Top 10 Utah news stories of 2000
Olympic scandal, coach's retirement and bank mergers grab the headlines
In July, the top officials in Salt Lake City's bid for the 2002 Winter Games, Tom Welch and Dave Johnson, were indicted on federal charges of conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud and traveling interstate in aid of racketeering as they sought to bring the Games to Utah.
International Olympic Committee members were already infuriated by the release of the "geld memo," used as a game plan for buying influence with IOC members. Two IOC meetings scheduled for Salt Lake City were canceled. Even Salt Lake Organizing Committee President Mitt Romney was taken aback by the scandal's staying power.
Attending the Summer Games in Sydney this year to promote Utah's Games, Romney got a cold shoulder from some Olympic leaders and unending questions about Utah's taint.
The scandal garnered nearly twice the points as the story Deseret News editors voted second.
Journalism schools teach that a news story will have one or more of seven elements: conflict, timeliness, proximity, human interest, impact, unusualness and the importance of those involved. The Olympic scandal seems woven of them all.
2. Banking: Zions Bank called off its merger with First Security when the stock of both companies faltered. Wells Fargo then bought First Security, taking ownership of Utah's largest bank out of state. Zions slammed the new deal in its advertising, but First Security fought back with ads of its own claiming that loan decisions would still be made locally. Meanwhile, Zions Bank agreed to acquire Draper Bank & Trust. Both deals will mean branch closures.
3. LaVell Edwards: BYU's legendary football coach announced before the season opened that it would be his last. The coach brought credibility and a national championship to the Cougars during his 29 years at the helm, and one of his rewards was the renaming of Cougar Stadium before his last home game. It is now LaVell Edwards Stadium — Home of the Cougars.
4. The election: Utah's volatile 2nd District congressman, Republican Rep. Merrill Cook, lost in the primary to a political newcomer, Derek Smith, who faced Democrat Jim Matheson in the general election. Conservative Smith charged that Matheson was influenced by outside liberals. Matheson fought back, calling the charges untrue and assailing Smith's tactics, and emerged as victor — and the sole Democrat in Utah's formerly all-GOP congressional delegation.
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