John Curtis Officially Sworn in as New Utah Senator Replacing Mitt Romney

John Curtis has officially been sworn in as Utah’s newest senator. Senator Curtis was sworn in on Friday at the U.S. Capitol along with several other new senators and representatives. 

Curtis based his political platform as upholding the pioneer values that many Utahns continue to follow to this day. Curtis explained these values in a written statement issued to the press. 

Curtis said, “Grit, determination, and a commitment to building strong communities where everyone can thrive. It is this pioneer spirit, both past and present, that has made Utah a shining example for the nation.” 

The new senator said something similar when he spoke on the Andy Griffin Show podcast shortly after the November election.  

Curtis told Deseret News that he plans to follow these pioneer values while also cooperating with President Elect Donald Trump’s legislation. 

We’ll have to see if the pioneer values will interfere with Trump’s agenda in the coming months. 

Here’s another news story we published earlier this week. 

Virgin River Half-Marathon to Kick Off 2025 in St. George

A year of athletic events in St. George will kick off with the Virgin River Half-Marathon on January 18. 

David Cordero, the Communications Director for the City of St. George, said this athletic event is a rare one as it brings more pleasant weather than other races during the winter season. 

Cordero said, “It’s a spectacular race. It’s done on city trails that go along the Virgin River and you get to see a lot of our really great landscapes here in St. George, and it takes place around the [Dixie] Convention Center. Obviously, for the half-marathon party, it goes out farther, but there’s also a 10K, 5K, and the Fun Run Walk N Roll options as well, and here’s a great thing about living in St. George is we can have a half-marathon on January 18. How many other places in the mountain west can you do that?” 

Athletes can sign up for the race through the city’s website. Expo and packet pickup will be available on January 17 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Dixie Convention Center, located at 1835 S. Convention Center Dr.  

Those wishing to participate need to pay $100 dollars for the half-marathon, $65 for the 10K, $65 for the 5K, and $25 for the Fun Run Walk n’ Roll. 

City staff are also asking for volunteers to assist during the race with more information available on the official St. George City website. 

Regardless of the weather conditions, please be prepared for some colder weather if you’re planning on participating in the race.