Cougars Sweep Way to Regional Crown

(CASPER, Wyo.) — The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team is heading to the national tournament after sweeping Northwest College 25-17, 25-16, 25-17 Friday to capture the Region IX championship.

The title earns the Cougars an automatic bid to the NJCAA National Tournament, scheduled for Nov. 18-21 in Hutchinson, Kansas. Tournament pairings will be announced next week. WNCC’s last regional championship came in 2022.

The Cougars reached Friday’s title match with a four-set win over Eastern Wyoming College and a five-set victory over Trinidad State College. They carried that momentum into the championship, delivering one of their strongest performances of the season.

“This feels amazing. We worked really hard all season for this, so being regional champions is a really special feeling,” said Keira Zelada.

Freshman middle hitter Sage Tash said the championship was the payoff for months of hard work.

“We put all of our heart and soul into this team and it feels so good to see our hard work pay off,” Tash said.

WNCC took control early in the opening set, breaking away from a 5-5 tie to build a 13-6 advantage before winning 25-17.

Northwest led early in the second set, but Tash helped turn the momentum with a kill followed by six consecutive service points to secure the 25-16 win.

The Cougars controlled the third set, building a 21-13 lead before closing out the match 25-17.

WNCC hit .291 for the match, compared with Northwest’s .054, and recorded eight service aces and 52 digs.

Freia Palk led the Cougars with 13 kills, followed by Ahleejah Tovo-Sunia with 10 and Zelada with nine. Freshman libero Gaia Foramiglio recorded 17 digs, bringing her season total to 660. Liis Auvaart added 32 set assists and four kills, while Maria Niedzwiecka recorded five block assists.

Girls' volleyball team posing with championship trophies and medals on a basketball court

Foramiglio said the team’s unity made the championship especially meaningful.

“Every player contributed, everybody had a role, and we found a way to fight through every challenge. That’s what makes this championship special,” she said.

The Cougars will now turn their attention to nationals, where they hope to keep their successful season rolling.

“We’re proud to be regional champs, but we’re not done writing the story,” Foramiglio said.

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Friday Nov 6 2026 - Scanner News - Panhandle Scanner News

(SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb.) -- Wake up with the sound of scanners and the steady voice of Brian Hale as Panhandle Scanner News takes you from routine city business to a scene that has the whole county whispering. The morning opens with a civic call to action: a vacancy on the Scottsbluff City Council needs to be filled, and a deadline looms for anyone who wants to shape the next chapter of their hometown. But the ordinary gives way to the unsettling. Workers at the Village of Morrill stumble across skeletal remains on the south side of a sandpit near County Road F. What was found among the belongings allowed for a presumptive identification, yet the identity remains private until family can be told. There is no obvious cause of death; the remains are being sent to a forensic pathologist so detectives can stitch together a timeline and answer the most urgent questions. Listeners will feel the ripple of this discovery across Scottsbluff — especially when set beside another recent, unrelated death found near the ponds west of the Riverside Zoo and Discovery Center. Two scenes, two investigations, one community searching for reassurance. Between investigations, the scanner never sleeps: two car-versus-deer collisions, a carbon monoxide alarm that frays nerves, a wrong-way driver cutting across the morning commute, and multiple arrests remind listeners how fast ordinary days can turn chaotic. Panhandle Scanner keeps the thread of the story taut, broadcasting the raw, unfiltered moments that mark a town. Follow the unfolding details on the Panhandle Scanner Facebook page or tune in at panhandlescanner.com to listen live to the same traffic that reporters are hearing. In Brian Hale’s sign-off, a pause for the community: thanks for listening, and may God bless — a simple benediction after a morning that began with civic duty and ended with questions that will take time to answer. (This transcription service was a test with several modes. We'll be trying others in the future as well. Auto-Captions generally catches the words verbatim, so this makes it a little more interesting.)

Death Investigation Underway near Riverside Zoo - SCANNER TRAFFIC

Dispatch audio follows officers on the west side of the Riverside Zoo by the ponds after a reported 10-65 (probable death), with units coordinating response and requesting blood and scene safety updates. Blood was canceled and an investigation is underway. Read our full article including the Press Release and more photos at https://www.diggingdeeper.net/10/29/2026/death-investigation-underway-at-riverside-zoo A clarification in the recording explains the Nebraska 10-code difference between 1056 and 1065, and the incident is ultimately canceled with no patients; condolences are offered to those affected. https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Nebraska_State_Patrol_(NE)

Don't Fear Be Certain (Certainty in Times of Uncertainty) Day 5 - Elevate Your Day with Andi and Brian Hale

From Certainty In Times of Uncertainty by Dave Villa There is a fire within all of us that is waiting to be ignited. A fire that grows and can spread to those around you if you continue to feed it’s flames. This fire is stronger than the uncertainty that you may be feeling. It has the power to overcome the negativity that may be surrounding you right now. That fire, that passion, that inner strength was instilled in you by God himself. A passion to do what you were made to do, whatever that may be. An inner strength to persevere and come out on top regardless of your opposition. “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 ESV I might be uncertain about what tomorrow will bring, but I’m certain that I need to make things happen today. I may be uncertain about how I’m going to reach my goals, but I’m certain on what my goals are. I’m uncertain on HOW I will be successful, but I am CERTAIN that I will be successful. I’m sure of it. My mind has been made up. My God has provided me with the tools necessary to see my dreams come to fruition. He has watched over me since my creation and His will prevails every time. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 ESV I’m not sure how I will make it out. But I’m sure. I don’t know when I will accomplish my goals, but I know that they will be accomplished. I am certain of it. Whatever you’re going through is no match for the Lord. Whatever pain, fear, frustration, stress, anxiety, or uncertainty is made CERTAIN through Jesus Christ. In times of uncertainty, don’t be afraid. Be certain.

Failure is Not Final (Certainty in Times of Uncertainty) Day 4 - Elevate Your Day with Andi and Brian Hale

From Certainty In Times of Uncertainty by Dave Villa Things don’t always go according to our plans, but they will always adhere to the plans of the Lord. Life, however, is not lived without any bumps in the road. Failure is not found within these bumps, it is found when we allow these bumps to stop us in our tracks. Don’t become so discouraged in the delays that you give up on the pursuit of your purpose. We cannot control what happens to us, we can only control our response to it. Pastor Charles R. Swindoll once said that life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you react to it. Your mindset is a powerful thing. I believe that people who are successful aren’t successful because they are more talented or even more skilled. Successful people are successful because they have a mindset for success even during failure. “This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.” Psalm 18:30 ESV We must trust the process, even when the journey gets rocky. God is developing you for the plan that He has created for you to live out. God puts us through what I call “stretching seasons” to prepare us mentally for the destination that we are heading towards. “ Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”” Hosea 6:3 ESV Having certainty in times of uncertainty does not mean turning a blind eye to what’s going on around you. It doesn’t mean that you won’t have feelings of fear, we’re only human. It means that we, as followers of Christ, choose to have faith among the fear and negativity that may surround us. It means that even with fear in our minds, we know that the Lord will provide us with whatever we need to carry on. In times of uncertainty, your Bible is certain. God is sure. Jesus has made his mind up. You see, we may live in a limited world but we serve a limitless God.

Fear of the Future (Certainty in Times of Uncertainty) Day 3 - Elevate Your Day with Andi and Brian Hale

From Certainty In Times of Uncertainty by Dave Villa We cannot always be certain of what is going to happen. There is no telling what the future will bring to anyone. We can make educated guesses. We can make assumptions. We can try to notice patterns and figure it out, but no one knows what tomorrow will bring. All we have is today. And today is enough. “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. ” 1 Peter 5:7 ESV You have survived every bad day so far. Every circumstance and setback. You are undefeated. You’ve seen seemingly insurmountable situations before, and you have faced terrifying opponents who seemed to have the advantage, and yet you have come out the victor. In times of uncertainty, we choose to be certain. We have certainty not in our circumstances and situations but in our God, who provides for and protects us. Certainty – Firm conviction that something is the case. The quality of being reliably true. A fact that is definitely true or an event that is definitely going to take place. Uncertainty – The state of being uncertain. Something that is uncertain or that causes one to feel uncertain. Uncertainty says, “I don’t know what my future holds.” Certainty says, “I know who holds my future!” To be without Christ is to be without peace. To be uncertain. Every person has a conscience within them, which must be satisfied before they can truly be happy. There is only one thing that can give peace to the conscience, and that is being in the right relationship with God. Fight for what matters most to you. Fight for your faith. Fight for your family. Fight for your life. Don’t allow negativity and uncertainty to take up room in your mind. God is STILL in the blessing business. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1 ESV It’s time that we evict uncertainty and make way for certainty. Negativity has overstayed it’s welcome and positivity is moving back in! We need to introduce an uncertain world to a certain Jesus.

Fact or Fiction (Certainty in Times of Uncertainty) Day 2 - Elevate Your Day with Andi and Brian Hale

From Certainty In Times of Uncertainty by Dave Villa In the digital age, information is provided to us faster than ever. You can Google anything you’d like, and you could read about that topic for weeks. With the click of your mouse, or the tap of your finger, you can learn all that you need to know about anything. While this should be a positive aspect of the time we live in, it isn’t always. With an abundance of information comes an abundance of misinformation. News that has been so sensationalized that we can no longer tell what’s real and what isn’t. The line between fact and opinion has been blurred by journalists and news stations who aren’t seeking the truth like you and I. They’re seeking ratings. When people are fearful, they will turn on the news. They want to either be comforted or informed on that which they are afraid of. Yet, too often do we take the word of man for fact. We read and listen and assume that whatever has been written or told to us is real, never thinking that the sources we are checking may also be misinformed. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. ” John 14:27 ESV The only TRUTH that we know is that Jesus Christ died for our sins. The only truth that we know has been fact-checked, cited, and sourced, is that God will be there for the start and the finish. For the open and the close. He is the author and the editor, and his word is final. There is nothing to sensationalize. There is no truth which God has not yet uncovered. I’m not telling you to stop reading the news. To stop trusting those around you. What I am telling you is that regardless of what has been written, regardless of what has been reported, God already knows. God’s plans for you do not change because of the actions of men. God’s plans are unwavering, and not contingent on what is going on around us. “When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.” Psalm 94:19 ESV In times of uncertainty, God is certain. While our plans may fall through and change, the plan that the Lord has in store for us will be carried out.

The Plague of Negativity (Certainty in Times of Uncertainty) Day 1 - Elevate Your Day with Andi and Brian Hale

From Certainly in Times of Uncertainty by Dave Villa Every day, people all over the world turn their tv on and watch the news. Global events are discussed on nearly every channel. Negativity is all over the internet. Magazines and Newspapers, while not as popular as they once were, are still found in abundance. And the fear and negativity is still found in abundance, as well. You can’t avoid it. It’s in our faces 24/7. Negativity is a plague. But what do we do? We turn up the volume. We click on the link. We flip to the next page. And we allow this negativity to permeate our minds. We worry about whatever ongoing war there is, whatever new disease is being spread, whatever the stock markets are doing. Why do we do this? What is our fascination with this type of information? We are fearful. It is no secret that there is a large amount of darkness in this world, ready to pull those willing to listen under its grasp. But there is also a lot of light. And, where there is light, darkness cannot prevail. “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 ESV The light that has always shined on me in my darkest times has been the word of God. Because regardless of what situation you find yourself in, the Bible will walk you through the steps in order to get through it. Financial crisis, issues in your marriage or relationship, problems at work, at school, global catastrophes, they pale in comparison to the Lord, and to eternity. Your Bible is your source of never-ending light. Even in the darkest of rooms, when a lamp is turned on, the light drives that darkness away. Even in the face of adversity, amidst tragedies and uncertainties, the light that the Lord shines on us still triumphs. There is nothing greater. There is nothing brighter. “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Psalm 56:3 ESV Amidst darkness, I choose to reach out towards the light. To allow it to shine on my spirit and to lead the way to better days.

Dog Bite in Scottsbluff - SCANNER TRAFFIC

"loose dogs with blood on their faces" (SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb.) -- Emergency responders are dispatched to 10th Avenue for a 53-year-old female who was reportedly unconscious but found to be conscious, with officers, dispatch and ems coordinating transport to the ER. Nearby, loose dogs with blood on their faces prompted requests for animal control and law enforcement; the scene is later cleared. This audio is an exclusive from the Scanner Traffic Archives.