Mayor Julie Peterson swears in new Councilman Monique Hurst
Earlier this year, I wrote about the City of Minidoka having a new Mayor and Councilman sworn in to City service. At that time, Councilman Bridgett Frost was sworn in to service. She had to move out of Minidoka leaving a vacancy on the City Council. On 7 October 2025, Mayor Peterson appointed a new Councilman, Monique Hurst. Welcome Councilwoman Hurst! (State law calls it Councilman, state law also indicates that it is gender neutral)
The City has recently been in the news. The City has more work to do. The City Clerk and Treasurer positions are now open. The City has hired a new certified water operator, Cody Creek. The City is setting up a new accounting/budgeting/billing/utility software through Caselle. Updates and upgrades are being made to some of the electrical system. The City has achieved compliance with the Idaho Tax Commission and Idaho Controller Office in the past few months. Area of Impact has been assigned. Many more good things are moving forward for this little town. Hopefully the ball can keep rolling and gaining speed despite the odds against it. Many thanks to surrounding towns for their assistance: Burley, Heyburn, Paul, and Rupert.
So many things are moving that residents are becoming more awakened to their sleepy little town. The Mayor and all four Councilman positions were up for election in November. Two of the Councilman positions are for 2 years, the other two are 4 years. But every single seat was contested! Julie Peterson and Becky Ziebach were running for Mayor. Bulmaro Paz, Bonnie Hofmeister, and Mark Cartwright were running for the two 4-year seats. James Cook, Monique Hurst, and Jerry Tolivar are running for the two 2-year seats. That is 8 people running for 5 seats! Elections are healthy. Citizens are willing to work for the bettering of their community.
Julie Peterson will continue on as Mayor. Bulmaro Paz will retain his seat and Bonnie Hofmeister will join him for the 4 year seats. James Cook will retain his seat and Monique Hurst will continue on in her newly appointed seat.
Citizens are willing to work for the bettering of their community.
ERIC GOODELL photos, TIMES-NEWS The open house for the recently completed Burley Temple will begin Thursday and run through Sept. 22, excluding Sundays.
BURLEY — The recently completed temple on the outskirts of the city is more than a beautiful building, church members say.
Even to youthful Sophia Silvaz, a sophomore at Burley High School, it means much more.
“It is a place where heaven feels close,” Silvaz said, “a place where you can find peace, love and guidance from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.”
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regard temples — almost 400 have either been completed or have been announced worldwide — as the most sacred places on earth. At an event for the media on Monday morning, members said anticipation of the Burley temple has been growing since it was announced in 2021.
People talk Monday outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Burley Temple.
Now that the granite-clad building has been completed, an open house will kick off Thursday and run through Sept. 22, excluding Sundays. About 100,000 people are expected to tour the temple during that time.
Jolene Graham, who lives down the street from the temple, has had a front-row seat to its construction.
“Sometimes it woke us up early in the morning,” Graham said of the construction.
She recounted that people would drive by the 10-acre site, and as they saw the steel frame gradually rise out from the ground and the exterior take shape, their focus seemed to change.
People began lingering around the site longer, staying in their cars or walking near the temple grounds, she said.
Church communication directors Dave and Heather Wilson remember when the temple’s steeple was delivered to the site and was hoisted on top of the two-story building.
An exterior photo of the Burley Idaho Temple. Each temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is inscribed with the words, “Holiness to the Lord • House of the Lord.”
“Social media must have gone wild that day,” Dave Wilson said, as people started showing up, clogging the street.
“It was a winter day in December and lots and lots of little children touched that steeple as it lay on the trailer — I touched that steeple as it lay on the trailer,” Heather Wilson said.
The Wilsons had to be patient to see inside the temple. They first saw the 35,000-square-foot building about a week ago.
A temple in Twin Falls opened in 2008, and Elder Steven R. Bangerter, the church’s general authority, said it will allow more people in the Mini-Cassia area to attend more conveniently.
“The temple, for us, lies at the heart of our efforts to draw nearer to Christ,” Bangerter said. People will now be able to enjoy the blessings from temple attendance more regularly, he said.
Temples are different from meeting houses, which dot southern Idaho. In temples, people meet for regular Sunday worship and other church activities throughout the week.
Once the temple is dedicated on Jan. 11, only members of the church in good standing will be allowed to enter. There, they will perform ordinances not just for themselves but also on behalf of the dead who didn’t have the opportunity to receive them.
The Celestial Room of the Burley Idaho Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
But the open house allows the public to see inside and view its beauty, from the stained-glass windows with a potato flower motif in tribute to the community’s agricultural roots to the baptistry, where members of the church will be baptized in behalf of the dead, and the sealing rooms, where couples, the church teaches, can be married not just until death but for eternity.
Many of the colors seen in the temple are meant to echo the local farmland and open skies.
The artwork in the temple depicts scenes from Jesus Christ’s life, and outdoor scenes are prevalent in the temple’s interior.
The Burley temple’s stained glass windows feature the potato plant blossom, tying local agricultural heritage into the temple’s design.
Bangerter said it was built from high-quality materials, as is expected for a building with the words “In Holiness to the Lord, House of the Lord” inscribed above its entrance.
The granite on the exterior and floor came from Italy. The area rugs are crafted from New Zealand wool.
Bangerter hopes the temple will be well-used, with high school students coming early before school to perform baptisms on behalf of the dead and church members attending “endowment sessions,” where they promise to obey God’s commandments.
Bangerter said the teachings in such sessions answer three big questions: where we came from, what is the purpose of earth life, and what will happen after we die.
The celestial room of the temple is meant to be a peaceful place, symbolizing heaven in God’s presence.
“It’s a place we go to pray and to feel close to God,” Bangerter said.
The baptistry of the Burley Idaho Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In the temple, faithful Latter-day Saints can be baptized on behalf of their deceased ancestors.
He said ordinances for the dead are “an offering of service, an offering of love,” and people on the other side of the veil can accept or reject the temple work done on their behalf.
I wanted to share this photo from 10 September 2020. The mirror of the Snake River from the Burley side with Heyburn’s Riverside Park just behind captivated me then, and still does.
I am afraid the Ross household are temple tourists. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a couple of quirks. One of which, I like to drive by temples. The more distant a location, the greater likelihood I will plan visiting a temple. Even if it is just to drive past and snap a picture. Now that my children are old enough to attend the temple, my unwritten goal is to attend various temples. In visiting with Aliza and Hiram, they have not been keeping much of a record. Here I am, trying to re-create a list of temples they both have attended 2022 to present. I can cheat because we often take a picture while there.
Aliza could start attending the temple in January 2022. We did not have any goals for attendance, usually just whenever our Burley 11 Ward would go to the temple.
16 April 2022 – Pocatello Idaho Temple – Bill Teal, Mary Lou Teal, Amanda Ross, Aliza Ross, Paul Ross, Eliza Hales, Brad Hales, Aleah Hales
14 May 2022 – Logan Utah Temple – Paul and Aliza Ross with Aleah, Brad, and Eliza Hales
31 December 2022 – Brigham City Utah Temple – Paul Ross, Aleah Hales, Eliza Hales, Brad Hales, Aliza Ross, Amanda Ross
28 April 2023 – Ogden Utah Temple
27 May 2023 – Bountiful Utah Temple – Paul and Aliza Ross, Brad, Aleah, and Eliza Hales, Marianne Christensen
19 August 2023 – Twin Falls Idaho Temple – Paul Ross, Brad Hales, Aliza Ross, Aleah Hales, Eliza Hales
Hiram could start attending the temple in January 2024. That year the Burley 8 Ward (we moved houses) asked that we set a goal of attending monthly in 2024. We fulfilled that goal.
12 January 2024 – Pocatello Idaho Temple – Amanda, Aliza, Milo, Hiram, and Paul Ross
23 March 2024 – Manti Utah Temple – Amanda, Paul, Hiram, James, Lillie, and Aliza Ross with Jill Hemsley
17 May 2024 – Layton Utah Temple – Lillian Ross, Paul Ross, Amanda Ross, Aliza Ross, Bryan Hemsley, Jill Hemsley, James Ross, Hiram Ross
18 May 2024 – Taylorsville Utah Temple – Bryan Hemsley, James Ross, Jill Hemsley, Aliza Ross, Lillian Ross, Hiram Ross, Amanda Ross, Paul Ross
11 October 2024 – Deseret Peak Utah Temple – Paul Ross, James Ross, Amanda Ross, Hiram Ross, Aliza Ross, Jill Hemsley, Lillie Ross, Bryan Hemsley, Shanna Thompson
16 May 2025 – Syracuse Utah Temple
30 August 2025 – Elko Nevada Temple – Brad and Rachel Hales Family with Ross Family with Lea Pierucci Izama (exchange student from Germany, staying with Hales family)
8 November 2025 – Burley Idaho Temple, Amanda Ross, Brad Hales, Anson Hales, Aleah Hales, James Ross (front), Lea Pierucci Izama (back), Paul Ross, Audra Hales, Aliza Ross
This was a fun visit. Some of the kids commented about where under the temple, in the foundations, might their rocks be found? We all submitted rocks with thoughts and our names on them that were placed before the foundations were poured.
14 November 2025 – Burley Idaho Temple – Hiram Ross, Amanda Ross, Lillie Ross, Rowan Hemsley (arm around), Margo Hemsley, Bryan Hemsley, Olivia Hemsley, Jill Hemsley, Jack Hemsley, James Ross, Paul Ross, Aliza Ross, Jordan Hemsley, Derek Hemsley
And other drive by shootings related to temples in 2022-2025.
29 November 2025 – Provo City Utah Temple – Paul, Aliza, and Hiram Ross with Jill Hemsley
23 December 2025 – Laie Hawaii Temple – Amanda and Paul Ross
This is only a record of attending the temple for Aliza and Hiram. Many know I have had my own personal goal for monthly attending the temple from September 1998 to the present.
“Ella Hitt, left, and Abigail Williams were presented their Cassia County Republican Central Committee scholarships by Chairman Paul Ross.
“Burley – Ella Hitt and Abigail Williams were recently named the winners of a pair of $1,000 scholarships awarded by the Cassia County Republican Central Committee.
“Scholarship application requirements included an interview with an elected official, attending a public meeting and writing a resolution. Finalists were interviewed by the Cassia County Republican Scholarship Committee.
“The winning students spoke at a committee meeting and presented their resolutions and answered questions.
This posted this week. Fun to have a reference in the paper that is positive.
This comes from a history compiled and written by Jack Johnson as part of his Discovery Area Guides. Jack graduated from Burley High School with my Mom in 1972. He now lives in Hyrum, Utah. This article is in the 2022 Guide for North Cache County, including Smithfield, Richmond, and Lewiston. L.D. is loosely linked to me as I believe he is the nephew of Lorenzo Bowcutt, who married my Great Grandmother Lillian Coley Jonas in 1953 (Ren passed away in 1966).
“When Richmond was settled in the mid-1850’s, a locally-owned landmark business was still over a hundred years from being established. L.D.’s Cafe makes fascinating history live once more.
“Remnants of local history adorn L.D.’s dining area walls, including framed newspaper clippings, historical articles and an American flag. L.D. Bowcutt has been actively running the business since 1959, and loves to relate the history posted on his walls. Ask about his famous rodeo clown relative, or any one of the area’s veterans – each has a story that he’s anxious to tell.
“According to the Herald Journal newspaper article posted on its wall, “L.D.’s father bought this place in 1957. It started out as a poolroom. When the earthquake hit in 1961 this place rolled like a wave.” Wikipedia reports that the quake (it states as 1962) was a magnitude Mw5.9 the morning of August 30, 1962 at 6:35 am local time. With its epicenter just north of Richmond, this quake, Utah’s most costly , caused damages estimated then at $1-2 million dollars ($18.5-20 million in 2020 dollars.)
“L.D. remembers, “My father remodeled it and used some of the fixtures and furniture from the restaurant up the street that he bought because it was condemned by the damage from the earthquake.” Started initially as a bar and pool room, “since August 31, 1962, L.D.’s has served full meals. Before that it was strictly a sandwich and lunch menu.”
“”L.D. says that most of his customers are local people and repeat customers. This place isn’t commercialized or franchised. I can get to know my customers and they get to know me. People come her for sociability to be with their friends and neighbors. A log of business also gets transacted here. Based on comments from the lunch crowd, it would seem like L.D.’s customers return for more than just the comfortable, friendly atmosphere.”
“”He said one day the “champion cow” entered his cafe through the front door and paraded around the pool tables, but something like that only happens during Black and White Days, when the town is filled with horses and cows.”
“A lot of people don’t know that L.D.’s had a private meeting room upstairs. Bowcutt says that for a long time the area’s riding club would meet upstairs to shoot the bull and plan events.
“Serving two terms on the Richmond city council, L.D. Has been heavily involved in local interests. He tells how after the Richmond bank was robbed int he early 1960’s the bank manager had a buzzer installed to ring at the cafe. He’d return the call to the bank, whose employees knew when he asked, “Is L.D. there?” – a positive answer meant there was trouble, a negative meant all was well. His cafe also served as the communications center for the local volunteer fire department, sounding a warning siren whenever help was needed.
“L.D.’s daughter Lori, and grandson, J.R. Hoggan, are also actively involved, but J.R. is quick to point out that L.D. is really the heart of the business. Now in his eighties, L.D. still takes over at the grill quite often, filling every order the L.D.’s way – with healthy home-cooked meals. Hungry for meat and potatoes, burger, seafood of breakfast? You’ll find it all and a whole lot more – traditions of excellence and community involvement at L.D.’s Cafe in Richmond.
“L.D. states, “You need to be really sharp to compete with the big restaurant chains and stay open for business, and I think my cafe is the last of its kind.”
“Source: Conversation with L.D. Bowcutt Nov. 2, 2022, Wikipedia search “Earthquake – Logan, UT.
Before I talk about the Layton and Taylorsville Temples, I thought I better throw in another temple visit we made since I last updated. While on Spring Break this year, we made a stop in Vernal, Utah. While there, we scheduled and attended the Vernal Utah Temple with the kids. Glad we stopped to make another memory at another House of the Lord.
Hiram and Aliza at Vernal Utah Temple on 27 March 2024
Since the kids have a goal to attend the temple every month this year, we did also make it in April to the Twin Falls Temple. In May, while going to Utah for the open houses, we made sure to stop off and fulfill the monthly goal. May took us to Ogden Utah Temple.
Hiram and Aliza Ross at Ogden Utah Temple 17 May 2024
Later that evening, we attended the open house of the Layton Utah Temple with Amanda’s parents. Beautiful.
Paul, Lillian, Amanda, Aliza, James, and Hiram Ross with Bryan and Jill Hemsley 17 May 2024
We look forward to attending the temple after it is dedicated.
The next day we attended the open house for the Taylorsville Utah Temple, again with Amanda’s parents. We were also excited to run into the Brad and Rachel Hales family as well as Sarah Sanderson!
Bryan and Jill Hemsley with James, Aliza, Lillian, Hiram, Amanda, and Paul Ross 18 May 2024
It has been a crazy year for temple attendance and temple open houses. We have attended quite a few and quite a few are coming up for open houses. Wow, should be fun. It is exciting that the Kingdom and Church of God on the earth is in such a position to build so many beautiful houses to the Lord. We are blessed to attend the open houses and hopefully return some day to participate in holy ordinances there.
When I was interviewed for my first temple recommend in 1998, President Gene Hansen indicated he had a goal since he was first endowed to attend the temple every single month. He challenged me to do the same. As long as I have held a recommend, or I had permission to attend, I have attended the temple every single month since 1998. That meant a full day off of work in Missouri as it was a 4 hour drive one way from Branson, Missouri, to St. Louis, Missouri. Or from Richmond, Virginia, to Washington, D.C., that was a 4-5 hour drive and we often would go up and spend the night and return home on Saturday or Sunday depending on the circumstances.
Many open houses are upcoming, including Deseret Peak Utah; Casper Wyoming; Grand Junction Colorado; Elko Nevada; Syracuse Utah; Burley Idaho; Lindon Utah; Ephraim Utah; Smithfield Utah; Montpelier Idaho; Heber Valley Utah; Teton River Idaho; Salt Lake City Utah; Provo Rock Canyon Utah; Cody Wyoming; Lethbridge Alberta; Lehi Utah; and West Jordan Utah. Hopefully we can make some of the more exotic ones, particularly Birmingham England; Edinburgh Scotland; Honolulu Hawaii; and Vancouver British Columbia. We will see what our future holds.
