By Tracie Sullivan, For Iron County Today   A Cedar City man with a criminal history dating back to 1988 has accepted plea deals in two separate cases this week, resolving multiple charges from incidents in 2024. Ernest Robert Miller, 73, was arrested on August 12, 2024, after police received reports of a man exposing…

  It was another week of great work on the Hill as we officially hit the halfway point of the Session. My colleagues and I are working hard to pass legislation that is good for Utah and Rural Utah. As we approach these final few weeks, we will continue to pass bills that strengthen public…

Building a Stronger Future for Utah Week 4 of the legislative session means we are officially halfway through the 2025 General Session, and there’s already been so much accomplished! From strengthening public safety to expanding education opportunities for students and securing energy for Utah’s future, we continue to work hard tackling the issues that matter…

From Jenny Plecki, U.S. Forest Service     Cedar City, UT February 13, 2025— The Pine Valley and Cedar City Ranger Districts will be conducting prescribed burns to lessen fuel buildup and improve scenic quality of previously logged and thinned areas. 400 to 450 acres of piled slash will be targeted on the Pine Valley…

From Lt. Dave Mitchell, Iron County Sheriff’s Office   Cedar City, UT—The Iron County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a reported altercation between two neighbors on February 12, 2025. Gerald Lee Vandermeer, a 55-year-old man, was allegedly involved in a dispute with 45-year-old Cory Whittenburg over barking dogs. Vandermeer’s sister-in-law reported that he visited Whittenburg to…

By Dr. Adam Lambert, SUU Director of Bands The SUU Music Department is hosting the 12th annual High School Jazz Festival on Saturday, February 22nd at 7:30 pm in the Heritage Center. A full day of high school jazz performances comes to an exciting conclusion with SUU’s Jazz Ensemble One performing alongside Jazz Trumpeter Extraordinaire,…

From Bella Pinnock, For Iron County Today   Washington, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Celeste Maloy (UT-02) and Congressman Russ Fulcher (ID-01) introduced the Western Economic Security Today (WEST) Act. This legislation would repeal the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Conservation and Landscape Health final rule. In June 2024, BLM finalized a rule that elevates conservation as an…

Lt. Dave Mitchell, Iron County Sheriff’s Office     Cedar City, UT – On February 10, 2025, at approximately 9:21 AM, Iron County Sheriff’s deputies and several local fire departments responded to a significant structure fire at a commercial manufacturing plant located at 821 E 11000 N, north of Cedar City.   Upon arrival, firefighters found the…

“There’s lots of options for the lieutenant governor to clean up our voter rolls,” House Majority Whip Karianne Lisonbee told her colleagues of her bill to end Utah’s use of ERIC. By Emily Anderson Stern, The Salt Lake Tribune  This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah…

By Tracie Sullivan, For Iron County Today   As federal immigration policies tighten under President Donald Trump’s administration, Utah lawmakers are advancing bills to address undocumented immigration, while law enforcement agencies — including those in Iron County — assess their role in enforcement efforts. State Legislative Efforts Utah lawmakers have introduced multiple bills addressing various…

By Tracie Sullivan, For Iron County Today   A Cedar City man is facing multiple charges after allegedly violating a protective order, forcing his way into a home, and threatening officers with a knife. Cornelio Ranger Begaye, 27, was arrested on Jan. 15, 2025, and charged with burglary of a dwelling, a second-degree felony and…

From Senator Mike Lee, US Senator for Utah WASHINGTON –Today, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) joined Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) as a co-sponsor of the Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act. This legislation would require that federal regulations with an economic impact of $100 million or more be subject to an up-or-down vote…