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February 17, 2023 | Vol. 4 Iss. 07 $1.50
Annual Scouting for Food drive kicks off 37th year helping fill pantry shelves
NEWS BREAK Doctors advised to treat childhood obesity earlier The American Academy of Pediatrics released new recommendations advising doctors to treat obesity earlier and more aggressively in children. But eating disorder specialists are sounding the alarm, saying that focusing on weight and BMI instead of health will “perpetuate deep-rooted, damaging stigmas.”
High-paying trade jobs sit empty
STERLING ALLEN STACKS FOOD at the Layton High School food pantry after the Scouting for Food kickoff event. The 5 year old is a Lion in the scouting program. Photo by Becky Ginos
By Becky Ginos becky.g@davisjournal.com LAYTON—More than 400 scouts were mobilized last Saturday to collect food for the 37th annual Scouting for Food drive to fill pantry shelves for those in need. Scout troops, leaders, the National Guard and local sponsors gathered at the Layton High School Food Pantry to kick off the drive that runs through March 3. “We hold this food drive at this time of the year in partnership with the Souper Bowl of Caring which is a statewide program that works to fight hunger,” said Ben Taylor, Crossroads of the West Scout Council Board Member. “Over the next few weeks we are asking the public to help us fill our state’s pantries with nutri-
tious, non-perishable canned and boxed foods by dropping them off at donation sites across the state. The food will then be delivered to food pantries and food banks statewide.” Scouts were at 53 Smith’s stores statewide last week asking customers to buy a little extra food and drop it off at the scout booth as they left, then the Utah National Guard picked it up to deliver to food banks and pantries, he said. “We’re very grateful to Smith’s and the Utah National Guard for the invaluable role they played in Scouting for Food day. There is no other organization in the state that has the manpower, equipment and ability to pick up hundreds of pounds of food donated at the grocery stores.” The scouts are doing a great service, said Tina Murray, Smith’s Food & Drug
Corporate Affairs Manager. “This not only helps families with their physical needs, it takes care of their emotional well being. One in seven people struggle to find their next meal. We need to tackle hunger head on.” “The Utah National Guard is committed to Scouting for Food because these efforts help to unite our communities in the fight against hunger,” said Brigadier General Kurt Davis. “Food is such a basic need that if it is not met it all falls apart. It’s great to see the youth involved in this service project.” Bank of Utah prides itself on being a community bank, said Senior Vice President Roger Christensen. “We know food pantries’ shelves are low this year and so
SALT LAKE CITY— Rep. Ray Ward, R-Bountiful is working on getting a bill through the legislature that would help those with severe disabilities who can’t take care of themselves to move up the list to receive services from the state. HB242 passed the House and was expected to be heard in the Senate by the end of this week. “These services are so important to families,” said Ward. “They get put in misery for life trying to provide care 24-hours a day. They can’t go to work or take care of their other kids.” These are people who are in a really acute situation, Ward said. “They might be physically abusive to family members or pull their pants down in front of their teenage sister.” There are 4,500 people on the waiting list. “Some have been on it for many years,” he said. “The bill would bring more people off the waiting list in a more predictable way.” Ward said they could get 200 people off
REP. RAY WARD, R-BOUNTIFUL on the House floor. Ward is sponsoring a bill that would move those with severe disabilities up the list for services.
Photo by Roger V. Tuttle
the list with the base budget. “It isn’t going to solve the problem year over year but each year we’ve done that it’s added $4.5 million. That’s a lot of money. We have to show the cost in the second year the program is running so the fiscal note is for $9 million.” It’s a big problem and has been for a long
Scientists looking at unknown infections in humans to predict next pandemic For years, scientists have looked for new viruses in wild animals before they can spill over and infect humans, in hopes of preventing the next pandemic. But it's a daunting task, and some researchers wonder if predicting the next pandemic this way is even feasible. That's why they're taking a different approach, and cataloging unknown infections in humans first.
Please see FOOD DRIVE: pg. 2
Bills would help those with disabilities, patients’ access to medical records By Becky Ginos becky.g@davisjournal.com
Graduate high school. Go to college. Get a degree. Get a job. This life trajectory is drilled into young students as the only way to guarantee success in life. Yet, thousands of high-paying trade jobs that require less education sit empty, because many parents remain wary of programs that don't lead to a four-year degree.
time, he said. “These poor families are living in misery. Hopefully we can take care of this.” Ward is also sponsoring HB239 dealing with a patient’s medical records. “It’s so important,” he said. “If you go to IHC then to another IHC the records will be there but if you go to the U of U from IHC they don’t have your records.” There might be duplicate tests that cost the patient money, said Ward. “Bad decisions could be made if they don’t know that you have an allergy to medication. We want hospitals to take care of patients in their systems or maybe through a central database to make those records available in real time. It’s too late after they provide a stack of papers three months later.” The four institutions are IHC, Mountain Star, U of U and Steward Medical, he said. “I know they’re business competitors and they think this is hospital information but it’s the patient’s information. The system is broken. It’s so far past time to be done.” HB239 is still making its way through the legislature but was expected to be on the floor this week. l
Could a future without meetings be possible? Shopify takes “this meeting could have been an email” very seriously. The e-commerce platform has deleted 322,000 hours of meetings in the past month, giving employees time back to be more productive and leaving the world wondering if a future without meetings is possible after all.
Inflation continues, despite relief in some areas
Overall inflation continued apace in January, despite a decrease in housing prices and the prices of some commodities. Gas prices have seen a small uptick over the last several weeks, and average grocery prices have not gone down from the 11% over last year that has held steady during the beginning of the year. Eggs remain a particular sore spot, with a 70% increase over last year in price. Despite the improved job numbers, analysts don’t expect any massive reductions in inflation in the near term.