WNC news & notes 8-9

POST Academy names top graduates

Western Nevada College graduated 21 cadets from its Peace Officer Standards and Training class this past week, and seven already have been hired by law enforcement agencies in

the state.

The following list shows the cadets' hometown, and any honors received in the program and/or agencies that have hired them:

CARSON CITY: Ivan Botello (Carson City Sheriff's Office); Maurice Elzy; Eric Edward Holden; Charles P. Jennings (CCSO); Israel Loyola (CCSO); Kyle Robert Parker (CCSO), Top Driver Award; Mandy M. Tranquillo, valedictorian.

DAYTON: Darren Stewart, Sharp Shooter Award; Justin J. Whitehead.

FALLON: Bradley Wayne Johnson; Miles Ryan McClane, "Top Gun"; Matthew Schmelzer.

FERNLEY: Brandon A. Coombs.

GARDNERVILLE: Kayla N. Davenport; Richard D. Wilson

MINDEN: Eric Michael Kern.

RENO: Aaron Lee Dewar; Brenden Donovan (University of Nevada, Reno, Police).

SPARKS: Joshua Kautz (CCSO)

SUN VALLEY: Paul Henry Taylor (Elko Sheriff's Office).

VIRGINIA CITY HIGHLANDS: Anna Marie Day, salutatorian.

Auditions set for 'The King and I'

The Western Nevada Musical Theatre Company will audition for the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, "The King and I," at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Sarah Winnemucca Hall at the Carson City campus. Dance auditions for all performers are at 8 p.m.

The musical will play weekends at the Carson City Community Center, Nov. 7-22. Rehearsals begin Aug. 17. Winner of multiple Tony and Academy awards, this musical tells the story of a British schoolteacher who travels to Siam to educate the children of the king, a ruler entrenched in Eastern customs but intrigued with the West. Their unexpected and unlikely affection for each other overrides the vast cultural differences that separate them.

The story is embellished by some of Broadway's most beloved numbers, including "Shall We Dance," "Getting To Know You" and "I Have Dreamed."

Parts to be cast include 12 speaking roles, a chorus and a dance troupe, as well as a children's ensemble. Details: wnc.edu/arts/

wnmtc/ or 445-4249.

Career training in truck driving

Depending upon enrollment, Western may bring a truck driving school to Carson City this fall. The non-credit, four-week course already has been successfully offered at WNC Fallon. Carson City's classes are scheduled to begin Monday, Sept. 28 and Monday, Oct. 30. Classes are Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and are conducted in partnership with Advanced Truck School and owner Arni Ares. Ares has more than 40 years in the trucking industry.

The class fee is $1,800 and includes physical exam, drug testing, 10-year DMV report and other expenses. Upon successful completion of the course, students receive a commercial driver's license and a WNC Certificate of Completion. The course includes 85 hours of classroom instruction and 100 hours of hands-on vehicle operation.

The college is working closely with Job Connect and other state agencies that may be able to assist eligible students with the cost of tuition, and also with Northern Nevada trucking companies to help graduates find jobs within the industry.

For more information, contact Ginny Dugan at WNC Fallon, 775-423-5186, or dugan@wnc.edu.