The Nebraska State Patrol in conjunction with the Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) is urging motorists headed west to delay travel plans as Interstate 80 is now closed westbound from Kearney to the Wyoming line.
“There simply just isn’t anywhere for westbound vehicles to go at this time,” said Colonel David Sankey, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “Road crews are working hard to re-open the interstate, but they are dealing with large amounts of heavy snow, coupled with blowing and drifting.”
Eastbound I-80 has re-opened at Big Springs, but travelers are urged to utilize caution as winter travel conditions still exist.
Motorists are encouraged to keep up on the latest weather and road condition reports by utilizing 511, Nebraska’s Advanced Traveler Information System at < www.511.nebraska.gov > , the 511 Mobile Traveler Site at < https://www.ndortraveler.mobi >, or by dialing 511 (800-906-9069) from any landline or cellular phone for information.
North Platte Public Schools (NPPS) Superintendent Marty Bassett has made his selection for the new Principal at North Platte High School (NPHS).
Bassett will be recommending Mike Brownawell to be the new leader at NPHS to the NPPS Board of Education.
Brownawell is a graduate of Beatrice High School, and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Kearney with a Bachelors of Science with a Physical Science Field Endorsement. He has 22 years experience at the secondary level.
He was a science teacher in Mitchell, NE for 13 years, then served as the principal in Burns, WY for seven years before accepting the Assistant Principal position at Adams Middle School in 2011.
Brownawell has an Educational Administration Degree from Chadron State College.
His wife, Cari, is a math teacher at Madison Middle School and they have three daughters.
NPPS Human Resources Director Tami Eshleman said, “Mike is excited to lead the high school. He has high expectations for students and staff. During his tenure at Adams, he has gained the respect of students, staff and parents.”
Adams Middle School Principal, Jeff Steinbeck said in a letter of recommendation that, “The quality that I have seen in the past two years that has had the biggest effect on the students that Mr. Brownawell works with, is his ability to build a relationship with the students he encounters. Students know him a Mr. B and they know he is a man of character and a person they can trust.”
Candidates for the position were interviewed by staff, toured the high school and interviewed with students.
If approved by the Board of Education, Brownawell would begin his service starting in the 2013-2014 school year.
The attorney for a sheriff’s deputy accused of helping a felon escape the downtown Denver jail says the deputy and his family felt they were in danger.
Deputy Matthew Andrews faces felony charges that he aided in the Sunday night escape of Felix Trujillo, who remained at large Tuesday.
Attorney Donald Sisson says Andrews had been threatened and there was never an agreement to help Trujillo escape in exchange for money.
Sisson says that on Saturday, a driver pulled up next to Andrews, aimed a gun at him and said his family and his life would be in jeopardy unless he helped get Trujillo out of jail.
Denver police refused to comment on the case and reports have been sealed.
The Kansas Highway Patrol says two Nebraska men died in a two-vehicle wreck in south-central Kansas.
The patrol identified the victims of Tuesday’s accident in Pawnee County as 33-year-old Fidel Portillo-Moyao and 23-year-old Efrain Carrerea-Portillo, both of Schuyler, Neb.
The patrol says a pickup truck driven by Portillo-Moyao crossed into the westbound lane of U.S. 56 and was hit by a semi-trailer truck. He died later at a hospital. Carrerea-Portillo died at the scene.
The Grand Island City Council has voted against trying to oust Mayor Jay Vavricek.
The council decided at its meeting Tuesday night not to proceed with a misconduct hearing. Council members listened to public testimony that largely supported the mayor. Members then debated whether to seek his dismissal from office. A majority finally voted against the proposal.
Councilwoman Peg Gilbert said “the charge doesn’t fit the crime.” She voted against the misconduct hearing.
Councilman Mike Paulick had filed the misconduct charge against Vavricek. It cites Vavricek’s drunken-driving arrest on March 2 in nearby Howard County.
Vavricek pleaded no contest to reckless driving and was fined $500.
There may be major changes on the horizon at the two Middle Schools in North Platte.
North Platte Public Schools administrators are proposing that all sixth graders in the district attend Madison Middle School, while all seventh and eighth graders will attend Adams Middle School.
According to Superintendent Marty Bassett, the goal of the proposal is to improve academics at the middle school level.
Bassett says that students come to middle school from the district’s 10 elementary schools. The consolidation of sixth-graders would allow district officials to ensure that students are getting the support they need, and will also ensure that the curriculum is aligned for all students. He says the focus would be on the transition from sixth grade to seventh grade both socially and academically.
Administrators believe that keeping all sixth-graders together would be highly beneficial on a social level, and would allow for smaller class sizes and more student focused education.
Also, Bassett says this would allow seventh and eighth graders to be better prepared to enter high school.
School officials would like the public’s input on the proposed changes.
There will be two public meetings to allow comment. The first meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 16 at Madison Middle School starting at 6:30 p.m. The second meeting will take place on Thursday April 18 at 6:30 p.m. at Adams Middle School.
The Post has discussed this issue with many parents in North Platte, and nearly all of them have expressed concern about transporting their student to school. Administrators recognize that this will be an issue for many students and this is one of the issues that will surely be discussed at the public meetings.
Bassett says that, aside from transportation, no additional costs or staff reductions are expected with the proposed change.
The changes will, if enacted, will take place in the fall of 2014 at the earliest.
Outstanding volunteers who have made substantial contributions in Nebraska will be honored at a luncheon in Kearney.
Nebraska First Lady Sally Ganem will present 10 ServeNebraska community service awards to volunteers on Friday. The event will be held at Kearney Country Club.
Ganem is chair of ServeNebraska, Nebraska’s volunteering service commission.
Awardees are outstanding volunteers who make a difference in their Nebraska communities. Volunteer programs, groups and individual volunteers will be recognized.
Nebraska residents have high rates of volunteerism and community engagement. Nebraska residents volunteer more than 50 million hours of service every year, according to ServeNebraska.
The San Francisco Giants’ ownership of the Colorado Rockies continues. The Rockies coughed up a 6-2 lead in a 9-6 loss to the Giants in San Francisco last night for their second straight loss. A five-run second inning off of Giants starter Tim Lincecum, highlighted by Dexter Fowler’s two-run double and Josh Rutledge’s two-run single, gave the Rockies the early cushion. Troy Tulowitzki added on to the lead with a solo homer in the fifth. But the Giants tied the game with four runs in the sixth and Angel Pagan’s RBI single in the eighth produced the winning run. The Rockies will try and salvage one game in the City by the Bay tonight. A pair of lefthanders will be on the mound as Colorado’s Jeff Francis opposes San Francisco’s Barry Zito. ESPN Radio 1410 has the action with the pregame show at 8:30 and the first pitch at 9:15.
The Denver Nuggets are hoping to get one of their injured stars back to action tonight. Ty Lawson, who has missed the last four games and seven of eight with a heel injury, practiced yesterday, and head coach George Karl says Lawson might be able to see limited duty as the Nuggets host the San Antonio Spurs. Without Lawson and Danilo Gallinari, who is out for the year with a torn ACL, the Nuggets are short their two leading scorers. Tip-off is set for 9:30.
The Nebraska State Patrol in conjunction with the Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) is urging motorists headed west to delay travel plans as Interstate 80 is now closed westbound from Kearney to the Wyoming line.
