Home Care In Panguitch, UT

From the peaks of the Wasatch range in Cache Valley to the red rocks in St. George, Utah offers amazing places to explore, particularly when it comes to small towns. You will find beautiful places scattered throughout the state — from mountain towns to deserts and cities. No matter where you roam, you will find someplace full of charm that will delight you in every way. But, none are as charming as the small town of Panguitch.

Panguitch is the ideal weekend escape in Utah because it has it all – gorgeous views, recreational activities, lots of history, excellent food, and beautiful places to stay. With so much to offer, there’s no doubt that it is the best small town in Utah for a getaway.

From the Hawaiian Island of Oahu to the coast of Massachusetts and everywhere in between, come along with OnlyInYourState as we introduce you to the best Small Town Getaways you can take this year. From nature lovers and foodies to history buffs and shopaholics, there’s something for everyone within these unforgettable, two-day itineraries curated by our local travel experts just for you.

To discover even more about Panguitch, Utah in a fun, easily-digestible manner, tune in to OnlyInYourState’s brand new podcast, Not Your Average Bucket List, where we talk all about this charming town. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

PANGUITCH — Following the recent opening of the Vernal Innovation Hub in Uintah County, Garfield County is getting ready to open its own space for remote work, creativity and connection.

The Panguitch Innovation Hub will celebrate with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house on Monday, March 29. Callie Ward, a Utah State University Extension professor who's launching the hub with her USU co-worker and Panguitch City Councilman Mike Sarles, told KSL.com the project is nearly two years in the making.

"We actually received the funding in September of 2019," Ward said, referring to a grant from the Governor's Office of Economic Development. The space chosen — inside the Panguitch city hall and library — was being used for storage at the time, she said. "There was a lot of random stuff. One of the rooms held all the newspapers from the past, probably, hundred years."

They got started on clearing the space, but were interrupted twice by the coronavirus pandemic — once during the initial stay-at-home recommendations, then later again when cases surged in the fall. Finally, though, the team was able to spend time on the project this spring and is prepared to open.

Ward said the hub will include large-format printers, copiers, laser engraving equipment, a 3D printer, a podcasting setup, photography and video equipment, and more. The location will even have a commercial "innovation kitchen" for those interested in becoming food entrepreneurs, she said, baking or cooking their products on-site.

"Individuals can lease the (kitchen) on an hourly or daily basis," Ward said, "and do temporary storage of their food product."

Those interested in using the other co-working space can rent dedicated or shared desks for the day or on a longer-term basis, Ward added.

"What we're hoping for is to get more of the permanent remote workers," she said, "but we also want to have this facility be accessible to tourists that are coming through. If they're on vacation and need 20 minutes to run some copies or check their email, they can do that, or they can purchase a day pass."

We want to promote opportunities for remote workers. People would love to live in rural Utah and reap the benefits of rural communities, these beautiful places, without sacrificing job opportunities.

–Callie Ward, Utah State University Extension professor

Ultimately, Ward said the hub's goal is to attract and retain talent in Garfield County and allow its online workers to stay local. "We just jumped on the opportunity to provide a facility and infrastructure for our community, and give a spot for people who want to be remote workers or entrepreneurs. ... We want to promote opportunities for remote workers. People would love to live in rural Utah and reap the benefits of rural communities, these beautiful places, without sacrificing job opportunities."

And after the Panguitch hub is off the ground, Ward said her team will begin work on another hub in Escalante she hopes to have open by the end of the year.

The Panguitch Innovation Hub is located at 25 S. 200 East. Its ribbon cutting and open house will be Monday at 2 p.m., and those interested can RSVP at 435-676-1113.

CEDAR CITY — The Panguitch High School Bobcats won their fourth consecutive state wrestling championship on Saturday in Richfield.

Competing at the 1A state tournament at the Sevier Valley Center, the Bobcats saw six wrestlers make it to their finals, with five of them winning their respective brackets.

Panguitch head coach Colin Marshall told Cedar City News that his wrestlers bounced back from a tough day on Friday to finish strong on Saturday.

“On Friday, we lost some tough battles in the semifinals and the team was a little deflated,” Marshall said. “We met together as a team and tried to refocus for a tough day on Saturday.

“The boys came out firing,” Marshall added. “That momentum took us into the finals with a lot of energy. We won some tough battles to put a solid group in the placement rounds for third and fourth.”

Panguitch ended up with 215 total team points, while second-place Altamont had 163 and third-place Milford finished with 162.

Leading the way for Panguitch were the following wrestlers who all won their respective brackets: junior Tanner Marshall at 106 pounds, sophomore Shad Partridge at 126 pounds, sophomore Braxton Atkin at 132 pounds, senior Cael Houston at 165 pounds and senior Cole Harland at 285 pounds.

“Tanner Marshall at 106 came up with a big win against a solid opponent from Milford,” Marshall said, referring to his nephew’s second-round pin of Boston Thompson.

“He was followed by Shad Partridge at 126, who has been fighting an injury since divisionals and has had limited time in the wrestling room due to the injury,” coach Marshall added. “Shad showed his mental toughness by fighting through the pain of an injury and pulling off a win.”

In the very next match at 132 pounds, Panguitch sophomore Braxton Atkin went up against Milford senior Hagen Mayer, one of the state’s top-ranked wrestlers.

“This match was a battle that Braxton ultimately won with a third-round pin,” Marshall said.

Panguitch’s next individual champion was senior Cael Houston at 165 pounds. His finals match was a repeat of last year’s state finals against senior Monty Morrison of Piute.

“These two wrestlers have faced each other multiple times over the years and it is always a battle,” Marshall said. “Cael was able to come up with a win in overtime and earned a well-deserved outstanding wrestler award.”

Panguitch later capped off the night with a win in the 285-pound heavyweight bracket, with senior Cole Harland defeating Jordan Johnson of Rich in an 8-3 decision.

Also for Panguitch, junior Theron Evans finished second in the 175-pound bracket, losing a tough finals match to Altamont’s Bryant Mullins.

Others placing at state for the Bobcats were Max Albrecht (third place at 106 pounds), Tavin Leibbrandt (fourth place at 113), Randy Marshall (third place at 120), Owen Crofts (fourth place at 126), Bryson Henrie (third place at 132), Cameron Atkin (fourth place at 138), Ronan Mooney (fourth place at 144), Jacob Marshall (third place at 150), Koda Bridges (third place at 190) and Gage Julander (fourth place at 215).

“The boys came together as a team and it made all the difference on Saturday,” coach Marshall said. “I am so proud of these great young men. This is our fourth state championship in a row and these boys have shown grit and toughness to help this team win each championship.”

Marshall also thanked the Panguitch parents and fans for their support.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

I recently returned from a long road trip to The Mighty 5 National Parks in Utah, including Bryce Canyon, and I made it a point to ride my mountain bike in every single destination.

See Also: The Mighty 5: Mountain Biking near Utah’s National Parks

After some serious research, Thunder Mountain seemed like the only legitimate mountain bike trail close to Bryce Canyon, so I set out to explore it on my own, hoping that the internet reviews were accurate. There are no bike shops anywhere near Hatch or Panguitch, where Thunder Mountain is located, so riders are really forced to rely on reviews like this one for the scoop.

Thunder Mountain is located in Red Canyon, about 10 miles west of Bryce Canyon on Hwy 12. Probably the most important thing you need to know before embarking on this trail is that it is best ridden from east to west. You could ride it as an out-and-back, but the western end of Thunder Mountain would be a brutally-steep climb. Therefore, I think it is either best done as a shuttle, or by making a loop using the SR-12 bike path that parallels Hwy 12.

In the interest of time (and impending foul weather), I elected to shuttle it. You can start at the Coyote Hollow Trailhead just off of Hwy 12, or drive about two miles up Coyote Hollow Road (a dirt road) to where the trail actually starts, aptly-named “Thunder Mountain Trailhead.”

The trailhead is located at 8,077 feet, and the trail begins with a gentle climb on red dirt sounded by pines and desert flora. A front was moving in on me quickly, so I made haste and didn’t stop for a lot of photos.

The first 4.2 miles of this trail are relatively smooth and flowy, with some fairly fast downhills on buff terrain, followed by some gradual climbs that take about 10 minutes or less. There are two notable steep climbing sections, both short, but steep enough that many riders may need to get off and walk due to the grade. The first is about 2.6 miles in, with a grade ranging from 18-24%. It’s a doozy, but it’s doable if you torque up and pedal. The second comes at about 3.6 miles in, consists of about a mile of climbing, and also has a section that is 24%. After that, though, it’s almost all downhill… so hang in there.

There is a point where the scenery changes dramatically: you’ll emerge from the forest, and the landscape will start to feel more open as you approach a ridgeline. When you see the first two, very large, orange hoodoos, you can rest assured that the downhill fun is about to begin. As you hit the pinnacle of the ridgeline at about mile 4.2 (8,270ft), breathtaking views of a multi-colored desert canyon are short-lived before the trail turns decidedly down. In fact, aside from two very short climbs at mile 5.0 and mile 5.7, it is almost all downhill, with grades often -14% to -18%… and that is steep, my friends!

I went into this ride thinking that Thunder Mountain was a buff trail with a few steep sections but assuming, based on reviews, that it was squarely an intermediate belt of singletrack. For the most part that is true, and I think any confident intermediate rider would have no problem with most of this trail, but there are a few sections that will give any non-seasoned rider pause.

Between mile 5 and 6.6, for example there are some tight, rocky switchbacks that are honestly pretty hard to make. They are easily-ridable for the experienced, and certainly walkable, but not exactly “intermediate” in my opinion. They were a blast for anyone that likes ripping down steep, gnarly, twisty trails–so I would do them a hundred times over. The only bummer is that the scenery is gorgeous here, and you hardly get to look at it because the trail demands 100% of your attention.

After this section, there is a very photogenic area of large hoodoos and deep orange and red-colored rocks. The trail follows a narrow, picturesque ridge that reminded me a lot of Zippity Doo Dah in Fruita (if that trail could be transplanted on Mars), before dropping another short series of tight, fast switchbacks into a creek bed. Despite being on the very edge of a system of wet snow and sleet at the end of winter, the trail was tacky-dry and the creek bed had no running water. The trail continues on the other side of the creek and is easily visible as you pedal up a short climb to an intersection. Keep right here, and you will climb another 2-3 minutes before topping another small hill under tree cover.

Your final effort will be duly-rewarded at the top of that little climb with a screaming-fast, mostly-straight, downhill section littered with little kickers. My max speed was 28mph on this section, and had I known the trail, I could have and would have opened it up quite a bit more. Still, braaap! What a ride!

This downhill took several minutes and was the perfect way to end this ride, as it spits you out in a parking lot on Hwy 12, about 1/2 mile west of the Red Canyon Visitor Center, where they have water and restrooms. This is a great place for a shuttle pickup or, if you are looping it, catching the Red Canyon Bike Path eastbound back to Coyote Hollow.

Thunder Mountain is a hidden gem in the heart of Utah. You may never have opportunity to access it unless you plan a trip to Bryce or just happen to be passing through, but it is well worth the ride if you can make it happen!

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PANGUITCH — A 68-year-old great-grandmother has been arrested on federal charges alleging that she sold methamphetamine out of her home in Panguitch.

Roxanna Abner-Simkins was arrested at her residence on Dec. 28, according to a news release issued Tuesday by Garfield County Sheriff’s Office.

More than one pound of methamphetamine, along with “a substantial amount” of cocaine and heroin and weapons were recovered from the home, the statement added.

The investigation and arrest were conducted by officers from the Iron Garfield Beaver Counties Narcotics Task Force, along with Garfield County Sheriff’s deputies and one member of the Piute County Sheriff’s Office.

A 3-year-old child, who authorities identified as the great-grandchild of Abner-Simkins, was taken into protective custody by the state Division of Child and Family Services.

“A hair follicle test was done on the child and showed positive for opioids and methamphetamines,” the statement said.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed in federal court Jan. 8 in support of the arrest, officers had used an undercover informant to make multiple controlled purchases at Abner-Simkins’ home between September and December 2020. A warrant was obtained on Dec. 27 and executed the following day, the affidavit said.

During the search of Abner-Simkins’ residence, officers reportedly found multiple individual bags containing a crystalline substance consistent with methamphetamine totaling approximately 1.16 pounds (526 grams). A small sample from one of the bags tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine, according to the statement.

Two handguns and a large amount of cash were also found inside the home, according to the affidavit.

Court documents show a motion was filed Wednesday to dismiss the various state charges against Abner-Simkins, now that federal charges have been filed.

Abner-Simkins is in custody at Iron County Jail in Cedar City under a federal hold as of Wednesday.

Two other adults who were inside the residence were also arrested during the raid, according to the statement issued by the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office. Rhonda Abner, 40, and Andrew Lynn Sawyer, 29, each face misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance, court records show.

This report is based on information provided by law enforcement and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.