Content about CDATA

Last season, the Morgan varsity baseball team had one of its most successful seasons in recent history, going three games deep into the state playoffs and knocking off several 4A and 5A schools in non-region play.  

Morgan native Mario Chard was a featured speaker at this year’s National Undergraduate Literature Conference hosted by Weber State University. 

The Morgan County Republican Party recently chose new party officers including Chairman Lars Birkeland, Vice Chairwoman Tina Cannon, Secretary Lydia Nuttall, Treasurer Pamela Smith and State Central Committee Member Kera Birkeland.

Parker Lucas, Dakota Van Orden and Andrew Allen received their Eagle Scout award and were honored April 20, 2013.

 
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

Ken Hicks was honored as the Morgan County recipient of the 2013 Utah Silver Bowl Award at a ceremony held at the Marriott Hotel in Provo, Utah, on April l6. A luncheon was given in honor of volunteers throughout the state featuring Bob Evans of Fox 13 News as master of ceremonies.  Remarks were offered by Lieutenant Governor Greg Bell and LaDawn Stoddard of the Utah Commission on Volunteers.

Sister Jessica Little and Elder Brandon Little, daughter and son of Darwin and Tami Little, have returned home from their missions. Jessica served in the Florida Jacksonville mission and Brandon served in the West Virginia Charleston mission. They will both be speaking on Sunday, April 28, at 9 a.m. at the Morgan Stake Center.

Shaun G. Petersen and Brandi L. Krammer have chosen April 27, 2013 to begin their life together. 

Nedra Gledhill Tucker Allen will be celebrating her 90th birthday.  Nedra was born April 17, 1923, in Boulder, Utah, to Sarah Jane Haws and Albert Franklin Gledhill.  She spent her childhood in Bas, Wyom.

There exists a very generous group of individuals who donate to a program at Weber State University. This program is known as TAPT (Teachers Assisted Path to Teaching). 

Marlene F. Peterson celebrated her 80th birthday April 1, 2013.

Sister Kami Call has been called to the Texas San Antonio Mission. 

 
I would love to say thank you for your thoughts, kind words, your flowers, your food, your calls and visits and your friendship that has been shown to me during my illness. I am not use to being ill, but with all of the kindness that has been given to me, it makes me again realize how wonderful people are in Morgan. Thank you again for everything. ShaRon Nelson

Westbound lanes on Interstate 84 were closed Tuesday when a semitruck carrying solar panels rolled over.

“It’s all about family” is a fitting motto for the Skinner household. Joey and Lisa Skinner have been blessed with four wonderful children:  Shantelle (married to husband Nate), Colby (currently serving a mission in Mexico), Cameron (a high school senior), and Tucker (eighth grade). A new highlight in the Skinner family has been the addition of Shantelle and Nate’s baby girl, Brielle. Joey and Lisa love their new role as grandparents. 

If you are interested in getting out and seeing the beautiful scenery in our area up close and personal, a new club has been developed to help you achieve that.

The third grade has been learning about simple machines for the whole month of January. As a celebration of what they learned, each student made their own simple machine to display at the simple machines fair for the rest of the school as well as their parents.  The students’ creativity and ability to apply what they learned was very impressive. The machines were all different shapes and all different sizes, but they all were able to scientifically do work using one or a combination of the six simple machines.  The projects ranged anywhere from catapults, to dog feeders, to homemade mouse traps.  It was a great event to take part in. 

 
Morgan - Clarence George “Tic” Francis, 93, died on April 2, 2013.
He was born Nov. 8, 1919, in Morgan, Utah, to William Weisbrodt and Cecilia Knight Francis, but celebrated his birthday on Dec. 7.  He married Elna Wright on Jan. 24, 1946, in the Salt Lake Temple.
 
A viewing will be held Friday, April 5, 2013 at the Rock Church in Morgan, 10 W. Young St., from 6 to 8 p.m. The funeral will be at the Rock Church on Saturday, April 6, 2013, at 12 noon with a viewing prior to the funeral from 10:45 to 11:45 p.m.
Interment in the South Morgan Cemetery.

The Family Tree Assisted Living would like to invite the family and friends of Betty Heckman & Juanita Beasley, to celebrate their birthdays from 2 to 4 p.m. on March 23, at Family Tree Assisted Living 862 E. Mahogany Ridge Rd.

Elder Gabe Allen Davis, son of Kris and Wendie Davis, has been called to serve in the Peru Trujillo Spanish Speaking mission. Gabe will be speaking in the Enterprise Ward (Enterprise Chapel 2755 W. Old Hwy. Rd.) on Sunday, March 24, 2013, at 12:40 p.m. Gabe will then report to the Peru MTC on April 9, 2013.

To promote literacy among Morgan Middle School students, the school Literacy Committee decided to continue the tradition of holding a school-wide spelling bee. 

 
“Once Upon on Time” was the theme at this year’s junior prom. 
The spirit of Morgan was shown in the diversity of personalities this year.

Math classrooms are changing all over the country. In the past, most mathematical teaching was made up of a routine of correcting previous assignments, showing the students how to work through a step a by step problem, and then having the students practice the steps until mastery is obtained. Over the years we have discovered that this type of mathematical instruction is not adequately preparing students to apply their learning in a consistently changing technological society. 

As many high school seniors are looking forward to their graduation this May, some previous graduates are looking back, way back. The Morgan School District will again be honoring past educators and employees of the district and their families at MHS commencement exercises and are looking for nominations.  Since 2008, 12 outstanding individuals have been honored for their service to the community in years past. Their names have been added to the stunning Trojan monument located just outside the MHS office. Their contributions and legacy should not be forgotten or go unappreciated. We are excited to recognize excellence from the past in the Morgan School District and look forward to the names of this year’s recipients to be included on the beautiful Trojan monument.

Cassidee Lish’s dream of playing volleyball in college was fulfilled through NCSA athletic recruiting.

Sister Brooklyn Eggett has been called to serve in the Brazil, Manaus mission. She will be speaking in the Morgan 6th ward, Porterville chapel, on March 24, at 1 p.m. She reports to the MTC in Brazil on March 27, 2013.

Lee Preston Morgan, 80 years old, died peacefully in his home on Monday, March 4, 2013, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He returned to his heavenly home to be with his Heavenly Father, Savior and loved ones. His family and the gospel of Jesus Christ was his greatest joy. He was born March 27, 1932, to Ruby Lucille Burbank Smith and Curtis Pilling Morgan.

The Mountain Green Chinese class, taught by Xin Bing, meets every morning to learn the Chinese language and culture.  Pictured here are Tanner Stanely, Emma Dredge, Rebekah Jones, Abi Lyman, Kaidon Lyman, Derrick Peterson, Spencer Lowder, Parker Lyman, Parker Stanely, Ethan Lowder, Isaa Lowder, Morgan Lyman, and Eli Whitear singing in the annual Chinese New Year Celebration at Weber State University.

Each year 4-H students compete for the honor of being one of only eight people chosen statewide to represent their hometown as a student ambassador. 

Ashley Transtrum and Hutch Haslam have chosen Saturday, March 23, 2013 to be married in the Logan LDS temple.  A reception will be held in their honor that evening from 5 -7 p.m. at the Field Street LDS meetinghouse.  If we have missed any friends or family in our excitement please accept this as an invitation.

At the advice of the Utah School Boards Association, the Morgan County School Board passed a new employee personal firearms policy.

Barbara W Hortin, age 83, passed away peacefully with her family by her side, on February 22, 2013.  She was born in Pocatello, Idaho, to LeRoy Wilson and Amy Seelos Wilson.  They later divorced and Amy married Toby Shaw and they moved to Coalville.  Mom married Hal Hortin and they had five children.  Mom worked at various jobs throughout her life.   

The growth of indexed family history records has allowed the development of new family history experiences.  The goal of a variety of companies has been to allow individuals with less genealogical experience to have success.  

Peter Christensen, a student at Morgan Middle School, not only won the school-level competition of the National Geographic Bee on Jan. 10, 2012, he also earned a chance at a $25,000 college scholarship.  The school-level bee, at which students answered oral and written questions on geography, was the first round in the annual National Geographic Bee.  

The Bert Wilkinson family would sincerely like to thank everyone for their support during this difficult time. We appreciated the food, visits, cards, flowers, attendance at the viewing and the funeral and the many stories we were told about Dad that we hadn’t heard before. 

The Trojan Century Center will be open for senior citizens and others who would like to walk in the late afternoons or early evenings from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.  This will continue until spring weather is more conducive to use of the Morgan City walking path (Mikelsen Mile).

The Trojan Century Center will be open for senior citizens and others who would like to walk in the late afternoons or early evenings from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.  This will continue until spring weather is more conducive to use of the Morgan City walking path (Mikelsen Mile).

This year the staff at The Morgan County News would like to make your newspaper reading experience a little more interactive.  You may have seen our weekly word of the week contests.  Maybe you have tried to identify the individuals in an old photo for a prize.

Our very own Morgan Stars are a part of the Special Olympics program. This year, teams from Morgan were able to participate in a heart-warming event that displayed their impressive talents on the volleyball court.

Our precious baby boy, Trey Oreste Zuech, was born February 12, 2013, to his loving parents, Andrew Todd and Sheri Marie Cook Zuech. After touching our hearts forever he returned to his Heavenly Father.  

Cameron Skinner, Morgan High School varsity basketball player, has been selected to represent his school on the UHSAA Academic All-State Basketball Team.

Elwood (Woody) Michael Mamanakis, 65, passed away February 12, 2013. He was born on October 31, 1947, to Ellen and George Mamanakis in Ogden, Utah. Elwood graduated from BYU. 

HIGH SCHOOL BOWLING TEAM

Following an administrative investigation conducted by the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department, the officer who fired a shot that struck the left eye of Kristin Nicole Biggs has been cleared and returned to duty in December.

A new year begins. All of the holiday decorations have been taken down and put away, kids have gone back to school, and adults have returned to work. The start of each year is rich with ambition, hopes and dreams. The whole year is before us and anything is possible. What makes the difference between accomplishing the milestones we earnestly set out to achieve and letting our resolve slowly dissipate into inaction? Resolutions, goals, targets, objectives—however you refer to them—help you get to where you want to be.

As resolutions are beingAs resolutions are being made for the new year, home ownership and better money management are often at the top of the list.  Debbie Leonard, one of Morgan City’s newest real estate brokers, hopes to assist residents in achieving some of those goals.

June Rawle Little, 93, passed away Thursday January 10, 2013, at the home of her sister Ruby Carrigan in Morgan Utah.  

Thelma Brooks West passed away the morning of Saturday, January 5, 2013 in her home in Morgan, Utah.

The family of Abbott and Nancy Mikesell would like to express our thanks to all the good people who have visited us, sent cards, brought food, cleaned our driveway, visited at the hospital to give us support and came to the funeral home at the passing of our daughter, Cindy Mikesell Porter. 

During the last months of 2012, Young Chevrolet, in Layton, raised $11,775 for the Davis Education Foundation. The donation will be presented to the Davis Education Foundation at their board meeting on Tuesday, January 15 at the Davis School Administration Building. 

Local fifth-grade girls basketball team picked up first place medals over the holidays, playing in the North Summit holiday tournament in Coalville. 

Daniel J. Baird, 57, fun-loving, sarcastic, and caring; husband, father, grandfather, and brother; returned home to his Heavenly Father on December 25, 2012. 

The family of Roy Baugh would like to thank the community for your love and support you have given during Roy’s long illness. Special thanks go to neighbors who have gotten calls in the middle of the night and came to help. 

The county has selected a consultant to handle the large Snowbasin application.

The Morgan Conservation District is pleased to announce Quincee Dorius as the winner of the 2012 Conservation poster contest.  Quincee is in the fourth grade and attends Mountain Green Elementary.  

In the five years Niel and Candice Ekberg have lived in Morgan, they have made a big impact in the community. Niel is a state trooper with the Utah Highway Patrol. Candice is a local EMT and a track and field coach at MHS. For each of them, getting to this point was a journey of self-discovery and pursuing meaningful paths. As their story unfolds, it is notable to observe their biography continues to evolve as the result of hard work—a testament that dreams may be accomplished through passion and perseverance.

 
Elder Chase Davis has returned from the New York South Mission. He will be speaking on December 30 at 10:40 am at the Enterprise Stake Center.

HIGH SCHOOL BOWLING TEAM

The children of Larry and Wilma Hatch congratulate their parents on 50 wonderful years of marriage! 

 
East Canyon State Park Rangers James Lowe, Elizabeth Kovacs, and Jeff Dale were presented the Challenge Coin Commendation from Hill Air Force Base Colonel Henke of the 748th SCMG/419th Squadron for saving the life of Air Force employee Craig Feasel. The rangers were presented challenge coins, received a standing ovation, and were made honorary members of the squadron.

Pictured in the middle is Harold Orton. The Orton family are long-time residents of Morgan County. To his far left is his daughter Lynn Orton Boyce. To the right of him is his Granddaughter Tiffany Wright-Roberts, daughter of Lynn Orton Boyce and the late Terry Wright. 

Language arts teachers from both the middle school and high school met with Christelle Estrada, Language Arts Specialist from the Utah Office of Education, on Nov. 29 to receive training and insight to assist with the implementation of the new Language Arts Common Core. From this, the teachers planned and shared resources to meet their goals.

Amy Anne Creager returned from the France, Paris Mission and will be speaking on 9 December 2012 at the Highlands Ward Bldg., 5378 Old Highway Rd. Mountain Green, Utah at 10:50 am.

Having to read books for an English grade can be a real challenge for some middle school students, but for Dr. Gina Stuart’s Advanced Reading Class, independent reading is second nature and these students love to read.  A well stated quote by class member Savannah Wallace describes her love of reading like this, “Books are amazing things that can give you thousands of new ideas.  I love to get into new books, live in the action, and become best friends with the characters.”  

Donald Lee Mathews was born on November 8, 1953 to the parents of George Clark and Marcelene Lott Mathews in Cedar City, UT.  He grew up in Orem, Utah and graduated from Orem High School.  Don attended BYU and served an LDS mission to Mexico, Mexico City.  He married his true love, Cheri Lyn Bell on April 29, 1976 in the Salt Lake Temple.  Don passed away on November 23, 2012 due to heart failure.

Sandra Hopkin Peterson, 78, died Friday, Dec. 7, 2012 in Salt Lake.

The holiday season is in full swing.  This time of year always seems like a good time to reflect on those things for which we are grateful.  The list often includes family, friends, employment, and freedom.  I would like to add to that list; I am grateful for the staff at the Utah Driver License Division.

On Saturday Dec. 1, the Weber State Alumni Singers used their music to help Loydene Berg who lost her home to a fire in September.  The choir presented a rich experience titled “A Gift of Music” to generous audience members who started off the holiday season with an amazing concert.  The evening of music enriched those who attended.  

After a grand jury was held, an indictment was issued on a criminal case involving a Morgan man.  Morgan County Attorney Jann Farris said he will dismiss Morgan County’s charges in the case.
According to court records in United States of America vs. Andrew Owens Pentz, the indictment was issued for one count of possession of an unregistered sawed-off shotgun and two counts of a felon in possession of a firearm.
Records indicated that on or about Oct. 17, 2012, Pentz knowingly possessed an unregistered 20-guage sawed-off shotgun with a barrel length of less than 18 inches, as well as associated ammunition.  As a result, Pentz will have to forfeit all firearms and ammunition in violation.

Since developer Rulon Gardner presented his plans for a community development agency, or CDA, to the Morgan County Council, Morgan County School Board members have been receiving irate calls.

Morgan County School officials promised constituents they would look into a dual immersion language program at area elementary schools.  As part of that promise, the community councils at both Morgan and Mountain Green elementary schools have written a survey to measure interest in the area.  

Members of the Morgan FFA Chapter in Utah were one of 39 teams participating in the National FFA Agricultural Sales Career Development Event (CDE). The event was held in conjunction with the 85th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Ind. The team, led by advisor Megan Haslam, was awarded a silver emblem. Members also competed for individual awards with 150 other participants. Denton Cannon received a bronze emblem, Luke Larsen received a silver emblem, Megan Stapley received a Silver emblem, and Katie Spens received a bronze emblem.

Elder Nathan R. Buchanan, son of Patrick and Stacey Buchanan of Morgan, has accepted a call to serve the Lord as an LDS missionary in the Indianapolis, Indiana mission.  

Saturday, Oct. 27, the Mountain Green Kids Club had their first open house.  This will be Morgan County’s only state licensed child care center. 

Natasha Lyn Andersen was named to the Utah High School Activities Association 2012 academic all-state girls’ soccer team.  She was honored at the 3A state soccer championship game at the Rio Tinto stadium on Oct. 20. These are such intelligent girls, the cumulative grade point average of the selected team members is a 4.0.

We have had an enjoyable and exciting fall season!   On Saturday, Sept. 15,  basketball regionals were held at the Clearfield Aquatic and Fitness Center.  We had eight athletes compete in basketball skills and they all did a great job.   Swimming regionals were held on Saturday, Sept. 29 at Utah State University.

The family of Marnie Stark would like to thank the community for the outpouring of love and heartfelt support we have received.  Words cannot express the support we have had from the community. The amount of loving gestures have been crazy.  They have come from friends, family and even people we didn’t know.  We would not have made it through this without all this love.  The family would like to thank the Morgan 6th Ward Relief Society, Walker Mortuary and the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department.  We rest easier knowing our little butterfly is free to fly.

There has been quite a storm of interest in the mountain biking and BMX industry in Morgan as of late.  There is a new mountain biking team featuring students from Morgan High and local resident, Jason Johnson, has proposed a new bike track in the area.  This may be a great idea for kids like Brewer Snedden.

After a Utah State basketball game Rob Colvin met Suzanne Udy for the first time. Rob who is from North Ogden, and Suzanne who is from Salt Lake City (a Skyline High School graduate), were both enrolled in the university. Rob knew he had met someone special and was immediately interested in getting to know her better. However, he didn’t have a scrap of paper or a pen with him to jot down her information.  Being the creative person that he is, Rob used an aluminum foil gum wrapper in his pocket to scratch down her phone number. It took two tries to make the phone call but fortunately he was able to find the right combination of numbers. 

Elder Joshua Duncan, son of Scott and Michelle Duncan has been called, and has accepted the invitation to serve as an LDS Missionary to the Brazil São Paulo Interlagos Mission. Josh will speak in the Highlands Ward (Highland Chapel 5378 W. Old Hwy Rd.) on Oct. 28, at 10:50 a.m. Josh will report to the São Paulo, Brazil MTC on Oct. 30, 2012.

MORGAN – Marnie Franich Stark, 38, passed away October 20, 2012 at McKay Dee Hospital.

Loydene Berg and her son, PJ, lost their home to an electrical fire last month on Sept. 4.  The home was a complete loss.  This included her Yamaha Grand Piano which had a lot of sentiment attached to it from her late father and her husband Peter, who was murdered 12 years ago at Chevy’s Restaurant in Salt Lake City.  The home was also not insured at the time of the fire, due to a suspension in the insurance coverage until a rain gutter was replaced. The work had been done, but had not been reinstated before the fire destroyed the home.

George and Gwen Francis of Morgan will be honored for their 60th wedding anniversary by their children on Saturday Oct 27, with an open house from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Field Street Church, 240 S. 300 W. in Morgan. The celebration will also be in honor of his 80th birthday. Family and friends are welcome. 

Once a week for three weeks, a student in a Morgan High School classroom passed out while attending Mr. Rock’s health class during first or second period.

Wasatch Storm U13 Premier soccer girls won two large state tournaments this summer.  

In 5th grade, the students at Mountain Green Elementary School learn about American history. Near the beginning of their studies are early explorers. Students were put into pairs and chose an explorer to research about. They needed to find out the basic birth/death date, birthplace and what country the explorer sailed for. They also had to find why their explorer started their voyage, what they discovered, what they are most famous for and other interesting information about that explorers life. The students had four days to research information from websites, short readings and the encyclopedia. Students then used the information they gathered to create a poster and present their explorer to the class. The class took notes on each explorer. This information will later be used to write an informative essay on “Why People Explore.” Students discovered many interesting things such as Christopher Columbus was not actually the first European to land on the Americas, how America got its name,  how the lack of vitamin C caused the dreaded scurvy, how some explorers mysteriously disappeared, and how some men even spent months searching for cities of gold or a fountain of youth.  This was a very fun learning activity for the students.

Matthew Richard Gallen has been called to serve in the Canada Vancouver Mission.  He will speak Sunday, Oct 14, 2012, at 11 a.m. in the Morgan 10th ward. Matthew is the son of Jodi Walker Gallen and Matt Gallen.

The Manning family would like to wish their father, grandfather and great-grandfather, Leland Manning, a very happy 80th birthday! To celebrate this milestone in Leland’s life, we are planning an open-house for friends and family at their home on Sunday, October 14 from 3- 5 p.m. Stop by and wish Leland a happy birthday and share some cake and ice cream.

Early Tuesday morning, October 9, 2012, Travis Larson Crane, son of Mark and Candace, was called home to live with his Father in Heaven due to an auto accident.  Travis was born May 2, 1985 in Burley, Idaho.  

In both of Morgan’s only contested local races, the incumbents came out on top. In the Morgan County School Board Precinct 1 race, Jody V. Hipwell beat out opponent Lydia Nuttall by just 23 votes. The final count was 418 to 395.

For the backyard neighbors, it was an interesting race from the primary vote earlier this year until Election Day.

For School Board District 3, incumbent Ken A Durrant won with 427 votes over Clay Ivan Rich’s 295 votes.

See this week's The Morgan County News for the full story.

Kassie Nagel and Britten Duerden have been notified that they were selected for the 3A all-state track and field team for 2012. 

Lorin Jay Ezell passed away suddenly Oct. 2, 2012, in his home.  Lorin was born on Feb. 17, 1967, to Jack Ezell and Lola Jane Bennett Grower.  Lorin was raised in Porterville, Utah.  He loved going up in the mountains and building huts. 

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.

Brad and Valarie (Rich) Dinkel are excited to have been called to serve an LDS mission for 18 months to the Philippines Baguio Mission. They will be speaking in the Genola 3rd Ward Building Sunday, Oct. 14 at 1 p.m. They would like to invite any Morgan friends to join them on that day. Following the meeting, they request that you join them for lunch in the Genola Park.

Savana Wilkinson, daughter of Dane and Wendy Wilkinson of Mtn. Green, has chosen to marry her best friend, Brance John Brown. Brance is the son of Jim and Nanette Brown of Morgan. Savana and Brance will be married Oct. 5, 2012, in the Bountiful Temple. In case of oversight, please join them in their celebration at a reception held in their honor that evening from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Highlands Chapel in Mtn. Green. Savana is a 2010 graduate of Morgan High School, and Brance graduated from Morgan High in 2009. Both are presently attending Weber State. Brance served a mission in the Chile Rancagua mission.

Although the Morgan County Council prepared an offer to purchase the former bus garage property on State Street, the Morgan County School Board decided to accept  another offer from a commercial entity.

Recently the Social Security Administration reported the most popular baby names from 1901.  The following is the list.  This may give you some insight into why your grandparents or great grandparents have their name:

Elder Parker Van Wagoner recently returned from serving in the Lima Peru East Mission. 

Ten art students from Morgan Middle School have been selected to send their artwork to Japan for the International Children’s Art Exhibition.   Students enrolled in Art II classes at the middle school were invited to participate.  Each student created an original work of art following this year’s theme “Vehicle.”  Works were made from a variety of media: pencil, charcoal, watercolor, pastels, chalk, and colored pencil.  A panel of judges made up of administration and faculty then selected 10 pieces to represent the school at the exhibition.

Our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend passed away Sunday, Sept. 23, 2012, surrounded by her family.  She was born July 27, 1923 in Henefer, Utah to Osmyn (Os) Merritt Wright and Zelda Lucy Richins. She married Clarence George Francis on January 24, 1946, in the Salt Lake Temple for time and all eternity.

Work continues on the reconstruction of I-84, from Mountain Green (SR-167) to Morgan (SR-66). Shouldering, crash cushion, delineator/barrier reflector and barrier pad movement activities will take place from Peterson to Morgan. Grinding and striping on the new concrete roadway will continue over the next few weeks. Construction is nearly complete from Peterson to Mountain Green. Crews work from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., six days per week. 

Thank you seems so inadequate to express our appreciation for the acts of kindness, large and small, that we have received. 

Oliver J Archibald was born Aug. 31, 2012. He would like to thank all the wonderful people that prayed and were concerned for him. 

Emilia Ballantyne and Zachary Egan will be united in marriage on Friday, Sept. 28, 2012.

Fifty years ago, September 14, Rex and Janeal Wilkinson started their eternal family.  Captain of the football team and a dancer on the drill team, these two high school sweethearts were meant to be together.  Their love has truly been strengthened through the years.

Virtually all of us are immigrants.  Our ancestors may have come across on the Mayflower, or in one of the subsequent waves of immigration.  We may have ancestors from Germany, England, Wales, Scotland, Italy, Africa, China, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, or any one of a hundred other countries that have made up the wonderful melting pot that has formed the United States.  We are a nation of immigrants.

Mountain Green resident David Sawyer, who recently returned from serving with the U.S. armed services in Afghanistan, presented both Morgan County and Boy Scout Troop 576 with American flags for their service.

Chet and Joan Adams are pleased to announce the marriage of their daughter, Hannah, to Jordan Douglas Bischoff, son of Mark and Jenifer Bischoff.
Hannah and Jordan will be married today,
 
Friday, Sept. 7, 2012, in the Bountiful Temple. Their reception will be held at the Rock Church in Morgan from 6-8 p.m. with dancing from 8-8:30 p.m.
Hannah graduated from Morgan High School and Morgan High LDS Seminary. She graduated from Weber State University with a degree in sociology and is employed at Morgan High School and the Utah State University extension office.
Jordan graduated from Morgan High School and Morgan High LDS Seminary. He served an LDS mission to Oslo, Norway. He is currently employed by Centerpoint Construction and plans to attend Weber State University this winter.
After a honeymoon to Las Vegas, the couple will be making their home in Morgan.
In case of an oversight, Hannah and Jordan would love for you to come and enjoy the evening with them.

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.

Monday is usually a pretty low key day at Taggart’s Grill, but this week was different.  HGTV’s House Hunters team paid a visit to the local restaurant to shoot footage for their show. 

This year has marked the one-year anniversary of several businesses on State Street, and LiquiFaction Internet Café is one of them.  LiquiFaction first opened its doors on Aug. 29, 2011, but the grand opening was two days later.  At that time, owner, Lee Kellogg, invited all city and county employees to come in and get a free drink for the day to give him some training time.    

I would like to thank everyone who helped with the 2012 Morgan County Fair.  It would not have been possible without all of the people who donated their time to ensure the fair was a success.  I greatly appreciate all the support and dedication of the fairboard members and committees.  

The Morgan High golf team continued their Region 11 season Aug. 15, at El Monte golf course in Ogden. The eight varsity players that qualified for Morgan were: Seniors - McKay Kearsley, Aaron Babbitt, Jake Miles, Juniors - Rhett Ballantyne, Garren Miles, Sophomore -Jason Bledsoe, Freshmen - Russell North, Braxton Ovard.

Morgan Elementary School is looking forward to another great school year. We have some great new additions to our faculty this year. We would like to welcome Mrs. Waller, who has been a lifelong resident of Morgan. She will be teaching fifth grade. We are also excited to have Miss Booker join our elementary family. She previously taught in the Ogden School District. She will be teaching fourth grade this year.

Ruth Lucido, Ruby Godfrey, and Ella Adkins

Jean and I were excited to have made plans to see, eat, watch the families and just have a wonderful time at this year’s Morgan County Fair.  We were greeted with a smile at the east gate, and were directed to the disabled parking.  It was still pretty far to walk, but luckily we had our canes.

Under the direction of their coach, Dennis Peterson, the Morgan High golf team started their Region 11 season Aug. 9, at the Oquirrh Hills golf course in Tooele. The eight varsity players that qualified for Morgan were: Seniors - McKay Kearsley, Aaron Babbitt, Jake Miles,  Juniors - Rhett Ballantyne, Garren Miles, Sophmores -Jason Bledsoe, Freshmen - Russell North, Braxton Ovard.

When the Morgan City Council envisioned the Riverside Park splash pad, one of the things they hoped it would do is bring out-of-town visitors to generate revenue for other Morgan businesses, and it has done just that.

40 years ago our parents met in Riverton, Utah, when they were both 18 years old. Ken and Chrys Rindlesbach met through a blind date that Ken’s sister and Chrys’ sister set up, because they were in the same ward. 

Snowbasin is excited to welcome to the stage 3-time Grammy award winner and internationally recognized saxophonist, Jeff Coffin & the Mu’tet on Saturday, August 18. This all-star band line-up consists of Jeff Coffin, from the Dave Mathew Band, Felix Pastorius on bass, Bill Fanning on trumpet/space trumpet, Chris Walters on keys, and special guest Roy “Future man” Wooten (of Bela Fleck & the Flecktones) on drums.  This will be the second year Snowbasin will host a major concert as part of the Mt. Ogden 100k Mountain Bike Festival. “With the success of the Mt.Ogden 100k Festival concert last year it only seemed natural to bring in a band of this caliber for the second year,” explains Steve Andrus, Snowbasin’s events director.  

In today’s world of hustle and bustle, I was reminded of why I cherish my small town roots. In small towns, even still today, integrity, humanity, kindness and sympathy are still a way of life for people in small towns. One member of your small town of Morgan, Utah, proved that to us. 

Pioneer Day was celebrated in different ways throughout Morgan County this year. One of the celebrations was the Milton round-up, which was inspired by the hard work of two Milton Eagle Scouts. In an earlier article, credit was given to Brayden Stegelmeier and Miles Mecham for their huge undertaking. The two scouts replaced the Milton park horse arena fence. The arena is used by the entire northwestern area of the Morgan Valley, especially by 4-H horse enthusiasts. 

Elder Landon Philip Ray Carter, son of Craig and Lisa Carter of Morgan, from the Morgan 7th ward, has accepted a call to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He will serve in the Louisiana Baton Rouge mission.

Parker Randall Ross, son of Mitch and Teri Ross, has been called to serve in the Texas Lubbock mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He will speak on Sunday, Aug. 12, 2012, at 11 a.m. in the Field Street Chapel. He reports to the MTC in Provo, UT on Aug. 15, 2012.

Louis Charles Lucido, 59, passed Aug. 1, 2012. He was born Nov. 20, 1952 in Santa Monica, CA., to Stanley and Ruth Lucido. 

HighMark Charter School (HMCS), Davis counties newest charter school, is pleased to invite the community to tour the schools new facilities and classrooms. Public open houses will be on Aug. 6, 9, and 14, from 6-8 p.m. Tours and additional information on HighMark Charter School will be available at the open houses. The school is located at 2467 E. South Weber Drive in South Weber.

The Morgan Stars Special Olympics would like to give a tremendous thank you to all the Morgan County residents who so generously donated to our carwash July 28. The proceeds will help put 20 athletes in an event this year.

Rebecca Christina Norman and Brock David Bigler will be married on Friday, Aug. 10, 2012. 

Britlyn Elisabeth Compton and Grant Brady Case will be married on Friday, Aug. 10, 2012 in the Bountiful Temple. A reception will be held in their honor on Aug. 9, 2012 at Snowbasin Resort from 7-9 p.m. In case of oversight, all family and friends are invited to attend.

Jordyn Ashlie Jackson and Chase Clinton Oliver will begin their life together on Aug. 11, 2012. He stole her heart and now she will steal his last name. Jordyn is the daughter of Rich and Heidi Jackson of Morgan. She is a graduate of Morgan High School and is studying nursing at WSU. 

Taylor Thomson and Tyler Hoffman will be married in the Bountiful Temple on Saturday, August 4, 2012. A reception will be held in their honor that night from 7-9 p.m. at the Hoffman’s residence: 4065 W. Cottonwood Canyon Road, Mountain Green. In case of oversight, all family and friends are invited to attend.

If we could have a lifetime wish and a dream that could come true

Dallen Gary Brooks (Tank) has been called to serve in the Anaheim California Spaish speaking mission. He reports to the MTC on Aug. 1, 2012. Dallen wants to thank all his family, friends, and teachers for helping him achieve this life changing goal.

Top: Kyona Bunting - mother to Kayden, 

Our husband, dad and Grandpa left this life from causes related to dementia surrounded by his family for a bigger and better fishing trip on July 16, 2012.

The Genealogy Star blog this week reported that editing has now come to FamilySearch’s new version of their family tree.  The family tree will be a replacement for new FamilySearch when it is released.  It has been in development for many months and its aim is to fix many of the challenges with the current tree.  

Morgan City is the first recipient of a new award from the Utah National Guard.   Colonel Brown told the city, “I am so thankful to the city for what you have done in helping my family out with our utilities and just knowing that they were safe here in this small community.”

Morgan Conservation District’s Bag O’ Woad youth weed pull yielded three tons of the noxious weed, dyer’s woad. This is a one ton increase from last year!

As formidable rivals on both the slopes and soccer field, Stacie Palmer and Erika Beckstrom never fathomed that one day they would not only be best friends, but working together to bring Utah’s premier cycling event, the Wildflower Pedalfest, to Morgan County.  

With a strong background in finance and a focus on volunteer service, Tina Cannon hopes to make a difference on the Morgan County School Board.  Cannon is running for District 1. Cannon is a professional accountant who worked at a public accounting firm for many years.  She left the firm to spend more time at home with her children.  She and a partner run their own accounting firm, where she provides services to businesses and is able to work out of her home and be close to the needs of her children.  The change has also allowed her to do more volunteer work.

Morgan City is very close to completing the Splash Pad.  The final concrete pour will be today.  The water features are already in place.

Kyle Ray Crockett and Courtney P. Rich are pleased to announce their marriage on Saturday, June 30, 2012. 

Local business owner Melvin Lee Kellogg, 36, was arrested Monday for a failure to register violation as well as being in a “protected area.” 

The Morgan Lion’s Club annual installation dinner was held on July 5, 2012.  That evening Larry Durrant was put in as the new club president, DeOrr Peterson is now 1st vice president, CarDell Mortsensen is 2nd vice president, Harold Laughter is 3rd vice president and Jeff Lucas is secretary/treasurer.   The newly installed presidency will serve for one year.  The Lion’s Club would like to give a special thanks to George Francis who served as president for the past year.  

Barbara Joy Whitear Palmer, 81, returned to the arms of her loving Heavenly Father on July 5, 2012.  Barbara was born in Peterson, Utah, on March 9, 1931, to Albert and Clara Whitear.  She married Quenton James Palmer on April 16, 1948.  Together, they had three children, Cheryle (Randall) Manning, Wendy (Larry) Farr, and Gary (Kathi) Palmer; 15 grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren.

Effie Johnson Rich is celebrating her 90th birthday. Effie was born July 15, 1922, in Driggs, Idaho. She is youngest of six children born to John James and Mary Edith Carruth Johnson. Her family moved from Driggs to Coalville, Utah, in 1927. They settled in Morgan, Utah in 1929 where John James ran the local dry-cleaning and tailoring shop. In 1947 she married her sweetheart Kent Rich in the Logan Temple. They have five children, 10 grandchildren, and 17 great grandchildren. She is lovingly known as “Grandma Happy.” 

Within the last week, the Sheriff’s Office completed two extensive separate investigations involving two registered sex offenders. As a result of these investigations, two adult males were arrested and booked into the Weber County jail on separate charges. On behalf of the Sheriff’s Office, we would like to extend our thanks to all of the agency’s that assisted in the arrest of Scott Gollaher.

We want to thank all who came out and supported and/or made donations for our 5th annual Marie McQuiddy Daley Softball Tournament! Thank you to all the high school volleyball team girls for keeping score and donating all their time for this great cause, you are awesome girls!  

Dave and Tammy Siebert are excited to announce the marriage of their son, Trevor Siebert, to Andrea Tanner, daughter of Brent and Conny Tanner of South Weber.  They will be married on July 19, 2012, in the Logan LDS Temple.  A reception will be held that evening in their honor at the Chantilly Mansion in Layton.

Claren James “Sonny” Brandt, 73, died June 25, 2012, at his home in Ogden surrounded by his family.   He was born Nov. 15, 1938, in Tridell, Utah, to James C. Brandt and Dorothy Melinda Anderson.  He was raised in Croydon by Alva and Zelpha Rust.  He graduated from Uintah High School in 1958.

 
The Morgan High Troyettes are off to a fresh start this year.   Their new coach is Kim Ball.  She is a great new addition to the team!  
The Troyettes just returned from camp where they received a spirit award, technique award, and an award for their performance! 

 
Leon LaMadeleine has seen the challenges that women have in balancing their efforts to achieve family goals while also trying to meet their personal needs.

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.  

 
Morgan County Fire Warden Boyd Carrigan was happy to get multiple calls from people passing by on the freeway who noticed a grass fire in Mountain Green on Friday.
“If you see smoke of any kind, call.  A lot of people think someone else will do it,” Carrigan said.  “I would rather it be a false alarm than not be able to jump on it quick enough.”

Geni.com had a wonderful infographic this week that I thought would be worth sharing.  Geni provides an online family tree service to help individuals find their families and collaborate with family members.  This is only a portion.  The entire graphic can be found at http://www.geni.com/blog/independence-day-by-the-numbers-375769.html I hope you enjoy it and that you had a wonderful fourth of July.

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.

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.” 

Our sweet, loving wife and mother Fern Porter Carter, 91, passed away Saturday, June 30, 2012 at Family Tree Assisted Living Center in Morgan, Utah.  She was born in Porterville, Utah on April 6, 1921 to Franklin Sylvanus Porter and Emma Mae Durrant.  She attended school in Porterville and Morgan.

MORGAN - Our Dad, brother, uncle, son and good friend Patrick Allen Alexander (Gomm), 59, passed away on Sunday, June 3, at the George E. Wahlen Ogden Veterans home from Lewy Body Dementia, after fighting a valiant battle from the disease.

After nearly two years of work, donations from many of Morgan’s businesses and residents, meetings, design, and planning, the splash pad is nearly complete.  The city just missed having the splash pad ready for the 4th of July celebrations, but is now just days away from having the project ready for use.

Samuel Glenn Taylor and Nicole Kendell have chosen Friday June 8, 2012, to be married for time and all eternity in the Logan Utah Temple. 

 
Michael and Hillary Nelson of Morgan, Utah, are pleased to announce the marriage of their son, Ian Brock Nelson, to Hailey Marie Reden, daughter of Steven and Margaret Reden of Valley Center, California. 
They will be married in California on the July 6, 2012. An open house will be held in Morgan, on the 13 of July from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the rock church. 
All friends and family please come celebrate with us.

 
On May 11 the kindergarten students joined the FFA students for a farm field trip at Morgan’s Diamond D Ranch. They learned about horses, cows, baby animals, crops, roping, barrel racing, and played keyhole and goat tying. They had lots of fun and learned much. The FFA students loved helping the kids learn about animals.

The fifth grade students from Mountain Green Elementary School spent the year learning about United States history and government.  As a culminating activity to demonstrate what they had learned, they put on a “Great American” program for their parents and the MGES studentbody.  

The Daughters of Utah Pioneers (DUP) were excited to host a lively group of Morgan Elementary fourth graders and their teachers on Monday, May 21.

Thank you for your well written article about Trevor Slate’s Eagle Scout project memorializing the fallen veterans. I’ve sent several copies out and hopefully this will encourage other organizations to do more to remember the veteran’s sacrifice. 

On June 8, 2012, Danielle Mary Andersen and Richard Chase Jackson will be married for Time and All Eternity in the Salt Lake Temple.  

In 1985 Randell Heath and his wife Tina drove to Morgan in search of the Browning offices.  What they found was more than our local gun maker. After driving through Peterson they fell in love with the area—so much so that they decided to move here.  

Megan Stapley, a 2012 graduate of Morgan High School FFA (Future Farmers of America), has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship by Barber Brothers Ford and Ford Motor Company.  Stapley’s parents are Kurt Stapley and Maggee Stapley of Morgan.  Stapley plans to study at Weber State University.

Sixty years ago Harold and Mary Ellen met, fell in love, and then were married on May 24th.  During these past sixty years they have raised three children; Grant (Annette) Laughter, Scott Laughter, and Candy (David) Stevens.  They have 16 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren, who are their pride and joy.  There will be an open house on May 26 from 5 to 7 p. m. at their home, 830 East 100 South in Morgan.  The family would like to invite all friends, neighbors, and acquaintances to come by and help us celebrate their 60 years together.  Please, no gifts.

The Morgan High Boy’s Tennis Team ACED at Region.  Swish Wiscombe and Ben Holland took first place in 1st Doubles, Nate Johnson and Miles Mecham took fourth place in 2nd Doubles, Ryan Lynch took fourth place in 1st Singles and Taylor Clark took third place in 2nd Singles. 

Morgan City broke ground this week on the new splash pad.  It is expected to be completed by the end of June and will be available for use in time for the fourth of July celebration.  There will be no cost to use the splash pad.  

Morgan High School Class of 1952 congratulates the Class of 2012 and wishes them the very best for their future.

Morgan City is set to begin construction next week on the splash pad at Riverside Park.  The city has been raising funds for more than a year and is continuing to do so.  Many of the splash pad features have been sponsored by local businesses and some of the construction work has been donated as well.  The city has had donations from groups of mothers and grandmothers as well as many residents from all over the county.  They city has also conducted fund-raising activities throughout the last year such as selling hot dogs at last year’s Independence Day Celebration.  The city has raised the funds necessary to begin construction, but is still requesting donations to provide funding for additional water features as well as benches.

Family Tree Assisted Living would like to invite the family and friends of Alice Preece, Camille Wilde and Jay Taggart to celebrate their birthdays on May 26, from 2-4 p.m.  

Utah will be available to search by name within the next day or two in the 1940 census at FamilySearch.org.  The total states published to search by name as of the present time are Delaware, Virginia, Colorado, Kansas, Oregon, New Hampshire, Utah, Florida, and Wyoming.  An additional seven states are close to release.  They are Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Vermont and Hawaii.  Several other states are completing quickly.  The project is nearly 50 percent complete. 

Paul and Romona Dickson would like to congratulate their grandson Gary Warren Loveless, son of Mark and Dell Loveless, on being awarded the Modern Day Pioneer Scholarship from the Son’s of Utah Pioneers as well as the Edward Earl Collins Legacy Scholarship. We are proud of you! 

Love you very much! Love Your Family

Dance and tumbling in the form of expression as it is given, can be appreciated best when watching the students practice or attending one of their performances.

Family Fun Night at the library is the perfect evening to relax and spend time with your family while encouraging learning and thought.  Monday, May 21 will be the second Family Fun Night and there are high hopes it will build on the success of the previous event.  The last affair brought a crowd of over 80 participants and turned the library into a carnival.  This coming Family Fun Night will transform the library into a dream emporium. The night won’t make you nod off because lots of fun activities have been planned to explore the things we wish and hope for.  The idea was born from a patron interest survey that showed a need for family specific events.  The staff created the idea for a quarterly Family Fun Night with guests from the community.

Ceremonies for the Morgan High School class of 2012 will be held in the Dee Events Center at Weber State University on Friday, May 25 at 12:30 p.m.

According to Morgan County’s new employee handbook, hourly employees cannot be forced to volunteer.  Councilman Robert Kilmer questioned if this could mean that supervisors should not ask their employees to volunteer at the annual county fair.

May 28    Antelope Island Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering: Join us in celebrating the West in our Seventh Annual Cowboy Poetry and Music gathering at the historic Fielding Garr Ranch at Antelope Island State Park. Activities include dancing, wagon train, horseback riding, vendors and more. 801-649-5742 or www.cowboylegendsai.com.