When Orem Junior High School had an opening for a special education teacher, the job was in such demand that 34 educators applied.

When the applications were screened and the finalists were interviewed, one candidate stood out from the rest and he got the job, despite not being certified for special education teaching and having only one year of experience in a school with junior high-aged students.

But school officials said he was the most impressive in the interviews.

He also just happens to be the son of Alpine School District Superintendent Vern Henshaw.

District spokeswoman Rhonda Bromley said the new teacher, Kevin Henshaw, was an elementary teacher in Alpine District for two years, then worked for a year in a K-12 school in Idaho. She said he wanted to come back to Utah, so he applied for the job.

Kevin Henshaw also is working toward getting his special education certificate, so he qualified for consideration through a letter of authorization from the state.

Junior high administrators say he demonstrated the ability to inspire students in the interviews and so far this young school year “he is doing a great job,” Bromley said.

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An unexpected turn » To paraphrase Forrest Gump: Undercover sting operations are like a box of chocolates: You never know what you’re going to get.

So when the South Salt Lake Police Department initiated a new decoy prostitute sting last month, the officers got an unwanted surprise in their first string of arrests.

The police decoy netted 11 men the afternoon of Aug. 18, and they all received Class B misdemeanor citations for soliciting sex for hire. One of the men, it turns out, was a cop from a large police agency in southern California.

Ten of the men were taken to jail, where they were booked then released. The police officer, however, was just given a citation without having to take the trip to jail.

South Salt Lake’s Public Information Officer Larry Garrett said for a Class B misdemeanor, the arresting officer has the discretion of taking the suspect to jail or just issuing a citation. Many factors can influence the decision, said Garrett. He emphasized the police officer will face the same justice in court as the others who were arrested.

A second sting was conducted last week and only one of the seven men arrested was taken to jail. The others were cited and released.

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Off to the future » The Deseret News has been busy this week assuring readers the layoffs of nearly half its staff and its merger with the KSL radio and TV newsrooms will actually make it a stronger newspaper, a leader and innovator in the industry.