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REI will open its first store in southern Utah

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REI will open its first store in southern Utah


Specialty outdoor-recreation retailer coming to St. George in 2025

(Elaine Thompson | AP Photo) A shopper looks at hiking boots during a sale in REI Co-op’s flagship store in Seattle in 2018.

St. George • REI Co-op, one of the nation’s premier outdoor recreation retailers, is coming to southern Utah.

The retailing giant, which is based near Seattle, has announced plans to open its first southern Utah location at St. George Place in St. George sometime in 2025. REI already has three northern Utah stores in Salt Lake City, Sandy and Farmington.

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St. George Mayor Michele Randall said REI will be a great addition to the city.

“We were very pleased to hear that REI plans to open a store here in St. George in 2025, which I know will be very popular with residents and visitors,” she said. ” This is going to be a great addition to our retail footprint on the south end of Bluff Street.”

St. George Council member Dannielle Larkin, an avid runner and cyclist, concurs with the mayor’s assessment.

“REI is a proven retailer that we are excited wants to participate in and bolster the economy in St. George,” Larkin said. “We look forward to them joining the many local shops that provide services and products to our residents and wish them all success.”

Once it opens, the St. George REI is expected to employ 50 people and offer outdoor clothing, gear and expertise for camping, cycling, running, fitness, hiking and climbing, among other things. In addition, a full-service bike shop will be staffed with technicians. The St. George store will also feature a ski and snowboard shop, according to REI officials.

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REI’s St. George location is part of its expansion plan to add 10 new stores over the next two years. Seven new stores are slated to open in Rancho Mirage, Calif.; Durango, Colo.; Glendale, Ariz.; Beaverton, Ore; Tulsa, Okla.; Beavercreek, Ohio; and Albany, N.Y. The location of the other three stores will be announced once contracts are finalized, according to REI.

St. George’s proximity to Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks, Snow Canyon State Park, majestic redrock cliffs and canyons and hundreds of miles hiking and biking trails make opening a location there a no-brainer, according to Salt Lake City resident John Wilcox.

“The entire St. George area is a Mecca for outdoor recreation that draws people from all over the world,” said Wilcox, who enjoys hiking the Anasazi Trail southwest of Ivins and Zion National Park each winter. “It makes sense from a financial standpoint to have an REI outlet there.”

Mary-Farrell Tarbox, REI vice president of stores, said proximity to outdoor recreation is always an important factor in the decision about where to open new stores.

“Each of these communities has an abundance of easily accessible natural places to play in addition to proximity to iconic national parks where REI currently guides active adventures,” Tarbox stated in a news release. “We look forward to serving as a welcoming resource to everyone through our staff’s expertise and broad product assortment. As we do in every community where we have a presence, we will also establish nonprofit partnerships to support their efforts to help get more people outside.”

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In 2022, REI contributed $6.1 million to more than 260 outdoor organizations to help fund better access to outdoor recreation places. In conjunction with opening the new stores, workers at each location will be recommending local nonprofits to receive financial support from the REI Cooperative Action Fund, according to the news release.

REI was founded in 1938 by a group of 23 Seattle-area climbers who formed a co-op and paid $1 apiece for a lifetime membership fee. Today the REI community has 23 million lifetime members, more than 16,000 employees and 181 locations in 41 states and the District of Columbia.



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Teens airlifted to Utah County hospitals after rollover of at least 50 yards | Gephardt Daily

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Teens airlifted to Utah County hospitals after rollover of at least 50 yards | Gephardt Daily


Photo: Utah County Sheriff

UTAH COUNTY, May 11, 2026 (Gephardt Daily) — Two males, ages 14 and 19, were transported to area hospitals Sunday after the side-by-side they were riding rolled down the side of a mountain.

Utah County Sheriff deputies and Santaquin police responded to the 6:07 p.m. call. Two medical helicopters were called to the scene, in the Pole Canyon area, as was a Department of Public Safety helicopter with a hoist in case it was needed, Sgt. Austin Edwards, Utah County Sheriff‘s Office, told Gephardt Daily.

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“Eventually, rescue workers were able to make it to the spot on the hill where the vehicle had come to rest, and they were able to secure the victims, stabilize the victims, and get them back down the hill again to where the helicopters were waiting,” Edwards said.

“The 19-year-old male was transported to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, and the 14 year old was transported to Primary Children’s in Lehi.”

Both were said to have critical injuries, which were not considered to be life threatening, Edwards said.

“The cause of the rollover is still under investigation, so we don’t have that information available just yet.”

Two black Polaris RZR side-by-side off-road vehicles wrecked in a brushy area, one shown from the side with exposed roll cage and damaged seating, the other from a similar angle with dented body panels.

Photos: Utah County Sheriff





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Utah Jazz jump to #2 in the lottery, plus full results

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Utah Jazz jump to #2 in the lottery, plus full results


In what has a chance to be one of the most important nights in Jazz history, the Utah Jazz jumped in the NBA Lottery to the #2 spot for the upcoming NBA draft.

Here are the final results, which show all the movement.

Aside from it being a massive night for the Wizards, Jazz, Grizzlies, and Bulls, it was a devastating night for a few teams, but no one more than the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers, in their trade for Ivica Zubac, had a stipulation on their pick that if the pick was top-4 they kept it. But if it fell below 4, they would give it to the Clippers which is exactly what happened. Now, the Clippers, who are without Zubac, find themselves with a #5 pick to build around.

For the Jazz this is a culmination of four years of rebuilding that ends with an extremely satisfying end. Utah will now have one of the tier-1 players from this draft: AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson. The player Utah drafts will be one of their cornerstone pieces and will have the chance to not only play, but be a part of a team that will be competing for the playoffs this season.

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The Utah Jazz now have a Sinister Six core: Darryn Peterson (If AJ Dybantsa goes #1), Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Walker Kessler (if he signs). It’s quite the core with a mix of youth and veterans in their prime. With this group, the Jazz will have a chance to be one of the top teams in the Western Conference. Yes, the Thunder and Spurs are going to be difficult to beat, but Utah has the mix of talent, coaching, and depth that could absolutely do the trick.

Now the Utah Jazz look forward to the NBA Draft that be on June 23rd. Let the posturing begin!!



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Provo’s new Boys & Girls clubhouse gives Utah youth more space to learn, grow and belong

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Provo’s new Boys & Girls clubhouse gives Utah youth more space to learn, grow and belong


PROVO — An organization that has been a beacon of hope for Utah children and families just got a big upgrade in Provo.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County on Friday held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its newest facility, marking the start of a new chapter in providing support for those who need it the most.

The new Kent B. Nelson Clubhouse, 131 N. Olympic Blvd., replaces the organization’s former Provo clubhouse, which had been in operation for more than 50 years. Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County leaders said they had outgrown the aging facility and needed a larger, more modern space to support more community members.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for the Boys & Girls Club of Utah County’s new Kent B. Nelson Clubhouse on Friday. (Photo: Curtis Booker, KSL)

“This new clubhouse is more than a building — it’s a central place where we can coordinate programs, support our staff, and amplify our impact across the region,” said David Bayles, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County, in a statement.

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The organization’s mission was something the late former Utah County Commissioner Tom Sakievich was passionate about. His wife Marji and daughter Emily Sakievich attended Friday’s grand opening ceremony just as if he would’ve wanted to.

“He loved this project, and it meant the world to him,” Emily Sakievich told KSL. “This was actually one of the last places he went before he passed. (He) and my mom stopped by to just see how progress was going; he would be so excited to see this come together.”

The former commissioner died last December at the age of 72. Tom Sakievich resigned from the seat in September 2024 after being diagnosed with glioblastoma brain cancer.

Emily Sakievich said her father was a big supporter of helping children in the Boys & Girls Clubs feel supported while he was in office.

“He would have all of them come to his office and talk about how government works and how they can be a part of it someday,” she said.

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The new 20,000 square-foot facility expands on resources and programs offered at its previous site for community youth and families experiencing hardships.

The clubhouse will provide safe, engaging, and educational programs in a modernized building fit to serve more than 14,000 Utah children and teens.

A variety of programs including after-school, summer activities and STEM learning will be offered at the new facility. Other resources include internet safety programs, mental health support, nutrition initiatives, and housing assistance for families experiencing homelessness.

“We’ve been able to increase the capacity so much and add preschool and other things; we can even benefit more families — and we can benefit them for a longer period of time, from younger to older, where there are no gaps.” Provo City Council Chair Katrice MacKay told KSL. “So I’m really excited. It’s a fantastic thing for the city and for our residents.”

Leaders of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County say the new $6 million Provo clubhouse was designed as a welcoming space where children and teens can explore new interests, build life skills, and receive mentorship from caring staff.

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“The Boys & Girls Clubs have been a cornerstone of youth development in Utah County for decades,” said Janet Frank, board president, in a statement “This new clubhouse strengthens that mission, allowing the organization to extend its reach and impact across the entire region.”

Friday’s event took place while children who attend the Boys & Girls Clubs were in school, so another ceremony for kids and their families is planned for the end of the month.

“The Boys & Girls Club is for every kid out there,” Bayles said. “We want to accomplish what every parent wants for their kids — we want them to have a safe place to learn and grow, to be successful in school, to build social skills and to go on and be great members of society.”

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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