Tag: Utah

9 Great Pet Friendly Trips To Avoid Crowds – GoPetFriendly

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Vacations are fun … but they’re better with your best friend. And choosing a pet friendly destination that isn’t over-run with tourists will really allow you to get away from it all!

Start making your plans, but don’t call the kennel or schedule a sitter for your dog or cat. We’re giving you the inside scoop on nine great pet friendly trips to avoid crowds, so you and your furry travel buddy can really relax.

Pet Friendly Trips To Avoid Crowds

Big Bend, Texas

Big Bend isn’t on the way to anywhere else, so you have to make an effort to get there. And that means fewer people do. Plus, with amazing scenery, friendly locals, and a pet friendly ghost town, you’ve got the makings for a fantastic pet friendly trip!

The diversity of Big Bend is its biggest draw. Massive canyons, vast expanses of desert, forested mountains, and an ever-changing river provide a stunning variety of landscapes to admire. One of the best places to experience all the area has to offer is Big Bend National Park.

Unfortunately, the National Park doesn’t allow pets on any trails, on the river, or in the backcountry. However, leashed pets can walk the 200+ miles of dirt roads running through the park – and most of them get little very little traffic! Jeep trips, a scenic drive along the Rio Grande to Presidio, and exploring the little communities are other popular activities.

Pet friendly campsites are available year round at Big Bend National Park and at many private campgrounds in the area. You’ll also find many, many pet friendly vacation rentals and Airbnbs in Big Bend. And there are four pet friendly hotels within easy driving distance of the National Park.

READ MORE ⇒ Visiting Big Bend With Dogs

Dixie National Forest – Southern Utah

If you’re looking for pet friendly trips where you can really stretch out, it’s hard to beat Dixie National Forest. Covering almost 2 million acres, it would take a lifetime to explore the 1,600 miles of trails, hundreds of miles of scenic drives, 500 miles of fishing streams, and 90 lakes within the park’s boundaries. And the best part is … every square inch is pet friendly!

The stunning scenery of southern Utah is something to behold. But if you’re traveling with pets, the area’s most popular attractions – Bryce and Zion National Parks – will leave you disappointed. Both of these national parks have strict pet regulations.

Fortunately, Dixie National Forest provides plenty of options! We highly recommend the Red Canyon Trail, a five-miler with plenty of ups and downs that winds through the incredible hoodoos.

Dixie has 18 seasonal campgrounds, which are generally open from May through September. If you’re planning to travel outside camping season, the town of Panguitch has several pet friendly hotels which provide good access to the park.

READ MORE ⇒ Pet Friendly Things To Do In Dixie National Forest

Florence, Oregon

Florence has all the amenities that make a shore town fun, but without the inflated price tag and touristy atmosphere. The locals are friendly and the pace is relaxed, though you and your pet will find plenty to do!

You can take a drive down to explore the Oregon Dunes, hike the Sweet Creek Trail past eleven waterfalls in the Siuslaw National Forest, or rent a kayak and watch for otters as you paddle the Siuslaw River.

Be sure to visit Cape Perpetua, where you and your pet can walk over ancient lava flows that formed the coast in this part of Oregon. All 26 miles of trails here are pet friendly, so you’re sure to find something that suits you. If you’re looking for the best view, climb nearly 800 feet to the overlook, where on a clear day you can see 70 miles of coastline!

Florence boasts a surprising number of pet friendly restaurants for a town this size. There are also several pet friendly vacation properties. And the Best Western welcomes two pets per room, including cats and dogs up to 80 pounds.

READ MORE ⇒ Pet Friendly Day Trips from Florence, Oregon

Fort Worden State Park – Port Townsend, Washington

Located on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, Fort Worden was an active military base until 1953. Now it’s a truly unique 433-acre state park overlooking the Puget Sound.

While exploring twelve miles of pet friendly trails, you’ll find bunkers and gun batteries atop strategic hilltops. Of course, your pet won’t want to miss the two miles of sandy beaches. And bring the canoe or kayak, because the park has two convenient boat ramps.

You can choose to stay in one of the park’s two pet friendly campgrounds, or opt for a truly unique pet friendly vacation rental experience. Three dozen Victorian houses which comprised the original barracks have been renovated into vacation accommodations, and five of the units welcome pets!

All of this is just a few miles from the quaint fishing village of Port Townsend. With historic buildings, a lovely marina, and great eateries, it’s a great choice for pet friendly trips.

READ MORE ⇒ Seeing Washington’s Olympic Peninsula With Dogs

Hudson Valley, New York

For those looking to be dazzled by spectacular vistas, prepare yourself for the Hudson Valley. Just 90 minutes north of Manhattan, where the Hudson River cuts along the backbone of the Catskill Mountains, you’ll find rolling hills, quaint villages, and plenty of wide-open spaces to explore.

During your visit, plan to spend a day at Bear Mountain State Park. You’ll want to pack a picnic and pull up a bench while you admire the view. When the weather cooperates, you can spot Manhattan’s skyscrapers on the horizon!

After lunch, hit the Appalachian Trail on the east side of the mountain. It includes 800 stone stairs and is considered one of the most beautiful trails built in the last fifty years. And be sure to take a stroll around Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, where many famous (and some infamous) people have been laid to rest.

There is no shortage of lodging options for pet friendly trips to the Hudson Valley! From Kingston to Newburgh to Tarrytown, you’ll find campgrounds, hotels, and vacation rentals ready to welcome your furry family members.

READ MORE ⇒ More Pet Friendly Things To Do In The Hudson Valley

Mackinac Island, Michigan

Take the ferry to Mackinac Island, and you’re in for a special treat! At just 3.8 square miles, this jewel sits in Lake Huron between Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas, about a 15-minute ferry ride from shore.

Eighty percent of the island is preserved within Mackinac Island State Park, and personal automobiles have been prohibited here since 1898. Pets, however, are very welcome! You’ll find ferries, lodging, restaurants, horse-drawn taxis, guided carriage tours, and bike and kayak rentals for cats and dogs eager to explore.

Though camping isn’t allowed on Mackinac Island, there are three pet friendly lodging options to choose from. Mission Point Resort has beautiful grounds and a restaurant with pet friendly patio, and welcomes pets for an additional per-stay fee of $100, plus tax. Park Place Suites offers three condo units in the heart of downtown, which come complete with a yard. They charge an additional pet fee of $30 per night. Sunset Condos offers more seclusion and fantastic views of Lake Huron and the Mackinac Bridge. Their pet fee is based on the size of your pet – less than 40 pounds is $75 per stay, more than 40 pounds is $100 per stay, and two pets over 40 pounds are $150 per stay.

READ MORE ⇒ Mackinac Island Is Michigan’s #1 Pet Friendly Destination

Natchez Trace, Tennessee to Mississippi

For off-the-beaten-path pet friendly road trips, there’s nothing like the Natchez Trace! Stretching 444 miles from Nashville, Tennessee to Natchez, Mississippi, it’s a blissfully quiet, billboard-free retreat from other American highways.

Along the way, more than 100 exhibits, interpretive signs, and marked trails provide archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic insights.

The Trace is best enjoyed at a relaxed pace, because there’s something to sniff around every bend! And when it’s time to really stretch your legs, 28 pet friendly hiking and self-guided trails are just steps away.

Appreciating the changing landscapes is another enchanting part of the Trace. From thick forests, to boggy cypress swamps, over 2,000 types of plants live and bloom along the route. The drive is especially lovely during the spring bloom and the colorful fall foliage.

The only overnight accommodations you’ll find on the Natchez Trace are primitive national park and forest campgrounds. However, there are plenty of pet friendly lodging options in the towns and cities just off the Trace. If you’re traveling at one of the more popular times of the year, reservations are recommended.

READ MORE ⇒ Traveling The Natchez Trace With Dogs

Paradise Valley, Montana

Many of our national parks see millions of tourists every year, but few visitors spend much time outside the park borders. This is definitely true of Yellowstone National Park, and it makes Paradise Valley the perfect place for a pet friendly trip that avoids crowds!

As the Yellowstone River flows north out the border of the park, the landscape opens up and mountain peaks frame the view. The beauty of the valley beckons you outdoors, as the river tumbles over perfectly worn stones. And there are plenty of activities to choose from!

The Yellowstone is a world-class fly fishing river with many access points along it’s shores. Wildlife viewing is always exciting in this part of the country, with antelope, big horn sheep, bison, elk, mule deer, and white-tailed deer often seen from the roads. And the hiking is spectacular, with the Gallatin National Forest offering spectacular pet friendly trails for both serious hikers and those just out for a stroll in nature.

Between privately-owned and national forest campgrounds, finding a place to pitch your tent isn’t too difficult here. And Gardiner and Livingston both have several pet friendly hotel options. If you’re willing to drive a bit further, Bozeman offers even more pet friendly lodging.

READ MORE ⇒ Pet Friendly Activities Near Yellowstone National Park

St. Johnsbury, Vermont

If there is a Mecca for dogs, it’s Dog Mountain in St. Johnsbury. This 150-acre off-leash playground for pups was the vision of artists Stephen and Gwen Huneck. The property has a pond, hiking trails, and a pet friendly art gallery. But the heart of Dog Mountain is the chapel, with its pews carved with dogs on the ends and stained glass windows celebrating the gifts dogs bring to our lives.

Over the years pet lovers have contributed tributes, pictures, letters, and notes to their departed pets, covering the walls several layers deep. The result is a masterpiece beyond description.

Nestled along the banks of the Passumpsic and Moose Rivers, the picturesque town of St. Johnsbury has more bridges than traffic lights. And it makes a perfect base camp for exploring Vermont’s Green Mountains and New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

If you get a clear day, be sure to take the drive up Mount Washington. At 6,288 feet, it’s the highest peak in the Northeastern United States.

The Fairbanks Inn in St. Johnsbury offers pet friendly rooms with a $25 per night pet fee, and there are many camping options in the area.

READ MORE ⇒ Dog Mountain Is Vermont’s Best Pet Friendly Attraction

We hope this gives you some ideas for places you can take your pets to avoid the crowds and enjoy a relaxing getaway. If you have some favorite destinations for off-the-beaten-path pet friendly trips that you don’t mind sharing, please leave a comment below!

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Amy at GoPetFriendly.com

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December 2, 2024
Do You Believe? Utah Whitneys Want to Know.

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Photo: Atessa Moghimi (A24)./A24

Modern-horror cinema’s most heterodox event took place on Saturday night, when two blonde Whitneys and A24 hosted dueling screenings at a multiplex within the southernmost border of Salt Lake City proper. The film was Heretic, directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, about two Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints missionaries, Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East), who knock on the door of a suburban Colorado house one inclement afternoon hoping to baptize the homeowner, Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), into their faith.

Within a makeshift chapel behind locked doors, Mr. Reed lectures the missionaries on Radiohead’s litigious copywriting strategy; Monopoly and its unsung predecessor, The Landlord’s Game; and bird-headed deities until coercing the young women to choose their escape from his house of escalating horrors either through a door marked “DISBELIEF” or one alongside it marked “BELIEF.” (Spoiler: Neither presents an easy egress.)

Inside this packed cineplex, the screening’s snaking line was filled with only the truest disciples of horror film and/or Utah-based reality television. Some people I spoke to had been invited to the event by A24 directly, including members of the Lost & Found Club, a women- and genderqueer-led 501(c)(3) that aims to bring community to people who have left the LDS church in young adulthood. But most people waiting in the standby line for tickets had to rely on faith alone that they’d make it to that celestial kingdom of a screening room and experience the rapture of an A24 film presented by a woman named Whitney (with a complimentary free small popcorn and small fountain drink).

The event’s whole shtick played off the confrontational, dueling doors that have been the centerpiece of the film’s marketing: If an attendee was handed a DISBELIEF ticket, they attended the screening hosted by Whitney Rose, the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City cast member who was raised in the church but has since left it. If they got a BELIEF ticket, then they went to the screening hosted by Whitney Leavitt, a practicing Mormon and cast member of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.

The LDS church has expressed concern about Heretic as its November 8 release nears, which is also the date on which the film takes place. In a statement provided to the Mormon-run newspaper Deseret News, church spokesperson Doug Anderson said, “Heretic portrays the graphically violent treatment of women, including people of faith, and those who provide volunteer service to their communities. Any narrative that promotes violence against women because of their faith or undermines the contributions of volunteers runs counter to the safety and well-being of our communities.”

I hear what the church is saying about violence against women — Heretic has a scene involving an elderly woman’s arthritic fingers and a blueberry pie that is, while slightly less depraved than Call Me by Your Name’s sequence with Timmy Chalamet and a peach, far more psychically scarring than the hand scene in A24’s Talk to Me. For what it’s worth, I didn’t find Heretic anti-Mormon. If anything, the film was overwhelmingly anti-smug British guy.

Rose, who later told me that she was channeling her “inner missionary, Sister Rose,” wore a gray tweed short skirt/long jacket combo with a sheer turtleneck; a “Sword of the Spirit” necklace from her jewelry line, Prism, and a pair of Louboutins. Leavitt, who was one-week postpartum, wore a 1980s Jessica McClintock–inspired minidress from Asos. Her teeny-tiny, adorable one-week-old son, Billy Gene, and her husband/at-home scene partner, Conner Leavitt, watched her admiringly from across the room.

Each woman had a designated theater to introduce the film, and right before, Rose invited me and my plus-one to join her for a shot of tequila to calm her nerves. (It was Casamigos, not her co-star/usual rival Lisa Barlow’s Vida brand, and I love drama more than I hate heartburn.) Before we knocked it back, Rose called out for Leavitt and anyone else interested to join us for a toast. Leavitt waved Rose off, but did spend time with her Mormon Wives co-star/fellow saint Jennifer Affleck and her husband, Zac, had showed up in the spare theater being used as a greenroom, and they were busy cooing over the new baby. Later, the internet told me that most of Leavitt’s castmates had been at a Sabrina Carpenter concert that night without her.

In a joint interview before the screening, I spoke to both Whitneys about their reactions to the film and the proliferation of content about Utah women in the last few years. BELIEF and DISBELIEF embodied with bobs, sitting right next to each other in reclining theater chairs.

So, first of all, I just want to know how your involvement with this event came to be. Online, on Reddit, and elsewhere, this screening became a must-attend event shrouded in secrecy.

Whitney Leavitt: Did it really?

Yes. People didn’t even know how to get tickets and were apparently calling the movie theater, getting nowhere. How did it all come together?

Whitney Rose: I just got a call from a friend who said, “Can I have a friend reach out to your agent? Someone at A24 is a big fan of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. It was intense because I posted about the screening and shared the tag from A24, and all of a sudden, my DMs, my text messages, and my emails were blowing up with everyone wanting tickets.

There’s something happening nationally right now where Utah is blowing up — not as a state but as a concept. And there’s something A24-ish about our fascination. Why are people looking at women in Utah with such fascination?

Leavitt: I think it’s a lot of things besides our religion that happens culturally in Utah. Like, we’ve got our soda drinks. Yeah, we’ve got our “Utah Curl.” I don’t know if you’ve heard about it.

Wait, I don’t know the Utah Curl.

Leavitt: The Utah Curl: It’s a specific curl that Utah girlies have.

Rose: And I love all of your castmates a lot, but I despise the Utah Curl. You gotta curl your hair to the end.

Leavitt: Or get a bob!

I’ll say this. I couldn’t tell any of your Mormon Wives castmates on the show apart until about four episodes in. Besides you, Whitney. Because they all had that same hair. All gorgeous women, to be sure, of course …

Leavitt: It’s a very trendy look. I think people were fascinated that we all looked a certain way, dressed a certain way, ate a certain way, and drank a certain way. But then, obviously, people were fascinated by the religion side of it too. And I also do appreciate both of our shows presenting a different perspective of the Mormon religion. Because I just feel like, worldwide, everyone thinks of Mormons in a certain way, right? But then you get to see a different side.

Rose: I echo everything Whitney says. When you hear about Mormonism, your mind instantly goes to all of the things that they practiced in the past, like polygamy and multiple wives. Mormonism in and of itself, from the outside, looks strange. But when I was living in it, I didn’t view it that way. It’s just so normal to us, especially growing up here in Utah, right? Whitney and I grew up in what’s called “the bubble” of Utah County, and it’s just that everyone is the same. We all think the same, act the same, and have the same friends. All the moms drive the same cars. I mean, Mormon Wives shows that. They all have the same hair, except for Whit.

Leavitt: The Utah Curl.

Rose: Yeah, and I’m so glad that Whitney is paving the way there with her bob. It’s just fascinating when you have such a dense population of one religion and one culture. What people don’t realize is that there are so many different iterations and subcultures within that culture.

Heretic has gotten a lot of pushback from the Mormon church. What is it so afraid of?

Leavitt: Maybe they’re afraid of the filmmakers putting out false speculation or false doctrines. But when I watched, there’s nothing doctrinal about the church in it. Of course, there are Mormon missionaries, but I appreciated Hugh Grant’s character just giving a perspective of religion in general.

Rose: I think the fear is that there are a lot of things that we don’t talk about or are told not to talk about within the church, whether they be sacred or things that were once true in the past but are no longer true in modern revelation. They’re scared of what’s going to be in it and what that means for their members.

For me, this is easier to talk about because I’m not a member. I’ve removed my name from the church records. It’s just exposure. It’s fear of the unknown; it’s lack of control over one’s own narrative. It’s the same fear I have being on reality TV: We just show up and watch our edits.

It’s fascinating to see you two here together like this, talking about the same faith from such different perspectives. I consider RHSLC to be the wackiest comedy on TV. And some of the relationship plotlines on Mormon Wives are the most depressing television I’ve ever seen. It was often hard for me to watch. And now, I’m about to see a whole different take on the Mormon genre within a horror film.

Rose: The writers and directors are brilliant with their use of horror and psychological thrill. It’s a cat-and-mouse game of: What do I believe? Do I really not? Am I just doing this because I was told to? It’s fascinating. I watched it last night on my laptop, and I was like this the whole time:

[Rose mimics raising her paws up to her chest height expectantly, the laying-in-bed-watching-movies equivalent of being on the edge of her seat.]

I was going, “Oh my God, I relate to this!”

You didn’t serve a mission, correct?

Rose: No, I didn’t, but I channeled my inner missionary with my look tonight.

There’s a saints-sinners binary going on at this event, which was also a big part of Mormon Wives. Growing up Mormon in Utah County, did you feel confined to that binary of either being a saint or a sinner? Organized religion leaves very little room for dabbling in 60 percent of one thing and 40 percent of the other.

Rose: From my perspective, the black-and-white was really hard. By design, religion in Utah is the culture. I was raised here, and people would know if you weren’t wearing your garments, people saw you at Starbucks, and people would know if I was drinking a glass of wine at dinner. By design, I didn’t feel I could live in a gray area. Now, this was 17 years ago. A lot has changed. Even us just sitting here together with such polar-opposite perspectives — I think Utah has evolved. You can interpret religion with your relationship to God versus the institution of religion.

You’ve explored this on your show for years. I’m sure you’re aware of the memes. I talked to a Brigham Young University linguist about your “hilling” journey and the “fill/feel” merger present in the speech of millennial women in Utah, and I’ve never gotten such a response from people before about anything I’ve written.

Rose: That was like my top moment of a Housewife. I’m no longer LDS, but I come from a long line of Mormon pioneers. My family trekked across the entire United States to get here. I get so bad with words.

When the linguist at BYU [David Ellingson Eddington, professor emeritus of Linguistics] talked to you for that article, I was so proud. I was so validated. I feel so seen. Someone understands my dialect and the way I talk.

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Claire Carusillo

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November 4, 2024
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Utah on Election Day

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Utah voters will cast ballots for the full range of federal and state offices in the Nov. 5 general election, including president, Congress, governor, state Legislature and others.

Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, Republican former President Donald Trump and half a dozen third-party candidates are competing for Utah’s six electoral votes to replace outgoing Democratic President Joe Biden. It has been 60 years since a Democratic presidential candidate has won Utah.

GOP Congressman John Curtis, Democrat Caroline Gleich and independent candidate Carlton Bowen are squaring off to replace Republican U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney, who announced last year he would not seek a second term.

Republican Gov. Spencer Cox is running for reelection against Democratic state Rep. Brian King and three other candidates on the ballot. Cox received 64% of the vote in 2020.

Utah’s four congressional seats, all held by Republicans, are up for election, including the 3rd District seat Curtis is vacating to run for the Senate.

Two constitutional amendments are on the ballot but votes for or against them won’t count after state courts voided the measures. Both amendments, however, remain on the ballot to keep printing and other election deadlines on track. One amendment would have allowed state lawmakers to rewrite citizen-approved initiatives and the other asked voters to consider changing how state income tax revenue is spent.

Polls close in Utah at 10 p.m. ET. Utah’s elections are conducted predominantly by mail, and all registered voters are sent absentee ballots, which can returned to a drop box or by mail. Mailed votes must be postmarked by Nov. 4, the day before Election Day. Utah tallies advance ballots prior to Election Day.

Utah counted a third of its votes after Election Day in 2022 and those additional ballots favored Democrats by 4 percentage points. That’s a substantial change from recent prior elections when the shift expanded the margin of victory for Republicans by one half to almost a full percentage point. The main counties to watch for additional votes have been Davis, Salt Lake and Utah.

Utah’s mandatory recount provision is triggered when the difference in votes for each candidate is equal to or less than 0.25% of the total number of votes cast.

Utah has been solidly Republican. Lyndon Johnson was the last Democratic presidential candidate to win there, carrying the state in 1964.

Still, Utah bears watching. As the state’s Mormon population has dropped, Utah has become more diverse. And some of the state’s Mormon voters have half-heartedly embraced Trump. Although Trump won Utah by 18 and 20 percentage point margins in 2016 and 2020, he far underperformed previous GOP nominees, who carried the state by nearly 30- to almost 50-point margins from 2000 through 2012.

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it has determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

Here’s a look at what to expect in the 2024 election in Utah:

What to know about the 2024 Election

Election Day

Nov. 5.

Poll closing time

10 p.m. ET.

Presidential electoral votes

6 awarded to statewide winner.

Key races and candidates

President: Harris (D) vs. Trump (R) vs. Jill Stein (Green) vs. Chase Oliver (Libertarian) vs. Cornel West (unaffiliated) and three others.

U.S. Senate: Curtis (R) vs. Gleich (D) and one other.

Governor: Cox (R) vs. Smith King (D) and three others.

Other races of interest

U.S. House, state Senate, state House, attorney general, auditor, state Board of Education, treasurer and ballot measures.

Past presidential results

2020: Trump (R) 58%, Biden (D) 38%, AP race call: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, 11:07 p.m. ET.

Voter registration and turnout

Registered voters: 2,025,754 (as of Oct. 21, 2024). About 14% Democrats, 50% Republicans and 29% unaffiliated.

Voter turnout in 2020 presidential election: 80% of registered voters.

Pre-Election Day voting

Votes cast before Election Day 2020 and 2022: almost all votes cast by mail.

Votes cast before Election Day 2024: See AP Advance Vote tracker.

How long does vote-counting take?

First votes reported, Nov. 3, 2020: 10:01 p.m. ET.

By midnight ET: about 63% of total votes cast were reported.

___

Associated Press writer Maya Sweedler contributed to this report.

___

Read more about how U.S. elections work at Explaining Election 2024, a series from The Associated Press aimed at helping make sense of the American democracy. The AP receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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October 25, 2024
Red States Lean Green This Election

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The last 20 years have seen a big change for marijuana.

The War On Drugs framed a mindset about marijuana for two generations, but in the last 10 years, the country seems to have moved passed it. Now even red states lean green this election. Nixon’s administration went to battle with drug abuse declared “public enemy number one”. But times have changed and so has public opinion and taste. And in this election, even conservative states are polling positive about opening their border for forms of legal cannabis.

The west coast led the way for legalization with California, Oregon and Washington, but other states were slower in acceptance. But as of 2022, over 50% of the population has access to legal weed and even the AARP has come up in support of it for medical marijuana. And states have enjoyed the robust revenue to the state coffers. States with fully recreational earn more money from cananbis taxes than alcohol. And crime drops also.

In Kansas, the Midwest Newsroom partnered with Emerson College Polling to conduct surveys. More than 72% of the state’s voters said they support legalizing medical marijuana. About 56% support legalizing it for recreational use. Republican leaders in the Sunflower state have opposed legalizing marijuana of any kind. But with some movement at the federal level, recently appointed a special committee on medical marijuana.

North Dakota voters appear split and largely undecided about the marijuana initiative according to poll commissioned by the North Dakota News Cooperative. The Dakotas are traditionally conservative states, but the North’s sister state to the south is showing a bit of difference. The Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota shows an increase in support, but not quite at the level needed to to pass.

Utah, which is not a fan of alcohol or caffeine seems to be leaning green. A recent poll found 50% of the Beehive State voters would support recreational cannabis. Another 38% of Utahns surveyed support medical cannabis only and 9% believe cannabis should be illegal entirely. Three percent were “not sure.”

Florida, one of the largest states, seems to have leaned into saying yes for recreational marijuana according to polls. This is interesting considering the state’s governor, Ron DeSantis, has waged an all out war against the ballot initiative. Currently, there is a court battle about DeSantis using the state’s resources to put pressure on the media to promote public service announcements against legalization.

November 5 could be a big day for cannabis, and a look into the mindset of the country.

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Terry Hacienda

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October 22, 2024
A hiker dies in a fall at Arches National Park in Utah

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MOAB, Utah (AP) — A hiker died in a fall on a popular trail at Arches National Park in Utah.

The 68-year-old man from Paramus, New Jersey, fell about 30 feet (9 meters) Tuesday morning, park officials said in a statement.

Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. The man’s name wasn’t released.

The fall happened near an overlook on Devils Garden Trail, a popular loop in the busy park known for its 2,000 sandstone arches.

It’s the world’s highest concentration of natural arches.

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October 16, 2024
Trump downsized national monuments. Biden restored them. Project 2025 calls for reductions again

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They are sprawling lands of seemingly endless vistas and soaring plateaus. The red canyons are sprinkled with ancient rock art and historic Indigenous settlements. Normally nonconfrontational paleontologists were so wowed by their fossils that they sued to try to protect the land.

Two Democratic presidents moved to preserve this rugged terrain by creating a pair of national monuments in southern Utah — Bears Ears and Grand Staircase- Escalante.

President Trump radically reduced the borders of the two monuments, then their status was reversed again when President Biden took office and essentially restored protection of the original lands.

Another reversal seems all but certain if Trump retakes the White House. Experts say that this year’s election also brings attention to a broader question: What will happen to millions of acres of land concentrated in the West and owned by the U.S. government?

Trump has already shown his desire to throw open more of the land for oil drilling, mining and logging. And a Supreme Court heavily influenced by Trump-appointed justices has hinted it would like to review the power of presidents to create national monuments.

Trump appointees Brett M. Kavanaugh and Neil M. Gorsuch signaled this year that they want to review President Obama’s expansion of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument on the Oregon-California state line. And in 2021, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. announced his skepticism about another of Obama’s monument designations — of an underwater preserve larger than Yellowstone National Park off the New England coast. `

“Which of the following is not like the others: (a) a monument, (b) an antiquity (defined as a “relic or monument of ancient times”) or (c) 5,000 square miles of land beneath the ocean?” Roberts wrote in a statement, even as the court declined to take up the case.

And a controversial plan drawn up by conservatives as a blueprint for the next Republican administration would have Trump go even further if elected: It calls on him to repeal the Antiquities Act of 1906, the law that allowed presidents of both parties to make monuments of nearly 160 archaeological sites, historic landmarks and other outstanding scientific or historic locations.

Project 2025 says the monument law has been overused and that public lands need to remain open to a wide range of uses — including oil drilling, coal mining and recreation. That fits with Trump’s pledge, if he wins a second term, to “drill, baby, drill.”

Though Trump has tried to distance himself from Project 2025, the author of the chapter on the Interior Department, lawyer William Perry Pendley, already served in the first Trump administration, as the top official in the Bureau of Land Management.

In Project 2025, Pendley accuses the Biden administration of “implementing a vast regulatory regime,” beyond that envisioned by Congress, and effectively banning almost all “productive economic uses” of federal lands managed by the Interior Department.

Environmental and tribal organizations have expressed the opposite view, noting that it was Trump who made the largest reduction in monument-protected lands in history and who would be likely to grant even more corporate access to public lands in a second term.

“Project 2025 is an example of what it would look like to sell off America’s natural resources and public lands to corporations with little-to-no regard for the environment, the climate, taxpayers, or wildlife,” wrote the Center for Western Priorities, a nonprofit that has resisted the push to transfer federal lands to state and private ownership.

Other issues — such as the economy, immigration, abortion and fair elections — have topped the agenda during the presidential campaign, while the environment, climate change and public land priorities have mostly taken a back seat.

That may be in part because most of the land owned by the U.S. government lies in Western states, most of which (with the exceptions of Arizona and Nevada) will not be closely decided in the presidential race.

The federal government owns less than 5% of the land east of the Mississippi River, but nearly half of the acreage in 11 Western states in the Lower 48, controlled mostly by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service.

Pilot Rock rises into the clouds in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument near Lincoln, Ore.

(Jeff Barnard / Associated Press)

Conservatives in many of those states have been campaigning for decades to try to wrest control of some of that property from the federal government, saying that decisions about its use should be made closer to home.

Environmentalists have countered that federal officials are in the best position to protect land that is treasured by all Americans, not just those in a particular state or community.

Last week’s vice presidential debate offered a rare moment in campaign 2024 in which the candidates’ sharply different views about public lands leaped onto the national stage.

Asked about the crisis in affordable housing, Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance declared that “a lot of federal lands … aren’t being used for anything,” and “could be places where we build a lot of housing.”

Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz disagreed. He said open space has been kept that way “for a reason” and that the country needed a better solution than saying, “Let’s take this federal land and let’s sell it.”

Republicans in Utah celebrated in 2017 when Trump rolled back the boundaries of sprawling Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, which lie roughly 100 miles apart in the southern part of the state. The then-president slashed Bears Ears by about 85%, down to 201,876 acres. He cut the second monument from 1.9 million acres to a little over 1 million acres.

Trump accused Democratic Presidents Obama and Clinton of setting aside far too much land to protect the archaeology and other resources that were the object of the monument designations.

“Some people think that the natural resources of Utah should be controlled by a small handful of very distant bureaucrats located in Washington,” Trump said. “And guess what? They’re wrong.”

Some Utah residents welcomed the Republican’s new designations and the jobs they said looser protections would be likely to create. But about 3,000 demonstrators, including tribal members, protested on the day of Trump’s action. They said the monument status helped protect cultural resources, including petroglyphs and centuries-old cave dwellings.

The shifting between Democratic and Republican administrations has meant a whipsawing between philosophies — with the Trump-era management plan for the Utah monuments remaining in place while Biden administration management plans are embroiled in a painstaking approval process.

The nonprofit that helps oversee conservation and programs at Grand Staircase-Escalante says it has been challenging to keep up with the flood of new visitors that came with the Trump administration’s less restrictive policies. The Trump management plan allows, for example, a doubling of the size of groups that can visit the monument, to 25.

“This doesn’t sound like a lot, but a group of 25 people leaves much greater amounts of human waste and other trash compared to a group of 12,” Jackie Grant, executive director of Grand Staircase-Escalante Partners, said in an email. “Human excrement can take over a year to decompose in the desert environment of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Now imagine the impact of 500,000 to a million people pooping in a fairly limited desert area over the course of a year.”

The group size limit is expected to be reduced in the Biden administration management plan, which is nearing completion.

The Trump plan also opened more remote roads to use by all-terrain vehicles. The opening of the V-Road in the Escalante Canyons section of the monument has left the area — under consideration for higher protection as a wilderness area — marred by vandalism, trash and more human waste.

That damage came with little of the “economic expansion by way of natural resource extraction” that state officials had promised, Grant said.

William Perry Pendley, who was director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management under President Trump, wrote a section of Project 2025 calling for the downsizing of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.

(Associated Press)

Pendley, the former Trump BLM official, has been fighting for more state and local control of public lands since he served in the administration of Republican Ronald Reagan. He wrote “Sagebrush Rebel,” a book about Reagan’s fight against what he saw as excessive federal control of Western lands.

Pendley’s Project 2025 plan calls for a downsizing of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, saying the area should be governed by a historic agreement that predated the monument. It would allow greater harvesting of timber on BLM land, creating well-paying jobs and reducing fuel for future wildfires, Pendley argues.

The Wyoming-reared lawyer says that many laws enacted after the Antiquities Act — to protect endangered species and wild and scenic rivers, for example — create adequate protections for the outdoors.

Advocates for Cascade-Siskiyou and other monuments say presidents have used their monument-making power wisely. They point to the Grand Canyon in Arizona and Denali in Alaska as among the many monuments that went on to become beloved national parks.

Dave Willis, a horse packer who lives on monument land in Oregon, has been fighting for creation and preservation of the Cascade-Siskiyou monument for decades. The intent of Trump allies to open the property to timber harvest is just part of a “scorched-earth policy with regard to all public lands,” he said.

“Americans really care about their public lands,” Willis said. “And when someone threatens them, they are not going to take it lying down. Trying to degrade public lands will put you on the wrong side of history.”

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James Rainey

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October 11, 2024
Visit 7 National Parks, Forests & Monuments From Pet Friendly Kanab
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Southern Utah has the highest concentration of natural wonders found anywhere on earth. And pet friendly Kanab is the perfect basecamp for your adventures! With three national parks, two national monuments, a national forest, a national recreation area, a state park, and all the activities Kanab has to offer, exploring here with your pets is a dream!

In many ways pet friendly Kanab, Utah feels much as you’d expect any city with less than 5,000 residents to feel. It has a friendly, small-town vibe where serenity and relaxation come easily.

But Kanab’s serendipitous location provides once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to experience some of the most spectacular scenery in America. Visitors here are spoiled with options. And at the end of each day, the unique accommodations and brilliant restaurants restore your body for the next day’s adventure.

Kanab’s Top Attractions

If you’re on a mission to visit America’s most amazing places, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better vacation destination than Kanab, Utah! Three national parks within easy driving distance. Two breathtaking national monuments. A stunning national forest. A national recreation area visited by more than two million people a year. And that’s just the beginning!

National Parks

Bryce Canyon National Park

Just a 90 minute drive from pet friendly Kanab, Bryce Canyon is known for its incredible rock formations. Like a forest of spires and fins clinging to the canyon walls, the fantastically colored hoodoos are constantly changing.

Wind, rain, snow, freezing, and thawing sculpt the stone, forming new hoodoos while turning others to piles of clay. No matter how many times you visit, there’s always something new to see.

READ MORE ⇒ Tips For Visiting Bryce Canyon National Park With Pets

Grand Canyon National Park – North Rim

More than five million people visit the Grand Canyon each year. But only a fraction of them come to the North Rim. From Kanab, you can be there in 90 minutes!

Unfortunately, people traveling with pets will find the North Rim less pet friendly than the South Rim. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth seeing!

At the North Rim dogs are allowed on the Bridal Path and the portion of the Arizona Trail that runs between North Kaibab Trailhead and the north entrance of the park. Both trails are pretty, but neither have views of the canyon.

Pets are also allowed at the picnic areas and in the parking areas of the overlooks. So, pack a lunch and plan to drive the 30 miles of scenic roads at the North Rim, stopping along the way to take in the views.

READ MORE ⇒ Tips For Visiting The South Rim Of Grand Canyon National Park With Pets

Zion National Park

Zion National Park, Utah’s oldest and most popular park, is a 40-minute drive from pet friendly Kanab. With the red and white walls of Navajo sandstone towering 2,000 feet above you, hiking with your pet in Zion is an experience you’ll never forget.

Leashed pets can join you on all paved surfaces at Zion. This includes along public roads and parking areas, in the developed campgrounds, at all turnouts, and on the Pa’rus Trail. In addition, pets are welcome in the picnic areas and on the grounds of the Zion Lodge.

READ MORE ⇒ Tips For Visiting Zion National Park With Pets

National Monuments

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Over 250 million years of the Earth’s geologic history can be seen in the colorful cliffs at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the monument covers nearly 1.9 million acres. And the Grand Staircase unit is just a few minutes from pet friendly Kanab.

Choose to explore on your own, or hire one Kanab’s excellent outdoor guides and outfitters to show you the hard-to-reach places.

Willis Creek Canyon in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument

People come from all over the world to see the colorful sandstone swirls in Vermilion Cliffs. But if you’re driving from Kanab, you can be there in about 45 minutes.

The Marble Canyon Area is easily accessed from Hwy 89A where it crosses the Colorado River. Here you can take in the views from your car or enjoy a short hike. And as you cross the Navajo Bridge keep your eyes peeled for the California condors that make the bridge home.

If you’re looking for a more remote adventure, you’ll need to plan ahead. Dogs can hike with you in Coyote Buttes North (The Wave), Coyote Buttes South, and for overnight trips in Paria Canyon, but both you and your pup must obtain a permit in advance.

Coyote Buttes – Vermillion Cliffs National Monument

National Forest

Dixie National Forest

If you’re looking to do some hiking with your furry travel buddy, don’t miss the Dixie National Forest. Just 30 minutes from Kanab, Dixie covers almost 2 million acres and is criss-crossed by hundreds of miles of trails.

The best part is … every square inch of the national forest is pet friendly! From mountain tops to pastoral valleys, you and your pet could spend a lifetime in Dixie and not see it all.

READ MORE ⇒ Discovering Utah’s Pet Friendly Dixie National Forest

National Recreation Area

Lake Powell / Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

The deep blue waters of Lake Powell are framed by soaring red peaks. And from pet friendly Kanab, you can be there in about 75 minutes. Though it’s a popular destination, the shoreline here is longer than the entire West Coast of the United States. So you can always find a secluded cove or canyon.

Of course, being on the water is the main attraction here. And you’ll find pet friendly powerboats, houseboats, and kayak rentals available. So you and your pet can have a ball exploring Lake Powell in the watercraft of your choice. Or, when water levels allow, take the ferry between Bullfrog Marina and Halls Crossing for a leisurely cruise.

READ MORE ⇒ Tips for Canoeing or Kayaking with Dogs

Basecamp: Pet Friendly Kanab, Utah

Named for a Paiute word meaning “place of the willows,” Kanab, Utah is the perfect basecamp for exploring all the pet friendly wonders of Southern Utah. Offering world-class hiking and hidden slot canyons, it’s also home to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. And having the largest animal sanctuary in the United States in your backyard makes Kanab an extremely pet friendly city! There are few places where pets aren’t welcome in Kanab. So you and your furry travel companion will find plenty to do together!

Best Time To Visit With Pets

Spring and fall are the most obvious times to visit the American Southwest with pets. However, with 256 days of sunshine each year, chances are good that you will see several days of blue skies and sunshine anytime you visit pet friendly Kanab, Utah.

If you’re hoping to avoid the crowds at the national parks, plan your trip in winter when highs in Kanab are in the mid-40s to low 50s. In fact, the only way to experience Zion Canyon — the most popular attraction at Zion National Park — with your pets is to visit when the park’s shuttles aren’t operating. And they only shut down for certain periods between December and February.

An Entertaining History

Before it became travel destination, Kanab was honing its skills as a gracious host to actors and film crews drawn by its scenery. Nicknamed “Little Hollywood,” hundreds of films have been produced in the area since the 1920s when the local landscape became a favorite for cowboy movies.

Celebrating that heritage, more than 90 plaques now make up Kanab’s Walk of Fame. For old movie buffs, strolling around downtown checking out the photos, actor bios, and film credits for the movies and TV shows shot in Kanab and Kane County is endlessly entertaining!

Myles reading Dale Evans’ plaque on the Walk of Fame in Kanab

Kanab’s Pet Friendly Trails System

The selection of pet friendly trails in and around Kanab offers something for everyone. From dino tracks to waterfalls, remote lakes to slot canyons, easy jaunts to all-day treks, you’ll find the perfect option for you and your pet on the Visit Southern Utah website.

Spend A Day At Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

Located on 6,000 acres just five miles north of downtown Kanab, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is much more than its name implies. Started in 1984, Best Friends has gone from caring for animals in search of homes to leading a nationwide movement to bring an end to the killing of homeless dogs and cats. No animal lover would consider a trip to Kanab complete without visiting this inspiring place.

On any given day, the sanctuary is home to as many as 1,600 dogs, cats, birds, bunnies, horses, pigs and other animals. And you’re invited to take a free, guided tour, volunteer to spend time with the animals, or simply enjoy the trails and extraordinary surroundings with your pet.

The sanctuary is open seven days a week, but tours and volunteer opportunities fill up quickly, so be sure to sign up early! During our visit we took the Grand Sanctuary Tour, following the tour shuttle in our car with Myles and listening to the tour guide on our radio. Then we did the Pig & Goat Walking Tour with Myles, keeping him outside the enclosures.

Our next stop was for a wonderful, vegan lunch at Angel Village Café. The view from their patio overlooking Angel Canyon will take your breath away!

Finally, we hit the trails with Myles! Hiking the 1.3-mile Angels Overlook Trail took us to the Gratitude Garden and fantastic views of the canyon below.

There are several trails to choose from, so pick up a trail map at the Welcome Center. And, if you’re not traveling with a pet of your own, sign up to take one of Best Friends’ resident dogs along for company!

Visit Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

Just 22 miles west of Kanab, Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park protects 1,200 acres of shifting sand dunes! Created by wind funneling through a notch between the Moquith and Moccasin Mountains, it’s a completely unique landscape to see in this part of the country.

Pets on leash are welcome throughout the park, though walking on the sand can be difficult for dogs and humans alike. Also be aware that much of the dunes are open to OHV use, so watch for vehicles as you explore. If traversing the dunes isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other pet friendly hiking opportunities in Kanab and the surrounding area.

The park also has two campgrounds and a nice picnic area if you are looking for a place to eat lunch.

Where To Stay In Pet Friendly Kanab

Disclosure: We were provided with free accommodations at Best Friends Roadhouse and Mercantile in exchange for sharing our experience with you.

Hopefully, you’re intrigued enough about pet friendly Kanab to plan a trip of your own. If so, you’ll find a nice selection of pet friendly hotels and several campgrounds to choose from! But if you’re an animal lover, there’s really only one place to stay … Best Friends Roadhouse and Mercantile.

Located on the north side of downtown Kanab, the Roadhouse is the most pet-centric hotel we’ve ever seen. And staying there helps support the lifesaving mission of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, just five miles up the road.

Best Friends Roadhouse and Mercantile

In a world where some “pet friendly” hotels barely tolerate pets, we’d give Best Friends Roadhouse a 16 out of 10 on the pet friendliness scale. They offer a truly unique experience — the opportunity to stay in a hotel designed for pets!

Early morning sunshine hitting the red rocks at Best Friendly Roadhouse

Our room was lovely, with a small kitchen equipped to prepare and serve simple meals and a dining area to share them. The bed was incredibly comfortable. And the bathroom was gorgeous!

But a lot of hotels have beautiful rooms and cozy beds. Where Best Friends Roadhouse really stands out is in the ways it caters to pets — starting with their pet policy. There is no pet fee, no weight restrictions, no breed restrictions, cats are welcome, and up to four pets are allowed per room.

But even their stellar pet policy isn’t what makes Best Friends Roadhouse so special. It’s the thoughtful amenities that makes your pet’s stay truly memorable.

After a long day in the car, Myles and I were both delighted to find that the Roadhouse has two dog parks! He got to run around and burn off some energy. And Rod and I were off the hook for a long evening walk.

READ MORE ⇒ Barking Dogs In Hotel Rooms: Tips For A Quiet Stay

The hotel provided dog bowls for Myles in our room, but he much preferred slurping from the outdoor dog fountain.

Not being a bath-lover, he was less excited to see the pet spa beside the guest laundry. Fortunately, we didn’t have any incidents that required Myles to get a bath. But it would be super handy for anyone whose dog looks forward to a bit of pampering!

The next treat we discovered (other than the human cookies and dog treats we received at check-in) was that Myles had TWO dog beds to choose from … not including ours!

Dog den at Best Friends Roadhouse and Mercantile in Kanab, Utah

Myles sleeping on a pull-out dog bed at the foot of the human bed

And the mercantile, in addition to serving a fantastic breakfast, is full of all kinds of goodies. They even have pet gear, in case there’s something you forget to pack.

They’ve even thought of the people who love animals but aren’t traveling with their own pet. The folks at Best Friends Roadhouse will arrange for your choice of a dog, cat, or bunny from Best Friends Animal Sanctuary to sleepover with you. Now, that’s taking pet-friendliness to a whole new level!!

Places To Eat In Pet Friendly Kanab

As I mentioned, Kanab is very pet friendly, and we had no trouble finding outdoor dining options with Myles. From simple takeaway fare, to a vegan taco truck, to outstanding fine dining, going hungry isn’t a concern.

Here is a list of pet friendly eateries in Kanab that offer pet friendly seating:
- Angel Village Café – buffet lunch from 11:30am – 1pm daily on the pet friendly patio overlooking Angel Canyon
- Best Friends Mercantile – snacks, coffee, and light fare which you can take to go or eat on the covered patio
- Brown Box Bakeshop – bakery, soup, sandwiches, and ice cream with sidewalk seating
- Fusion House – Pan-Asian cuisine with sidewalk seating
- Iron Horse Restaurant – steaks, burgers, ribs and more with a pet friendly patio
- Peekaboo Canyon Wood Fired Kitchen – artisanal pizza, sandwiches, and local beer with an outdoor patio
- Rocking V Café – comfort food, from buffalo tenderloin to deep dish enchiladas, and the best bread pudding I’ve ever eaten. Pet friendly sidewalk seating.
- Wild Thyme Café – fantastic American eatery serving chops, steaks, seafood, and vegetarian options on a quiet, shady deck
READ MORE ⇒ Taking Your Dog To Pet Friendly Restaurants

Pet friendly patio seating at the Best Friends Roadhouse and Mercantile

Dog friendly sidewalk seating at Rocking V Café in Kanab

Shaded dog friendly deck at Wild Thyme Café in Kanab, Utah

We hope our stay in pet friendly Kanab, Utah inspires you to explore Southern Utah with your pets! If you’ve visited Kanab, we’d love to hear about your experience in the comments below.

Waggin’ trails!

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Amy at GoPetFriendly.com

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October 8, 2024
Too much? Many Americans feel the need to limit their political news, AP-NORC/USAFacts poll finds

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NEW YORK (AP) — When her husband turns on the television to hear news about the upcoming presidential election, that’s often a signal for Lori Johnson Malveaux to leave the room.

It can get to be too much. Often, she’ll go to a TV in another room to watch a movie on the Hallmark Channel or BET. She craves something comforting and entertaining. And in that, she has company.

While about half of Americans say they are following political news “extremely” or “very” closely, about 6 in 10 say they need to limit how much information they consume about the government and politics to avoid feeling overloaded or fatigued, according to a new survey from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and USAFacts.

Make no mistake: Malveaux plans to vote. She always does. “I just get to the point where I don’t want to hear the rhetoric,” she said.

Viewers gather to watch a debate between Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at the Angry Elephant Bar and Grill, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

The 54-year-old Democrat said she’s most bothered when she hears people on the news telling her that something she saw with her own eyes — like the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol — didn’t really happen.

“I feel like I’m being gaslit. That’s the way to put it,” she said.

Sometimes it feels like ‘a bombardment’

Caleb Pack, 23, a Republican from Ardmore, Oklahoma, who works in IT, tries to keep informed through the news feeds on his phone, which is stocked with a variety of sources, including CNN, Fox News, The Wall Street Journal and The Associated Press.

Yet sometimes, Pack says, it seems like a bombardment.

“It’s good to know what’s going on, but both sides are pulling a little bit extreme,” he said. “It just feels like it’s a conversation piece everywhere, and it’s hard to escape it.”

Media fatigue isn’t a new phenomenon. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in late 2019 found roughly two in three Americans felt worn out by the amount of news there is, about the same as in a poll taken in early 2018. During the 2016 presidential campaign, about 6 in 10 people felt overloaded by campaign news.

But it can be particularly acute with news related to politics. The AP-NORC/USAFacts poll found that half of Americans feel a need to limit their consumption of information related to crime or overseas conflicts, while only about 4 in 10 are limiting news about the economy and jobs.

It’s easy to understand, with television outlets like CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC full of political talk and a wide array of political news online, sometimes complicated by disinformation.

“There’s a glut of information,” said Richard Coffin, director of research and advocacy for USAFacts, “and people are having a hard time figuring out what is true or not.”

Women are more likely to feel they need to limit media

In the AP-NORC poll, about 6 in 10 men said they follow news about elections and politics at least “very” closely, compared to about half of women. For all types of news, not just politics, women are more likely than men to report the need to limit their media consumption, the survey found.

White adults are also more likely than Black or Hispanic adults to say they need to limit media consumption on politics, the poll found.

Kaleb Aravzo, 19, a Democrat, gets a baseline of news by listening to National Public Radio in the morning at home in Logan, Utah. Too much politics, particularly when he’s on social media sites like TikTok and Instagram, can trigger anxiety and depression.

“If it pops up on my page when I’m on social media,” he said, “I’ll just scroll past it.”

___

Sanders reported from Washington. David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder.

The AP poll of 1,019 adults was conducted July 29-August 8, 2024, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.

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September 15, 2024
Keeler: CU Buffs’ Deion Sanders, CSU Rams’ Jay Norvell both need Rocky Mountain Showdown win. After Nebraska, though? Coach Prime needs it more – The Cannabist

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BOULDER — When the bully across the road gives you a wedgie on national TV, the neighbors start to worry. Get beat by little brother? The neighbors start to talk.

“I would say (CU Buffs coach) Deion Sanders needs (Saturday) more,” CBS analyst and former NFL lineman Ross Tucker, who’s in the booth for Saturday’s Rocky Mountain Showdown at Fort Collins, told me by phone earlier this week. “The reason why I say that is when things started to go south (in 2023), they really went south. (CU) did not show the ability to really handle and overcome adversity very well.

“So based on how last year went, if you’re a CU fan or if you’re a Deion fan, you see back-to-back losses to Nebraska and to CSU, two of the four teams you beat last year, you’ve got to think about how well they’ll be able to keep the team together and in a good headspace for the rest of the season. … (It’s) not even, ‘Here we go again.’ It’s, ‘These are actually two of the teams we beat last year, so we’re going in the wrong direction.’”

Read the rest of this story on TheKnow.DenverPost.com.

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September 13, 2024
CSU Rams announce decision to join Pac-12 Conference

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CSU is joining a revamped and re-stocked Pac-12 Conference.

According to a report published late Wednesday night by Yahoo Sports, the long-standing collegiate league, which was ravaged by membership defections — including that of the CU Buffs — over the past 18 months, is moving forward with plans to expand.

The first wave of that expansion includes four of the top athletic brands from the Mountain West: CSU, Boise State, San Diego State and Fresno State, will all four becoming members on July 1, 2026.

“We are taking control of our future at CSU by forming an alliance of six peer institutions who will serve as the foundation for a new era of the Pac-12,” CSU President Amy Parsons said in a news release announcing the move.

“This move elevates CSU in a way which benefits all our students, bolsters our core mission, and strengthens our reputation for academic and research excellence. CSU is honored to be among the universities asked to help carry on the history and tradition of the Pac-12 as a highly competitive conference with some of the nation’s leading research institutions.”

The Rams, whose football program hosts rival CU in the Rocky Mountain Showdown for the first time at Canvas Stadium on Saturday, are a founding member of the Mountain West Conference, a league which began operations in January 1999.

By accepting an invitation from the Pac-12, CSU will gain association with what the athletic department has sought for decades — membership within a “power” conference.

“This moment has been a long time coming,” CSU authentic director John Weber said. “I know our students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and fans are hungry for this move and are going to love what comes next as CSU charts a transformational new course as a member of the Pac-12.”

The Pac-12, which was founded in 1915, has historically been the most prestigious collegiate league west of the Central time zone. However, that prestige, and indeed its membership, were crippled by the defections of CU, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State to the Big 12; USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington to the Big Ten; and Stanford and Cal to the ACC.

Washington State and Oregon State were left with the conference’s holdings, trademarks and media rights. Per Yahoo Sports, the remaining Pac-12 programs believe they can rebuild the brand with the likes of the Rams, Aztecs, Broncos and Bulldogs as peers.

They’re also not done looking at new members, as the NCAA requires a minimum of eight schools to qualify as an FBS conference.

CSU football plays at Oregon State on Oct. 5 as part of a scheduling alliance between the MW and the remains of the Pac-12, a partnership that Yahoo Sports reports will not continue for a second fall.

Mountain West members are contracted to pay a $17 million exit fee to leave the league.

The primary motivations for CSU are the same reasons CU left the Pac-12 this past summer — money, prestige, potential access to the College Football Playoff, and stability.

While the mass defections from the Pac-12 would denounce the latter, Yahoo Sports reports that the remaining Pac-12 members feel a new-look league would reach a media rights agreement worth more than the current or expected payouts presented to MW members.

The Mountain West has a $270 million television contract with CBS and Fox that runs through 2026.

Published reports have estimated that non-Boise members of the MW, including CSU, receive roughly $3.5 million annually from that deal, with the Broncos receiving an additional $1.8 million per year.

CSU noted in its financial report to the NCAA for the 2022-23 fiscal year, the most recent public report available, that its media rights revenues from all sources, including conference distributions, was $3.3 million.

The Yahoo Sports report infers that the Rams could also have access to Pac-12 assets such as “monies from the Rose Bowl contract, College Football Playoff, NCAA basketball tournament units and Pac-12 Enterprises, previously the Pac-12 Network.”

CSU indicated in its announcement Thursday morning that the four new schools “will have immediate voting privileges” within the conference.

“We have nothing but the utmost respect and appreciation for the Mountain West and its members,” Parsons said. “There will be conversations going forward about the Mountain West exit fees and Pac-12 support for our transition. We are confident the path forward will not impact our current university budget and will set CSU up for incredible opportunities to come.”

However, the two-team Pac-12 recently lost its status as a Power 5/”autonomous” conference within the CFP — and it’s not clear whether supplementing the expanded league with Group of 5 programs would restore those privileges.

CSU athletics reported revenues of $64.3 million to the NCAA for the ’22-23 fiscal year this past January. The Rams’ revenues of $61.2 million, per a USA Today database, ranked fourth among known MW athletics budgets in ’21-22, behind Air Force, San Diego State and UNLV. Wazzu and Oregon State had revenues of $85 million and $83.5 million in ’21-22, respectively.

Originally Published: September 12, 2024 at 7:23 a.m.

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Sean Keeler

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September 12, 2024
Keeler: Deion Sanders, CU Buffs, not ready for prime time, get punched in mouth by Nebraska – The Cannabist

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LINCOLN, Neb. — You don’t bring a 30-carat diamond watch to a sword fight.

A Maybach can’t block. An NIL deal won’t chip an angry defensive end. You can’t microwave what has to be baked, slowly.

The Buffs were built for this moment. A foundation made of glitter, sand and promises, broken like so many hearts. Nebraska punched CU in the mouth. By the time the Buffs got up off the canvas, the bell had rung and the judges had gone home.

Read the rest of this story on TheKnow.DenverPost.com.

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September 7, 2024
Prosecutors make their case for why Utah children’s book author should face trial in husband’s death

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PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Detectives on Monday described in court how they zeroed in on a Utah mother known for penning a children’s book about grief as the main suspect in her husband’s fatal poisoning. The multiday hearing will determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence against her to proceed with a trial.

Kouri Richins, 34, faces several felony charges for allegedly killing her husband with a lethal dose of fentanyl in March 2022 at their home in a small mountain town near Park City. Prosecutors say she slipped five times the lethal dose of the synthetic opioid into a Moscow mule cocktail that Eric Richins, 39, drank.

Additional charges filed in March accuse her of an earlier attempt to kill her husband with a spiked sandwich on Valentine’s Day. She has been adamant in maintaining she is innocent.

Detective Jeff O’Driscoll with the Summit County Sheriff’s Office was called to the stand Monday to describe his interactions with the state’s key witness, a housekeeper who claims to have sold fentanyl to Kouri Richins on three occasions. He said police first linked housekeeper Carmen Lauber to Kouri Richins through a series of text messages and later arrested Lauber, saying drugs and other illegal items were found at her home.

Lauber, 52, originally denied any knowledge of how Eric Richins died, but she later opened up in an interview with O’Driscoll after he told her the drug charges against her might be reduced or eliminated in exchange for helpful information, the detective said. The housekeeper “went back and forth on what happened, what didn’t happen and in what order things happened,” O’Driscoll explained in court.

He said Lauber told him she had sold Kouri Richins up to 90 blue-green fentanyl pills, and her supplier later confirmed to detectives that he had sold her the fentanyl she requested. Officers did not find any fentanyl pills in the Richins home, the detective said.

Lauber has received a letter of immunity from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and is not currently in custody, O’Driscoll said. She is among the witnesses who could be called to testify later in the hearing or during a possible trial.

Other witnesses may include relatives of the defendant and her late husband, and friends of Eric Richins who have recounted phone conversations from the day prosecutors say he was first poisoned by his wife of nine years.

In the months before her arrest in May 2023, the mother of three self-published the children’s book “Are You with Me?” about a father with angel wings watching over his young son after passing away. The book could eventually play a key role for prosecutors in framing Eric Richins’ death as a calculated killing with an elaborate cover-up attempt. Prosecutors have accused Kouri Richins of making secret financial arrangements and buying the illegal drug as her husband began to harbor suspicions about her.

Utah state Judge Richard Mrazik is expected to decide as early as Tuesday whether the state has presented sufficient evidence to go forward with a trial.

Mrazik had delayed the hearing in May after prosecutors said they would need three consecutive days to present their evidence. The case was further slowed when Kouri Richins’ team of private attorneys withdrew from representing her. The judge determined she was unable to continue paying for private representation, and he appointed attorneys Wendy Lewis and Kathy Nester to take over her case.

The two attorneys used the first day of the hearing to build upon arguments presented by Kouri Richins’ former lead attorney, Skye Lazaro. They insinuated that the housekeeper Lauber had motivation to lie as she sought leniency in the face of drug charges.

Lazaro also argued that Eric Richins’ sisters had a clear bias against her former client amid a battle over his estate and a concurrent assault case. Similar arguments could arise if family members are called to the stand.

A petition filed by the victim’s sister, Katie Richins, alleges Kouri Richins had financial motives for killing her husband as prosecutors say she had opened life insurance policies totaling nearly $2 million without his knowledge and mistakenly believed she would inherit his estate under terms of their prenuptial agreement.

Court records indicate Eric Richins had consulted an attorney in October 2020 to discuss the possibility of filing for divorce and to quietly cut his wife out of his will. Forensic accountant Brooke Karrington⁠ said transcripts from that meeting indicate Eric Richins knew his wife was making major financial decisions without consulting him, but he never went through with ending the marriage.

In May, Kouri Richins was found guilty on misdemeanor charges of assaulting her other sister-in-law shortly after her husband’s death. Amy Richins told the judge that Kouri Richins had punched her in the face during an argument over access to her brother’s safe.

In addition to aggravated murder, assault and drug charges, Kouri Richins has been charged with mortgage fraud, forgery and insurance fraud for allegedly forging loan applications and fraudulently claiming insurance benefits after her husband’s death.

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August 26, 2024
Keeler: Broncos WR Tim Patrick and QB Bo Nix are match made in Mile High Heaven. Don’t overthink this one, Sean Payton – The Cannabist

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Bubble? What bubble? Bo Nix and Tim Patrick are a match made in Mile High Heaven.

Don’t overthink this one, Sean Payton. Nothing about a rookie quarterback is a sure thing, so you surround him with as many sure things as possible. Nix needs friends. Has a Broncos quarterback since 2020 had better friends than Patrick’s two hands?

“You get any butterflies running around Empower for the first time in forever?” I asked the Broncos’ veteran receiver Sunday night after Denver stomped what was essentially the Packers’ bench, 27-2.

Read the rest of this story on TheKnow.DenverPost.com.

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The Cannabist Network

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August 19, 2024
Large geological feature known as ‘Double Arch’ and ‘Toilet Bowl’ collapses in southern Utah

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PAGE, Ariz. — A large geological feature in southern Utah known as the “Double Arch,” the “Hole in the Roof” and sometimes the “Toilet Bowl” has collapsed, National Park Service officials said Friday. No injuries were reported.

The popular arch in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area fell Thursday, and park rangers suspect changing water levels and erosion from waves in Lake Powell contributed to its demise.

Michelle Kerns, superintendent of the recreation area that spans the border of Utah and Arizona, said the collapse serves as a reminder to protect the mineral resources that surround the lake.

“These features have a life span that can be influenced or damaged by manmade interventions,” she said in a statement.

The arch was formed from 190 million-year-old Navajo sandstone originating in the late Triassic to early Jurassic periods. The fine-grained sandstone has endured erosion from weather, wind and rain, the statement said.

The recreation area encompasses nearly 2,000 square miles (5,180 square kilometers) and is popular among boaters and hikers.

Copyright © 2024 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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AP

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August 10, 2024
Salt Lake City voted as host of 2034 Olympic Winter Games – with a doping investigation caveat

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The Winter Games are coming to the U.S. Leaders of the 142nd International Olympic Committee Session announced on Wednesday that Salt Lake City, Utah, will be the host of the Olympic Winter Games 2034, promising “an exceptional experience for athletes and visitors, in state-of-the-art venues.”

Officials decided on the host in an 83-6 vote, a photo of the tally released by the IOC shows. The committee also voted that the French Alps will host the Winter Games in 2030.

The results of the election are out!

Results of the vote of the 142nd IOC Session on the host of the XXVIIth Olympic Winter Games: #SLCUT2034 pic.twitter.com/6x7l0xUXzW

— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) July 24, 2024

The last time the Winter Games were held in the U.S. was in 2002, bringing nothing but excitement to U.S. athletes. The country’s ski and snowboard team said on X that “there’s nothing quite like home snow.”

“Back on home soil,” Team USA posted on X. “Team USA is honored to welcome the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to the U.S. in 2034.”

In a report released earlier this month about the validity of having the state host The Games, the IOC said that “Utah has a proven ability to deliver high-level sports competitions.”

“Since 2002, Utah Sports Commission has supported over 1,00 events, including 175 elite events such as world cups and championships. Hosting in 2034 would prolong the lifespan of the outstanding venues from 2002, maintained to high standards by their owners, their operators and the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation,” the report says, adding that having the Winter Olympics there “would help to meet the needs of a city and region that have experienced huge societal changes.”

“Utah is the youngest state in the USA, with a median age of 31, and has one of the fastest-growing economies,” the report continues. “Commitment to sport and to giving back is embedded in the Utahn DNA.”

The decision was not unexpected. According to the Associated Press, Utah’s capital was granted exclusive negotiating rights last year.

The formal announcement, however, came with an important clause in the city’s contract – local officials have to work with federal officials “to alleviate your concerns” about doping investigations. The president of the IOC is upset with the FBI’s investigation into the World Anti-Doping Agency’s decision to accept China’s reason behind nearly two dozen positive drug tests among its swimmers at the Tokyo Olympics, AP reports, and the clause allows the IOC to end its Salt Lake City deal if the World Anti-Doping Agency’s authority is undermined.

China’s Anti-Doping Agency has said the tests were positive because of food contamination, according to The Salt Lake Tribune, and none of the swimmers have faced repercussions so far. Five of the swimmers involved won medals at the Tokyo Olympics. U.S. officials, however, have taken that information with a grain of salt and are investigating the matter based on Congress’ 2019 Rodchenkov Act that allows such investigations of doping at international events if it could be detrimental to U.S. athletes.

“We will work with our members of Congress,” Utah’s Republican Governor Spencer Cox said ahead of the 2034 vote, according to the AP, “we will use all the levers of power opn to us to resolve these concerns.”

According to the website for the 2034 Games, competition venues will be set up in two zones.

The Salt Lake City Zone, located downtown, would host venues for ice hockey, figure skating and short track, curling and speed skating, and big air. It will also be home to the Olympic Village, medals plaza and the opening and closing ceremony stadium.

The second zone, the Wasatch Back (Mountain) Zone located about an hour from the Olympic Village, will be home to the freestyle and snowboard events.

“We’re ready to once again welcome the world to Utah,” Cox posted on X. “Let’s Go!”

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Li Cohen

Li Cohen is a senior social media producer at CBS News. She previously wrote for amNewYork and The Seminole Tribune. She mainly covers climate, environmental and weather news.

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July 24, 2024
“Hawaii Five-0” actor Taylor Wily dead at 56

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6/21: CBS Morning News

20:45

“Hawaii Five-0” actor Taylor Wily has died, his entertainment attorney confirmed to CBS News. He was 56 years old.

A cause of death was not shared. Local news outlet KITV reported that Wily died in Hurricane, Utah.

Executive producer Peter Lenkov, who worked with Wily on both “Hawaii Five-0” and “Magnum P.I.,” said on Instagram that he was “devastated” and “heartbroken” by Wily’s death.

“You charmed me into making you a regular… on the show… and in my life,” Lenkov wrote in a second post, alongside a slideshow of images of himself and Wily. “You were family. And I will miss you every day, brother.”

Taylor Wily attends the Sunset on the Beach event celebrating season 8 of “Hawaii Five-0” at Queen’s Surf Beach on Nov. 10, 2017 in Waikiki, Hawaii.

Darryl Oumi / Getty Images

Wily was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Before entering the film and television industry, he had a career as a sumo wrestler and mixed martial artist.

Wily had a recurring role on “Hawaii Five-0,” playing the character of Kamekona Tupuola for 171 episodes. He also reprised the role in “MacGyver” and “Magnum P.I.” He also played a role in the film “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and appeared during the 20th season of “The Amazing Race.”

Wily is survived by his wife, Halona, and their two children, KITV reported.

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Kerry Breen

Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University’s Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News’ TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.

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June 21, 2024
‘Refined Treehouse’ for sale looks like it’s growing out of Utah mountain. See it

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Douglas Burke

A marvel of a home that camouflages itself with nature has landed on the real estate market in Park City, Utah, for $16.89 million.

“Designed by renowned local architect Michael Upwall and crafted by Midway Construction Company, this masterpiece appears to grow organically out of Quarry Mountain,” the listing on The Agency says.

“The house, clad in sandstone sourced from the site itself, is built around a robust steel ‘birdcage’ structure, giving it the elegant feel of a refined treehouse and creating a connection to the outdoors.”

The five-bedroom, seven-bathroom home incorporates the scenic nature of its surroundings, and its use of “locally sourced materials” is another reason it stands out.

“Often compared to iconic residences like Tony Stark’s cliffside mansion or the animated Incredibles house, this home is a landmark that stirs curiosity from the heart of Historic Main Street Park City,” the listing says.

“Its strategic location in the Park Meadows neighborhood places it within a five to seven-minute drive of essential amenities and recreational spots including skiing, snowboarding, golf courses, and an array of dining and entertainment options. At an elevation of over 7,100 feet, the home offers dramatic, ever-changing views that stretch from the Northern Uinta Mountain Range to Deer Valley’s Bald Mountain and Park City Mountain Resort.”

Features of home, per the listing, include:

“This home not only offers unparalleled privacy and breathtaking views but also stands as a monument to sustainable, earth-conscious living,” the listing says.

The listing is held by Jake Doilney, Sarah Vieyra and Ben Kubicki.

Park City is about a 30-mile drive southeast from Salt Lake City.

The Utah estate that looks like it grows ‘organically out’ of a Utah mountain. Douglas Burke

The property has landed on the market in Park City for $16.89 million. Douglas Burke

An incredible staircase in the home. Douglas Burke.

The kitchen. Douglas Burke

The infinity hot tub has quite a view. Douglas Burke

View from the living room. Douglas Burke

TJ Macías is a Real-Time national sports reporter for McClatchy based out of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Formerly, TJ covered the Dallas Mavericks and Texas Rangers beat for numerous media outlets including 24/7 Sports and Mavs Maven (Sports Illustrated). Twitter: @TayloredSiren

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June 16, 2024
Ranger working astronomy festival falls and dies at Bryce Canyon, Utah officials say

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Ranger Tom Lorig, 78, was working at Bryce Canyon’s annual Astronomy Festival on June 7 when he fell and died.

Screengrab from National Park Service Facebook page.

A park ranger working at an astronomy festival at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah died after falling and hitting his head on a large rock, according to officials.

Ranger Tom Lorig, 78, was working at Bryce Canyon’s annual Astronomy Festival around 11:30 p.m. on June 7 when he tripped and fell as he was directing a visitor to a shuttle bus, according to a news release from the National Park Service.

Lorig hit his head on a large rock, leaving him unresponsive, the park service said. The visitor quickly notified another ranger, and first responders worked on Lorig but were unable to revive him.

“Tom Lorig served Bryce Canyon, the National Park Service, and the public as an interpretive park ranger, forging connections between the world and these special places that he loved,” park superintendent Jim Ireland said in the news release.

Lorig was a registered nurse for 40 years in the Seattle area, the NPS said. He was also a permanent, seasonal and volunteer park ranger for 10 years.

He started out working at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in June of 1968. He went on to serve at 14 national park sites including Badlands, Bryce Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns, El Malpais, Florissant Fossil Beds, Glen Canyon, Klondike Gold Rush, Mount Rainier, New River Gorge, Olympic, Saguaro, Yosemite, Zion and Dinosaur National Monument.

“As our community processes and grieves this terrible loss, we extend our deepest condolences to all of Ranger Lorig’s family and friends,” Ireland said.

Jennifer Rodriguez is a McClatchy National Real-Time reporter covering the Central and Midwest regions. She joined McClatchy in 2023 after covering local news in Youngstown, Ohio, for over six years. Jennifer has made several achievements in her journalism career, including receiving the Robert R. Hare Award in English, the Emerging Leader Justice and Equality Award, the Regional Edward R. Murrow Award and the Distinguished Hispanic Ohioan Award.

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Jennifer Rodriguez

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June 9, 2024
Can Cannabis Cool Your Heat Dome Misery

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It is HOT outside, and we are talking record breaking, miserable, change shirts several times a day hot. Those who are suffering the most are the Desert Southwest, California’s Central Valley, and western and southern Texas. Some of the new records – Death Valley (122); Needles, Calif. (115); Phoenix (113); Las Vegas (111); Fresno, Calif. (107); Amarillo, Tex. (102); Sacramento (101); Kanab, Utah (101); Reno, Nev. (98); and Flagstaff, Ariz. (91). Part of the issue is there is a huge heat dome over the air, trapping hot air for days (and nights). Even with air-conditions, it is tough, but can cannabis cool your heat dome misery.

High tempertures play havoc with your body. Extended hot weather days can cause poor sleep, lack of appetite, hot or damp skin, headaches, loss of motivation, irritability and more. Staying cool and keeping your body at a reasonable temperature of 97° – 99° is critical as it cause dangerous complications like dehydration, heat stroke and more.

Cannabis is one thing in box of tools to keep your body at a normal temperature. It can does reduce your body temperature—temporarily. Several studies indicate marijuana can, reduce the body temperature short term. Food like spicy mustard, chili flakes and wasabi can also provide quick relief. The cannabis cool effect is thought to happen because of the way THC interacts with a receptor called TRPA-1. This receptor controls important functions, including pain relief and body temperature.

Not all weed is created equal when it comes to body chilling phenomenon. According to some consumers, switching to tinctures and edibles rather bongs, pre-rolls, or other methods involving heating the product helps move to a cooling response quicker.

You can also replace drinking alcohol at home with cannabis beverages. Consuming this way is refreshing and as potent without dehydrating your body.

RELATED: Heat Waves And Weed: 5 Ways Summer Heat Can Affect Your High

Cannabis is popular as a non addictive sleep aid. In hot weather, some struggle with both falling and staying asleep. The sleep-promoting effects of cannabinoids are due to their interactions with cannabinoid receptors in the brain. When cannabinoids bind to these receptors, they send messages to increase levels of sleep-promoting adenosine and suppress the brain’s arousal system. Together, these effects may help cannabis users feel sedated or sleepy.

RELATED: 4 Super-Discreet Ways To Use Marijuana

Here are some other ways to help stay cool during a heat wave.

Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing

If possible, avoid being out in the heat of the day

Drink plenty of water

Avoid heavy meals

The best way is to build your day around not being in the heat and monitor your body so you don’t develop serious issues.

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Sarah Johns

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June 7, 2024
2 people caught on camera committing alleged archaeological theft at historic 1800s cowboy camp at Utah national park

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Nature: Canyonlands National Park

Nature: Canyonlands National Park

02:39

National park rangers are seeking assistance in identifying at least two people who were caught on camera apparently committing an “archaeological theft” at Canyonlands National Park in Utah. Trail cameras captured the March 23 incident at the park’s historic cowboy camp.

Photos from the alleged theft show two individuals – a man with a beard in a red sweatshirt, red baseball cap and sunglasses and a blonde woman in patterned shorts, a light sweatshirt, a hat and sunglasses – entering an area that the National Park Service said was “signed-as-closed.” One of the released photos shows the man holding up an object at the closed site, which was located in the Needles district of the park in Moab, Utah.

A man and a woman were caught on camera entering a closed off area at Canyonlands National Park in Utah and touching historic objects.

National Park Service

“In a video recorded at the archaeological site, the individuals entered a signed-as-closed area, removed artifacts from a cabinet, and handled historic harnesses in a manner that had potential to damage them,” the NPS said. “Information from visitors is very helpful to investigators.”

The alleged incident took place at about 5:30 p.m. at the Cave Spring Cowboy Camp, a historic site that cattlemen are believed to have used from the late 1800s through 1975, when the park service says cattle ranching ended in the park. Cowboys are believed to have established this particular camp due to it having g reliable water source.

“Many original items left by the cowboys remain,” a website for the camp says. “Please do not enter the camp, touch, or remove the objects.”

Canyonlands is Utah’s largest national park, according to the NPS, and is comprised of three districts: Island in the Sky, The Maze and The Needles, where the incident took place.

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Li Cohen

Li Cohen is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News.

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May 16, 2024