KDXU Sunrise Stories for January 17, 2024: Beloved Southern Utah Barber to Retire After 50 Years

KDXU Sunrise Stories: Volume 132 

Statewide News – 01/17/24 

Ute Tribe Calls for Educational Improvement from State Congress 

Leaders of the Ute Indian Tribe are asking the Utah State Congress to improve its public school system following recent Ute student dropout rates. 

Data from the 2022-2023 school year showed Ute students are falling behind and dropping out of school more than nearly every demographic across the state of Utah. 

Although no plans are in place to improve said conditions, Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson said in a 2023 statement she would be taking action. Henderson was asked for an update from the Salt Lake Tribune, but she didn’t provide any comments. 

Governor Race Puts Spotlight on Utah Road Rights 

State GOP Representative Phil Lyman is continuing his campaign to challenge Utah Governor Spencer Cox by using Utah Road Rights as a part of his platform. 

Lyman recently posted on social media where he stated he would be proposing a law that would improve laws going back to 1866 involving the closure of roads near Moab. 

The law in question states counties are allowed to build roads on public lands if they’re for public use. We’ll continue to report on the Utah governor race as we progress through the 2024 election season. 

Southern Utah/St. George News – 01/17/24 

Juvenile Arrested for St. George Swatting Incident 

A juvenile from out of state has been arrested for the reported instigation of a swatting incident on September 27 at Snow Canyon High School. 

The minor is reportedly a member of a serial swatting ring that specializes in this type of crime, and the arrested juvenile has caused multiple incidents of similar nature throughout multiple states. 

Since the suspect is a minor, the trial process will be more complicated than expected, and that includes the long list of alleged crimes from multiple states. Chances are the suspect won’t be tried for his St. George related crimes for some time. 

Springdale Wants to Keep “Unique Village Atmosphere” Amidst Changes 

Members of the Springdale Town Council are looking for ways to add more hotels/short-term housing without taking away from the town’s “unique village atmosphere.” 

A new Transient Lodging Overlay Zone was recently adopted and the applications for the short-term housing option will be accepted starting in March. 

40 new lodging units were also approved in 2023, but no update has been provided as to when the units are to be completed. 

Community Education Channel to Cease Operation in 2025 

A local broadcasting network that spans across Southern Utah will cease operations in June 2025. 

The Community Education Channel has been creating local content in Washington County since 1995 by broadcasting on their YouTube channel and through channels 22 and 108 on the TDS cable system. 

Such content includes live streaming high school and college sports, Utah Tech University events such as the State of the University Address, and St. George City Council meetings among many other broadcasts. 

The board behind the CEC made the decision following diminishing returns for the broadcasting network by voting unanimously in a public meeting on January 16.  

The CEC’s five employees will have until June 30, 2025, to find new work. Until then, the CEC will continue to provide local content for Southern Utah. 

Legendary St. George Barber to Retire 

A beloved barber based in St. George will retire after 50 years of trimming around the neck. 

81-year-old Richard Lister will retire from the business in June. You can find Lister at Rabbits and Rocketships Barbershop at 799 East Tabernacle. 

Lister has been in the business since the mid 1970s when he graduated from Salt Lake Barber Tech. 

Other 

Fun fact about Stockton Myers, the writer of Sunrise Stories. 

Stockton has always wanted to live in a local environment where he could walk into a burger joint and say, “the usual.” It’s a situation you see a lot in sitcoms and the like where the protagonist is known by everybody. Stockton thinks it’s entirely possible, but he knows he far too lazy to go out that much. 

Happy Wednesday!