Winner: Kudos to the BYU business school, which this week ranked 51st among the top 100 business programs in the world, according to The Financial Times of London.
The ranking continues the school's steady climb in recent years. Business Week also ranked it as first among U.S. business schools in return on investment. Considering the state of the economy, this performance is especially impressive. Now, let's hope it translates into better business conditions throughout the state.
Loser: When a citizens' group erects signs urging people to keep inappropriate images away from children, and those signs are removed, defaced and dumped onto the lawn of the group's leader, that could be a sign that someone in the community is troubled. Last week, this happened to a Bountiful group called Citizens for Families. The group has successfully urged many businesses to place opaque shields over some magazines so that children can't see them.
They aren't asking for new laws. Theirs is a campaign of gentle persuasion that protects everyone's rights. That may be lost on some people who apparently believe freedom means something completely different. If caught, of course, they would be liable for criminal charges, which could put a big crimp in their own personal freedom.
Winner: More and more people are adopting dogs and cats from the Humane Society, officials reported this week. Last year, nearly 70 percent of the animals brought to the shelter ended up going out to new owners, which was a record. Nationally, only 26 percent of dogs and cats are spared the executioner.
This is an impressive record and doggone good news. Nothing is harder for an employee of an animal services agency than to have to euthanize an animal. Finding a loving family for an animal, however, makes their day purrr-fect.