August 2013 – Page 86 – North Platte Post Archive

Sentencing Set in Cleveland Kidnapping Case

Posted on August 1, 2013August 1, 2013

(AP) — A man who kidnapped and raped three women in Cleveland over a decade in his house is heading back to court where he’ll face a sentence up to life in prison plus 1,000 years.

The sentence 53-year-old Ariel Castro could receive Thursday was hammered out as part of a plea deal that spared him a possible death sentence for a forced miscarriage suffered by one victim.

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Tim McGinty says the women kept diaries documenting the psychological and sexual abuse they suffered daily for a decade.

He alleged Wednesday that Castro fed them just once a day.

The case broke May 6 when one victim kicked out part of a door at Castro’s house and called to neighbors for help. Castro was arrested within hours.

Governor Heineman Names New Judges

Posted on August 1, 2013

(AP) — Gov. Dave Heineman has named two new judges.

Heineman picked 44-year-old Jeffrey Funke (FUNK), of Nebraska City, to serve as district judge in southeast Nebraska. Funke currently serves as a county judge for the 2nd Judicial District.

Funke replaces former Cass County District Judge Randall Rehmeier, who recently retired.

Heineman also named 44-year-old Stephen R.W. Twiss, of Central City, as a county judge for the 5th Judicial District. The district is composed of Boone, Butler, Colfax, Hamilton, Merrick, Nance, Platte, Polk, Saunders, Seward, and York counties.

Twiss, a private practice attorney, replaces former York County Judge Curtis Evans, who retired in May.

Nebraska Chief Justice to Lead Two National Groups

Posted on August 1, 2013

(AP) — Nebraska Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Heavican has been selected to lead two national judicial organizations.

Heavican was named president of the Conference of Chief Justices, which is comprised of the top judicial officers of each state and promotes the interests of state judicial systems. Heavican also was named chairman of the board of the National Center for State Courts, a nonprofit court organization that aims to improve justice administration.

Both positions are one-year terms and are effective immediately.

Heavican was appointed Nebraska’s Chief Justice in 2006 after serving five years in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Nebraska. He joined the Lancaster County Attorney’s office in 1975, and from 1981 until 1990, he served as the Lancaster County Attorney.

Omaha Man Shocked by Power Line in Critical Condition

Posted on August 1, 2013

(AP) — A 25-year-old worker remains in extremely critical condition at an Omaha hospital after the ladder he was carrying hit a power line.

Emergency crews were called to a west Omaha apartment building Wednesday morning for a report that a man had been electrocuted.

Rescue workers found 25-year-old Pedro Armederiz, who had been working on the apartment’s gutters when the aluminum ladder he was moving touched a live electrical wire.

Medics were able to revive Armederiz, but he remains in critical condition.

Helen Jane Pflaster

Posted on August 1, 2013

Helen Jane Pflaster, 80, of North Platte, died July 31, 2013, at Great Plains Medical Center in North Platte.
Jane was born on July 31, 1933, at Anselmo, to Harold and Leah (Dickson) Kepler. Jane lived with her family in Anselmo. When she was 4 years old, they moved to their farm east of Victoria Springs. She attended grade school at Farritor School. Her first two years of high school were at Curtis. Her parents then moved back to Broken Bow where she finished High School in 1951.
On Sept. 16, 1951, she was united in marriage to Levern Pflaster. To this union were born six children; four boys, Randy, Doug, Terry and Calvin, and two girls, Diane and Pam. They made their home on Ash Creek six years before moving to the Kepler farm east of Victoria Springs. They lived there until 1980 when they moved to North Platte. Jane went to nursing school in North Platte and graduated with her license in 1981. She worked at Linden Manor and Valley View Nursing Home and at Great Plains Medical Center for 12 years, retiring in 2000.
She was baptized in 1933 into the Anselmo Methodist Church where she was a member until she transferred her membership to the North Platte Methodist Church, where she and Levern were members.
She was a member of the Order of Eastern Star serving three years as Worthy Matron in Anselmo. She was a member of BPOE Does, joining in Broken Bow in 1980 and transferring to North Platte Drove in 2001, where she was president in 2004. She was also a member of the Eagles Auxiliary in North Platte.
Survivors include her husband, Levern, of North Platte; children, Randy (Jackie), of Broken Bow, Diane, of North Platte, Doug, of Cozad, Terry (Marilynn), of Phoenix, Pam Beutler, of Sidney, and Calvin (Laurie), of Tucson, Ariz.; 11 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews.
Jane was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Cliff, in 2012; and sister-in-law, Phyllis, in 2013.
Memorials are suggested to the American Diabetes Association , the Alzheimer’s Association or the donor’s choice.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6, at Govier Brothers Chapel in Broken Bow with the Rev. Todd Karges officiating. Burial will be at the Broken Bow Cemetery. Visitation will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday, Aug. 5, with family greeting friends from 6-8 p.m. at Govier Brothers Chapel in Broken Bow, which is in charge of arrangements. – See more at: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nptelegraph/obituary.aspx?n=helen-jane-pflaster&pid=166154127&fhid=6877#fbLoggedOut

George Zimmerman Packin’ Heat When Stopped for Speeding

Posted on August 1, 2013August 1, 2013

George Zimmerman had another run-in with cops earlier this week.

Zimmerman was pulled over for speeding in Forney, Texas on Sunday. He informed the officer that he was armed, and was told to put the weapon in his glove box while the cop ran a background check. After finding nothing outstanding on Zimmerman’s record, the officer let him go with a warning.

This is the second time Zimmerman has been in the news since the verdict in the Trayvon Martin case. Earlier this month, he helped pull a family of four from an overturned SUV not far from his home in Florida.

North Platte Weather August 1

Posted on August 1, 2013

Today: Scattered thunderstorms, mainly after 10am. Some of the storms could be severe. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. South wind 5 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Tonight: Thunderstorms likely, mainly before 10pm. Some of the storms could be severe. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Southeast wind 6 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Friday: A slight chance of thunderstorms after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. East wind 3 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Friday Night: A slight chance of thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. Northeast wind 7 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Minor, Streaking Braves Dominate Rockies, 9-0

Posted on August 1, 2013

ATLANTA (AP) — Mike Minor allowed only two hits in seven scoreless innings, Brian McCann hit a three-run homer in Atlanta’s seven-run third, and the Braves beat the Colorado Rockies 9-0 Wednesday night for their sixth straight win.

Freddie Freeman drove in two runs with four hits as the Braves continued their offensive surge with 15 hits. The Braves have scored 29 runs while winning the first three games of the four-game series.

The Braves lead second-place Washington by 11 games in the NL East, their biggest advantage in nine years.

Minor (11-5) didn’t walk a batter and didn’t allow a Colorado baserunner to reach second base.

Tyler Chatwood (7-4) allowed a career-high seven earned runs on 10 hits, one walk and one hit batter in only 2 1-3 innings.

Colorado’s Carlos Gonzalez left the game in the fourth inning after aggravating his sprained right middle finger.