Bluff / Mexican Hat

County restaurants coping with state restrictions in wake of COVID-19

San Juan County restaurant owners are scrambling to make ends meet after their services to customers were severely limited by an order designed to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Local restaurants and bars have been heavily impacted by the order from Utah Gov. Gary Herbert that...

Food bank provides assistance to the area

Estimates are that nearly one in five San Juan County residents face hunger every day. One quarter of children may not know where their next meal is coming from. The number of San Juan County residents facing hunger is much higher than national and statewide averages, reports the Utah Food Bank....

The irony of ignorance

As I look back on the early days of Twin Rocks Trading Post, I am reminded what Orson Welles said shortly after the release of his cinematic masterpiece Citizen Kane. When asked what allowed him to write, produce, direct, and star in Kane, the 26-year-old novice filmmaker commented that ignorance...

Monticello art teacher is Teacher of the Year

Shari Griffin, an art teacher at Monticello High School, is the 2020 Teacher of the Year for the San Juan School District. Griffin was honored for her work at a March 2 banquet. Monticello High School Principal KC Olson said, “Shari Griffin is a valuable asset to our MHS team. As a member of our...

Controversial oil and gas leases withdrawn north of Bluff

Development efforts have stopped on two oil and gas leases north of Bluff. EOG Resources Inc. notified the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) of the decision on February 28. The decision comes on the heels of a resolution by the Bluff Town Council in early February to oppose the development of the oil...

Thirty local students to compete in annual Sterling Scholar competition

The top students in the Class of 2020 will compete on March 18 at the 40th annual Southeastern Utah Sterling Scholar competition at Carbon High School in Price, UT. There are 30 San Juan County seniors who will vie for the coveted title of Sterling Scholar against 67 other seniors from Carbon,...

San Juan County and Navajo Nation sign road agreement

San Juan County and the Navajo Department of Transportation (NDOT) have come to an agreement about the maintenance of a handful of roads used as school bus routes in the southern portion of the county. An agreement between the two entities was signed on February 24 at a ceremony at Teec Nos Pos, AZ...

Bluff, Spanish Valley controversies continue

Planning and zoning issues in Bluff and Spanish Valley, two of the fastest-changing areas of San Juan County, dominated discussion at the February 18 meeting of the San Juan County Commission. A petition signed by 79 Bluff residents and/or property owners asked the Commission to terminate the...

Descendents of Jens Nielson encouraged to visit Bluff Fort

The life of Jens Nielson will be honored at Bluff Fort in 2020 for the 200th anniversary of his birth date. Nielson was a key figure in the Hole in the Rock Expedition and in the subsequent settlement of Bluff in 1880. He was born in Denmark on April 26, 1820 and passed away in Bluff in 1906....

Love is in the air this weekend at 22nd annual Bluff Balloon Festival

Love is in the air when 22 hot air balloons take flight at the 22nd annual International Bluff Balloon Festival. Flights take to the air on Friday through Sunday, January 17-19 in and around Bluff. Sponsored by the Business Owners of Bluff (BOB), this annual event attracts balloons, pilots, and...