What happened on Sunday, 26 October 2025
Board of Regents, Boards & Commissions, Organizations, Executive, Louisiana
Southern University received Board approval to convert an existing entrepreneurship concentration into a standalone Bachelor of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship. Regents debated the need for new programs versus concentrations and flagged program review processes; the motion passed with one abstention.
Eleven candidates for Holyoke City Council at-large discussed a split-rate tax proposal, language access, municipal staffing and neighborhood development at a bilingual forum hosted by Holyoke Media and 1 Holyoke; no formal votes were taken.
Board of Regents, Boards & Commissions, Organizations, Executive, Louisiana
The Board of Regents approved Grambling State University's Act 959 request for a 36,505‑square‑foot indoor practice facility (estimated at $6.7 million) and adopted its FY26–27 capital outlay recommendation while moving forward on a statewide facilities condition assessment contract.
Stand for Orem, Orem Concerned Citizens , Orem, Utah County, Utah
Emily Peterson said biological differences justify protecting girls’ competitive and private spaces, and she voiced concern about adults discussing explicit sexual topics with minors in student clubs. She framed the issue as balancing compassion for students with protecting girls’ safety and age‑appropriate boundaries.
Thurston County, Washington
Members of the Summit Lake Alliance told the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners that managing forests and watersheds above Summit Lake is essential to protecting drinking water, preventing erosion and preserving recreation; speakers thanked the county and said they have worked with the Department of Natural Resources and the community.
Stand for Orem, Orem Concerned Citizens , Orem, Utah County, Utah
Emily Peterson said a five‑year agreement allows continued use of Dan Peterson special‑education facilities, but she and the board are studying long‑term options — including rebuilding a local facility — because grants and funding favor districts that house the program internally.
Stand for Orem, Orem Concerned Citizens , Orem, Utah County, Utah
Crystal Muellstein applauded Orem’s recent park improvements, cited Hillcrest Park as a successful school-to-park conversion, and said the city needs roughly 30 more acres of parks and open space to meet planning guidelines.
Board of Regents, Boards & Commissions, Organizations, Executive, Louisiana
Deputy Commissioner Elizabeth Bentley Smith presented a FY26–27 state general fund request totaling $119 million and detailed program priorities including formula funding, need-based grants (GO Grant), MJ Foster, workforce and campus safety. The Board approved the request and added a $5 million amendment for teacher apprenticeship and preparation.
Board of Regents, Boards & Commissions, Organizations, Executive, Louisiana
This summary lists motions and outcomes recorded at the Board of Regents October meeting, including approval of the FY26–27 higher education request (amended), Act 959 approval for Grambling’s indoor facility, capital outlay recommendations, program approvals, MJ Foster and TOPS reports, AI policy and other items.
Stand for Orem, Orem Concerned Citizens , Orem, Utah County, Utah
Crystal Muellstein said her PTA and community involvement give her knowledge of local school and neighborhood issues. She shared contact information and said she would be accessible to constituents, attend meetings, and hold neighborhood meetups.
Union County, New Jersey
The board introduced Ordinance No. 861-2025 on bicycles, scooters, recreational vehicles and snowmobiles and approved a block of resolutions by roll call; county manager Ed Oatman clarified that a public claim of a $12 million payment was a not-to-exceed contract figure and identified a $6,750 change order as the specific charge.
Stand for Orem, Orem Concerned Citizens , Orem, Utah County, Utah
Mayor Dave Young described a council-commissioned study that found roughly $180–$200 million in property-tax revenues left Orem over two decades, prompting a ballot measure on whether Orem should form its own school district.
Stand for Orem, Orem Concerned Citizens , Orem, Utah County, Utah
Crystal Muellstein, a candidate for Orem City Council, said residents prefer single-family housing and urged resisting state-driven transit-linked density. She criticized recent high-density projects and RDC/CDA deals she said favor large developers over taxpayers.
Stand for Orem, Orem Concerned Citizens , Orem, Utah County, Utah
Mayor Dave Young said Orem paid cash for a $37 million city hall using savings and grants rather than bonds or tax increases; he described management studies, a strategy-and-innovation team, a full-time grant writer, and a resolution to keep parks and school land as parks or schools.
Morgan Township Trustee, Morgan Township, Butler County, Ohio
Frank Tompkins presented a slide-driven tour of Okeana’s built history and local stories at a public program hosted at the township museum, recounting landmarks, past businesses, storms and demographic details and inviting further research and a future follow-up program.
Union County, New Jersey
The Union County Board of County Commissioners voted to adopt a resolution supporting the Immigrant Trust Act (Reso. 2025-796) after extended public testimony in which residents and immigrant-rights organizers described ICE raids, family separations and community impacts.
Stand for Orem, Orem Concerned Citizens , Orem, Utah County, Utah
Mayor Dave Young described activating the city's emergency operations center and fielding international media after a shooting near Utah Valley University that he said was "the single most horrific thing" to occur in Orem.
Stand for Orem, Orem Concerned Citizens , Orem, Utah County, Utah
Julie Walker, a candidate for Seat 4 in the proposed new school district that would cover Orem, Linden, Pleasant Grove and Vineyard (working name "Timpanogos"), told interviewer Bridal she plans to focus on hiring a strong superintendent and business administrator, reviewing district policies and negotiating local revenue agreements that she said undercut school funding.
Stand for Orem, Orem Concerned Citizens , Orem, Utah County, Utah
Emily Peterson described plans for the new Timpanogos‑area district: selecting a superintendent and finance officer, reconfiguring grade levels and redrawing school boundaries to preserve programs. She advocated an open, community‑driven process and warned arbitration over asset division could be costly.
Stand for Orem, Orem Concerned Citizens , Orem, Utah County, Utah
Emily Peterson said recent shootings in nearby schools have made safety a pressing concern. She urged adults to reduce extreme rhetoric and foster open dialogue so children are less likely to emulate polarized, violent language.
Stand for Orem, Orem Concerned Citizens , Orem, Utah County, Utah
Mayor Dave Young, running for another and what he says will be his final term, told a radio interviewer he entered office to halt a wave of high-density development he says has already added thousands of rental units, and he opposes transit-oriented zoning tied to bus rapid transit that he says would mandate more density.
Stand for Orem, Orem Concerned Citizens , Orem, Utah County, Utah
Peterson cited The Anxious Generation and said recent state limits on student cellphone use have reduced classroom interruptions and improved in‑person interaction; she favors reasonable access for emergencies and teacher‑controlled pouches.
Board of Regents, Boards & Commissions, Organizations, Executive, Louisiana
The Board approved an AI use policy for the Board of Regents and a companion resolution urging the four management boards to adopt comprehensive policies for safe, ethical and responsible AI use—especially for students and faculty—consistent with a recent gubernatorial executive order.
Stand for Orem, Orem Concerned Citizens , Orem, Utah County, Utah
Grace Rex, a candidate for the new school board covering eastern Orem and nearby cities, emphasized school safety, hiring a superintendent with local values, boundary studies and feeder patterns, facility repairs and seismic upgrades, early reading and dyslexia screening, and clear parental notification policies in an interview.
Board of Regents, Boards & Commissions, Organizations, Executive, Louisiana
Board staff presented the statutory TOPS annual report showing steady graduation benefits for recipients but a long‑term decline in percentage of eligible students taking TOPS; the report urges policy adjustments including the TOPS Excellence tier and better alignment with dual enrollment.
Stand for Orem, Orem Concerned Citizens , Orem, Utah County, Utah
Emily Peterson, an incumbent member of the Alpine School District board, said her experience defending dual‑language and music programs and working with principals drove her to run for a seat in the new Timpanogos‑area district. She emphasized community engagement, teacher compensation, and voter approval for major bonds.
Stand for Orem, Orem Concerned Citizens , Orem, Utah County, Utah
Crystal Muellstein said redevelopment (RDA) and community development (CDA) incentives can pick winners and losers, and she cited Vineyard's RDA as likely to divert money from local schools.
Stand for Orem, Orem Concerned Citizens , Orem, Utah County, Utah
Crystal Muellstein said she would oppose unisex bathrooms in city parks and said, for safety reasons, she supports sex-separated youth and adult sports teams, while noting coed play is appropriate for younger children.
Several candidates endorsed restorative‑justice approaches that emphasize community, accountability and reintegration. On graduation requirements passed in 2025, candidates called for basic skills emphasis and standards aligned to student populations.
Across the forum candidates urged the school committee to prioritize teacher morale, meaningful professional development, fair contracts and staff voice in superintendent selection to keep teachers in Holyoke schools.
Milpitas , Santa Clara County, California
After a City Manager report that staff intervened to stop what they described as an attempt to schedule a candidate interview without proper notice, the Milpitas City Council voted to remove a planned evaluation from upcoming agendas and approved a motion asking for a public apology, council training and policy recommendations.
Board of Regents, Boards & Commissions, Organizations, Executive, Louisiana
Board members praised the MJ Foster Promise program’s outcomes—more than 10,500 served since 2022 and large earnings gains for completers—but staff said demand has outstripped current funding and the program will exhaust available dollars soon without additional legislative appropriations.
Stand for Orem, Orem Concerned Citizens , Orem, Utah County, Utah
Emily Peterson said she voted against Alpine School District’s recent tax increase (board vote 5–2) and favors taking major capital projects to voters on the ballot rather than using lease‑revenue bonds without direct voter approval.
Stand for Orem, Orem Concerned Citizens , Orem, Utah County, Utah
Mayor Dave Young described an out-of-state civil case tied to a private loan between his son and an Alabama neighbor, said a trial judge allocated damages to parties Young says had no connection to the loan, and said he later won a malpractice lawsuit and received a confidential settlement.
Candidates recommended improving student belonging, expanding dual‑language programs, training teachers for ESL and special‑education supports, and scaling universal‑design classroom practices to help English‑language learners and students with disabilities.
Stand for Orem, Orem Concerned Citizens , Orem, Utah County, Utah
Mayor Dave Young criticized Orem's participation in the Utopia public-private fiber network, saying the city paid roughly $52 million and received about $4 million back, leaving a net negative of about $48 million and limited household take-up.
Stand for Orem, Orem Concerned Citizens , Orem, Utah County, Utah
Peterson said she supports parental choice and wants public schools to be strong enough that they are the parents' preferred option. She acknowledged limited knowledge of some charter programs' details but said she would send students to specialized charter programs if they are the right fit.
Eight candidates for the Holyoke School Committee delivered opening remarks and answered questions about closing learning gaps for ESL and students with disabilities, post‑receivership teacher retention, restorative justice and graduation requirements. Recurring themes were belonging, universal design, dual‑language instruction, teacher morale and
Stand for Orem, Orem Concerned Citizens , Orem, Utah County, Utah
Crystal Muellstein told a local podcast she opposes expanding bus rapid transit and certain roadway widening projects that she says turn Orem into a thoroughfare. She raised concerns about traffic flow, regional planning, and the impact of dedicated BRT lanes on emergency response.