* Winner: Everyone should learn and benefit from the courage displayed by Brady Blaser, a young man born with a rare and devastating form of muscular dystrophy. He was given only six weeks to live. That was 20 years ago. While he has severe physical limitations, he hasn't let them keep him from being mentally sharp. He has an amazing knowledge of historic and political events. A dream will come true when he gets to meet his hero, former President George Bush, who is coming to Salt Lake City to participate in a seminar in April. A well-deserved event for a young man who is an example to all.
* Winner: Talk about a trip going to the dogs . . . Bill the dog completed a bizarre five-day odyssey by being hit by a car and winding up in a vet's office. But he's going to be OK and his owner, who was so attached to Bill that he offered a $5,000 reward for his recovery, knows where he is.Bill got lost while visiting New York from Canada with his owner. He ran loose for five days, getting hit by a car as he tried to cross the New Jersey Turnpike. He was rescued by a woman who took Bill to a vet and contacted a dog rescue group, which had seen an Internet posting about the search. Owner and dog were then reunited. The rescuer refused the $5,000 reward.
Loser: This animal story doesn't have a happy ending like the one above. Nine young mares that survived the barren deserts of the West died from stress induced by their capture and a 1,000 mile truck ride to Colorado. They were part of a herd of 50 horses being transferred from the Bureau of Land Management's center near Reno to a similar one near Denver. They died of "capture myopathy," a condition in wild animals triggered by anxiety of capture. A BLM advisory board will be looking for ways to reduce stress.
* Winner/loser: The good news is Utah women live six years longer than the national average - 85 as compared to 79. The bad news is Utah women who work for someone else earn less than their national counterparts, who already make less than men holding the same jobs. Nationally, women earn about 74 cents for every dollar men earn. In Utah that figure is 66 cents. Let's see how this computes: You make less and have six more years to spend it. Hmmm.