With the Utah legislature convening on Tuesday, Jan. 21, the News Journal attempted to sit down with Box Elder County’s Republican representatives to find out what bills they’ll be running this year, and to get their sense of what will happen during the 2025 legislative session. We spoke with District 1 House Representative Tom Peterson and District 6 House Representative Matthew Gwynn, but were unable to contact Senator Scott Sandall. For Sandall’s section in this article, we’re pulling information from email updates sent out by his office. Tom Peterson – Utah House District 1 Representative Tom Peterson, representing Utah House...

Article Link

The Northwest Band of the Shoshone Nation has invited residents of Box Elder County to attend a ceremony honoring those who lost their lives in the Bear River Massacre The massacre, where an estimated 270 to 400 Shoshone were killed by the U.S. Army in January of 1863 near present-day Preston, Idaho, is the largest single loss of Native American lives west of the Mississippi during the nineteenth century. The ceremony will be held on Jan. 29 at 11 a.m. at the massacre memorial marker, which can be found on U.S. 91 at mile marker 131, two and a half...

Article Link

The Box Elder County Commission has approved a new ordinance aimed at addressing nuisance dogs in unincorporated areas. The ordinance prohibits dog owners from allowing their pets to engage in behaviors that cause property damage, failing to quarantine infected dogs, not properly controlling dogs in heat, making disturbing noises during night-time hours, chasing vehicles or people, and acting aggressively toward animals or people. Owners violating the ordinance can be charged with a class C misdemeanor. The ordinance was developed in response to concerns raised by residents who have experienced issues with dogs in their neighborhoods. County Attorney Steve Hadfield and...

Article Link

Box Elder, Cache, and Rich counties have reaffirmed their commitment to regional collaboration by renewing the Bear River Association of Governments (BRAG) interlocal agreement for a term of 50 years. Originally established in 1971 and periodically updated, the agreement addresses shared challenges in planning, development, and resource management across the Bear River region. The updated agreement was formally approved by the Box Elder County Commission after County Attorney Steve Hadfield outlined the extensive review process leading to the renewal. “A draft had been prepared by one of the attorneys at the Cache County attorney’s office, reviewed by myself and Rich...

Article Link

Fourth-year Councilmember Ryan Smith has been elected as Brigham City’s mayor pro tempore following a vote of the Brigham City Council at the Jan. 16 meeting. The mayor pro tempore, or mayor pro tem, acts in the capacity of the mayor when he or she is unable to conduct official business. The mayor pro tem conducts city meetings and can sign official documents in the absence of the mayor, and may assume the powers of the mayor should he or she become incapacitated. Smith replaces former Mayor Pro Tem Matthew Jensen, who has served in the position for the previous...

Article Link

The Box Elder High School girls basketball team lost a heartbreaker last Wednesday to Bonneville, 45-44, before falling to Clearfield, 52-33, on Friday. The Bees were optimistic about picking up their first region win of the season Wednesday in Washington Terrace, but a slow start put the team in an early hole. The Lakers built a seven-point lead behind a 12-5 opening period, led by sophomore guard Baya Jimenez, who finished the game with 11 points and 10 rebounds. The Lakers also got 10 points and nine rebounds from junior guard Ema Eskelsen, along with six points and 10 boards...

Article Link

After several months of planning commission work sessions and multiple discussions with South Willard residents, the Willard City Council on Thursday approved an amendment to the city’s general plan, adding a future land-use map for properties the city will probably annex at some point in South Willard. The plan sets the stage for annexation petitions that come into the city along with zoning requests, ensuring that as Willard grows through annexation it will do so in an orderly, planned fashion. “This is important as we get annexations, so when the annexations come there’s a plan for them, where there wasn’t...

Article Link

A year-long effort between Brigham City, the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, and the Utah Inland Port Authority has resulted in Nucor again expanding its Brigham City footprint. It was announced last week that a year-long effort between Brigham City, the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, and the Utah Inland Port Authority has resulted in the company building its third Nucor Towers & Structures facility alongside its five existing facilities in Brigham City. With the new manufacturing facility, Brigham City hosts among the most Nucor facilities in the nation. The new manufacturing facility, under the 10- year tax...

Article Link

The Honeyville City Council began the new year by outlining council assignments and responsibilities, including adjustments to accommodate the city’s newest council member, Kami Anderson, who took the oath of office. Council assignments largely remained unchanged from last year. Council member Ryan Adams continues to water systems and drainage; Dusty Bingham remains responsible for streets and roads, and equipment, and city communications; David Hougaard continues to handle health and safety; and Trevor Gardner retains management of parks and cemeteries. Anderson assumed mosquito abatement duties from Hougaard, who, in turn, took over planning commission duties in anticipation of potentially joining that...

Article Link

A combined resolution which removed business license fees from city code, placing them instead on an administrative schedule, and also making dog licensing a voluntary action for Willard residents partly passed and partly failed at Thursday’s Willard City Council meeting, with councilmembers reversing themselves on a decision reached last month regarding dog licensing. At the Dec. 12 meeting the council had voted unanimously to direct city staff to draft a resolution eliminating dog licensing requirements, following a lighthearted discussion. Mayor Travis Mote and other officials argued that the licensing system is largely ineffective, consumes staff resources, and generates minimal revenue,...

Article Link