CEDAR CITY — Last year, calls to the Cedar City Police Department rose by nearly 10%, increasing officers’ workloads and the risk of burnout. This prompted the department to make some changes. But law enforcement “will try to protect the public from the bad guys.”

Cedar City Police Chief Darin Adams told Cedar City News that the department’s call volume has increased exponentially in recent years. All emergency calls in Iron County, including those from law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and Gold Cross Ambulance, are routed through the Cedar Communications Center.

“We are the busiest agency, as you can imagine,” Adams said. “Just because of the sheer number and population and condensed nature of a city.”

In 2023, the department received 36,379 calls, compared to about 33,000 in 2022. Adams estimated that the Iron County Sheriff’s Office received about half the number of service calls. The increase could be related to the city’s growth, among other contributing factors.

“We jumped almost 3,000 calls in one year, and so we see that continue to incline up,” he said. “The officers are overwhelmed, to be quite frank.”

The department is authorized to employ 48 officers, but several have left recently for various reasons, including the workload, Adams said, adding that about 26 to 27 officers are “on the street rotating between those shifts.”

Last year’s service load equated to nearly 700 calls per week, nearly 100 per day or approximately four per hour. Many of these calls required officers to write reports, with 4,523 written – a 5% increase from 2022. This breaks down to nearly 87 reports per week and over 12 per day.

Adams said it became difficult for officers to keep up, as there are typically three to eight people on duty at a time, depending on how busy the department is, who may receive multiple calls within a short period.

“You may have a three-car accident at the South Interchange, which requires three officers to handle, and then a domestic at the same time, which are the most dangerous calls we respond to, so there’s two to three (officers) there,” he said. “So, six officers are now tied up and all of a sudden, there’s a theft at Walmart – somebody just stole something. They’re running out the door. … The officers, I think, got to the point where they felt like there’s no breathing room.”

Officers leaving the department due to the workload was a “wake-up call,” Adams said.

“There’s always reasons why people want to move on, and my philosophy is, as disappointed as I am, I want to wish them the best,” he said. ” Whatever is best for them and their family in the current climate – that’s what I want to support. But I felt like we can make some changes, hopefully, to make it better.”

To this end, the police department began seeking ways to relieve officer’s responsibilities by reducing the number of calls for service they take.

“We’ve always done it because we’ve just tried to be good, community public safety servants,” he said, adding that law enforcement has continuously taken on a larger role in the city.

“If people are in a crisis, no matter what that is, and they don’t know who to call, they always call 911 – always dispatch the police,” Adams said. “Over time, it’s gotten to the point where, well, the police are taking on a lot of social issues that should never have been given to the police.”

The police department has implemented online reporting via the Daily Officer Reporting System, which has been live for about three months. Adams said the department encourages Southern Utahns to use the system when a crime isn’t actively happening or there isn’t evidence or a suspect.

“Just because we are busy with criminal things — just trying to protect the public from the bad guys,” Adams said.

Online reporting may be a good option when a vehicle was burgled the day before, a person wants to submit a crime tip, report an abandoned vehicle or in similar situations. From the website, the report is sent to a computer-aided reporting system as a completed form unless an officer needs to follow up.

In July, 41 reports were submitted through the online system. The department estimates each report would have taken one and a half hours for an officer to complete, costing approximately $42 per report. The online system reportedly saved law enforcement over 61 hours and $1,722 last month and 0ver 200 hours and $5,628 since its inception.

Those using the online system should submit any relevant photos and potential suspect information, Adams said. However, if there is evidence that someone committed the crime, he encourages residents to wait for the police to arrive and recover it.

If there is any confusion about whether a person should call 911 or the police station rather than report online, Adams said they should err on the side of caution and call.

“Anything that is really a public safety threat in any form or fashion, that’s the appropriate time to call. … When in doubt, we encourage them to call in and give us information,” he said. “We can guide them appropriately, or dispatch can.”

Additionally, Adams said that the department would triage calls that were not considered immediate threats to the public. For instance, if officers respond to a three-car crash in one area and a domestic issue in another, a person dealing with a fender bender may need to wait or submit the report online.

Residents also have other options when dealing with nonemergency situations. For instance, those who run out of gas on the side of the road can call a taxi or Uber or call roadside assistance rather than the police. Those conducting custody exchanges they want to be monitored can do so at the parking garage on 100 East, where cameras would capture footage of the event. However, Adams said that officers can still be present if there is a safety risk. People who need to have their VIN numbers checked should go to the Utah Department of Motor Vehicles.

Adams said that the decision to reduce services was a difficult one.

“I’ve been doing this for 27 years,” he said. “I love Cedar City – born and raised here, moved away to New Mexico for a few years and then came back. But this job, to me, is much more than that. … It’s important that we provide services to our community, and so to consider cutting those back – at my very core, that’s very difficult for me to do. I probably waited longer than I should have.”

Still, Cedar City residents can expect Shop with a Cop and other programs to continue, and officers will attend the annual July Jamboree next year, among other community events.

“Those things are important,” Adams said, adding that the department is working toward finding a balance.

Additionally, Adams praised Cedar City’s police force.

“We have a remarkable group of people who are dedicated to their community,” he said. “I mean, I wish people knew them the way I do. They love their community, they serve, they protect. And that’s our commitment to the public – we want to make sure that we do all we can to protect you and keep you safe and to try to prevent issues from creeping into our community that we see in so many other places. And with our limited resources, we are striving to do that each and every day.”

To find the new online reporting system, Southern Utahns can click this link or call 833-437-1143 to access an automated system that will send a link to the system to their phone.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

Best Friends Animal Society, a leading national animal welfare organization working to end the killing of cats and dogs in America’s shelters in 2025, recently released data showing 207,400 dogs were killed in shelters last year, simply because they didn’t have a place to call home.

After consideration, a press release was issued for National Dog Day to discuss how people can help save the lives of homeless canines across the country. In the United States, 568 dogs are killed in shelters every single day of the year — that’s one dog every two and a half minutes.

“Despite saving 83% of dogs that entered U.S. shelters in 2023, the number of dogs unnecessarily dying increased by 30%” Best Friends Animal Society CEO Julie Castle said. “Roughly 7 million people in America are planning to acquire a pet this year, and if just 6 percent more people chose to adopt versus purchase their pets, we would end the killing of dogs and cats in our nation’s shelters.”

On National Dog Day, Monday, Aug. 26, consider the top 5 ways to make a difference for the dogs in Southern Utah and communities nationwide.

Adopt a new best friend

When adding a new four-legged companion to their home, choosing the adoption option is one of the simplest ways to help achieve no-kill. Adopting helps save lives and reduce the demand for puppy mills or other inhumane commercial breeding facilities. 

Spay and Neuter: Not only does spaying and neutering pets prevent future litters, it can directly decrease the number of pets entering shelters. Additional benefits include reducing the risk of  medical problems and expenses down the line, 

Foster first

Not ready to adopt? Fostering is a great option that provides a pet with the space and time to decompress, while acclimating to life in a home. Fostering comes at no cost to those opening their homes, as shelter and rescue organizations typically cover all expenses while the pet is in foster. Many organizations also offer foster-to-adopt programs where individuals can see if a pet is right for their home before adopting.  

Give back

Shelter staff across the country are spread thin. Walking dogs, cleaning kennels, and doing laundry are all essential tasks to keep shelters running smoothly. If a lack of time prohibits volunteering, donating provides resources to help shelters save more lives. Plus, donations don’t have to be monetary — shelters always need supplies like food, blankets, towels, and even old newspapers. Reach out to your local shelter to find out what they need. 

Utilize social media

Shelters and rescue groups often post about dogs in need at their organization. By sharing these posts on social media channels, more awareness is created which can help dogs find foster or adoptive homes. It’s a quick, free and easy way to make a positive difference.

Get informed

Best Friends in Kanab runs lifesaving programs across the country, as well as the nation’s largest no-kill animal sanctuary, working collaboratively with a network of more than 4,800 animal welfare and shelter partners, and community members nationwide, To learn more about how to get involved, or to view adoptable pets, click here to visit the Best Friends Animal Society website.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

A judge on Friday gave a Southern Utah family until Wednesday to raise nearly half a million dollars or risk losing their home in a sheriff’s sale.

Fifth District Court Judge Matthew L. Bell ordered Bryson and Ruth Seegmiller to post a $425,000 bond following a motion filed by the plaintiffs in a wrongful death lawsuit.

The lawsuit stems from a tragic incident on June 11, 2022, when Kevin Cooper, the Seegmillers’ guest at a birthday party, drowned at Newcastle Reservoir. Despite safety warnings, witnesses said the 14-year-old Cooper entered the water without a life jacket and drowned.

His parents, William and Tina Cooper, subsequently filed a $9.5 million lawsuit against the Seegmillers. In their lawsuit, they sought compensation for their son’s projected future earnings, asserting that they had relied on him to support them due to their reported disabilities and to care for their autistic son after they were gone.

The Seegmillers have chosen to represent themselves throughout their legal challenges, a decision influenced by their faith. This choice has led to repeated legal complications, including a default judgment due to their inadequate responses to court proceedings.

As a result, the court found in favor of the Coopers and ordered the sale of the Seegmillers’ home and farm in Beryl at a sheriff’s auction to satisfy the judgment.

The sale, initially set for July, was postponed by Iron County Sheriff Ken Carpenter to allow the Seegmillers additional time to be heard in court. It is rescheduled for August 28.

On August 16, Bell issued a temporary stay of the auction, giving the Seegmillers 90 days to pursue an appeal. Following that decision, the Coopers’ attorney, Jonathan Kirk, filed a motion objecting to the stay without securing his clients’ interest through the appeal.

Kirk argued that the Seegmillers should be required to post a bond or other security. He suggested that this could be set as high as $25 million to cover the judgment, legal fees, and interest.

In a hearing Monday to address the Coopers’ motion, Bell deemed the $25 million excessive and emphasized the need for a “fair” solution.

“As I indicated last week, I want to afford you (Seegmillers) the benefit of a stay either a short-term stay of up to 90 days or longer, if, you or the other side, for that matter, pursue any kind of an appeal on any of the court’s rulings,” Bell said.

Ultimately, Bell ruled that the Seegmillers must post a $425,000 bond or pay the full security amount. This number reflected the estimated value of their real property.

Known as an appeal or supersedeas bond, this type of bond is designed to ensure that the plaintiffs’ financial interests are protected while the appeal is pending.

Typically, securing such a bond requires the appellant to pay an annual premium, usually around 1% to 3% of the bond amount, which in this case would be between $4,250 and $12,750. The Seegmillers argued, however, they could not afford the bond, claiming the Coopers had frozen their bank accounts and seized other assets.

“You have frozen all of our bank accounts and taken all of our assets and we have absolutely no money and no way of paying this,” Bryson Seegmiller said.

Bryson Seegmiller accused Bell and Kirk of deliberately making it impossible for them to comply with the court’s demands.

“I think all those fees and everything else, again if we had access so we could actually cash a check and we could actually function with finances but everything’s been frozen, everything’s been tied up we have no way of functioning, any financial system,” he said.

“You have literally closed us out of society and I believe you guys are very well aware of that and I think this is a tactic you guys are using to collapse us, to get your system, to prevent us from taking it to the appellate court.”

Frustrated with the Seegmillers, Bell responded to the accusations, warning Seegmiller not to engage in an argument with him. 

He emphasized that Seegmiller had chosen not to participate in the process earlier and advised him to seek legal counsel moving forward, warning that proceeding without it could be risky.

“To the contrary, when you say ‘your system,’ we’re talking about this system as I said last week, and I’m not going to get into an argument so don’t start going back and forth with me,” Bell said. “You’re talking about an opportunity where you made it very clear that you did not intend to participate.”

“I made a ruling last week, we tried to give you opportunities to participate and you ignored this process and now you’re in this position and you did so, unfortunately without the advice of counsel, which is your right.”

Bell clarified that his intention was to help them stay in their home while the appeal was pursued, while also ensuring that the plaintiffs had security in the property during the process.

“…What I am here to do today is try to give you an avenue in which you can enjoy the benefits of the stay, to allow you to remain in your home while you pursue the appeal.”

“By rule I have to give the plaintiffs the opportunity to have some security in that property, which they now have an interest, unless and until, the court of appeals or Utah Supreme Court rules otherwise.”

Tensions continued during the hearing when Bell perceived Bryson Seegmiller’s comments as increasingly argumentative, prompting the judge to mute his microphone.

Kirk later raised concerns about the timing of the bond payment, noting uncertainty about whether the sale had been officially canceled.

He argued that if the sheriff hadn’t called off the sale, the bond or security would need to be paid before the deadline. This would leave the Seegmillers with just five days—only three of them business days—to come up with the money.

Bell concurred, stating that if the sale was still scheduled, it would proceed unless the bond was posted in time. However he also stressed he would not interfere with the Sheriff’s decision on when to hold the auction.

“If the defendants fail to satisfy these conditions, it’s going to nullify the stay that I want to give them while they pursue an appeal,” Bell said. “… As to what this says about the date of the sheriff’s sale, that’s not something I’m going to start dictating. I’m going to refer to the sheriff’s office and I’m not going to give any specific orders there.”

In a follow-up interview with Cedar City News, Carpenter said that he had not canceled Wednesday’s sale, as he had not received any order to do so, and that he would not delay it again.

“I rescheduled that sale once but I won’t do it again,” Carpenter said. “I wanted them to have their day in court hoping they would get an attorney to defend themselves. They’ve now had an opportunity to do that and at this point if the bond is not paid by Wednesday we will move forward.”

Kirk explained that if the home is sold, the Seegmillers will have six months to reclaim the property by paying the amount of the winning bid plus four percent.

“They would not be immediately kicked out of the house, assuming the sale goes forward,” Kirk said. “That would give them time to figure out how best to handle that.”

As the hearing concluded, Bryson Seegmiller challenged the ruling, asserting his land was protected by a patent and beyond the court’s authority.

“You have no right to our land, it is patented,” he said.

The patent claim is rooted in sovereign ideology and tied to the belief that land patents — original government grants of land — exempt individuals from taxes, foreclosures, and other legal actions. Courts have consistently rejected these arguments as legally invalid.

Bell promptly ended the online session, concluding the hearing without further comment.

The Seegmillers later told Cedar City News they were unsure of their next steps, but without access to finances or resources, they believed stopping the sale would be difficult.

“We are looking at different options but at this point we just don’t know,” Ruth Seegmiller said.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

A wildfire caused officials to close the highway motorists frequently use to travel to Zion National Park from Interstate 15 on Saturday evening.

Utah Fire Info reported on social media at approximately 10 p.m. that a fire near Toquerville, named Toquerville Assist 3, is estimated to be between 200 to 300 acres.

“It’s located on the mesa above Toquerville and currently isn’t threatening anything,” Utah Fire Info posted to X.

Utah Department of Transportation officials posted to social media that the fire is affecting the roadway and both directions of state Route 17 are closed in Washington County at milepost 0.

Motorists are advised to use an alternative route until further notice. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Updated at 9 a.m. on Aug. 25: Utah Fire Info is reporting the fire has been contained. No update on total acreage related to the fire was made. The Utah Department of Transportation is reporting SR- 17 is open.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

This special needs mom is speaking out, not just for other mothers, but also for children with disabilities, showing them that their kids can communicate in ways they might never have imagined.

“I cannot describe the passion I have to help these kids,” Kaley Stymeist said. “It breaks my heart to have my own kid and kids like him who have been told they aren’t learning or capable. They are capable and they are learning.”

When St. George News last spoke with Stymeist, she was on a mission to foster unity and inclusion in schools for youth with disabilities, particularly for those who couldn’t speak up for themselves.

When Hudson was born, he was diagnosed with non-immune hydrops, a condition where his body was filled with fluid. Doctors warned Stymeist that Hudson had only a slim chance of survival, even if they managed to remove the excess fluid, and advised her to prepare for the worst. Against the odds, Hudson survived and was later diagnosed with Landau-Kleffner Syndrome, a rare epilepsy disorder, as well as autism.

Her entire approach to communication transformed when she discovered Spelling to Communicate, a form of communication for non-speakers created 5 years ago by Elizabeth Vosseller. The process begins with letterboards, where the student uses a pencil to poke holes in a stencil, spelling out words. As they advance, they move on to laminated cards and eventually transition to a computer or iPad that can speak their words aloud.

Since then, she has completed the eight-month training and is now a certified Spell 2 Communicate Practitioner. She compared the program to the master’s program she had previously completed but in a much shorter time frame. Despite its intensity and compact structure, she says it was well worth the effort.

Weekly assignments were required, along with clinicals that involved recording herself performing Spell 2 Communicate with new clients, teaching both the students and their families.

Her background in behavioral science and psychology, along with her experience as a registered behavior technician working with autistic children in special education, enabled her to connect with local families for hands-on practice and learning.

For those interested in the program, Stymeist begins with a phone call to learn about the child, including their motor skills. The first session lasts about 50 minutes, during which she assesses the most suitable boards, observes the child’s movements and determines the appropriate lessons. At the end of the session, she consults with the parents, explaining what she did and outlining the plan moving forward.

After hearing repeatedly from schools and doctors that special needs children can’t communicate, many parents eventually come to accept this belief. This often makes parents skeptical of new programs, a belief she understands all too well.

She was repeatedly told that her child had a low IQ, was functioning at a 2-year-old level at age 8 and had reached his maximum learning potential. After hearing this for many years, she was reluctant to take a chance.

“I just didn’t want to be hopeful about something that isn’t going to work,” she said.

When she decided to try Spell 2 Communicate, the impact was immediate and profound. While her son didn’t start communicating fully right away, she soon realized he knew things she had no idea he understood and could spell them out.

She always believed Hudson was capable, but she didn’t realize he was learning in the same way a 10-year-old does. In class, he absorbs information just like other kids, but without a way to express it on paper or verbally, people often assume he isn’t learning.

“It completely changes how you look at your child,” she said. “How you think of them, how you presume competence in them. And it shows, for lack of better words, that they are in there, with thoughts like we have, learning like we are, without a way to get it out. And that’s what Spell 2 Communicate does.”

Individuals with disabilities like autism often experience challenges with motor skills and sensory systems. In the brain, the sensory strip is located right next to the motor strip, and problems arise because sensory issues can impact motor function.

Stymeist explained that when the sensory system is overwhelmed and sends incorrect signals, it leads to erratic bodily movements. This is evident both from brain structure and from non-speakers who have communicated through Spellers that they can’t control their bodies.

Unlike other therapies, Spell 2 Communicate presumes competence and focuses on teaching purposeful motor skills to enable more intentional movement.

“I think the hardest thing is getting parents to have hope again,” she said. “It’s a leap of faith. I haven’t just seen this work for my kid, it isn’t one of those things where it works for mine and not for yours. This works for these kids.”

The difference between other therapies is that with Spell 2 Communicate, teachers are presuming competence while teaching purposeful motor skills so that bodies can move more purposefully.

It’s recommended to start teaching Spell 2 Communicate at age 6. Before then, parents should read to their children at an appropriate level, even if the children don’t sit still or appear to be listening.

“If you brought your child to me, the very worst that’s going to happen is that I’m going to believe in your child,” she said. “I’m going to talk to them at their appropriate age level. And you’re going to see instantly how they react to someone treating them like their age.”

Interested in learning more about Spell 2 Communicate and how it can benefit your child or someone you know? Contact Stymeist today via Instagram, email, or telephone at 530-919-5105 to explore how this method can make a difference.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

ST. GEORGE — A set of lost keys set off a series of events that led the arrest of a Virginia man after a verbal altercation over the store’s security system escalated into a scene inside of the market on Aug. 15.

The arrest stems from an incident reported when officers responded to a gas station on South Pioneer Road in St. George shortly before 10 p.m. on a trespassing in progress call.

According to charging documents filed with the court, officers arrived and spoke to the store manager who pointed in the direction of the man standing near the counter who was reportedly refusing to leave the store.

The manager explained to officers that shortly before the 911 call, the man had entered the store and said he was unable to locate the keys to his car and asked if he could review the store’s security video.

After reviewing the cameras, the manager told the suspect they did not see anyone near the man’s car, nor did they see anyone take his keys. When the suspect appeared to be unsatisfied with the manager’s answer, he allegedly pushed past the front counter and entered the manager’s office.

Staff continued telling the suspect he was not authorized to enter that area, nor was he allowed to view the data contained on the store’s security system. When the suspect was asked to leave, he refused and reportedly yelled at the staff and said he would not leave until they showed him the video.

The suspect’s yelling created a scene inside of the store, the report states, which did not go unnoticed by the customers who also started telling the suspect to leave. The suspect continued to argue and remained in the office, even after the staff threatened to call the police.

When officers arrived minutes later where they found the suspect standing near the counter inside of the store. Officers then walked the suspect to a vehicle still parked at the gas pump located furthest from the market, who then identified himself as 24-year-old  Raymond Massenburg from Virginia.

When emergency dispatch ran the name and found nothing, the suspect was issued a citation for trespassing and disorderly conduct and was told he was not allowed to enter the store and to stay next to his truck while a locksmith was called to assist.

Shortly after walking back into the store to speak to a colleague, the officer noticed the suspect standing directly in front of the entrance doors, which is when the officer told him he was not allowed near the business and to return to his vehicle. Minutes later, officers were busy taking witness statements when they heard the sound of banging and saw the suspect banging on the front doors.

Once backup arrived, the suspect was arrested and was ultimately identified as 27-year-old Deante Montra Massenburg of Chesapeake, Virginia. During an inventory of the vehicle, officers recovered an identification belonging to a man in Maryland. A background check later revealed an active out-of-state arrest warrant.

Massenburg was booked into jail and formally charged with second-degree felony commercial obstruction and three misdemeanors — two counts of possession of another’s identifying documents and criminal trespassing.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

A Kane County commissioner and former member of the Utah Wildlife Board — a commission that reviews some hunting, fishing and other wildlife-related regulations in the state — is now facing nearly a dozen charges after prosecutors allege his company illegally baited big game for hunting purposes.

Wade Raymond Heaton, 51, of Alton, Kane County, was charged in the 6th District Court Friday with pattern of unlawful activity, a second-degree felony; six counts of wanton destruction of protected wildlife, ranging in severity from a third-degree felony to class A misdemeanor; three counts of conspiracy, a misdemeanor; and taking, transporting, selling or purchasing protected wildlife, a class B misdemeanor.

Six other Utah men, all guides for the hunting business that Heaton owns, were charged with some of the same poaching-related charges stemming from an investigation that began last year.

“Baiting — when food or nutrient substances are placed to manipulate the behavior of wildlife for the purpose of taking or attempting to take big game — is illegal. The investigation found evidence that several deer appear to have been taken using bait by hunters during the 2022 and 2023 hunting seasons,” a Utah Department of Natural Resources spokesperson said in a statement to KSL.com.

Read the full story here:  KSL News.

Written by CARTER WILLIAMS, KSL.com.

Copyright KSL.com.

ST. GEORGE — St. George officials were recently given reports on current and future work being done the regional airport. This included an update on the placement and initial design concept for a multimillion dollar air traffic control tower that state officials granted funding for earlier this year.

The City Council was given an update on the control tower during its Aug. 8 work meeting by Interim Airport Manager Dustin Warren. What he shared with the council specifically was a 15% design review of the project that outlined the basics of the project and where the control tower is set to be built.

Following the Legislature’s appropriating $15 million for the project work soon started on surveying different sites for the control tower. The was done by a team of specialists with the Federal Aviation Administration who examined five locations using virtual reality headsets.

“They were able to use VR headsets to physically be in the tower and be able to adjust the height so they knew how high and where the tower should be,” Warren said.

Using virtual reality to glimpse the airfield from the various locations helped speed up site selection process by knocking off 12-to-18 months, he said.

“It’s a really awesome innovation that went into this,” Warren said.

A similar process using virtual reality and drones was recently used by an engineering firm to scout out prospective air traffic control tower sites for the Boulder City Municipal Airport in Nevada.

Considerations that go into a tower site section include whether or not it interferes with existing navigational aids, how tall the tower needs to be to allow controllers to maintain a visual on the area, if all movement can be seen from the tower, along with items related to geotechnical and soil considerations and how the movement of the sun may impact the ability to see from the tower’s cab.

The FAA team reviewed five proposed locations for a tower at the St. George Regional Airport and settled on a spot on the hillside west of the airport’s terminal and airfield.

The preliminary design to the tower has it standing at 70 feet with seven levels. The first five levels include utilities, a locker room, communications, a staff break room, the tower manager’s office, a conference and training area and an FAA communications facility. The top two levels include a utility floor underneath the air traffic control cab at the top level.

With the tower being just 70 feet, it’ll save the city money, Warren said, as an additional level can run $1 million-plus.

“This is a very, very expensive structure,” he said.

As for the general design of the tower, the city is opting for a rectangular structural rather than an octagonal one seen in the initial renderings of the tower. This will also allow the city to save money while giving it move space to work with, Warren added.

After presenting the initial design concept to the council, Warren said someone will update them again when the design level has reached 30%.

While air traffic control for the St. George Airport is currently handled by FAA staff out of Los Angeles, the federal agency deemed the regional airport a candidate for it own control tower due increasing flight increases in and out of the facility.

The airport saw its highest passenger numbers in 2021 — nearly 326,000 — as travel rebounded from the COVID-19 pandemic. Though 2022 saw a dip in passengers (274,500), the end of 2023 saw an increase, with over 298,000 people going to and from the airport.

Having a tower all its own will increase the safety and efficiency of flight operations around the airport of both airlines, commercial and private fliers, former Airport Manager Rich Stehmeier said in January.

The tower will also help SkyWest Airlines, which operates commercial flights at the airport, expand operations, said Robert Simmons, the CFO of the St. George-based regional airline.

SkyWest manages the commercial flights in and out of the airport and handles 2,000 flights a day across the country. It also one of the biggest employers in Washington County.

Through its partnerships with Delta, United and American Airlines, SkyWest offers connector flights to Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Denver, as well as a seasonal flight to Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. Flights to Los Angeles are set to return in September.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.