Content about Morgan County Utah

J Myron Adair, 87, died peacefully at his home on April 11, 2013, of natural causes in the arms of his life-long sweetheart and loving wife of 66 years, Doris Johnson Adair.
A memorial service will be held Monday, April 15, 2013 at 11 a.m. at the Milton Ward, 1255 N. Morgan Valley Dr. in Morgan. A viewing will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, April 14, and Monday from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m.  Interment will be at the Milton Cemetery.

Donald Junior Whitear was born June 1, 1927 in a log cabin in Peterson Utah to Albert V. Whitear and Clara Catherine Gibby on the Whitear Farm.  Don passed away on that same farm March 30, 2013 from complications of cancer treatments. 
Services: Peterson Ward No Stake Center.  Viewing: Thursday April 4, 6-8pm & Friday April 5, 10:45-11:45.  Funeral at 12 noon.  The interment at Peterson Cemetery, followed by a celebration of his life at the Whitear Rec Center.  

The Morgan County police officer involved in a Davis County shooting Nov. 25 has been identified.  While the Davis County Attorney’s Office says Morgan Sherriff’s Sgt. Daniel Scott Peay’s use of force was “not justified” by Utah law, Davis County Attorney Troy S. Rawlings declined to prosecute Peay.
In a two-page memo to Morgan County Sheriff Blaine Breshears, Rawlings said Peay’s use of deadly force “does not squarely fit with the letter, scope and intent” of Utah law.  However, Rawlings said a jury would likely not find Peay guilty of a crime.
“We believe a unanimous jury would not convict Sergeant Peay of a crime when presented with all of the evidence,” Rawlings said in the memo. 

Scott Logan Gollaher is scheduled to appear before Judge Noel S. Hyde in a Morgan court room Wednesday on four counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, an additional 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, and one count of sodomy on a child.
Gollaher, a registered sex offender, was constructing a new home in the Morgan area when reports of sexual abuse reached the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office.
On June 17, 2012, Morgan County Deputy Joseph Rohbock was called by a concerned mother whose 11-year-old daughter had been the victim of a sexual offense incident. The mother had allowed her daughter and her daughter’s cousin to go with a friend the previous day.  The three girls had traveled to Morgan to Scott Gollaher’s home at 246 E. Woods Creed Road in Morgan City.  While visiting the Morgan home, the young girl said she had been touched, spanked and continually fondled.  The visit involved a four-wheeler ride where Gollaher was the driver and the victim was his passenger in front.

What started out as a Morgan County deputy noticing a driver driving without any lights on along Interstate 84 ended up in a high speed chase spanning three counties and the first officer-involved shooting in the county in at least 15 years.

**TV tower upgrades cause hiccup in channel 11 reception
On Nov. 1, Morgan’s digit to analog television conversion was finalized with $71,000 worth of equipment installation. However, older TV sets are still having problems displaying the three KBYU channels, or channel 11.
Morgan County Councilwoman Ronda Kippen advised residents to rescan their television in order to ensure that channel 11 is reprogrammed properly. Those residents with newer television sets that automatically rescan whenever they are turned on likely have no problems receiving channel 11.

Just 16 months apart in age, sisters Marnie Franich Stark and Rana Franich Aguirre were inseparable.  When they were young, their mother Jessie Franich would dress them like twins.  The “Fiesty Franich sisters” shared many common friends while attending Morgan High School.  Even their parents couldn’t tell their voices apart on the phone. 
As the oldest sister, Marnie would often offer Rana relationship advice.  But the tables had turned in the last three years when Marnie found herself in an abusive relationship with her live-in boyfriend Jeffrey Dene White.  And Rana, who had dated White herself two decades ago, often warned Marnie about his substance abuse and potential for violence. 

As the Morgan community lays one of its own to rest today, the man suspected of causing her death sits behind bars.
Jeffrey Dene White, 43, was arrested Thursday and booked into the Weber County Jail on first degree felony murder and two counts of third degree felony charges of commission of domestic violence in the presence of a child. 
According to Ogden Police Lieutenant Danielle Croyle, two children under the age of 10 were present during the murder of Marnie Franich Stark, 38.  She is the daughter of Morgan locals Matthew Joseph and Jessie Franich.
The Ogden Police Department responded to an “unattended death” Oct. 20 on the 1300 block of Douglas Avenue.  During the course of the investigation, Ogden Major Crimes Detectives determined there was evidence to support the cause of death as a homicide.
Stark was pronounced dead at McKay-Dee Hospital that day.  White was her live-in boyfriend.

The rapids at Taggart are well known to many rafters, tubers, and kayakers. But it’s now a location for many who enjoy the emerging sport of stand up paddle boarding, or SUP.

Aug 31 – MHS Varsity Football, MHS vs Wasatch, 7 p.m.
 
September
 
7 – Varsity Football, MHS vs. Grantsville, 7 p.m.
7 – MHS Class of ‘77 pre-reunion event football game at 7 p.m. For more info. 801-372-9861.
8 – MHS Class of ‘77 Reunion dinner at Larry’s Spring Chicken Inn at 6 p.m.
8 – ACT test at MHS
8 – Class of 1982 Reunion, MHS Commons
11 – 4-H Centennial Celebration Banquet, Join us for a night of celebration and join us from 6-7 p.m. for dinner and 7 p.m. for the program. Check out extension.usu.edu/morgan for more information.
15 - Morgan Cruz’n Classics car show – Riverside Park, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., entry form online at www.morgancityut.com, free admission.
15 - 3rd annual Weber/Morgan Chapter Buddy Walk & 5K. 5K registration at 8:30 a.m. and begins at 9. Buddy Walk registration 10 a.m. and begins at 11. For more info. call 801-309-0950.
15, 16 - Morgan Utah Stake Conference at the Morgan Utah Stake Center, 355 N. 700 E. Priesthood Leadership Meeting - Sat. at 4 p.m., age 18 and up -Sat. at 7 p.m. General session - Sun. at 10 a.m. The general session will originate from the stake center and will be broadcast to the chapel in Porterville, to the Rock Chapel, and to the Family Tree Assisted Living Center. All are invited to attend.
17, 18, 19 - MHS Mini Cheer Clinics after school, at each school until 5 p.m. Performance will be Sept. 20 at 4 p.m. at MHS J.V. Football Game. Sign ups MES and MGE Sept. 10 3-5 p.m. For more info contact Wendy Wilkinson @801-645-4199.
18 - 4-H AfterSchool Club Series begins. See extension.usu.edu/morgan for more information or stop into the Extension office to register today.
19 – Free Cooking & Nutrition Class, topic is Cooking with Preserved Foods. Time 10-11 a.m. at the Court House Auditorium.
20 - 4-H Family Fun Night 6:30 p.m. at the Court House Auditorium. Join us for a free craft project and yummy treats. Open to all ages.
 
October
 
17 – Free Cooking & Nutrition Class, topic is Comfort Foods Re-Invented. Time 10-11 a.m. at the Court House Auditorium.
18 - 4-H Family Fun Night 6:30 p.m. at the Court House Auditorium. Join us for a free craft project and yummy treats. Open to all ages.

The Morgan County Council has agreed to purchase the former bus garage on State Street from the Morgan County School District for an undisclosed amount to be paid over a three-year period.
The facility will be used as storage for various county equipment including sheriff department and emergency vehicles. Presently, a majority of such equipment, valued at several hundred thousand dollars, is stored outside and subject to weather deterioration.
Chairwoman Tina Kelley cast one of two opposing votes, saying the county had other financial priorities such as replacing a boiler for the county building.

Just after noon on Tuesday Sept. 4, 2012, Austin Larson was working at the rock pit in Mountain Green when he heard an unusual noise across the street that got his attention. When he confirmed there was smoke he quickly went to the Mountain Green fire Station, where he works as a volunteer fire fighter. Larson retrieved the fire engine and made his way back the short distance to the home to find that the fire was already fully evolved. By this time calls were coming in from a postal worker who was in the area, a 1st Bank employee from the bank next to the house, and others who viewed the smoke and flames.
As the house burned firefighters from surrounding areas were called in including two trucks from Weber County and a ladder truck from South Ogden. Brush trucks helped with a grass fire that spread behind 1st Bank, Mountain Green Branch. Twenty-eight fire fighters worked on the blaze before they were able to stop it around 4 p.m. The house continued to smolder until about 6 p.m. A crew remained at the scene overnight and was able to control two or three flare ups during the night, reported Dave Rich, Morgan County fire chief.

55 Alive Class Aug. 6 from 9 a.m til 1. Please let us know if you would like to attend since there is limited space. Anyone who has been in the education field can attend for $4, AARP members $12 and non-members $14. You can receive a discount on your car insurance for a three year period just for taking this class. Marie Nye is an excellent teacher and you gain a great deal of knowledge about your driving habits.
 
September
 
11: Temple trip - please call Emma Lou to sign up. Lunch at noon.
12: Enjoy a ride up to Jeremy Ranch and around the Jordanelle and Echo dams following lunch on Wednesday.
The group will leave around 1:30.
13: Right after lunch there will be a book review. Just come and relax and listen to a very interesting book.
19: Have lunch and then a great hand massage with ShaRon. The massages and conversation are free and then everyone will be put into a drawing for free hand lotion.
20: Blood pressures with Alice Hirai. Then following lunch, Madeline, from USU Extension Office, will give everyone tips on nutrition, plus have samples for your enjoyment.
25: Foot Clinic with Happy Feet. Please call in for your reservations: 845-4040.
26: Back massages with Val. Cost is $5 for 10 minutes. Please sign up when you come or we can put your name down by calling the center. Appointments will begin at 12:30.
28: The Annual Fall Leaf Tour to Cache Valley will leave the center at 9 a.m. with Mary Kaye as your volunteer driver. Enjoy a fun day of sightseeing, eating, gathering goodies and great companionship. The group will return around 3 - so plan your day.
Keep in mind all the great volunteers we have serving everyone at the center and give them an occasional "thank you" - they do many kind acts!
Come and check out the new computers at the senior center. They are here for everyone to enjoy. Loiis Woody is willing to help you out with any of your questions. Let’s get you started.

2012 Morgan County Sheriff’s Office reports the following activity for August 12 - 18, with a total of 89 calls

MORGAN – John Conrad Irwin, Jr., 96, died July 9, 2012 at his home in Morgan, Utah.  He was born Nov. 2, 1915 in Salt Lake City, Utah to John Conrad, Sr., and Eleanor Elizabeth Collett Irwin.
Funeral Services will be held Saturday, July 14, 2012 at 11 am at the Rock Chapel, 10 W. Young Street, Morgan. Friends and family may attend a viewing Friday from 6 to 8 at Walker Mortuary in Morgan and Saturday from 9:45 to 10:45 am at the church.

 
Frank and Suzanne Zuech celebrate their golden anniversary of 50 years on July 7 2012. 
They both grew up in the small town of Superior, Wyo. Both attending school together. It was later at college where they fell in love. They were married on July 7 1962. 

 
The Family Tree Assisted Living would like to invite the family and friends of  Beth Richins, Louise Walker, Beth Turner,  Rosella Compton, Donald Butters, and Grant Francis  to celebrate their birthdays from 2 to 4 p.m. on June 30 Family Tree Assisted Living
862 E. Mahogany Ridge Rd.

Even though summer is here for over 2,000 Morgan students, it only takes about two weeks before the kids start to ask, “What can I do today, mom?”  As educators we hope you will take time with your children to continue the process of learning as the summer progresses.   

Randolph Peay of Porterville is budding as an up and coming artist on both a local and national level.  In April he graduated from BYU Idaho receiving his BS in Fine Arts.  Now he is receiving accolades for his growing portfolio.

At a ceremony just after the flag raising on the fourth of July, individuals from various branches of government in the county gathered to reaffirm their commitment to supporting the families who have individuals serving in the armed services.  “We owe it to our veterans, we owe it to those who are serving our county and protecting us,” said Mayor Egbert.  

The Morgan Academy of Dance and Tumbling presented their students from the three studios, in three shows, at one place: Morgan High School Auditorium. The three studios are located in Morgan, Mountain Green, and Coalville.

 
District officials are considering a new tardy policy at Morgan Middle School.
The new policy is based on one already in place at Roosevelt Junior High, Morgan Middle School Principal Terry Allen said.  In surveying his staff, 90 percent responded that they liked the new policy.

Several months ago, after much deliberation, a difficult decision was made to discontinue the popular Gerald Anderson 5-K Run.  For more than 10 years the second Saturday in June had been a time for a fun- packed community and family event.   It was also a time to remember Gerald Anderson and his great love for the history of Morgan County.

This last week the Queen of England celebrated 60 years on the throne with a Diamond Jubilee.  She has now served longer than any other monarch since Queen Victoria, who reined for 63 years.  Many residents of Morgan have English ancestry.

As part of celebrating its 100th anniversary worldwide, Holcim is donating 100 man hours to the communities they operate in.  In Morgan, this means $8,000 worth of new playground equipment for the Croydon Park, as well as the man-hours needed to install it.  The equipment removed from the Croydon park is slated to be installed at the county fairgrounds.

 
Elder Sawyer Alan Brooks, son of Alan and Teresa Brooks has been called to the Chile Antofagasta Mission. 
He will report to the Missionary Training Center in Provo on July 11, 2012.

An open house was held on June 7 at the Morgan County Memorial Building to discuss modifications to several areas of county road.  The two hour open house held in the county chambers was an open forum for residents to study the proposed plan and give input.  Approximately 15 citizens came to voice their opinion.  The outcome of the meeting was favorable and construction will begin this fall with the majority of the work being completed in spring and summer 2013.  

The Shoshone and Ute Indians made Richville their home during the summer time. For the most part they were friendly and the pioneers shared with them. Some of the journals say, “As they would ride through the area the scalps could be seen hanging about them. These scalps were from other tribes of Indians and not from white men.” 

District begins WSU rental fee, lease for energy savings
A revenue shortage has the Morgan County School District thinking creatively this year. 

Our husband, father, grandfather, great- grandfather and friend, Gordon Barnes Bond passed from this mortal existence on June 14m 2012, to celebrate his 87th birthday in his eternal home with his family and friends. 

With primary elections approaching, it is always good to be educated about your candidates.  Please note the following candidates: 

Two weeks after voting to delay a property tax increase, the Morgan County School Board is reconsidering.  They have set a July 12 date to hold a public meeting, where they may vote to move forward with raising taxes as early as this November in order to build a contingency fund into the district’s budget.

The Morgan School District is developing a new policy governing fund-raising and donations.  Not only does it put restrictions on the type of fund-raising allowed in schools, it also protects local merchants and assigns guidelines for vendors and advertisers wishing to solicit students and district employees.

 
2012 Morgan County Sheriff’s Office reports the following activity for June 24-30, with a total of 107 calls
Assistance: (4)Morgan City, WB I-84;
Animal Complaint: (3)Morgan City, Peterson, Porterville;

Memorial Day has passed, bringing another end to the vacations and celebrations and we’ve gone back to our own battles and battlefields.  But are we better for the battles?  Did we truly celebrate our freedom, or just the day off from the office, school or other rigorous responsibilities; that is, if we even were given the day off? 

Ron and Marion Andrews are pleased to announce the marriage of their daughter Heather, to Trevor Lee, son of Russ and Shirley Lee.  In case of an oversight, please join us for a reception in their honor Friday, June 8 from 6-8 p.m. at 62 East Young Street.d

 
Jeremy Shaw and Sarah Layne are excited to announce their marriage tomorrow, July 7, 2012 in the Bountiful LDS Temple.  
Jeremy is the son of Bryan and Deanna Shaw of Morgan.  Jeremy is a graduate of Morgan High School and is now attending Weber State University.  After high school he served a full time LDS mission to the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission.   
Sarah is the daughter of Jason and Angela Woodall of Springfield, Tennessee.  She is a graduate of Springfield High School and has been attending BYU-Idaho.  They will make their new home in Ogden, Utah where they will continue their education.   
A reception will be held in their honor Saturday evening, July 7, 2012  from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the Rock Church in Morgan.  They and their parents invite you to join them in celebrating as they begin their new life together.

When you have your last child leave your home, you realize that you are not an expert on anything related to raising children. Number six has just left the nest and graduated last week from Morgan High School.

When dealing with a volatile market, sometimes the most difficult challenge is to manage your emotions. If you decide you need to re-examine your game plan, it should be done with as much care as you put into developing that plan in the first place. Your financial professional may be able to help you decide if any of the following may be appropriate for you.

Even though summer is here for over 2,000 Morgan students, it only takes about two weeks before the kids start to ask, “What can I do today, mom?”  As educators we hope you will take time with your children to continue the process of learning as the summer progresses.   

In a close result separated by only 16 votes Lynn Mickelson was elected to the Morgan City council. Mickelson previously served on the council for many years. In an election for three council positions, with four candidates running, the following are the results: Cards cast: 315 Total votes cast: 907 ( each voter could cast three votes) 1. Tony London 289 votes (incumbent) 2. Jeff Wardell 264 votes (incumbent) 3. Fred Lynn Mickelson 183 votes 4. DeOrr Peterson 167 votes (incumbent) Write in votes: 4

Friday, September 16, 2011 (07:01 PM)
League game at Morgan

Morgan Trojans 49, BEN LOMOND SCOTS 0

Friday, September 9, 2011 (06:24 PM)
League game at Grantsville

Grantsville Cowboys 14, Morgan Trojans 7

Friday, August 26, 2011 (06:35 PM)
Non-league game at South Summitt

Morgan Trojans 37, South Summitt Wildcats 31

Grace Lythgoe Johanson, 83, returned peacefully to her Heavenly Father Thursday, August 11, 2011 at her home in Morgan, Utah.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. in the Rock Church, 10 West Young Street, with Bishop McClellan officiating.  Friends may call at the Walker Mortuary in Morgan Wednesday, Aug 17 from 6-8 p.m. and Thursday from 9:45-10:45 at the Rock Church.

Interment, South Morgan Cemetery.

Don left the love of his life Shirley “Liz” Hammons Creager to join his parents Lester and Alta Richins Creager on May 19, 2011.  He died of a massive heart attack at McKay Dee Hospital.

Graveside services will be held on Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 11 a.m. at the South Morgan Cemetery.  A viewing will be held Monday, May 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Walker Mortuary and Tuesday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Interment will be at the South Morgan Cemetery.

It was an alumni reunion in the stands last Saturday night. Many Trojan fans made the trip to Salt Lake City to watch our Morgan boys basketball team play for the state 3A title. Everyone expected a close game but I don’t think anyone expected a 44 to 33 final score.

 In 2010 Morgan High School’s Advanced Theatre group, “The Player’s of Plays” received superior ratings at Region Drama Festival where they won the region drama trophy. They continued on to State Drama Festival Where the Group also received superior ratings along with many showcased performances and medals won by Morgan High School drama students. “The Players of Plays” are a 30 member auditioned group under the direction of acclaimed actor and instructor Mr. Adam Slee. The group includes actors, actresses, technicians, make-up artists, dancers, and singers. This advanced group has received recognition from numerous adjudicators and has been selected out of 25 schools in Utah to have their upcoming musical Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” be reviewed and Judged for a chance to perform at the Jimmy Awards!

Family Tree Assisted Living would like to invite the family of Mary Rich to celebrate her 92nd birthday. We will celebrate from 2 to 4 p.m. on March 11 at the Family Tree. Please RSVP to (801) 829-4404 by March 7.

Currently students live as well as learn in a world that has been profoundly transformed by the immediate availability of immense stores of information in an array of formats.  One form of literacy that is important to the success of Morgan County School District students is Information Literacy. 

The Morgan Utah Stake will hold its semi-annual stake conference on Saturday and Sunday, March 12 and 13, 2011.  
The meetings will be held in the Morgan Utah Stake Center at 355 North 700 East, Morgan, at the Rock Chapel at 10 W. Young Street, Morgan, and at the Porterville Chapel on South Morgan Valley Drive as listed below.  
Speakers for the priesthood leadership, adult, and general sessions will come from the presiding authority, stake presidency, and membership of the stake.  Elder Donald J. Keyes of the Seventy will be presiding at this conference.
The following sessions are planned.  Visitors are invited:
- 4:00 p.m. Saturday, March 12, for all priesthood leadership (Stake Center)
- 7:00 p.m. Saturday, March 12, for all adults, ages 18 and up (Stake Center)
- 10:00 a.m. Sunday, March 13, for all members (Stake Center, Rock Chapel, Porterville Chapel, and Family Tree Assisted Living Center)

Jessica Lynn Anderson and Christopher Rich Clark have chosen March 4, 2011 to be married for time and all eternity in the Logan LDS Temple. 

John and Cathy Ure are happy to announce the marriage of their daughter, Sarah Jean Ure, to Cory Alan Reimschussel, son of Alan and Lori Reimschussel, of Pleasant Grove, Utah.
They will be married in the Mount Timpanogos LDS Temple on Saturday, March 5, 2011.
Sarah served in the New York Rochester LDS Mission and is currently working on her degree in Special Education at BYU.

In a five to two decision on Tuesday night the council voted to eliminate the current volunteer board of appeals in favor of a one person professional paid position to hear and decide appeals cases.  The county will contract with one or more individuals, likely from outside the county, to hear the cases. 

The Morgan Lady Trojans entered the State playoffs last week riding a 13 game winning streak after winning their initial first round game vs. North Sanpete by a whopping 51 points. All signs pointed to a strong run to the 3A championship, or at least getting to the championship game and letting the chips fall where they may.

Boys Tennis

BoysBaseball Schedule

Girls Golf Schedule

Boys Varsity Soccer Schedule

Girls Softball Schedule

Track Schedule

Darrell Erickson was appointed to serve on the county planning commission for the Enterprise area.

Darrell Erickson was appointed to serve on the county planning commission for the Enterprise area.

Al Lundgren was appointed to serve on the county planning commission for the Mountain Green area.

Round two, Morgan Trojans vs. Richfield Wildcats. Bright and early Thursday morning, February 24, 2011, and the Trojan Boys find themselves playing a big game in a big stadium.
A strong turn out of Morgan fans sat ready as the jump ball was tossed. Tip goes to the wildcats. A quick pass underneath to Richfield’s big man and the Wildcats are on the board. Morgan works for an open shot against a feisty defense.

The following wrestlers placed in the State Tournament.  

Left to right,  Shawn Francis (140) - 6th place, Cormick Breshears (145) - 5th place, Connor Jensen (171) - 3rd place, and Randon Prochnow (160) - 4th place.  Not pictured:  Colton Walker (112) - 5th place.

MONDAY MORNING LADIES BOWLING
STANDINGS                                           WINS            LOSSES
1- Head Over Heels                                   24                      4
2- Morgan Drug                                          18                    10
3- Gordy’s Girls                                          14                     14
4- Western Automatic Sprinkler     14                     14
5- Morgan County News                       14                    14
6- Eagle Rock Construction                11                     17
7- Rees Fur Farm                                         9                     19
8- Crandall Ford                                          8                    20

After long negotiations it appears that the DATC (the Davis Applied Technology Center) will be opening an entrepreneurial center in Morgan.  The DATC has a center already on its campus in Layton and have been working to establish a second location in Morgan.
The Center provides training and office space for businesses in the early stages of their development.  Businesses can lease office space in the center.  This lease will provide them office space as well as access to resources such as printers and other office equipment needed for start up businesses. 

At the city council meeting on Tuesday night the Morgan City council acted to amend an ordinance passed in 2007 relating to the historic district in Morgan.  The historic district includes the business district section of Commercial Street as well as areas behind these businesses.

Fifteen year old Braxton Bingham, son of Nathan and Suzanne Bingham of Morgan,  caught this rainbow trout in Soda springs, Idaho in January.

The leadership of the Utah Ride for Kids were present at the Morgan City Council meeting on Tuesday.  They presented a plaque and tee shirt to the city and the sheriff’s office as a token of their appreciation for the city and county’s continuing support of their annual fund raising event.
The Ride for Kids event occurs each August and is a motorcycle fund raiser ride that starts at This Is The Place Heritage Park, in Salt Lake, crosses over East Canyon and ends at Riverside Park in Morgan City. 

By Superintendent Ken Adams

It is difficult to keep abreast of the many major events transpiring in our world today. The continuing recession, governmental upheaval in the Middle East, the escalation of commodity prices, and catastrophic weather occurrences are just a few.  All of this and more is enough to make your head spin!

By Eric Hatch

It’s that time of year for high school hoops players, win or report to your spring sports coach. Last Friday our Trojan Boys showed they would like to keep it indoors for a few more games!
I had a chance to catch up with coach Jim Wiscombe on Thursday before the game. We discussed briefly the Region 11 champs season and how the team is feeling as they move into the state playoffs.

Curtis Albert Carrigan and Lindsey DeBoer are delighted to announce their marriage which took place on December 31, 2010 in the Logan Utah LDS Temple. 

A new year and new old issues of The Morgan County News are opened and ready for another year of looking back at the happenings of Morgan County over the years.

Sandra (Sandy) Rigby Wilson, 47, our beloved wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, sister and friend passed away on Saturday, February 5, 2011 from a sudden illness, surrounded by her loving family.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011 at 12 noon in the Morgan 6th Ward chapel, 2700 South Morgan Valley Drive, Porterville.  Friends and family may call at Walker Mortuary in Morgan Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. and Thursday from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. at the church.

Interment, South Morgan cemetery.

It’s been a full “first year” for Morgan Empowered, our community organization consisting of volunteers who decided a year ago to organize and work together to “…coordinate family and community resources to empower youth to become responsible and upright adults.”  Combating the plague of drug abuse in our community was the initial catalyst for drawing Morgan County leaders together representing parents, schools, law enforcement, religious organizations, and city, county, and government agencies.

It’s been a full “first year” for Morgan Empowered, our community organization consisting of volunteers who decided a year ago to organize and work together to “…coordinate family and community resources to empower youth to become responsible and upright adults.”  Combating the plague of drug abuse in our community was the initial catalyst for drawing Morgan County leaders together representing parents, schools, law enforcement, religious organizations, and city, county, and government agencies.

As we move forward and continue to strive for excellence in education for our children, the Morgan County School Board recently approved a new mission statement and beliefs to help guide our efforts.

In the Morgan City council meeting on Tuesday the council passed an ordinance banning “synthetic cannabinoids.”  The substance has been given the street name of “spice”.  This follows similar bans by other cities like Ogden and Layton.  The Morgan ordinance is patterned after the Layton Ordinance.

In June Morgan Elementary Principle Laraine Whitear died of cancer.  Speaking of Whitear, Superintendant Ken Adams said, “Laraine was one of the kindest human beings I have ever been privileged to associate with.

Story number nine is Rod Haslam.  When The Morgan County News did our first interview with Haslam we considered what title to give the article.  After talking about it and considering it we determined to title it “Big Hearted Haslam”.

By Doug Johnston
managing editor

I’ve had the opportunity to interview Morgan High School Volleyball Coach, Liz Wiscombe many times before, so as I sat down on Wednesday to interview her about the volleyball team’s recent win of the 3A state championship, it seemed like old times.

Story Number three is Ken Adams as Superintendant.  Adams has long been a part of Morgan life.  He has contributed time energy and results to the education of Morgan’s Children.

Ray P. Whitaker returned to his Heavenly Father surrounded by his family Tuesday December 28, 2010.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, January 04, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at the LDS Field Street Church 240 So. 300 West., Morgan.
A viewing will be held at the Walker Mortuary 45 West 200 North; Morgan on Monday January 03, 2011 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. and Tuesday morning January 04, 2011 at the Field St. LDS Church from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m.
Interment will be in the South Morgan Cemetery.

Story Five - About a Street to Come Alive

Last Monday was the twelfth annual concert of the Morgan Community Choir.  Many families have made this a family tradition at Christmas.  It is a perfect way to start the Christmas season. 

Last Saturday, Barber Brothers Ford decided to give an early Christmas present to Morgan residents.   In appreciation for the record setting business year at the local dealership they decided to offer free oil changes to county residents.

After hours of investigation, deliberation and interviews the Morgan County Board of Education has selected Westland Construction, Inc. as the construction manager and general contractor for the upcoming building projects.

Extension of Barbara Anderson preliminary subdivision approval
Normally preliminary approval of subdivision expires at the end of a year. This approval has been extended once and a second extension has been requested. This extension will be for one year.

December 21, 2010

Council Members Attending: Tina Kelley, Sid Creager, Al Lundgren, Howard Hansen, Karen Sunday, Don Mathews, Ronda Kippen

It was the last county council meeting for council members Sunday, Lundgren, and chairman Creager.  The next council meeting will be in the new year and will see a new council seated and a new chairman chosen.  The council thanked those who were leaving for their service and Chairman Creager took a moment to share his thoughts at the end of his service.  The following are Chairman Creager’s parting remarks to the county:

I predict the Morgan High girls basketball tam will beat defending 3A girls basketball Champions, the Richfield High School Wildcats on Friday, December 17.

At a hearing on Monday the county indicated that the prosecution of Garth Day will likely be handed over to federal authorities.  For the past several months the FBI has been investigating the actions of Day in allegedly committing fraud and forgery at the same time as the county investigation has been proceeding.  The FBI has met with county officials, obtained documents of actions by Day, and identified areas for prosecution. 

In the world of Family History, documents are increasingly becoming digital.  This is increasingly true every year.  Digital has many advantages over paper.

Morgan County has had a lot of snow recently, and then a lot of rain. Mix in some warm days and flooding happens.

Dennis Garner and Marcia Freeman Garner are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary on December 16th with family. They were married in December 1960 at the Salt Lake LDS temple.

Samuel Abplanalp, Cassandra Andersen, Natasha Andersen, Kaylee Andreason, Emmalee Barajas, Alisa Barnes, Rashel Blazzard, Katelyn Braithwaite, Sawyer Brooks

The Morgan girls basketball team played home games on back to back nights last week, playing 4A Box Elder on Thursday and 4A Uintah on Friday.  The  Lady Trojans were in complete control from start to finish in both games, as they beat Box Elder 77-36 and Uintah 87-26.

 The  number 1 ranked in 3A Morgan girls basketball squad took on 5A Pleasant Grove in the annual endowment game on Tuesday, December  14 at Trojan gym.

The Morgan Wrestlers traveled to Coalville last Wednesday,  December. 8, to face North Summit and Carbon in a tri-meet dual.  Morgan easily  defeated both teams. 

Elder Michael Joseph Rees has returned from serving an LDS mission in the Guatemala City Central Mission.  He is the son of Stan and Kendra Rees.  He will be speaking in the Morgan 7th Ward at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday at the Morgan Stake Center.

Morgan Middle School held an essay contest titled “About a Time When You Brought Joy to Someone Else”. After attending the assembly, The Morgan County News asked if we could print the winning essays. They are below.

Dear Santa,
I would like for Christmas is a metal detector the reason I want that so I can find metal in the snow. I also want a hug from you  why you ask? Just cause. A lego king dom I want that because it gets my mind going. Merry Christmas. p.s. put Molly P on the nauty list.
from Tucker

The Morgan High School Wrestling team started off the 2010-2011 season by traveling to the Evanston Invitational last weekend. 

Morgan Middle School Student Council with some of the food they collected for needy families in Morgan County.

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A Community Christmas Celebration, which is being sponsored by the Morgan Lions Club, will be held Saturday, December 20.  A giant Christmas tree will be erected on the Union Pacific lawn through the kindness of the Union Pacific, and lighted for the entire Christmas holidays.

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“A Full House,” the student body play of the Morgan County High School was presented to a full house last Wednesday evening.
The Morgan Community Christmas Tree Program was a huge success last Saturday.

At the county council meeting on Tuesday night the issue of a freeway interchange in Mountain Green was discussed.  The conclusion – no interchange is in the near future.

Elaine was born on February 24, 1925 in Porterville, Utah to Lawrence A. and Gertrude Alice Florence Porter.  
She passed away December 03, 2010 in Seattle, Washington.

Memorial services at a later date.  Condolences can be sent to           shansim@comcast.net

Jean Dickson and her daughter Mindy Wheelwright organized a double string quartet with players from around Morgan County. 

Morgan County Sheriff’s Office reports the following activity for
November 28 thru December 4, with a total of 111 calls:

Morgan County Sheriff’s Office reports the following activity for December 12 thru December 18, with a total of 129 calls:

The day of the Christmas on Commercial Street was a cold one.  The hot chocolate was welcome to warm those who were awaiting Santa’s attentions and visiting the various venues.  In the midst of all the cold sat the Polar Bear Plunge.

The number 1 ranked Morgan Lady Trojans played the returning State 3A champions from Richfield  High School on Friday, December 17 at the Sevier Center during the 2A-3A preseason preview, and hammered the home team by a score of 50-27.

The Troyettes of Morgan High participated in their first competition this past weekend.  The girls had a very successful first competition.  They came away with 1st place in every category (military, dance, and kick), won the Sweepstakes trophy that was 4 ft. tall, and also had two girls in the top three for drill down, Nikki Green, 1st place, and Karlie Rupe, 2nd place.

The United States Census Bureau announced the results of the 2010 census population numbers and announced that Utah will receive a fourth seat in the United States House of Representatives. 

Last Thursday, December 16, the Morgan High wrestlers traveled to Draper to take on Juan Diego High School in wrestling.  Morgan easily defeated the Soaring Eagles in a lopsided win.

Volunteering in Morgan County Schools is a generous yet rewarding commitment to our children.  Each of our four separate campuses has a variety of opportunities that can be tailored to meet almost any time commitment or personal strength.

The Morgan girls basketball squad opened their season on Tuesday Nov. 30 with a home game, hosting the Mtn Crest Lady Mustangs, a 4A squad out of Hyrum. Last season, the Lady Trojans went to Hyrum and snuck out of town with a big victory. Mtn. Crest would return the favor this year, beating our home town girls by a score of 57-50.

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Dedication services for the new Ward Chapel at Milton were held Sunday at 2 p.m.  President Heber J. Grant was a special guest.

Bruce Galbraith is the Vice President of the school board. He serves from district two. Galbraith ran unopposed in the recent election and was re-elected for a second term of four years.

“There’s just something about Morgan…”  “It’s a great place to live and raise a family...”  “People really care about each other and care about their community in Morgan.”  
These are the repeated types of comments used by long-time residents of Morgan County, newly planted Morganites, and also by many who just pass through the quaint town when looking for the adequate adjective to describe what strong they find so appealing in this valley. 

It is just after Thanksgiving and many of us are sitting at home in the after turkey stupor. If you are like me you are taking shelter indoors from the cold and enjoying time with the family. I love the holidays and the traditions handed down through the years from family. It is a great time of year to do family history.

The Community Impact Board, (CIB) at a meeting on November 4, approved funding for the proposed new County Building. The   county is proposing a building to house the animal shelter and better   utilize the cost being paid to a veterinarian to house the shelter.
The county has been struggling with space issues for some time and has been exploring whether this building could solve some of those space problems.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be dedicating a new meetinghouse on Sunday.  The building has been under constrocution for the last several months and is now ready for congregations to begin holding meetings.

Army National Guard Pvt. Skyler B. Prochnow has graduated from Basic Combat Training at Fort Sill, Lawton, Okla.

What was the last book you read?
 What are you reading now?
Would you recommend it?  
Why or why not?

Morgan resident Jimmy Jones recently had the opportunity of a lifetime to experience the weightlessness of space. While it wasn’t a trip in the space shuttle, the program operated by the Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) Foundation offers teachers the opportunity to feel at least one part of space flight.

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Unusually Large Snow Fall Sweeps This Section - The season’s first snow storm swept through this weekend leaving about 20 inches of snow.
Misses Lula Barton and Afton Shand were weekend visitors in Salt Lake as guests of Miss Shand’s sister, Beth, at the Beehive House.

Neil Carrigan was born and raised in Morgan. He graduated from Morgan High School and earned a degree from Brigham Young after which he became a math teacher. He taught for seven years at Rich High School, a small rural school in Randolph that had only fifty students. He then moved to Morgan where he taught math and coached a variety of sports for thirty-two years.

Morgan County Sheriff’s Office reports the following activity for November 14 thru November 20, with a total of 135 calls:

I want to take a moment to thank all the Single Adults for your support of the activities that we are trying to establish in the valley and in both LDS Stakes. Also a thank you to The Morgan County News for posting events, and helping us round up our Single Adults.
We have grown in numbers each event, with new people coming all the time. We are having a lot of fun together, getting to know others and making new friends in the valley, that are in the same situations.

Like two characters from a fairy tale, Brandy and Britain have fallen in love.
Mark and Patricia Guess of Oroville California are pleased to announce the marriage of their daughter Brandy Lynne Guess to Britain Lane Huntington, son of Kelly and Melissa Huntington of Morgan.

Talk to any of the teachers at Morgan High School and they will tell you about the amazing students they teach; how extraordinary the young people are that live in Morgan Valley. There are two young women who attend Morgan High School that, through their latest endeavor, epitomize the great spirit of service of which the teachers and leaders at the school describe. These two students are Rebecca Elton and Madison Sunday. They are neighbors and friends.

Council Members Attending: Tina Kelley, Sid Creager, Al Lundgren, Howard Hansen, Karen Sunday, Don Mathews, Ronda Kippen

By Terry Allen, Assistant Principal, Morgan Middle School
You don’t really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back.  ~William D. Tammeus

MORGAN- George Alfred (Alf) Turner, age 96, passed away November 24, 2010.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, November 27, 2010, at 12:00 noon at the LDS 12th Ward building (Rock Church), 10 West Young St., Morgan, UT with a viewing to be held Friday, November 26 from 6-8 p.m. at the Walker Mortuary 45 W 200 N, Morgan, UT and Saturday, November 27 from 10:45 to 11:45 at the church.

Interment, South Morgan Cemetery.

We held our monthly meeting on Thursday Nov 4.
We were called to order by our president and the minutes of our last meeting were read by Joan Mortensen. They were approved and passed. Our opening prayer was given by Anna Medaris.

Thank you for your support in the recent election.  I look forward to continuing to serve the wonderful residents in this great Morgan Valley.
Blaine Breshears
Morgan County
Sheriff Elect
 

The votes are all tallied and winners declared in the county races. Don Mathews will continue his service on the council representing district five. Mathews beat opponent Austin Turner by forty six votes with 53.4% of the vote. This race had been too close to call until the absentee and provisional ballots were counted.

Dale and Pat Wilson will celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary on Saturday, November 13, 2010 with an  open house at the Porterville  LDS Church from 4-6 p.m.  They were sealed in the Salt Lake LDS Temple on November 11, 1960. 

Girl's Basketball Schedule

 My husband and I did our due diligence in researching the qualifications, etc in reference to Clark, Hatch and Kilmer.  In the primary we chose Clark because we felt that she would serve the County fairly and honestly.

Elder Jacob Marshall Nicholas, son of Ruth Nicholas of Morgan, and Kay Nicholas of Ogden, will serve in the New Hampshire, Manchester misson for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Jake will speak at the Morgan 6th Ward at 2:50 p.m. on Sunday, November 14, 2700 South Morgan Valley Drive, Morgan.

Honor Roll

This Saturday (Nov 13th) Mr. Jack Woods of Ogden will be speaking.  Mr. Woods joined the Flying Cadets when he was 17 and eventually ended up as a flight engineer aboard the B-17, B-24 and the B-29.  Mr. Woods mapped different portions of South America while serving in the B-29.

Morgan County Sheriff’s Office reports the following activity for October 31 thru November 6, with a total of 124 calls:

Doug, Don and  Anne,
 
Just want to thank you for sending The Morgan County News to our people in the service of our country!

The New Morgan County Council

At the finish line of the 2010 Morgan County Elections on Tuesday night, there were many incumbents that crossed the finish line ahead of their competition and will remain in their positions with the county.  Two of those incumbents that voters chose to return to office included Jann Farris as Morgan County’s Attorney who received 67% of the vote and Brenda Nelson as Morgan County Recorder with 58% of the vote.

Larry & Merle Durrant just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They celebrated with a family dinner at Larry’s Spring Chicken Inn.
Larry and Merle were high school sweethearts. They met at a basketball game between North Summit and Wasatch. Larry was of course playing basketball and Merle was cheer leading. The rest is history!

Have you ever gotten stuck while doing family history and wished that you had a personal trainer to help you and teach you how to do research the way the professionals do? If so, you are in good company. Everyone comes upon a problem they don’t know how to solve at some point.

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Benjamin F. Smith,84, one of the original Utah pioneers, and one of the early settlers of Morgan County passed peacefully away at his residence in Morgan early Wednesday morning.

Morgan County Sheriff’s Office reports the following activity for October 24 thru October 30, with a total of 187 calls:

Keelie Petersen and Courtland Craig Prince III will be united in marriage on Friday, November 5, 2010, in a private ceremony. They will be honored at a family dinner following the ceremony.

This last week I had the opportunity to speak about family history centers. Family history centers are a part of my responsibilities at FamilySearch.
Over the past several years FamilySearch has been articulating a strategy to bring all possible records online. This began in earnest last year and is accelerating. Many millions of names and images will be posted this year and the pace is accelerating.

In the county council meeting on Tuesday night, the council considered applicants for the district four council position. This position was recently vacated by Member Rod Haslam, who is suffering with health problems. The applicants were Fred Jacobson, Jim Jones, and Ronda Kippen.
Jacobson, Jones and Kippen appeared together before the council and answered questions. The candidates began with a summary of themselves and their qualifications.

 Holcim (US) Inc., one of the nation’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of cement and mineral components, is pleased to announce that its Devil’s Slide plant located in Morgan, Utah recently celebrated six years without a lost time injury. The total number of hours worked during the six years without an injury causing an employee to be out of work is 1,286,614.

There will be four proposals on the ballot for constitutional amendments. The first two were covered last week. This week the other two will be reviewed.

After four matches to prep them for the State Tournament, the Lady Trojans are headed to Utah Valley University. 

Colby Skinner, Junior, had an awesome game against Judge last week.  He completed 4 out of 5 passing attempts, one of which led to a touchdown.  He also has been a consistant player as quaterback for this years Varsity Football team. 

Ashley Garfield, Senior, had an outstanding performance in the state play-off game against Juab.  She had 25 service points, 10 of those in one game, and 5 aces.

Arlo Dearden Palmer, 81, died Sunday, October 24, 2010 in Tremonton, Utah.  He was born February 4, 1929 in Ogden, Utah to Walter LeRoy Palmer and Ella Lithgoe Dearden. His siblings are Dean, Bessie and Fred (all deceased) and Keith, Valerie, Caroline and Tim.

MORGAN - Our wonderful mother and grandmother, Kathryn Whittier, passed away at her home October 21, 2010.

There was some debate on Tuesday night in council meeting about what is likely a relatively innocuous contract. The debate, however, may be a reflection of challenges the county will continue to face when approving contracts.

I’ve had the opportunity to interview Morgan High School Volleyball Coach, Liz Wiscombe many times before, so as I sat down on Wednesday to interview her about the volleyball team’s recent win of the 3A state championship, it seemed like old times.

The Morgan High Trojans were such underdogs against Judge Memorial, that Judge were not ready for the Trojans great teamwork on both sides of the ball.
The first score of the game came at the 3:43 mark with Judge kicker Pat Giggs kicking a 37 yard field goal.

To see election results click on the link below:

Election Results

Wednesday Nite Owls Scores and Standings

Team Standings
 1st  Parkside Lanes
2nd  Northrop Grumman
3rd  Team 3

Courtney Jensen will compete tonight, Friday, October 22 against 40 other contestants for the title of Miss Utah USA. She holds the title of Miss West Jordan, where she works as a hair stylist and attends Salt Lake Community College.

Hillarie Waller took her first bull after drawing a out a tag in the Hardscabble area. She hunted for three days with her dad and brothers before filling her tag. They had seen a large bull on the first day, but it moved over the ridge before she could get into a position for a shot. On the third day she was hunting in the same area. She came across a large group of elk in a stand of pines. She took aim and bagged this huge elk.

Cottonwood area of Mountain Green.
Malan was sited for driving under the influence (DUI), leaving the scene of an injury accident, unsafe lane travel, expired registration, carrying a concealed weapon while intoxicated, and open container.

ROY – Vernon J. Shaw, 85, passed away Tuesday, October 19, 2010, at his home in Roy.
He was born August 10, 1924, in Liberty, Utah to Lewis and Sarah Rhodes Shaw. He married Norma Allred on October 24, 1943, in Harrisville, Utah. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Salt Lake LDS Temple.

Morgan County Sheriff’s Office reports the following activity for October 10 thru October 16, with a total of 128 calls:

The annual entries from the Art Two fall art students, at the middle school, were set out and parents and teachers made the yearly selection of ten winning entries to be sent to Japan for the International Children’s Art Exhibit.  This is the fifteenth year of the children’s exhibit and Morgan Middle school has been involved for the last seven years.

Dustin B. Bennett and Kay Cee Jones will be united in marriage on Saturday, October 23, 2010.
A reception in their honor will be held that evening at the LDS Rock Chapel, 10 W. Young Street in Morgan. In case of an oversite you are welcome to join in wishing them well.

“Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.” Chinese Proverb
Often when a teacher tells students about a new concept, the student has a hard time remembering what they heard.  When a teacher explains the new concept and demonstrates the concept, there is a greater probability that the concept will stick with the student.

On Thursday, October 7  the annual Morgan County 4-H Achievement Night was held, hosted by Utah State University Extension in the Morgan County Courthouse Auditorium.
Local 4-Hers were recognized for their accomplishments in 4-H livestock, the 4-H horse program, 4-H portfolios and record books, 1st year 4-H membership, 10-year 4-H membership, TRY Team participation, and other awards.

Wednesday Nite Owls Scores and Standings