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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 27, 2017)
Polk County Sports 10A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • December 27, 2017 Trent PREP TRACK AND FIELD Continued from Page 9A Trent didn’t listen to his doubters. Instead, he be- came motivated to achieve. “He never took no for an answer,” Tammy said. Trent began to work out in a home gym and build core strength. As a freshman, he joined the track and field team, competing in the shot put and discus. This winter, he’s added the swim team to his schedule. “I get to meet new people, stay active and have fun,” Trent said. Tre n t s w i m s t h e freestyle and butterfly and is inspiring others with his journey. “He’s a hard worker,” coach Jeanine Holstad said. “He doesn’t try to take short- cuts. He’s there to do the best he can and wants to learn. I think that rubs off on other swimmers.” Just as — if not more — important as the physical benefits is the chance to in- teract with other students. “We watch him and just smile because he’s over there talking to other students he would have never been able to talk to in years prior,” Tammy said. “He’s laughing and having fun and it builds his confidence.” Academically, Trent ap- proached his parents about taking himself off his IEP and pursuing a normal diploma. “His dad was like, ‘OK that sounds good,’” Tammy said. “As a mom, I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is scary.’” Trent hasn’t disappointed. “He’s got all his grades and is in line for his high school diploma,” Tammy said. Trent also has his eyes set on college to become a forensic scientist. “My family has all been scientists,” Trent said. “It’s my turn now.” With each success, Trent is proving to be an inspira- tion to everyone around him. “Every day is challenging,” Tammy said. “But he lives with a spirt that outshines us all. He’s very loving, thought- ful, hardworking and just plain amazing.” Scammers impersonate deputies Itemizer-Observer staff report POLK COUNTY — On Dec. 15, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office took two reports of people being victimized by scam artists. Both calls involved a person who identified themselves as a deputy with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. They informed the victim that he or she missed some sort of court appearance and that a warrant was going to be issued for his or her arrest. To circumvent the warrant, the victim could purchase gift cards and provide the caller with the card numbers. On Dec. 20, sheriff’s deputies took several more reports from businesses and citizens receiving phone calls from males identify- ing themselves as Polk County deputies. Fortunately, those who received the calls on Dec. 20 recognized the calls as scams and did not comply with the requests for money, and called it in to the sheriff’s office, according to the press release. The sheriff’s office is working to try and identify the subjects making these calls by requesting subscriber information for the suspect phone numbers, which include 503-509-7965 and 503- 662-6730. No law enforcement agency will make this request of anyone. If you have concerns that a person is attempting to perpetrate a scam against you please stop, and call or walk into your local po- lice or sheriff’s office. Bibler to compete down under By Lukas Eggen The Itemizer-Observer PERRYDALE — When Abigail Bibler was called into the school main office two months ago, she was more confused than any- thing else. “They said I had a letter,” Bibler said. “I thought it was really weird because I never get letters at the school.” The letter was from Down Under Sports and in- vited Bibler to compete in a track and field meet in Queensland, Australia, in July. The Down Under Inter- national Track and Field games have run each year since 2000. More than 700 athletes competed in last year’s track and field games. Bibler finished 10th in the shot put at the OSAA 1A State Championships last May. “I started telling my fami- ly and friends, and they all told me, this is a once-in-a- lifetime thing, you’ve got to go,” Bibler said. She is raising money for the trip. She said she is looking to raise $5,000 by LUKAS EGGEN/Itemizer-Observer file Abigail Bibler was invited to compete in Australia next summer. the end of May. Track and field coach Brian Evans will handle anyone interested in donat- ing to Bibler’s cause at ble- jbe@gmail.com. “It’s awesome that she has this goal in front of her,” Evans said. “I know she’ll work very hard to be a great competitor in Australia and here this spring. This op- portunity has been a huge confidence builder for her, and I am excited to see how she does this year. I’m very proud of her.” Bibler knows she has work to do in raising money, but she is excited for the chance to see a part of the world she never has before — and test her skills against athletes from around the world. “I don’t know who I am competing with, but I’ve started working in a gym, I’m talking to a personal trainer, it’s just so crazy,” Bibler said. “When you go to state or a track meet in Ore- gon, you know pretty much everyone you’re competing with. This will be a little in- timidating, but exciting. Like, this isn’t the Olympics, but it’s pretty much the Olympics for kids.” Oregon FBI offers tips on digital defense against toys Itemizer-Observer staff report PORTLAND — The Oregon FBI warns consumers about digital defense against inter- net-connected toys. In a press release, the FBI stated that new-fangled gadgets — including dolls, ro- bots and the like — are now coming with “smart” technolo- gy. “Personalization is key, and that means learning what your kid is all about,” the release states. “This can lead to serious privacy invasion, make no doubt.” These toys can capture his likes and locations with voice recognition, GPS, mi- crophones and video record- ing. They may collect informa- tion about where a child lives, goes to school and which park he or she plays in. “And it can send that info to back to the company, leaving you in the dark,” the release states. The FBI offers these tips when handling new technolo- gy in toys: • First, research the toy and its manufacturer. Check to see if any hackers have successfully breached the company’s database in the past and try to determine the level of security the corpora- tion uses to protect its cus- tomers. • Second, turn on all possi- ble internal security devices. If a password or even dual en- cryption option is available, use it. Likewise, if the company of- fers an update or software patch, install it immediately to protect against possible hack- ing vulnerabilities. Also, make sure any WiFi system connected to the toy is equally secure. • Third, read all disclosure statements offered by the company to understand the purpose and destination of the information being collect- ed. • Finally, monitor the use of the toy. When not in use, turn the toy off completely to avoid automatic systems, such as GPS or voice recording, from continuing to collect data. The Polk County Itemizer-Observer — YOUR community news source!