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GLOBAL
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Remembering Conner RUssell
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BY LILY HERSCH
EDITOR IN CHIEF HEADLINE NEWS EDITOR Riverton and surrounding counties have been deeply shaken and devastated over the loss of 16 year old Conner Russell who died in the early morning last Sunday, March 30th. In remote Tooele county, Russell was a passenger driving with 18 year old Jaxon Douglas-David Wood when the car swerved off the road, crashed into a barbed wire fence and rolled according to KSLTV5. Not wearing seatbelts, both passengers were ejected, yet Wood was the only survivor. The tragedy has been identified as a DUI, and Wood was arrested on one second-degree felony charge of automobile homicide, misdemeanor DUI, reckless driving, possession of drug and drug paraphernalia, alcohol-restricted driver, and consumption of alcohol by a minor. Wood is being held without bail and is awaiting a pretrial hearing. Conner was known to be extroverted, athletic, mature beyond his years and a “champion.” The Russell family is overcome with grief over the loss, with Russell’s mother being “his biggest fan.” Family friend Mandee Francom created two GoFundMe accounts to support the family in this heartbreaking time: Support Brooke After Losing Her Son Conner as well as Help Conner's Family After Tragedy. Any donations are greatly appreciated. Both Russell and Wood played youth football in the Riverton area and football coaches Jeremy Beck and Wade Davis are devastated by the loss. Having left the program last fall, both coaches wonder if they could have said or done anything differently to have prevented this. “He’s the life of the party — I’m not going to lie,” said Riverton High School running backs coach Wade Davis. “He was always the one to be with the guys in the huddle at the end, and always being with the guys — the brothers, his brothers — and he was happy. He was one that everyone wanted to be around, and everyone wanted to be with him, and so he had that energy and light to him.” Russell’s sudden and tragic death serves as a stark reminder to never drive under the influence or be a passenger of someone inebriated. A young man’s incredible spirit and bright future has been taken from this world too soon; he will be deeply missed. POSTED 4/4/25 
Conner Adonis Russell, credit: GoFundMe
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Drunk Driving FactsEvery day, about 37 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes — that's one person every 39 minutes. In 2022, 13,524 people died in alcohol-impaired driving traffic deaths. These deaths were all preventable.
credit: NHTSA 
The crash early Sunday Morning, credit: KJZZ
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Unified Basketball State Tournament
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BY LILY HERSCH
EDITOR IN CHIEF HEADLINE NEWS EDITOR Our Unified Sports Basketball team here at Corner Canyon have been aiming for the stars and haven’t missed. On March 14th, the team competed at the University of Utah Region Tournament and won both of their games, designating them a place in the state competition on March 28th at the Delta Center. At region the team won their first game 26-19 and their second game 20-12. With two other teams in the division, they won first place. Prior to the awards ceremony, the song “Cha Cha Slide” played at max volume and one player, Preston, would’ve easily wiped out the competition if it was also Unified Dance. When asked how he felt about playing for Unified Basketball, player Jonas said “I’m proud of my team. I like being a basketball player and supporting my team.” And so, at a crisp 7:45 in the morning, the team headed to the Delta Center intent on giving their all and dominating the other teams. The team watched different teams battle it out with each other before their 9:30 game: teams from Westlake, St. George, Murray and more were all present. Finally, it was time for their game against Weber. After battling it out, CCHS lost to Weber 14-23, winning second in state. It was an intense game, especially with Jordan putting up an intense fight in the second half to pull CCHS up to Weber. Many players were disappointed, but lightened up after the initial devastation wore off. Emery and Jonas were fantastic cheerleaders and were “proud of [their] team and happy to cheer.” For now, the team will continue practicing every other day and improving their skills, now able to focus on pure enjoyment rather than competition. Though, the competitions were undoubtedly rewarding and exciting experiences. Congratulations to all the teams who won their games; not even the basketball greats can compare to them! Further, many thanks to the Unified Sports organization for giving those with disabilities an outlet to display their talents and unite with their peers! POSTED 3/31/25 |
5 Professional Disabled Athletes
Erin Popovich: This American swimmer won 19 medals over 3 paralympic games. She was born on June 29, 1985 with achondroplasia, a disorder that restricted the growth of her limbs. She was added to the Class of 2019 of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame. She has competed in Sydney, Athens, and Beijing.
Bethany Hamilton: An American surfer, Bethany Hamilton was an up-and-coming pro-surfer from Hawaii when her arm was bitten off by a shark when she was just thirteen. One month after the attack, Bethany Hamilton returned to surfing. She has continuously placed in the top five in almost every surfing competition since the attack. If you are interested in hearing more about her story, a Hollywood film called “Soul Surfer” documents her life before and after the attack. James Anthony Abbott: James Abbott is a professional American baseball pitcher who played for California, New York, Chicago, and Milwaukee. He was born without a right hand, and was named the best amateur baseball player in the nation in 1987. He won gold in the 1988 Summer Olympics. He played for ten seasons in Major League Baseball before retiring to become a motivational speaker. Sarah Reinertsen: At the age of 11, Sarah Reinersten began running. At the age of 13, she attended her first international track meet and set records. She was born with a bone growth disorder, leading to her left leg to be amputated above the knee. She is most well known for being the first female leg amputee to compete in the Ironman World Competition in Hawaii, a brutal race that starts with a 3.8km swim, continues with a 180km bike ride, and culminates with a 42.4km run. Anthony Robles: Anthony Robles is a two-time Arizona State Wrestling champion. In 2011, he became the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) champion. Born without a right leg, Robles thought he would never be able to compete with the nation’s best college wrestlers, but he did, and he won. He wishes to become a motivational speaker and currently holds the world record for most pull ups completed in a minute. In 2012, he was awarded the 2011 Most Courageous Athlete by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association. credit: America House |
