Show 7 Best Available Copy SUM Friday February 27 2004 A3 Local state arid regional news In brief By Holli Welts staff writer Summerfest looking for talented locals The Logan Parks and Recreation Department is accepting applications from talented locals for the first annual “Quest for the Best for Summerfest” Anyone interested in the talent search that will take place on June S at Willow Park in Logan must register by Monday April 19 Offi- cial entry forms rules and regulations are available at ' ' Cache County and Logan city school districts' Transportation Safety Committee recommends that parents students and drivers follow these school bus safety rules: Have children put everything they carry in a backpack or bag so they won't drop things along the way Children should walk in groups to the bus stop or should be accompa- nied by an adult or older child Walk on the sidewalk if there is one If there's not walk single file as dose to the edge of the roaa as possible facing traffic Stop and look left right and left Logan school districts’ buses Crookston watched as a white Ford Ranger side passed the bus on the right-han- d “I checked my mirrors before I opened the doors and watched to see that all the cars were stopped” Crookston said “Just as the boy started the truck decided to pass My heart just dropped” Things seemed to be going in slow motion as the student descended the stairwell to step onto the street he said “I didn't want to yell because there was a chance he would freeze instead of move” Crookston said Just as the truck whizzed past the wwwloganutahorgparksrecSpe-cialEventsQuestForTheBestht- -- Basic rules to follow when around a school bus Several years ago — sometime during his 20 years as a bus driver — Ed Crookston saw a truck narrowly miss hitting a child From the driver’s seat behind the wheel of one of Cache County and Entries should be returned to the Logan Rec Center 100 W' 195 South Logan Winners of the talent search will receive a $300 paid appearance at the 2004 Summerfest Art Fair and Music Festival held June 17 through 19 at the LoganCache County Fairgrounds Each winner will also receive the opportunity to play'or sing at a local restaurant a demo CD recording session air time on a local radio station and a KSM Guitar gift certificate bus the boy turned back up into the' stairwell to pick up something he had dropped on his way out“He looked up at me and said ‘If I didn’t drop this that car would have hit me”' Crookston said putting his again before crossing a street Use crosswalks when available Stand 10 feet (five giant steps) away from the road while waiting for the bus Stay at least 1 0 feet (five giant steps) away from the bus until the dri- ver signals that it is safe to cross Cross 10 feet in front of the bus so the driver can see you If you drop something don’t pick it Tel the driver and the driver will up decide what to do If you decide to meet your child at foe bus stop wait on the side where the child will be exiting the bus not - hand to his chest “It just made my heart stop” As a member of the districts’ ' transportation safety commission Crookston is trying to pircvent dri- ' vers from making mistakes like the - ' across the street Children can be so excited to see you that they dash across the street and forget safety rujes When a bus1 amber lights are flashing foe area becomes a school zone The speed Imit decreases to 20 mph When a bus' red lights are flashing and the bus has stopped on a two-lan- e road all traffic must stop On a four-lan- e road the bus will pull off the side of foe road and traffic should slow down If a bus cannot pud off traffic behind the bus must stop Never try to pass a stopped school bus person behind the wheel of the Ford Ranger made that day “I don’t believe that anyone would do something to intentionally hurt a See SAFETY on A8 On campus The true Burning program Franklin County to art of regulate junk cars extended 2 weeks The Bear River Health Department is extending its “Red Yellow restric-tio- n and Green” weeks two another program as continuing winter weather con- ditions could lead to more days with unhealthy air pollution levels The program usually runs from Nov l to March 1 but will be extended to March 14 “Conditions still exist for inversions to happen and for pollution ' levels to go up” said Grant Koford environmental health scientist at the Bear River Health Department The “Red Yellow and Green” program has been ini affect for several years along the Wasatch Front and became mandatory in Cache County last year Each light indi- cates'a level of air quality that dicg tates the use of staves fireplaces and other sources of unclean combustion and the daily advisory is reported through local media A green light day means condi- tions are satisfactory for burning a yellow light means burning is allowed only if necessary and burning is not allowed on red light days: wood-burni- ' : By Mark Randall staff writer ng ' PRESTON — The county will start inspecting yards again for junk cars this spring to make sure residents are cleaning them up Sheriff Don Beckstead told commissioners that he plans to make follow-u- p calls to known trouble spots once the snow melts “We haven’t done anything with that because of the adverse weather” Beckstead said “I’ll get back on it as soon as I am able to see them again” Commissioners last summer approved an ordinance limit- 'ing the number of junk cars that can be stored on a proper-ty to no more than two unless they are registered or stored in an enclosed building or behind a fence Tbe county mailed out notices to 42 homes that had junk cars advising (hem that they needed to comply with the law or risk being cited by the sheriff and fined $300 Commissioner Craig wood-burnin- : ' ' sight-obscuri- Brent StevenisHeraJd Journal Utah State engineering students Robert Aston left and Daryl Anderson prepare their machines for foe ition for Engineering Week's annual competitions Thursday night 1 w Pow-Wo- w Tacos' will run from 7 to and from noon to tonight pm 1 1 pm Saturday with a break from 5 to 6 pm Many different Western tnbes will be represented in costume and dance All are wel- come All proceeds go to the Native American Student Council - The poW-wo- w 11 Correction Chili runs cook-o- ff from 4 to 7 pm 'Ait item in Thursday’s Happenings contained an error The correct time for the chili cook-of- f to benefit the Children’s Justice Center is 4 to 7 pm on Saturday ' " ' School Min tip? Call educstion reporter Holli Weiii ' 75M121Eit3 o robot compet- - Annual Pow-Woheld today Saturday Utah State University’s Native American Student Council is sponsoring the 3 1st annual Echoing Traditional Ways today and Saturday 7 Grand entries will be at 7 tonight and at noon and6 pm Saturday ' Admission is $3 per person ($2 with a can of food) $1 for senior citizens and students with ID arid free for children under 8 Vendors will be selling Native American jewelry and Navajo mini-Sum- : USU students use week to compete for fun prizes By Anin Brunson staff writer night made the air more dense for partici-panwater bottle said but it didn’t dampen their enthusiasm for the outdoor event In one room of the engineering building the fastest fingers in the West faced off in a calculator quick- draw competition to solve complicat- ed equations In another room highly technical robots with complex designs and software squared off with a primitive goal — to knock their v ' competitors put of the ring The event was standing- room only for the diverse crowd which included friends family and local Cub Scout trpops: rocket-launchi- ng The new engineering building at ' Utah State University was likely the wildest place in town Thursday night Students competed for fun for prizes' and cash rewards as well as for the ultimate titles Geek of the Week Engineering Week at USU held annually in conjunction with the bjrth-da- y ofAmerica’s first engineer George Washington features competitions in catapulting pinewood derby car racing magnetic cannon launching and much more " A mix of rain and snow Thursday ' ts See JUNK on A8 mihi-Sum- : : ng engineering senior Zach Casper said he had fun and learned a lot designing building and writing software for his named Poo Dawg robotaffcctioriately ' “You always think that the code that 'you wrote was the best until you see somebody else’s” Casper said of the machine that he programmed to push other robots away while simultane- ously avoiding a white boundary line The stakes were high for the robotics competitors who invested dozens " - See ENGINEER bn A9 Franklin looks to finalize garbage fees By Mark Randall v staff writer Man found didn’t earn any prize’money electrical " crowd-pleasi- o robot Although his at standard 500 in a weighing grams - unable to stand trial right now By Jason Borgroan staff writer ' ' The case of a Hynun maii accused of sexu- ally abusing a young girl has been postponed after doctors' ' diagnosed him as incompetent 'tet participate in court proceed-ing- s: - - PRESTON V County commission- ers may allow residents up to 1000 pounds of free garbage and charge a fee for any amount over that Commissioners are in the processof putting the final (ouch on garbage rates for the new county landfill Residents will continue to pay $7 a month for county garbage service but commis-sionesay they may raise rates for businesses that are producing more garbage and are still debating what to V charge for dead animals f “None of this is firm yet” said V Commissioner Craig Thomas “It 7 wouldn’t be fair to increase the basic $75 a household Instead we want the responsibility to go on those who ale ' the landfill more That’s why we ' using to a fee”’ v 7 go may The county stalled a county-wid- e rs ' y'' Riverdale landfill set aside specifically the disposal of dead animals Cache County recently did away with their policy of charging for dead animals after finding that carcasses were being dumped illegally in parts of the county 7 Commissioner Paul Campbell also a dairyman said he would rather see residents bring their deaid animals to die landfill to be property disposed of 7 An evaluation done by two doctors states that Fred Orton Smith suffers from dementia head trauma artxiety and marijuana abuse and is unable to assist legal counsel in prepar-fog his case his attorney Bar-bara Lachmar said Thursday An evidentiary hearing in Smith's ease was postponed Thursday by 1st District Court Judge Clint S Judkins because Of the diagnosis: v Smith is charged with two counts of first-degrfelony ' sodomy of a child five counts of felony aggra- - : vated sexual abuse of a child a third-degrfelony each of deeding hvmful material to a See FEES on A8 See COURT on A8: “None of this is firm yet V we want the responsibility to go on those who are using the landfill more That’s why we may go to a fee" Commissioner Craig Thomas garbage program last fall and has since Jopened a new “id landfill in Riverdale Officials are still tiding to formulate a policy on dead animals in this largely agricultural county They're leaning toward allowing each operation 1000 pounds for free and $25 a ton for any-- : -- be to allow 12 dead animals a for free and charge $15 for eveiy' yem ' 7'animal after that : the area at has an The 7 county f - : : 7' ee first-degr- ee ee |