June 2014 – Page 39 – North Platte Post Archive

Casey Kasem, King of the Top 40 Countdown Dead

Posted on June 15, 2014

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Casey Kasem, the smooth-voiced radio broadcaster who became the king of the top 40 countdown, has died at age 82.

Danny Deraney, publicist for Kasem’s daughter, Kerri, says Kasem died Sunday morning.

Kasem’s “American Top 40” began on July 4, 1970, in Los Angeles. The No. 1 song on his list then was “Mama Told Me Not to Come,” by Three Dog Night.

The show continued in varying forms — and for varying syndicators — until his retirement in 2009. In his signoff, he would tell viewers: “And don’t forget: keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.”

Hoarder Dies After 1st Floor Falls Into Basement

Posted on June 15, 2014

CHESHIRE, Conn. (AP) — Police in Connecticut say an apparent hoarder has died after the cluttered first floor of her home collapsed into the basement.

Authorities say 66-year-old Beverly Mitchell was found in her Cheshire home Saturday, two days after a postal carrier called police to request a welfare check because her mail was piling up.

Cheshire police say they went to the home Thursday but didn’t find anyone. Police say the first floor was piled waist-high with clutter, and they didn’t realize until Friday that the floor had collapsed.

Officials say they found Mitchell’s body while removing debris with a backhoe through a hole in the house.

Police say Mitchell had declined offers of help from social service officials over the years.

Many Nebraskans Still Repairing Hail Damage

Posted on June 15, 2014

STANTON, Neb. (AP) — The severe thunderstorms that spawned large hail and strong winds earlier this month left a lasting mark on many Nebraska communities.

Aaron Volkman said it will take weeks or even months to repair all the damage to his rural home near Stanton.

The June 3 storms also caused significant hail damage in Blair, Fort Calhoun, Uehling and Craig, Nebraska, and in the western Iowa town of Missouri Valley.

The hail shredded the siding on the north and west sides of Volkman’s home. Several windows were shattered and the roof had holes in it.

Volkman says a contractor estimated that the repairs will cost $54,000 although insurance will cover the bill.

Kaymer Closes Out Wire-to-Wire US Open Win

Posted on June 15, 2014

PINEHURST, N.C. (AP) — Martin Kaymer of Germany won the U.S. Open on Sunday with four days of dominance at Pinehurst No. 2.

Kaymer won his second major championship. He made a 15-foot par putt on the last hole for a 1-under 69, giving him an eight-shot victory over Rickie Fowler and Erik Compton.

He became only the seventh player in 114 years of the U.S. Open to go wire-to-wire, and no one ever had a chance. Kaymer led by at least four shots for the final 48 holes of this U.S. Open.

Compton, a two-time heart transplant recipient, was the only player to give him a serious challenge until consecutive bogeys early on the back nine. He closed with a 72 and gets a reasonable consolation prize — a trip to the Masters.

Perez Homers to Lift Royals over White Sox 6-3

Posted on June 15, 2014

CHICAGO (AP) — Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer and the Kansas City Royals completed a three-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox with a 6-3 win Sunday.

James Shields (8-3) won his fifth straight decision and the Royals extended their season-high win streak to seven games. He pitched out of trouble throughout his outing.

Shields allowed three runs and scattered 10 hits in six innings. Greg Holland pitched a scoreless ninth for his 20th save in 21 chances.

The Royals haven’t lost with Shields on the mound since May 2, and he’s 5-0 in eight starts because of the Royals’ 42 runs of support.

Eric Hosmer also hit a two-run home run for the Royals.

Alejandro De Aza had a two-run double for the White Sox, who lost their fourth straight game. Starter Andre Rienzo (4-4) allowed six runs on six hits in six innings.

The White Sox have lost 10 of their last 11 home games against the Royals been outscored 53-20 in them.

With one out in the first inning, Hosmer connected on a 1-2 pitch for a two-run shot to center. It was his fourth of the season.

With the Royals up 2-1 in the third inning with two outs, Billy Butler was hit by Rienzo’s pitch. Alex Gordon drew a walk then Perez followed with a tape-measure home run to left, giving the Royals a 5-1 lead. It was Perez’s seventh of the season.

Mike Moustakas scored from second on Jarrod Dyson’s RBI single in the fourth inning after he was initially ruled out on a force at second base. The call was overturned after a challenge.

Adam Eaton led off the first inning with a hard grounder that went underneath Hosmer’s mitt at first. Eaton wound up with a stand-up triple. One pitch later, Shields appeared to have Eaton picked off at third base, but plate umpire Paul Emmel ruled that Shields did not step off the rubber and awarded Eaton home. Royals manager Ned Yost argued the balk and was tossed by Emmel as he was headed back to the dugout. Yost then confronted Emmel for another animated conversation before leaving the game.

De Aza had a two-run double off Shields in the fourth inning.

NOTES: Yost was ejected for the third time this season. … White Sox LHP John Danks is scheduled to start on Tuesday against the Giants. He is 2-1 with a 2.11 ERA in his last three starts. … Eaton finished the game with three hits.

Lincoln County Raceway Results – June 14

Posted on June 15, 2014

Trying their best to outrun the oncoming storm were the IMCA challengers that competed at Lincoln County Raceway in North Platte, Nebraska on Saturday evening. Bryan Herrick, Kyle Bond and Charlie Blowers tamed the storm to claim top honors and earn a trip to the winners circle.

Grabbing the lead when it counted the most; the Rubber Duck, Bryan Herrick of Curtis floated around the top five for much of the IMCA feature event to eventually drive his way to the front of the field on the white flag lap to hold on for the win in the IMCA Sport Modified division. Herrick started in the fifth row and was able to avoid incident and be among the leaders throughout the contest. Finishing second overall after leading the first 13 laps of the feature was Robby Kosmacek of North Platte. Heat race winner Terry Dressel of North Platte earned a podium finish with a third place drive. Along with Dressel, Sutherland’s Henry Henderson won an opening night heat race.

In the IMCA stock car division, Casey Werkmeister of Maywood and Wallace’s Kyle Clough won opening night heat races, but with the impending weather approaching, the Feature event was postponed until the next regular season race night.

Driving his way to the front and then running away and hiding was Kyle Bond of Gibbon in the IMCA Hobby Stock Feature. Bond started in the fourth row and snared the lead on the fourth circuit, after winning an earlier in the evening heat race. Following Bond through the traffic was the Benkelman Bullet Austin Davis, who was high on the wheel in hopes of running down Bond, but he was forced to settle with runner-up honors. Recovering quite nicely from an early in the feature spin, Robert Leonard of Gibbon was third overall. Bond and Leonard won the heat races in the Hobby Stock division.

Scoring his first ever Feature victory was Charlie Blowers of Arnold in the IMCA Sport Compact division. Blowers started in the second row and was able to complete the pass for the lead of Devin Bjorklund of Cozad on the eighth lap and drive to the win. Sutherland’s Alex Fletcher was the runner-up with a consistency filled effort on the North Platte oval. The leader for the initial seven laps, Bjorklund crossed the finish line to earn show accolades. In one of the most impressive efforts of the night, Andrew Baumgardner of North Platte lost a wheel on the final laps of the Feature and finished fourth place overall on just three tires.

Coming up on Tuesday night at the Lincoln County Raceway is the Second Annual ‘Buffalo Bill Wild West Challenge,’ where over $10,000 purse will be awarded to the competitiors that challenge for the checkered flags. Pit gates open at 4 p.m. and the racing action is set to start with the drop of the green flag at 7 p.m.

Unofficial Results

–Northern Sport Modified Feature: 1. 0-Bryan Herrick; 2. 15r-Robby Kosmacek; 3. 13-Terry Dressel; 4. 11h-Henry Henderson; 5. 3-Gary Long; 6. 12j-Kerry Jones; 7. 69-Adam Kackmeister; 8. 88-Eric Kackmeister; 9. 11-Tim Cooper; 10. 848-Troy Douglas.

Heat 1: 1. 11h-Henry Henderson; 2. 15r-Robby Kosmacek; 3. 0-Bryan Herrick.

Heat 2: 1. 13-Terry Dressel; 2. 11-Tim Cooper; 3. 1-Paul Donovan.

–IMCA Hobby Stock Feature: 1. 0-Kyle Bond; 2. 22-Austin Davis; 3. 85-Robert Leonard; 4. 88j-Jacob Olmstead; 5. 72h-Kevin Hagan; 6. 22w-Brady Weinman; 7. 7s-Scott Gibson; 8. 2c-Tyson Canas; 9. 33-Ben Arvdahl; 10. 72b-Jacob Hagan.

Heat 1: 1. 0-Kyle Bond; 2. 72h-Kevin Hagan; 3. 22-Austin Davis.

Heat 2: 1. 85-Robert Leonard; 2. 88j-Jacob Olmstead; 3. 22w-Brady Weinman.

–IMCA Sport Compact Feature: 1. 22b-Charlie Blowers; 2. 67-Alex Fletcher; 3. 28d-Devin Bjorklund; 4. 44u-Andrew Baumgardner; 5. 33-Andrew McClellen; 6. 67x-Blake Fletcher; 7. 12t-Tanner Jones.

Heat 1: 1. 44u-Andrew Baumgardner; 2. 22b-Charlie Blowers; 3. 28d-Devin Bjorklund.

Alliance Woman Accused of Taking Nearly $12K from Soccer Club

Posted on June 15, 2014

ALLIANCE, Neb. (AP) — A western Nebraska woman has been charged with stealing nearly $12,000 from a youth soccer team in Alliance.

30-year-old Erin Merrill’s case has been bound over to district court. She is facing two counts of felony theft.

Prosecutors say Merrill used the soccer team’s debit card to withdraw $8,180 cash in 39 different transactions between September 2012 and August 2013. They say she also used the team card to make $3,485.04 in purchases.

Merrill remains free on bond. She is scheduled to be arraigned in Box Butte County District Court on June 25 and enter her plea.

Omaha-Area Districts Lead in Lobbying

Posted on June 15, 2014June 15, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s largest public schools are still using local tax dollars to pay for lobbyists at the Capitol, and more than three-fourths of that money is coming from districts in the Omaha area.

An Associated Press analysis of lobbying reports finds that school districts paid more than $477,000 last year to lobbyists, in addition to membership fees for statewide education groups. Of the money from individual districts last year, nearly $366,800 was spent by those in Douglas and Sarpy County and the Omaha area’s Learning Community.

Schools have continued to retain lobbyists despite a 2011 change in Nebraska’s school-funding formula that prevents them from using state aid to cover the cost. Jack Gould of the group Common Cause Nebraska says it gives bigger schools an unfair advantage over smaller ones.

2013 SCHOOL DISTRICT SPENDING ON LOBBYISTS

Adams Central Public Schools — $11,117.87

(*)Bellevue Public Schools — $60,200

(*)Bennington Public Schools — $32,300

Columbus Public Schools — $11,250

(*)Elkhorn Public Schools — $18,950

Fremont Public Schools — $20,000

Grand Island Northwest Public Schools — $11,079

Grand Island Public Schools — $30,000

Lakeview Community Schools — $6,080

Lincoln Public Schools — $45,086

(*)Millard Public Schools — $66,079

(*)Omaha Public Schools — $67,091

(*)Papillion-La Vista School District — $27,200

(*)Ralston Public School District — $28,416

(*)Springfield Platteview Community Schools — $10,769

(*)Westside Community Schools — $31,418

TOTAL SPENT BY INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS: $477,038

REGIONAL GROUPS

Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy County — $24,345

TOTAL SPENT BY DOUGLAS, SARPY DISTRICTS AND LEARNING COMMUNITY: $366,769

STATEWIDE GROUPS

Educational Service Unit Coordinating Council — $18,750

Nebraska Association of School Boards — $40,106

Nebraska Council of School Administrators — $92,295 (some dues paid through payroll deductions)

Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association — $27,700

Source: Clerk of the Nebraska Legislature

(*)District based in Douglas/Sarpy County

New Ice Rink in Lincoln Likely to Be Approved Soon

Posted on June 15, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Lincoln officials are ready to sign off on new ice skating rink seven years after getting a $7 million donation for the project.

The City Council is scheduled to vote on the project by the end of June. The University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved its role in the project in May.

Once the city approves the agreement, construction can begin. University officials hope ice rink will be ready by the fall of 2015.

Former state auditor John Breslow first announced his intention to donate $7 million for the ice rink in 2007. But the project languished while university and city officials focused on finishing the Pinnacle Bank arena for basketball and events.

Bertha E. Cooke

Posted on June 15, 2014

Bertha E. Cooke, 93, passed away June 13, 2014 at the North Platte Care Center. She was born June 27, 1920 to August and Louise “Lucy” (Hensel) Hubert at Webster County. Bertha was a longtime employee of Northwestern Public Service Company, retiring as chief accountant in 1982. She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Richard, Alvin, Paul and Carl Hubert; sisters, Charlotte L‘Heureux, Anna Swedlund and Rosa Loschen. She is survived by 21 nieces and nephews. Cremation was chosen. Memorial services will be 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 17, 2014 at Carpenter Memorial Chapel in North Platte with the Rev. Frank Fitch officiating. Memorial graveside services will be 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 18, 2014 at the Upland Cemetery in Upland, NE. Memorials are suggested to the Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation, 120 N Dewey, North Platte, NE 69101. Online condolences may be shared at www.carpentermemorial.com. Carpenter Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.