Show ' EDITION calls 111 WWWSANPETEMESSENGERCOM NUMBER 24 4223(3' Snowrain 3925 Cloudy Friday - 4320 Snowrain 3717 Saturday Cloudy Last Week’s Weather J Anderson Reported by Lee Date Max Dec 20 Dec 21 Dec 22 23 Dec 24 Dec 25 Dec Dec 26 48 35 26 22 26 35 37 Min 18 Prec Snow “ - 16 14 tr 14 03 MANTI UTAH Fraud and failure at the former Bank of Ephraim tops this year's list of Sanpete Messenger news stories A poll of Sanpete Messenger reporters and editors ranked the bank stories as the most important of the year placing them well ahead of others that were considered including admissions of misconduct by public officials the return of local servicemen from Iraq the clubbing deaths of 000 turkeys and a forest over fire that lead the front page for three weeks straight The final top ten list follows: 12” Ephraim ©Batik ofand fraud 8 18 On May 6 the Messenger arfollowed up on a ticle in the Salt Fake Tribune say ing that the bank was in trouble Bank of Ephraim President Keith Church defended the bank’s soundness in the May 6 story as well as in a that appeared a week later In that same issue containing Church’s letter to the editor the first story appeared about a federal investigation of em- bezzlement at the bank Two weeks later federal bank fraud charges had been handed down against Randy McArthur a former employee of a the bank and Dean Johnson who lived friend of McArthur's in the Salt Lake City area In early June the embezzlement was determined to have been nearly $5 million an amount that put the already struggling bank into the red On June 25 the bank closed leaving 65 uninsured depositors how much of $48 questioning million they had in bank deposits would be returned to them McArthur and Johnson pleaded guilty to the charges and against them in September at last report the bank's uninsured depositors had received 82 percent of their deposits back Just when it seemed that problems growing out of the embezzlement and bank closure were being resolved another cident surfaced Charges were filed against Laurie Ludvigson for embezzling at least $50000 while she worked at the bank Ludvigson's initial court date has not yet been set Sentencing of McArthur and Johnson is sentenced for Jan 14 © DECEMBER 29 2004 during the time Ephraim City clerk embezzlement Embezzlement was the centerpiece of the number two story as well Nearly a year ago Wendy Hansen was escorted out of her clerk’s office at Ephraim City Hall and placed on administrative leave pending resolution of 42 charges of communications fraud and two charges public monies of misuse of The charges stemmed from checks that Hansen had deposited into her personal account Among them checks were written to Ephraim City or to the Sanpete County Cooperative Landfill and city or landfill checks not coming from regular payroll accounts Hansen had' worked as of the landfill she was the Ephraim City clerk Hansen has maintained that then Ephraim Gary Anderson mayor and also chairman of the landfill board had authorized the deposits as some kind of compensation However in September she pleaded guilty to a bargained-dowdeal of only the misuse of public monies charges In return (or her guilty plea Sanpete County Attorney Ross Blackham promised to not recommend jail time (pending the satisfaction of other conditions) scheduled for at her sentencing Jan 12 in Sixth District Court See “Top 10" on A2 Film studio envisioned for Sanpete O Manti hosts New Year's dance Mtnti City and the Manti LDS Stake are sponsoring a party to bring in the New Year from 9 Manti WEDNESDAY Bank failure tops 2004 news Wednesday Thursday - Mr VALLEY mouse VOL r' GUNNISun Sanpete Doc makes r- - By John Hales Stall writer pm - am in the High School “old” MT PLEASANT — Sanpete County seems an unfeature film studio but that's likely location lor a just the goal Dean Eleven - owner of! he Illusion Acada and graphic emy computer arts company in Ml Pleasant —envisions for his company Kleven an illustrator and business paitner Bryan Spencer a graphic designer will lake a big step toward that goal next week when their company begins to oiler public classes and woikshops intended to teach the basics of graphic design The live band gymnasium will perform “Saddlestrings" Admission is $2 at the door or $5 for a table seat ($40 for an entire table only 16 tables are available) To reserve tickets call or Kleven says his goal is and only one of those prongs is getting into the motion picture industry The other is employing local people as much as possible That however can only he done il local people aie trained in the necessary areas By ollering classes in those areas Kleven hopes to instill people with an interest and a desire to pursue further training O Party will pay tribute to Tolkien A special New Year’s tribute to JRR Tolkien will be held at The Illusion Academy (180 N State St Mt Pleasant) The party will start at 10 am and end with a grand finale just before midnight The event is free and will include games and media Food (lunch presentations dinner and snacks) will be available for purchase Illusion Academy classes and woikshops for both adults and children include instruction in watcivolor painting 3D animation digital photography giaphic design website design basic diawing cartooning anil an brushing to name a few The classes are not only a means to an end but Kleven says that they are also an effort to give back to the community “When was in college" lie says “1 had some that really took me under their wing and I liked wanted to do the same thing someday" Mentoring others was in the back ot Ins mind when he purchased what used to be the industrial ails building at the old high school in Mt Pleasant for use as a studio Quote of the that Year “We're not going under-f- ar from it ” - Former Bank of Ephraim President Keith Church refuting charges in early May that the bank was having financial difficulties the Utah Dept By of Financial Institutions declared the bank insolvent Opinions Lifestyle Business Classifieds A4 A5 A9 All UVahPre Utah Press Association General Excellence winner 1999 2001 - 2002 - 2003 See ‘What ifs’ haunt family of Gunnison By Kathy Lin 10-year-- Staff writer GUNNISON— “If your child will do good in school or having them break a bone — those are things I worried about" says Carrie Wilson of Gunnison “but never in my life did ever think would have to worry about something like this” For Wilson a loving protective mother the death of her son Ronald “Buster” Schow by hanging was beyond her wildest thoughts Her children had spent Saturday Dec 18 playing and roughhousing “They had been doing the kind of things that hul the house more than anything else” Wilson said with a mom's knowing smile When Buster's little sister bumped into him he responded too roughly and they started ar- - Ronald “Buster” Schow “I told him and his little ‘Go to your rooms until your dad comes home and then you can talk about it’” When dad went to talk to Buster he found the door locked Buster would not respond so the dad pushed the door in The police department and EMS personnel responded to guing sister what was reported as a possible suicide They did everything possible to revive the boy Then they transported him to Gunnison Valley Hospital where he was pronounced dead “I could have seen it" says Buster’s mom “if he wasn’t doing good in school or didn't have any friends but that wasn't the way it was with Buster" “He was just a sweet sweet boy” says Darlene Agrcn who lives a few houses away and whose son was in Buster’s class Everyone who knows Buster echoes this statement Buster w us the kind of kid people liked A speaker at the funeial talked about how Buster liked to do favors for neighbors Once he found an cldeily neighbor who had fallen and got help Buster enjoyed playing out See “Buster” on Draper pleads guilty in auto accident old Eggleston ‘illusion Academy" on A2 By Suzanne Dean Publisher MANTI -- An man who is now in a care center has pleaded guilty to negligent homicide and admitted in court papers that he shouldn't have been diivmg the day he struck and killed a woman in Mt Pleasant Miles Diaper formerly of Mt Pleasant but now confined in Heritage Hills Rehabilitation and Care Center pleaded guilty to a single Class A misdemeanor charge Dec 15 in Sixth District Court The charge stemmed from an accident last August in which Diaper who was driving Ins 1979 Lincoln along 7(X) East in Ml Pleasant struck and killed Madge Snedgar 64 Snedgar w as w alking dow n the middle of the street Investigating officers said that because she was deaf she couldn't hear the car coming and get out ot the way Diaper entered his plea and admitted to negligence by affidavit written "Ills caregivers have absolutely to authorize his tclease" from the nursing home Paul his Frischknecht told Judge attorney David Mower Diaper’s doctors say he has a serious heart ailment At the tune o( the accident Draper said he hadn't seen Snedgar lie later told Irischknccht he thought he had Int a post or other object in the road Aftei running over Snedgar he continued to his home “My physical condition including my eyesight was See “Draper” on A3 A 9 |