January 2014 – Page 5 – North Platte Post Archive

Judge Declares Mistrial in Neb. Wrongful Conviction Lawsuit

Posted on January 30, 2014

(AP) — A federal judge has declared a mistrial in a civil rights lawsuit seeking damages for six people wrongly convicted in a 1985 Nebraska murder.

U.S. District Court Judge Richard Kopf declared the mistrial Thursday, after three days of jury deliberation following a three-week trial.

Six of the 12 jurors told the judge that they were unlikely to reach a verdict.

James Dean, Kathleen Gonzalez, Debra Shelden, Ada JoAnn Taylor, Joseph White and Thomas Winslow served a combined 77 years in prison before DNA testing exonerated them in 2008. The estate of White, who died in 2011, and the surviving five sought at least $14 million in damages, saying their civil rights were violated and that they were coerced into damaging statements.

Bond Hearing Held for 4 Charged in Omaha Girl’s Death

Posted on January 30, 2014

(AP) — Four men facing new charges in connection with the death of a 5-year-old have appeared in court for bond hearings.

20-year-old Vincent Hicks, whom police believe fired the bullet that killed Payton Benson on Jan. 15, has been ordered held without bond. He’s charged with first-degree murder, criminal conspiracy and two weapons counts.

Three others — 22-year-old Adonus Moses, 18-year-old Jaylen Montgomery and 21-year-old Jacob Brown — are all being held on $1 million bond each.

Moses is charged with criminal conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. Montgomery is charged with three weapons counts, and Brown is charged with two weapons counts.

Police have said Payton was eating breakfast in her home when she was struck by a stray bullet.

Spring Game Tickets on Sale on Feb. 5

Posted on January 30, 2014January 30, 2014

Nebraska fans can secure their ticket to get their first glimpse of the 2014 Huskers when Red-White Spring Game tickets go on sale Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 8 a.m. The 2014 spring game is set for Saturday, April 12 at Memorial Stadium.

Nebraska fans may purchase tickets online at Huskers.com, by phone at 1-800-8-BIG-RED or in person at the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office, located in the Stadium Drive Parking Garage (8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays).

All tickets for the Red-White Spring Game are reserved and cost $10 each. All individuals must have a ticket for the game. Fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets early to ensure good seats for the contest. Each of the past several years, more than 20,000 tickets were sold by the end of the first day of sales.

Nebraska has drawn more than 54,000 fans for the Red-White game every year since 2004, with the exception of 2012 when weather forced the cancellation of the game.

Nebraska will once again conduct the Drug Free Pledge at halftime of this year’s game. Youth (eighth grade or younger) are encouraged to take part in the Drug Free Pledge on the field, and those who do will be admitted to the game for free. Drug Free pledge participants must secure a ticket in advance of the contest by calling or visiting the Ticket Office. Parents or sponsors of the youth taking part in the pledge will need to buy a reserved ticket ($10).

A limited number of $15 club seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. UNL faculty and staff will be able to purchase reserved tickets to the spring game for $5. Faculty and staff should purchase their tickets in person at the Ticket Office or over the phone, and will also be asked to show their staff ID at the gate on game day. UNL students will be admitted free to the game, but will need to have a ticket in hand for admittance. UNL students may also visit Huskers.com beginning Feb. 5 to secure their ticket.

2014 Red-White Spring Game
Date: Saturday, April 12
Kickoff: TBD
Tickets: $15 club seats (limited availability); $10 reserved tickets, UNL Faculty & Staff, $5; UNL Students, Free (must secure a ticket) all tickets on sale Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 8 a.m.
Drug Free Pledge: Youth 8th grade and younger are encouraged to take Drug Free Pledge at halftime (admitted for free, but must have a ticket)
Radio/Internet: Husker Sports Network/Huskers.com

Season Ticket Prices Set for 2014 Football Season
Season ticket prices for the 2014 football season have been set. Season ticket holders and UNL faculty and staff will pay the same price per game for their tickets in 2014 as they did each of the past three seasons.

Public season ticket holders will pay $56 per game for seven home games in 2014 ($392 total) and UNL faculty and staff will be charged $53 per game ($371 total). Nebraska students will pay $161 ($23 per game) in 2014.

Single-game tickets prices for 2014 will be $65 each for non-conference contests against Florida Atlantic and McNeese State. Nebraska’s final non-conference game against Miami, and Big Ten home contests with Illinois (Homecoming), Rutgers, Purdue and Minnesota will all be priced at $75 each.

The matchup between Miami and Nebraska is the Hurricanes’ first visit to Memorial Stadium since 1976, while Rutgers and Purdue will both be visiting Lincoln for the first time. Nebraska will enter the 2014 season with an NCAA-record 333 consecutive sellouts.

Renewal Period Begins for Season Tickets
Football season ticket renewal information will be sent to Nebraska fans via e-mail and mail this week. Fans are encouraged to renew their tickets on-line before the initial deadline of Feb. 19. Those who pay by e-check during this renewal period will receive a $25 savings on their total bill.

All fans who renew by Feb. 19 will also be eligible for season ticket renewal prizes that will be given away daily during the month of February. Prizes that will be available will include two free football season tickets, autographed items, Husker apparel and gift certificates from local restaurants and sponsors. Top prizes include a football helmet signed by Nebraska’s three Heisman winners, and viewing the Tunnel Walk from the sidelines.

Fans can check out the full list of prizes at Huskers.com/Memorial Stadium.

New options for season ticket holders in 2014 include FedEx delivery of season tickets for an additional $10 charge, and those that renew on-line will have the option of paying for their season tickets in three installments.

Season Ticket Request List Available at Huskers.com
In addition to purchasing spring game tickets, Nebraska fans now also have the ability to secure their place on the football season ticket request list.

Fans interested in becoming a football season ticket holder for the 2014 season should add their name to the request list by visiting Huskers.com/MemorialStadium. Those who add their name to the request list and pay a $25 charge will get the first opportunity to purchase any tickets that may become available.

The availability of tickets will be determined following Nebraska’s season ticket renewal period. After that time, those on the request list will receive e-mail information from Nebraska Athletics regarding their opportunity to purchase tickets through Nebraska’s new Seat Yourself on-line ticketing option.

Full information on the process is available on-line at Huskers.com.

Jury Acquits Man of Assault in Kearney Beating

Posted on January 30, 2014

(AP) — A jury has acquitted a man of a first-degree assault charge in connection with the severe beating of a Kearney man last year.

A Buffalo County judge read the not guilty verdict Wednesday for 29-year-old Jonathan Schmidt.

Schmidt was accused of helping to pull Jacob Magee out of a van last July. Prosecutors said Schmidt beat Magee and stomped on his head. He was later treated for injuries that included facial fractures and a broken nose.

Schmidt testified during his trial that he hit a man in the face during the incident, which involved several people. But he denied causing Magee’s injuries.

Schmidt’s public defender, John Marsh of Kearney, says the prosecution had trouble proving who caused Magee’s injuries.

Getting to the Super Bowl is Not Easy for Many

Posted on January 30, 2014January 30, 2014

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — They are former kids who played in their back yards and dreamed of scoring the winning touchdown, making the big play on defense and somehow sharing in the spotlight of helping a team win the Super Bowl.

Not all dreamers get to the NFL, and certainly, many who get to football’s highest level don’t get the chance to play in the Super Bowl.

There are at least a dozen who will be participating for the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks in Sunday’s Super Bowl who toiled for at least eight years in the NFL before getting a chance to play for the title.

Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey is their poster child. He waited 15 years. The other included the last XFL player still in the NFL.

Neb. Considers Law for Robberies with Toy Guns

Posted on January 30, 2014

(AP) — Robbers who use a toy gun in a hold-up could still face a felony firearm charge in Nebraska, under a new bill considered by lawmakers.

Sen. Burke Harr of Omaha said Thursday that he introduced the measure because state law doesn’t consider situations involving fake guns or guns that don’t work.

Prosecutors say it’s a problem in cases where a gun is never recovered, and victims can’t say for sure whether they were threatened with a deadly weapon. Defense lawyers say most cases with fake guns already involve charges of robbery or other serious crimes.

The bill could apply to BB guns, pellet guns, paintball guns, squirt guns and replicas.

Hastings Teen Accused of Stabbing Father in the Back

Posted on January 30, 2014

(AP) — A Hastings teenager has been accused of stabbing his father in the back following a physical fight between them.

The 17-year-old boy told police he and his father got into a fight around midnight Wednesday. The boy says his 42-year-old father put him in a headlock, so the boy pulled out a knife and stabbed him.

The teen is charged as an adult with second-degree assault and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony. The Associated Press normally doesn’t name minors suspected of crimes.

The father was treated at a nearby hospital and released.

The boy is being held at the Adams County Jail. A hearing is scheduled on Feb. 7 to determine a preliminary hearing.

Hearing Granted in Neb. Torture-Murder Case

Posted on January 30, 2014

(AP) — State officials have agreed to consider reducing a Nebraska man’s sentence for playing a role in two cult-related murders in 1985.

The Nebraska Board of Pardons agreed Thursday to hold a commutation hearing in Timothy Haverkamp’s case sometime in the next couple months.

The 51-year-old Haverkamp was paroled in 2009. One of the victims, fellow cult member James Thimm, was beaten, sexually abused, shot and partially skinned while still alive.

Haverkamp is asking the board to commute his sentence so he can be free from supervision. He served 23 years in prison on a sentence of 10 years to life.

After pleading guilty, Haverkamp testified against cult leader Michael Ryan, who remains on Nebraska’s death row. He was also a key witness against Ryan’s son, Dennis Ryan.

NFL: 13 Percent Fewer Concussions in ’13 than ’12

Posted on January 30, 2014January 30, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL says the number of concussions in practices and games in the preseason and regular season dropped 13 percent from 2012 to 2013.

Using information collected from team doctors, the league also says there was a 23 percent decrease over the past two seasons in the number of concussions caused by helmet-to-helmet contact.

Speaking at a pre-Super Bowl news conference Thursday, Jeff Miller, the league’s senior VP of health and safety policy, calls the data “positive trends.”

Some players have expressed concern that the NFL’s emphasis on decreasing hits to the head could lead to more low hits and more knee injuries. But Miller says there has not been an overall increase in damaged knee ligaments.

NASCAR Creates Winner-Take-All Championship Format

Posted on January 30, 2014

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR has overhauled its championship format to create an elimination, winner-take-all system designed to reward “the most battle-tested” driver at the end of the season.

The Chase for the Sprint Cup championship will now be a 16-driver field with a premium placed on winning.

NASCAR will cut four drivers from the field after every three races in the 10-race Chase, leaving four eligible drivers headed into the season finale. The first of those four to cross the finish line will be crowned champion.

NASCAR Chairman Brian France said Thursday the new format has no math and no bonus points and is “simple as it gets.”