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Serving Wayne & Garfield Counties, Utah
Loa • Fremont • Lyman • Bicknell • Teasdale • Torrey • Grover • Fruita • Caineville • Hanksville Panguitch • Panguitch Lake • Hatch • Antimony • Bryce • Tropic • Henrieville • Cannonville • Escalante • Boulder
Thursday, January 21, 2021
Ages 70 & Over Can Now Register for COVID Vaccine with SWUPHD SOUTHWEST UTAH People aged 70 and over can now register to get their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.They can sign up at swuhealth.org/covid-vaccine to set up a time at their nearest clinic. A consent form can also be printed from the website to fill out and bring to the appointment. Picture ID and a short-sleeved shirt will also be required. There is no cost for the vaccine, although insurance information may be requested. Both full and parttime residents are eligible. People who don’t have a computer or access to the internet can call to register by phone. The number is 435986-2549. Whether online or by phone, residents may need to keep trying to get through since there is a high demand for vaccines that are shipped to the Southwest Utah Public Health Department (SWUPHD) in limited amounts. It will take many weeks to schedule and vaccinate the 70+ age group. The SWUPHD will continue vaccinating previous priority groups as well, including non-hospital healthcare workers, first responders, K-12 school staff. Eligibility for other age groups and health conditions will be announced at a later time. A second dose is needed COVID Vaccine Cont'd on page 2
Issue # 1393
Wayne County Welcomes New Nurse in Time For COVID-19 Vaccine Roll-Out by Amiee Maxwell
Free tax preparation available for those who make $56,000 or less, seniors, the disabled, working families, and ESL persons
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The Wayne County Central Utah Public Health Department (CUPHD) office is located in Loa at the Wayne County Courthouse. McKenzie Ellett (right) has joined the CUPHD as the new public health nurse in Wayne County. WAYNE COUNTY McKenzie Ellett was eager to move back home, so she was thrilled to find out Wayne County was looking for a new public health nurse this fall. Just weeks after she took over the position, Wayne County received its first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and she’s excited about the level of interest the community has shown in getting the vaccine. Born and raised in Fremont, Ellett received her nursing degree at Snow College and then her bachelor’s degree at Weber State University. She
spent the last year working in the cardiovascular intensive care unit at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City before joining the Central Utah Public Health Department (CUPHD) team. At the last county commission meeting, Commissioner Wood remarked that Ellett “has good roots,” and we’re lucky to have her as the new public health nurse. Not only will she be instrumental in distributing the COVID-19 vaccine, but she will also administer all other vaccines, handle school nursing items,
1,056 Wildlife Illegally Killed in Utah in 2020
Courtesy Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
In 2020, a total of 1,056 animals were killed illegally in the state, down slightly from the 1,080 animals illegally taken in 2019. SALT LAKE CITY The total number of wild animals taken illegally in Utah in 2020 was slightly lower than the number taken in 2019, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources conservation officers report. In 2020, a total of 1,056 animals were killed illegally in the state. In 2019, a total of 1,080 animals were taken. The total combined value of the wildlife illegally killed in 2020 was more than $379,000. In 2019, the total value was more than $406,500. While the total number of animals illegally taken
Six County IRS VITA Program Offers Free Tax Preparation for Residents of Low / Moderate Income
dropped a bit in 2020, the total number of citations for unlawful take and wanton destruction actually increased, from 499 citations issued in 2019 to 773 citations in 2020. The overall number of violations detected by DWR conservation officers last year (this includes citations for unlawful take and wanton destruction) was 4,760, compared to 3,525 violations in 2019. A total of 35 people had their hunting or fishing privileges suspended in Utah in 2020, compared to 84 in 2019. Utah is a member state of the Interstate Wildlife Violator
REGIONAL WEATHER FORECAST FOR SOME BUT NOT ALL REGIONS REPRESENTED IN OUR NEWSPAPER COVERAGE AREA
THURS. JANUARY 21 - WED. JANUARY 27
Lower temperatures return, with chances of rain/snow for the majority of the week, with highest chances being 45% on Fri and 50% on Sat and 35 - 45% from Sun - Tues. Highs in the 30s and low 40s; lows in the teens and 20s. Winds variable from 7 - 13 mph.
Compact. License suspensions in Utah are recognized in all the other states in the U.S., except Hawaii. “Each animal that is illegally killed in our state is one less animal for legal hunters, wildlife enthusiasts and everyday citizens to enjoy,” DWR Capt. Wyatt Bubak said. “Poachers steal our ability to enjoy Utah's wildlife.” Residents are encouraged to report suspicious hunting activity. You can call the UTiP hotline—1-800-662-DEER (3337)—which is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or report the activity online on the DWR website. If you witness a possible Poaching
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Courtesy CUPHD
and coordinate the WIC Program (a nutrition program aimed at low-income pregnant women and children up to age 5). Seventy healthcare workers were among the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Wayne County followed by emergency medical service technicians, search and rescue workers, and law enforcement. School teachers and staff started receiving vaccines the week of January New Nurse / Vaccine Cont'd on page 10
JUAB / MILLARD / PIUTE / SANPETE / SEVIER / WAYNE COUNTIES The “Earn It, Keep It, Save It” coalition, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and the Internal Revenue Service are offering free tax preparation to Utah residents for both federal and Utah State Tax Commission returns to be electronically filed. Free tax help is available for those who have low to moderate income ($56,000 or less); seniors; the disabled, working families, those who have English as a second language, or individuals who make under that amount. Local volunteers have been certified through the Six County IRS VITA program to prepare tax returns, provide information on credits, deductions and allowable expenses that taxpayers may be eligible for and electronically file both federal and state tax returns at no charge. Free tax help sites are conveniently located in the Six County Region including Juab, Piute, Wayne, Sanpete, Sevier, and Millard Counties at various locations in Richfield, Fillmore, Delta, Nephi, Junction, Loa, and Ephraim. An important item community tax volunteers will be checking to see is if area residents are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit or
EITC. The EITC is for individuals who work but don’t make a lot of money. In 2020, if you made $56,844 or less, you may qualify for this refundable credit. Refundable means even if you didn’t have any federal income tax withheld on wages earned, you could still get a refund. The EITC could be worth as much as $6,600 for a married couple with three or more children. So, don’t guess, find out if you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit. The Six County Vita program will also be hosting a Taxathon Event to bring awareness to community members about the EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit), which will be held on January 28th from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and will be a virtual event due to COVID-19. Individuals will be able to be entered to win a $50 gift card from Walmart for filing a tax return or starting the process of filing a return. To find the nearest free tax help site or additional information, go to www. utahtaxhelp.org . To schedule an appointment or for additional information, call Shara Bastian, VITA Manager at (435) 893-0735. —Six County Association of Governments
Wayne Community Health Center to Start Receiving COVID Vaccine by February 2021
BICKNELL - Wayne Community Health Center will be receiving the COVID vaccine around the beginning to middle of February 2021. We know that many of you are eager to get this vaccine. WCHC has been working hard with our state and local health departments to prepare to become a vaccination site. When we get the vaccine, we will vaccinate with a prioritized schedule for those that are high risk and vulnerable patients. Most of the local healthcare workers will already be immunized, so we will follow the state recommendation for a continued phased process and proceed as quickly as possible to get everyone vac-
cinated as soon as we can. Please, understand we have limited vaccines and the vials will be a multi-dose, so we will want to give the vaccination in groups of ten. We expect COVID-19 vaccines will be available to high risk age groups, people with certain underlying medical conditions, and those who live in our service area and are at higher risk for the virus that causes COVID-19. You don’t need to “get on a waiting list” to be vaccinated. When the vaccine is available, we expect to have it available at all of our WCHC clinic locations throughout Wayne, Garfield, and North Sevier communities. We will post information on our
web site at www.waynechc. org, on social media, and local papers. In addition to this, we will be calling our patients that meet criteria to inform you of the opportunity to receive your vaccine. Due to the storage requirements of the vaccine, we may only be able to give it at certain clinic sites on certain days and during a specific time period (meaning we need to thaw it for one hour and then give it within three hours). We will keep you updated as the time draws closer. Thank you for your patience in these difficult times. —Wayne Community Health Center
The Kaiparowits Plateau at Sunrise
Margie Weppner
This lovely photo of the Kaiparowits Plateau was submitted to The Insider by Margie Weppner. Do you have a photo that you would like to share? Send them to us with your name and location and a brief description at snapshot@live.com. We may feature yours in a future issue!
But men are men; the best sometimes forget. —William Shakespeare
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PRE-SORT STANDARD PAID RICHFIELD, UTAH PERMIT No. 122