Hilltop Times – Hill Air Force Base Weekly Newspaper Since 1948

OGDEN -- Several hundred Soldiers serving in Afghanistan will have a brighter holiday season, thanks to local donors in the Top of Utah.

Employees at Myers Mortuary, in conjunction with Operation Adopt a Ghost, spent the better part of Tuesday morning filling stockings full of candy, toiletries, books, crossword puzzles, hand warmers, nuts, socks, jerky, DVDs and other items to ship overseas in time for Christmas.

An expert climbing trainer had just warned his wife to be careful on their icy driveway. Then he walked out and promptly slipped himself.

After falling on the icy patch in February, Bill Walford found himself literally grounded.

He couldn't stand up straight and could barely move his legs to walk.

An administrator at Hill Air Force Base and former Marine. Walford had stayed in shape teaching wall climbing on base, climbing an average of 1,500 vertical feet per week.

CLEARFIELD -- The Dilley family got an early Christmas surprise when they were told they were the grandprize winners of a $20,000 home repair contest.

Tyrena Dilley, of Clearfield, was told of her family's winning this week during a news conference at The Home Depot in Salt Lake City.

Dilley's husband, Staff Sgt. Kevin Dilley, is in Greenland until July serving a one-year tour.

The couple are the winners of the store's Give the Gift of Good contest. They were one of nine military families nominated for the contest, which was held on Facebook.

EDEN -- Sitting on a black leather chair in the basement of Wolf Creek Resort, Air Force Master Sgt. Aaron Agner reads "Where The Sidewalk Ends" into a video camera.

The book was one of his childhood favorites. He hopes his four children will love it as much as he did.

"I'm going to read four different poems based on each of their personalities," he said. "I think it's a great way to link us together."

CLEARFIELD -- While U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Kevin Dilley is away serving his country, his wife Tyrena is home with their five children in a house with a malfunctioning heater, no air conditioning, no insulation in the walls, broken windows and a roof ready to flood the home in any rainfall.

You can help them with a click of your mouse.

CENTERVILLE -- In the spirit of giving, students at Taylor Elementary School are sending a holiday care package to soldiers in Afghanistan.

On Nov 21-22, students in classes taught by Laura Eliason and Cathy Tonge collected homemade art, cards and candy bars to send to the troops.

"We've been working on string art and pictures of snowmen," said student Kendalyn Summerhays, whose uncle, Chad Thurgood, is serving in the Air Force.

"On the back, we wrote a thank you and signed our names, and we all donated money to buy a whole bunch of candy bars for the soldiers."

LAYTON — For a two week period, nurses and medics from the 439th Aeromedical Staging Squadron will train at Davis Hospital and Medical Center. 

The medical training of the U.S. Air Force Reserve, based out of Westover Air Reserve Base in Massachusetts, includes four medics and one nurse. Training will take place in the hospital’s emergency room, intensive care unit, wound care, phlebotomy, cardiac catheterization laboratory and surgical departments. 

LAYTON -- A film depicting the growing problem of prescription drug abuse will be shown on the Davis campus of Weber State University.

"Happy Valley" will be shown at 6 p.m., Friday, Oct. 29.

"Utah currently leads the nation in prescription drug abuse," said Dr. E. Dean Flanders, a Davis County general surgeon.

"It's a common problem that affects many of us. As I went to my friends to solicit donations, almost everyone had a family member or knew of someone that has been involved in this.