*Winner: Heart-attack victims in Utah and nationwide have a reason to smile: The severity of such incidents has declined over the past decade. The likelihood of death or a lifetime of pain has diminished significantly due to medical advances, healthier lifestyles and more intense treatment immediately after attacks.
*Winner: Fire deaths in the United States have dropped 44 percent since the 1970s. Home fire deaths plummeted from 6,015 in 1978 to 3,360 in 1997. Smoke detectors are the most important contributor to that decline. Nationally, 93 percent of homes now have alarms, but an estimated 30 percent don't work because of malfunctions or lack of fresh batteries. Sounds like a repair job for the Energizer bunny.Loser: There's nothing like the personal touch delivered by Arizona State University to the parents of several incoming students to make them feel good about their children's choice of schools. The parents of Truman Bradley of Boulder, Colo., received a letter from ASU that began: "Congratulations on 987-65-4321's admission (Number changed for security reasons). You will be a partner with the university in encouraging 987-65-4321 to succeed." Four others received similar greetings. And who says the information age is impersonal?
Loser: Amazingly, a zany bid to pull the plug on Lake Powell is picking up a little bit of steam, according to residents who live in nearby Page, Ariz. The Salt Lake-based Glen Canyon Institute is beginning the long-term process of gathering data on sediment, water storage, economics and dam safety. It then plans to submit a report to Congress, which ultimately would decide the lake's fate. One question: If the lake is drained, will the folks advocating the notion guarantee to scrub the unsightly ring left behind?
*Winner: When it comes to graduate programs, Utah more than holds its own, according to the U.S. News & World Report's annual listing of the top 50 graduate schools in the United States. The University of Utah's medical school ranks 33rd in the nation. Among its specialty disciplines, its primary care program is 27th, nursing department 32nd, midwifery program 6th and pharmaceutical school 16th. The U. also was noted for a law school ranked 36th, a creative-writing program at 16th and an engineering school that logs in at No. 50.
Among the other Utah schools, BYU's J. Reuben Clark Law School was ranked 29th in the nation and its Marriott Business School 49th. Utah State University's education school was listed 40th.