St. George

A new plant that cleans and recycles more sewage is another big step toward stretching Washington County’s limited water supply. It highlights the massive effort and big money it’ll take to keep the St. George area growing in the desert.

The Milken Institute put southwest Utah’s largest city in its top spot for the first time. The ranking highlights St. George’s job growth and wage growth, both among the nation’s highest in recent years.

A plan to build a highway through the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area near St. George is back. But public lands law experts from across the country question if the Trump administration is missing Congress's original intention.

The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute has reduced its Washington County future population forecast. That could have ripple effects for southwest Utah’s water needs.

“I just don't buy anything that's not something that I need to breathe, live and survive,” said one St. George resident about affording her apartment. Rents in this part of southwest Utah have doubled in the past decade.

In Washington County, projects like townhome developments are less common than they were two years ago. In 2023, two out of every five new homes built in Washington County were condos and townhomes. Now, it’s just one in five.

Both of the first-term incumbents, who ran on their opposition to tax increases, are in the lead to stay on the five-member council.

This year’s mayoral race was a rematch of the 2021 contest, when Randall defeated Hughes.

During droughts and disasters, the Washington County Water Conservancy District’s draft plan could cut up to 60% of the water cities get and leave it up to city leaders to figure out how to get by with less.

Incumbent Mayor Michele Randall faces a challenge in November from city councilor Jimmie Hughes. Both met in a debate at Utah Tech University the day before ballots were mailed.

KUER will have online coverage of the St. George mayoral debate on Monday, Oct. 13 at 7:00 p.m. MT.

KUER will have online coverage of the St. George City Council debate between Michelle Tanner, Natalie Larsen, Jami Leavitt and Greg Aldred on Monday, Oct. 13 at 6:00 p.m. MT.