GERING, Neb. (AP) — A Wyoming teenager charged with murder in the death of a western Nebraska jail guard has been sentenced for his role in a convenience store robbery last year.
15-year-old Dylan Cardeilhac of Torrington, Wyoming, was sentenced Thursday in Scotts Bluff District Court to eight to 15 years in prison for aiding in the robbery of a Nebraska convenience store. Cardeilhac is one of two teens accused of being involved in the crime.
Cardeilhac has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder in the strangling of 24-year-old corrections officer Amanda Baker. He has pleaded not guilty. On Thursday, a judge postponed the start of his trial after a defense attorney requested more time to research evidence in the case.
DALLAS (AP) — The Boy Scouts of America has formally confirmed former Defense Secretary Robert Gates as its new president.
The group’s national council voted to approve Gates for the volunteer role Thursday at the organization’s annual meeting in Nashville, Tennessee.
Gates was defense secretary for Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He also formerly served as director of the CIA and president of Texas A&M University.
As defense secretary, Gates oversaw the end of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy excluding openly gay soldiers. He joins an organization that remains entangled in debates over its policy to allow openly gay Scouts, but exclude openly gay leaders.
Gay-rights groups and opponents of the policy continue to campaign against the organization.
The Boy Scouts of America’s national headquarters are in Irving, Texas.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Baby falcons nesting in eastern Nebraska have been adorned with colored bands as part of an annual wildlife conservation tradition.
Animal experts tagged the birds Thursday atop the Woodmen of the World Tower for this year’s Woodman Falcon Nesting Project event.
Joel Jorgensen with the Nebraska Games and Parks Commission says he and others try to tag the falcons around this time each year, when they’re about three weeks old. He says the task is important to preserve the previously endangered peregrine falcons.
Betsy Finch, rehabilitation manager at Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery, says after tagging the birds, the group inspects them for diseases and makes sure they’re healthy.
Tagging the falcons is part of a long-term study to track falcon populations across the Midwest and the U.S.
Diane Hoffmann, Mid-Plains Community College Director of Nursing and Health Occupations Division Chair, recently retired after 39 years of service to the college.
A native of Fremont, Neb., Hoffmann graduated from Bryan Memorial School of Nursing in Lincoln as a Diploma Registered Nurse in 1967. She began working at the college part-time in 1975 and took a full-time position teaching in the Licensed Practical Nursing program and teaching Pediatrics two years later.
“I had a rewarding career in Omaha at that time, however my husband was transferred to the North Platte area and we decided this would be a good place to stay and raise a family,” she said.
Although Hoffmann found it somewhat challenging to adjust to a smaller hospital, she quickly found her niche in both the community and the college. As her career progressed, she became involved in the development of MPCC’s Associate Degree Nursing program. She is credited for writing the initial curriculum for the ADN program and has been instrumental in creating and implementing ideas for curriculum improvement.
Hoffmann has served as the Director of Nursing of the ADN and LPN programs since 2000 when she was named Health Occupations Division Chair. She also served as co-chair for the internal fundraising campaign for the Health and Science Center at North Platte Community College, a role she found extremely rewarding.
As Hoffmann advanced in her career, she also recognized the importance of maintaining her credentials in order to continue teaching within the nursing programs. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Nebraska College of Nursing in 1983; a Master of Science in Education degree with major in counseling and educational psychology from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 1989; and a Master of Science in Nursing with a major in education from Bishop Clarkson College in 1991.
She also served on numerous councils, boards and organizations, including the Nebraska Center for Nursing Board which addresses the nursing shortage.
“Time management has been my ally,” she said. “At one time I was raising my family, driving to Omaha for classes, and working on developing curriculum for the ADN program all at the same time. I did it the hard way, so when I see nursing students who are trying to juggle things I can certainly sympathize with them.”
Hoffmann said that at one point her husband had the opportunity to transfer to Lincoln, but her progressing career and their love of the community kept them in North Platte. She is proud of the fact that not only were her children raised here, they both attended MPCC.
Another “family” that Hoffman is proud of is the simulation lab at the NPCC Health and Science Center.
“Through a supportive board and administration we’ve been able to fully equip our high fidelity simulation lab with a family of simulators that includes an adult, mother and baby, and a child,” she said.
The simulation lab and the Health and Science Center itself are at the top of the list when Hoffmann was asked about the highlights of her career.
“MPCC has grown tremendously and I’m so happy to have been a part of that growth,” she said. “I find great satisfaction in knowing that we are now educating the children of our graduates. I also like the fact that we have grown our own health care professionals. For example, three of our nurse educators are MPCC graduates who went on to get their masters and are now teaching.”
The quality of education and instructors is so important to Hoffmann that she’s often said she would not retire until there were “qualified, capable people to take over the nursing program.” Those wishes were fulfilled in January when Kathy Harrison was named Director of Nursing and Marina Makovicka became the Division Chair for Health Occupations.
“I am proud of the choices that the administration made during the selection process. We could not find more qualified and committed educators than Kathy and Marina,” she said.
To help ease the transition, Hoffmann continued to work at the college through the spring semester. She will serve as an advisor in the Dental Assisting Program and Nursing Program in the coming year in preparation for national accreditation site visits.
Although she plans to continue her involvement with nursing and education, Hoffmann said she is looking forward to spending more time with her family, as well as traveling and visiting their home in Manitoba, Canada.
“I am grateful for the opportunities that MPCC has provided to me over the years,” Hoffmann said. “We feel fortunate to have been able to raise our family in North Platte and take advantage of excellent educational opportunities that the community provides.”
North Platte, NE 5/21/2014 – Agent Justin Thompson of North Platte has been named an All
American Agent by American Family Insurance Group. He joins a select group of agents who
have distinguished themselves through outstanding sales and customer satisfaction/service of
American Family insurance products.
Thompson has been an agent for American Family since May, 2008. His office is located at 115
W B St in North Platte, NE.
“The All American symbolizes Justin’s commitment to value,” says Brian Mageria, American
Family agency sales manager. “He has a very strong insurance background and realizes his
success rests on earning the trust and respect of his customers.”
LINCOLN – Nebraskans are asked to be cautious when they enjoy a day on the water in their boats this summer. Boating safety should never be taken for granted.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission suggests ways boaters may reduce the risk of incidents and help ensure a safe and enjoyable day on the water.
Wear a Life Jacket – Children under age 13 and anybody on a personal watercraft are required by law to wear a United States Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device. People being towed by a boat on skis, a tube or other similar device also must wear a life jacket.
Avoid Alcohol – Boat operators can become impaired with less alcohol than motor vehicle drivers due to heat and dehydration. Boating Under the Influence is a criminal violation and is enforced actively in Nebraska.
Have All Required Safety Equipment – This will help boaters be prepared if an emergency occurs. Life jackets, throw cushions, fire extinguishers and bailing devices are required on most boats. For a list of what is required on a boat, check out the 2014 Boating Guide at BoatSafeNebraska.org.
Be Wary of Surroundings – The best boat operators constantly are looking around for other boats, personal watercraft, swimmers, stumps and other hazards. Speeds in excess of 5 mph are prohibited if within 30 yards of any other vessel, swimming area or dock.
Take a Boating Safety Course – Anyone born after Dec. 31, 1985, who operates a motorboat or personal watercraft in Nebraska, must have successfully completed the Nebraska boating safety course. Visit BoatSafeNebraska.org for a list of classes.
DENVER (AP) — Colorado Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez is out of the lineup Thursday against San Francisco with a swollen left index finger.
Rockies manager Walt Weiss said before the game that Gonzalez’s injury is a “day-to-day thing” and he doesn’t believe it’s “any more serious than that.”
Gonzalez has been dealing with inflammation in the finger all month and aggravated it again at the plate Wednesday night. He’s also bothered by tendinitis in his left knee.
Asked if he could see Gonzalez going on the disabled list to heal up, Weiss said, “if it gets to a certain point, it’s certainly an option.”
The smooth-fielding outfielder downplayed his recent spate of ailments, saying “just another stripe for a zebra.”
Gonzalez is hitting .276 with seven homers and 29 RBIs.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals sent third baseman Mike Moustakas to Triple-A Omaha on Thursday in their latest attempt to break one of their franchise cornerstones out of his prolonged slump.
The team announced the move in a brief statement while traveling from Kansas City to Anaheim. The Royals open a three-game series against the Angels on Friday.
Utility man Jimmy Paredes was recalled from Omaha in a corresponding move.
Moustakas had slowly lost playing time to Danny Valencia. The former No. 2 overall pick heads to Omaha toting a .152 average with four homers and 17 RBIs in 40 games.
Moustakas has been the everyday third baseman the past two seasons, but he’s struggled to live up to expectations. He hit.233 with 12 homers and 42 RBIs a year ago.
NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) — A train has struck a livestock truck at a crossing in western Nebraska, killing several cattle.
Union Pacific spokesman Aaron Hunt was on the Omaha-bound train around 9 a.m. Thursday when it struck the rear quarter of the trailer at the Springs Road crossing, about three miles west of Maxwell in Lincoln County. Hunt says the 30 or so UP employees on the inspection train and the train’s two crew members were not hurt. Neither was the truck driver.
Lincoln County sheriff’s Sgt. Wayne Connell says 14-15 of the 63 cattle in the trailer died on impact and several others were injured.
Connell says the truck driver reported that he didn’t see the train. Hunt says the crossing is marked by static crossing signs and controlled by stop signs.
NEW YORK (AP) — More Facebook users can expect to see a blue cartoon dinosaur popping up in their feeds, reminding them to check their privacy settings.
No stranger to privacy fiascos, Facebook had already made the tool available to users who were posting public updates. The feature is designed to remind people how widely they share posts, what apps they use and other privacy issues.
Facebook engineering manager Raylene Yung says the tool is the result of user feedback and decisions by the company to improve the user experience. Facebook says users are sometimes worried about sharing something by accident, or sharing with the wrong audience.
Facebook will also make the default audience for new users’ posts to “friends.” Previously, it was set to public.
