LDS Church celebrates temple anniversary
WASHINGTON -- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is celebrating the 25th anniversary of what became a new monument in Washington: its large, white-marble temple with golden spires.The Washington, D.C., Temple opened Nov. 19, 1974, after open-house tours attended not only by the public but members of Congress, Supreme Court justices and First Lady Betty Ford.
Since then, it has become a landmark mentioned constantly in traffic reports. For drivers on Washington's beltway, it seems to rise up out of nowhere as cars climb a hill near Georgia Avenue in suburban Kensington, Md.
3 Utah schools to get U.S. Senate computers
WASHINGTON -- Twenty-five retired computers from the U.S. Senate are headed for a new life in three Utah elementary schools.
Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, arranged to have the older-but-still-working computers donated through the Senate's Computers for Schools Program.
Ten computers each are headed for Lewis Elementary in Ogden and Monticello Elementary school. Another five are headed for Gunnison Valley Elementary school in Gunnison. Each school was registered with the federal Computers for Learning Program.
Education Board takes action on 5 teachers
One teacher will be able to return to the classroom, the Utah Board of Education voted last week, but four others lost their teaching certification, some temporarily, due to alleged misconduct.
LoyAnn McLendon, a former Washington District teacher, will get her teaching licenses back following recommendations from the Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission. Her licenses were suspended in February 1998 for unauthorized use of prescription drugs, the advisory commission reported.
Phillip B. Chapman, a former Nebo District teacher and coach, surrendered his teaching license for revocation, the commission reported. The action follows Chapman's use of inappropriate language with students and inappropriate activities with and sexual harassment of female students, the commission reported.
Steven L. Smith, a former teacher in the Duchesne School District, also surrendered his license for revocation after he accessed inappropriate and offensive Internet materials using school equipment, the commission reported.
The board suspended Kenneth G. Yama's teaching license for a recommended three years. The former Duchesne District teacher was accused of misusing school funds and convicted of a class A misdemeanor, the commission reported.
Mark A. Lampert, a former Davis District teacher, surrendered his teaching license for suspension. The action follows an assignment he gave to students that contained sexually explicit words and disparaging statements.