This Nov. 18, 2020 photo provided by the Utah Department of Public Safety shows a Utah state worker inspecting a metal monolith that was found installed in the ground in a remote area of red rock in Utah. The smooth, tall structure was found during a helicopter survey of bighorn sheep in southeastern Utah, officials said Monday. State workers from the Utah Department of Public Safety and Division of Wildlife Resources spotted the gleaming object from the air and landed nearby to check it out. The exact location is so remote that officials are not revealing it publicly, worried that people might get lost or stranded trying to find it and need to be rescued. (Utah Department of Public Safety via AP)
By Lindsay Whitehurst
Deep in the Mars-like landscape of Utah's red-rock desert lies a mystery: A gleaming metal monolith in one of the most remote parts of the state.
The smooth, tall structure was found during a helicopter survey of bighorn sheep in southeastern Utah, officials said Monday.
A crew from the Utah Department of Public Safety and Division of Wildlife Resources spotted the gleaming object from the air Nov. 18 and landed to check it out during a break from their work.
They found the three-sided stainless-steel object is about as tall as two men put together. But they discovered no clues about who might have driven it into the ground among the undulating red rocks or why.
“This thing is not from another world,” said Lt. Nick Street of the Utah Highway Patrol, part of the Department of Public Safety.
Still, it's clear that it took some planning and work to construct the 10- to 12-foot (3- to 4-meter) monolith and embed it in the rock.
The exact location is so remote that officials are not revealing it publicly, worried that people might get lost or stranded trying to find it and need to be rescued.
The monolith evokes the one that appears in the Stanley Kubrick movie “2001: A Space Odyssey." Because it’s on federal public land, it’s illegal to place art objects without authorization.
Bureau of Land Management officials are investigating how long it's been there, who might have created it and whether to remove it.
Days may be getting shorter and colder, but your furry friend still needs to get that daily exercise. Dr. Danielle Bernal, global veterinarian with Wellness Pet Co., joined Cheddar News to discuss the health benefits of walking for humans and dogs.
Many parents are currently shopping for presents for their young children as the holiday season is underway. Parenting and lifestyle expert Amanda Mushro joined Cheddar News to give some ideas on what to purchase for your kids.
Wondering what to watch this weekend? This week we watch real-life spiritualism that has gone too far, fictional witchcraft that has gone too far, and two Christmas classics to bring our happiness back.
Since 1927, Time Magazine has chosen its Person of the Year to acknowledge the world's biggest and most influential change makers. This year it was global phenomenon Taylor Swift. Dan Macsai, executive editor of Time, spoke with Cheddar News about the process to make its pick and what's involved.
So I got the chance to chat with times executive editor Dan Max about how time made its decision and the entire person of the year issue.
A liberal activist with an eye for mainstream entertainment, Lear fashioned bold and controversial comedies that were embraced by viewers who had to watch the evening news to find out what was going on in the world.