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April 28, 2023 | Vol. 2 Iss. 17
Covering Your Community
MHS track excels at invitationals Both the boys and girls teams won the 2023 Trojan Invitational.
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MORGAN COUNTY NEWS Since 1929
Governor Cox Visits MHS
By Gwen Romero District Public Information Officer
G
overnor Spencer Cox visited with Morgan High School students and local leaders on Monday to share his concerns for the state, aspirations for the future of Utah, and achievements during his administration. Opening his address to the student body, Cox recounted growing up in Fairview, a community in North Sanpete, and joked that "You guys always beat us" when it came to sports. He also addressed several of his priority concerns for teens, including suicide prevention, mental health, and the impacts of social media. Cox recently signed legislation restricting access to social media for teens. He continued by outlining positive steps the state is taking to support education by increasing funding overall and teacher compensation specifically, emphasizing that teaching is a profession that he hopes more students will pursue. He then shifted gears to focus on how people can solve problems together. As an example, he celebrated the "people who came before us [who] understood there would be drought cycles" and designed our reservoir system and that Utahns have conserved almost twenty billion gallons of water over the past two years. Together, "we're surviving and thriving", Cox said. Cox then invited five MHS students to join him onstage for a Q&A segment. Senior Hannah Cantrall asked the Governor what programs he would prioritize if budget limits were not an issue. He responded with his desire to focus more on education, acknowledging that while Utah is forty-ninth in per pupil spending and has tax revenue limits because sev-
COX on page 2
Biden announces re-election bid President Joe Biden announced that he would seek the Democratic nomination for the presidency again. Support for Biden among Democrats is somewhat weak, with 51% of respondents to a CNN poll saying that would rather vote for someone else, with age cited as the primary reason. Former President Donald Trump is at present the strongest GOP frontrunner, with 46% support of the GOP in the same poll. An overwhelming 70% of respondents say that they would prefer other choices than a rematch of the 2020 election. Ron DeSantis, the presumptive challenger to Trump, has seen a decline in support over the last few weeks.
Treasure trove of Van Halen tracks revealed Eddie Van Halen, world-renowned rock icon, died after a long bout with cancer in 2020. His son Wolfgang and brother Alex have revealed that he left behind a large number of recordings which have never been featured on albums or used professionally. The two hope that a reconciliation with Sammy Hagar, one-time frontman of the band, might be possible to showcase the tunes, but the relationship appears to be frosty.
Yellowstone’s West Gate Officially opens for the season GOV. SPENCER COX speaks to students at Morgan High on Monday. Cox talked about his concerns for the state and aspirations for the future.
Courtesy photo
HOSA club offers jump start into medical careers By Ethan Hoffmann
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hile FFA, FCCLA, and NHS are familiar to most, HOSA is an organization at Morgan High School that not many know about. In context, HOSA stands for “Health Occupation Students of America”. The purpose of the club is to provide future health professionals a jump start on their medical careers. In doing so, the Morgan chapter of HOSA participates in a variety of events throughout the year. They go on campus tours, meet with medical professionals for advice and networking opportunities, explore/identify areas of interest in medicine, compete in events and competitions, and deepen their passion for the health care field of study. “Students who desire or feel that they have the potential to excel in medicine or healthcare of any kind should consider joining HOSA,” commented Michael Ard, Science teacher and advisor of the Morgan chapter. “HOSA exposes them to so many people and places. Opportunities to network and get started on their medical careers are frequent and will benefit them greatly in their future.” The advisors would like to emphasize that whether or not members are actively participating each week, they are always invited and welcome to attend at any time. In addition to Ard, the MHS chapter of HOSA is also advised by Health teacher Kelly Toomer. This year they had a total of fourteen members ranging
NEWS BREAK
On April 21, Yellowstone’s primary access point opened for its official season. The park reported that the rivers are flowing, the animals are out in force, and the park is ready for a busy year. Indeed, bookings for the spring are already above normal amounts as many people exhausted by a long winter are heading out into the wilderness. The full range of park roads are scheduled to be opened on May 12, by which time the winter snow should have finally receded.
Korean President in talks with Biden to deter North Korea from using nuclear weapons
MORGAN HOSA competing at State in Layton. Left to right - Michael Ard (Advisor), Madisen Anderson, Lovelle Skoglund, Taylin Sanders, Allison Hanson, Taylor Hardman, Kelly Toomer (Advisor)
from sophomores to seniors. All grades are welcome to join. These students are interested in a variety of health care careers such as radiology, dentistry, nursing, and sports medicine to name a few. Traditionally HOSA meets every other Wednesday morning at 7:00 a.m., but they also meet during or after school if there are opportunities for guest speakers or field trips to campuses and/or job sites. The majority of the meetings take place in either Mr. Ard’s or Mrs. Toomer’s classroom. Toward the middle of the school year, the members meet weekly to prepare for their upcoming
state competitions in March. According to Ard, “HOSA’s twofold mission is to promote career opportunities in the healthcare industry and to enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people. We do this by encouraging those who are curious about healthcare careers to continue exploring, solidifying the passions of those who feel they are meant for a healthcare career, and equipping all with knowledge and resources to be successful in their educational pursuits after high school.”l
President Biden and Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will announce new steps they plan to take to try to deter North Korea from using nuclear weapons. Plans include the U.S. sending its first nuclear ballistic submarine to South Korea since the early 1980s. Yoon is in the U.S. this week on the first state visit from a South Korean leader in 12 years.
Harry Belafonte dies at 96 Singer, actor and activist Harry Belafonte died Tuesday at 96. His style, class and charisma broke racial barriers and earned the star an EGOT. He was active in the civil rights movement and a close friend of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.