Learn more about in-home care options for your loved ones

Given the choice, most of us want to stay in our homes. Sometimes, people need help to remain at home. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.

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TESTIMONIALS

“1. Stay active. Exercise may be the last thing you want to do when your arthritis hurts, but many studies show that physical activity is one of the best ways to improve your quality of life. 2. Eat a balanced diet. Studies show that a variety of nutrients may help ease arthritis symptoms. 3. Lose weight. Being overweight puts undue strain on weight-bearing joints such as your knees, spine, hips, ankles, and feet. 5. Use hot or cold packs. By increasing blood flow, hot compresses can ease pain and stiffness. 6. Keep pain under control. Over-the-counter medications can help ease arthritis pain. 7. Talk to your doctor about supplements and complementary medicine. Many supplements have been tested for the treatment of arthritis. 8. Try splints, braces, and other aids. Devices that support painful joints, such as splints, braces, and canes can help ease your discomfort and prevent injury. 9. Seek support. Living with arthritis isn’t easy. Finding other people that you can talk to and share ideas with can help. Check out arthritis support groups online or in your area. 10. Stay positive. Your mental outlook can have a big impact on how you feel, and how well you function. #SelfCare #Osteoarthritis #Arthritis #Disability #GoodHealth #PainRelief #SeniorCommunity #Caregiver #Caregiving #WECANHELP #OlderAdult #SeniorCare #SeniorLiving #SeniorServices #SeniorHousing #AlwaysBestCare #Exercise #SelfManaging #Tips”

Always B.
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“Always Best Care has some of the friendliest staff. They are quick to learn & eager to assist. Great schedulers who are on top of managing the schedules & keeping their employees accountable. I sure appreciate all the help they give!”

AsAn
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“I can leave a long review if I wanted to . I can talk about always best cares credentials and talk about mine. But What’s the point of leaving a review if it sounds like everybody else’s. The bottom line is , that they are great at their jobs from the bottom to the top. They have a process and people in place . They keep accountability and are communicative . Ive represented many companies in the past and still do till this day contract with only the best.. If you feel you want to hear more about this company on a deeper level just lmk. Happy Healthy Safe”

Jay R.
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“I like working for ABC because it works well with my busy nursing school schedule! I also like how I get to work on my own, but there are options to work with other CNAs for the care of some of the clients. It’s the best of both worlds! I’ve been with Always best care since 2021 and have thoroughly enjoyed working with the clients I work with!”

Olivia S.
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“Love always best care ❤️”

Breezy H.
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“Amazing business. Staff are helpful and kind.”

Margot K.
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“Always Best Care is always best!!! Highly recommended! Brent listens and hears what we need for my 94 year old mom and matches caregivers accordingly. Sometimes, the schedule changes and he works to fill the needs immediately and always with a great attitude! The caregivers are compassionate. Again, I highly recommend Always Best Care.”

shell S.
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“They are seriously so amazing to work with and really care for their clients. I came to them with some pretty difficult challenges that I was not sure we could work with but they were able to make it happen and truly did more than I thought was even possible. I highly recommend them.”

Mandy M.
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“Love working for this company”

Christina P.
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“Love them! Staff is always super sweet and easy to work with! Highly recommend.”

Olivia L.
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“As an employee of this company I could not ask for a better team to work with. They work with schedules, are understanding caring and all around amazing people. The clients are wonderful and have nothing but good things to say. They treat you as family and care from day one!”

Cassandra O.
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“Always Best Care has provided caregivers for my mother and now my father for the last year. They always send the best people to take care of them and give me peace of mind when I have to be at work. I highly recommend them if you’re seeking care for anyone in need.”

Salle A.
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“Alway best care! They are so giving and caring to their staff and clients❤️❤️❤️”

Brianne W.
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“I've been using ABC for about 2 1/2 years and have really met some wonderful people and great caregivers. I know they all work hard and are experienced and dependable which is important to me. At times I've needed a flexible schedule and they've been able to accommodate my needs and been very friendly about it. At times I've also had to ask these caregivers to do things for me outside of their job description and they've been very accommodating. Brent is also been great to follow up with phone calls and help adjust my schedule when needed. I do recommend this company.”

Jim J.
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“The best home health company that I have ever worked for. Friendly office staff, great scheduler, and the kindest CNA’s and workers that I know.”

Jenny J.
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“I work with Always Best Care and they're always flexible with my schedule. Everyone there is very nice and understanding and I enjoy working with ABC.”

Anna S.
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“Always Best Care has been an amazing company to work for! They are flexible with my schedule being a single mom and I can tell they are always putting their clients and the individuals that they care for, the needs and their happiness above all else. I know they care for every individual that they have and they make sure their staff are the same way!”

Aubrey S.
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“Always best is such an incredible company! They are so accommodating to all of the needs of their clients and do their best to help any way that they can. They are reliable and really seem to care. I would recommend Always Best to anyone looking for these kinds of services!”

Anni H.
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“Always best care has been warm and welcoming. They start off with a really good pay start and they also give really good hours and are very flexible with my work and school schedule. They are very kind even throughout my shifts they will sometimes ask me how my shifts went and make sure I’m doing ok and even through the holidays they send me messages or cards wishing me the best of holidays and always making me feel part of their family and business. And if I have any questions or concerns they are always supportive and always there for me I definitely recommend working hear and also I love working there my clients are all very nice and if you are ever looking for help always best care is the best place to call.”

Mackenzie C.
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“I work for Always Best Care now and have for some time now. I love how much people care about their clients and how the company is always there if we need something or have questions about something. This is one of the best places I have worked in the last 6 years of being a CNA. I love that the clients are the top priority to not just me but the whole team as well.!”

Ashley O.
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“Great company”

kathy N.
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“Always Best Care are the people to go to! Julie and Henry Lee are amazing people to work with!”

Bentley S.
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“Very caring, and great to work with!”

Jeff S.
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“I have used this company for a few of my residents. They take such good care of their clients and do such a good job at taking the time with each and every one of them. They go above and beyond for their clients. I’d definitely recommend them!”

Kaylee N.
 In-Home Care Veyo, UT

How does In-home Senior Care in Veyo, UT work?

Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it's especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age. When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.

The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.

At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one ages, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.

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 Senior Care Veyo, UT

Aging in Place: The Preferred Choice for Most Seniors

While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit.

In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a unfamiliar assisted living community, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.

Here are just a few of the reasons why older men and women prefer to age at home:

Comfort
Comfort

How much does a senior's home truly mean to them? A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old. With the help of elderly care in Veyo, UT, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.

Healthy Living
Healthy Living

Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors. Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.

Independence
Independence

For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like an assisted living community. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.

Cost and Convenience
Cost and Convenience

More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, can be less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.

With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care in Veyo, UT gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.

Empowers Seniors

Affordable Care Plans

In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.

Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.

At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.

In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:

Veteran's Benefits
Veteran's Benefits

Attendance and aid benefits through military service can cover a portion of the costs associated with in-home care for veterans and their spouses.

Long-Term Care Insurance
Long-Term Care Insurance

Many senior care services like in-home care are included in long-term care insurance options. Research different long-term care solutions to find a plan that provides coverage for senior care.

Private Insurance
Private Insurance

Home care can be included as part of a senior's private insurance plan. Read over your loved one's insurance policy carefully or speak with their insurance provider to determine if in-home care is covered.

Life Insurance
Life Insurance

Depending on the life insurance plan, you may be able to apply your policy toward long-term care. You may be able to use long-term-care coverage to help pay for in-home elderly care.


Respite Care Veyo, UT

During your Care Plan consultation with Always Best Care, your Care Coordinator will speak with you about in-home care costs and what options there may be to help meet your budget needs.

Compassionate Care. Trusted Caregivers

When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.

Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.

At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Veyo,UT understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.

Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.

Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.

 Caregivers Veyo, UT

Taking the First Step with Always Best Care

The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:

An assessment of your senior loved one

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An in-depth discussion of the needs of your senior loved one to remain in their own home

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Reviewing a detailed Care Plan that will meet your senior loved one's needs

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Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.

If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.

When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.

Latest News in Veyo, UT

Southern Utah’s Hidden Gem: Veyo Pool and Crawdad Canyon

The scents of summer, and the sound of rock climbers in the background are found in the desert oasis of Veyo — a small resort town in Southern Utah. With temperatures generally 10 to 15 degrees cooler than nearby St. George, the lush green shade of Crawdad Canyon makes the perfect summer hangout.“I remember swimming at the Veyo Pool my entire life; that’s where my grandpa taught me how to dive,” said Tasha Braken, who now resides in Enterprise with her husband and two young boys, Rydge, 11, and Sadlyr, 8. She r...

The scents of summer, and the sound of rock climbers in the background are found in the desert oasis of Veyo — a small resort town in Southern Utah. With temperatures generally 10 to 15 degrees cooler than nearby St. George, the lush green shade of Crawdad Canyon makes the perfect summer hangout.

“I remember swimming at the Veyo Pool my entire life; that’s where my grandpa taught me how to dive,” said Tasha Braken, who now resides in Enterprise with her husband and two young boys, Rydge, 11, and Sadlyr, 8. She remembers spending the day with her cousins and grandparents at the pool.

To this day, memories of the Veyo Pool always seem to find their way into casual conversation when spending time with the family. Now, Braken has extended this family tradition to her children, and usually spends a couple of days a month relaxing in the cool oasis of the Veyo Pool.

The Veyo Pool was founded in 1927 by James and Caroline Cottam, who obtained the land through the Homestead Act. The couple, along with some ingenious foresight, built a simple cement pool, fed by a nearby 83-degree hot spring in a part of the Basin and Range/Colorado Plateau transition zone where there are higher concentrations of geothermal activity.

Over time, the Cottams expanded the pool, adding dressing rooms, an office building, and an orchestra pit where people danced as they listened to music performed by local talent.

Veyo is located at the heart of several small towns, and the pool was and is the happening place to be on a hot summer day. It has changed over the 96 years since it was created by the Cottams, from a simple rectangular swimming pool into the rock-climbing paradise and family fun retreat you see today.

“The pool is emptied each night and refilled with crystal-clean water for each day for swimmers, using the smallest amount of chlorine possible to meet environmental regulations,” park manager T.J. Packer said.

Braken’s boys spend hours swimming in the pool or wading in the river catching crawdads. These non-native crawdads were brought to Utah in the late 50s and occupy mostly rocky or weedy shorelines where they can seek shelter from predators like raccoons and herons, and although it isn’t known how they ended up in Crawdad Canyon, it is a perfect hideout for these crustaceans to call home.

“The property has had three owners throughout its history; the Cottams, the Bosse family, and currently Joe and Sarah Salisbury. Despite all that the Cottam family had created, the surrounding canyon was relatively untouched.

Jim Bosse, was a visionary seeing what the canyon could become. He teamed up with rock climber Todd Goss, who along with his team transformed the canyon walls into the first, and perhaps only, privately owned outdoor rock-climbing park in the nation.

Goss’ team developed 250 bolted climbing routes 85 feet high in the solid basalt walls that surround the canyon. Each route is identified at its base with its name, difficulty rating, and the name of the climber who made the first ascent.

The goal was to create a safe climbing experience, said Goss, who owns Paragon Adventures, a St. George company specializing in rock-climbing, canyoneering and hiking. With the bolts already in place, he explained, the canyon is great for beginners with some experience, but it’s not for newbies.

Compared with indoor climbing gyms, outdoor climbing adds potential dangers like scorpions and bees, as well as loose and slippery rocks. Goss recommends wannabe climbers take a class before attempting the Veyo course.

The routes range in difficulty from 5.6 to 5.13 on the Yosemite scale. In layman’s terms, 5.0 is the easiest route in the world — like a sidewalk — while a 5.4 is something like Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park, with its steep trails, chains, and cliffs. A 5.10 is a sheer cliff face and far more adrenaline — like El Capitan in Yosemite.

“Climbing is about purely existing,” Darren Edwards said. “When you’re climbing, you’re not in your head, you’re not self-conscious and you are always in the present moment.” The park does not rent equipment, and at least one person in the group must have extensive climbing experience before taking on the wall.

Several years ago, Michele and Chase Sullivan traveled across the country from Louisiana to Salt Lake City, Utah to visit family with their grandkids in tow, and decided to stop in Veyo for the day. It didn’t take long before they found the cool waters of the Santa Clara River flowing through Crawdad Canyon. Chase, a big outdoorsman, showed the kids how to be safe when picking up crawdads and how to avoid the pinchers — like that of a lobster. Crawdads are generally friendly creatures, but a nip from a claw can be painful. So, watch out!

After a day of climbing, swimming, or catching crawdads — or all three — regulars grab a Pronto Pup, a hand-dipped specialty corn dog made from a 93-year-old family recipe; onion rings and a Veyo Pie Shake consisting of a slice of famous Veyo pie; key lime, raspberry-rhubarb. “The shakes are just the best,” said Braken, “but the Pronto Pups are the very best!

This sweet little oasis, nestled in the canyon overlooking the Santa Clara River, is truly one of southern Utah’s best-kept secrets. After a day of playing and camping beneath the stars, small glowing embers flitter into the night sky from the nearby campfire. S’mores and tales from an amazing day complete the adventure, and a Pronto Pup and pie shake only leaves you wanting more. After all, who could get enough of a place like this?

Fun GuideOutdoorsRoad TripsSmall Towns

Nicole Anderson is a communication professional and freelance writer. She holds a master’s degree in Strategic Communications from Westminster College and a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Utah. She is a certified Utah Master Naturalist in Wetlands, and has spent many years researching the Great Salt Lake. Anderson co-founded the blog, Summer of Salt, where she spent three summers exploring the shorelines of Great Salt Lake. In 2010, Anderson was commissioned to write, “Patterns of Change” which documented bird and human usage in Bear River Bay, and she later had a role in the 2012 documentary, “Evaporating Shorelines.” Anderson teaches intercultural and interpersonal communication at Salt Lake Community College. She has written as a freelance author for ten plus years. Her stories and articles have appeared in Airboating Magazine, Gateway Magazine, Utah Stories, and Utah Life Magazine, among several other print and online publications. Anderson has a passion to protect landscapes and places that cannot speak for themselves.

Southern Utah family speaks out for the first time since explosive bus fire

VEYO, Utah — A Southern Utah family is speaking out to thank the community and give an update on recovery for the first time since an explosive bus fire in Veyo seriously injured the father and two children.Mom Whitney Copeland has been living at the UMC Burn Center in Las Vegas for the past month, tending to her critically injured family members. She says recently she and her husband Kyle were reflecting on what a miracle their survival is.“If it would have gone any other way, if it would have been delayed at all, ...

VEYO, Utah — A Southern Utah family is speaking out to thank the community and give an update on recovery for the first time since an explosive bus fire in Veyo seriously injured the father and two children.

Mom Whitney Copeland has been living at the UMC Burn Center in Las Vegas for the past month, tending to her critically injured family members. She says recently she and her husband Kyle were reflecting on what a miracle their survival is.

“If it would have gone any other way, if it would have been delayed at all, we would have had fatalities that night, and I am just so grateful that everyone was on the ball,” Whitney said.

The family had been living in the bus for five months before the horrific accident shortly after Christmas. First a fire inside, then an explosion. Investigators reported weeks later that the official cause of the fire was due to a propane heater that had been installed in the bus.

Whitney explained her husband Kyle fought through flames to rescue Pepper and Krew. Their other son Kade climbed out a window. Whitney and their other daughter, Emree, were uninjured.

Whitney says she’s tired but grateful she can be by her family’s side. She is also thankful for her background in nursing which she says gives her stamina to help.

“I think it’s our trust in god, and his plan for us, we’re just grateful we have a loving and committed family backing us up and really the community," Whitney said. "It’s all just overwhelming and loving at the same time we’re all so grateful."

Three of the family members were critically injured, with severe burns. Dad Kyle is still in the ICU, but just had eye surgery and could be discharged this weekend. Their 12-year-old daughter Pepper and son Krew, who turned four Wednesday while hospitalized, are still in the ICU. Krew could be discharged next week.

The family is set to receive a donated van Thursday. A family in hurricane had the van given to them and they wanted to pay it forward.

“We were just trying to give it to somebody, we were trying to think of somebody before Christmas, and nobody is more deserving than them right now so,” saidLyle Anderson, who donated the van to the Copelands with his wife June.

A friend of the family, Janie Hawley tells FOX 13 Lyle and June Anderson of Hurricane donated the van with new tires, a new battery and a new transmission.

The help doesn’t stop there. Landon Hunt, who owns Prime Tire and Auto Repair volunteered to fix up the van, and he knew immediately who it was benefiting after witnessing the fire the night of.

“I actually felt the explosion at my house,” said Hunt.

Hunt and his crew donated labor to install motor mounts, with the parts being donated by another mechanic, Colby Allred. Hunt isn’t the only one who pitched in to fix the van. From detailing to labor and new parts, several people in the Southern Utah community came together to make this family’s road to recovery a little easier.

“It just chokes me up for the family to have to go through this type of situation and anyway we wanted to help out however we could and so we did a little work on the vehicle,” said Hunt.

Eric, the service manager at Bracken’s Automotive did the alignment on the van and an oil change at no charge. Silvio Pizzia donated a complete auto detail to make the van shine for the family.

Randy Sandstrom also pitched in from Stephen Wade Chrysler Jeep in St. George by fixing a driver’s side window switch, also for free.

Whitney said the support and love from the community has made all the difference as her family heals.

“Just the amount of compassion and love going in to such a project, it’s amazing to find random people that just want to accept us and love us, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” said Copeland.

There is a Gofundmeto help the Copeland family. It’s raised over 200,000 dollars, but the family will be receiving medical care for months, not weeks ahead, so all help is appreciated.

Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Veyo Road Fire spreads to 2,260 acres overnight; 9 power poles destroyed in blaze

ST. GEORGE — A fire that ignited Sunday near Veyo grew to more than 2,200 acres overnight as crews continued to battle the fast-moving blaze.The wildfire, called the Veyo Road Fire by fire managers, originally crossed ...

ST. GEORGE — A fire that ignited Sunday near Veyo grew to more than 2,200 acres overnight as crews continued to battle the fast-moving blaze.

The wildfire, called the Veyo Road Fire by fire managers, originally crossed over a cinder cone many locals refer to as the “Veyo Volcano” then spread south along state Route 18 at mile marker 20 near Veyo. After nightfall, the fire began spreading west into the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve.

On Monday morning, Washington County Fire Warden Adam Heyder told St. George News the area was mapped by aircraft, revealing that the blaze spread to more than 2,260 acres overnight and that crews have contained 25% of the perimeter.

Several power poles were incinerated by the blaze, Heyder said, adding that Rocky Mountain Power sent a crew to replace the poles and restore service to customers affected by an outage.

Spencer Hall from Rocky Mountain Power said crews determined that nine power poles were destroyed, which initially resulted in a power outage affecting more than 500 customers. Crews then worked throughout the night to restore service to all but 79 customers still affected. Hall said repairs would be completed and service restored to the remaining costumers by 4 p.m. Monday.

The fire spread west of SR-18 near the Upper Cove Reservoir throughout the night, away from the many homes in between Veyo and Dammeron Valley. No evacuations have been ordered.

Upper Sand Cove Road remains closed as of Monday, while all lanes of SR-18 have reopened. The blaze did not impact the Veyo Pool, which remains open. No injuries were reported and the fire, which is said to be human-caused, is still under investigation.

Multiple agencies remain on scene, including the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Department of Natural Resources, Hurricane Valley Fire and Santa Clara-Ivins Fire. A seasonal wildland crew is expected to work through hot spots over the next couple of days to prevent the fire from spreading should warm, dry and windy weather conditions persist.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

Good time all-about-kids Veyo Rodeo continues at new arena

VEYO — If the best kind of rodeo is the kind that families and friends want to come back to year after year, then the Veyo Rodeo gets top prize in Bob Bowler’s book.“I get a little lump in my throat becaus...

VEYO — If the best kind of rodeo is the kind that families and friends want to come back to year after year, then the Veyo Rodeo gets top prize in Bob Bowler’s book.

“I get a little lump in my throat because I like kids,” said Bob Bowler, whose family has always volunteered to help put the Veyo Rodeo together over the years. “I try to make it a kid rodeo. That’s what I want. You can go to a pro-rodeo everywhere to watch the good pro-cowboys, but you can’t go a lot of places where you can just see kids having fun and I think they have fun here.”

The Veyo Rodeo is held at the new Veyo Rodeo Arena, just across from the cemetery and city park, off state Route 18. Organizers say the best way to tell someone how to get to the arena is to “come to town and follow the rodeo signs.”

Saturday the 2016 Veyo Rodeo’s final night begins at 8 p.m. Its schedule promises plenty of outstanding competition from barrel racing to team roping to good-old-fashioned mutton-bustin’ for the kids. Other highlights include calf roping, breakaway roping, chicken chasing for the little ones and even a greased pig chase for those who don’t mind getting just a little bit dirty.

Brittnee Bennett, rodeo secretary, said she loves everything about the rodeo.

“It’s a great community rodeo for everybody to come to,” Bennett said. “You can bring your family and you get to see a bunch of cowboy, cowgirl events, and have a good time and eat some good food.”

Kenna Bowler’s enthusiasm for the Veyo Rodeo is contagious.

“We keep it a kids rodeo, a family rodeo,” she said. “It’s great to watch these kids come back year after year and do better and better every year. We grow up with them and they grow up with us.”

The Bowler family helped get the Veyo Rodeo back up and running after it had been put on a shelf for 12 years due to rising insurance costs, Kenna Bowler said, and lack of a public space for the event. Six years ago Bob Bowler and others took on the challenge to get the rodeo back on its feet. They found there were plenty of volunteers and donations from local businesses ready to help build the new Veyo Rodeo Arena.

“Everything we make goes back into the rodeo, back into the community,” Bob Bowler said, adding that without his wife, Kenna, little would have been accomplished. “I just try to help. You look at the kids, it’s a kid rodeo.”

McKayla Jimmerson, 2016 Dixie Roundup Rodeo Queen, was there Friday night enjoying her role as ambassador of the sport.

“I love it. I’ve been involved in rodeo my whole life,” Jimmerson said. “Being involved in the sport of rodeo has brought me so much further in life with not only my rodeo skills but in personal skills and speaking skills. I get to go to different rodeos and represent my title.”

Everyone enjoys coming out to the Veyo Rodeo, Jimmerson said, adding:

“Come out and watch the greatest sport of rodeo!”

• Event details and resources follow below •

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Event details

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2016, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sheldon Demke is a film maker and self proclaimed Local Celebrity. He resides in St. George where he joined the video production team of St. George News. Among his other interests are acting, movies and family.

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How much do you know about Southern Utah's very own supervolcano?

Yellowstone's famous caldera, which last went off more than 640,000 years ago, can lay claim as North America's most well-known supervolcano.But it isn't the continent's largest — a more ancient one found near the small southwestern Utah town of Enterprise, was about 30 times bigger.Aspects of the geological landsca...

Yellowstone's famous caldera, which last went off more than 640,000 years ago, can lay claim as North America's most well-known supervolcano.

But it isn't the continent's largest — a more ancient one found near the small southwestern Utah town of Enterprise, was about 30 times bigger.

Aspects of the geological landscape that Southern Utah is famous for – Pine Mountain, Veyo volcano and lava flows – come from volcanic activity in the area, all stemming from the supervolcano "Wah Wah Springs."

But Wah Wah Springs week-long explosion happened a long time ago. Like 30 million years ago. Should you be concerned about supervolcanoes and volcanic activity in this part of the United States?

Wah Wah Springs>Yellowstone

Yellowstone still has frequent volcanic activity, and some people think we’re overdue for another big one (which if you’re talking in the span of thousands of years, maybe), according to local scientist Ron Smith.

“Yellowstone has gotten a lot of publicity because of the severity of a supervolcano and the effect it would have on the earth," Smith, a former university professor in California and now SunRiver resident, said at a lecture at Dixie State University on Monday. "We cannot say that Yellowstone is overdue ... it is probably going to blow again but it could well be 500,000 years from now or a week from Tuesday."

According to the United States Geological Survey, the probability of another supervolcanic event in Yellowstone in the next few thousand years is "exceedingly low."

100 years of Zion National Park:What you probably didn’t know about Utah’s oldest park

Wah Wah Springs released 30 times more ash and debris than the infamous Yellowstone explosion though, Smith said. Compared to more recent volcanic events, it was 5,000 times larger than the eruption at Mount St. Helen's in 1980.

Brigham Young University researchers found out about Wah Wah Springs only in 2013. Erosion can make supervolcanoes hard to find, but by discovering and measuring lava flows in the region, researchers were able to map out Wah Wah Springs on the border of Utah and Nevada, near Enterprise.

Deposits from the eruption are 13,000 feet thick in some areas of Southern Utah, and its remains can be found as far away as Nebraska, researcher Eric Christiansen said in a press release.

"Imagine the devastation — it would have been catastrophic to anything living within hundreds of miles," he stated in the 2013 release.

Veyo's volcanoes (not just the pie)

Veyo is famous for its pies. One very popular pie on the menu is the volcano, which looks a lot like the surrounding landscape of the area.

Cinder cones, which are what people typically think of volcanoes to look like, dot the views up to the border of Nevada, Smith said.

"I really recommend going out there, you can see lots of cinder cones," Smith said to a lecture hall full of community members. "The main reason to go out there has nothing to do with the Veyo volcano and everything to do with the pies," he said with a laugh.

Dormant but not extinct

During his lecture, Smith talked about the risks that come with volcanic activity — ash, climate change, lahar and pyroclastic flow.

Ash is typically what people picture when a volcano goes off, but Smith pointed out that it's not like smoke coming from a burning campfire. It's made up of tiny pieces of rocks and minerals, which can damage lungs if inhaled.

Big fluctuations in climate, like when we had ice ages and extreme weather jumps, can oftentimes be linked to volcanoes, according to Smith.

"Volcanic ash is not only dangerous to breathe, but it also produces climate change that has a wide-range effect on human habitation of the earth," Smith said.

Zion National Park:Weeping Rock closed indefinitely after report suggests future danger

Lahar and pyroclastic flow are two lesser-known effects of volcanoes but are worth noting. Lahar is the mudflow that comes from the slopes of the volcano. Pyroclastic flow is the fast-moving hot gas and matter, which is what BYU researchers studied when finding Wah Wah Springs.

Concerned about volcanic activity happening again here soon? There are pretty active volcanoes still around the world, some near heavily populated areas. But the Wah Wah Springs region is considered dormant, even though there’s always a chance for more volcanic action, Smith said.

"This area is considered to be dormant, but not extinct at this time," Smith said. "The more severe a volcanic eruption, the more rare it turns out to be. And the less severe, the more common it turns out to be, which is very fortunate for us."

Lexi Peery is the environment, politics and development reporter for The Spectrum & Daily News, a USA TODAY Network newsroom based in southern Utah. You can reach her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @LexiFP.

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