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‘The camera gets me out’: Utah man wins 1st place for photo of Zion’s Subway in annual contest

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‘The camera gets me out’: Utah man wins 1st place for photo of Zion’s Subway in annual contest


ST. GEORGE — The shimmering blue-green water of Zion National Park’s Subway was captured in a photograph selected as the winner of the Bank of Utah’s “My Utah Photo Contest for 2024.

Courtney Fairborn shot the second-place winning photo, which highlights Lake Powell with its red rocks in the background, Lake Powell, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Courtney Fairborn, St. George News

Megan Kenley, Bank of Utah associate vice president of communications and marketing, told St. George News that the contest’s goal is to display Utah’s unique beauty and spirit. 

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One of the things that Utah is known for is its beautiful history, diversity and different types of scenery, Kenley said. “So we like to be able to showcase that and show the difference, not only the talents of our customers and the people here in Utah but also all of the beauty that Utah has to offer, something that we feel really ties in well with our brand.

Kenley said choosing the winners was difficult as all the entries were striking. Participants ranged from casual to professional photographers.

Steven Howa of Salt Lake City submitted the winning photograph featuring Zion National Park’s Subway on the Left Fork of North Creek. Kenley said the image beautifully captures this popular spot in Utah’s famous national park.

Howa said taking photos keeps him active.

One of the really cool things about the camera and landscape photography is you get to go out to so many places, like the Subway,” Howa said. “I would have never gone down the Subway if it wasn’t for the camera. These hikes always end up in beautiful places. So the camera gets me out to go to places. So it’s kind of cool; it’s like a reward.

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The winning photo of the Bank of Utah “My Utah” photo contest featuring Zion National Park’s Subway was submitted by Steven Howa of Salt Lake City, Zion National Park, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Steven Howa, St. George News

Howa leads groups on hikes in Zion National Park. He told St. George News he enjoys the Subway route, which is challenging and requires some rappelling. He noted it as one of the top 20 hikes in the world.

“It’s a 9-mile hike and takes four to five hours because it’s very strenuous, he said. “It’s tiring to go back and forth through the creek. And right at the end, there’s a climb, and you’re really tired. And every time I hit that, I always say I’ll never do it again, but I always find myself back in there.”

One of Howa’s favorite parts of hiking the Subway is seeing people’s expressions when they experience it for the first time. 

While working for the Federal Aviation Administration in Salt Lake City, Howa was drawn to photography. He said he was fortunate to work with professional photographers who helped train him in his new skill. He has since retired from the FAA and is pursuing his photography business.

Howa received a $500 prize for his winning photo.

The third-place winner, Win Hegerold, shot this wagon and log cabin, which features Butch Cassidy’s childhood home, Circleville, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Win Hegerold, St. George News

Bank of Utah has held the contest for the last five years, and the number of entries has increased each year, Kenley said, adding that they received almost 400 entries for this year’s contest.

Courtney Fairborn won second place for a photo she took that highlights Lake Powell with its red rocks in shadow in the background. She will receive a $300 prize. The third-place winner, Win Heger, received $200 for a photo of the Parker Homestead in Circleville. The photo’s lighting outlines Butch Cassidy’s childhood home, adding a historical touch. 

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All winners and honorable mentions will be featured in the Bank of Utah’s 2024 “My Utah” calendar, with the first-place winner on the cover.

In addition, the Bank of Utah will highlight the winning photos in advertising, social media and the bank’s website. Travelers on Interstate 15 from Ogden to St. George will also see electronic billboards of the photos.

To see all of the winning photos, visit this website.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

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Here’s who will lead Utah Valley University as its next president

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Here’s who will lead Utah Valley University as its next president


Jon Anderson will be charged with moving the Orem school forward following the death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk on campus last year.

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Incoming UVU President Jon Anderson poses for a photo with his family after an event announcing his selection at Utah Valley University in Orem on Friday, July 17, 2026.



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Beaver County residents set up thousands of sandbags ahead of flashfloods

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Beaver County residents set up thousands of sandbags ahead of flashfloods


BEAVER COUNTY, Utah — A massive community effort is underway as volunteers and Beaver County crews distribute thousands of sandbags to protect homes from the potential path of floodwaters.

After the Cottonwood Fires, residents have been waiting for weeks for relief to come in the form of rain, though officials now warn it may come all at once with an increased risk of flooding and debris flow.

Emergency Service Director Les Whitney believes that the fire has left plenty of debris to bring trouble for residents.

“We got a lot of water. We’re bringing debris with it, so tree branches, tree limbs, logs, lots of different size firewood, and that’s all in the creeks. We’re worried about that plugging up our bridges and stuff, so we have heavy equipment and excavators located in strategic places so that we can keep those bridges open,” said Whitney.

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An estimated 140 homes and condominiums were spared from the flames, but remain in the paths of floodwaters.

Residents can also pick up sandbags at the Beaver County Sheriff’s Office or at the Beaver County Rodeo Fairgrounds.





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Utah man arrested again for allegedly abusing dog twice in three months

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Utah man arrested again for allegedly abusing dog twice in three months


EAGLE MOUNTAIN — An Eagle Mountain man currently on pretrial release in 4th District Court who is accused of abusing his dog has been arrested again for allegedly punching the same animal.

Keith Reaves Davis, 43, was booked into the Utah County Jail on Wednesday for investigation of aggravated cruelty to an animal.

Utah County sheriff’s deputies were called Wednesday afternoon to a grocery store on a report that a man was beating his dog after it had gotten off its leash and was stopped by a bystander, according to a police booking affidavit.

“I reviewed security camera footage from the grocery store, and an individual matching the description of the suspect was seen holding the dog in the air by one paw and repeatedly striking the dog on the right hind leg area. I observed the male strike the dog several times before dropping the dog from approximately 1-2 feet. The strikes appeared to be as hard as the male could hit,” the arresting deputy wrote in the affidavit. “The dog did not cry out or whimper as if the dog was accustomed to the abuse.”

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When questioned, Davis “admitted to striking the dog because it was not behaving,” the affidavit states.

An animal control officer who responded to the scene to take custody of the dog noted it was the same dog he had taken from Davis exactly three months earlier during another animal abuse investigation.

In that case, Davis was charged in 4th District Court with aggravated cruelty to an animal, a class A misdemeanor; and public intoxication, a class C misdemeanor, after deputies received a tip from a neighbor that a dog was being abused at Davis’ home, according to charging documents. When questioned, Davis “acknowledged hitting his dog as punishment,” the charges state.

Deputies also reviewed videos that the neighbor had filmed. The neighbor told investigators “there was blood from the dog on the ground of the garage and (the neighbor) can hear the dog screaming as if it’s being hurt. Deputies got the videos from the (neighbor) and you can hear very loudly the dog screaming and crying with a lot of loud banging noises. In one of the videos, you can hear the dog sounding like it is being choked by a collar and is grasping for air,” a police booking affidavit states.

Davis’ next court hearing in the April case is scheduled for July 28.

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In their latest booking report, sheriff’s deputies note that they “believe further harm will be inflicted on this dog if it is released back to the male a second time,” and have recommended the dog not be returned to Davis.

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.



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