News Briefs Issue 13

School

Sunday evening, it was announced that four East students are first and second place scholarship winners in the Shooting Star scholarship competition.

The competition is sponsored by the Arts Council of Johnson County. Students were nominated by art teachers, and were required to submit a portfolio to be featured in the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art at Johnson County Community College (JCCC) and win a scholarship.

“I was nominated by [photography teacher, Adam] Finkleston,” said Sarah Cook, an honorable mention for 2D art. “My painting was featured in the Nerman Museum at JCCC along with the other finalists.”

Students were judged in different categories, including not only 2D and 3D art, but also performance art as well. Among these performing art winners were seniors Katie Sgroi, Abby Cramer and Molly Gasperi in theater tech, theatrical performance and strings, respectively.

For photography, Andrew Hartnett received a first place prize. Honorable mentions were given to seniors Elizabeth Roussos for 3D art, Sarah Cook for 2D art and Rachel Kim for winds and percussion.
“East did really well,” Cook said, “It was overall a great experience.”

Local

The City of Prairie Village will save $45,000 per year in electricity costs due to the purchase of new, high efficiency LED streetlights. Approved by the City Council on March 20, the new lights use half the energy of the current pressurized sodium lights and are significantly brighter according to Prairie Village public works director Keith Bredehoeft.

Prairie Village is purchasing the 1,736 lights from Phillips Lighting. The total cost for the updated system will be $343,323 for the lights themselves plus an installation fee of $121,086.

“[The lights were] first suggested by one of our council members when we were contemplating purchasing the street light system from KCPL,” Bredehoeft said. “With the lower electricity and reduced maintenance costs, LED lights do not go out very often.”

Currently, there are 350 of the new lights installed throughout the city as a test. The closest new lights to East are at 79th and Reinhardt where there are five street lights installed.

Once the lights are delivered within the next two months, installation will take three more months before the entire project is complete during the early fall.

National

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 28 to rescind many of the progressive era energy reforms enacted during the Obama administration. The order seeks to strengthen the United States coal industry while providing clean, affordable energy to the American people.

“The President strongly believes that protecting the environment and promoting our economy are not mutually exclusive goals,” White House press secretary Sean Spicer said during a press briefing on March 28.

The order itself calls for a review of “All Agency Actions that Potentially Burden the Safe, Efficient Development of Domestic Energy Resources.” That means that anything that harms domestic energy, such as the coal industry, is subject to change.

Four of Obama’s executive orders passed from 2013 to 2016 aimed at combating climate change are being revoked under the order. The orders focused on preparing for and preventing a future of climate change.

In the past, President Trump has been criticized for his views on climate change. In 2012 Trump tweeted that “global warming was created for and by the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive.”

“Trump doesn’t feel climate change is a real threat despite countless facts backing that it is,” sophomore Culley Woods said. “I have very little faith in his desire to address the issue of climate change.”