June 2014 – Page 56 – North Platte Post Archive

N. Grace Wemple

Posted on June 9, 2014

N. Grace Wemple, 81, of Gothenburg, NE, formerly of North Platte, NE, passed away Thursday, June 5, 2014, at the Gothenburg Hospital.

Grace was born June 13, 1932, to Glen Riley and Ruth Mae Wilcott Tracy at Sutherland, NE. She grew up in Sutherland and North Platte and graduated from North Platte High School in 1949.

On December 17, 1950, Grace married William J. ‘Bill’ Wemple. They made their home in North Platte where she worked for the Lincoln County Clerks Office until she retired. Following her retirement she continued to help at the clerk’s office part-time and also helped during elections.

Grace was a member of the First Christian Church and an extension club. She enjoyed sewing, gardening and spending time with her kids and grandkids.

Survivors include her daughters, Pamela (Ken) Fairchild, of Lincoln, NE, Carol Wemple, of Lafayette, CO and Tracy (Wade) Geiken, of Gothenburg; six grandchildren, Rebecca (James) Greene, of Thorton, CO, Ryan (Melodee) Lee, of Lonetree, CO, Justin (Cari) Geiken, of Gothenburg, Jordan and McKenzie Geiken, of Gothenburg and Lindsey (Scott) Frohn, of Lincoln, NE; three great-grandchildren, Taylor, Carter and Easton Greene; a sister, Alice (Harold) Lauer, of Lincoln; sisters-in-law, Jackie Johnson and Konnie Wemple, both of North Platte; brothers-in-law, Larry Green, of Grove, OK and Maynard (Nancy) Wemple, of McMinnville, OR; several nieces, nephews and other family.

Grace was preceded in death by her husband, Bill; her parents, Glen and Ruth Tracy, and stepmother, Margaret Brackett Wellington Tracy; a brother, Glen Roger Tracy; her sister, Henrietta Green; and sister-in-law, Retha Tracy.

Cremation was chosen. A memorial service will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 17, 2014, at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore in North Platte with Pastor Mark Borchardt officiating. Inurnment will follow in Fort McPherson National Cemetery. The memorial book may be signed from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and before services at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore. Condolences may also be shared at odeanchapel.com. The family has established a memorial. Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore is in charge of arrangements.

First Nationals Split Four Games over the Weekend

Posted on June 9, 2014June 9, 2014

The North Platte First Nationals hosted Canon City, Colo. and JC Brager during a rainy weekend and went 2-2.

North Platte (10-8) and Canon City were supposed to meet on Friday night at Bill Wood Field, but because of the rain the game was postponed until Sunday morning. The First Nationals and Canon City also played on Saturday. North Platte played JC Brager on both Saturday and Sunday as well.

The First Nationals began Saturday with a 4-0 shutout win over Canon City. North Platte led 1-0 in a pitchers dual until they scored three runs in the fifth inning to pull away. Darian Allberry led the way at the plate by going 1-3 with a double and two RBI. Ty Brockmoller was dominant on the mound by throwing a complete game shutout. Brockmoller gave up just five hits and struck out seven batters without walking anyone.

The second game of the day for North Platte was the opposite as they got shutout by JC Brager 7-0. The game was shaping up to be a pitchers dual before JC Brager scored six runs in the top of the fourth inning. The First Nationals were only able to muster one hit against JC Brager’s Noah Kulhanek, who pitched a complete game shutout. Levi Nekuda took the loss on the mound for North Platte after giving up seven runs, six earned, on eight hits in three plus innings pitched. Devan Hovden came in, in relief for the final four innings and gave up five hits, but no runs.

The First Nationals returned to winning Sunday morning against Canon City, 9-1. Jack Kenny led the way at the plate for North Platte going 2-2 with a double and two runs scored. Brockmoller and Alex Harms each had two runs batted in during the game. Allberry was the overall star as he three a five-inning complete game from the mound. Allberry gave up one run on six hits and struck out five batters. He also went 1-2 at the plate with an RBI and two runs scored.

The final game of the weekend for North Platte was another loss to JC Brager, 10-8. The First Nationals had an 8-7 lead in the top of the seventh inning before JC Brager scored three runs to take the lead and get the win. Drew Callaghan and Marcos Silos both had a big game at the plate for North Platte. Callaghan went 3-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Silos was 3-4 with three RBI. Riley Vierya pitched a complete game for the First Nationals. He gave up 10 runs, seven earned, on 12 hits.

North Platte’s next game is Tuesday, June 10 at Hastings. The First Nationals will play a Cornhusker League doubleheader against Hastings with the first pitch of game one scheduled for 5:30 pm.

The North Platte Juniors team also had a 2-2 weekend. The Juniors played in Kearney and started 2-0 with wins over Lincoln Southeast, 7-2, and Elkhorn South, 10-0. North Platte lost the final games of the weekend to Creighton Prep, 7-4, and Omaha Gross, 6-4. The First Nationals Juniors are now 12-3 on the season and next play Tuesday, June 10 at home against Hastings in a doubleheader that starts at 5:30 pm.

Kearney Man Convicted of Shaking Infant

Posted on June 9, 2014June 9, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — A 23-year-old Kearney man has been convicted of severely shaking his girlfriend’s infant daughter.

Trey Tickle was convicted last week of felony child abuse. He will be sentenced in August.

The child’s mother, 23-year-old Brittney Schlund, of Kearney, was convicted of felony child abuse for the same incidents. Prosecutors say she placed her child and another in situations that endangered them.

Oklahoma Rodeo Clown to Entertain at Buffalo Bill Rodeo

Posted on June 9, 2014

Justin Rumford will clown at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte June 18-21. The Ponca City, Okla. cowboy is a two-time PRCA Clown of the Year, and his newly born triplets are providing plenty of comic material.

North Platte, Neb. (June 9, 2014) – The only difference between a stand-up comedian and Justin Rumford, is that he does his “schtick” in the middle of a rodeo arena.

Rumford, who lives in Ponca City, Okla., will be the rodeo clown and barrelman for the 2014 Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte June 18-21.

The 34 year old cowboy grew up in the rodeo business, the third generation of Rumfords in the family’s stock contracting company. He competed in junior high, high school, and college rodeo and became a full time steer wrestler. But after blowing out his knee, he had other ideas. He coached a college rodeo team and worked for Bennie Beutler, the stock contractor for North Platte, driving truck, and loading, sorting and feeding livestock.

He was a natural at making people laugh, but being a clown never occurred to him. It was only after he worked as clown at a couple of events that he changed his mind. “I worked a bull riding in Pretty Prairie (Kan.), and they gave me a thousand bucks. And I thought, why the heck am I working so hard for $800 a week, when I can make $1000 a weekend? So I jumped ship. I love rodeo,” he cracks, “but the one thing I love more than that is making money.”

And lucky for rodeo fans, Rumford became a full time rodeo clown.

Now he entertains at rodeos across the nation, from the East Coast to the West Coast, Texas to the Canada border. He’s even been selected –twice – as the Clown of the Year for the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association. The humble man was honored. “I don’t know if I deserve it, but I’m fortunate to accept it.”

Justin and his wife Ashley were blessed with triplet children, born in September of last year. Daughters Livi and Lola and son Bandy were born prematurely but are healthy and well now, and Justin already has plans for his kids in his clown acts. He’s planning on building a horse racing starting gate for three, and when the babies are three or four, they’ll ride into the arena on Shetland ponies, dressed in jockey outfits, and they’ll have a pony race.

And they’re providing him material for writing a book for expectant fathers of multiple children. When he and Ashley were waiting for their babies to be born, Justin read up on having multiples. “I went on Amazon and bought all these books, and they’re a bunch of lies,” he joked. “I’m writing a book: The Truth About Triplets – A Rodeo Clown’s Confession. I’m writing about everything from four years of infertility treatments to bed rest, to me rodeoing when Ashley was in the hospital. I think it’ll be a great book, and I hope it helps fathers of multiples. I put real life experiences about what it’s like, and I didn’t sugar coat anything. I guarantee, I didn’t sleep the whole month of December,” (when the babies came home from the neonatal ICU.)

And he’s planning on bringing the babies to North Platte with him. His wife and kids were with him for rodeos in March and April, and he misses them when he’s gone and they’re at home. “I have a 44 foot (travel) trailer, and I can bring the whole family with me. I’d rather be miserable on the road (with them) than happy by myself.”

Justin will entertain with his comedy and acts during each night of the Buffalo Bill Rodeo June 18-21. General admission tickets are $7 for children and $13 for adults. Reserved seats are $20. For more information, visit NebraskaLandDays.com or call the NebraskalandDays office at 308.532.7939.

Chicago Man Dies After Crash at Rest Area Near Kearney

Posted on June 9, 2014June 9, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — A Chicago man has died after the van he was driving rammed into a semitrailer parked at a highway rest area in south-central Nebraska.

The Nebraska State Patrol says the accident was reported about 8:15 a.m. Sunday at the eastbound Interstate 80 rest area around four miles west of Kearney. The patrol says the van struck the rear of the semitrailer. The truck driver was sleeping in the tractor cab and apparently wasn’t injured.

The patrol says the van driver died at the scene. He was identified as 27-year-old Maurice Lewis. Two passengers in the van were taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. They were identified as 22-year-old Charles Stokes, of Ferguson, Missouri, and 48-year-old Willie Sheppard, of Phoenix.

Former Bulldog Leads Gold Team to Victory in the Mid-Plains Area All-Star Game

Posted on June 9, 2014June 9, 2014

North Platte Community College hosted the eighth annual Mid-Plains Area All-Star Games on Friday at McDonald-Belton Gymnasium and former North Platte High athlete Kade Erickson led the way for Team Gold in the boys game.

Erickson was part of the second unit for the Gold Team, but that didn’t stop him from stealing the show in Friday’s boys All-Star game. Erickson led all scorers with 20 points as he led his team to a 95-91 win over Team Black. Erickson knocked down four three-pointers in the game and also hit two clutch free throws late to help secure the win. He didn’t start the game but his coach Dave Jacobs, from Brady High School, went with the five players who had the hot hand for the final five minutes and Erickson’s 12 second-half points led the way.

The North Platte Bulldogs were well represented in the game for the Black Team as well. Drew Callaghan led Black with 18 points and was the second-highest scoring player in the game. Callaghan also won the three-point contest that took place at halftime. He beat out his teammate Hayden Cahoy, from Overton High School, for the three-point title.

There were multiple players from area schools that competed in the game. For the Gold Team Landon Swedberg from Wallace High School scored six points and Mark Mayfield from North Platte St. Patrick’s added four points to go along with Erickson’s 20. The Black Team was led by Callaghan’s 18 and followed up by Tyler Fear from Sutherland High School, who had nine points. Hershey High School’s Landan Maassen scored five points and Alex Harms from North Platte St. Patrick’s added two points.

The girls All-Star game was the first game of the night and Team Black won it going away, 67-43. The score was much closer at halftime as Black led the Gold Team 36-29 before pulling away early in the second half.

Tailor Lee from Wauneta-Palisade led all scorers with 12 points for Team Black. The Black Team had four players in double-figures. Former North Platte Lady Bulldog Allison Sawyer scored 11 points, future North Platte Lady Knight from Hershey High School Maddie Seamann scored 11 points and Creek Valley’s Summer Mueller scored 10. The Gold team was led by another future Lady Knight, Sarah Mahr from Sydney High School scored 11 points.

The girls game featured even more players from area schools. For Team Gold Brady High School’s Madison Elliott scored eight points, her high school teammate and future Lady Knight volleyball player Valerie Most scored seven points, Hershey’s Maegan Hiatt scored four points, Madalynn Doughty from North Platte High scored two points and her high school teammate Sally Hengen also played for Team Gold.

The Black Team had Seamann’s and Sawyer’s 11 points apiece along with nine points from Sam Staggs from Sutherland High School. Staggs’ high school teammate, Jalyne Schuster scored three points and from North Platte St. Patrick’s Bree Saner also played in the game.

The girls game featured a trick play from the Gold Team. Hengen went down on all fours underneath the basket as Hiatt drove, jumped off of Hengen’s back and very nearly dunked it. The ball went in the hoop as her hand touched the rim.

Staggs won the three-point contest during halftime of the girls game. She beat Hiatt in the finals.

A list of area players for both the boys and girls teams that competed and will be playing a sport in college next season are listed below.

Boys

Drew Callaghan, North Platte High School – Basketball at Hastings College
Alex Harms, North Platte St. Patrick’s High School – Football at University of Nebraska Kearney

Girls

Maddie Seamann, Hershey High School – Basketball at North Platte Community College
Madalynn Doughty, North Platte High School – Soccer at University of Nebraska Kearney
Valerie Most, Brady High School – Volleyball at North Platte Community College

US Gas Prices Holding Steady at $3.69 per Gallon

Posted on June 9, 2014

CAMARILLO, California (AP) — A survey says the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in the U.S. is holding steady, rising 3½ cents over the last three weeks to $3.69.

Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said Sunday that crude oil prices are little changed and strong refinery output has quenched higher demand. She anticipates minor price declines ahead.

The survey taken Friday shows the average price for a gallon of midgrade gas was $3.88 and the average price for a gallon of premium was $4.03. Diesel averaged $3.96 a gallon.

Of cities surveyed in the continental U.S., Baton Rouge, Louisiana, had the lowest average price at $3.33 a gallon. San Francisco had the highest average at $4.14 a gallon.

The average price per gallon of Regular in Nebraska is $3.52, according to gasbuddy.com.

Gunman in Car Wounds Southeast Nebraska Deputy

Posted on June 9, 2014June 9, 2014

FALLS CITY, Neb. (AP) — Law enforcement agencies are combing southeast Nebraska, looking for a car carrying someone who shot a sheriff’s deputy.

The shooting occurred about 2:45 a.m. Monday on Richardson County Road 717 near U.S. Highway 75, about 10 miles south of Auburn.

Richardson County Sheriff Randy Houser says the deputy had noticed a stopped car, so he approached to offer help to the people inside. Houser says several shots were fired from inside the vehicle, which then sped away.

The deputy gave a chase but soon stopped when he noticed that one of his arms had been hit by a bullet.

The officer is being treated in Lincoln. His name hasn’t been released.

No arrests have been reported.

World’s Oldest Man Dies in NYC at 111

Posted on June 9, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — The world’s oldest man, a retired chemist and parapsychologist, has died in New York City. Alexander Imich was 111.

His niece, Karen Bogen of Providence, Rhode Island, says Imich died Sunday at his home in Manhattan.

Bogen says she had visited Imich a day earlier. She says his health declined about two weeks ago and he didn’t recognize her.

Imich was born in 1903 in a town in Poland that was then part of Russia. He and his wife fled after the Nazis invaded in 1939. They eventually moved to the United States in 1951. His wife died in 1986.

In news reports, Imich said his good genes and a general healthy lifestyle contributed to his longevity.

Guinness is investigating the claim that 111-year-old Sakari Momoi of Japan is now the world’s oldest man.

The world’s oldest person is a woman, 116-year-old Misao Okawa of Japan.

Former Lincoln Man Victim of Las Vegas Shooting

Posted on June 9, 2014June 8, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A former Lincoln man is one of the two police officers who were shot and killed in an ambush at a Las Vegas restaurant.

Colleen Soldo of Beatrice says her brother-in-law Officer Igor Soldo was a victim of Sunday’s shooting. Authorities say a man and a woman ambushed Soldo and another officer as they were eating, fatally shooting them.

Police say the shooters then fled to a Wal-Mart, where they killed another person before killing themselves.

Colleen Soldo says her brother-in-law attended high school in Lincoln and worked as a corrections officer in Lancaster County.

She says he was a “great guy” who was a good father, husband, brother and officer.

Las Vegas police say the 31-year-old Soldo is survived by a wife and baby.