September 2013 – Page 60 – North Platte Post Archive

Rancher Donates 160 Acres to Red Willow County

Posted on September 1, 2013

(AP) — A southwest Nebraska rancher has donated 160 acres to Red Willow County to help support the arenas he donated money to help build.

John Thomas “Tom” Kiplinger made the donation to help ensure the facilities would be able to continue operating without any tax money.

Previously, Kiplinger donated more than $600,000 to build a complex of two indoor arenas, stalls and pens at the county fairgrounds for rodeos and other events that promote agriculture.

Between event fees and Kiplinger’s donations, the arenas are self-supporting. Kiplinger says he’s proud of that.

Tax Fraud Case Against Former NE Businessman Dropped

Posted on September 1, 2013

(AP) — The tax fraud case against a prominent former Nebraska businessman has been dropped.

Prosecutors didn’t have enough evidence to prove Mark Pieloch intended to evade sales tax on a sport utility vehicle he bought in Nebraska.

Pieloch had denied wrongdoing and said he paid the taxes in South Dakota.

So Lancaster County Attorney Joe Kelly decided he drop the charge accusing Pieloch of failing to pay $2,900 in taxes on a 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche he bought in Lincoln.

Pieloch is president of Pharma Chemie and he donated $1.5 million to the Capital Humane Society to help build the adoption center that’s named in his honor.

Pieloch moved his business from Syracuse to Melbourne, Fla., in 2011.

Newborn Boy Found in New Jersey Trash Pile

Posted on September 1, 2013

(AP) — Authorities are searching for the mother of a newborn baby boy who was found in a pile of trash in Jersey City.

Hudson County prosecutors say the child was found Saturday afternoon near the city’s McGinley Square neighborhood. The boy was taken to Jersey City Medical Center, where a spokesman tells The Newark Star-Ledger the boy was breathing on his own.

Prosecutors did not disclose how long the child may have been outside.

Residents who live nearby say neighborhood children heard crying and saw movement in a pile of trash, then alerted the building superintendent, who called police.

Building superintendent Arturo Rivas tells The Jersey Journal he usually kicks kids out of the courtyard where the baby was found, but this time he’s glad the teens were there.

VA Organizes Mental Health Summit in Lincoln

Posted on September 1, 2013

(AP) — A Mental Health Summit has been scheduled in Lincoln to discuss the mental health needs of veterans.

The summit is set to begin at 9 a.m. Friday at the Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic at 600 S. 70th St. in Lincoln. It is being organized by the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System.

VA facilities across the country are holding similar events focusing on issues such as homelessness, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress and services for women veterans as they pertain to mental health.

Among those invited to the Lincoln summit are military liaisons and representatives from congressional offices, mental health departments, health care and educational institutions, veterans service organizations and the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Lied Center to Host Musical Theatre Festival

Posted on September 1, 2013September 1, 2013

(AP) — The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is hosting a musical theatre workshop that helps artists develop their own shows, with guidance from industry experts.

The Lied Center for Performing Arts will host the “Grow a Show” event Sept. 10-12.

Each year, composers and playwrights submit new musical theatre works for development at workshops hosted by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. The Lied Center was invited to host an additional theatre workshop for new musicals in Lincoln.

Lied Center executive director Bill Stephan says the festival is free and open to the public. Visitors will have the chance to see new musicals as they are created.

Howard Buffett Sponsors Contest to Feed the Hungry

Posted on September 1, 2013

(AP) — Howard Buffett is offering students a chance to win $10,000 if they come up with good ideas to help reduce hunger and improve nutrition.

Buffett’s foundation, which focuses on battling hunger in impoverished nations, is working with the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship on the contest.

Students between the ages of 11 and 23 can submit ideas to help address real-world challenges in one of four categories, including eliminating food waste and encouraging healthy eating.

One winner in each category will be announced in November. More details are available online at https://40Chances.nfte.com.

The contest is tied to Buffett’s new book that highlights the fact that everyone has a limited window in life to make a difference in the world. The book is called “40 Chances: Finding Hope in a Hungry World.”

Columbus Man Killed in I-80 Crash Near Gretna

Posted on September 1, 2013

(AP) — Investigators are trying to determine why a Nebraska man lost control of his vehicle and collided with two semitrailer trucks on Interstate 80.

The Sarpy County Sheriff’s department says Benjamin Behlen of Columbus was killed in the crash near Gretna Saturday evening. A woman in one of the trucks was injured.

The sheriff’s department says Behlen was speeding eastbound before he lost control of his car, crossed the median and hit the trucks near a rest area. One of the trucks lost control and tipped over.

Authorities say neither truck driver was hurt, but a passenger in one truck sustained minor injuries.