Box Elder News Journal's Podcast

Following much discussion of the proposal to turn Mantua Reservoir into a state park, Mantua Mayor Annette Ash has announced that on Saturday, Aug. 22, community members can hear directly from Utah Division of State Parks officials and ask questions concerning the proposal. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., representatives from Utah State Parks will present tentative plans and answer questions from residents. The day will consist of four one-hour sessions, with presentations starting over each hour to allow residents multiple opportunities to attend at their convenience. Ash said she intended to reach out to see if Mantua could receive... Article Link

The Brigham City Council approved compensation increases for the mayor, council members and executive municipal officers July 16, adopting the city's fiscal year 2026-27 pay schedule following a public hearing required under state law. The ordinance establishes compensation of 7,000 for the city administrator; 0,000 for the city attorney; 3,388 for the assistant city administrator/public power director; 2,752 for the community and economic development director; 1,441 for the police chief; 7,510 for the public works director; 6,069 for the finance director; 5,108 to 9,083 for the public power superintendent; 1,788 for the fire chief; 8,534 for the information technology director;... Article Link

The Brigham City Council voted 4-1 Wednesday to amend the city's general plan and transportation master plan, adding two future roadway connections. The amendment adds proposed future connections extending 100 West from 700 South to Fishburn Drive and extending Lakeview Drive east from 200 West toward Main Street. According to the staff report, the changes are intended to improve longterm transportation connectivity, access and rede- The red bars show roads approved for inclusion in the city’s transportation master plan, including a north–south connection along 100 West between 700 South and Fishburn Drive, and an east–west connection along Lakeview Drive between... Article Link

Dozens of residents gathered at Utah State University Brigham City for a public forum on the proposed Stratos data center, where scientists, legal experts, local officials and referendum organizers offered sharply different perspectives before fielding more than 30 minutes of questions from the audience. Hosted by Grow the Flow, with participation from Box Elder Accountability Referendum, the forum was intended to give residents an opportunity to hear multiple viewpoints on the proposed development and ask ques- tions directly of the panelists. Moderator Jake Dreyfus urged attendees to remain respectful despite strong differences of opinion before introducing Brigham Young University ecologist... Article Link

Mantua celebrated its community with Little Valley Days last week, which included the Mr. Mantua contest and the Little Miss Mantua and Miss Teen Mantua contests. (left) Spencer Jepson hoists the Golden Boot as the winner of the 2026 Little Valley Days Mr. Mantua contest seconds after completing his railroad spike setting. Other events included watermelon eating, wheelbarrow navigations and shoveling skills and feats of strength. (inset) Clare Hansen, Demonstrating her Karate skills with nunchucks during the Miss Teen Mantua contest. See more photos from the week’s events on page 6. Article Link

New requirements from the Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED) will bring several updates to Box Elder County's Rural County Grant program before Sept. 1, including new oversight requirements, a board restructuring and a revised grant application process. Sean Milne, economic development director for the Bear River Association of Governments (BRAG), outlined the updates July 7. The state agency has returned to using the Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED) name after briefly operating as the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity. Box Elder County receives 0,000 annually in Rural County Grant funding through GOED. The CEO Advisory Board reviews funding... Article Link

BE United U16 girls battled in the extreme heat over the weekend at the Cache Cup where they finished in second place. BE United had won a match 2-0 against the Strikers the day before, and the two teams matched up for the championship, but the United squad could not repeat the results and lost 4-2. Team members pictured are: (front) Cambree Rudd, Kyra Gibby, Makinley Meyers, Genesis Sevella, Mia Elegante, Paitley Prescott, (back) coach Nick Browne, Brianna Legua, Brooklyn Lloyd, Emmie Browne, Emersyn Thiness, Hope Page, Kylie Carr, Tessa Gilbert, coach Kelly Nelson and coach Shalisa Elegante. Not pictured:... Article Link

The Box Elder County Commission completed a months-long legal process Wednesday by restructuring the Box Elder Special Service District to administer federal mineral lease funds, adopting new bylaws and appointing an administrative control board to oversee the district. Federal mineral lease funds are generated from oil, gas and other mineral production on federal lands and returned to counties under state law for qualifying public purposes. The county began the restructuring process in March to formally authorize the special service district to administer those funds and comply with state requirements. Box Elder County Deputy Attorney Glen Thurston told commissioners the resolution... Article Link

The Box Elder County Commission denied a request Tuesday from Karen Jensen to rezone 96 acres in the Mantua area from MU-160 (multiple use-160 acres) to RR-5 (rural residential-5 acres), following a recommendation from the planning commission that identified existing roads as inadequate to support additional residential development and that the proposal would not represent the orderly development of the county. Box Elder County Community Development Director Scott Lyons said the planning commission initially tabled the request in April to allow Jensen time to pursue annexation into Mantua City. After the city rejected the annexation request, the planning commission reconsidered... Article Link

The Box Elder County Commission approved two monthto month agreements Tuesday allowing privately owned horse walkers to remain at the Box Elder County Fairgrounds. Annie Hansen of the Box Elder County Attorney’s Office said the agreements establish terms for keeping the privately owned horse walkers at the fairgrounds while protecting the county. Each agreement includes a 30-day termination clause. The horse walkers must be removed beginning Aug. 1 during preparations for the county fair and may be reinstalled after the fair. They also require fencing and safety covers over the gearboxes. Before approving one of the agreements, commissioners confirmed the... Article Link

The Box Elder County Commission appointed former Brigham City Police Chief Michael Nelson to the Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office Merit Commission on July 7. The three-member commission administers the sheriff’s office merit system, including rules governing appointments and procedures for employee appeals and grievances. Nelson will fill the remainder of the term vacated by Danny Earl, who resigned after about two years on the commission because of family circumstances, Commissioner Lee Perry said. Perry said he spoke with Nelson, citing his law enforcement experience and describing him as “a great choice and a great replacement.” Article Link

The Box Elder County Commission approved a [post_excerpt],200 reimbursement July 7 to Myers Mortuary for services provided through the county’s indigent burial program. Utah law authorizes counties to fund burial and cremation services for qualifying indigent individuals. Box Elder County operates one of those programs. The reimbursement included [post_excerpt],043 for professional services and a 7 Utah cremation/transit permit. During the discussion, Commissioner Lee Perry said the county plans to contact Lindquist Mortuaries, which now operates Aaron’s Mortuary and Gillies Funeral Chapel in Brigham City, to ensure the company is aware of the county’s indigent burial program following the ownership changes.... Article Link

The Box Elder County Commission approved an agricultural protection area for a 12.01-acre parcel near Tremonton following a public hearing July 7. The proposal originally included five parcels totaling 40.38 acres, but four were removed because they were located in an unzoned area and were not eligible for inclusion. Community Development Director Scott Lyons said the resolution ultimately covered only the remaining 12.01-acre parcel. During the public hearing, Box Elder County resident Deanna Hardy argued agricultural protection areas are unconstitutional because, she said, property owners already have constitutional protections. The designation approved Tuesday, however, was requested by the landowner rather... Article Link

Willard City received a low-risk rating in its annual fraud risk assessment, a state-required review of internal financial controls presented to the city council on June 25. Ryan Child of Child Richards CPAs & Advisors said the annual assessment evaluates the city’s policies, procedures and safeguards designed to prevent and detect fraud. He said the report is required to be presented to the council each year but does not require formal approval or other action. Willard earned 325 of 395 possible points, placing it “pretty safely” in the low-risk category. Child said the city could improve its score by documenting... Article Link

The Box Elder County Commission approved a fairgrounds fee waiver July 7 allowing the Northern Box Elder Special Olympics program to hold a community meet-and-greet at the fine arts building on July 23. Organizers hope the event will introduce the program to more families, recruit volunteers and encourage more athletes to participate. Kayla Bingham, who recently became head of delegation for the Northern Box Elder Special Olympics program, said she accepted the role after being asked to rebuild what she described as a "compromised program." "People don't even know we have a program," Bingham said. "I myself have a son... Article Link

The Perry City Council unanimously approved amendments to the city’s current fiscal year 2025-26 budget, updating revenues and expenditures to reflect year-end financial activity while shifting planned Class C road fund transfers into the next fiscal year. Several revenue categories exceeded the city’s original projections, Perry City Finance Director Shanna Johnson said. Tax revenue is expected to finish ,689 above budget, licenses and permits 4,075 higher, intergovernmental revenue 3,864 higher and charges for services ,161 above projections. Miscellaneous revenue, primarily interest earnings, is expected to finish ,172 below budget because of changing interest rates. The amendment also postpones transfers from... Article Link

The Box Elder County Commission approved a request Tuesday by Gardner Francis of Westland Development to rezone about 861 acres near Snowville from unzoned to MG-EX (mining, quarry, sand and gravel excavation), a designation that would make the property eligible for future mining proposals. Box Elder County Community Development Director Scott Lyons said the five parcels, located near Interstate 84 Exit 12, have historically served as a gravel source for the Utah Department of Transportation and Box Elder County, but not as a commercial gravel operation. Lyons said the county's land use code limits gravel operations to property zoned MG-EX.... Article Link

Box Elder County's financial condition improved during 2025 while independent auditors found no significant deficiencies in its financial controls or compliance with state and federal requirements. Presented to the Box Elder County Commission on July 7, the audit report included an unmodified opinion, meaning independent auditors concluded the county's financial statements fairly present the county's financial position in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. "There were no material weaknesses identified, there were no significant deficiencies, and we didn't have any non-compliance material at the financial statements," John Hatterley, an audit partner with Larson & Co., said. An audit for 2024... Article Link

Box Elder County has declared a 30-day local state of emergency as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) continues to sweep through the county’s dairy industry, triggering steep milk production losses and affecting a significant share of local operations. The declaration, which took effect July 9, is meant to pull together local, state and federal resources as the county confronts an outbreak officials say has touched nearly half of its dairy farms. According to the county news release, the first positive test came from a local dairy around June 25. What followed was a rapid decline in milk output and a... Article Link

Following its decision to not renew the existing contract with the Central Box Elder Fire District in June, the Honeyville City Council is set to begin new negotiations to adjust terms. The decision to end the previous contract came during last month’s council meeting amid disagreements over costs and feelings that Honeyville residents were bearing costs for other parts of the district. The council expressed frustration, believing that Honeyville has been effectively subsidizing Bear River City, Deweyville, and parts of Elwood, by providing a facility with amenities like a training room and decontamination shower that other district buildings lack. Under... Article Link

A danger advisory issued July 8 for Mantua Reservoir remains in effect after testing detected harmful algal toxins at levels that pose a risk to people and animals. The advisory was issued after testing found "the algae is producing high levels of dangerous toxins," the Bear River Health Department said. Issued by the health department, the danger advisory is Utah's highest recreational health advisory for harmful algal blooms. Health officials advise the public not to drink reservoir water or enter the water to swim, wade, paddle or jet/water ski. They also advise people not to boat in areas where algae... Article Link

Attendees of the U.S. 250 Tour—an event touted as showcasing American history and patriotic performances that will visit every U.S. state—enthusiastically cheer on one of the several musical acts of the night. The event was held on the Utah State University Brigham City campus last week. While the crowd was generally excited and appreciative of the historical performances, messages from speakers, and musical acts, some were much less enamored. A visitor from Cache County mentioned how out of touch with reality the AI presentations of historical Americans felt. Another attendee said, “Videographers like Pvt. Frank Switka didn’t die to get... Article Link

The Willard City Council approved year-end amendments to the city's 2025-26 budget June 25, updating revenue and expenditure estimates across the general, capital projects, and water and sewer funds to reflect the city's financial activity as the fiscal year came to a close. Ryan Child of Child Richards CPAs & Advisors said the amendments primarily reflected routine differences between budgeted and actual revenues and expenditures rather than any single significant financial event. Several general fund revenue estimates were revised to reflect stronger-than-expected collections. The largest adjustment was a ,000 increase in road tax revenue. Building permit revenue increased ,000, while... Article Link

During its June 25 meeting, the Willard City Council unanimously adopted a fiscal year 2026-27 budget totaling about .35 million across the city's general, capital projects, water and sewer funds after discussing concerns that police spending has increased faster than inflation and city growth. The adopted budget includes .4 million in general fund expenditures, 0,000 in capital projects fund expenditures, 3,700 in the water fund and [post_excerpt].1 million in the sewer fund, for total planned expenditures of .35 million. The capital projects fund includes 0,000 for fire capital projects, ,000 for administrative equipment and ,000 for information technology equipment. The... Article Link

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Strained resources With critical fire danger escalating across the state and drought conditions straining water supplies, officials are urging all residents to exercise extreme caution. As fire activity intensifies, please recreate responsibly to help prevent new wildfire starts while crews manage ongoing incidents. Statewide precipitation in valley locations was 51% of normal for the month of June, causing Utah’s water-year-to-date precipitation to drop to 96% of normal. Soil moisture in Utah’s valleys averaged around 35% saturation as of July 1, but that varies widely by location. The Uinta Basin, for example, has record dry valley soil moisture conditions, and the... Article Link

Utah entered the 2026 fire season with record-low snowpack and heightened concerns about wildfires, which are already burning across the state. As of early July, there have been 390 wildfires across Utah burning 296,063 acres. Of these fires, 278 have been human caused, 73 caused by lightning, and 39 with the a cause yet to be determined. While the earlier fires were at mid-elevation in grass, brush, and pinyon-juniper woodlands. As the fire season continues, fire activity is starting to move into higher elevations. This was seen near Beaver, Utah, where the Cottonwood Fire is moving higher up into timber,... Article Link

The first human case of West Nile virus in the Bear River Health District, which includes Box Elder, Cache and Rich counties, has been found in Box Elder, prompting officials to remind residents how to stay safe this summer. The culex species of mosquitos, the transmission vector of West Nile virus to humans, benefitted from an extremely mild winter that allowed them to survive in adult form with little mortality. “Because of such a healthy head start, combined with favorable environmental conditions, mosquito populations have been able to thrive,” said Tyson Packer, director of Box Elder County Mosquito Abatement District.... Article Link

As the Bear River Health Department transitions to a managed-care Medicaid model, current Medicaid patients receiving substance abuse treatment will be able to continue seeing their existing providers, under certain conditions, according to Bear River Health Department Director Jordan Mathis. "Everyone who's currently receiving substance abuse treatment will be able to continue with their provider," Mathis said, so long as those providers enter into a single-case agreement with Bear River Behavioral Health and comply with Medicaid treatment standards. In a June 18 email to the News Journal, Mathis wrote that the agreements are intended to ensure continuity of care during... Article Link

The decade-long effort to build the Forest Street overpass reached another milestone Tuesday morning as city officials, state lawmakers, contractors and community members gathered atop the bridge for a ceremonial ribbon cutting ahead of its expected opening later this month. Mayor DJ Bott called the overpass a “generational project,” comparing it to other landmark public works that have shaped Brigham City. He said the bridge would serve the community for “hundreds of years” and noted the Utah Legislature initially appropriated million for the project about five years ago before approving an additional million this past spring to offset... Article Link

Reed Kirkland raises an American Flag during a dramatic live retelling of the birth of the United States of America as part of a 250th Independence Day stage show in Corinne on Friday, July 3. Kirkland, Colton Smith, Colby Nelson, and Heston Morris all played roles of the Founding Fathers. At the conclusion of the festival—which was dreamed up and brought into reality by Beulah Wells—members of the EMS, police, fire, and the armed services were asked to the stage. Soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines were asked to stand each of the military branches’ songs were played. This included wildland... Article Link

A ribbon cutting will be held on Tuesday, July 7, to celebrate the near completion of the Forest Street overpass. The public is invited to attend the ribbon cutting and are encouraged to park at the swimming pool. The ceremony itself will take place at the top of the overpass. The public is invited to attend the ribbon cutting and are encouraged to park at the swimming pool. The ceremony itself will take place at the top of the overpass. Article Link

Last week’s edition included an incorrect fire restriction map for Perry City. This is the correct map. We regret the error. Article Link

The Perry City Council unanimously adopted the city’s fiscal year 2026-27 budget Thursday, approving a .9 million general fund without increasing the city’s property tax rate. In a separate action, the council also approved utility rate increases that will add about .28 per month to the average residential utility bill while leaving garbage rates unchanged. A typical bill will include .13 for water, about [post_excerpt].03 for sewer and about [post_excerpt].12 for storm drain. Perry City Finance Director Shanna Johnson said the general fund budget is 8% higher than the amended fiscal year 2025-26 budget but 0,693 lower than the tentative... Article Link

Prosecutors presented evidence over a two-day preliminary hearing in 1st District Court last week in the case of Ryan Michael Bate, the man charged in the killings of two Tremonton–Garland police officers, building directly on amended allegations filed days earlier in the case. At the conclusion of the hearing, the court allowed the case to move forward to trial, finding sufficient probable cause to proceed on the charged offenses. No charges were dismissed or reduced. The June 24–25 hearing in Brigham City focused on whether there is sufficient evidence for the case to proceed to trial on capital aggravated murder... Article Link

Virginia-based artist Layton Scarbrough’s largest scale mural, to date, can now be seen at Tremonton’s Midland Square. The fiveday project honors military members and also pays tribute to the fallen officers Sgt. Sorensen and Officer Estrada who were killed in the line of duty last year, along with a tribute to the historic Midland Hotel of Tremonton. Estrada and Sorensen’s last names are seen on the leaves of roses being handed to a young girl by an officer with a black memorial band across his badge. Scarbrough is a mural artist and children’s book author-illustrator, who graduated from Utah Valley... Article Link

The Box Elder County Commission on Wednesday approved a five-year contract with City of Fun Carnival to continue operating the exclusive carnival midway at the Box Elder County Fair through 2030. Under the agreement, City of Fun will pay the county ,000 annually plus 30% of presale ticket revenue while retaining exclusive rights to operate carnival rides, games, and food trailers during the fair. The county will continue providing the midway site along with portable restrooms, trash service and water hookups. Jan Rhodes, Box Elder County’s fairgrounds manager and fair director, told commissioners the company has served the fair for... Article Link

The Box Elder County Commission on Wednesday reappointed members to administrative control boards and boards of trustees for several special service districts across the county, recognizing volunteers who oversee services ranging from flood control and watershed management to cemetery maintenance. County Clerk Marla Young thanked those willing to continue serving, telling commissioners the positions are unpaid volunteer roles that require a significant commitment of time and effort. The commission reappointed Scott Douglass, Reed Stokes and Colby Roberts to Box Elder Service District No. 1 in Howell; David Morris and Melissa Larsen to Box Elder County Service Area No. 2 in... Article Link

The Box Elder County Commission on Wednesday approved two Utah Department of Agriculture and Food Invasive Species Mitigation Grant Program agreements totaling ,077 for continued control of rush skeletonweed and knapweed across Box Elder County. Darren McFarland of the county’s Weed and Road Department told commissioners the county received ,000 for its annual rush skeletonweed mitigation program and ,077 for knapweed control. Both grants are funded through the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food Invasive Species Mitigation Grant Program. According to the grant applications, the rush skeletonweed project focuses on infestations across eastern Box Elder County, particularly the Promontory Peninsula,... Article Link

The Box Elder County Commission on Wednesday approved a low-income property tax abatement for a resident who narrowly exceeded the program’s income limits because state law required the inclusion of a deceased spouse’s income from earlier in the tax year. The resident told commissioners she applied for the abatement because of her limited income but was pushed over the eligibility threshold after her husband’s income for January and February of the previous year had to be included. She said her income remains very low and that paying the property taxes is a significant burden. Marcy Powell of the Box Elder... Article Link

A 44-year-old Salt Lake-area man was killed June 23 when a small aircraft crashed in Box Elder County near the Willard area foothills, according to the Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies, assisted by a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter, located the wreckage after receiving a report of a possible aircraft crash. The pilot, who was flying solo, was found deceased at the scene. The identity of the pilot is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. The aircraft involved, a Cessna 172S, is listed in an NTSB accident... Article Link

A Brigham City police officer assigned as a school resource officer at Box Elder Middle School has been charged with one count of Class B misdemeanor assault following an interaction with a student earlier this year. The charge against Officer Casey Carlsen was filed June 18 in Box Elder Justice Court. Court records show Carlsen is scheduled to be arraigned July 21 before Judge Dustin Ericson. The publicly available court register does not include the charging document text. According to a Brigham City Police Department news release, the student’s parent reported the incident to the Box Elder School District. The... Article Link

In 2021, Idle Isle Café on Main Street in Brigham City celebrated its 100th anniversary. At that time, the restaurant, a centerpiece of the community—everyone in the community seemingly had a connection to it— was touted as Utah’s longest continually operating restaurant. But in May 2025, that record came to an end when owners announced the restaurant’s closure amid financial difficulties that included tax liens, accusations from former employees about an allegedly toxic workplace and abuse and inappropriate conduct by the owners, and complaints about food quality and schedule. However, despite the restaurant’s previous years of decline—and amid a nationwide... Article Link

The Box Elder County Commission approved revisions to the Bear River Health Department's interlocal agreement Wednesday and appointed Bear River Mental Health Executive Director Trevor Cook as the region's behavioral health director, continuing a restructuring of behavioral health services that has been underway across Box Elder, Cache and Rich counties since 2024. The revised agreement clarifies responsibilities established when the three counties reorganized the Bear River Health Department in 2025 as a multicounty, united local health department responsible for public health, mental health and substance abuse programs. It also delegates additional administrative duties to the health department, including authority to... Article Link

Box Elder County municipalities took different approaches after Gov. Spencer Cox’s wildfire emergency order temporarily prohibited consumer fireworks statewide unless cities designated areas where they could still be discharged. Four of Box Elder County’s eight incorporated municipalities chose to designate areas where consumer fireworks remain legal, while the other four did not designate any discharge areas, effectively prohibiting personal fireworks within their city limits. On June 25, Cox declared a state of emergency because of extreme wildfire conditions. The executive order authorized the Utah State Forester to temporarily prohibit consumer fireworks statewide during the Independence Day holiday period while allowing... Article Link

Perry Police Detective Zachary Waddoups was presented the department’s Medal of Valor Thursday in recognition of his actions during what officials described as a “chaotic family disturbance” on Nov. 7, 2025. Police Chief Scott Hancey read the department’s Medal of Valor policy, saying the award may be presented to an officer “who in the line of duty distinguishes themselves by the performance of any act of courage that involves risk or imminent serious personal injury for the purpose of saving or protecting human life,” or for “an extraordinary, creditable, and unusual police accomplishment.” Hancey then asked Sgt. Mark Jordan to... Article Link

Republican primary voters reshaped Box Elder County government Tuesday, denying three incumbent county officeholders another term and selecting new nominees for sheriff and two county commission seats, according to unofficial election results. Mike Allred won the Republican nomination for sheriff, receiving 5,716 votes, or 61.1% of the unofficial vote, compared with 3,341 votes, or 35.7%, for three-term incumbent Kevin Potter. Vance Smith won the Republican nomination for Box Elder County Commission Seat A with 4,737 votes (50.7%) to incumbent Boyd Bingham’s 4,384 (46.9%), while Nathan Tueller, a Perry City councilmember, captured the Seat B nomination with 4,908 votes (52.5%) to... Article Link

This pie was an entry in a baking contest held as part of Brigham City Rec Fest activities at Pioneer Park on Friday as part of the city’s America 250 events. For more photos from the event see page 4. For more upcoming Independence Day activities schedule of events calendar see page 5. Article Link

A headline in last week’s edition on a story about the Box Elder School District budget contained an error. The district did not bond million for two elementary school projects. The district used a different debt instrument: A lease-purchase agreement. We regret the error. Article Link

With June temperatures rising, Utah is facing a deepening drought that has accelerated the drying of soils and vegetation across the state. Wildfire season has already been active with over 230 fires so far this year, a majority of which were human caused. Reservoir storage averages 68% full, which is 7% lower than the normal for this time of year, and 18% lower than this time last year. In the Bear River basin, streamflows remain higher than those observed during the same period in 2021, but much of the runoff arrived earlier than normal due to warmer spring temperatures. Very... Article Link