WEBER

Instead of attempting to reduce the amount of Halloween candy children consume, Layton dentist Terry Preece is hosting a Halloween candy buyback Nov. 1 through 4 at his Layton Hills Healthy Smile Center.

"Hopefully, the candy buyback will serve as a bit of preventive dentistry," Preece said. "It's hard to get kids to not eat candy and lots of sugar, so you have to propose something they feel is a fair trade."

That is where the cash comes in.

Children will be paid by the pound for the candy, with the cash amount depending on the type of candy.

Preece said he is attempting to give back to the community by promoting the concept that eating less sugar can be fun. He added that he will dispose of the candy because offering it to others would defeat the purpose of his campaign.

Parents are expected to accompany children who bring in their Halloween candy.

The candy buyback program is a fairly new concept used by few dentists, according to the Utah Dental Association, which represents about 1,500 dentists statewide.

- Standard-Examiner

IRON

Iron County commissioners will explore options for expanding the Iron County Jail, including construction within the existing facility.

At the commission meeting on Sept. 26, interim Jail Captain Brad Spencer said an architect looked at the gym area to see what expansion possibilities are available.

Before any construction decisions are made, there are issues about the jail expansion that Commission Chairman Dennis Stowell wants to look into, the first is a study exploring the jail's projected growth for the next few years.

The second point he suggested was to brainstorm alternatives. The third issue Stowell raised was looking at ways to expand the jail within the current facility.

- The Spectrum

UTAH

The Santaquin City Council voted unanimously Oct. 5 to finalize a $1.3 million bond for the new public safety building.

The resolution was typical for this stage in the planning and construction process, City Manager Stefan Chatwin said. It officially allows the city to borrow the money for the building.

There was some discussion about the resolution among the council members, City Attorney Brett Rich and Jonathan Ward of Zions Bank, who also advises Santaquin on financial matters.

But the biggest question was what else the city could do with the money. Chatwin said the $1.3 million bond included the possibility that the city could roll more than $200,000 in variable interest loans into it at a fixed-interest rate, which would save the city money on interest payments if the rates continue to rise.

Council members questioned how much leeway the city had in repaying its $220,000 debt, which has a variable interest rate, and if the bond for the public safety building had to cover that as well. Ward said the council can use the funds for that.

- The Daily Herald