July 2012 – Page 21 – North Platte Post Archive

Co. gun man keeps officers awake nation wide

Posted on July 23, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — The lone gunman keeps law enforcement officers across the country awake at night.

He’s hard to pick out of a crowd. He has no criminal record. Often, he hasn’t told anyone about his plans. He’s compiled a weapons cache legally. He doesn’t show up on any law enforcement radar until after he’s acted.

The government has been more successful stopping al-Qaida from pulling off another Sept. 11-type attack than it has in preventing deadly shooting sprees such as the one in the movie theater in Aurora, Colo.

Law enforcement officials say it’s nearly impossible to stop someone like James Holmes — the intelligent 24-year-old who, officials believe, killed 12 people and injured dozens of others.

A major blaze in North-Central Nebraska burns 20,000 acres,around 7 miles wide

Posted on July 23, 2012

NORDEN, Neb. (AP) — Firefighters are battling a blaze in north-central Nebraska that has burned at least 20,000 acres and damaged homes.

The fire was raging Saturday in parts of northern Brown County and southern and central Keya Paha County. Regional emergency manager Doug Fox says the fire’s leading edge was 6 to 7 miles wide as it moved through Keya Paha County.

Numerous homes and structures were damaged around the tiny community of Norden, although Fox says the exact number won’t be known until authorities survey the area.

A large air tanker from Rapid City, S.D. was dispatched to the area Saturday, as was a water-carrying helicopter from Lincoln.

No injuries were reported, but Fox says some firefighters were treated for symptoms of heat stress.

Street walking salesman selling magazine subscriptions is a scam, soon to be in your neighborhood?

Posted on July 23, 2012

GERING, Neb. (AP) — Police in Gering are warning residents about an alleged magazine subscription scam.

A man and woman were canvassing neighborhoods in the western Nebraska city, selling magazines without a local permit.

Residents who believe they were scammed say the man asks them to buy magazine subscriptions for military members overseas, and claims that part of the money will help Gering High School students travel to Italy. The salesman requests that checks be written to HP Consulting, which authorities have identified as a scam.

Gering Police Captain Jason Rogers says the couple was seen traveling in a white van with Colorado license plates

Fire once sparked by lightning, rekindled and burns nearly 200 acres

Posted on July 23, 2012

HARRISBURG, Neb. (AP) — Members of a rural western Nebraska fire department are keeping watch over an area where a fire rekindled and burned nearly 200 acres.

The Banner County fire department was monitoring an area two miles south of the border of Scotts Bluff and Banner counties.

Fire Chief Tim Grubbs says the fire is located in rough country about a mile west of Highway 71. He says the fire is one of five small blazes caused by lighting. Firefighters spent nine hours at the scene on Thursday, and were called back out Friday afternoon.

Grubbs says he’d rather watch the fire in abundance of caution, so officials don’t have to come back out if it grows larger and out of control.

First Nationals Juniors in Elimination Game Tonight – Seniors Eliminated

Posted on July 22, 2012July 22, 2012

The North Platte First Nationals juniors lost 5-4 to Hastings last night in the A-7 district tournament at Bill Wood Field. It was North Platte’s first setback of the tournament, as they had beaten Lexington on Friday and Twin Cities Saturday to advance in the winners bracket. The loss drops the First Nationals juniors into an elimination game tonight against Kearney. If North Platte wins, they’ll move into Tuesday’s title game. First pitch tonight at Bill Wood Field is set for 5 PM. The First Nationals seniors saw their season come to an end over the weekend, as they went 0-2 at their district tournament in Hastings. On Friday night the seniors fell to Twin Cities 5-4, with the winning run coming in the bottom of the ninth. On Saturday, the seniors were eliminated by Hastings 5-1. The North Platte seniors finished with a record of 24-24.

Rockies Drop Game, Series in San Diego (LISTEN LIVE TONIGHT on ESPN Radio 1410)

Posted on July 22, 2012July 22, 2012

For the third time in as many series since the All-Star break, the rubber game eluded the grasp of the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies fell to the San Diego Padres 3-2 in San Diego yesterday afternoon. The Rockies jumped to an early lead when Marco Scutaro’s single scored Eric Young Jr. in the top of the first inning, but the Padres responded with a run in their half of the first. DJ LeMahieu’s RBI double in the second inning gave the Rockies a 2-1 edge which lasted only until the fourth inning, when San Diego tied it again. In the seventh, the Padres scored off Rockies relievers Adam Ottavino and Matt Reynolds to take the lead for good. The Rockies are now 3-6 since the break. They head to Arizona to start a three-game series with the Diamondbacks tonight. ESPN Radio 1410 has the action with pregame coverage at 8:05 and first pitch at 8:40.

Burkhead a ‘Player to Watch’ For Walter Camp Award

Posted on July 22, 2012July 23, 2012

Husker running back Rex Burkhead received more preseason plaudits over the weekend as he was named to the watch list for the Walter Camp Award. The Walter Camp Football Foundation names 50 players to watch for their award given to the college football Player of the Year. Burkhead had previously been named to the watch list for the Doak Walker Award. The senior from Plano, Texas enters the 2012 season as the twelfth leading rusher in Nebraska history.

Husker Volleyball Receives Academic Honor

Posted on July 22, 2012

(Hilary Winter, Nebraska Sports Information) The Nebraska volleyball team was honored with the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 2011-12 season announced by the AVCA on Friday. The Huskers were one of 533 teams earning the award, setting a new all-time high for the honor. The award was initiated in the 1992-93 academic year and it honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that display excellence in the classroom during the school year by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale.

Bittner Makes History, Stout and Herbert Also Win at Sandhills Shootout

Posted on July 22, 2012

20120722_1405 — Norfolk’s Tammy Bittner celebrates her victory. She’s the first woman ever to take a checkered in an A feature at the Sandhills Shootout.

(July 21, North Platte, NE) Lincoln County Ag Society added a different twist to the 2012 Sandhills Shootout by hosting the URSS
(United Rebel Sprint Series), IMCA Northern SportMods and IMCA Hobby Stocks. Taking home the big money and recognition were Brian Herbert of Dodge City, Kansas, Shane Stout of North Platte, and Tiffany Bittner of Norfolk.

Hometown driver Tom Belsky led the first three laps for the sprint car race until his car flipped off and over corner one. He was uninjured. That opened the door Brian Herbert to take charge of the race. Like other gunslingers from Dodge City, Herbert was the last man standing at this shootout. Teammates Mike Saathoff of North Platte and Tommy Lee Williams of Hershey made the locals proud by finishing second and third. Wheatridge, Colorado driver Mark Walinder took the fourth spot. Former area Mini-Sprint driver John Webster of North Platte rounded out the top five.

Despite drivers from out of the area coming to compete, the battle at the front of the IMCA Northern SportMod A Feature was all too familiar as Shane Stout duked it out with Cozad driver Colton Osborn. Despite the challenge, Stout never backed down and led every lap with consistency en route to his biggest payday. Max Harder of Blue Springs, current point leader at Beatrice Speedway, finished in the third spot. Rookie Dillon Schultz of North Platte took home fourth. Fifth place went to Hays, Kansas driver Trenton Kleweno. Osborn, Stout, and Denny Egge of Kearney were the heat race winners, and Bryan Herrick of Curtis took the pole dash win.

As the first female to ever take an A Feature win at the Sandhills Shootout, Tiffany Bitter made history in the IMCA Hobby Stock A
Feature. Bittner raced hard alongside of Campbell hotshoe and fellow heat race winner Dillon Thompson for much of the race. Accidents slowed the race, including a scary rollover by Anthony Martin of Wilcox, who won the A Feature the night before in McCook. He walked away, but the car will need repairs before it can run again. Despite the battles and cautions, there was no stopping the determination of this gal as she earned every lap in this race. When she took the checkered flag, the crowd was on their feet in appreciation of her performance. Cody Graham of Hays, Kansas finished the night in third spot. Austin Davis of Benkelman was the first regular to finish, taking fourth, just ahead of last week’s winner Brady Weinmann of Arnold. Belvidere driver Robby Marsh was the other Hobby Stock heat race winner for the night. Another point leader from Beatrice Speedway, Adam Armstrong, was the winner of the pole dash.

William John Wehling

Posted on July 22, 2012

William John Wehling, 65, of Broken Bow, passed away July 21, 2012, at his home.
Bill was born on Dec. 24, 1946, at Denver, to Teresa (Roes) and John Wehling.
Bill attended St Mary’s Catholic School through elementary and junior high school in Littleton, Colo., before moving to Broken Bow where he graduated in 1965. Upon graduation, Bill enrolled in Universal Trades School in Omaha, where he earned his certification in Auto Body and Fender Repair.
Just as he was starting a second certification program, Bill felt called to serve his country and enlisted in the Marines in June 1966. Bill served a tour of duty in Vietnam and was awarded three Purple Hearts for his bravery in battle. He was honorably discharged as a Corporal E-4 in 1968 at which time he returned to Broken Bow.
Bill went to work for Custer County Power District in 1969. It was a job that soon turned to a career. Over the next 40 years he served as a lineman, crew foreman, and a field engineer. Bill thoroughly loved his job and retired at the end of 2009 having accumulated a wealth of knowledge, stories and wonderful friends.
In 1970 Bill married Debra Brunken and had two children, Larry and Brenda.
In November 1977, Bill married Diane (Hart) and a family was born as they joined together with their children Dana, Chad, and Brenda. Theirs was a marriage that reminded daily what it means to find the one God has made especially for you.
Bill and Diane enjoyed card club, bowling, camping, fishing and vacationing with the kids. They in later years got a bit wiser and opted for cruises and trips to bull riding competitions instead of campfires and water skis. Bill’s other adventures included shoeing horses, tanning hides, building his own log cabin, black powder shoots, and woodworking. In his retirement, Bill enjoyed spending time tinkering with his tractors and tending his cattle as well as relaxing on the deck visiting friends, and enjoying his children and grandchildren.
Bill was a member of the VFW and the St. Joseph Catholic Church and will be remembered by those who knew him as a hard-worker who was always willing to help a friend or neighbor and a fixer of all things with moving parts (big and small). He will stay in the hearts of all who recognized his quick wit, quiet strength, and great integrity.
Bill will be greeted in Heaven by his fathers, John Wehling and Charles Wehling; infant son, Larry; and brother, Jim.
A constant source of strength and love for his family, he will be deeply missed by his wife, Diane; daughter, Dana Breiner and her son, Bruce Klesath, of Kearney; son, Chad Breiner, of Moline, Iowa; daughter, Brenda (Yancy) Broeker and their sons Logan and Preston, of Lincoln; mother, Teresa Wehling, of Broken Bow; sister, Catherine (Monroe) Rivers, of Topeka Kan.; brother, Ed (Maxine) Wehling, of Broken Bow; sister, Donna (Greg) Stamp, of Broken Bow; and a host of other family and friends.
A celebration of Bill’s life will be at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday July 24, at the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Broken Bow with Father Jim Hunt officiating. Burial will be in the Broken Bow Cemetery with military honors. Visitation will be from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday July 23. The family will greet friends from 6-7 p.m., a wake service will follow at 7 p.m. at Govier Bros. Mortuary in Broken Bow. Memorials are suggested to the UNMC Epply Cancer Center for Research. Govier Bros. Mortuary of Broken Bow is in charge of arrangements.