday. It was a bipartisan effort from the Women in Economy Subcommittee under the @BusinessUtah (GOEO). #utpol

More than 230 people packed into Star Hall on Wednesday, March 5, for a public hearing on the Kane Creek preliminary incorporation feasibility study — a required step in a process that could lead to the creation of a new town southwest of Moab.

House Bill 540 moved quickly through the Utah House but has yet to receive a Senate vote. With the legislative session ending tomorrow, lawmakers would likely need to suspend rules to pass it before time runs out.

Just a year after Utah lawmakers created a process allowing landowners to establish and govern preliminary municipalities with limited oversight, legislation aimed at shutting it down is advancing. The Kane Creek development can still move forward though.

Utahraptor State Park is nearing its long-awaited grand opening, with modern campgrounds and a visitor center almost complete. Details including fees, trail signage and more are still being sorted ahead of the anticipated late April launch.

That’s back-to-back games with goals for Forster 😏

7/7 Demonstrators in Moab made it clear that their fight is not over. “It might be a small town, but we’re on the map,” said Heather Daigle, a resident. “We’re passionate people, and we care about our resources, and we care about our community and we have a voice in this too.”

6/7 The General Services Administration plans to close NPS, USGS and Forest Service offices in Moab — the USGS office by Sept. 30, 2025, and the NPS/Forest Service building by April 1, 2026. It’s unclear whether employees will be reassigned or lose their jobs.

5/7 More layoffs are expected. Federal agencies have been ordered to prepare for additional workforce reductions by March 13, with further cuts likely before Sept. 30.

4/7 "These are real people – they have families and mortgages, and their lives are being destroyed," said protester Mary Beth Fitzburgh. Others warned of deteriorating parks, lost projects and a weakened economy.

3/7 In Utah, at least 17 NPS employees have lost their jobs, including 12 at Zion. The number of terminations at Arches and Canyonlands remains unconfirmed, but rough estimates suggest around seven. The Department of the Interior has not responded to requests for confirmation.