Category Archives: Progress

DENVER Evgeni Malkin wont play when the Penguins face Colorado tonight at 9:08 at the Pepsi Center but could return as early as Saturday.

Malkin went through the Penguins optional game-day skate today and, while coach Mike Sullivan characterized it as a full-contact workout, there actually was very little hitting.

But if Malkin can get through a practice in Glendale, Ariz., Friday with no problem, theres a pretty good chance hell be in the lineup against the Coyotes the next night.

Hes obviously making significant progress, so thats encouraging from our standpoint, Sullivan said.

He added that theres a possibility Malkin, who will miss his sixth game in a row because of an unspecified injury tonight, will rejoin the lineup in Arizona.

Tight-knit group

Washington is starting to tighten its grip on first place in the Metropolitan Division, but the fight for playoff seeding in the rest of the division is intense.

The third-place Penguins trail Columbus by one point and lead the New York Rangers by three, so all three need every victory they can pick up.

The Penguins current trip, then, would seem to have come at an opportune time, since it features games against the Avalanche and Coyotes, the leagues two bottom-feeders.

Nonetheless, the Penguins insist they are not taking success in these two games for granted, that they recognize Colorado and Arizona are capable of denying them those badly needed points.

The league is good nowadays, defenseman Trevor Daley said. Those teams obviously are having tough years, but when the Pittsburgh Penguins come in, I think every team gets up for them.

I think were going to get their best, and I think were going to have to be at our best to beat them.

The games on this trip are part of a stretch of six in a row against Western Conference opponents, sandwiched between showdowns with the Blue Jackets.

Although the Penguins face Western clubs only twice a year and dont have much of a rivalry with most, defenseman Ian Cole said thats no reason to look past them.

I dont think there should be any lack of energy for these games, Cole said. They give you the opportunity to get points and the opportunity to get points should be energizing, in and of itself.

Hey, roomie

The Penguins are conducting their annual Dads Trip, with the fathers of most team members and staffers accompanying the club on the road for a couple of games.

Most players get a room of their own for away games but dont seem to mind sharing that space with a parent.

Perhaps because they get more than just a temporary roommate out of it.

Its an adjustment, but its a really enjoyable time for all of us, center Matt Cullen said. The best part for me is seeing it through their eyes a little bit.

We get caught up in the day-to-day grind of the season sometimes you forget to take a step back and realize youre in the NHL, and this is what you dreamed of your whole life.

To see them come in here and appreciate it so much, see how much it means to them, its a reminder of the fact that youre in the NHL, and its pretty special.

Cullens roomie/father, Terry, coached high school in Minnesota for many years.

Skates? No thanks

There was no news out of Colorados game-day skate, if only because the Avalanche didnt have one.

Late last month, team officials made it known that Colorado would not conduct any more of those in 2016-17.

Not necessarily because they has given up on the season understandable as that might be but because the Avs schedule is so compressed the rest of the way.

Tip-ins

Sidney Crosby, who needs two points to become the 86th player in NHL history to get 1,000, will be appearing in his 754th career game, moving him past Jean Pronovost and into third place on the franchises all-time list. Crosby and right winger Phil Kessel did not go on the ice during the game-day skate. ... Left winger Chris Kunitz has five points in his past five games. Cole has 18 points, a career-high.

Dave Molinari: Dmolinari@Post-Gazette.com and Twitter @MolinariPG

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Evgeni Malkin making 'progress,' could return Saturday in Arizona ... - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Tribune, Art Gallery also receive awards

JOSHUA VAIL

Tribune reporter

Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center CEO Dennis Franks received the Chanute Chamber of Commerces 2016 Partner in Progress award at the annual meeting Wednesday.

Speaking on the award announcement, Chamber of Commerce Board Member Ross Hendrickson, filling in for outgoing president Mark Miller, noted that Franks has only been in Chanute for 10 years.

Hendrickson said that in that time, Franks has made a significant impact in volunteerism, leadership, civic involvement and education, economic and cultural contributions.

His understanding of the needs of Chanute has been an asset as our community has grown and prospered over the past several years, Hendrickson said.

Franks has been involved with Court Appointed Special Advocates, the NCCC Foundation Board and the discussions that led to the creation of the CRDA.

Hendrickson also noted that the hospital has won numerous awards, including a spot in Modern Healthcares Top 100 Places to Work in Healthcare list for eight consecutive years.

In accepting the Partner in Progress honor, Franks said it was the best award he has ever received.

I cant tell you how much Ive enjoyed the time here in Chanute, he said. Theres a lot of stuff were going to do thats going to make you very proud of this community.

He said he has been through tough times, but his family has been very supportive.

Franks said the hospital cant provide everything yet, but were moving in that direction, he said. Look at what weve done, its amazing.

Franks said he has been working in Topeka to help get Kansas to expand Medicaid.

Our money is going to Oklahoma, he said, explaining that states that have expanded Medicaid are getting more federal dollars. Id rather have it right here in Chanute, Kansas.

Franks said the hospital spends $6 million every year treating people who cant afford medical care and Medicaid expansion is needed even if Obamacare is eventually repealed.

Franks ended his acceptance speech by saying how thankful he is to be in Chanute. He brought up his family and the hospital staff present at the meeting to accept the award with him.

Business of the Year

The Chanute Tribune was named the 2016 Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year at the annual meeting Wednesday night.

Longevity is on the list of criteria for Business of the Year nominations, Hendrickson said.

With all of the changes in Chanute in the last 125 years, Hendrickson said one of the things that hasnt changed is the commitment of the Chanute Tribune to provide local news on government, community and events.

The Tribune team brings neighbors together, he said. Whether it is good news or bad, they endeavor to bring the facts to their readers. In this age of instant information, the Tribune staff works as one to put out a newspaper that serves its hometown.

Publisher Shanna Guiot accepted the award for the Tribune. In her acceptance speech, she pointed out a recent Placemakers Survey whose directors were surprised to find that people in Chanute still go to the Tribune as their number one source for news.

Theres a lot of bizarre stuff going on in the world right now, with fake news and alternative facts, she said. We are more committed than ever to bringing you real news.

Community Investment Award

The Chanute Art Gallery received the 2016 Community Investment Award. Hendrickson said the gallery took the vision of founder Elly McCoy and increased community involvement and broadened the gallerys scope with a vision for the future of the arts in Chanute.

The Chanute Art Gallery is the largest art gallery in southeast Kansas. It has an extensive core collection of art in many different mediums.

Additionally, it has brought in shows that change monthly to showcase the work of area artists, Hendrickson said.

The gallery is entirely volunteer-operated and no fees are charged. It is supported by donations from businesses and individuals.

Art Gallery Board President Bob Cross accepted the award for the Chanute Art Gallery.

He noted that every board member save one was present at the meeting, as the board is a very involved group.

A special thanks goes out to these people, he said.

As far as changes to the gallery in the last year, Cross mentioned the remodeling in the kitchen and work in the bathrooms to remind people of an old-fashioned outhouse.

Cross invited everyone to become a member and support the Art Gallery.

Without you people, we dont exist, he said.

Cross also said that the award is not a finished product.

Its just a start for us, he said. I think youll see a lot more things in Chanute in the next year.

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Franks recognized as 2016 Partner in Progress - Chanute Tribune

The Amazon biodomes as seen from the Doppler tower. (Rod Learmonth Photo)

The ever-changing view of the Amazon biospheres is worth marveling at from street level for those who happen to pass through Seattles Denny Triangle area north of downtown.

But viewing the glass orbs from on high creates a unique perspective for anyone who lives orworks around and above thetech giants evolving corporate campus.

The latest view, which showed up in our Facebook feed this week, was shot from Amazons Doppler tower and shows off the three spheres with what appears to be completed glass work. Lit from the inside, one of the domes glows a soft yellow, showcasing what should be a dramatic architectural spectacle when the project is complete.

Set to open in 2018, the 100-foot-tall orbs will house hundreds of species of unique plants, offering employees a one-of-a-kind venue for connecting with nature.

At the GeekWire Summit last October, Scott Wyatt, a partner with the architecture firm NBBJ, which designed the spheres, said they are not a merely a set piece or showpiece.

Its not a showcase for people to come in from the outside, Wyatt said during a talk on modern urban planning. This is for the people that work at Amazon.Its an alternative workplace, a place where you can go be among plants in a profound way.

Showpiece or not, its hard for those of us outside the sphere of Amazon to stop looking.

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Through the looking glass: Tower view showcases progress on Amazon's unique biospheres - GeekWire

Sullilvan, IN - The City of Sullivan continues to make progress, using a blight elimination program to take out eye sores and make way for improvements.

Over the years, Sullivan has used a $1.1 million dollar allowance from the state for improvements.

Since the beginning of the blight elimination project, the city tore down seven on their own.

After joining the state funded program, 10 blighted homes came down.

And now, two more will be completed by the end of this spring, making a total of 11 for 2016.

This plot of land still has a lot of work to be done, but residents are thrilled to see the change.

"I was born and raised here," says Betty Grubaugh. "I'm 86-years-old. And I've seen a lot of North side been changed and a lot of changes in this town since I've been born. And I'm glad to see it growing."

A functional town is capable of rebuilding and renovating without losing its charm.

And as Sullivan Mayor, Clint Lambs, says restoring the beauty of Sullivan also restores something else.

"We are truly making a significant impact in the community," says Mayor Lamb (D). "And we could talk for hours on this subject, but it's basically restoring hope. It's restoring pride."

Yes, removing these problem houses reduces crime and raises the property value but the mayor believes the blight elimination program has done more than that.

"If you drive along East Washington Street or any part of town, you're going to see something coming down," says Lamb. "And what we're finding out now actually, is that some of the homes coming down are not just the homes on the blight elimination program."

"I drive around and see the houses they have torn down and I can remember what they used to look like," says Grubaugh.

The bare plots of ground show residents that this transformation doesn't come without sacrifice.

And residents know that this change is also necessary for progress.

"It makes it, our city look nicer," says Grubaugh. "You go and you drive by these houses that are falling in and think, 'gee, that looks bad.'"

Mayor Lamb knows that patience is a virtue and his message for his citizens is just that: be patient and great things will come.

"If you come in and clean up your neighborhoods, give them a curb appeal, increase the assessed value which funds police and fire, gives them a change to get out and walk, and give them a sense to build themselves up, I think it all starts right there," says Lamb.

Lamb tells me that not only is the City of Sullivan working to rid the town of plagued homes, but it's also working to add new business, upgrade lighting on the square and build and maintain better sidewalks.

And after all that is said and done, properties like this, will be turned into prime housing opportunities for residents.

Several other communities in the Wabash Valley are also taking advantage of the blight elimination program, including Vincennes, Brazil, Washington and Terre Haute.

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Blight Elimination Progress, Uplifting - MyWabashValley

Wall Street Journal

Forecasters See Slow Progress in Labor-Market Measures Favored by Trump Administration Wall Street Journal Broader measures of unemployment favored by President Donald Trump are unlikely to see much improvement in coming years, according to a new WSJ survey of economists. Mr. Trump frequently criticized the official jobless rate on the campaign trail.

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Forecasters See Slow Progress in Labor-Market Measures Favored by Trump Administration - Wall Street Journal

Ken Mosier talks about his shop's progress restoring the 1967 Mustang for 95-year-old World War II veteran Harry Donovan who was previously ripped off by a scammer whom he had commissioned to restore the car. Jenna Watson/IndyStar

From left, Jay Webb and Scott Dowdy work on a mid-restoration Mustang at The Finer Details in Danville, Ind., Monday, Feb. 6, 2017. With the help of many donors and contributors, the shop is restoring the 1967 Mustang for 95 year-old World War II veteran Harry Donovan, who was ripped off by a scammer he paid to restore the car. (Photo: Jenna Watson/IndyStar)Buy Photo

The story of Harry Donovan's 1967 Mustang raced fromripoff to remarkable last year.

This weekend, the longstrange journeywillturn another corner when progress on the restoration of the 95-year-old Indianapolis man's classic Ford is unveiled at the 58th annual World of Wheels show at the State Fairgrounds.

Work on the World War II vet's car isnt done yet. But the restoration is moving closer to a reality with the recent completion of extensive body work topped by a brilliant new paint job and vinyl top.

Donovan, who was ripped off by a manhe paid nearly $10,000 to restore the Mustang five years ago, will get his first look at progress on the car Saturday.

"Harry's really excited to see what all they've done," said Donovan's daughter-in-lawCheryle Donovan. "He can't wait."

It's a day, Donovan told IndyStar last fall, that he never thought he would see.

Donovan had just about given up on his dream of seeing the car restored before his daughter-in-law reached out to IndyStar Call for Action in a last-ditch effort to get help. The complicated case proved to be beyond the scope of what IndyStar Call for Action volunteers could do, but asubsequent story about the retired businessman'splight spurred an unexpectedresponse.

The story of the ripoff struck a chord among car enthusiasts, veterans and the general public. Within weeks, a team of volunteers coordinated by Ken Mosier, owner of The Finer Details Automotive Restoration in Danville, stepped up to right the wrong Donovan had suffered.And theyre doing the work at no cost to former B-17 pilot, thanks to dozens of businesses and individuals who have donated more than $20,000in cash, partsand labor.

But that feel-good project is only part of the story. There's also a justice component.

Donovan initially made a complaint to Indianapolis police in 2013, but they did not follow up with an investigation after his request for help.

But after learning about the ripofffrom IndyStar, the Hamilton County prosecutor opened an investigation and filed two felony theft charges against alleged perpetrator Dennis Lee.

Dennis Lee of Lafayette is facing felony charges of theft and auto theft in Hamilton County for allegedly ripping off a WW II veteran who paid Lee nearly $10,000 to restore a vintage car.(Photo: Hamilton County Sheriff's Department)

Lee, who Donovan claims disappeared with the car after accepting nearly $10,000, is scheduled for trial on the theft charges in April in Hamilton County Superior Court. If convicted, hefaces a sentence of six months to three years on each charge.

Donovan said he was lucky to just get the car back. And that happened only after he enlisted the help of a family friend with law enforcement ties uponlearning Lee had been sent to jail on an unrelated criminal conviction in Hamilton County.

The Mustang eventually was located at the home of Lee's former girlfriend, but it hadn't been restored as promised. Instead, the engine, transmission, hood and several other parts had been stripped from the car leaving it in worse condition than when Donovan handed it over to Lee about two years earlier.

This time around, the restoration is going much smoother.

Harry Donovan with his 1967 Mustang before it was taken to The Finer Details Automotive Restoration in Danville in August for a makeover.(Photo: Tim Evans/IndyStar)

The original plan of doing a nice, but modest overhaul of the car was scrapped along the way. With the support of so many, and because his business name istied to the work, Mosier and his crew decided to push ahead with a project that will make the Mustang a true show car like thoseMosier has been restoring for 30 years. That kind of project would normally run $50,000 or more.

Jay Webb begins painting Harry Donovan's 1967 Mustang.(Photo: Tim Evans/IndyStar)

Volunteers have already put about 800 hours into the car so far, according to Mosier, and still have to install thenew interior, engine and transmission.

"We started with a really rough old car that had sat for years and rusted away. Basically, what he's getting is a brand spanking new car," Mosier explained. "Were hoping to have it done by spring.

Tim Evans is IndyStar's consumer advocate. Contact him at (317) 444-6204 or tim.evans@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @starwatchtim.

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Progress on vet's Mustang to be unveiled - Indianapolis Star

We know that when a large corporation has more women on its board of directors, the company is likely to be more innovative. We know that companies who transition from all-male boards to those that are 30 percent female see their net revenue margins increase by 30 percent, on average. We even know that, if there is even one woman on a company's board of directors, attendance is better at board meetings.

Yet somehow, in the U.S., large public companies can't seem to seem to make any progress at all in getting more women onto their boards of directors. A new report by executive search firm Egon Zehnder finds that among large publicly-traded companies in the U.S., just 20 percent of board seats are held by women. That compares to 21 percent two years ago.

Egon Zehnder studied the board composition of public companies in 44 countries. Globally, they found women now hold 18.5 percent of board seats, compared to 13.6 in 2013. In Western Europe, progress has been more impressive, with women holding 26.2 percent of board seats, up from 15.6 percent.

A recent survey by theBoardlist, a group that seeks out women qualified for board seats and helps connect them to search committees, asked why the representation of women on boards was so low. The respondents, who were all women that are looking for board seats, overwhelmingly said the problem was that search committees didn't look outside their networks, and that those networks do not generally include women. Gender bias, often cited as a cause for women's lack of participation on boards, was a distant second.

Egon Zehnder attributes the U.S. lack of progress to somewhat different factors. "While U.S. businesses prioritized engaging a female workforce, contributing factors such as maternity benefits and childcare were largely overlooked," the report says. "This lack of benefits has hindered women from looking beyond the childbearing years to reach the executive positions that enable them to enter the pipeline for board-level positions. "

Many of the European countries with the highest level of gender parity on their boards, such as France (38 percent of French board seats are held by women), Germany, and Italy, have managed to do so at least partly because they've recently been subject to quotas. Other countries, such as the U.K., have gender diversity champions who have made excellent use of the bully pulpit, notably Lord Mervyn Davies, who is calling for 33 percent board participation by women by 2020. (The U.K. currently stands at 26 percent)

But one need look no farther than Canada, which does not have quotas for women on boards, to see that progress is possible. Between 2014 and 2016, the percentage of women on the boards of the largest publicly-traded Canadian companies increased from 18 to 25 percent. In the same time period, in the U.S., the percentage of women on boards actually fell, from 21 to 20 percent.

In Canada, the report notes, unlike in the U.S., there have been strong efforts to emphasize diversity at the highest levels of government and society, most notably that of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who appointed 15 men and 15 women to cabinet positions. The report quotes Trudeau, speaking before the U.N. General Assembly in September: "In Canada, we see diversity as a source of strength, not a weakness; our country is strong not despite our differences, but because of them."

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Women's Progress in the Boardroom Took a Hit in 2016 | Inc.com - Inc.com

Britney Spears has shared an update on her 8-year-old niece Maddies recovery following an ATV accident that left her unconscious for nearly two days.

We are so grateful to share that Maddie is making progress, Spears, 35, wrote in a note posted to Twitter on Wednesday afternoon. Thank you all for sending thoughts and prayers our way. Lets all keep praying.

The pop icon had previously made an appeal to fanson Monday afternoon. Need all the wishes and prayers for my niece, she captioned a photo of Maddie the daughter of her younger sister Jamie Lynn Spears.

On Sunday,Maddie was drivingan ATV within view of Jamie Lynn, 25, and her husbandJamie Watsonwhen she took a hard rightto avoid running overa nearbydrainage ditch, causing the vehicle to enter the pond on her parents property, reads a police report obtained by PEOPLE Monday.

The ATV and child were instantly submerged in the water right before their eyes. Within seconds the childs mother, stepfather and other family members reached the pond, dove in and attempted to rescue the child to no avail, the report said. The child was trapped and secured by the seatbelt and the ATVs safety netting. Within two minutes,Acadian Ambulance Services arrived and assisted in freeing the child from the cold waters.

Despite the harrowing ordeal, Maddie awoke Tuesday, surrounded by family.

With her father, mother and stepfather by her side, Maddie regained consciousness mid-day Tuesday, Feb. 7, her hospitaltells PEOPLE in a statement provided bya Spears family rep. The 8-year-old daughter of entertainer Jamie Lynn Spears wasinvolved in an ATV accident at a family home Sunday in Kentwood, Louisiana. Paramedics resuscitated her and she was airlifted to a local hospital. She is aware of her surroundings and recognizes those family members who have kept a round-the-clock vigil since the accident.

The statement continues: Doctors were able to remove the ventilator today and she is awake and talking. Maddie continues to receive oxygen and is being monitored closely but it appears that she has not suffered any neurological consequences from the accident.

Watsontook to social mediaTuesday afternoonto show his appreciation to fans for their support throughout his stepdaughters ordeal.

Thank you everyone for the prayers. Maddie is doing better and better. Thank yall so much, Watson captioned a photo on Instagram of a shirt bearing the words believe in miracles.

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Britney Spears Says Niece Maddie Is 'Making Progress' After ATV Accident: 'Let's All Keep Praying' - PEOPLE.com

Rutland City Police Chief Brian Kilcullen delivers his departments annual crime report Wednesday night at the Franklin Conference Center. ROBERT LAYMAN / STAFF PHOTO

Leaders of the city Police Department said Wednesday night crime statistics indicate Rutland is making progress against drug abuse.

Police Chief Brian Kilcullen said the drop in cashready crimes such as shoplifting offered an indication that addiction is waning in the city.

As treatment increases, these types of crimes have gone down, he said. Were hoping to formalize that research.

Shoplifting was down from 134 incidents to 88 a 34 percent drop. Thefts from motor vehicles went from 90 to 64 (down 29 percent) and thefts from buildings went from 78 to 63 (19 percent).

Not everything went down. Burglaries were up slightly, from 82 to 88, but still well down from the 123 in 2014. Thefts of bicycles remained steady at 19.

Theres not much we can do about that, Kilcullen said. Someone doesnt want to walk, theyre going to take a bike.

The statistics made drug arrests seem exceedingly rare they only showed two arrests for selling drugs in 2016 and none in 2015 but Kilcullen said this was misleading.

Those numbers arent huge because a lot of the drug enforcement is being done on a task force basis, he said. The numbers youre seeing here are attributed to Rutland City police officers. We have nobody at the task force right now, and thats where a lot of the work is being done.

While no statistics were offered Wednesday on overdoses, Cmdr. David LaChance said they were up in the city, mirroring statewide and national trends. He said plans to better address that issue are under development.

Cmdr. Matthew Prouty discussed how the overall mission of the police department has shifted in a direction he expects will begin to reduce overdoses and otherwise alleviate drug issues, with officers focused on getting people help.

The nature of the department has to be that addicts, homeless, folks with mental health issues, the down-and-outers, are members of our community that deserve our help, he said.

Cmdr. Scott Tucker, who serves as executive director of Project VISION as well, described an addict telling police that when she got sober, she realized a police officer and her probation officer were the only people who cared about her.

The presentation went beyond straight crime statistics, and included a recent survey that found people in the city are feeling safer as well.

Conducted by Neighbor- Works of Western Vermont in the area of the northwest neighborhood targeted for revitalization, the survey found that from 2013 to 2016, the people who said they felt very safe in their homes during the day shot up from about 15 percent to about 80 percent, with those feeling somewhat or very unsafe going from 30 percent to about 5 percent.

The improved comfort level at night was not quite as dramatic, with those feeling very safe at home going from slightly more than 20 percent to slightly more than 60 percent, and those feeling unsafe going from about 20 percent to about 10 percent.

Satisfaction with police response shifted upward as well, with those rating it good or very good climbing from almost 60 percent to almost 70 percent.

Wed like that to be a little higher, but were encouraged that people are saying something positive, Tucker said.

gordon.dritschilo @rutlandherald.com

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City police cite progress vs. drugs - Rutland Herald

DANVILLE Progress this season for the Danville Area Community College women's basketball program cannot be measured in total wins and losses.

First-year coach Miranda Payne took over a program in July that not only lost its coach, as Matt Vavro took the job at Lincoln, but all of the incoming recruits also decided to attend different schools.

The Lady Jaguars basically had only three returning players in the fold for this season.

"I was just trying to get a team together,'' said Payne. "We brought in seven new players before the year started and we've added two more during the Christmas break. Right now, we have 11 healthy and eligible players.''

That alone shows a great deal of progress.

On Wednesday night, the Jaguars also showed a great deal of improvement on the floor against the 11th-rated Parkland Cobras.

While DACC suffered a 77-49 loss in the Mid-West Athletic Conference contest at the Mary Miller Gymnasium, it was the play in the first and fourth quarters that showed Payne things are moving in the right direction.

"This was the best start of the game that we've had all season,'' said Payne, as Parkland's Ryan Dooley had to hit a running one-hander in the final seconds of the first quarter to tie the game at 17-all.

"I thought we played really well in those first 10 minutes,'' Payne added. "To do it against Parkland shows that we can play with these teams. It's something that we can gain momentum from and build off of for the rest of our season.''

The Cobras (17-4 overall, 4-0 in the Mid-West Athletic Conference) basically put the game out of reach from the Jaguars in the middle two quarters.

Parkland finished the first half on a 13-1 run to take a 40-24 halftime lead and the Cobras had extended that advantage to 26 points (59-33) at the end of the third quarter.

"Right now, when things start to run back for us, we sit back and we don't push through it,'' Payne said. "But, I thought we finished it on a good note. So, when you consider the good start in the first quarter, all we need to do is get those middle two quarters figured out.''

Sophomore BreLanair Cox, one of the three returners for DACC, scored 10 of her team-high 18 points in the first quarter for the Jaguars. The 5-foot-10 forward from East St. Louis also pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds.

DACC (2-14 overall, 0-4 in the M-WAC) didn't have another player in double figures. Shawnacee Bowman was next with eight points, followed by Allison Gill and Kansas Williams with seven each.

"As a community college team, you are getting new players every two years,'' Payne said. "So, it's like you are rebuilding every year. But, this beginning was tough and I think it's gotten a lot better.''

Payne said she had very simple goals for this year.

"The main thing I wanted from these girls was for them to work hard, work as a team and improve each day,'' she said. "I'm seeing that progress.''

Kerstyan Lowery was the leading scorer for Parkland with 18 points, while Laynne Buzan finished with 11 to go along with four assists and seven rebounds.

Up next for DACC is a trip to East Peoria to play the Illinois Central Cougars at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

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DACC women making progress - Danville Commercial News