The winners and the losers

• Winner: Two Provo teachers were honored this week with Milken Family Foundation National Educator awards, which come not only with prestige, but with $25,000 in cash. Jason Zimmerman teaches sixth grade at Sunset View Elementary, and Sue Pope teaches fifth- and sixth-graders at Westridge Elementary. They were honored for their long hours of dedication to students — even ones who aren't in their classes. At a time when so much of what surrounds schools, teachers and student performance is political, it's good to honor the hard-working and generally unsung professionals who make teaching an honorable profession.

• Loser: What is it with the job of mayor of Eagle Mountain? The previous one got in trouble for faking his own kidnapping, something he later blamed on the stress of the job. Now his successor, Brian Olsen, has resigned and been charged in connection with seven felony counts of misusing public funds. Our guess is that this is just an unfortunate spate of bad luck for the new city. It's not quite time for an international peacekeeping force to come in and help establish democracy.