Alex Cabrero

It's hot in one small community in Cache County, but not because of the temperature. Many residents are fighting a school coming to their area because they say it would put their children at risk.

Mike Malm: "This is a wonderful neighborhood."

Mike Malm playing basketball against his children or his neighbors' children is pretty much a mismatch, but the biggest mismatch of all, he says, is coming from the house just beyond his backyard.

 

Mike Malm, Wellsville Resident: "I can't imagine that anyone would want this in their backyard."

You see, this peaceful looking house, just outside the Wellsville city line in Cache County, will soon be the place where troubled teens will be rehabilitated.

The school will be a sort of satellite operation for Logan River Academy, a place parents send their children to get help. The school's director says those who will be at the new site are those close to being released and need to be in a residential atmosphere to get used to being part of society again.

Larry Carter, Logan River Academy: "These young men we'll be dealing with, I can say, are very low risk. They've successfully completed programs. None of them will be convicted criminals of any kind."

Residents agree the program is beneficial, they just don't like where it is.

Jeremy Ellis, Wellsville Resident: "It's an important program. There's definitely a need for that kind of a program. We're more upset at the location being so close to a junior high school."

Willow Valley Middle School is only 3/10 of a mile away.

Mike Malm: "That's my concern, the possibility of what could happen, which hopefully won't ever happen, but I don't want to take that risk."

Residents are also upset confidentiality laws won't allow them to know who and why someone is at the academy. Cache County's attorney is looking at drafting ordinances to regulate the school.