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Month: August 2012

Wednesday Sports Wrap – Umpire Saves A Life

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UNDATED (AP) – The Chicago White Sox continue to enjoy a two-game lead in the American League Central following their first three-game home sweep of the Yankees in 21 years.

Chris Sale struck out 13 and gave up only a run and three hits while pitching into the eighth inning of the White Sox’s 2-1 win over the New York Yankees. Alex Rios hit a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth, a half-inning after Derek Jeter’s blast knotted the score.

Addison Reed got the last three outs for his 23rd save, closing out the White Sox’s three-game sweep of the Bombers.

Detroit kept pace with Chicago as Anibal Sanchez carried a shutout into the sixth inning of the Tigers’ 3-2 win over Toronto. Sanchez gave up only one earned run and five hits over 6 2/3 innings before Jose Valverde picked up his 100th save as a Tiger.

Omar Infante tripled and came around to score Detroit’s first run on a wild pitch in the fourth inning before RBI singles by Jeff Baker and Edwin Encarnacion made it 3-0 by the sixth.

The Yankees’ now have a three-game edge over Tampa Bay in the American League East, the Bombers’ smallest advantage since late June. James Shields is 12-7 after allowing three runs over 7 2-3 innings of the Rays’ 5-3 triumph over Kansas City. Jeff Keppinger went 2-for-4 and singled home the go-ahead run in the third inning as the Rays won for the 16th time in 21 games.

Texas remains five games better than Oakland in the AL West after Adrian Beltre hit three home runs and collected five RBIs in the Rangers’ 12-3 romp over Baltimore. Beltre slammed a pair of two-run blasts while the Rangers were scoring nine times in the fourth to make it a rout.

Mitch Moreland added a grand slam for Texas, which dropped the Orioles a half-game behind the Athletics for the league’s second wild-card berth.

Coco Crisp went 3-for-3 with a homer, an RBI double, two runs scored and a stolen base as the A’s beat Minnesota 5-1 to move 11 games over .500. Yoenis Cespedes hit a go-ahead two-run single in the third inning to support Tommy Milone, who limited the Twins to a run and just two hits in eight innings.

In other American League action, Jered Weaver is 16-3 after limiting Boston to two runs and seven hits in seven innings of the Angels’ 7-3 win against the Red Sox. Howie Kendrick hit a solo homer in the sixth before Torii Hunter added a two-run single later in the inning to give Los Angeles a 7-2 lead.

Seattle beat Cleveland 3-1 on Eric Thames two-run double in the eighth. The Mariners have their first eight-game winning streak in five years.

Over to the National League, where the San Francisco Giants tacked on another game to their West Division lead by completing a three-game sweep of the second-place Los Angeles Dodgers. Joaquin Arias went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and five RBIs as the Giants ripped the Dodgers 8-4. Matt Cain gave up a run and seven hits in seven innings for his 13th win as the Giants moved 2 1/2 games ahead of the Dodgers after entering Los Angeles a half-game back.

The Cincinnati Reds added another half-game to their Central Division lead. Bronson Arroyo allowed three hits while pitching into the ninth inning of the Reds’ 3-2 triumph over Philadelphia. Jay Bruce homered to back Arroyo, who is 6-1 with a 3.50 ERA in his last seven starts.

The outcome puts the Reds eight games in front of second-place St. Louis and 8 1/2 ahead of Pittsburgh.

The Cardinals beat Houston 4-2 as Kyle Lohse tossed seven innings of three-hit ball for his seventh consecutive win. Lohse allowed a pair of solo homers but retired his last 14 batters to improve to 13-2.

The Cardinals are a half-game ahead of Pittsburgh for the second wild-card berth.

Andrew Werner was recalled from Triple-A before allowing two runs and four hits in six-plus innings of San Diego’s 4-2 win over the Pirates. Carlos Quentin drove in three runs for the second straight game to support Werner’s first major league win.

The NL East race is slightly tighter after Chris Medlan scattered seven hits in seven shutout innings to lead Atlanta’s 5-1 victory at Washington. Martin Prado had two hits and two RBIs for the Braves, who are back within six games of the East-leading Nationals.

Also in the NL, the Arizona Diamondbacks completed the first home sweep of a doubleheader in team history. Tyler Skaggs allowed three hits through 6 2-3 innings in his major league debut as Arizona beat Miami 3-2 in Game 1. Rookie Wade Miley started the nightcap and scattered four hits in eight innings to lead the Diamondbacks’ 3-0 shutout of the Marlins.

Ryan Braun hit his league-leading 34th home run of the season and drove in two runs as Milwaukee completed a three-game sweep of the Cubs 3-2. Yovani Gallardo improved to 13-8 by allowing two runs on four hits and striking out nine in seven innings.

A’s Colon suspended for 50 games

Oakland pitcher and former AL Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon (bahr-TOH’-loh kuh-LOHN’) has been suspended for 50 games after testing positive for testosterone. Major League Baseball’s announcement comes one week after All-Star outfielder Melky Cabrera of the San Francisco Giants was suspended 50 games following a positive test for the same substance.

The 39-year-old Colon is 10-9 with a 3.43 ERA in 24 starts in his first season with the A’s. He will miss the final 40 games of the regular season and the first 10 games of the postseason if Oakland advances that far. Any remainder of the suspension would be served in a future season, if Colon signs another major league contract.

Colon is the fifth player suspended this year under the big league drug program, and the third from either the Giants or A’s. San Francisco’s Guillermo Mota (gee-EHR’-moh MOH’-tah) received a 100-game suspension in May following his second PED violation.

Nova to be tested…Santana shelved…Strasburg to skip late-September starts

UNDATED – New York Yankees right-hander Ivan Nova has tightness in his right shoulder and will fly back to New York on Thursday for tests.

Nova said he felt something in his shoulder while making a sixth-inning pitch to Alexei Ramirez in Tuesday night’s loss to the White Sox. Nova threw 84 pitches in his six innings, giving up six runs and seven hits.

Nova is 1-4 with a 7.28 ERA in his last eight starts.

The Mets have placed lefty Johan (YOH’-hahn) Santana on the 15-day disabled list and say he’s not expected to pitch again the rest of the season because of inflammation in his lower back. Santana went 3-7 with an 8.27 ERA after throwing the first no-hitter in Mets history on June 1 against the Cardinals.

Nationals manager Davey Johnson says Stephen Strasburg could miss his final two or three turns in the rotation during the regular season. The Nationals are trying to keep Strasburg under 180 innings in his first full season following Tommy John surgery. The 24-year-old right-hander has thrown 145 1-3 innings while going 15-5 with a 2.85 ERA.

Umpire credited for life-saving effort

Umpire Jim Joyce is being credited with helping to save the life of a food service worker who collapsed of an apparent heart attack at Chase Field.

Vice President of Ballpark Operations Russ Amaral says Joyce happened to be walking past Jayne Powers when she collapsed before Monday night’s game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Miami Marlins.

After deciding it wasn’t a seizure, as some of her co-workers suggested, Joyce quickly started CPR.

Marlins bullpen catcher Jeff Urgelles, a former firefighter and paramedic, was called to the scene and began helping Joyce.

Kromer to start season as Saints’ head coach

UNDATED (AP) – The New Orleans Saints have designated offensive line coach Aaron Kromer as the interim head coach for the first six regular-season games before assistant head coach Joe Vitt takes over the rest of the season.

Vitt is suspended for the first six games in connection with the NFL’s bounty investigation. He has been overseeing head coaching duties since Sean Payton’s full season suspension began in mid-April.

Elsewhere around pro football:

– Eagles coach Andy Reid says there’s no question Michael Vick will be ready to play the season opener despite injuring his ribs again. Vick was being held out of today’s practice after bruising his ribs and the soft tissue surrounding them during Philadelphia’s win at New England on Monday.

– The Titans released veteran defensive tackle Shaun Smith a year after signing him to boost their defense. Smith started only six of 15 games last season with 44 tackles and one sack and had just one tackle in two preseason games.

– Veteran guard Eric Steinbach has decided to retire after sitting out all of last season because of a back injury. The 32-year-old lineman signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins in July but missed considerable practice time during training camp because of health issues.

– Maryland’s highest court has ruled that longtime-NFL punter Tom Tupa is eligible for workers compensation for a career-ending injury he suffered while warming up for a preseason game in 2005 while playing for Washington. The court rejected the idea that football injuries should not be considered accidental because of the rough nature of the sport.

Spanier says he wishes he knew more about Sandusky

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Ousted Penn State president Graham Spanier (SPAN’-year) says he wishes he’d known more about former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky so he could’ve done something about child molestation allegations against him.

Spanier told ABC on Wednesday it would’ve been his “instinct” to intervene had he known about the allegations against Sandusky.

Spanier’s attorney today called the university-sanctioned report on the sex-abuse scandal a “blundering and indefensible indictment” of Spanier. The report says Spanier helped Penn State cover up complaints about Sandusky in 1998 and 2001.

Spanier has not been charged in the case.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Tampa Bay 5, Kansas City 3
Oakland 5, Minnesota 1
Seattle 3, Cleveland 1
Detroit 3, Toronto 2
L.A. Angels 7, Boston 3
Texas 12, Baltimore 3
Chicago White Sox 2, N.Y. Yankees 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Milwaukee 3, Chicago Cubs 2
Arizona 3, Miami 2, 1st game
San Diego 4, Pittsburgh 2
Atlanta 5, Washington 1
Cincinnati 3, Philadelphia 2
Colorado 5, N.Y. Mets 2
St. Louis 4, Houston 2
Arizona 3, Miami 0, 2nd game
San Francisco 8, L.A. Dodgers 4

Two workers involved in elder abuse are going prison

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Two former workers at a Nebraska center for developmentally disabled adults are going to prison for abusing residents.

A judge on Wednesday sentenced Cameron Barnes, of Fairbury, to 2 to 4 years on two felony counts of abuse of a vulnerable adult, to be served consecutively. Matthew Johnson, of Beatrice, was sentenced to consecutive 1 to 4 year prison terms on similar charges.

Attorneys for both men asked for probation. Gage County District Judge Paul Korslund sentenced them to prison, saying they had violated a trust to care for those who could not care for themselves.

Barnes and Johnson were among five workers fired and charged after an investigation at the Beatrice State Development Center last year. The investigation found at least seven residents were routinely abused.

Fremont Officers wallet stolen in Omaha

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Police in Fremont and Omaha are working to recover a Fremont officer’s badge and other items stolen from his personal vehicle during a visit to Omaha.

The officer left his wallet inside his car while visiting relatives earlier this month. Police say witnesses reported seeing a person approach the car, take the wallet and run from the scene.

Fremont police say the wallet contained the officer’s badge and drug task force credentials.

Interim Police Chief Jeff Elliott says the incident is being handled as a personnel matter. He declined to name the officer.

Students of Omaha Middle School sent home, roof fire

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 Students at an Omaha middle school have been sent home early after being evacuated when a fire apparently broke out on the roof.

The fire at Monroe Middle School happened about 10 a.m. Wednesday. Students were safely evacuated and were sent down the street to the Benson High School gym.

Firefighters quickly got the fire under control, but lingering smoke filled the second floor of the building. The cause is under investigation.

Students were sent home Wednesday afternoon and after-school activities were canceled.

Missing man, have you seen me?

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NORTH PLATTE, Neb.-Missing man believed to be in North Platte as of Tuesday (August 21). His name is Jon Benne. He’s 5′ 11″ and bald but is probably wearing a fishing hat. Driving dark blue mini van. 2001 Chrysler Town & Country License 9B8793. If you talk to him tell him to call home please. He does NOT have his phone with him.

(UPDATE) Jon is now home and reportedly doing well..

This year ACT scores are lower, but NE students are still ahead!

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Nebraska high school students are still outscoring their peers nationally on the ACT college entrance exam, even though the results slipped from last year.

A report released Wednesday shows Nebraska students who graduated this year outpaced the national average in English, reading, mathematics and science.

Nebraska students scored an average of 22 on the test, which measures college readiness. The national average is 21.1. The highest possible ACT score is 36.

The report also shows that 78 percent of Nebraska students took the test. Nebraska was one of 18 states with a participation rate higher than 75 percent.

Bike trails closed, thanks to drought

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Three trails in eastern Nebraska have closed to bike traffic because of cracking caused by the drought.

The Lower Platte South Natural Resources District ordered the trails closed, effective immediately.

The trails include the MoPac East Trail, which stars in east Lincoln, as well as the Oak Creek Trail near Valparaiso and part of the Homestead Trail near Cortland.

The closures add up to about 50 miles of trails. District officials say they cracked due to the extreme drought, creating a hazard for bicyclists. Workers have tried to repair them for the past two weeks, but cracks that are filled keep reopening. Manager Glenn Johnson says some are wider than a regular bicycle tire.

Jerry Dwayne Stevens

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Jerry Dwayne Stevens, 85, of North Platte, passed away peacefully on Aug. 21, 2012, at Delmar Gardens in Overland Park, Kansas.
He was born on May 2, 1927, in Omaha, the fifth of six children to Clinton and Vena (Drake) Stevens; he spent most of his adult life in North Platte. He was a 1944 graduate of Kearney High School, an alumnus of North Platte Community College, and received extensive professional training as a Certified Hearing Aid Audiologist.
In North Platte, Jerry co-owned S&F Sheet Metal, served as a department manager for Montgomery Wards, and for nearly 40 years served central and western Nebraska in the hearing aid industry, owning and operating Stevens Hearing Aid Center.
Jerry, at the age of 22, had a life-transforming encounter with Jesus Christ, which profoundly changed the rest of his life. He was not rich, famous, powerful, or mighty, but he was a man of character and integrity. He held his views strongly and freely expressed them. He persistently sought to model and live a life of faith and obedience to the God he served. For more than 60 years he was a faithful member of the North Platte Church of the Nazarene and was vitally involved in its mission and ministries. He was eager to share his faith in Jesus and often prayed with those in need physically, emotionally and/or spiritually.
He married his best friend, Loralee Hisel, and established their Christian home on May 26, 1949, into which seven sensational Stevens siblings were born over the next 17 years.
Jerry’s love for the Lord was wonderfully expressed through music. His singing and guitar playing filled his home and life. In his youth he played guitar in the family band, a skill that kept him gainfully occupied while serving in the U.S. Army. He encouraged all his children and grandchildren to sing and play music on a wide variety of instruments. Members of his family now sing and play piano, organ, violin, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, guitar, flute, clarinet, and drums – all significantly influenced by Jerry. Singing with the Barber Shoppers, and playing in various musical groups kept him busy in his prime time years – to the delight and blessing of the listeners in many different venues throughout North Platte and the surrounding area.
Jerry delighted in his life’s companion, of 63 years, Loralee, and their seven children and their families, LaDonna (Don) Studley, of LeMars, Iowa, and their children; Laurie, LaNell and Evan and their 11 children; Woodie (Cheryl), of Lenexa, Kan., and their children; Michelle and Geoffrey and their six children; Dan (Christy), of McCook, and their children; Jesse and Amy and their four children; LaVonne (Dennie) Blevins, of Woodland Park, Colo., and their children, Traci, Stephen and Michael and their eight children; Valerie (Dusty) Rhodes, of Overland Park, Kan., and their children; Stacy and Raeann, Jeffrey (Lesilee), of Olathe, Kan., and their children, Tanner and Trever; and Melodie (Steve) Terrill, of Olathe, Kan., and their daughter, Julie.
Jerry is survived by his wife, Loralee, of Overland Park, Kan.; his sister, Rosemary Shafer, of Kearney; his seven children; 15 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; and 14 nieces and nephews. These are those who called him, husband, brother, Dad, Uncle Jerry, Grandpa Jerry and Great-Grandpa Jerry. They are blessed because “a just man walks in his integrity and his children are blessed after him.” (Proverbs 20:7).
Jerry was preceded in death by his parents, Clinton and Vena Stevens; parents-in-law, Woodie and Agnes Hisel; brothers, Troy, Jack and his wife, Alda, Billy Edward, and Myles and his wife, Colleen; brothers-in-law, Conley Hisel and his wife Ruth, Elton Hisel, Claude Livingston and his wife, Twila, and Lyle Shafer; one nephew, Craig Livingston; two nieces, Barbara Hisel and Cindy Livingston; and his first great-granddaughter, Ann Lydia Kumm.
Memorials are suggested to the Gideons or to the Nazarene Compassionate Ministries. Online condolences may be shared at adamsswanson.com.
Services will be at 10 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 24, at the Parkview Church of the Nazarene with the Rev. Jack Atteberry officiating. Burial will be at the North Platte Cemetery will full military honors graveside.
Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at Adams & Swanson Funeral Home and from 5-7 p.m. with the family receiving friends at the church.
Adams & Swanson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Lily Canas Sardeson

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Lily Canas Sardeson, 48, of Cozad, died Aug. 19, 2012, at the Golden Living Care Center in Cozad. Services will be at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 23, at the Cozad Christian Church with Pastor Jeremy Jech officiating. Burial will be at the Buffalo Grove Cemetery east of Cozad. Visitation will be from 1-5 p.m. on Wednesday, at the Berryman Funeral Home in Cozad. A memorial has been established. Condolences may be shared at berrymanfuneralhome.com.

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