Local weather has been “manic.” That’s according to longtime weather observer James Andrus. He reports that Cortez received nearly five times the rain in the month of June than the typical amount. June’s total this year was 1.8 inches, compared to the long-term average of 0.37 inches. But in contrast, May saw only 5 percent of the average precipitation for that month, and April had half the usual precipitation. The National Integrated Drought Information System confirms that a large portion of the Four Corners states experienced a relatively wet June. That and the onset of the Southwest’s monsoon season, which typically runs until the end of September, have eased drought in many areas. Cortez has gone from being designated “abnormally dry” to “no drought.”
Utah’s Phil Lyman is seeking to show that incumbent Governor Spencer Cox did not legitimately defeat Lyman in the June 25 Republican primary for governor. Lyman is a state representative and a former San Juan County commissioner. In 2014, he led a widely publicized ATV protest ride on a trail in Recapture Canyon. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that Lyman and his team contend that it’s possible not enough of the signatures Governor Cox gathered to get on the ballot were valid. The issue is still being decided in court.