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RICE Hydro, Inc. Supporting STEM Education Reaching for the Stars

RICE Hydro, Inc. support yields successful firing of most powerful full scale rocket engine ever built by students. The Carson City company donated much needed testing equipment to the Space Concordia Rocketry Division (SCRD) student team from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. On June 17, 2021, students ignited their experimental liquid-propelled rocket engine, called Stewart, and produced a record-shattering 35kN of thrust.

Proponents of STEM education throughout North America, RICE Hydro, Inc. provided the program with invaluable mentoring and an MTP-15 Manual Hand Operated Hydrostatic Test Pump. These contributions assisted the university’s program in participating in the Base11 Competition, a multi-phase program in which university students compete to design, build, and launch a liquid-propelled, single-stage rocket to an altitude of 100 kilometers (the Karman Line) by December 30, 2021. A purse of $1 million prize is up for grabs. The June engine firing is one of the many milestones required for the final phase of the competition at year’s end.

To date, SCRD has obtained several wins at the Base11 Competition including Second Place in the Phase 1 Preliminary Design Review (PDR) held at Cal-Tech in June 2019, and a First Place in the Base11 Critical design review in February of 2021. Additionally, they were the only team to succeed in developing a rocket and a full-thrust flight engine. Fifty universities are competing including: University of Michigan, the University of British Columbia, Purdue University, and the University of Texas.

The Base11 Space Challenge program’s mission is to dramatically increase the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) talent in the United States and Canada. Additionally, the program strives to promote a greater representation and inclusion of women and minorities within the STEM fields while empowering the future workforce with the education and skill-training necessary for jobs in the aerospace and related industries.

Concordia University and their Space Concordia program aims to teach and train young scientists and engineers through hands-on work and encourages an attitude of persistence and collaboration.

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A Las Vegas man died early Tuesday morning in a single vehicle rollover on Old Highway 395 in Washoe Valley north of Bellevue Road, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol.

Achievements in preserving Lake Tahoe were celebrated Tuesday during the 21st Lake Tahoe Summit at Tallac Historic Site, but it was clear there is a lot more to do and the work will never be over.

A 26-year-old Carson City man was arrested Tuesday for a warrant alleging sexual assault, a Carson City sheriff’s deputy said.

With firefighting efforts focused Tuesday on the Voltaire Fire in Carson City, a small fire two miles south of Spooner Summit continues to burn, but has not had a rapid spread, fire officials said Wednesday.

Tuesday's Voltaire Fire in south Carson City off of Curry Street is contained at 135 acres and currently in mop-up phase with crews remaining to watch for hot spots, said Carson City Fire Department Chief Sean Slamon.

I’m really hoping for rain. Unfortunately, rain brings thunder and lightning with it, and we are already suffering the effects of lightning. Thanks and praises to the men and women fighting the fire in Voltaire Canyon and for all of your hard work keeping those neighborhoods safe. Smoke may be bad around the valley, so find something indoors to enjoy: our plethora of art exhibits and galleries offer up something beautiful. Hit the road with Smokey and the Bandit at Galaxy Theater. If you have an interest in the digital arts, the Wired Wednesday group meets tonight at Paradise Salon. On the agenda is a discussion of their upcoming short film competition and a recap of last week’s Jukebox International Film Festival.

WEDNESDAY:

UPDATE 9:55AM: The Lyons Fire burning in the Pine Nut Mountains northeast of Sunrise Pass in Douglas County has grown to 1,176 acres, according to Sierra Front.
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A fire that began Tuesday afternoon southeast of Stagecoach in Lyon County exploded to 1,100 acres overnight, according to Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center.

Several Carson Now readers captured on photograph and video a tornado-type wind phenomenon produced amidst the fire currently burning off South Curry Street near Voltaire Canyon in South Carson City.

Attached is a compilation of witness photographs as well as a video of the wind phenomenon, which appeared with a combination of thick smoke and winds in the area.

Watch the video below or here to watch it on YouTube.

Minutes after the Voltaire Fire started, the Carson City Fire Chief and Battalion Chief were arranging air strikes such as the one in the video below. By Tuesday night, incident commanders on scene report excellent progress on the fire, which is estimated at approximately 135 acres. Structure protection remain on scene.

UPDATE: Lightning strikes on Tuesday afternoon may have contributed to several fires burning in the region, including the I-80 fire near Vista Boulevard in Sparks, the Micro Fire in central Lyon County southeast of Stagecoach, the Lyons Fire, which is in Douglas County but seen as far away as Dayton and Yerington. That fire as of early Wednesday morning was reported to be around 500 acres. It is located northeast of Sunrise Pass in the Pine Nut Mountains.

UPDATE 7:15PM: All evacuations have been lifted in the Voltaire Canyon Fire, said Carson City Fire Chief Sean Slamon. Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center estimates the fire to be around 150 acres.
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UPDATE 6:29PM: Carson City Fire Chief Sean Slamon said conditions are looking better this evening, with the fire around 70 to 75 percent contained. There is not acreage estimate yet but it is likely around 100 acres and probably less than 200 acres, he said.
“Around 100 firefighters are on scene battling the blaze as well as two airplanes and two helicopters. We have released some resources now so they can go to other fires in the region.”
Evacuations remain in place for now in Voltaire Canyon and Carson Colony areas. The cause of the fire is believed to be a lightning strike.
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UPDATE 6 PM: Carson City Fire Department Chief Sean Slamon addresses Tuesday's fire in a video here. The main concern now is the winds and terrain which is making containment difficult.

UPDATE 5:30PM: The evacuation at Galaxy Theater off of Curry Street has been lifted, according to the Carson City Sheriff's Office.
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UPDATE 5:03PM: From Carson City Fire Department: Crews are staging to protect the homes and businesses west of Curry Street. For those outside of the immediate fire area, but nearby, you might consider what documents, medications, and valuables you would prioritize in an evacuation. There is currently 0 percent containment, winds are still erratic. Those evacuated from the Carson Colony are advised to go to the Carson Colony Gym.
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UPDATE 4:53PM: From the Carson City Fire Department: No structures have been lost and efforts are concentrated on strucutre protection north of Koontz and west of Curry. Additional resources are continuting to arrive and the fire is estmated to be approximately 100 acres.

Reader submitted photo.

A funnel cloud formed inside the fire area Tuesday afternoon in Voltaire Canyon.

Photo taken from East Clearview Drive.

Carson City Fire Department dispatched a medical helicopter to Carson Middle School following an accident Tuesday afternoon involving a bicycle rider in the Kings Canyon area.

Carson City Fire Department and sheriff's deputies were called Tuesday afternoon to a rollover accident in the southbound lane of North Carson Street near Nye Lane.

Nevada’s metro areas of Las Vegas, Reno/Sparks and Carson City saw slight increases in the July unemployment rate, however the overall numbers have decreased year over year, according to figures released Tuesday by the state's Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

Organizers of the annual Night in the Country Music Festival held at the Lyon County Fairgrounds in Yerington last month say this year's fundraising efforts garnered more than $74,000 that will be distributed to 40 area nonprofit organizations.

Trash Mobs are a grassroots community effort coordinated by Muscle Powered volunteers to keep the walkways and bike paths around Carson City free of litter.

The monthly, one-hour events take place at various locations around town that are in need of cleaning. Volunteers, who are supplied with work gloves and trash bags by Muscle Powered staff, remove litter from areas often used by citizens for recreational purposes such as walking, jogging or cycling.

Showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop Tuesday and Wednesday across the Sierra and portions of western Nevada, according to the National Weather Service.

You can convert your regular IRA to a ROTH IRA. The value converted is taxable income. If the value goes down after conversion, you can change your mind and cancel the conversion if you do it by Oct. 15th of the year following the conversion.

We are starting to see a little bit of a cool down, which makes a summer stroll all the more enjoyable. Join the Friends of the Nevada State Museum for a walking tour along the blue line; you’ll learn more about this historical district and the people who lived there. The Kings Canyon Waterfall is always spectacular, and today’s Muscle Powered Conditioning Hike will take you there and show off some amazing views of our valley. Thinking caps are optional at the Fox Brewpub during tonight’s DJ Trivia.

TUESDAY:

A transient faces multiple charges including attempted murder, two counts battery with a deadly weapon and two counts assault with a deadly weapon following Friday night's stabbing of a Carson City deputy in which the deputy fired five shots at the suspect, Sheriff Ken Furlong said Monday.

UPDATE 8:48PM: The injured driver of the vehicle that slammed into a building at 4th and Curry Monday night has been flown by Care Flight to the trauma ward at Renown Medical Center in Reno. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
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Carson City Fire Department and sheriff's deputies were called Monday night to a vehicle that crashed into a building at 4th and Curry streets.

Rock Steady Boxing Northern Nevada, a Carson City-based exercise program for persons suffering from Parkinson's Disease, has named club member Ron Olson as its August Boxer of the Month.

Here is his story:

The Jack C. Davis Observatory at Western Nevada College brought around 200 solar eclipse viewers to the Carson City campus Monday.

Free activities for preschoolers and their parents this Tuesday at 10am.

Silver City, Nevada- United Way's annual "Tune into Kids" Fun Fair for preschoolers and their parents takes place Tuesday, August 22 from 10am to noon at the Silver City town park (next to the Silver City School House/community center at 385 High Street.) Silver City is located on the Comstock, 3 miles from Virginia City and 12 miles from Carson City.

Congressman Mark Amodei (NV-02) will host a veterans' town hall meeting on Tuesday, August 29, 10 a.m. to noon at the Old Court House located at 1616 8th Street in Minden.

This photo presents some of the participants of the Eclipse Gathering at the Healthy Energy Center at Thompson and 4th Street. The Gathering included Mother Earth ceremonies, songs for Mother Earth, Greeting Circles, Drumming Circles and a fabulous lunch spread - among all the festivities.

The Carson City Library celebrated Monday morning's solar eclipse in all its spectacular glory. Hundreds turned out for the NASA-themed event complete with safety viewing glasses, information booths and more.