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Show C M C M Y K Y K 75¢ Counter Copy Price Gunnison Valley Edition www.sanpetemessenger.com VOL. 86 • NUMBER 36 Wyatt reflects on first year at Snow’s helm Sanpete Weather FORECAST High/Low WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2008 Chance precip. Wednesday 78/36, Clear.........................0% Thursday 79/37, Clear.........................0% Enrollment goals emphasized, along with “third merger” of Snow campuses Friday 78/37, Clear.........................0% Saturday 83/40, Clear.........................0% By Suzanne Dean Last Week’s Weather Date Aug. Aug. Aug. Aug. Aug. Aug. Sept. Max. Min. Precip 88 86 87 94 90 87 61 50 49 46 43 48 49 46 .04” .31” 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 At a Glance Gunnison Seniors plan Maple Grove Breakfast A3 Gunnison Stake Young Women’s conference scheduled A3 Gunnison Bulldogs come close to scoring but lose A9 Publisher KEN HANSEN / MESSENGER PHOTO Fernando Montano (right) director of the new Multi-Cultural Center at Snow College at gathering with students and staff who will be using the center. The students are (L-R) Kira Hendrickson of Orem; Alberto Valdez of Taylorsville; David Garcia of Layton; Aurora Palmerin of Ephraim; Professor English Brooks, advisor to the Hispanic Student Association; and (next to Montano) Dennise Montano of Moroni. By Jacob Thomas Staff writer EPHRAIM—Some minority students struggle when they come to Snow College—adjusting to smalltown life or fitting-in with Caucasian students, the majority, can be diffi- cult. Dennise Montano, a Hispanic student attending Snow this year, knows this. “So many [minority] students are by themselves because they just don’t relate,” she says. Now they have a home. The new Multicultural and Service Center Provo Former deputy enters plea, sentenced to treatment By Lora Fielding and Ken Hansen A3 Staff writers Badgers impressive in win over Air Force Prep A9 said —Corrie Lynne Player, in this week’s ‘Heaven Help Us’ column, page A4 Inside Opinions..............A4 Society.................A5 Lifestyle...............A6 School...................A7 Sports...................A9 Wanteds.............A11 Classifieds.......A12 Utah Press Association General Excellence winner 1999 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 aims to make it easier for minorities to feel at home on campus. Housed in a seldom-used student hangout in the Greenwood Student Center, the center will be a place for students of all nationalities and backgrounds to connect and help each other through an often-difficult social transition on campus. The room has both academic and social space. One of the center’s purposes is to direct students toward academic success and even scholarships. Staff is available to help students under(See “Multicultural” on A8) Drugs with street value in millions found, destroyed A2 “I have never seen a kid damaged from too little television. But I’ve seen case after case of television causing everything from behavior problems to serious health impairment.” (See “College” on A8) Multicultural center will help students adjust Manti Open house scheduled for general plan Colorado Springs EPHRAIM—As fall semester started at Snow College, President Scott Wyatt himself was amazed at the pace of change that has occurred during his first year at the school’s helm. “Holy smokes,” he said during an interview Aug. 20. “My plan was to sit tight and observe for a while, but I haven’t done that.” Wyatt was appointed president July 19, 2007, and arrived on campus in late August 2007. One major focus has been administrative reorganization, in- Photo courtesy Richfield Reaper Bryant Johnson, a Sevier County Sheriff’s Deputy, pulls apart separate marijuana plants. probably one of the biggest fields we’ve seen in the state.” Arrested in connection with the Sevier County bust were Efrain Ramirez Lepe, 19, Angel Chavez-Alvarez, 36, Luis Mendoza-Muta, 42, Valentine Ortiz Mendoza, 21, and a 17-year-old juvenile, all from Mexico. The four adults were booked into the Sevier County Jail, and SALINA—Just miles from the Sanpete County line last Wednesday and Thursday, what may be the largest drug bust in Utah history netted a seizure of marijuana with an estimated street value of $8-10 million. The field, located in the White Mountain area northeast of Salina, was just one of several locations hit by federal, state, and local law enforcement officers. Led by Central Utah Narcotics Task Force Commanding Officer Jeff Whatcott, officers found over 18,000 marijuana plants growing near Salina. Officials arrested five men responPHOTO COURTESY SALINA SUN sible for the plants’ cultivation. Confiscated plants are burned by authorities). Along with the plants, investigators found growing equipment, water the juvenile is being held in a detention lines, and camping gear. facility in Richfield. A total of at least 10 “We had a citizen informant that arrests have been made statewide thus far told us about the field, and we’ve been in the operation. investigating this group for the past three One individual arrested in southern months—and real intensely for the past Utah, Ignacio Rodriguez, was key to 10-12 days,” Whatcott said. “We figured the success of the bust. After finding a it was going on, but we didn’t know (See “Marijuana” on A2) exactly where, and individually this is Centerfield sergeant awarded Bronze Star By Karen Prisbrey Staff writer CENTERFIELD—“I don’t know why I was chosen for this award above all the other great soldiers who served at Bucca, but I’m grateful to have received such an honor,” said Staff Sgt. Brady McDonald, upon being presented the Bronze Star medal. Approximately 400 members of the Utah National Guard’s First Battalion 145th Artillery Unit were recognized for their service at a Freedom-Salute Ceremony in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Aug. 24 at Abravanel Hall. Gov. Jon Huntsman, Jr., Utah National Guard leaders, family members and friends of the soldiers took part in a formal ceremony to recognize the KAREN PRISBREY / MESSENGER PHOTO completion of their deployment, and in the awarding of medals and soldier Staff Sgt. Brady McDonald enjoys a relaxing moment with his wife Kayla and their promotions. They also recognized those children Hadley, 4, and Houston, 18 months. who had stayed behind in support of the first from November 2004 through Donald served two months at Samara, them. McDonald, who has been a member November 2005, and the second from Iraq and four months on the border doing patrol between Iran and Iraq, and of the National Guard for eight years, September 2007 to May 2008. During his first tour of duty, Mc- at Kirkuk for five months providing oil has served two tours of duty in Iraq, security. “We would walk the streets on patrol, among the Shiites and Sunnis, and didn’t know who the enemy was,” McDonald said. “Everyone looked and acted the same. The people seemed to know our every movement down to the date and time of our activities.” On one maneuver we were hit by an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). I was about 60 feet from the explosion and wasn’t injured, but three of my buddies were wounded, and one was killed,” McDonald said. The soldier who was killed, from Cedar City, received a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and other awards, which he never saw. “This tour of duty was far more dangerous than being at Bucca, but believe it or not it was less stressful,” McDonald said. “Bucca was a rough place. It was psychologically difficult. We had a lot of rules; we were on duty 12 hours or more each shift, typically from 6-10 days (See “Bronze star” on A2) C M C M Y K Y K |