Taylor Morehouse works on a vehicle in the shop at the Sheyenne Valley Area Career and Technology Center. Morehouse will compete at the 2008 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills contest in Deerborn, Mich., in June. (Sheila Anderson/VCTR) 

By Sheila Anderson
Valley City Times-Record

It only took 32 minutes for Taylor Morehouse and Kevin Podvin to find the “bugs” in their vehicle at a state auto skills competition.
The pair of students who attend automotive careers class at the Sheyenne Valley Career and Technology Center in Valley City won first place at the 2008 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills competition held May 8 in Fargo.
Each received approximately $40,000 in scholarships and prizes, including high quality tools.
Morehouse and Podvin prepared for the competition with the help of Stoudt-Ross Ford, Valley City, which allowed them to practice on a 2008 Ford Escape, the vehicle used in the competition.
“Beforehand we did a lot of studying on the car,” Podvin said. “Mr. McFadgen set up some early morning practices. He pretty much showed us everything that could go wrong with the vehicle.”
Morehouse said McFadgen, one of the teens’ vo-tech instructors, along with other students, bugged the vehicle so the pair could practice solving the problems.
Morehouse and Podvin are both 18  and in their senior year at Valley City High School. Morehouse is the son of Mike and Loree Morehouse. Podvin is the son of Randy Podvin and Aimee Podvin.

For full story, see Thursday's edition of the Valley City Times-Record.