Inside LADY REDS WIN 4A STATE BASKETBALL TITLE VOL. 11 NO. 14 IRONCOUNTYTODAY.COM WEDNESDAY, M ARCH 6, 2019 Showcase 'Into the Woods' A giant success for Canyon View 4 Opinion 8 Showcase 11 Life 17 Sports 20 Classifieds 22 Comics/Puzzles IRONCOUNTYTODAY.COM WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2019 VOL. 11 NO. 14 Lt. Keith SUU STUDENT RECOGNIZED FOR Millett retires SAVING FRIEND FROM QUICKSAND from police by Kelsey KEENER "You kind of get sucked down a little little over a week prior so we were really Iron County Today and we just kind of kept popping back out watching things. We knew there was a again," Briggs said. "That had been happen- potential for quicksand and we thought we department Drea Briggs received an Award for Valor ing throughout the day but nothing serious, had known what to expect." in recognition of her efforts to rescue her then this time we both kind of got pulled After failed attempts to free Merritt by Corey BAUMGARTNER friend Sarah Merritt after Merritt became in and I was able to pop back out again herself, Briggs realized she would need to Iron County Today stuck in quicksand during a hiking trip. and she wasn't; she got stuck. It's pretty hike out of the canyon and get help. She Both are students at Southern Utah powerful, like being in cement." did everything she could to prepare Merritt After 30 years of dedicated University and worked together at Pipe Briggs said they brought the supplies for her absence, including cutting one of service, Lt. Keith Millett has retired Spring National Monument. They planned they believed they would need and the wetsuits so Merritt could wear it for from active duty with the Cedar a four-day backpacking trip to hike from prepared for the conditions as best as warmth. Also, an air mattress was used to City Police Department. Millett was the Wire Pass Trailhead through the they could. make sure food and supplies were within joined by his family, members of the Buckskin Gulch slot canyon to Lee's Ferry. "We had wetsuits and had done as much arm's reach of Merritt and provided supplies community and his fellow officers In the afternoon of their second day of research as we possibly could on the area," during a farewell celebration in the hiking, Merritt became stuck in quicksand. she said. "There had been a big storm a see QUICKSAND | 6 Festival Hall on February 28, 2019. There were nearly as many laughs as tears for Lt. Millett, whose personality and presence are invaluable and irreplaceable. “On behalf of myself and this city, with the impact and influence that you have had, we will never be able to replace you,” expressed a grateful Mayor Maile Wilson-Edwards. “Know how much we and the city appreciate you and that you are loved as a member of this depart- ment and this community for the outstanding person that you are.” Cedar City Police Chief Darin Adams echoed the Mayor’s senti- ments, describing Lt. Millett as a valued teacher, mentor, and leader. “As you ease into your retirement, in your heart never forget for one moment that blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God,” He continued, “Thank you, Keith, for your dedi- cation, commitment, sacrifice and compassion; for the immeasurable influence for good you have had on so many. Your influence and your COURTESY OF SUU see MILLETT | 7 SUU PRESIDENT, SCOTT WYATT and Superintendent Fred Armstrong, along with Sarah Merritt, present Drea Briggs (3rd from left) with an award for valor 2 Wednesday, March 6, 2019 NEWS IRON COUNTY TODAY Local WBC to celebrate International Women's Day by Kelsey KEENER I'm not just going to give them a piece Iron County Today of paper and say here's the resource you need, I'm going to follow up with them The Southern Utah location of the and make sure that they have what they Women's Business Center of Utah is need.” partnering with several organizations Drake said she feels an important to help celebrate International Women's part of IWD is learning from each other. Day this Friday at noon. “We don't walk through this life International Women's Day is alone and there are women we can celebrated on March 8 every year and is learn things from and women that can a day dedicated to acknowledging the learn things from us that are all over the social, economic, cultural and political globe,” she said. “I think it's just realizing COURTESY OF SUU achievements of women. IWD has been that as women all around the world, celebrated for more than a century all we're all human beings and we all have over the world, bringing attention to more in common than we have different women's rights as well as to women's and we need to celebrate that.” ICSO, ICSR, and SUU accomplishments. The WBC is partnering with The Women’s Business Center of TechUp Southern Utah, Silicon Utah opened a Cedar City location last Slopes, Southern Utah University and Aviation respond to month, to support women interested in Southwest Technical College to provide opening businesses or growing current a Women and Technology luncheon businesses through one-on-one consul- Friday at noon at Southwest Tech. tations and trainings. Southern Region The lunch will feature Leavitt Group call of lost snowshoers Program Director Debbie Drake said Chief Marketing Officer Melanie she enjoys helping women succeed. Johnson; Southwest Tech Computer by Kelsey KEENER Aviation Executive Director Mike Mower “I've just always had this passion Science Coordinator Rocky Mazorow; Iron County Today credits officials for the rescue. for helping women be successful and Iron County School District Digital "We don't replace; we assist the Iron I love to work them and build their Teaching and Learning Coordinator BRIAN HEAD — The Iron County County Sheriff Search and Rescue," self-esteem and confidence,” Drake said. Cory Henwood; and SUU Professor of Sheriff's Office and Iron County Search Mower said. "If any praise is given for “I will work with them one-on-one to Information Systems Shalini Kesar. and Rescue, assisted by SUU Aviation, the rescue, it's those guys -- they search help them feel confident in what they're To RSVP for the luncheon, contact responded to a call from the Brian Head all night and literally hike up and down doing and answer all their questions Janet Calliham at janetcalliham@suu. Marshal's Office to help locate two canyons to find lost people. We come and we'll work together through things. edu. snowshoers who had gotten lost in the in and make a lot of noise so the person area of Brian Head on Sunday, Feb. 24. being rescued hears us and comes out of The snowshoers became lost after hiding. The ICSSAR are the guys doing sundown, and took shelter in a cabin. the hard work." Upon hearing the helicopter, they went In a statement issued on Facebook, back outside to signal their location to ICSO reported: "The search with the rescuers. They were found unharmed, aircraft took approximately 25 minutes aside from exposure to the elements. to locate them. Iron County Search and SUU Aviation flight instructors Josh Rescue and Brian Head Marshal's Office Larsen and Patrick Keranen assisted were searching the area as well as by officials in a Bell 206 helicopter and were snowmobile. We are grateful to have the equipped with night vision technology. outcome we had and to be part of this Chief Flight Instructor and SUU team effort." IRON COUNTY TODAY NEWS Wednesday, March 6, 2019 3 C abin explodes in Duck DEBRIS Creek – four escape FROM THE EXPLODED CABIN litters by Klarissa WILLIAMS moderate damage. Cabins 1 and 10 had the landscape. Iron County Today minor damage. Thankfully no Fire crews from Panguitch City, lives were lost A cabin in Duck Creek Village Panguitch Lake, Kanab, and Orderville in the blast. exploded last Saturday night while 3 responded along with the Cedar Mountain people and an infant were inside. Luckily, Fire Protection District. Chief Tuttle states only minor injuries were sustained and all that there were about 30 people on scene, four made it out relatively unscathed. including the ambulance crews. “We had Cedar Mountain Fire Protection two ambulance crews: Kane and Garfield District Chief Casey Tuttle related his County. They took over patient care when account of the events that night. “We were they arrived and ended up calling for air dispatched about 10:50pm Saturday night medicals, so they had two classic helicop- M ANDY WHITE to a cabin explosion. Dispatch came in that ters and one airline helicopter transport all there were possibly three people trapped, four patients.” Tuttle said. they didn’t know if they made it out or The patients were flown to Dixie not.” Tuttle said. They later learned there Regional Medical Center. 3 were released was a fourth person in the cabin. that night and 1 was held overnight and Tuttle explained what happened prior released the next morning. Aside from a to the explosion. “The people that were couple singed beards and a minor burn, living in Cabin 11 were long term rentals, all four of them are okay and feeling so they were doing month to month extremely lucky. rentals. They were out for the day. They Chief Tuttle gave his statement about came back and their pilot light was out so fire safety. “I would like to encourage they called the property manager.