Life in San Juan

It’s All About the Pie

by Sally Jack “Whoever eats the most turkey and potatoes can have the most pie,” my grandfather said every Thanksgiving. As a boy, my pie-loving father trustingly believed him and tucked into the turkey and taters with zeal, his eye on the pie. Strangely enough, he never had much room left for pie...

Royalty from pageants at Monument Valley High and Tse’Bii’Nidzisgai Elementary

Royalty from recent pageants at Monument Valley High and Tse’Bii’Nidzisgai Elementary school include Tse’Bii’Nidzisgai Princess Rose Rock, Lil Miss Tse’Bii’Nidzisgai Shydell Mark, T.E.S. Brave Eusshaw Myerson, Miss Monument Valley High School Keturah Whitehorse, and Miss Jr. Monument Valley High...

BYU Living Legends at Whitehorse High

San Juan County is about to experience the BYU Living Legends on Friday, November 21 at 7 pm at the Whitehorse High School auditorium in Montezuma Creek. Admission is $20 per person, unless you are a Season Pass holder or student at San Juan School District. This group presents a vibrant display of...

Monticello Mayor race is closing, just six votes separate the candidates

Updated election results show that the race for Monticello Mayor is closing and still too close to call. Results released on Wednesday afternoon show Kevin Dunn with 51 percent of the votes compared to 49 percent for incumbent Bayley Hedglin. The difference is just six votes. In preliminary...

Preliminary figures in municipal elections

Preliminary vote count shows Kevin Dunn leading Bayley Hedglin in the race for Monticello mayor. Dunn has 166 votes so far, compared to 140 to Hedglin. In the race for Monticello City Council, Shane Brewer and Todd Westcott have an early lead. Westcott has received 189 votes, Westcott has 187,...

Alyn Mitchell (left) and Brandon Christensen received awards for their work at a recent Utah Fall Conference on Substance Abuse. The awards were presented by Rob Timmerman and Eric Tadaharra of the Utah Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. Courtesy photo

Mitchell is honored by state for her work in prevention services

Alyn Mitchell has been nominated and recently received the 2025 Merlin F. Goode prevention award from the State of Utah. Alyn’s contributions both locally and statewide are a testament to her dedication to substance use prevention. Alyn is a proud preventionist and serves on many state training...

San Juan County Library Corner

Blanding Library will be hosting its third annual Pumpkin Carving contest. Award categories include Scariest, Silliest, Most Creative, and Best by Child 0-12 years. Pumpkins may be dropped off Wednesday, October 29 from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Thursday, October 30 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m...

Magic Yarn Project is truly magical

by Sally Jack If you want to create a little magic and put a smile on the face of a child experiencing medical baldness, come to the South Chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints in Blanding on Saturday, October 25 to participate in the Magic Yarn Project. Men, women, boys and...

Get ready: Messiah performance is returning!

The year 2025 will mark the 47th performance of Handel’s Messiah in San Juan County. Since 1975, there have been many iterations, featuring hundreds of performers and several conductors, including Pete Henderson, Francis Lyman, Derryl Jack, Duane Lyman, Wayne Erickson, Jake Palmer, and now Tim...

Church members, including a young Andrea Twitchell, at the Sao Paulo Brazil Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Courtesy photo

2,500 mile journey to temple in Brazil

By Janet Wilcox Contributing writer With temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints dotting the earth in these days, it’s hard to imagine the sacrifice that early members in foreign countries had as they traveled to a temple in the 1990’s. Blanding dentist Andrea Twitchell recalls...