The more-than-65-year marriage of a Powell couple drew national attention last week.
Television host Kelly Ripa called Curt and Barb Jasper’s nearly seven decades together a “great story” on the March 11 episode of Live with Regis and Kelly.
The episode is embedded below:
At around the 6:30 minute mark in the video, Ripa shares the story about the Jaspers.
Ripa noted that the couple recently celebrated their 65th anniversary, drawing applause from the studio audience.
“Whoa!” said comedian Jerry Seinfield, who was standing in for co-host Regis Philbin.
Seinfield also took the opportunity to take a comedic shot at Powell and questioned why it was news.
The Tribune had written a story about the Jaspers last month as a preview to its “Bride Guide” special section, and the Associated Press picked up the story last week. That led to it being noticed by “Regis and Kelly.”
Marriage was the main topic of discussion on Thursday’s program, as Seinfield promotes his new NBC show, “The Marriage Ref.”
The show, which features celebrity panelists poking fun at and weighing in on disputes between real-life couples, has generally been panned by critics.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Hot training ground
Powell Volunteer Fire Department 1st Lt. Nate Mainwaring, left, and Delray Jones, right, and a firefighter I couldn’t ID in front, kept the flames in check during an intentional fire Saturday.Onstine Farms, LLC., asked the boys to burn down an old house and barn, and they did it.
It was training for the newbies. Rookies that need to experience a structure fire firsthand. They entered the blazing, smoking building wearing oxygen packs and the appropriate apparel designed to protect them.
Spooky.
Imagine crossing the threshold of a blazing house. Smoke so thick and black it would take a sharp knife to cut it.
Your intrepid reporter, always Johnny on the Spot, was decked out in an old pair of old bunkers. You know, the fire-retardant coat, pants, boots and helmet. It was fun and scary at the same time. I felt sort of like a mascot or maybe a Dalmatian.
It is reassuring to see them out there, acting with the confidence thanks to abundant preparation. Those guys train all the time. Of course we only see them when they respond to an emergency.
I may be a little biased because I know these fellows through my coverage for the paper. But, I believe they deserve a hearty thank you for not only their dedication, but also their grit and knack for remaining cool in extremely stressful situations.
Check out the story in Tuesday’s Powell Tribune.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Double Down - PHS finishes as runner-up
Leslie Thronburg scored a pair of buckets in the final 23 seconds of regulation to help the Powell Panthers rally and force overtime. Her shot at the buzzer of the first overtime period narrowly missed delivering a win to Powell, but in the second overtime, nothing Thronburg or any of the other Panthers could do could prevent a Jackson four-peat as the 3A girls' basketball champion.
Jackson outscored Powell 9-2 in the second extra stanza to once again deny the Panthers a shot at the school's first official girls' basketball state title. For more details on all the drama and heartbreak, see Tuesday's Powell Tribune.
Jackson outscored Powell 9-2 in the second extra stanza to once again deny the Panthers a shot at the school's first official girls' basketball state title. For more details on all the drama and heartbreak, see Tuesday's Powell Tribune.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Panthers advance to state title contest
The Powell Panthers are back in the 3A state championship game after scoring a 49-40 girls' basketball victory over Buffalo. The game was tied at 31-31 heading into the final quarter, but Powell held the Bison scoreless for the first 6:58 of the final period, during which time the team built a 39-31 advantage.
After struggling through a 4-for-14 performance at the foul line through 3+ quarters, the Panthers cashed in down the stretch. The team connected on 8 of 9 attempts down the stretch to ice its place in Saturday's championship game, tentatively slated for 6:30 p.m. The Panthers will play the winner of the Mountain View-Jackson game, which will be tipping off later tonight.
UPDATE: The Panthers will face Jackson for the 3A girls' basketball state title. Just like Powell, Jackson needed a big fourth quarter, outscoring Mountain View 17-3 over the final eight minutes, to earn a fourth meeting with the Panthers. Drive safely to Casper if you're heading down for Saturday's championship contest.
After struggling through a 4-for-14 performance at the foul line through 3+ quarters, the Panthers cashed in down the stretch. The team connected on 8 of 9 attempts down the stretch to ice its place in Saturday's championship game, tentatively slated for 6:30 p.m. The Panthers will play the winner of the Mountain View-Jackson game, which will be tipping off later tonight.
UPDATE: The Panthers will face Jackson for the 3A girls' basketball state title. Just like Powell, Jackson needed a big fourth quarter, outscoring Mountain View 17-3 over the final eight minutes, to earn a fourth meeting with the Panthers. Drive safely to Casper if you're heading down for Saturday's championship contest.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Panther Girls at state tournament
The Powell Panthers used an 8-0 run to begin the second quarter to open a lead that Wheatland would never challenge in the opening round of the girls' 3A state basketball tournament in Casper. The Panthers posted a 41-26 victory with Powell's lead never shrinking below six points after taking a 21-12 lead into intermission.
The Panthers play at 4:30 p.m. on Friday against Buffalo, which was a 44-34 winner over Cody in the day's first basketball game. The Powell-Buffalo semifinal contest will take place at Casper College. Action returns to the Casper Events Center for Saturday. Powell will play in either the third-place or championship game on the tournament's final day.
The Panthers play at 4:30 p.m. on Friday against Buffalo, which was a 44-34 winner over Cody in the day's first basketball game. The Powell-Buffalo semifinal contest will take place at Casper College. Action returns to the Casper Events Center for Saturday. Powell will play in either the third-place or championship game on the tournament's final day.
Live! From Cody City Hall it's...
In the very near future, the Cody City Council will likely be making some decisions with direct implications for voters in Powell and the rest of the county. (The two pending capital facilities tax proposals certainly come to mind...)
The Tribune plans to do its level best to cover the action, but if you're interested in listening in on the Cody Council's meetings for yourself, you should check out their Web site, where you can find live and archived video feeds of meetings past and present.
Cody Mayor Nancy Tia Brown announced the new service at the council's March 2 meeting.
"From now on, those of you that want to watch the meetings online at any time can do that," explained Mayor Brown.
Point in case: I accessed her comments a few days later, at my computer that's some 25 miles away from Cody's City Hall.
The nifty video service -- which is also being used for Cody Planning and Zoning Board meetings -- is powered by a California company called Granicus. A particularly useful feature of the interface is that past council agendas are searchable, and the agenda items are hot-linked to their respective points in the on-demand video. So, if you're looking for information presented to the council about, say, the Yellowstone Regional Airport, you can just type a quick search, click on a result, and suddenly you're at the 5:09 mark at the March 2nd meeting, watching Airport Manager Bob Hooper's presentation about the airport's economic impact on the community.
As an added, unofficial bonus, the running video time allows you to track just how long each agenda item runs. (The opening moment of silence on March 2 ran about 15 seconds.)
The only downside to Granicus' slick video tool may be the price tag -- a recurring $618.80 monthly charge and a one-time $8,078.81 cost for the system's set-up, training, and software.
At last week's meeting, Mayor Brown made sure not to discriminate between constituents physically present and those virtually dropping in.
"That'll be a nice addition for folks who are not actually in attendance tonight," said Brown of the Granicus service. "But for those of you who are in attendance, we appreciate that, as always."
The Tribune plans to do its level best to cover the action, but if you're interested in listening in on the Cody Council's meetings for yourself, you should check out their Web site, where you can find live and archived video feeds of meetings past and present.
Cody Mayor Nancy Tia Brown announced the new service at the council's March 2 meeting."From now on, those of you that want to watch the meetings online at any time can do that," explained Mayor Brown.
Point in case: I accessed her comments a few days later, at my computer that's some 25 miles away from Cody's City Hall.
The nifty video service -- which is also being used for Cody Planning and Zoning Board meetings -- is powered by a California company called Granicus. A particularly useful feature of the interface is that past council agendas are searchable, and the agenda items are hot-linked to their respective points in the on-demand video. So, if you're looking for information presented to the council about, say, the Yellowstone Regional Airport, you can just type a quick search, click on a result, and suddenly you're at the 5:09 mark at the March 2nd meeting, watching Airport Manager Bob Hooper's presentation about the airport's economic impact on the community.
As an added, unofficial bonus, the running video time allows you to track just how long each agenda item runs. (The opening moment of silence on March 2 ran about 15 seconds.)
The only downside to Granicus' slick video tool may be the price tag -- a recurring $618.80 monthly charge and a one-time $8,078.81 cost for the system's set-up, training, and software.
At last week's meeting, Mayor Brown made sure not to discriminate between constituents physically present and those virtually dropping in.
"That'll be a nice addition for folks who are not actually in attendance tonight," said Brown of the Granicus service. "But for those of you who are in attendance, we appreciate that, as always."
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Updates on Chilean earthquake
Two women with ties to Powell recently sent updates about their experiences and observations following the Feb. 27 earthquake in Chile.
Former Northwest College student Sara Munoz of Valparaiso, Chile, told about her experiences for a story by Tribune News Editor Ilene Olson in the March 2 Powell Tribune. She reports she has seen improvements in the Valparaiso area since the earthquake.
“The most affected areas finally received basic supplies that were sent not only from Chilean people, but also from many other countries,” she wrote on March 2. “Military forces are helping to restore order because, you know, people (are) going crazy everywhere. But, at least in Valparaiso, things are a lot better. I went today to check my apartment because it was very damaged. That’s why I am staying with my mom (at) the moment… Thank God, we are slowly recovering from this situation.”
But challenges continue.
On Sunday, Munoz wrote, “Things are busy around here. My apartment was more damaged than what I thought, so I have to move. I guess I'll be staying with my mom a longer time than I expected, but it is still good that I have her.
“Generally, everyone is trying to go back to normality, but it is being hard... there is still a massive panic because little earthquakes don't want to stop. We have had more tsunami alerts, nothing serious (has) happened but people (are) scared.
“I am helping as volunteer to deliver some supplies to people from some parts of the region that were really affected by everything, so that (has) helped me to feel more happy to have all my family together with me and alright.”
Anne Hedderman, a Powell High School graduate, has lived in Chile for three years. Hedderman, story is featured in today’s Tribune.
On Monday, she wrote:
“There have been many aftershocks, some of them almost 7s on the Richter scale. Even if people didn't lose their houses or apartments, they are still sleeping outside in fear of sleeping under anything that could fall due to all of these aftershocks or ‘replicas.’ The ground just continues to shake, and that has a lot of people stressed and worried.
“(But) there have been some really hopeful things happen in the past few days. Starting on Friday night and going until midnight on Saturday, they had a nationally-televised fundraiser in order to raise money for reconstruction. Banks in every town in Chile were open around the clock, and because it was televised, all the biggest companies and famous Chileans wrote big checks, almost trying to outdo the other. There was great music, dancing — it was very hopeful.
“In Coyhaique, where I live, bands were playing next to the banks, and people were going in a few at a time to give what they could, returning quickly to dance and watch the main event in Santiago projected on a big screen. That raised about $59 million, but many project that it will take like $31 billion to reconstruct.
“Another piece of news is that the people who looted supermarkets, shops and pharmacies during the chaos have started to return a lot of the goods that were stolen! Following a few arrests, stolen goods began pouring into designated garages. Mostly, they were TVs, couches, stereos, refrigerators, etc. Obviously, basic food staples that people stole were not questioned.
“Even though the outgoing president Michelle Bachelet has the best approval ratings in the history of Chilean presidents, she was criticized for her administration’s response to the disaster. She waited like 36 hours before declaring a catastrophe, which would have allowed the military to take control of the streets, thus probably curtailing the looting and (would have sped up the) arrival of aid.
“People have said that she hesitated to give the military power because of Chile's tragic experience with 16 years of ruthless military control. I don't believe that; I think they really just honestly didn't have all the information nor understand the magnitude of the disaster.
“It will be interesting because this week, the president-elect Pinera will take power with a whole new administration. It is not the best time to change designated leaders in every region of Chile. So, it will be interesting to see how smooth the transfer goes.”
Former Northwest College student Sara Munoz of Valparaiso, Chile, told about her experiences for a story by Tribune News Editor Ilene Olson in the March 2 Powell Tribune. She reports she has seen improvements in the Valparaiso area since the earthquake.
“The most affected areas finally received basic supplies that were sent not only from Chilean people, but also from many other countries,” she wrote on March 2. “Military forces are helping to restore order because, you know, people (are) going crazy everywhere. But, at least in Valparaiso, things are a lot better. I went today to check my apartment because it was very damaged. That’s why I am staying with my mom (at) the moment… Thank God, we are slowly recovering from this situation.”
But challenges continue.
On Sunday, Munoz wrote, “Things are busy around here. My apartment was more damaged than what I thought, so I have to move. I guess I'll be staying with my mom a longer time than I expected, but it is still good that I have her.
“Generally, everyone is trying to go back to normality, but it is being hard... there is still a massive panic because little earthquakes don't want to stop. We have had more tsunami alerts, nothing serious (has) happened but people (are) scared.
“I am helping as volunteer to deliver some supplies to people from some parts of the region that were really affected by everything, so that (has) helped me to feel more happy to have all my family together with me and alright.”
Anne Hedderman, a Powell High School graduate, has lived in Chile for three years. Hedderman, story is featured in today’s Tribune.
On Monday, she wrote:
“There have been many aftershocks, some of them almost 7s on the Richter scale. Even if people didn't lose their houses or apartments, they are still sleeping outside in fear of sleeping under anything that could fall due to all of these aftershocks or ‘replicas.’ The ground just continues to shake, and that has a lot of people stressed and worried.
“(But) there have been some really hopeful things happen in the past few days. Starting on Friday night and going until midnight on Saturday, they had a nationally-televised fundraiser in order to raise money for reconstruction. Banks in every town in Chile were open around the clock, and because it was televised, all the biggest companies and famous Chileans wrote big checks, almost trying to outdo the other. There was great music, dancing — it was very hopeful.
“In Coyhaique, where I live, bands were playing next to the banks, and people were going in a few at a time to give what they could, returning quickly to dance and watch the main event in Santiago projected on a big screen. That raised about $59 million, but many project that it will take like $31 billion to reconstruct.
“Another piece of news is that the people who looted supermarkets, shops and pharmacies during the chaos have started to return a lot of the goods that were stolen! Following a few arrests, stolen goods began pouring into designated garages. Mostly, they were TVs, couches, stereos, refrigerators, etc. Obviously, basic food staples that people stole were not questioned.
“Even though the outgoing president Michelle Bachelet has the best approval ratings in the history of Chilean presidents, she was criticized for her administration’s response to the disaster. She waited like 36 hours before declaring a catastrophe, which would have allowed the military to take control of the streets, thus probably curtailing the looting and (would have sped up the) arrival of aid.
“People have said that she hesitated to give the military power because of Chile's tragic experience with 16 years of ruthless military control. I don't believe that; I think they really just honestly didn't have all the information nor understand the magnitude of the disaster.
“It will be interesting because this week, the president-elect Pinera will take power with a whole new administration. It is not the best time to change designated leaders in every region of Chile. So, it will be interesting to see how smooth the transfer goes.”
NWC Peace Movement letter
Calling itself “the silent majority at the college,” an anonymous group of Northwest College employees who say they fear retribution from some faculty members launched a Peace Movement on Friday. The campus newspaper, the Northwest Trail, first reported the Peace Movement letter on its Web site Friday evening.
A full story about the movement appears in Tuesday's Tribune. Here is a copy of the letter that was e-mailed to college faculty and staff last week:
"With this message, we, the silent majority at Northwest College, launch the Peace Movement. We believe it’s time to break the silence when students come forward to tell us they’re afraid to challenge instructor diatribes in the classroom for fear of retribution. Some have told us they don’t want to attend class anymore because their teachers have spent weeks talking about nothing but college politics, at the expense of class-related learning. We believe when the hostile climate we work in mushrooms into an atmosphere of fear for our students and is disruptive to learning, it’s time to break the silence. Also:
• We believe shared governance does not mean one constituency group should have total power over every decision made at this college.
• We believe when we hear that students from one department on campus are contacting high school students to tell them to go to another college because Northwest is losing its accreditation, it’s time to speak up.
• We believe that when our friends and neighbors ask us if what they’re hearing from some faculty is true, that our president is a sociopath, it’s time to demand accountability.
• We believe the appropriate avenue for working through disagreement in an institution of higher learning is open discourse through open minds—not bullying.
• We believe that if we remain silent, our jobs are in jeopardy—not because of administrative prejudice, but because the college will suffer enrollment losses that will require budget cuts.
• We believe the success of our reaccreditation bid depends on the strength of our curriculum and the integrity of our institution. It does not pivot on the negative consequences resulting from internal power plays.
• We believe a small number of our students are being coached and manipulated to further the personal agendas of some faculty.
• We believe student learning, employee morale and productivity have been hijacked by the latest blitz of toxic behaviors.
• We believe that there exists a genuine fear on this campus, and that there are more of us who fear the faculty than the administration.
• We believe we have closed our eyes and our mouths too long in fear of the consequences of raising our voices.
• We believe our silence over the years has resulted in harmful disruptions to Northwest College’s progress in creating a forward-looking vision of meaningful service to our students and our communities. Our intention in the Peace Movement is to give a voice to those who don’t endorse current activities but are hesitant to speak up. By standing together, we can brave the forces that may come to bear if we stand alone.
We want NWC employees to positively focus their energies where they belong—on our students—so that we all can be proud of where we work and what we do. We will not give voice to our united beliefs through smear campaigns, anonymous tips to media, fear-mongering or misinformation, the tactics we’ve seen employed by others this semester.
If you want to join our movement, check the box below. By doing so, you will add one anonymous vote to our measure. We don’t know how many of us there are. This will tell. We may find that our numbers shout above our silence.
If you want to publicly show your support for this new focus, join us in wearing a peace button. The peace symbol is our call for civility. If you’re confronted by others for wearing it, don’t feel obligated to respond. Your button will speak for you. It will say, 'No more extremist politics. Not at our college.'
A box of peace buttons will be placed in the mailroom next week."
A full story about the movement appears in Tuesday's Tribune. Here is a copy of the letter that was e-mailed to college faculty and staff last week:
"With this message, we, the silent majority at Northwest College, launch the Peace Movement. We believe it’s time to break the silence when students come forward to tell us they’re afraid to challenge instructor diatribes in the classroom for fear of retribution. Some have told us they don’t want to attend class anymore because their teachers have spent weeks talking about nothing but college politics, at the expense of class-related learning. We believe when the hostile climate we work in mushrooms into an atmosphere of fear for our students and is disruptive to learning, it’s time to break the silence. Also:
• We believe shared governance does not mean one constituency group should have total power over every decision made at this college.
• We believe when we hear that students from one department on campus are contacting high school students to tell them to go to another college because Northwest is losing its accreditation, it’s time to speak up.
• We believe that when our friends and neighbors ask us if what they’re hearing from some faculty is true, that our president is a sociopath, it’s time to demand accountability.
• We believe the appropriate avenue for working through disagreement in an institution of higher learning is open discourse through open minds—not bullying.
• We believe that if we remain silent, our jobs are in jeopardy—not because of administrative prejudice, but because the college will suffer enrollment losses that will require budget cuts.
• We believe the success of our reaccreditation bid depends on the strength of our curriculum and the integrity of our institution. It does not pivot on the negative consequences resulting from internal power plays.
• We believe a small number of our students are being coached and manipulated to further the personal agendas of some faculty.
• We believe student learning, employee morale and productivity have been hijacked by the latest blitz of toxic behaviors.
• We believe that there exists a genuine fear on this campus, and that there are more of us who fear the faculty than the administration.
• We believe we have closed our eyes and our mouths too long in fear of the consequences of raising our voices.
• We believe our silence over the years has resulted in harmful disruptions to Northwest College’s progress in creating a forward-looking vision of meaningful service to our students and our communities. Our intention in the Peace Movement is to give a voice to those who don’t endorse current activities but are hesitant to speak up. By standing together, we can brave the forces that may come to bear if we stand alone.
We want NWC employees to positively focus their energies where they belong—on our students—so that we all can be proud of where we work and what we do. We will not give voice to our united beliefs through smear campaigns, anonymous tips to media, fear-mongering or misinformation, the tactics we’ve seen employed by others this semester.
If you want to join our movement, check the box below. By doing so, you will add one anonymous vote to our measure. We don’t know how many of us there are. This will tell. We may find that our numbers shout above our silence.
If you want to publicly show your support for this new focus, join us in wearing a peace button. The peace symbol is our call for civility. If you’re confronted by others for wearing it, don’t feel obligated to respond. Your button will speak for you. It will say, 'No more extremist politics. Not at our college.'
A box of peace buttons will be placed in the mailroom next week."
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Sugar beets: You be the judge
We have a story in today's paper about the ongoing Roundup Ready sugar beet lawsuit.
Harvested sugar beets pile up just west of Powell in this October '09 photo by Kara Bacon
A hearing on the injunction request is slated for tomorrow (Friday) and it's in California, making it tough for folks like you and I to sit in. But if you'd like to read through the arguments likely to be made in the courtroom, and have some time for some not-so-light reading, well, ta-da!
To summarize in less than the 40+ inches I took up in the print edition: the groups opposed to the genetically-modified beet plants are seeking a preliminary injunction that would stop the planting and use of Roundup Ready beets (and the sugar derived from them) at least until the U.S. Department of Agriculture has, as ordered by federal Judge Jeffrey White, put together an Environmental Impact Statement re-assessing the impacts of the crop.
Harvested sugar beets pile up just west of Powell in this October '09 photo by Kara BaconA hearing on the injunction request is slated for tomorrow (Friday) and it's in California, making it tough for folks like you and I to sit in. But if you'd like to read through the arguments likely to be made in the courtroom, and have some time for some not-so-light reading, well, ta-da!
- Opposition groups request a preliminary injunction
- Intervenors (the sugarbeet industry and Monsanto) voice their opposition
- The US government voices similar opposition
- The opposition groups defend their injunction request
As I understand it, those four documents (about 120 pages worth) pretty much lay out what everybody's arguing over, though, of course, there are hundreds of pages of more stuff and other issues, too.
I'm wondering, what do you think about the case? Weigh in down in the comments section below.
Sports Update thread for March 4-9
This will be a running thread for Quake hockey, PHS regional basketball and Region IX basketball for Northwest College. Check back here for updates on games, schedules, etc. and then pick up Tuesday's Powell Tribune for complete coverage.
QUAKE HOCKEY--Hockey season came to a close for the Yellowstone Quake on Sunday evening as the team fell 5-2 to the Helena Bighorns in the decisive fifth game of the America West division series. Chris Rinaldi scored late in the first period, then lit the lamp again early in the second period to temporarily give the Quake a 2-1 edge. Helena answered with two goals in a 63-second span in the middle of the period and added two third-period goals to advance to the NORPAC Cascade Cup.
For the second night in a row, the Quake was held to fewer than 20 shots on goal according to the unofficial statistics. Helena advances to face Seattle, the Pacific division winner, for the Cascade Cup.
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NWC MEN'S BASKETBALL--The Northwest College Trappers were eliminated from Region IX tournament play 82-71 on Sunday afternoon by No. 18 North Platte. The Trappers and East sub-region champion Knights played more than 10 minutes of back-and-forth basketball with neither team establishing more than a three-point lead. NWC grabbed the upper hand late in the first half to open a five-point lead. North Platte closed out the first half on a run though, carrying a 36-35 lead into halftime.
The Knights' hot hand continued into the second half as the team from Nebraska quickly built a nine-point cushion. Northwest twice cut the lead to two points, only to see the Knights re-establish it on both occasions. North Platte had pushed its edge to 13 late in the contest before a final push by the Trappers cut the gap to 75-71 with under 90 seconds to play. North Platte closed the contest on a 7-0 run to bring down the curtain on an outstanding season by Northwest College.
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STATE 3A BRACKET RELEASED--The Powell High School girls will open state tournament play on March 11 at 10:30 a.m. at the Casper Events Center against Wheatland. The two schools met to open the year at the East-West Showdown with Powell taking a narrow 42-36 victory in that encounter. Buffalo and Cody are the other two schools on Powell's half of the tournament bracket. The Panthers will face one of those schools on Day 2 of the Wyoming state basketball championships.
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QUAKE HOCKEY--They'll be going to a decisive Game 5 in Helena on Sunday as the Bighorns scored a pair of third-period goals to tally a 4-2 victory over the Yellowstone Quake and level the series at two games apiece. Chris Rinaldi and Tyler Boyce each scored in the second period for the Quake, who escaped from a first period trailing just 1-0 after skating a man down for nearly half the period.
Helena scored its go-ahead goal two minutes into the third period and the Quake missed a golden opportunity to tie the game after going 0-for-3 on power-play opportunities in the first half of the third period. Helena scored its insurance goal with 1:57 remaining on a power play to give the game its final margin.
The winner of Sunday's game will win the NORPAC America West division pennant and advance to the league's championship series, which starts on Tuesday. A Quake victory will bring the series to Cody for Games 1 and 2.
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NWC & PHS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL -- It's been an interesting night here at Casa de Sports Guy with two internet feeds and a radio station streaming three different sporting events. Two of those are now in the books, and neither of them went well for Powell fans.
At Sterling, Colo., head coach Janis Beal's first season on the bench of the Northwest College Trappers came to a close following a 76-69 loss to Northeast Nebraska. NWC fell behind by double digits early, but had fought back to within six late in the first half before Northeast Nebraska closed out the first half on an 8-0 run to carry a 35-21 edge into intermission. The Trappers were never able to fully recover from that spurt as they stayed within sight of the Nebraska school but were unable to conjure the run they needed to change the outcome. The Trapper women finish the year 11-19.
In Lyman, the Powell High School girls made a valiant late run, but started from too far behind to avoid a 42-36 loss to Jackson. The defeat might not be bad news -- remember, Jackson captured the state title last season as the 3A West runner-up. The two schools played to a 5-5 deadlock after the first eight minutes and the Panthers' offense never gained much momentum.
Jackson steadily pulled away from Powell throughout the middle of the game, pushing its lead as high as 13 points at one stage of the third quarter. After being held to just 19 points in the first three quarters, the Panthers found life in the final eight minutes, staging a late rally that brought the team to within 39-36 following a controvesial apparent late three-point bucket for which the Panthers only received credit for two points. Unfortunately, the team came up empty over the final 40 seconds while Jackson tacked on a trio of late free throws. Powell heads to Casper next week as the No. 2 seed from the 3A West.
As for that third streaming internet broadcast, the Yellowstone Quake and Helena Bighorns are currently tied 1-1 midway through the second period. The Quake hold a two-games-to-one edge in the series and are looking to close things out tonight with a win to earn a spot in the NORPAC championship series. Expect an updated post in 90 minutes or so with the final details from Game 4 in Helena.
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NWC MEN'S BASKETBALL--The Northwest College Trappers watched a 17-point first-half lead nearly evaporate, but then re-established the gap midway through the second half to earn a comfortable 85-74 victory over Gillette College in the first round of the Region IX men's basketball tournament. The Pronghorns were never able to get closer than seven once the Trappers built theilr lead back into double figures.
Northwest College will face North Platte, the only member of the Region IX tournament field to be ranked nationally, at 3 p.m. on Sunday in the second round of tournament action.
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QUAKE HOCKEY--The Yellowstone Quake moved within one win of an America West divisional title on Friday night by blanking Helena 5-0 in hockey action. Nick Kent, Matthew Tackett and Chris Rinaldi each scored in the first period as the Quake rebounded from a sluggish Game 2 to score all the goals they would need.
Rinaldi added a second goal to open the third period and Mathew Schulz closed out the scoring for the night with the Quake's fifth goal. Goalie Alex Larson was once again nothing short of stellar in posting the shutout.
Also stellar was the Quake's play in the defensive zone. After surrendering more than 50 shots in each of the first two games of the series, Quake defensivemen allowed Helena to make just 28 attempts on goal. The Bighorns came away empty on all 13 power-play opportunities as the Quake's penalty-kill unit took on a starring role.
The Quake will look to close out the divisional championship series Saturday night in Helena. Should the series go to Game 5, that game will be played Sunday afternoon. If the Quake win either Saturday or Sunday, they would open the NORPAC championship series against either Seattle or Eugene on Tuesday night in Cody's Riley Arena.
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PHS GIRLS -- The Powell High School girls' basketball team advanced to the 3A West championship game on Friday with a 66-50 win over Park County rival Cody. Savannah Donarski finished with a team-high 22 points, but it was Kami Cooley's rarely-seen four-point play in the third quarter that triggered a 16-4 second-half Panther run that helped to blow the game open. Powell had the better of a fast-paced first half to lead 36-29 at intermission, but gave all but a point of that lead back to Cody in the early minutes of the second half before embarking on the decisive run.
The Panthers will play at 7 p.m. on Saturday against the winner of tonight's late game between Jackson and Mountain View.
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PHS BOYS -- Boys basketball season came to an end for Powell on Friday morning as Lander delivered the Panthers their second defeat of the 3A West regional tournament, 47-39. A second-quarter Lander surge lifted the Tigers to a 23-12 lead at intermission. A 7-0 run by Powell in the third quarter pulled the Panthers back to within six points, but the Tigers immediately answered with nine consecutive points of their own, grabbing a 34-19 lead. A late run by Powell trimmed the gap back to single digits with fewer than 90 seconds remaining before time ran out on the Panthers' comeback efforts. Powell wraps up the year with a 3-20 record.
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PHS BASKETBALL -- The Powell High School girls cleared their first regional hurdle while the Panther boys stumbled and will be playing on the elimination side of the bracket on Friday. The Panthers asserted themselves after a slow first quarter to pull in front of Pinedale by 12 points midway through the second period. From there, the team put it on cruise control, never allowing the No. 8 seed Wranglers closer than seven, but never really pulling any further ahead either as a spate of turnovers and missed layups prevented a broader final margin.
Powell's boys played their closest game of the season in three attempts against Worland, but were still unable to slow down the Warriors. The Panther boys, playing without the injured A.J. Anderson, fell by a 72-46 final count.
The schedule for Friday now features the Panther boys playing an elimination game against Lander at 10:30 a.m. The two schools split their regular-season encounters. Powell's girls will meet up with cross-county rival Cody at 4 p.m.
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QUAKE HOCKEY -- The Yellowstone Quake and Helena Bighorns will head to Montana tied at one game apiece after the NORPAC America West regular season champs evened things up with a 7-3 victory on Wednesday night. After a scoreless first period, Helena scored three second-period goals and never allowed the Quake closer than two from that point forward.
"We just didn't do a very good job on our floor check tonight and we took some dumb penalties when we were down," Quake coach Sean Hogan said of the effort. "Helena is a more experienced team than we are, and that's what it looked like out there tonight."
All but five members of the Quake roster are in their first season of junior hockey.
Tyler Roberts' goal late in the second period put the Quake on the board and gave the Riley Arena crowd some hope. Helena's Cody Hess picked up a pair of power-play scores in the first 3:30 of the third period to move out to a four-goal advantage. The Quake got back to within 5-3 thanks to goals from Chris Rinaldi and Andrew Lord, but were unable to find the net again. Helena capped the game with a pair of goals in the final six minutes.
Game three will take place Friday night in Helena. There will also be games Saturday evening and, if needed, Sunday afternoon. Should the Quake win two in Helena, the NORPAC championship series would begin Tuesday in Cody.
QUAKE HOCKEY--Hockey season came to a close for the Yellowstone Quake on Sunday evening as the team fell 5-2 to the Helena Bighorns in the decisive fifth game of the America West division series. Chris Rinaldi scored late in the first period, then lit the lamp again early in the second period to temporarily give the Quake a 2-1 edge. Helena answered with two goals in a 63-second span in the middle of the period and added two third-period goals to advance to the NORPAC Cascade Cup.
For the second night in a row, the Quake was held to fewer than 20 shots on goal according to the unofficial statistics. Helena advances to face Seattle, the Pacific division winner, for the Cascade Cup.
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NWC MEN'S BASKETBALL--The Northwest College Trappers were eliminated from Region IX tournament play 82-71 on Sunday afternoon by No. 18 North Platte. The Trappers and East sub-region champion Knights played more than 10 minutes of back-and-forth basketball with neither team establishing more than a three-point lead. NWC grabbed the upper hand late in the first half to open a five-point lead. North Platte closed out the first half on a run though, carrying a 36-35 lead into halftime.
The Knights' hot hand continued into the second half as the team from Nebraska quickly built a nine-point cushion. Northwest twice cut the lead to two points, only to see the Knights re-establish it on both occasions. North Platte had pushed its edge to 13 late in the contest before a final push by the Trappers cut the gap to 75-71 with under 90 seconds to play. North Platte closed the contest on a 7-0 run to bring down the curtain on an outstanding season by Northwest College.
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STATE 3A BRACKET RELEASED--The Powell High School girls will open state tournament play on March 11 at 10:30 a.m. at the Casper Events Center against Wheatland. The two schools met to open the year at the East-West Showdown with Powell taking a narrow 42-36 victory in that encounter. Buffalo and Cody are the other two schools on Powell's half of the tournament bracket. The Panthers will face one of those schools on Day 2 of the Wyoming state basketball championships.
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QUAKE HOCKEY--They'll be going to a decisive Game 5 in Helena on Sunday as the Bighorns scored a pair of third-period goals to tally a 4-2 victory over the Yellowstone Quake and level the series at two games apiece. Chris Rinaldi and Tyler Boyce each scored in the second period for the Quake, who escaped from a first period trailing just 1-0 after skating a man down for nearly half the period.
Helena scored its go-ahead goal two minutes into the third period and the Quake missed a golden opportunity to tie the game after going 0-for-3 on power-play opportunities in the first half of the third period. Helena scored its insurance goal with 1:57 remaining on a power play to give the game its final margin.
The winner of Sunday's game will win the NORPAC America West division pennant and advance to the league's championship series, which starts on Tuesday. A Quake victory will bring the series to Cody for Games 1 and 2.
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NWC & PHS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL -- It's been an interesting night here at Casa de Sports Guy with two internet feeds and a radio station streaming three different sporting events. Two of those are now in the books, and neither of them went well for Powell fans.
At Sterling, Colo., head coach Janis Beal's first season on the bench of the Northwest College Trappers came to a close following a 76-69 loss to Northeast Nebraska. NWC fell behind by double digits early, but had fought back to within six late in the first half before Northeast Nebraska closed out the first half on an 8-0 run to carry a 35-21 edge into intermission. The Trappers were never able to fully recover from that spurt as they stayed within sight of the Nebraska school but were unable to conjure the run they needed to change the outcome. The Trapper women finish the year 11-19.
In Lyman, the Powell High School girls made a valiant late run, but started from too far behind to avoid a 42-36 loss to Jackson. The defeat might not be bad news -- remember, Jackson captured the state title last season as the 3A West runner-up. The two schools played to a 5-5 deadlock after the first eight minutes and the Panthers' offense never gained much momentum.
Jackson steadily pulled away from Powell throughout the middle of the game, pushing its lead as high as 13 points at one stage of the third quarter. After being held to just 19 points in the first three quarters, the Panthers found life in the final eight minutes, staging a late rally that brought the team to within 39-36 following a controvesial apparent late three-point bucket for which the Panthers only received credit for two points. Unfortunately, the team came up empty over the final 40 seconds while Jackson tacked on a trio of late free throws. Powell heads to Casper next week as the No. 2 seed from the 3A West.
As for that third streaming internet broadcast, the Yellowstone Quake and Helena Bighorns are currently tied 1-1 midway through the second period. The Quake hold a two-games-to-one edge in the series and are looking to close things out tonight with a win to earn a spot in the NORPAC championship series. Expect an updated post in 90 minutes or so with the final details from Game 4 in Helena.
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NWC MEN'S BASKETBALL--The Northwest College Trappers watched a 17-point first-half lead nearly evaporate, but then re-established the gap midway through the second half to earn a comfortable 85-74 victory over Gillette College in the first round of the Region IX men's basketball tournament. The Pronghorns were never able to get closer than seven once the Trappers built theilr lead back into double figures.
Northwest College will face North Platte, the only member of the Region IX tournament field to be ranked nationally, at 3 p.m. on Sunday in the second round of tournament action.
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QUAKE HOCKEY--The Yellowstone Quake moved within one win of an America West divisional title on Friday night by blanking Helena 5-0 in hockey action. Nick Kent, Matthew Tackett and Chris Rinaldi each scored in the first period as the Quake rebounded from a sluggish Game 2 to score all the goals they would need.
Rinaldi added a second goal to open the third period and Mathew Schulz closed out the scoring for the night with the Quake's fifth goal. Goalie Alex Larson was once again nothing short of stellar in posting the shutout.
Also stellar was the Quake's play in the defensive zone. After surrendering more than 50 shots in each of the first two games of the series, Quake defensivemen allowed Helena to make just 28 attempts on goal. The Bighorns came away empty on all 13 power-play opportunities as the Quake's penalty-kill unit took on a starring role.
The Quake will look to close out the divisional championship series Saturday night in Helena. Should the series go to Game 5, that game will be played Sunday afternoon. If the Quake win either Saturday or Sunday, they would open the NORPAC championship series against either Seattle or Eugene on Tuesday night in Cody's Riley Arena.
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PHS GIRLS -- The Powell High School girls' basketball team advanced to the 3A West championship game on Friday with a 66-50 win over Park County rival Cody. Savannah Donarski finished with a team-high 22 points, but it was Kami Cooley's rarely-seen four-point play in the third quarter that triggered a 16-4 second-half Panther run that helped to blow the game open. Powell had the better of a fast-paced first half to lead 36-29 at intermission, but gave all but a point of that lead back to Cody in the early minutes of the second half before embarking on the decisive run.
The Panthers will play at 7 p.m. on Saturday against the winner of tonight's late game between Jackson and Mountain View.
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PHS BOYS -- Boys basketball season came to an end for Powell on Friday morning as Lander delivered the Panthers their second defeat of the 3A West regional tournament, 47-39. A second-quarter Lander surge lifted the Tigers to a 23-12 lead at intermission. A 7-0 run by Powell in the third quarter pulled the Panthers back to within six points, but the Tigers immediately answered with nine consecutive points of their own, grabbing a 34-19 lead. A late run by Powell trimmed the gap back to single digits with fewer than 90 seconds remaining before time ran out on the Panthers' comeback efforts. Powell wraps up the year with a 3-20 record.
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PHS BASKETBALL -- The Powell High School girls cleared their first regional hurdle while the Panther boys stumbled and will be playing on the elimination side of the bracket on Friday. The Panthers asserted themselves after a slow first quarter to pull in front of Pinedale by 12 points midway through the second period. From there, the team put it on cruise control, never allowing the No. 8 seed Wranglers closer than seven, but never really pulling any further ahead either as a spate of turnovers and missed layups prevented a broader final margin.
Powell's boys played their closest game of the season in three attempts against Worland, but were still unable to slow down the Warriors. The Panther boys, playing without the injured A.J. Anderson, fell by a 72-46 final count.
The schedule for Friday now features the Panther boys playing an elimination game against Lander at 10:30 a.m. The two schools split their regular-season encounters. Powell's girls will meet up with cross-county rival Cody at 4 p.m.
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QUAKE HOCKEY -- The Yellowstone Quake and Helena Bighorns will head to Montana tied at one game apiece after the NORPAC America West regular season champs evened things up with a 7-3 victory on Wednesday night. After a scoreless first period, Helena scored three second-period goals and never allowed the Quake closer than two from that point forward.
"We just didn't do a very good job on our floor check tonight and we took some dumb penalties when we were down," Quake coach Sean Hogan said of the effort. "Helena is a more experienced team than we are, and that's what it looked like out there tonight."
All but five members of the Quake roster are in their first season of junior hockey.
Tyler Roberts' goal late in the second period put the Quake on the board and gave the Riley Arena crowd some hope. Helena's Cody Hess picked up a pair of power-play scores in the first 3:30 of the third period to move out to a four-goal advantage. The Quake got back to within 5-3 thanks to goals from Chris Rinaldi and Andrew Lord, but were unable to find the net again. Helena capped the game with a pair of goals in the final six minutes.
Game three will take place Friday night in Helena. There will also be games Saturday evening and, if needed, Sunday afternoon. Should the Quake win two in Helena, the NORPAC championship series would begin Tuesday in Cody.
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