YREKA - The Powder Keg Awards are given each month to Yreka High School student athletes. The Powder Kegs are chosen based on three main criteria: on-field performance, attitude, and the desire to succeed.

The female Powder Keg award winner for April is Sara Jones. Jones is the third baseman on the Lady Miners softball team. She is in the top three on the team in batting average, home runs, slugging percentage, RBI, and on-base percentage. Jones is also an excellent defensive player, who rarely commits a mental error. In addition, Jones is a team leader, who is constantly encouraging and picking up her teammates. (more…)

By Amber Fiock

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in another country, away from what you know and are used to? That’s exactly what Miss Linda Geddes of Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland has been doing for the past eight months.

Geddes switched lives with Yreka High School teacher Lynda Barnett for the 2007-08 school year, through the Fulbright Exchange Program. The two teachers exchanged houses and jobs. Both are English and drama teachers. For the past several months, Geddes has been teaching drama and sophomore English at Yreka High School.

Geddes was born September 8, 1975, and graduated from Queen’s University of Belfast with a BA in English language and literature. Her favorite parts of being a teacher are reading and talking.

“I get paid to talk about books! Perfect,” Geddes exclaimed.

She has also worked as a counselor, in retail, and in a children’s home.

Geddes chose to come to America based on the friendly atmosphere she experienced from the five times she’s visited in the past. She also feels there’s a lot to see and do. The students and YHS librarian Sandee Sanders have become Geddes’ favorite part of Yreka. (more…)

YREKA – Yreka High School senior Taylor Barrett was told that her senior project should be something that she is passionate about. Barrett is passionate about raising awareness of the genocide taking place in the Darfur region of Sudan, as well as raising funds to help the refugees, through Dollars for Darfur

Dollars for Darfur is part of the Save Darfur coalition, which is a company that works to raise money and resources to help with the genocide that is going on in Africa, right now,” said Barrett. “The actual Dollars for Darfur is a high school competition, where they get kids to do fundraisers, and you get a prize if you raise the most.”

Barrett, however, is not taking part in the contest. Instead she’s just sending the money she raises to the program. Barrett has already donated some of her own money to Save Darfur, and has raised about $270 for Dollars for Darfur. Her goal is to raise $500. (more…)