Jon Kovash

In a five-week period two men have died near Moab who were engaging in a new extreme sport, back country rope swinging. As a result, the Bureau of Land Management is studying whether stricter rules should be in place. UPR's Jon Kovash reports.

A controversial state plan to introduce mountain goats to the La Sal Mountains, near Moab, could be approved soon. UPR's Jon Kovash reports.

Tuesday night at an open house in Moab, biologists from the Division of Wildlife Resources office in Price unveiled their plans to the public. Among them was wildlife biologist Justin Shannon.

Many scientists have been predicting that effects from climate change in the Southwest will be especially severe, Utah in particular.

In January, Moab’s temperatures never rose above freezing for the entire month. With pipes freezing all over town, Ron Pierce, Moab’s weather historian, was among many old timers who had never seen anything like it.

“As far as I can remember, it’s the coldest spell we’ve had in a long, long time,” said Jayne Belnap.

After a three-month hiatus, the Department of Energy will resume shipping uranium tailings by rail from Moab to a disposal site near Crescent Junction.

On Tuesday, Jeff Biagini, the project manager, addressed the citizen watchdog committee for the tailings cleanup. 

“Basically on Monday next week we’ll bring all the employees together, in Moab, all roughly 110, 112 of them, and have a kickoff meeting.”

An unprecedented cold spell in Moab has resulted in frozen water pipes all over town. The prolonged sub-freezing temperatures have wreaked unprecedented havoc on Moab’s water system. Ron pierce has lived here since 1954 and is considered a local weather expert.

"As far as I can remember it’s the coldest spell we’ve had for a long, long, long time. The average cold temperature for the month I think has been about 3.4, something like that, for the month of January."

In the wake of the Sandy Hook school shootings, the Moab School District is ready to employ a full-time sheriffs deputy whose only job is school security.

The deputy’s time would be divided among Moab’s three public school campuses. The effort is being spearheaded by Sheriff Steven White, who has worked with the school’s Safety Committee during the last 10 years, ever since the Columbine shootings in Colorado.

After a well-attended public meeting, the Moab Sagebrush Coalition has mounted a petition drive, and a boycott of businesses signed the letter asking President Obama to create a Greater Canyonlands. Among those actively involved is San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lynam.

The Outdoor Industry Association wants new national monument protection for 1.4 million acres surrounding Canyonlands, and industry giants like Patagonia are helping lead the push. But last week’s letter to president Obama was also signed by a long list of Utah and Moab businesses.

A week-old petition to change the name of Negro Bill Canyon, near Moab, has already attracted hundreds of signatures.

The petition is to the USGS Board of Geographic Names, and it’s not he first effort to change the name of Negro Bill Canyon, named after early black settler William Grandstaff. 12 years ago the board declared there was no community support for a name change, because Grandstaff allegedly called himself "Nigger Bill." Louis Williams, a 14-year Moab resident, has long been skeptical of that claim.