Carson City students beam interplanetary messages to Mars Rover

CARSON CITY — Sixth graders in Ms. Laurel Dority’s science class at Carson Middle School have recently been studying Martian landscapes and geology, and last week, they were able to send interplanetary messages to the Mars Rover “Opportunity,” which is currently battling to survive an epic dust storm.

“We’ve been studying claim, evidence and reasoning, which is a huge part of scientific theory,” Ms. Dority, 6th grade science teacher at Carson Middle School, said. “Recently, the students analyzed how a mysterious object appeared in images taken 4 SOLS (Martian days) apart. The object had a dark-red center and white rim, an appearance that has been likened to a jelly doughnut. Students used evidence to determine whether the object was a rock or fungus growing on the Red Planet. They were able to use data to identify it as a rock that had been moved from a nearby outcrop.”

While NASA waits for any signs of life from the robot, these students were able to beam support through digital communications or postcards. More than 2,000 postcards from supporters around the world have already traveled to the rover, encouraging it to “wake up” and survey the Red Planet again.

One of Ms. Dority’s students commented how incredible it would be if his message, which was sent to the rover in both written English and the computer code binary, was received and archived on another planet.

“I just thought it would be really cool to have my name be a part of something that went to another planet,” said 11-year-old Tyler Fratis of Carson City. “I just hope everything is spelled correctly,” he giggled.

The violent dust storm has been tormenting the Red Planet since late May. The storm began as a localized phenomenon and quickly grew into a massive storm, which later developed into a planet-wide event.

While there is still hope that “Opportunity” will power back up, there's no way of knowing what condition the rover will be in after such a long period of inactivity. As NASA engineers continue to try and communicate with the rover, only time will tell if “Opportunity,” which has been exploring Mars since January 2004, can wake up and resume its mission.

Top Stories

... or see all stories

The Carson City Sheriff’s Office, along with the Dallas Police Department in Texas were able to locate Ryan Perkins, a person reported missing and last heard from Oct. 11 by telephone in Carson City.

It’s that time again. The Battle Born state celebrates its admission to the United States on the last Friday of October, with the annual Nevada Day parade on Saturday. New this year is a ‘Passport to Downtown’ event on Friday. Also new this year is the one-night-only curated art show, Capital Collage, on Friday night featuring over 20 diverse artists and organizations.

He was Virginia City’s first goodwill ambassador and he died 41 years ago this week. Born Arnold Fryk in Wisconsin in 1912, Fryk headed west at an early age and found work in Hollywood as a stunt man and horse wrangler. He later worked at Death Valley, Calif., where dressed as a prospector, people would often pay to have their picture taken with him.

It was here at Bad Water Basin in Death Valley that Fryk became Bad Water Bill, a moniker that stayed with him for the rest of his life.

The Carson City Sheriff’s Office will conduct an alcohol compliance check this Friday, Oct. 27. Teens not of legal age to buy alcohol will be sent into local businesses in Carson City who have liquor licenses. The teens will attempt to purchase alcohol using their real identification.

Oh, wow, I just got a glance at the date. With the gorgeous weather planned for today, it’s hard to believe that Christmas is two months away. Let’s celebrate the holidays right in front of us first. The kids aren’t going to want to miss out on the Carson City Boo-nanza: trick or treating at the Community Center, crafts and activities at the Library, and Hotel Transylvania on the screen at the Aquatic Center. DJ Trivia is looking to expand their team of Trivia-masters: head to Red’s Old 395 tonight if you’d like to audition, or just play.

Downtown Carson City businesses will once again open their doors for the second annual Passport to Downtown on Friday.

Throughout October’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month the Mary Kay Foundation is awarding 150, $20,000 grants to domestic violence shelters nationwide including Carson City-based Advocates to End Domestic Violence.

The September 2017 unemployment rate in Carson City is up 0.1 of a percentage point over the month to 4.8 percent, but down 0.8 of a percentage point over the year, according to figures released Tuesday by the state's Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

The Nevada Artists Association is presenting it's 67th annual Nevada Day Art exhibit which opened Oct. 22. This exhibit was open to all northern Nevada and California artists, and being a judged show, it always brings out the latest and best of the regions artists.

Time is running out for Nevada high school seniors to take advantage of an opportunity that could shape the rest of their lives. The deadline to apply for the Nevada Promise Scholarship is 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31.

As Nevada Day 2017 approaches, it seems more important than ever to celebrate the importance of community, the goodness that exists in our state, and renew a sense of pride in our home.

A 19-year-old Carson City man was arrested early Tuesday in the area of Fifth and Allouette Way for misdemeanor suspicion of domestic battery, a Carson City sheriff’s deputy said.

At the beginning of this month, Michael Nelson of Sierra Lutheran High School was awarded “Teacher of the Month” by the Rotary Club of Carson City.

The Nevada Department of Veterans Services is pleased to announce Director Kat Miller has been selected to serve as Grand Marshal in the 2017 City of Reno Veterans Day Parade. Brigadier General Zachary Doser has been chosen to serve as Deputy Grand Marshal in the November 11th event honoring veterans and those currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.

UPDATE 11:05AM: NHP Trooper Dan Gordon said the crash involved four vehicles. One person suffered minor injuries and was transported. The cause appears to be motorists not paying attention, which caused a chain reaction at a time of traffic congestion, said Gordon.
***

Nevada Highway Patrol troopers were called to a crash Tuesday morning involving multiple vehicles in the westbound lane of Highway 50 along Dayton Hill in Lyon County.

The German writer, poet, and statesman Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is attributed to declaring, “A man’s manners are a mirror in which he shows his portrait.” To date, no other form of communication shows the world the type of manners a man possesses than social media posts.

Will Congress change the tax laws? When will they send the proposed changes to the President? Will he sign it and have the laws changed? I don’t know, but perhaps you should not ‘hold your breath’ waiting for it to happen. Of course the tax laws are too complicated and it is too expensive to prepare the returns.

I hope you’ve got your Halloween costume ready. A week of various Halloween activities, trick-or-treats, and festivities for the kids begins tomorrow with the first ever Boo-nanza: a family-friendly collaboration between the Community Center, Carson City Library, and Aquatic Center. Tonight, the over 21 crowd gets to enjoy a costume contest at Alatte inside the Carson Nugget, with many more parties on the way.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office on Monday identified a person of interest in the Oct. 3 slaying of a California man in a room inside the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Stateline at Lake Tahoe.

Lone Mountain Veterinary Hospital in Carson City received special recognition from the national nonprofit, Pets of the Homeless for donating pet food and supplies this year.

I'm a fan of the Oregon State Extension Service. They have wonderful horticulturists there. I just came across an article by Kym Pokorny titled “What Does That Mean? Experts Take on Gardening Jargon.” Since everyone likes to test their knowledge, see how many of the following gardening words you know:

Pinkerton Ballet Theatre returns Thanksgiving weekend to Carson City for the 29th annual Nutcracker Ballet, featuring Erica Chipp and Oliver-Paul Adams from Smuin Ballet SF and Maykel Solas formerly of Ballet San Jose and Armen Hagopian and Company as well as local dancers.

Larry Ellison has made billions in high technology and has a knack for buying glitzy real estate properties. Can the founder of Oracle Corp. bring his Midas touch to a faded Lake Tahoe resort once owned by Frank Sinata?

On Tuesday, October 24, from 12-1 PM, Adams Hub for innovation will present a Business-to-Business Sales skills workshop, “Winning More B2B Sales.” This event is open to the public at no cost. Reservation is required.

A Carson City man who was booked Saturday for two felony warrants alleging drug trafficking and possession also faces a gross misdemeanor battery on a police officer charge after assaulting the deputy at the time of arrest, a Carson City sheriff’s deputy said.

Do you ever get stuck in your head? Like, so stuck the words to express your feelings don’t come out? If you are like many, your head is busy calculating. The heart is getting impatient. The gut is on the verge of sick from anticipation. There’s one great action you can take to stop the inner tug of war and find out the truth about your situation. Use your voice.

CARSON CITY, Nev. – The northbound U.S. Highway 395 ramp to Interstate 580 Carson City Freeway will be closed Tuesday for installation of updated roadway signage.

Foundation sponsors Wungnema House Open House.

The Foundation for Carson City Parks & Recreation (FCCPR), is hosting an Open House at the Wungnema House located in Mills Park, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 29, 2017. This is an all ages event, children are welcome, and may come in costume for some old fashioned trick or treating.

Carson City Fire Department was called late Monday morning to a brush fire in an industrial area off of Mallory Way. Dispatch was alerted at around 11:30 a.m. and one engine knocked it down quickly before there was any spread.

We have arrived at my favorite week of the year. I am a great lover of all things Nevada Day, and it’s practically moments away. Luckily, we have plenty to keep us busy until Saturday. Two new art exhibits have appeared over the weekend: the annual Nevada Day Show at the Nevada Artists Association gallery, and ‘Inspirations’ at the Community Development Building, across from City Hall on Proctor.