| OCR Text |
Show C M C M Y K Y K 75¢ Counter Copy Price Gunnison Valley Edition WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2008 VOL. 87 • NUMBER 1 Sanpete Weather FORECAST High/Low Chance precip. Wednesday 39/15, Fair...........................0% Thursday 39/13, Flurries poss...........15% Friday 33/14, Flurries poss...........10% Saturday 36/12, Flurries poss...........20% Much of Moroni Feed’s Company’s turkey plant became idle late this year after financial hardship forced the company to suspend operations and lay-off more than 400 workers. Last Week’s Weather Economy tops Sanpete’s 2008 news Weather Data courtesy Ted OIson Date Dec. Dec. Dec. Dec. Dec. Dec. Dec. 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 At Max. Min. Snow 36 27 39 26 29 21 32 23 3 -2 15 8 -3 13 4” a 1” 2.5” Moroni Feed, Snow College layoffs head list of Top 10 stories Editor’s Note: Publisher Suzanne Dean reviewed last year’s newspapers and drew up an initial list of 18 top story topics. Associate Publisher Lloyd Call, Managing Editor John Hales and Associate Editor Christian Probasco, along with Dean, submitted the picks for top 10 in rank order. The rankings of the four journalists were averaged to come up with the final list. Glance CENTERFIELD A11 Community care center completes move A5 EPHRAIM By Suzanne Dean Ephraim man turns coyote calling hobby into growing business A4 MANTI Local player named to all-PAC 10 academic team A2 As 2008 began, we at the Sanpete Messenger wondered where the news had gone. Nothing seemed to be happening. FAYETTE Town purchases new signs for north, south ends of town A8 Publisher SPRING CITY A14 Council receives historic preservation funds You said It! Quote of the Year “She spent her last day with her customers and friends, sharing her love with them until the end.” #1 - Moroni Feed shutdown In late June, Moroni Feed Co., the county’s largest employer, announced General Excellence winner In September, county commissioners decided to apply for a $10$14 million emergency economic development funds from the Utah Community Impact Board (CIB) to help with startup costs after the shutdown period ended. (The CIB said “no.”) To date, no government aid has come through. In an interview after his appointment as CEO, Barton described himself as “concerned but confident,” but conceded that Moroni Feed faced “a unique time we’ve never been through before.” (See “Top 10” on A3) celebrate 150 years By Karen Prisbrey Staff writer GUNNISON—A vehicle accident this fall involving a station wagon, a Head Start bus and a diesel tanker tested the response of Gunnison Valley Hospital and other emergency personnel. On Oct. 28, Boyce Mulder and Kevin Conover, UDOT employees, were working at the bottom of the hill at the intersection of S.R. 28 and U.S. 89 when the accident occurred. Members of the Gunnison Fire Department, both men went immediately to the scene. “We were shocked to see the whole front of the bus missing, and the bus driver sitting below the driver’s seat on the ground,” Mulder said. “We didn’t know how badly he was hurt, but he seemed to be unconscious, so when we heard the children crying and calling for their mothers, we went to the back of the bus in order to get to them through the emergency door.” The bus had turned on its side, and children were dangling sideways in their seats, held in place by their fivepoint harness seat belts. The bus aide, Donna Stanton, was pinned between two seats. The driver of the station wagon, Don Kitchell, who was later found at fault in the accident, was uninjured, and By Karen Prisbrey Staff writer by the Sanpete County Sheriff’s Office. Medical personnel and the SWAT team at CUCF (Central Utah Correctional Facility) also responded. In addition to Gunnison, ambulances were dispatched from Manti, Ephraim and Salina. Two helicopters, one to attend pediatric patients, and one to attend adults, were also dispatched. GUNNISON—A grand cavalcade of events to celebrate the establishment of the Gunnison Valley will begin at the New Year’s Eve celebration this evening at Gunnison Valley High School. Prices for the event are $10 for adults, and $5 for children ages 5 and up. Children under 5 are free. Advance tickets can be purchased at Gunnison City Hall, Ace Hardware, and Gunnison Implement Co., or they can be purchased at the door the night of the event. Activities for the evening include dinner, which will be served from 6-8 p.m. and feature homemade soups, hot chocolate and cider. The Cadillacs a cappella group will entertain the crowd with two performances, one at 7 p.m. and another at 9 p.m. Hailing from Utah Valley and the Wasatch front, the group is (See “Hospital” on A1) (See “150 Years” on A1) KAREN PRISBREY / MESSENGER PHOTO Joe Mellor and BoWynn Ashworth were on duty in the lab preparing trays to check blood chemistries of the patients as they arrived at the hospital. had also climbed into the back of the bus to begin retrieving children from their seats. Each of the children was quickly assessed for injuries, wrapped in a blanket by emergency responders and passersby at the scene, and told to sit together against a fence until additional help arrived. EMTs, fire department members, and extrication experts were dispatched Countdown to the Crown Sanpete can vote for its own in Miss America show By Bob Bahlmann Sports writer —Jim Housekeeper, a neighbor and caregiver, at the funeral of Lillie Thomas. on May 21 Utah Press Association a series of 90-day closures, beginning with breeder farms, then the hatchery and finally the processing plant. About 400 people would be laid off, at least temporarily. Kent Barton, company spokesman at the time and now acting CEO, explained that corn, the main ingredient in turkey feed, was being channeled into federally subsidized ethanol production. The price of corn tripled, making it impossible to raise a turkey and sell it at a profit. In late August, Sen. Bob Bennett met with company and community leaders and promised to try to find federal loans to help Moroni Feed with cash flow. Fall bus accident tests response Gunnison gears up to of Gunnison Valley Hospital MAYFIELD Bus driver recovers from injuries in October crash But as the year progressed, the news volume increased, dominated by the slumping national economy, which contributed to layoffs at Moroni Feed and Snow College. Throw in an unusual number of “breaking” stories, and we ended up with as abundant a news year as ever. Following is a look back at the top 10 stories in Sanpete County as selected by four Sanpete Messenger journalists. Kayla (center) with Miss Oregon and Miss Montana. 1999 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 LOS ANGELES—Most Sanpete residents probably never imagined they would be called to be judges for the Miss America Pageant, let alone have the chance to vote for one of their own. For the next four weeks, Sanpete residents can watch and cheer for Miss Utah, Kayla Barclay of Manti, as she participates in a reality TV show prior to the pageant. Last year the TLC television channel, part of the Discovery Television network, joined with Miss America to “give the pageant contestants a ‘reality check.’” The program helped make the 2008 Miss America Pageant one of the most popular ever. This year, “Countdown to the Crown” will give American viewers a chance to help their favorite contestants make it into the final 15 at the pageant on Jan. 24, 2009. The four-part reality series kicks off on TLC Friday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. local time (10 p.m. ET/PT ). Each one-hour episode finds the contestants living on the majestic Queen Mary ocean liner and navigating through a series of team and individual competitions that help them prepare for the pageant and prove they have what it takes to be a modern-day Miss America. Through it all, viewers at home get to know the women and ultimately have a hand in voting four contestants into the pageant. Joining host Tyler Harcott are two consultants, Kym Douglas and Antthony Mark Hankins, who guide the women through their experience. Through the challenges, the 52 contestants are expected to push their personal limits in an effort to win a gold sash, possibly advancing them into the top 15 at the Miss America pageant. (See “Countdown” on A1) C M C M Y K Y K |
