Sunrise Stories: Kindergarten Kickoff to Help New Students Ease into Their Academic Life in Washington County

KDXU Sunrise Stories: Volume 190 

Statewide News – 04/11/24 

Governor Cox Sign School Silent Alarm Bill 

Utah Governor Spencer Cox has signed a new bill into law that requires schools across the state to install a silent alarm for emergency situations. 

These alarms are specifically meant for school shootings which alert the authorities without giving information away to the suspected shooter. 

The new measure is called Alyssa’s Law, named after Alyssa Alhadeff, who was killed in the 2018 Parkland shooting. Alyssa’s Law has already been passed in several other states including New Jersey, Florida, New York, Tennessee, and Texas. 

First Lady Cox Recovering from Spinal Surgery 

Utah First Lady Abby Cox is now recovering following an emergency spinal surgery on April 10.  

The surgery which occurred at the University of Utah Hospital was to remove degenerative disks in the First Lady’s neck, causing weeks of pain for Cox. 

Utah Governor Spencer Cox had to cancel his meeting with the International Olympic Commitee to stay by his wife’s side during the emergency. Other Utah officials took his place in meeting the Olympic Commitee who’d traveled from Switzerland to inspect venues for a possible 2034 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. 

Southern Utah/St. George News – 04/11/24 

Update on Panguitch Dam 

Officials in Garfield County have released a plan of action regarding the cracked Panguitch Dam that’s caused a “Level 2 Emergency Situation.” 

Material is being added to the dam along with water release to the lower level of the lake, and the residents near Panguitch are not under evacuation orders as the town continues to function as usual. 

The homes that would be most affected by the dam failure would be the homes on the western side of Panguitch Lake. Details on a potential evacuation plan can be found on the Utah Department of Public Safety website. 

Washington County School District Hosting Kindergarten Kickoff on April 17 

Parents with children about to start Kindergarten in Fall 2024 may want to attend the Kindergarten Kickoff on April 17 if they would like to ease their child into an academic life. 

Steve Dunham, the director of communication and foundations for the Washington County School District, was on the Andy Griffin Show yesterday to advertise the event which he said is the perfect way to introduce a new student to their new teacher and classroom in a stress-free environment. 

The Kindergarten Kickoff will take place April 17 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at your respective boundary school. For instance, if you live in the Bloomington area in St. George, then you’d want to attend the kickoff at Bloomington Elementary School. If you don’t know your school boundaries, check out the school district’s website. 

Celebrating 100 Years of Movies in Washington County 

Residents of St. George will celebrate a century of movies filmed in Washington County on April 17 as a part of a free movie viewing experience. 

All movies showed during the season were all filmed in Washington County, and the first movie to be shown is “The Car.”  

More films will be shown from June to July, all taking place at the Electric Theater by Main Street. 

Other 

Fun fact about Stockton Myers, the writer of Sunrise Stories. 

Stockton remembers when he first met his Kindergarten teacher. It was a similar experience to what the Washington County School District is doing with the Kindergarten Kickoff on April 17. Stockton met this nice-looking lady with big puffy hair that was in style at the time, and he remembers how well she got along with Stockton’s mom. Shout to Mrs. Hammer who taught at Bloomington Elementary in the early 2000s, Stockton said she was one of the greats. 

Happy Friday Eve!