Leavitt signs boost in school funding
It's official -- Utah schools are getting the biggest increase in state funds since the 1980s.Gov. Mike Leavitt signed SB3 into law Wednesday, providing a 6.9 percent increase in state money -- a 7.2 percent hike in overall funds -- to public schools. He signed the bill amid fifth-grade students at Millcreek Elementary School in Granite School District.
"My highest priority was education. I set a clear goal to invest more, expect more," Leavitt said in a prepared statement.
The bill includes $6 million for textbooks and supplies and $4.4 million to reimburse teachers for classroom materials.
Conference tickets are long, long gone
If you're still looking for tickets to attend the 170th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints April 1-2 -- the first event in the new 21,000-seat Conference Center -- the odds aren't in your favor.
Demand for tickets has been overwhelming. In fact, requests have outpaced seating capacity by about a 3-to-1 margin, and ticket requests are still coming in.
To accommodate as many as possible who wish to attend, those requesting attendance were given tickets to one conference session only. Those who requested conference tickets but did not receive them will, as far as possible, receive standby tickets.
If the Conference Center is full, the tickets will be valid for overflow facilities on Temple Square.
Rocky's 3rd meeting for public is tonight
Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson will hold the third in a series of monthly "News and Public Conferences" Wednesday, March 15, at the Central City Community Center, 615 S. 200 East. He will announce the winning slogan to be placed on the welcome sign at the Salt Lake International Airport, as well as present a prize for the funniest slogan.
Anderson and acting chief of police Mac Connole will also release more details on the city's recently announced reward program. A $3,000 reward will be offered on a rape committed in a Salt Lake library, and the mayor will accept a $3,000 donation from one resident to kick off a fund-raising effort.
The conference will begin at 5:30 p.m.
St. George teen says purple hair is fine
ST. GEORGE -- Chantel Bunch, who had purple hair for a brief time -- long enough to get suspended at Pineview High School -- argued before the Washington County School Board that hair color is form of expression protected by the First Amendment.
Board members made no response Tuesday, but Bunch got some argument from the audience.
"Rules are a part of life," audience member K.G. Matthews said.
The Pineview policy states all hair must be a natural color. Bunch, a recent transfer into the district, was unaware of the policy when she dyed her hair purple. A couple of days after her suspension, she returned to being a blonde to get readmitted to class.Bunch told board members purple hair is not immoral, harmful or immodest and is no more distracting than other things students see every day in school.
"Artistic expression has its place," said Lynn L. Davies, a retired school administrator. "But school is not the place for disruption. We don't need a classroom full of Dennis Rodmans."