April 2014 – Page 54 – North Platte Post Archive

Police: Pa. Student Flashed Two Knives, Injured 20

Posted on April 9, 2014

(AP) — A police chief says a 16-year-old boy “was flashing two knives around” when he injured 19 students and a school police officer who eventually subdued him with the help of an assistant principal at a high school near Pittsburgh.

Murrysville police Chief Thomas Seefeld says the bloody crime scene left behind Wednesday at Franklin Regional High School is “vast” and may take a couple of days to process.

Police haven’t named the suspect who was taken into custody but says he’s being treated for a minor hand wound.

Investigators haven’t determined a motive but say they’re looking into reports of a threatening phone call between the suspect and another student the night before.

At least two of the victims were in critical condition, though doctors expect all victims to survive.

VW Tells Dealers to Stop Selling 4 Models

Posted on April 9, 2014

(AP) — Volkswagen is telling U.S. dealers to stop selling its most popular cars until transmission fluid leaks can be fixed.

Spokesman Scott Vazin says the order covers about 25,000 Jetta, Passat, Beetle and Beetle convertible models equipped with 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engines and automatic transmissions. They were built after Feb. 1.

An “O-ring” that links a transmission fluid line to a cooler can fail and cause leaks, potentially causing a fire. Vazin says no fires or crashes have been reported. VW plans to replace the defective parts.

About half the cars remain on dealer lots. Vazin says VW is working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on how to fix the cars that have been sold.

He says owners with questions about their cars should contact their dealers.

Father: Girl Befriended by Hoops Star has Died

Posted on April 9, 2014April 9, 2014

DETROIT (AP) — The father of an 8-year-old girl with cancer who befriended Michigan State basketball star Adreian Payne says his daughter has died.

Matt Holsworth says Lacey Holsworth died at their St. Johns, Mich., home late Tuesday “with her mommy and daddy holding her in their arms.”

Lacey met Payne during one of her hospital stays two years ago, and their friendship quickly blossomed and strengthened.

When it was Payne’s turn to be honored during Senior Night, the 6-foot-10 center scooped up Lacey and carried her around the court. He did it again in Indianapolis after Michigan State won the Big Ten tournament, and the little girl with the blond wig was there when he took part in a recent slam-dunk competition.

Holsworth said Wednesday Lacey “loved unconditionally and without hesitation.”

White Sox Hit 6 Homers in 15-3 Win over Rockies

Posted on April 9, 2014

DENVER (AP) — Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia each hit two of Chicago’s six homers, powering the White Sox to a 15-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.

Jose Quintana pitched seven sharp innings, and Tyler Flowers and Alexei Ramirez also went deep for their first homers of the season. The White Sox had six total homers before Tuesday’s fireworks.

The long balls were the first of the season for both Garcia and Abreu, the Cuban slugger who signed a $68 million, six-year contract in October. Garcia finished with four hits and three RBIs, while Abreu had a three-run homer in the seventh and a two-run shot an inning later.

Child Welfare Expert Accused of Exposing Himself to Teens in Neb.

Posted on April 9, 2014April 9, 2014

(AP) — Lincoln police say an associate director of a national child welfare organization is accused of exposing himself to some teenage girls at a Lincoln hotel.

Officer Katie Flood says 68-year-old Steven Preister, of Washington, D.C., confronted four girls as they came out of a stairwell at the Cornhusker Marriott between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Monday and yelled at them for being too loud. He was wearing only a T-shirt and appeared to be intoxicated.

The girls were staying at the hotel while attending a leadership conference. Flood says two adult chaperons also saw what happened.

Online court records say Preister has already pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges of public nudity and disturbing the peace.

Preister is associate director of the National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement.

No Kindergarten at Hall School Next Year

Posted on April 9, 2014April 9, 2014

In what could be the beginning of the end for Hall Elementary School, North Platte Public Schools officials have announced that the school will not have a kindergarten class for the 2014/2015 school year.

NPPS officials say the move is due to a significant decline in enrollment.

The school has 84 students, which is down from over 100.

Superintendent Marty Bassett says the numbers are too low to justify a new kindergarten class.

Several parents, who spoke to the Post, say they are concerned that this my signal the beginning of the end for the school.

Students who would have attended kindergarten at Hall will attend Buffalo Elementary.

GPRMC CEO Resigns

Posted on April 9, 2014April 9, 2014

The CEO of Great Plains Regional Medical Center has resigned.

The resignation of Greg Nielsen was announced yesterday.

According to Great Plains Regional Medical Center Board President David Pederson, Mel McNea, Great Plains chief operating officer, will serve as interim CEO while a national search is conducted for a permanent CEO.

“Greg’s commitment to Great Plains during the past five years has been appreciated,” said Pederson.

During his leadership, the cardiovascular program, bariatric surgery and wound healing centers were developed and the system embarked on the construction of a new patient tower. Great Plains became more regionally focused and experienced a period of unprecedented growth, said Pederson.

“Great Plains is an exceptional organization that is positioned well for the future,” said Nielsen. “Their success is a direct result of the great people who make up the organization — the board, administration, medical staff, employees and volunteers. I am proud to have been part of the Great Plains journey and look forward to watching the progress continue in the future.”

“With a continued focus on patient care and service growth, our health system is headed in the right direction,” said Pederson. “We fully expect that the high level of patient care and consistent growth will continue.”

Nielsen became CEO in 2009 after serving as interim director for a year.

No details were given on the reason for Nielsen’s departure.

2 Lincoln Co. Establishments Fail Compliance Checks

Posted on April 9, 2014

Two Lincoln County businesses are facing penalties after they failed compliance checks over the weekend.

The Nebraska State Patrol conducted compliance checks at 19 retail alcohol outlets in Lincoln (17) and Frontier (2) counties on Saturday April 5.

NSP Public Information Coordinator, Deb Collins, says Ozzie’s I-80 in Sutherland and the Lincoln Highway Diner in North Platte, were both found to be non-compliant after selling alcohol to minors.

Collins said law enforcement performs compliance checks on convenience, liquor and grocery stores, as well as restaurants and bars, to ensure businesses are complying with alcohol laws and to decrease youth access to alcohol.

The checks were made possible, in part, by a grand from the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety.

The businesses found to be non-compliant face penalties including fines and sanctioning by the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission.

North Platte Weather-April 9th

Posted on April 9, 2014

Today: Sunny, with a high near 82. Breezy, with a west wind 7 to 12 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 29 mph.
Tonight: A slight chance of sprinkles after 9pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 44. West southwest wind 10 to 17 mph becoming north after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. North wind 5 to 15 mph becoming south southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 39. East southeast wind 6 to 8 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 74. South southwest wind 6 to 9 mph.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 42.

NPCC Knights Softball Third at NCCAC Tournament

Posted on April 8, 2014

Columbus – The North Platte Community College Softball team (5-21) finished third on Sunday at the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference (NCCAC) Tournament Sunday afternoon in Columbus. The Knights opened up the tournament with a loss to the McCook Community College Indians 3-6 before rebounding to defeat the Southeast Community College Storm 10-6. The Knights then closed out the tournament falling to the host the Central Community College Raiders 4-7 to finish third in the tournament.

In the opening game, Shannon Lieber took the loss on the mound giving up five hits and two unearned runs. Soliel Atenza and Jazmin Chang led the Knights at the plate going 2-3 to go along with a homerun for Chang.

In the second game of the day Katharine Savolt earned the victory on the mound for her first victory of the season. Savolt allowed four hits and two earned run. Lieber earned the save with three hits and one earned run. Lexi Bryant led the Knights at the plate going 4-4 with three doubles, two RBIs and scored three times. Savolt and Chang each went 3-4 from the plate as Change scored three runs.

In the final game of the tournament, Lieber again took the loss giving up six hits and two earned runs. Lieber also led the Knights at the plate going 3-4 with an RBI. Atenza was 2-3 as was Brooke Wakefield.

“We played more consistent on Sunday and will continue to get better,” said head coach Janelle Higgins. If we eliminate a few key errors and keep the other team from scoring multiple runs on two outs then it is a different ball game in both our losses.”

“I am proud of these girls for battling through the injuries and sickness and still giving it their all.”

The Knights return to the diamond on Friday at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. against the Hastings College JV at the Dowhower Softball Complex. The Knights then take to the road on Tuesday April 15 to face the Iowa Western Reivers.