Hello, Cache Valley!
In this week’s Crop, a quiet corner of the valley is being eyed for annexation — and residents are not happy about it.
Meanwhile, USU officially welcomed a new president and Aggies marched in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. in the third-annual “Walk-the-Walk” celebration
Plus, we’re bringing back our Pet of the Week series! Got a furry friend? Submit here. And BTW: If you love The Cache Crop, please consider sharing it with your family and friends.
Yours,
Sam Morse
Nibley weighs annexation that could bring homes to beloved Hollow Road
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) A parcel of land along Hollow Road near Nibley, on Friday, Jan 16, 2026.
A quiet stretch of Cache County is at a crossroads. Developers want to annex 28 acres along Hollow Road into Nibley and build roughly a dozen homes on what’s currently farmland.
Neighbors aren’t thrilled — and they’re making their concerns heard.
The worry list is long: property taxes could jump, the narrow road can’t handle more traffic and there’s real fear about losing the farmland and wildlife that make Hollow Road special.
(Christopher Cherrington | The Salt Lake Tribune)
Residents point to the Blacksmith Fork River, deer, elk, even occasional bald eagles.
“You can’t go back once it changes,” argued resident Joan Liquin.
Nibley’s City Council accepted the annexation request for further review in November, but the decision isn’t final.
The decision still needs Cache County Council approval before anything moves forward, so stay tuned — we’ll keep you updated on this one.
Brad Mortensen officially takes Utah State helm after ‘weathering uncertainty’
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah State University President Brad Mortensen does the motions to "The Scotsman" song during his inauguration ceremony at the Russell/Wanlass Performance Hall in Logan on Friday, Jan 16, 2026.
Utah State University officially welcomed Brad Mortensen as its new president earlier this month after an extensive onboarding process.
The school has cycled through three presidents in recent years, with the last one lasting less than two years. At his inauguration, he acknowledged the turbulence head-on, saying the school has “weathered uncertainty, yet we persist.”
Mortensen, who spent nearly seven years leading Weber State, is returning to his alma mater where he earned a political science degree as a first-generation student.
Gov. Spencer Cox praised the choice, saying he personally reached out to Mortensen because “this university that I care so much about needed the very best president possible.”
Aggies spend MLK Day exploring how to ‘walk the walk’
(Jack Burton | Utah State University) Aggies participate in a reflective march in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.
Aggies young and old turned Martin Luther King Jr. Day into a “day on, not a day off” Friday with its third annual Walk the Walk celebration.
Students and staff explored volunteer opportunities at a Community Service Fair in the TSC lounge before a reflective walk around campus.
USU student Jacob Schwartz appreciated the diversity of options. “I’m sure everybody wants to make the world a better place, but the question is how,” he said. “Luckily we have organizations that are already starting on that process.”
Pet of the Week: Beau (the cozy-cat sink-slurper) 😽
(Hadley Ocheltree) Beau the tabby cat chills on a week-old copy of The Salt Lake Tribune.
Name: Beau
Breed: medium-haired tabby
Age: 7 years old
Pawrents: Hadley Ocheltree and Drake Fresh
Sink your claws in: “Beau and his sister, Petra, have covered approximately 6,900 miles of driving across the United States in their lives moving from state to state! Beau really enjoys being in the car and his sister tolerates it. Beau also loves playing with feather toys and chicken-flavored treats. He loves to burrow under blankets in the winter to get cozy. He’s typically very quiet until his family gets home and also when he wants to have a drink from the sink.”