San Juan County

County entities are considering tax increases of up to 22.9 percent

Despite the fact that San Juan County is already the highest-taxed county in the state by percentage, a property tax increase of 22.9 percent is being considered by three separate entities associated with San Juan County. A notice to residents of the potential tax change was approved at the...

Enrollment up in schools

The number of students in the San Juan School District grew by 15 students over the past year, the first increase in five years. The modest increase was driven by 21 more students in the schools in Monument Valley, 12 more students in the Blanding schools. Enrollment dropped in the three smallest...

Utah State University School of Applied Sciences, Technology, and Education is divided and growing

In an effort to better serve students in the largest department in Utah State University’s College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences (CAAS), and to advance career and technical education programs, particularly in southeastern Utah, CAAS Dean Ken White and USU President Noelle Cockett announced...

Daily blasting continues for Highway 191 road work

Controlled explosions sent tons of rock onto Highway 191 this week. Motorists traveling between Moab and Monticello could run into delays due to blasting associated with improvements to U.S. 191 between the 107 and 109 mile markers. Since the end of August, Utah Department of Transportation (...

Safety and behavior challenges are focus of school board meeting

Safety and behavior in local schools was a focus at the October 9 meeting of the San Juan School Board. After a threat against his school was made by a student on social media on October 1, San Juan High School Principal Bob Peterson said he “did not do one thing that was educationally-based all...

Broad range of experience for new county adminstrator

Mack McDonald, the new San Juan County Administrator, recently took some time from a very busy schedule to meet with the San Juan Record. McDonald began his new position on September 23, replacing Interim Administrator David Everitt as the key county employee in sprawling San Juan County. He moves...

Water year was wetter than normal, but drought designation returns

Despite a dry end to the recently-completed water year, San Juan County experienced a remarkable wet year. The water year runs from October 1 to September 30 every year. In the past year, Monticello received 136 percent of normal precipitation, including receiving ten feet of snow. Monticello had...

Elected officials meet from federal, tribal, state, county, and community groups

A group of elected officials met on Wednesday, October 2 in Blanding, including Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Congressman John Curtis. The group included tribal, federal, state, county, and community leaders. According to President Nez, the focus of the discussion was “how the entities...

County considers large property tax increase

A tax increase may be coming to property owners in San Juan County. The county introduced the possibility at a Commission meeting in Blanding on October 1. The tax increase may be coming from three separate county taxing entities, with a comparatively small increase from the county library and...

SJ School Board gets construction update, hears school reports

The San Juan School Board met on September 11 at Whitehorse High School in Montezuma Creek. Business Administrator Kyle Hosler provided a brief update of the progress on construction projects for Bluff Elementary School and the Montezuma Creek Elementary School gymnasium. Both projects are...