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Senior Tallon Hansen spends part of his school day in the welding shop of the FFA building at Powell County High School. Photo by Peggy Kerr.
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Students learn life skills
by Peggy Kerr
Powell County High School teacher Bill Lombardi has been teaching agricultural education for 34 years. It’s that kind of commitment that cranks out the best of students from Powell County’s FFA program.
FFA, a youth development organization that is devoted to preparing students for leadership and career success, is celebrating National FFA Week through Feb. 27.
Created in 1928 as Future Farmers of America, the organization’s name was changed to FFA in 1988 to better represent the growing diversity of agriculture.
“I feel really blessed; we’ve had some great students; we’ve had some competitive students,” Lombardi said. “We take a lot of pride in being one of the oldest programs in the nation.”
On a national level, there are more than 760,000 members in FFA, as part of 8,700 local FFA chapters in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
This year Lombardi is teaching 55 students in eight Ag-Ed classes. Students from seventh grade on up to three years past high school are learning not only hands-on instruction in such classes as livestock, mechanics, agronomy and forestry, but also gaining skills in leadership, personal growth and career success.
Any student who is enrolled in agricultural education at a public school may join FFA.
“We have some things that are coming up; we have two students running for a state office this year,” Lombardi said, which is very competitive. Out of about 30 who apply, only six will be chosen. “It’s pretty challenging to get those positions.”
“We have three students going for their state degrees,” he said. “We’ve qualified one team already, livestock, to go to the state competition.”
In that event, the group took second place. Seniors Miles Graveley took first; Aubree Bohrer took seventh overall, and Tallon Hansen took ninth overall. These are the three working toward their state degrees.
“Most everthing is done as a team,” Lombardi said. “And in most events you advance as a team. You don’t advance as an individual.”
Within those competitions, though, they take an individual score, too, so there are awards based on individuals.
What used to be called competitions are now called Career Development Events (CDEs), Lombardi said.
See Skills page 6
Powell County High School teacher Bill Lombardi has been teaching agricultural education for 34 years. It’s that kind of commitment that cranks out the best of students from Powell County’s FFA program.
FFA, a youth development organization that is devoted to preparing students for leadership and career success, is celebrating National FFA Week through Feb. 27.
Created in 1928 as Future Farmers of America, the organization’s name was changed to FFA in 1988 to better represent the growing diversity of agriculture.
“I feel really blessed; we’ve had some great students; we’ve had some competitive students,” Lombardi said. “We take a lot of pride in being one of the oldest programs in the nation.”
On a national level, there are more than 760,000 members in FFA, as part of 8,700 local FFA chapters in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
This year Lombardi is teaching 55 students in eight Ag-Ed classes. Students from seventh grade on up to three years past high school are learning not only hands-on instruction in such classes as livestock, mechanics, agronomy and forestry, but also gaining skills in leadership, personal growth and career success.
Any student who is enrolled in agricultural education at a public school may join FFA.
“We have some things that are coming up; we have two students running for a state office this year,” Lombardi said, which is very competitive. Out of about 30 who apply, only six will be chosen. “It’s pretty challenging to get those positions.”
“We have three students going for their state degrees,” he said. “We’ve qualified one team already, livestock, to go to the state competition.”
In that event, the group took second place. Seniors Miles Graveley took first; Aubree Bohrer took seventh overall, and Tallon Hansen took ninth overall. These are the three working toward their state degrees.
“Most everthing is done as a team,” Lombardi said. “And in most events you advance as a team. You don’t advance as an individual.”
Within those competitions, though, they take an individual score, too, so there are awards based on individuals.
What used to be called competitions are now called Career Development Events (CDEs), Lombardi said.
See Skills page 6
Rialto Celebrates 100 years
by Steve Owens
With a look back at the original opening event, the Rialto Community Theatre in Deer Lodge will be observing 100 years of serving the Powell County community in early March.
The Rialto stage held its first event on March 2, 1921: a touring comedic opera production of “Robin Hood,” and the Rialto Board has engaged the Cutler Brothers Theatre/Rising Star Academy to perform a “Robin Hood” play for three performances.
Erin Jewell is directing the play.
The first two will be held Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. on March 5 and Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. on March 7, with a $20 ticket price for the play only.
The gala Centennial event is set for Saturday, March 6, with a $30 ticket price. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the play beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday will feature a 1920s costume contest and a best dressed/most dressed-up contest judged by the audience, a 50/50 drawing, raffles for themed gift baskets, photo displays and a short program.
Each guest will receive a piece of cheesecake with toppings and glass of champagne for a toast. Beer and wine will be available as well as the usual Rialto concessions.
Also available are limited edition Rialto Centennial tumblers $25 each. They come in black, navy blue, maroon and royal blue.
Tickets for the play are available at Valley Foods, Keystone Pharmacy, Steele’s in Butte and Deer Lodge, at the Rialto, and online at www.deerlodgerialto.com.
For more information about the festivities, please call 406-846-7900 or visit the website.
With a look back at the original opening event, the Rialto Community Theatre in Deer Lodge will be observing 100 years of serving the Powell County community in early March.
The Rialto stage held its first event on March 2, 1921: a touring comedic opera production of “Robin Hood,” and the Rialto Board has engaged the Cutler Brothers Theatre/Rising Star Academy to perform a “Robin Hood” play for three performances.
Erin Jewell is directing the play.
The first two will be held Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. on March 5 and Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. on March 7, with a $20 ticket price for the play only.
The gala Centennial event is set for Saturday, March 6, with a $30 ticket price. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the play beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday will feature a 1920s costume contest and a best dressed/most dressed-up contest judged by the audience, a 50/50 drawing, raffles for themed gift baskets, photo displays and a short program.
Each guest will receive a piece of cheesecake with toppings and glass of champagne for a toast. Beer and wine will be available as well as the usual Rialto concessions.
Also available are limited edition Rialto Centennial tumblers $25 each. They come in black, navy blue, maroon and royal blue.
Tickets for the play are available at Valley Foods, Keystone Pharmacy, Steele’s in Butte and Deer Lodge, at the Rialto, and online at www.deerlodgerialto.com.
For more information about the festivities, please call 406-846-7900 or visit the website.
Highway traffic stopped five hours
by Peggy Kerr
Travelers headed both east and west bound on Interstate Highway 90 near Garrison were at a standstill for five hours early last Wednesday, about 3 a.m. to 8 a.m., due to an incident that initially occurred in Belgrade, according to Powell County Sheriff Gavin Roselles.
“This was an extended incident that made a lot of people unhappy,” he said. “We obviously did it for their protection. We had a gentlemen stopped on the side of the road, who had fired at officers previously. He had committed crimes in Gallatin County that put the public at risk, and we didn’t want the public to be subject to any violence toward them, so that’s why we stopped traffic.”
Jon Patrick Binkley, 35, of Belgrade, was charged with attempted deliberate homicide with bond set at $750,000. He was arraigned Friday afternoon at the Powell County Jail with Justice of the Peace Melissa Gallagher presiding.
Binkley was arraigned once again before Gallagher on Monday morning, based on an arrest warrant from Butte-Silver Bow County, Roselles said. Another charge was added, fleeing from or eluding a police officer, with bond set at $1,500.
If found guilty, Binkley would serve not less than 10 years and not more than 100 years for the first charge, and $2,000 and 1 year in county jail for the second.
The episode, which began approximately 11:45 p.m. Tuesday night, was a reported partner or family member assault, according to a press release from the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office. The suspect left the residence before officers arrived, and a deputy located the vehicle parked at a gas station in Belgrade.
After the deputy turned on his lights and siren, the driver drove out of the lot and struck a vehicle, and was pursued in the direction of Manhattan on the Frontage Road. Attempts to spike the vehicle’s tires in Manhattan were unsuccessful.
The driver turned westbound onto I-90, and a deputy set spike strips at the Logan Interchange. The driver
See Traffic page 16
Travelers headed both east and west bound on Interstate Highway 90 near Garrison were at a standstill for five hours early last Wednesday, about 3 a.m. to 8 a.m., due to an incident that initially occurred in Belgrade, according to Powell County Sheriff Gavin Roselles.
“This was an extended incident that made a lot of people unhappy,” he said. “We obviously did it for their protection. We had a gentlemen stopped on the side of the road, who had fired at officers previously. He had committed crimes in Gallatin County that put the public at risk, and we didn’t want the public to be subject to any violence toward them, so that’s why we stopped traffic.”
Jon Patrick Binkley, 35, of Belgrade, was charged with attempted deliberate homicide with bond set at $750,000. He was arraigned Friday afternoon at the Powell County Jail with Justice of the Peace Melissa Gallagher presiding.
Binkley was arraigned once again before Gallagher on Monday morning, based on an arrest warrant from Butte-Silver Bow County, Roselles said. Another charge was added, fleeing from or eluding a police officer, with bond set at $1,500.
If found guilty, Binkley would serve not less than 10 years and not more than 100 years for the first charge, and $2,000 and 1 year in county jail for the second.
The episode, which began approximately 11:45 p.m. Tuesday night, was a reported partner or family member assault, according to a press release from the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office. The suspect left the residence before officers arrived, and a deputy located the vehicle parked at a gas station in Belgrade.
After the deputy turned on his lights and siren, the driver drove out of the lot and struck a vehicle, and was pursued in the direction of Manhattan on the Frontage Road. Attempts to spike the vehicle’s tires in Manhattan were unsuccessful.
The driver turned westbound onto I-90, and a deputy set spike strips at the Logan Interchange. The driver
See Traffic page 16
More on this and the other issues grabbing this week's headlines
can be found in our print edition, out every Wednesday.
can be found in our print edition, out every Wednesday.
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Silver State Post
312 Missouri Avenue, Deer Lodge, MT 59722 • 406-846-2424 |
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