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NONPROFIT US POSTAGE PAID LAS VEGAS, NEVADA PERMIT No. 3587
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Serving Wayne & Garfield Counties, Utah
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Corner Post Media, P.O. Box 105, Escalante, UT 84726
Thursday, February 20, 2025
Garfield County Commission Feb. 10, 2025 GARFIELD CO. The Garfield County Commission discussed legislation and its impacts on the county at the Feb. 10 meeting. Bills move fast at this stage, with the following status current as of the Feb. 10 meeting: • Commissioners are monitoring SB215, which would give counties control over their own EMT transports. • Businesses are likely to see a one percent statewide increase in the Transient Room Tax they need to collect. HB456 specifies that the state keeps half of that increase; 25 percent returns to the county of origin, and the remaining 25 percent goes into a local emergency medical services grant fund for 5th and 6th class counties. [County classifications are based on population. Garfield is a 5th class county, and Wayne is a 6th class Garfield Commission Cont'd on A3
Reimagining The Loop:
Wayne County Commission
After sitting vacant for years, Escalante's Golden Loop has been transformed into an active community space
by Kathryn Chamberlain
by Kathryn Chamberlain
Feb. 4, 2025
Kathryn Chamberlain
The building (now known as The Loop) that once housed the popular Golden Loop Restaurant in Escalante has been restored by Becka and Preston Winkelman. The Loop is now a space for local businesses and hosts yoga and fitness classes. A grand opening is planned for Saturday, Feb. 22nd, and includes free classes throughout the day, an open house, and live music. ESCALANTE - Upon entering the freshly painted blue door at the newly renovated space now called “The Loop” on Escalante’s Main Street, one will find themselves standing in Becka Winkelman’s Monu-
See Thousands of Geese Migrating Through Utah During the 2025 Delta Snow Goose Festival
Lynn Chamberlain | Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
The annual Delta Snow Goose Festival, hosted by the Delta Chamber of Commerce, will be held Feb. 21-22 in Delta. DELTA - It’s a sight you have to see to believe: Thousands of geese lifting off Gunnison Bend Reservoir amid honks and the beating of wings. If you want to see the incredible spectacle yourself, head to the annual Delta Snow Goose Festival. The festival, hosted by the Delta Chamber of Commerce, will be held
Issue #1603
insiderutah.com
Feb. 21-22 in Delta. Part of the festival includes a free snow goose viewing event hosted by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources at Gunnison Bend Reservoir, west of Delta. As many as 20,000 geese—mostly snow geese—have been at the resSnow Goose Festival Cont'd on B4
REGIONAL WEATHER FORECAST
ment Yoga studio, with giant windows that look out onto the street. The room features natural light, hand stenciled floors, decorative tin ceilings, and the building’s original sandstone brick. Local artwork adorns
the walls, including a tactile wall installation of rock and stone, and on the building’s west exterior side, a mural painted by Marcus Cline reflects the juniper trees that adorn the local landscape. Today, the building—
which once housed the popular Golden Loop Restaurant—has been beautifully restored by Becka and her husband, Preston WinkelThe Loop Cont'd on B3
WAYNE CO. - After the prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, the Wayne County Commission meeting opened with Kevin Bunne from the Department of Natural Resources. He announced the newly appointed director, Riley Peck, to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Bunne said, “He will be a good director for us and has a lot of support both internally and externally.” He also announced that law enforcement is now its own division within the Department of Natural Resources. He believes this will improve efficiencies in the overall administration. Lastly, Bunne spoke of the successful relocation of 300 pronghorn from Parker Mountain. He said it was a huge undertaking, and it went well. They were released into areas that were pre-approved by the Resource Development Coordinating Committee that Wayne Commission Cont'd on B4
PHS Wrestling Team Secures Volunteers 6th Consecutive 1A State Championship Title; Needed Senior Braxton Atkin Becomes the First 4-time for 2025 State Champ in Panguitch History Raptor by Jaynie Connor Inventory Nest Survey SALT LAKE CITY Citizen scientists are needed across Utah for The Raptor Inventory Nest Survey (RINS) annual monitoring project. This unique volunteer project provides an opportunity to learn about and help protect Utah’s eagles, hawks, falcons, ospreys, and owls. Training workshops will be held in February and March. The RINS organization collects and manages essential data regarding the Volunteers Needed Cont'd on B4
Tracy Wright
Panguitch High School achieved their sixth consecutive, and eighth overall, 1A state championship title at the 1A State Wrestling Championship at Sevier Valley Center in Richfield on Feb. 8. RICHFIELD - A procession of sirens echoed through the city of Panguitch on Saturday night, Feb. 8, welcoming the Panguitch High School wres-
tling team, who recently achieved their sixth consecutive, and eighth overall, 1A State Championship title. Senior Braxton Atkin made history as the first four-time
state champion from Panguitch, while senior Jacob Marshall proudly became 6-Time Champs Cont'd on B1
UPCOMING EVENTS... Daylight Saving Time Starts
March 9
St. Patrick's Day
March 17
FOR SOME BUT NOT ALL REGIONS REPRESENTED IN OUR NEWSPAPER COVERAGE AREA
THURS. FEB 20 - WED. FEB 26
Sunny/partly cloudy and warmer. Highs range from the low 40s to the low 60s; lows range from the high teens to the low 30s. Winds variable from 10 to 13 mph.
**Weather is subject to Change
Too much agreement kills a chat. —Eldridge Cleaver
INSIDER CONTENT DEADLINE ALL content for THE WAYNE & GARFIELD COUNTY INSIDER MUST BE submitted by FRIDAY AT NOON to be included in the following Thursday edition of the paper.