Box Elder News Journal's Podcast

Utah agricultural producers in all 29 counties are now eligible to apply for emergency drought relief loans through the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food after Gov. Spencer Cox issued a new statewide drought emergency declaration. Applications will be accepted for six months, from May 21 through Nov. 21. According to UDAF, the loans are intended to help agricultural operations cover disaster...

Brigham City discussed the hiring of approximately 110 seasonal employees during the May 21 City Council meeting as departments prepare for the city’s busiest summer months. The seasonal workers support operations including parks, recreation programs, the city swimming pool, golf course maintenance and other summer services. Mayor DJ Bott said the city relies on employees “to take care of the prob...

With four first-place finishes, the Box Elder High School girls track team’s depth was on display as they put up 83 points to claim the 5A Utah State Championship over runners up Salem Hills and Springville, who scored 58 points. The state title came after a tough season, and the Bees performed strongly throughout the competition, leading to dominant performances across sprints, field events, and...

Different methods to help save fruit crops following an early bloom had limited success. Jordan Riley owner of Grammy’s Fruit Stand said, “We did catch one small break due to our efforts: one block of our peaches made it. But for everything else, it was a complete loss. However that wont be the end of the story. We’ve partnered with a trusted neighboring farm just outside of Utah to bring you good...

Tremonton-Garland police arrested a Tremonton couple earlier this month in connection with the death of their 11-year-old child, but the pair was later released after prosecutors did not file formal charges within Utah’s required filing deadline. Interviews with both the Tremonton-Garland Police Department and the Box Elder County Attorney’s Office show the answer lies in the different legal stand...

The Box Elder County Commission defended its approval of the Stratos data center project Wednesday during a tense meeting at the county’s justice court building, where heightened security measures followed threats and disruptions tied to the controversial vote. Attendees entering the May 13 meeting passed through metal detectors and were subject to courthouse security rules after the county moved...

See our graduation special section in this edition. Approximately 478 members of the Box Elder High School Class of 2026 will celebrate graduation at a commencement ceremony on Tuesday, May 26, at 6 p.m., in the Dee Events Center at Weber State University. Teachers will often ask colleagues of lower grades about the up-coming class so they have an idea of what to prepare for. Are the students know...

The Perry City Council accepted a tentative .05 million general fund budget and approved a Truth in Taxation hearing schedule during its May 14 meeting as the council weighed a proposed property tax increase tied to rising operational costs. The council unanimously accepted the tentative 2026-27 budget, with Councilmember Nathan Tueller absent, before later approving a resolution set- ting a Truth...

About 20 employees of Post Consumer Brands in Tremonton assembled food packs for the Tremonton Food Pantry last month that provided 2,650 meals to local families facing food insecurity through Post’s Ingredients for Good volunteer initiative. The Tremonton plant also intends to donate ,000 this year to help fight hunger in the community. Post’s Tremonton employees have participated in the Ingredie...

Crews began preparing the Brigham City Cemetery for Memorial Day on Monday, May 18. Preparations including mowing, trimming and weeding usually take the entire week to complete. Sprinklers will be turned off Friday afternoon through the end of Memorial Day to allow for the placement of decorations. Family and friends of those interred are welcome to decorate graves and leave flowers throughout the...

Following discussion of the issue in April, Honeyville Mayor Bruce Nelson last week put forward a proposal to increase Honeyville’s water rates. Honeyville’s water rates have remained unchanged since February of 2017, resulting in those rates lagging behind the rate of inflation. At present, Honeyville has water rates that range from to ,560 depending on the size of the pipe, from field taps and t...

The Willard City Council approved a tentative 2026- 27 budget Thursday that includes proposed employee raises and planned use of reserve funds for future city projects, but no proposed property tax increase. Ryan Child of Child Richards CPAs presented the budget proposal, which projects about .19 million in general fund revenue against roughly .36 million in planned spending. Child told the counci...

A construction contract to expand Discovery Elementary was approved by the Box Elder School District Board of Education on Wednesday, May 13. According to BESD Facilities Director Corey Thompson, the addition includes 12 new classrooms; two to replace the portables, one for functional skills, one for a preschool, with the rest being used by whatever grade or class needs more room. Plans also call...

Just three months ago, the Box Elder High School boys volleyball team was picked to finish second in Region 5 behind Clearfield after graduating four seniors who led the team in many statistical categories. The Bees were also adjusting to a new head coach for the third time in as many years as the season began. But the play on the court told a different story. Box Elder cruised to its first region...

It was a season of ups and downs for the Box Elder High School baseball team as the Bees finished with a 10- 17 overall record, including a 9-9 mark in region play, before their season ended with a first-round playoff loss to Woods Cross. The season got off to a rocky start for the Bees as the team dropped its first six games and was shut out in four of them. Box Elder did not earn its first win u...

The Box Elder High School girls and boys track and field teams both claimed yet another region championship from the Region 5 meet held last week at Box Elder High School. The girls took home their 13th consecutive title while the boys extended their championship streak to 5. See our website for story and other Box Elder High School sports coverage. For this week only, the paywall will be removed...

Brigham City Mayor DJ Bott proposed a 12.93% property tax revenue increase last Thursday, telling the city council that rapid growth, rising infrastructure demands and expanding operational costs are placing increasing pressure on city services. The tentative 2026-27 budget proposal would generate an estimated 5,000 in additional property tax revenue. Bott said the estimated increase on an average...

The fight over the proposed Stratos hyperscale data center and power plant project intensified in the days following the Box Elder County Commission’s May 4 vote, with opponents launching a referendum effort, developers withdrawing a closely watched water use change application after thousands of protests were filed, and county officials reporting threats tied to the emotionally charged proceeding...

A Tremonton couple accused in the death of their 11-year-old child was ordered held without bail this week after investigators alleged the father staged the scene to resemble a suicide and uncovered what court documents describe as years of abuse involving multiple children in the home. Brigham Young Merrell, 35, was booked May 6 into the Box Elder County Jail on first-degree felony charges of chi...

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The Brigham City Council on Thursday approved a new long-term agreement with the Box Elder School District for school resource officer services, extending a partnership city officials described as beneficial for both schools and law enforcement. The agreement continues Brigham City Police Department staffing at Box Elder High School and Box Elder Middle School while shifting the arrangement from a...

The Box Elder High School boys and girls track and field teams continued their dominance in Region 5 with the girls winning their 13th consecutive championship and the boys winning their fifth last week at the region championship at Box Elder High School. The Box Elder girls dominated— as has been the trend over the years—outpacing runner-up Westfield by 137 points, 257-120. The boys had some key...

Girls results 100-meter dash: 1. Kassidee Kid, 8. Sevia Sommer; 100-meter hurdles: 5. Oaklee Wylie; 200 meter dash: 1. Kaylan Anderson, 6. Sevia Sommer; 300-meter hurdles: 3. Ariana Poll; 400-meter dash: 1. Kaylan Anderson, 4. Kyra Gibby; 800-meter run: 1. Maya Lee, 2. Ma cie Lee, 6. Kathryn Agren, 7. Brynlee Cragun; 1,600-meter run: 1. Maya Lee, 2. Macie Lee, 5. Leilanne Castillo Rivera, 8. Kathr...

Bees capture first region tennis title in four decades The Box Elder High School boys tennis team completed a historic season last week by capturing the program’s first region championship since the mid-1980s. The Bees capped an undefeated run through Region 5 play by winning four of the five individual titles at the region tournament hosted by West Field High School. Box Elder finished the season...

The Box Elder High School boys lacrosse team enters the 5A state playoffs with momentum after closing the regular season with dominant victories over Northridge and Clearfield, pushing the Bees to a 13-4 overall record and the 11th seed in the state tournament. Box Elder hosted No. 22 Hillcrest in the opening round yesterday with a spot in the second round against Timpview on the line (results not...