Weekly News Roundup from the Hard News Café (Sept. 23, 2012)

 
News about Cache Valley and USU
from the Department of Journalism & Communication 
September 23, 2012

 All the Local News:
Politics are heating up as governor, legislative candidates come to Logan. Scarecrows link Nibley and its British sister-city. Burning boats, pioneer descendants in Richmond, Mendon water woes, USU ‘weirdoes,’ remembering 9/11, Logan #3 college town in the U.S.? ATV News . . . and more












SMOKE GETS IN MY EYES—Nevada wildfires have been filling Cache Valley with smoke this week. (Ted Pease photo)


CACHE VALLEY NEWS

North Logan council, planning commission work on city center details
September 22nd, 2012 
By Jessica Sonderegger
NORTH LOGAN—The City Council and the Planning Commission met together Thursday night in a workshop setting, attempting to settle some uncertainties associated with the City Center Project. “Our role is to take direction and then plan it,” said Planning Commission member Chris Nelson. “We’ll move forward to make it happen, but we have to have direction.”

Macey’s offers helpful class for your garden zucchini explosion
September 22nd, 2012 

Story & photo by Dani Hayes
PROVIDENCE—The smell of freshly baked chocolate zucchini bread wafted through Macey’s grocery store Wednesday night, enhancing customers’ mundane shopping experience. “This is my first time teaching,” said Sarah Wall, the evening’s teacher. “My favorite thing to do is to bake, especially from scratch.”





Utah legislative hopefuls showcase positions at USU debate
September 21st, 2012
Story & Photos by D. Whitney Smith

LOGAN—Limiting rights to carry concealed firearms in churches or on a university campus is one issue District 4 legislative candidates Doug Thompson and Ed Redd disagreed on during Wednesday night’s debate in the USU Conference Center. “I feel very uncomfortable knowing that somebody might be sitting next to me in church with a gun,” said Thompson, a Democrat and former 8-year mayor of Logan. “It just seems incongruous, going into a place to worship and talk about peace and love and having a weapon there.” Redd, a Republican and physician, disagreed. “At the end of the day, people need to be able to protect themselves if they feel like they’re going to be attacked.”

Large animals OK on R1 lots in Smithfield, Planning Commission says 
September 21st, 2012 
By Katie Swain
SMITHFIELD—A major change to animal regulations in residential (R1) zones was approved unanimously Sept. 19 by the city Planning Commission. The ordinance will allow people who have previously had large animals, but lost them for a time, to re-introduce those animals onto their residential property.

Richmond Relic Hall a ‘labor of love’ for pioneer woman’s descendants
September 19th, 2012
Story & photo by Heidi Vaughan

RICHMOND — Every old city has its stories and a rich array of heritage. Often hidden under the dust of years and forgotten by newer generations, these gems can be lost forever. Lifetime Richmond residents Marie Lundgreen and Cheri Housley have what Housley calls “the vision of history.” Lundgreen calls their volunteering efforts a labor of love.




Scarecrow fest marks Nibley’s sister-city bond with English village
September 16th, 2012
Story & photos by Danielle Manley

NIBLEY—A homemade figure made of straw and old rags stared back at families gathering for a new local tradition—a scarecrow festival. The almost forgotten 19th century tradition was revived in Nibley when the city organized its first scarecrow festival Sept. 7 and 8, in honor of its sister city in the United Kingdom, North Nibley. “North Nibley has a festival every year,” said Bob Sidwell, president of the Sister City Club. “That’s what started this.” Utah’s Nibley formed its relationship with its British sister city North Nibley in March.








Smithfield fundraising run ‘more work than cookie dough,’ but worth it
September 16th, 2012
By Katie Swain
SMITHFIELD—Birch Creek, Summit and Sunrise elementary schools raised $35,000 at their third annual Tri School Trot on Sept. 14 event. Students went door to door before the event to ask neighbors, friends and family for money pledges for each lap they walked or ran around the Sky View High School track. Despite the heat, 300 students, teachers and parents queued up behind the starting line in brightly colored T-shirts, breaking through the crepe-paper starting ribbon and starting around the track.

Richmond says thanks to volunteers with an annual barbecue
September 16th, 2012 

Story & photo by Heidi Vaughan
RICHMOND—More than meetings, being a member of the City Council in Richmond requires going that extra mile: to barbecues, for example. A smiling Mayor Mike Hall explained the purpose of the city’s annual barbecue. “This is just one way we can kind of pass along a thank you to them.” Between 800 and 1,000 residents turn out for the community BBQs.






Mendon residents will have more water soon, but well’s not ready yet
September 14th, 2012
By Brandon Fonda
MENDON—Water supply has been an increasing problem in Mendon because of new housing developments. Residents voiced concerns about the lack of irrigation and culinary water at a recent City Council meeting. Mayor Ed Buist says a new well is being dug and will be available for public use soon. “Water is the biggest issue in Mendon,” said Al Snyder, a member of Cobblestone Home Owners Association, a development south of Mendon.

Short-term rental house proposed to Providence zoning commission
September 14th, 2012
By Dani Hayes
PROVIDENCE—The Planning and Zoning Commission is considering amending the city’s zoning regulations to permit short-term rentals. Commissioners was concerned about short-term renting because it closely resembles hotels and motels, businesses that are only allowed in a commercial area.“We need to be cautious because what we will be allowing is an informal lodging house,” city administrator Skarlet Bankhead said.

Waste bin trashers in N. Logan can be fined $1,000, council says
September 8th, 2012   
By Jessica Sonderegger
NORTH LOGAN—An ordinance revision passed unanimously Wednesday night by the City Council could result in a $1,000 fine for those who abuse the city-owned waste receptacles. “This is why,” said City Administrator Jeff Jorgensen, displaying a picture of an overflowing bulk green-waste container surrounded by cardboard boxes.

Nibley resets public hearing on electronic signs for Sept. 26
September 7th, 2012 
By Danielle Manley
NIBLEY—Responding to a resident’s request, the Planning and Zoning Commission decided has postponed a public hearing on electronic signs to Wednesday, Sept. 26. The concern was lack of public notification. “My problem with this is that this is a public hearing and the public was not notified,” resident Barbara Willden said. “This is not a planned meeting. I don’t think anyone knows you’re doing this.”

Joe’s boat bursts into flames—in his driveway!
August 14th, 2012 
Video by Ted Pease

LOGAN—Joe Kimpeld was in his house this afternoon around 4 p.m. when a neighbor pounded on his door.“Your boat’s on fire!” Kimpeld, of 942 Evergreen Terrace in east Logan, a block from the USU cemetery, was fully aflame in his driveway. He tried the hose, but quickly decided to tow the boat, a 20-foot inboard/outboard, into the street. Good thing: Kimpeld’s driveway is about 25 feet wide, and a burning boat could easily have spread flames to his house and his neighbor’s. The Logan Fire Department arrived quickly, but the boat is a total loss. See dramatic YouTube video


USU NEWS

Aggie journalists to report Oct. 3 on Ethiopia’s hope, heartbreak
September 8th, 2012 

LOGAN—A year ago, Utah State journalism Professor Matthew LaPlante traveled to Ethiopia and brought back heart-wrenching stories of tribal traditions of infanticide. This time, LaPlante took three Aggie journalism students with him to follow up on stories of life in the impoverished East African nation.LaPlante and his fellow journalists—students MacKinzie Hamilton, Danielle Manley and Dale Nichols—will talk about what they found in the first Morris Media & Society Lecture of the year, “Ethiopia: Telling stories in the land of hope & heartbreak” on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. in the new Agriculture Building auditorium, Room 101, on the USU campus. The event is free and open to the public.


ATV News
September 19, 2012
LOGAN—It’s Ag Week on the USU campus. Meanwhile, Logan City and its residents struggle over a plan to enclose canals in pipes. Can you get free energy from water? How strong is spider silk? USU sets a land speed record, but the car's fuel could give YOU gas. The Top of Utah Marathon, USU sports, weather, and more.

‘What do I do?’ Nontraditional students in the dark at USU
September 23rd, 2012
 By Kelsie Davis
LOGAN—Tammy Neilson didn’t realize it would be this tough to come back to school. “I can’t retain as much information as I used to, and the time constraints are sometimes overwhelming,” said the 42-year-old single mother of two teenage girls, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Utah State University. “Working full time, taking care of my kids and going to school—sometimes it’s all too much.”

Diné Tah and Joe Hill: Books on the Navajo and labor leader win awards
September 23rd, 2012 
By Natasha Bodily

LOGAN—A first-time memoir author and a biographer are winners of this year’s Evans Biography and Handcart Awards, coordinated by Utah State University’s Mountain West Center for Regional Studies. Alwin Girdner, author of Diné Tah: My Reservation Days 1923-1939, said his book grew out of bedtime stories he told his children about the years he lived on a Navajo reservation in Arizona near the Four Corners.


No paycheck yet for many hopeful USU students
September 15th, 2012
By Misty Inglet
LOGAN—Student after student filed into Utah State University’s Career Services Center in August. All of them were looking for the same thing: an on-campus job. Nearly 8,000 students applied. Fewer than 2,000 were successful. Aimee Cobabe was among the unfortunate ones. “I’ve applied for several different positions already and only gotten just one interview,” she said. “It was very frustrating.”

JCOM alum comes home with his new book, ‘Housekeeper’s Son’
September 23rd, 2012

By Natasha Bodily 
Photo by Delayne Locke 
Special from The Utah Statesman
LOGAN—In 277 pages, USU alumnus Christopher Loke takes a reader on a journey of mystery and murder and addresses the blur between right and wrong in the author’s first novel, The Housekeeper’s Son. Loke came back to USU for a book-signing at the USU Bookstore, a homecoming for the 2005 master’s graduate in journalism. During his time in Cache Valley, Loke said several of his professors influenced his writing and prepared him to enter the writing world.






Democratic guv candidate Cooke: ‘Take back control of your state’
September 12th, 2012   
By D. Whitney Smith

LOGAN—State voters want economic growth, improved education—both K-12 and higher ed—and better air quality, but, first, says Utah gubernatorial candidate Peter Cooke, Utahns need to take back control of their state, which is what he says he will do if elected. Democrat Cooke, a USU alumnus and retired two-star Army general, spoke at a town hall forum sponsored by the College Democrats and the USU Institute of Government and Politics. “I hope that my candidacy allows others to believe that you can be a Democrat, you can be a Mormon—which is important—you can be in the military, which is part of my defense background, and you can be in small business,” Cooke said in an interview after the event.







We remember: 11 years later, wounds of 9/11 still fresh in U.S. culture
September 11th, 2012 

By Natasha Bodily
LOGAN—Today marks the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Despite the passage of time, Al Quaeda’s assaults continue to affect American life, politics and culture.
Last year, on the 10-year anniversary of the World Trade Center’s destruction, USU history professor Ross Peterson shared his and many others’ experiences and memories of the national tragedy. In his speech, Peterson quoted Thomas Bailey, a Stanford historian: “The truth is often less important than what people think is the truth.”




‘Meet the weirdos,’ dean urges students at USU opening event
August 28th, 2012 
By D. Whitney Smith
LOGAN—Self-described “weirdos” and other students, faculty and friends of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences gathered Monday night at the Amphitheatre on Old Main Hill for the 2nd annual Light on the Hill ceremony to welcome the start of a new school year at Utah State University. The theme of the event—“Meet the Weirdos”—referenced CHaSS Dean John Allen’s Last Lecture convocation last spring, which he reprised by urging incoming freshmen and returning students to reach outside their comfort zones by connecting with people they may not otherwise affiliate with outside the university setting. “I really believe that if you build community, positive things come from that,” Allen said.

OPINION

Logan, Utah, makes top-10 (we’re #3!) list of best college towns in U.S.
August 28th, 2012

By Ted Pease
This is exactly how gossip and rumor and “rankings” work in both academe and the “information age,” but I’ll play along. Why not? The Chronicle of Higher Education—that stalwart standard for colleges and universities—has succumbed like everyone/everything else to blogging and tweeting and gossip of all sorts. (Well, that’s unfair: academics have always been great and petty gossips, a tradition going back for—well, I’d pick an arbitrary span, but the academic nitpickers would tear me up.) The Chronicle of Higher Ed website reports that Logan, Utah—has anyone heard of it?—ranks No. 3 nationwide in a new survey.

Aggie journalism prof’s Washington Post article foreshadows Ethiopian leader’s death
August 25th, 2012 
USU JCOM Professor Matthew D. LaPlante led a team of Aggie student journalists to Ethiopia this summer. When they got back, he published this piece in The Washington Post about worries over Ethiopia’s leadership. Within weeks, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi was acknowledged to have died. LaPlante’s piece from the Post, three weeks earlier, is prescient.

Aggie Reports from Ethiopia: Olympic Dreams, Empty Pockets
August 16th, 2012

By Danielle Manley
Courtesy of ThePostGame.com
KERSA ELALA, Ethiopia—Kababa Alemu’s feet pound the wet soil as he rounds a makeshift track for the 10th time.It’s a Saturday afternoon in the village of Kersa Elala, in western Ethiopia, and dozens of townspeople, returning from church services, have stopped on the side of the road to watch the 20-year-old runner as he races around the muddy loop.
 



SPORTS

Mountain Crest girls trounce Logan in volleyball region play  
September 17th, 2012 
By Curtis Lundstrom
LOGAN — Kicking off region play on the road, the Mountain Crest girls volleyball team picked up a win against valley rival Logan, 25-16, 25-23, 20-25, 25-15 Thursday. The Mustangs jumped all over the Grizzlies early, using strong serving to race to a two sets to none lead. Katie Harvey had solid performance on both offense and defense for Mountain Crest, recording a double double with 18 kills and 10 blocks.


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Department of Journalism & Communication
Utah State University
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