Court

Subject: Practice News Story 4: Court
Posted: 10:08MT 26 Sept. 2007
Headline: Ample evidence
Dateline: LOGAN, Utah

Two suspects were at the First Superior Court today for a preliminary hearing in the case involving the burglary of computers at an LDS church house last week.

District Attorney Noel Mayfield will stand as prosecuting attorney for the state. The two suspects, James Michaels (35) and an unnamed juvenile, have each been charged with two misdemeanor counts of breaking and entering and one felony burglary charge.

The arrests were made my Sheriff Deputy Geoffrey Hasty around 11pm on Wednesday, September 19. Both suspects “went peacefully” says Sheriff Hasty. When asked about evidence against the accused, the sheriff replied “I think there’s ample evidence”

Total Loss for Pedro's

Practice News Story 2: Fire

Total Loss for Pedro’s
Metta Ray

A fire broke out today at the corner of 21st and Washington in Ogden, Utah.
The fire started in the kitchen of Pedro’s Mexican Restaurant on the ground floor of the building at approximately 2:00 PM

The building is owned by Rachel Calhoun and leased by Pedro Sanchez. Pedro was renting the ground floor, which was a restaurant, and the 2nd floor apartment where he and his brother Miguel Sanchez and two young daughters resided. The top floor was currently vacant.

Miguel and his daughters were home at the time of the fire and were able to escape. Miguel and his daughters have been treated for smoke inhalation at McKayDee Hospital in Ogden.

Pedro Sanchez was in the kitchen of the restaurant when the fire broke out. He said splashing grease on to the open flame that Pedro was cooking on started it. He reports that he tried to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher but the fire was just too big. He sustained burns on both of his hands, which were also treated at McKayDee Hospital.

Deputy Fire Chief Greg Chamberlain said that there is no suspicion of arson but the building is a total loss.
Ms. Calhoun said that there is no reason why the building cannot be rebuilt and that she believes Pedro’s Restaurant will be back in business once again.

'Great Tragedy' for USU

PNS1
Metta Ray

8 people are dead today after a tragic accident on Utah’s southbound interstate 84.
11 men from the Agriculture Systems Department at Utah State University were on their way back from an annual field trip when the driver of the 15 passenger van allegedly lost control of the vehicle and slid off the west side of the interstate just outside of Tremonton, UT. All 10 students and the driver were ejected from the vehicle as it rolled 3-4 times according to Lieutenant Jason Jensen of the Utah State Highway Patrol.

Lt. Jensen was traveling approximately one half mile behind the USU passenger van and was the first officer on the scene. Medical personnel arrived within 5 minutes. Preliminary investigations estimate that the vehicle was traveling approximately 95 MPH and no evidence of seat belt use was apparent.

The driver of the USU owned van was instructor Evan Parker who was pronounced dead at the scene. Five students were also pronounced dead at the scene of the accident and two were taken via life-flight to Ogden Regional Hospital where they were pronounced DOA. There were three survivors who are currently unconscious at Bear River Hospital in Brigham City, UT and Ogden Regional Hospital in Ogden, UT. The names of the students have been concealed until family members can be reached.

Caravanning with the USU agriculture group was alumni Kyle Holden who works at Green Line Equipment (Farm equipment retailer) in Tremonton and travels with the Ag group yearly. “It looked like the tire exploded. There was black smoke and the tire just disappeared.” Says Holden, who was traveling along side the van in his personal vehicle at the time of the crash “I had just set my cruise control at about five over, 80 or 81 maybe” “I was passing Evan, I know it was him because I looked at him” “I saw smoke… his face changed” “I slowed down and I had to swerve out of the way of the van as it tipped and slid onto the side of the road” “It happened so fast, Evan just couldn’t gain control”

Holden was an agriculture student at Utah State 15 years ago and “knew most” of the victims well. “I can’t believe this is happening” said Holden.

Stan L. Albrecht, president of Utah State University, says the group was traveling on a routine field trip in recognition of ‘Ag Week’. The university requires a “detailed inspection every two years” on university owned vehicles according to Albrecht. “This is a great tragedy. Right now we are just dealing with details” said Albrecht.

This accident may undergo a possible federal investigation UHP Lt. Jason Jensen said, “It may be about a month before the Utah Highway Patrol finishes its investigation”.
The possible use of alcohol and drugs is under investigation as well. “These were good kids; some just off missions” says Holden of the inquiry into the use of drugs or alcohol.

Memorial services are being planned by Utah State, details to be announced.

Back to School

The school year 2007-08 has officially begun. Many children are back to the grind; early to bed, early to rise, school lunch and homework. The children of Dallas Hulse and Metta Ray (pictured here) of Logan, Utah, are only three of the millions joining in the academia. TJ 11, the oldest and only boy, has just entered the sixth grade. He has left the world of elementary training and has gone on to a world of locker combinations and 8 one-hour classes. He told me this of his experience so far, "I love school so much, I wish we could skip the weekend and go right back to Monday." Although this may not be the view of most 11 year olds, TJ is enjoying his new found freedom at Mount Logan Middle School. "My favorite class is orchestra" said TJ who has just this year begun playing the viola in the school orchestra. Samantha 8, the next oldest, has started her school year at a new school, Wilson Elementary. (She and her siblings transferred from Woodruff Elementary at the end of the 06-07 school year) Samantha is now in Mrs. Bingham's 3rd grade class and has said "Mrs. Bingham is the nicest teacher ever, she doesn't yell at us or anything." Sam, as she likes to be called, was delighted to find that her life long friend is attending the same school. She can't wait for recess so that they can play together and wishes she didn't have to eat lunch with her class so that they could eat together as well. Paige 5, the youngest of the Hulse children, started kindergarten this year at Wilson Elementary with her sister. She is in Mrs. Coorbridge's class (there are only two kindergarten classes at Wilson) and loves her teacher. Kindergarten is half day and she wishes it would last all day so she could "eat lunch with the big kids" Paige said. Her favorite activity so far has been the flooding of the sandbox which is an event that the kindergarten teachers do on hot days to cool and entertain the children. As much as the grades K-6 sound entertaining and bring us back to our own childhood, their mother, Metta Ray has also gone back to school. She is attending Utah State University, also in Logan. Metta is a single mother and has decided to gain a degree in an attempt to give her family a more secure future as well as hopefully setting an example for her three young children. “I want my kids to see that amidst any obstacle it is possible (earning a degree) and obtainable” She said. Metta worked at Icon Health and Fitness for a number of years and had worked her way into a position in the marketing department at cooperate headquarters. She was earning a salary near $40,000 per year (which is pretty good for Logan) when she was laid off in 2005 due to budget cuts. After being laid off she began looking for work but found that no one would hire her in the income bracket she desired without a college degree. She decided to take on a part-time job as a bartender at a local private club (this way she could work nights and cut down the cost of day care) and look into going back to school. Metta is in her second year as a re-entry student and is taking 11 credits currently. She was accepted into the Journalism program at USU in the spring of 2007 and is currently a 3.55 GPA student. Metta works part-time to pay the bills and is also relying on student loans to get her and her family through. “I decided that no matter what it takes, I will finish school” she replied when asked about the difficult decision to put a financial burden on her family “No matter what the cost, it (a degree) will pay us back ten-fold”. Metta is scheduled to graduate in the fall of 2010.
A mother of three students and a student herself, Metta Ray understands very well the value of education. For now, Metta is satisfied with just going to school and putting in the time and effort to earn her degree and hopes her children will learn by her example the importance of going back to school.