Utah State University

Helen Whitney: A filmmaker of passion and vision

By Latashia Redhouse
LOGAN–Educators, students and movies fans were given a look into the challenging, chaotic, frustrating, glorious and pleasurable life of an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker this week.
Helen Whitney allowed a series of USU audiences to look through the “lens” of her documentary career and intellectual journey as she screened several of her films and [...]

Tags: filmmaker, Helen Whitney

Mardi Gras a raucous, high-energy blast

Story and photos by Cassidee Cline
LOGAN—The real start of Mardi Gras had to wait for the Aggies to finish off Nevada on the basketball court, but once the Wolf Pack was tamed, students flocked into the TSC Saturday night in a crush of costumes, feathers, beads and painted faces.
Revelers crowded around tables with their best [...]

Tags: mardi gras, Utah State

Change in ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy won’t affect campus ROTC

By Cody Littlewood
LOGAN–ROTC at Utah State University will not be affected by a change in the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Faletto said.t
The ROTC does not cohabitate and cohesiveness comes from the troops’ loyalty to the person on their left and right, gay or straight, Faletto said. Because they bond so closely, [...]

Tags: 'don't ask, don't tell', ROTC, Utah State

Cache services for low-vision people generally good; buses should ‘run later’

By Cathy Morgan
LOGAN–Chirping street lights and raised bumps at the corners are just two small signs of the visually impaired living in Cache County.
Aaron Timm, a low-vision student at Utah State University, said “I love the people here; they’re much more friendly than places I’ve lived before.” For being a college town and having free [...]

Tags: Cache County, Logan, services, students, Visually impaired

Henderson, Hancey lead N. Logan planning commission again

By Kate Clark
NORTH LOGAN–Bruce Henderson and Mark Hancey were re-elected as Planning Commission chairman and vice chairman at Thursday’s meeting.
“Do I have to vote?” Henderson said with a grin after the unanimous vote was taken. “Thank you for your vote of confidence, apparently I haven’t messed up too bad. Or you’re just afraid to do [...]

Tags: North Logan, Planning Commission, recommendattion, storm water

Richmond library board reports circulation boomlet

By Hillary Bowler
RICHMOND—The city library board is thrilled over the major growth the library has experienced in the last three years. The number of items checked out yearly has increased by 6,357 since 2007, said librarian Juliene Parrish The library had 1,548 visitors and 4,336 items checked out in January alone.
“We’re [...]

Tags: city library, growth, Richmond

Want to make a difference? Richmond Lion’s Club needs you

By Hillary Bowler
RICHMOND—The city Lion’s Club is seeking to increase its membership. A recruitment meeting was held Thursday night to introduce some residents to the club’s purpose and workings. Their membership has dwindled to just more than 20 members.
The club is part of Lion’s International, a worldwide foundation founded in 1917 and best [...]

Tags: Lion's Club, membership, Richmond

Providence’s Old Rock Church a beautiful wedding setting

Story and photos by Bonnie Phelps
PROVIDENCE—The Old Rock Church in Providence is the oldest building of such great stature in Cache Valley, and it is a lovely place for a wedding. Not only do the venerability and beauty of the building lend themselves to the romance of the occasion, but it is also a [...]

Tags: bed-and-breakfast, Inn, Old Rock Church, Providence

Paradise fire department wins $10K grant

By Paul Lewis Siddoway
PARADISE–The town fire department received a $10,000 grant to use for outfitting its new fire engine, volunteer Fire Chief Troy Fredrickson reported at Wednesday’s Town Council meeting.
“I’m trying to get these things purchased as quick as we can,” Fredrickson said. “It’ll take two or three weeks, so don’t keel over when you [...]

Tags: firefighters, grant money, Paradise, town council

MFA exhibit focuses on America, land of junk food

Story by Latashia Redhouse
Photo by Cody Gochnour
LOGAN–Artist Holly Johnson hopes her new exhibit is dangerous to your diet and to America’s consumptive culture.
Johnson, a master of fine arts student at Utah State University, presented her vision of America’s fixation on food at an opening reception and lecture in Studio 102 in the Fine Arts [...]

Residential zoning needs sharper teeth, N. Logan residents say

By Kate Clark
NORTH LOGAN–Few citizens showed up for the public hearing at Wednesday’s City Council meeting, but the concerns they expressed made an impact on the suggested changes to commercial and industrial zones in North Logan.
Cliff Cahoon expressed his disapproval of the industrial building built in his residential neighborhood on Skyline Drive and 1410 East.
“This [...]

Tags: city council, North Logan, public hearing, zoning changes

Hyde Park hears proposal for ‘lock box’ to hold discarded drugs

By Kayla Harding
HYDE PARK–A proposal to install a drug receptacle box in the foyer of City Hall was introduced at Wednesday night’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting by Mayor Bryan Cox.
The proposal, which came from North Park Police Department, is an effort to gain grant money for a free-standing box, similar to a mailbox that [...]

Tags: drug disposal receptacle, Hyde Park, planning and zoning

Snowball soldiers battle on the USU Quad

Story by Caresa Alexander
Photos by Caresa Alexander and Cassidee Cline

LOGAN—Cries of “Aggies unite!” “Charge!” and “For Narnia!” fill the air on the Quad at Utah State University. No swords, catapults or bows and arrows—but the clash was no less ferocious for being fought with snowballs.
Kevin Bell and his sister Megan, [...]

Tags: Quad, snowball fight, snowman, USU, weather

River Heights works to redefine zoning in Riverdale area

By Tyson Thorpe
RIVER HEIGHTS–The Planning Commission made progress Tuesday night in writing city code dealing with mixed-use properties as part of its general plan.
Currently, the Riverdale area is identified as mixed-use on the city’s general plan. The Riverdale area lies on the west side of the city along the Logan River and boundary with Logan.
Blake [...]

Tags: city council, development, River Heights, Riverdale, zoning

Sundance: ‘The Killer Inside Me’ a dark psycho-thriller

By Chris Romriell
PARK CITY–The Killer Inside Me, which screened as Sundance ended last weekend, is a graphic, disturbing, sexually charged and brutally vicious Western thriller that follows the life of severely troubled West Texas deputy sheriff Lou Ford (Casey Affleck.)
Based on the crime novel by Jim Thompson, director Michael Winterbottom does everything possible to make [...]

Tags: film, Review, Sundance

Logan mayor’s new media policy muddies public’s view of city government, experts say

By Cody Littlewood
LOGAN–Mayor Randy Watt’s new policy, enacted Jan. 20, regarding media inquiries has sparked a lot of discussion about the role of transparency in government. Media professionals in Northern Utah are criticizing the decision saying that it is “suspect” and makes it harder for the public to have honesty from their government.
The new policy [...]

Tags: Logan, mayor, media policy, Randy Watts

No time to waste! Brides mob the Bridal Faire

Story by Jess Allen
Photo by Mark Vuong

LOGAN–It’s dangerous to get between these women and their single-minded goal: The perfect, sparkly, fairy tale wedding.
During last week’s 25th annual Bridal Faire, they were spread as thick as peanut butter around dozens of booths and exhibits in the Taggart Student Center on the USU [...]

Tags: Bridal Faire, planners, Utah State, wedding

Free chocolate helps the Bridal Faire go down

By Jess Allen
It’s every girl’s dream come true. But not mine. For me, it was a walking nightmare, very close to what I consider Hell must be like. My stomach clenched in the queasy way it does when something horrible is about to happen. My chest tightened with anxiety as I [...]

Tags: Bridal Faire, commentary

Sundance: Music 4 Peace helps fight global poverty

Story and photo by Ben Hansen
Special to Hard News Cafe
PARK CITY–Music and peace. It sounds like the background to a 1960’s scene, a time when people were supposed to stand up for these values and help out the world. The words flow together with memories of love, and the time of the original [...]

Tags: humanitarian, Music 4 Peace, poverty, Sundance

Lack of affordable housing pushes young couples out of Wellsville

By Kayla Woodring
WELLSVILLE–Adjustments to zoning regulations regarding the number of multi-family dwellings allowed in a residential block were debated at Wednesday’s Planning Commission meeting.
The debate, spurred by contractor Gary Hansen’s inquiry about building a seven- to nine-family unit of town homes, was argued primarily by Realtor Brent Parker, of At Home Realty, and Wellsville city [...]

Tags: multi-family housing, Planning Commission, rezone, Wellsville