David Condos

1 week ago | kuer.org | David Condos

The San Rafael River has a problem. As it winds through red rock country northwest of Canyonlands National Park, it increasingly runs dry. Drought is again taking hold across Utah, and that could spell trouble for the wildlife that rely on the river, such as native fish that get stranded in puddles when the flow stops. “Picture being in a little pool and never being able to move. Your oxygen levels start to get low.

2 weeks ago | kuer.org | David Condos

There’s a new 12-foot-long metal dragon in St. George. Its eyes are made from kitchen utensils. Its belly, two stop signs. The scales that cover its wings, horns and everywhere else come from the Salt Lake City police station’s evidence room. “All those license plates you see on that dragon have been confiscated by the police,” Utah County artist Deveren B. Farley said.

3 weeks ago | kuer.org | David Condos

It’s a race against time 200 million years in the making. In a patch of red dirt between a batch of St. George homes and a Taco Bell, a couple dozen scientists and volunteers chip away at giant slabs of stone searching for signs of ancient life. “This is some bougie field work,” paleontologist Jaleesa Buchwitz said with a laugh. “Water is close at hand. The hospital is only five minutes away. This is luxurious.”What they don’t have is the luxury of time.

3 weeks ago | kuer.org | David Condos

As recent vandalism incidents across Utah show, respect for the past remains an ongoing issue. So, what can be done to stop people from damaging archaeological sites? For a national program based at Southern Utah University, the answer is to teach elementary students about the cultures those places represent. “We can't post policemen at every rock art or rock writing site,” said Project Archaeology director and SUU instructor Samantha Kirkley.

1 month ago | kuer.org | David Condos

Southern Utah has plenty of wide open spaces. So, it can be easy for drivers cruising along at 65 mph to forget to slow down when they enter a community. Recent speed limit reductions on Moab’s Main Street aim to change that. New signs began going up in mid-February across a nearly 12-mile stretch of State Route 191. Speeds have been reduced by up to 15 mph on the outskirts of town and by 5 mph in areas adjacent to the downtown core. The limit is still 30 mph in downtown Moab.