As readers navigate their way through the (not-so-new) year, they become more saturated than ever with news hitting their mobile devices. With the touch of a screen, users have access to social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and more. With so much information running across audience’s screens day-in and day-out, there needs to be a way to summarize the day’s news into a digestible post.

Our names are Kyle Dearing and Chase Meyer. As FHNtoday.com staffers, we’re constantly on the web, exposed to the very circumstances listed in the paragraph above. It’s our goal to bring you the news you need to know in a way you can understand. We’ll be posting to this blog every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with updates on the world around us, from politics in Washington D.C. to student interests right here at FHN.

Riffee Named FHSD Teacher of the Year

Fifth-hour science students were in for a surprise on March 1, assembling in the hallway near science teacher Matthew Riffee’s room. The former FHN Teacher of the Year was greeted outside with cheers and applause as FHSD Superintendent Mary Hendricks-Harris presented him with the District Teacher of the Year award. This is FHN’s second District Teacher of the Year in the last three years, following Spanish teacher Brian Santos in the 2014-15 school year.

FHSD School Board Election Campaigns Underway

 Five Francis Howell School District citizens will be vying for three seats on the Board of Education in the April 4, 2017, election. The three-year terms of current Board members Rene Cope (Vice-President), Mark Lafata (President), and Mike Sommer (Director) will expire in April 2017. Rene Cope and Mike Sommer will be rerunning to still be in their seats or a new seat while Mark Lafata, who is the President of the Board of Education, has chosen not to rerun again.

Republicans are Looking for a Replacement for the ACA

The Republican party’s goal for the Affordable Care Act is to repeal and replace. You hear that term a lot, but what is their plan? Or at least President Trump’s plan? In his speech to Congress on Tuesday February 28th he mentioned a few key points.

1. President Trump wants to make sure Americans with pre-existing conditions have access to coverage. Which means Americans with pre-existing conditions could be in a high risk pool. But for this to work it would require a lot of taxpayer money to work properly.
2. His second idea is to give governors the resources and flexibility with Medicaid to make sure no American is left out. But this could mean Medicaid could be phased out within a few years and would also give states a specific dollar amount per citizen would be covered by the program.
3. His last major plan would be to give Americans freedom to purchase across state lines. This could be cheaper insurance in other states but if this would lead to either a healthy competition or a race to the cheapest offers or coverage is unknown.