Laramee Minor
Social Media Manager Despite being in office for less than two weeks, Donald J. Trump has wasted no time in getting started on signing executive orders. Just in the last few days, Trump has signed over twenty executive orders; he has officially begun the first steps in his four-year plan. He has signed executive orders that will affect things such as immigration. These orders will implement many new rules and laws, which is why it is important to know how different things will be affected. Trump has signed a multitude of new orders; however, a large amount of them are focused on immigration and the Mexican border. Trump has officially declared a national emergency at the Mexico border. He has promised that troops, including the National Guard, will be deployed to the area to construct barriers at the border to help with illegal immigration into the United States. Trump has additionally signed an executive order that suspends the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. It has been stated that the program will remain suspended until refugees seeking entry into the U.S. aligns with the interests of the United States. Trump has restored the “Remain in Mexico” policy which will end a program that allowed asylum seekers entry into the United States while their cases are still under evaluation. Another example of an executive order that will affect how U.S. immigration policies work is the fact that Trump has stated and is currently trying to end birthright citizenship. Trump has already ordered different agencies to start not recognizing babies as citizens if their mother was “unlawfully present” at the time of birth. This would additionally apply if the father was not a United States citizen or a lawful permanent resident. The law would also pertain to mothers who were lawful except for temporary residents of the United States and fathers who are neither citizens nor lawful permanent residents. From the beginning of his presidency, Trump has already started to take action for the things that his cabinet believes in. Trump decided that signing several different executive orders this early is the best way to achieve his cabinet's goals. It is clear that right now most laws surrounding immigration will be changing sooner than later.
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Brielle Loveland
Staff Writer TikTok faced the threat of a ban in the United states, where over 170 million United States users supposably will lose access on January 19th, 2025. The TikTok ban has been a continuous issue in recent years with significant political, social, and economic implications. In 2020,the Trump administration had concerns over national security and data privacy, arguing that TikTok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, could potentially share user data with the Chinese government showing a threat to the US National Security. This sparked the debate on the balance between National Security and freedom of expression. The Supreme Court recently brought up the decision to weigh in on the tiktok ban; this was a movement on the ongoing idea from 2020. Ultimately, they decided to block the ban citing insignificant evidence of an intermediate threat to National Security and expressed concerns over the potential violation of First Amendment rights. The Supreme court brought up the issue again and brought in the CEO of the company, and he decided to just temporarily ban the app until Trump entered office to “save TikTok.” Many users online were upset about this decision and stated that it was a violation of their first amendment rights. Others were just upset that they were not going to be able to use the app in general, while some users genuinely did not care at all. UPDATE: On January 19th, the app sent a notification declaring a temporary ban around 8:00 p.m. That night the app was unable to be used. On January 20th, about 12 to 15 hours later the app was made accessible by American users. Many people have experienced that if they have deleted the app they will not be able to find TikTok in the app store, due to unknown reasons this caused a multitude of people to start selling their old phones that still have tik tok installed and putting them on ebay and other websites. Almaise Le Gall
Staff Writer At the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, over 55 volunteers have joined to help patients and staff members provide quality healthcare. If a person wants to help their community and meet new people, they can become a volunteer. In order to volunteer, applicants must be at least 14 years of age, pass background and immunization checks, and commit to a minimum time requirement. EIRMC asks the volunteers to make at least a shift per week, which is 4 hours. Because of the hospital’s specific needs and available positions, volunteers are highly encouraged to commit to a minimum of 100 hours. However, if a person is unable to make the full commitment, the hospital is flexible as long as enough hours are fulfilled. People can apply online at eirmc.com/volunteers. Coleen Niemann is responsible for the hospital’s communication, in media and hospital’s social media, and works alongside the volunteer coordinator to oversee the program. For those interested in discovering the healthcare world, meeting new people, or helping the community, Niemman invites them to volunteer at EIRMC. She explains that volunteers are very helpful in the hospital, both for the patients and staff by offering comfort and assistance.Typically, high-school-age volunteers work at the front desk to guide people through the hospital, or give information to visitors such as a room number. However, some of the volunteers also work in the ER, where they mostly provide comfort and help for patients. Niemann indicates that the hospital tries to make the volunteers do what they are most interested in, in correlation with the schedules they can have. Niemann explains how this volunteer program is more than just an experience at the hospital or an extracurricular activity. She shared the example of a volunteer, who is 90 years old and has served at EIRMC for 40 years. This volunteer loves to do this, mostly because she adores the other volunteers on her shift. She created strong friendships and considers the hospital as her family. According to Niemann, people decide to volunteer for a variety of reasons. Some people just want to discover how the healthcare system works. However, most people who start volunteering want to build a community, meet new people, and serve more than themselves. Laramee Minor
Social Media Manager With a resurgence in pop music, comes new major pop artists. From releasing her first extended play in 2019 to opening for Taylor Swift on The Eras Tour, Gracie Abrams has completely taken the music industry by storm. Now, Abrams is headlining her own arena tour entitled The Secret of Us World Tour. Even though Abrams’s rise to fame has been fairly quick it has not stopped her from remaining the same singer that fans originally fell in love with. It all started when Abrams was just thirteen, she first started posting covers of her singing different songs on SoundCloud. Fast forward several years, Abrams released her first single ever, “Mean It.” Later in 2020, Abrams dropped her debut extended play, “Minor.” It was during this time that fans took note of Abrams’s ability to write about things such as love, heartbreak, life, and insecurity. It was clear from the beginning that Abrams had a unique way of making fans feel seen with her raw and deep lyrics. In 2021, Abrams released a second extended play entitled: “This Is What It Feels Like.” It became clear during this era that fans loved Abram’s music because she started touring. Her venues were filled with fans who were excited to sing Abrams’s songs live with her. Next, in 2022 Abrams finally released her debut album, “Good Riddance”. Around the same time, Abrams also opened for Olivia Rodrigo on the Sour Tour. Abrams clearly had momentum throughout this time because it was only a year later when she was announced as an opener for Taylor Swift on The Eras Tour. Abrams's long journey has led her to 2024, which has been the most successful year of her career. Not only did she drop her second album, “The Secret of Us” , Abrams also became a Grammy nominated artist. She continued to be an opener for The Eras Tour until the tour ended in December of this year. Abrams collaborated with major music artists as well this year. She was featured on Noah Kahan’s album “Stick Season (Forever)” on a song called, “Everywhere, Everything”. Abrams also had one of the biggest names in music, Taylor Swift, featured on her own album “The Secret of Us” on a song entitled “Us”. Fans were extremely excited about both of these collaborations and had the songs climbing the Billboard charts from streaming. Gracie Abrams has quickly become one of the biggest names in music. She has been a vital part of pop music making the stunning comeback that it is. Abrams future looks extremely promising as her “The Secret of Us” album is still doing amazingly well in the Billboard Top 100 and as she gets ready to embark on her world tour there is absolutely no doubt that her day one fans and new fans alike will continue to support her for years to come. Journey West
Staff Writer This month there have been many things going on in American sports. Between the World Series and football season, sports fans have quite a few things to discuss. With all the updates in the news, there has been some conflict in sports. In baseball, the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series against the New York Yankees on Wednesday, October 30th. Even though they won, no other team lost as many players due to injury as the Dodgers during the series. After winning, The Dodgers reliever Daniel Hudson announced his retirement from his baseball career. Hudson pitched for seven teams during his 16-year major league career. During the fourth game of the World Series, a fan was ejected from Yankee stadium for interference. After Mookie Betts caught the ball, a fan ripped it out of his glove and stole it. In football news, Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs had to apologize after getting into an argument on X.com. Diggs had become upset after a post on X that questioned his reception in the second half of a game. Diggs responded on X with a video, where he stated, “You don’t know football. You can’t do anything that I do. Stop trying me, dog.” Diggs received criticism for freaking out at this fan. Jason Kelce, the brother of Travis Kelce, had to apologize for freaking out at a fan. Jason was caught on video breaking a fan's phone after that fan called his brother Travis a derogatory term. In addition to Diggs and Kelce, another football player by the name of Jamar Chase ran into trouble. Chase threw his helmet after getting flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. Chase stated that he has been frustrated with the Cittinani Bengals for not signing up on a long-term deal with him; thus, he has been in an angry mood. In the world of basketball, the San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan had to leave after getting injured during a game on November 4th. After running into the screen near the other players' benches, Sochan had to leave in the middle of the game. Sochan will be going in for surgery; however, there are no further updates. Another basketball player has had to go in for surgery is Indiana Pacers forward Isaiah Jackson. Jackson left a game on Friday, November 1st after feeling a pain in his right calf. An MRI scan later revealed that Jackson tore his right achilles tendon. He will now miss the rest of the season for his surgery. Brielle Loveland
Staff Writer At 357 A St., Idaho Falls, ID, Cannon Skate Shop has arrived. Owner of the business, Tyler Cannon, and his family are excited for their skate shop and its impact on the Idaho Falls community. Cannon, who is originally from San Diego, was introduced to his love for skating by his older brother when he was around six years old. Cannon states, “My big brother was a skater, and I wanted to be like him.” Cannon chose to open the shop in July because of his wife. She told him the space was available, and they came by to talk to the landlord. Cannon explains they opened the shop in August and "didn't even think it through." He spoke about a couple of things that he likes about skating: the unique styles, the fashion, and the art. He explained that it does not matter if two skaters are doing the same trick because everyone has their own unique style of skating. Cannon prefers skate ramps and bowls at skateparks; however, he admits he used to do more street skating when he was younger. Skaters may have a reputation to be bad kids or have a negative connotation. Cannon believes that skaters may not be able to overcome those stereotypes, but "you just do you, and your community and culture will catch up." Cannon chose to open a skate shop because he believes the IF community could see benefits from it. He said, “We are kind of at a point where we've always been in the skateboard industry; somehow the next step was just opening a shop and supporting this community, so people can just feel comfortable here." Some of his future goals for the shop are not losing money and just being a hangout hub for the community. Cannon believes that people should "skate whatever level [they] want and just do it for [themselves.] If people are looking for a brand new skateboard or some of the latest fashion or just a place to go, visit this skate shop downtown! Allyson Wilson
Staff Writer Bonneville Joint School District #93 promises to design success for every student. This promise requires structured collaboration between teacher teams across the district. While there is not a district-wide guaranteed and viable curriculum yet, teacher teams are hard at work within their PLCs. A PLC, also known as professional learning community, consists of a group of educators that regularly meet to work collaboratively to improve teaching skills, discuss student performance, etc. Each Monday throughout the year, teachers from similar grade levels and content areas meet to discuss essential standards, learning targets, interventions and extensions, and more. Roughly halfway through the year, superintendent Dr. Scott Woolstenhulme and the district office host the annual district-wide PLC meeting. This meeting took place on April 29, 2024 between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m at Thunder Ridge High School. During the meeting, teachers from BHS, HHS, TRHS, LHS, TCHS, and BOHS gathered to determine what is essential for students across D93. The Bonneville Buzz interviewed a few teachers regarding their experiences and interactions within the meeting. Catherine Joyner, a BHS math teacher, was in the Algebra II group with teachers from each D93 high school. During the meeting, they reviewed “what [they] deemed was essential to make sure all the schools were on the same page.” Additionally, Joyner’s team covered what can lead all students to success and prepare them to leave high school with what they need to know. When Joyner was asked how effective the meeting was, she answered, “In the time we had, it was good.” Joyner further explained that if there was more time to discuss essential standards, the district meetings would be more effective. To ensure a student is ready to move on to the next course, Joyner’s team identified 30 essential standards for the students to master by the end of the year. Even though PLC meetings are usually productive, Joyner mentioned they may contain conflict, such as teachers disagreeing on the “right” way to teach a standard. Joyner believes when trying to determine what is essential many teachers need to remember “it's not personal” when choosing what is best for students. Although many departments at BHS are still “PLC-lite,” dedicated teachers can still make minor to major improvements for the students. Michelle Johnson, a SPED and practical English teacher,When talking about how the schools all got on the same page, Johnson reports, “I think we got there by the end of the meeting, I don't think we started there.” While some teachers showed up prepared for the meeting,some seemed underprepared or unsure how to proceed. All schools teach differently, but all material is taught. Students across the district have the right to an education that best prepares them for life after high school. Although each school has plenty of room to grow, there are pushes for considerable change within the district office, schools, and classrooms across D93. Devoted teachers are making a difference one student at a time, and changes are being made one step at a time. Years to come hope to bring about a more collaborative district devoted to student success. Ash Merritt
Staff Writer The Bonneville County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) has decided to offer a teen career camp for high school students in Bonneville County. This class entails a free, four-day experience that provides students a chance to explore the Law Enforcement profession. The activities planned for the groups are to team build, learn about the equipment, and help introduce teenagers to a variety of job opportunities. Education about law enforcement activities can come with a unique experience. Deputy Dan Sperry explained some activities that the teams will participate in, including how to use equipment, build confidence, ride in the patrol cars, as well as ride with them when the officers drive around. Other random activities include playing bumper cars and spinning each other out, and going to the courthouse to help solve a detailed case. The educational experience will provide a new perspective to all the law enforcement positions. Bringing more to the table for job ideas in the future and it is something to do in the summer. Deputy Sperry vocalizes why BCSO decided to do this, “We want to reach teenagers during the summer just cause schools done. It's not a ‘bye, have a good summer, see you next fall,’ continue to build those relationships over the summer.” BCSO has an exploration program during the school year, in which students can ride with the deputies, wear slightly different uniforms, and help out the officers in their daily job. All of the activities for these students encourage them to step outside of their comfort zone and help them explore new opportunities. The days of the camp one includes June 12 through to the 15 or camp two includes June 19 to the 22. The age range is freshmen to seniors, this includes the graduates this year. Application deadline is 15th of May. Eric Perez
Assistant editor It all started in late August. The winter came like any other average Idaho winter. Little did everyone know that this winter would soon take over. This unrelenting winter season has carried on way longer than usual. Even though Idaho is known for it is a very frigid winter, it continues to snow through most of the spring. This weather has negatively affected Bonneville activities, including baseball, softball, track, tennis, and a number of other outside activities. This forever winter has held sports teams and people back from cozy warm weather and physical activities. The snow came down hard during this winter season. Snow took over, and even though the winter season came to an end, the snow persisted. As the months dragged on, so did the cold weather and snow. Spring came, yet snow was still on the ground. Maybe it has not melted yet, everyone thought. However, that was not the case, as it would continue to snow and take a considerable toll on school sports along with various outside activities. Bonneville High School is one of many schools in the Idaho Falls and Ammon area that have been affected by the winter. Sports such as tennis where even strong winds can affect the sport. The winter season continues to set back tennis and baseball with all the snow that needs to be shoveled or melted from the courts and fields. This season has lasted so long that some spring sports seasons had to be cut in half due to bad weather. Some softball and baseball players have had countless games canceled in addition to other games from multiple other sports groups. This unyielding winter does not only hurt Idaho sport teams; it also affects students' mental health. Less sunlight and physical activity can have an affect on peoples moods, and mental health. The 2022 to 2023 winter season continues to be detrimental for Bonneville students. Whether it is the cancelation of spring sports or the harm to mental health, this season has held people back from outside activities. Regardless, this forever winter shall end eventually; there is hope for a cozy spring and summer. Grace Wiklund
Staff Writer Idaho has many state symbols. This information is widely known since state symbols are a required fourth grade lesson in elementary schools of Idaho. However, there seems to be a new state emblem thanks to the efforts of fourth graders from Bonneville Joint School District 93’s Ucon Elementary School. On March 31, 2023, Governor Brad Little signed the bill for the Oryctodromeus, a small prairie dog-like dinosaur that was native to Idaho, to be the state dinosaur. As of now, Idaho is the 17th state to have an official state dinosaur. The process of gaining this new state symbol began last year in the fourth grade class of Joel Walton, a teacher at Ucon Elementary. The proposal for the Oryctodromeus to become the state dinosaur was introduced to the senate on February 27th of this year. A key player in the entire process of rallying for the bill’s approval was a professor from Idaho State University, L. J. Krumenacker, who discovered the fossils of the Oryctodromeus in 2006, and worked with the elementary schoolers to bring this dream to fruition. On April 14th, Governor Brad Little visited Ucon Elementary to congratulate the students and sign the copy of the bill, known as Senate Bill 1127. This was the governor’s fourth visit to D93 since he was elected. Alongside the governor at the ceremony was Representative Wendy Horman and Senator Kevin Cook, who were the individuals who assisted the students through the enactment process. The Oryctodromeus’ name itself translates to “digging runner.” Living nearly 100 million years ago, this dinosaur was about the size of a golden retriever paired with a seven-foot tail. The Oryctodromeus was known to be very family oriented, as their burrows contained remains of younger oryctodromeus and adults. From what can be gathered, the dinosaur is only native to Idaho and southwest Montana, which fits well for a state emblem. Krumenacker has stated over a phone interview with a non-profit political news organization that he has 10 to 12 completed skeletons of the Oryctodromeus, found in the Caribou Mountains. In conclusion, this experience has left quite the impression on the fourth graders who helped to make the Oryctodromeus the state dinosaur, as well as possibly making a big leap in Idaho’s future history. |
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