Utah farmers are turning to conservation easements to keep fertile ground in production as land prices soar and subdivisions press against farm and ranch operations. Nearly 100,000 acres have been placed under permanent protection since 1999, up from fewer than 10,000 acres two decades ago, according to the state-backed LeRay McAllister Working Farm and Ranch Fund. A stretch of U.S. 89 known as the Fruit Way shows how the tool works on the ground. Thayne and Cari Tagge have locked 130 acres of peaches, tomatoes and berries into a legacy trust and conservation easement. “They call this the ‘milliondollar view,’...

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Brigham City officials are taking action to bring balance into how its fire and ambulance services are funded to ease what they consider to be an unfair burden on Brigham City taxpayers. Formal notices ending all current agreements are scheduled to go out this week, triggering a negotiation window even as mutual-aid support continues to avoid service gaps. “We officially have to end the old agreements, get the notices out and start our negotiations of how this will work going forward. In the meantime, we’re going to continue to provide the services we can,” Brigham City Mayor DJ Bott said....

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On Thursday, July 31, Brigham Implement Co. will be closing the doors to its agricultural machinery sales business as agricultural land on the Wasatch Front has been lost to development over the past 10 to 15 years. “Historically Brigham Implement has done a lot of business between Brigham and Salt Lake,” said Paul Munns, owner and sales manager of Brigham Implement. “There ain’t a whole lot of farm ground between there anymore. So, when your customers are no longer there to buy machinery and parts or have their machines fixed that makes things tough.” Munns also noted the role decreasing...

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Box Elder County voters have until 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1 to register ahead of the Aug. 12 municipal primary, but those who miss the cutoff can still register and vote on Election Day under Utah’s same-day registration rule. Voters must: · Go to one of the two county vote centers (Posse Museum in Tremonton, or the Utah State University Brigham City campus). · Fill out a voter-registration form provided by poll workers. · Show two forms of ID, one proving identity and one proving current residence, such as a Utah driver license plus a utility bill, bank statement or...

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A Brigham City man whose body was recovered at Stinking Springs on May 9 died accidentally after methamphetamine intoxication left him unable to stay afloat, according to the medical examiner’s report. Box Elder County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Cade Palmer said authorities found no signs of foul play and responded alongside the Corinne Fire Department and Brigham City EMS after visitors discovered 69-year-old Eusevio Leyva floating face-down in one of the open-air pools at approximately 8:35 a.m. The medical examiner’s report stated that the “Manner of Death” was accidental, the “Immediate cause of Death” was “Toxic effects of methamphetamine,” that led...

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Box Elder County commissioners on July 23 granted agricultural-protection status to nearly 55 acres northwest of Brigham City, pared a Bothwell request down to 20 acres, and rejected a third petition after finding the land lacked proper zoning. Agricultural Protection Areas are 20-year covenants that shield working farms from nuisance lawsuits, down-zoning and certain special assessments. The process starts when a landowner files a petition. The county clerk then publishes legal notice and opens a 15-day window for objections or modifications. Next, the agriculture protection area advisory board—a five-member panel drawn from the county’s soil conservation district supervisors—and the county...

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A July 23 Brigham City Council story on curbside waste changes misstated the vote tally. The motion to eliminate yard waste pickup and extend recycling passed 3-2, with Councilmembers Ryan Smith and Robyn Troxell voting no. We regret the error.

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Brigham City residents will pay less on their August power bills, even though base energy rates increased for electricity used in July. On Thursday the city council approved a new rate resolution, the final step of a two-year catch-up plan that lifts residential and small-commercial base rates roughly 4%. At the same meeting, it held the Power-Purchase Adjustment Clause (PPAC) at [post_excerpt].00 per kilowatt-hour, canceling the hike. Under the updated rate schedule, the first residential summer tier rose from 11.46 to 11.68 cents per kWh, the second tier from 13.98 to 14.18 cents, and the top tier from 15.36 to...

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The Boys & Girls Club of Northern Utah was awarded grant money from the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation support the club’s hands-on STEM projects to make learning enjoyable and engaging and sparking curiosity and a passion for STEM subjects. The Rocky Mountain Power Foundation awarded 9,200 to 78 nonprofits and community groups that enhance education and strengthen STEM learning opportunities throughout Utah. The education and STEM grants are distributed through one of the four annual grant cycles offered by the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation.

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Brigham City officials received a 2.5% pay bump effective July 1 after the city council wrapped up a state-mandated public hearing Thursday and adopted its annual compensation ordinance without opposition. Brigham City Finance Director Tom Kotter told the council that the hearing was “in an effort to be transparent and fair,” citing Utah Code 10-3-818, which requires cities to publish the proposed salaries for at least seven days and then take public input before raising pay for elected or statutory officers. When Mayor DJ Bott opened the hearing, no residents offered testimony, and the council closed it in under one...

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