TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — For decades, seasonal allergy sufferers had two therapy options to ease the misery of hay fever. They could swallow pills or squirt nasal sprays every day for brief reprieves from the sneezing and itchy eyes. Or they could get allergy shots for years.
Now patients can try another type of therapy to train their immune system, new once-a-day tablets that dissolve quickly under the tongue and steadily raise tolerance to grass or ragweed pollen.
The downside: The pills, from drugmakers Merck and Stallergenes, must be started a few months before the grass or ragweed pollen season. That means it’s too late for people with grass allergies, but the time is now for ragweed allergy sufferers.
Meanwhile, new treatments for other allergies, including to peanuts and eggs, are in testing.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Active members of the U.S. armed forces and their families are being offered free admission to Douglas County Historical Society’s General Crook House Museum in Omaha this summer.
The promotion runs through Sept. 1.
Both the General Crook House and the campus are of special significance to the American military. Fort Omaha was built as an Indian Wars United States Army supply installation, and later served the Signal Corps and as a training ground for the Army’s Balloon School. The school taught soldiers how to do reconnaissance from hydrogen balloons in preparation for World War I.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A monthly economic index for nine Midwestern and Plains states has inched up to hit another three-year high, suggesting more economic growth over the next three to six months.
A report issued Monday says the overall Mid-America Business Conditions Index rose to 60.5 in May from 60.4 in April, which also was a three-year high.
Looking six months ahead, the business confidence portion of the overall index dropped to 62.5 from 64.2 in April.
The survey results from supply managers are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth, while a score below that suggests decline.
The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.
A North Platte man is facing multiple felony charges after he allegedly threatened his girlfriend and others with a shotgun.
At around 10:30 p.m., on May 31, officers with the North Platte Police Department responded to a physical disturbance in the 800 block of East 10th Street.
Upon arrival, a 19-year-old female told officers that her boyfriend, 20-year-old Rusty Foster, had come to the residence, where she was visiting friends, and demanded that he speak to the her.
According to Officer Rodney Brown, Foster was reportedly standing outside the residence with a shotgun and cocked it, insinuating that he was loading it.
Brown said the victim and other occupants became fearful and hid towards the rear of the residence.
Moments later, Foster allegedly placed the shotgun in his vehicle and entered the residence with the victim’s 44-year-old father. The victim claims she was then forced to leave with Foster and return to their residence in the 2300 block of West 16th Street.
The victim alleged that, once inside their residence, Foster became physical and threw her across the room. She told officers that this caused her pain.
She said Foster attempted to prevent her from leaving the residence, but she was able to eventually leave through the back door and escape to a neighbor’s house.
At around 1:15 a.m., on June 1, officers located a silver Nissan, driven by Foster, in the 900 block of Rodeo Road. Brown said an investigative traffic stop was conducted.
Officers made contact with Foster and located the unloaded shotgun in the trunk of the vehicle. They also located ammunition for the shotgun both inside the vehicle and in the trunk.
Following further investigation, officers placed Foster under arrest. He’s been charged with felony terroristic threats, use of a weapon to commit a felony and 3rd degree domestic assault.
Foster was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.
Nicholson (Right) with NPHS and Flatrock 17 teammate Allison Kuenle.
North Platte Bulldog volleyball player Olivia Nicholson was named to the USA Youth National Volleyball Team on May 28.
Nicholson recently finished her sophomore season at North Platte High School where she recorded 246 kills, 51 solo blocks and 18 block assists. She helped the Lady Dawgs reach the district finals where they lost to Lincoln North Star 3-1. North Platte finished the season with a 21-11 record. Nicholson along with 11 other girls from around the country will compete in the 2014 NORCECA U-18 Continental Championships in Costa Rica June 22-30.
In an article on nebraskaprepvolleyball.com North Platte High volleyball coach Laura Miller said:
“Ollie is becoming more confident in herself and her abilities. She is wanting the ball in clutch situations. She has a great work ethic and has become an awesome team player. We are very excited for her and this opportunity she has worked really hard for. She will have an amazing experience and she will bring it all back to our gym this fall.”
Chicago, IL – The United States Hockey League today announced the appointment of Bob Fallen as President and Commissioner. Fallen follows Skip Princewho led the USHL for six momentous years during which the League experienced significant growth in business and hockey operations, along with achieving record numbers in player development. Fallen is being formally introduced today during a media teleconference.**
With professional experience spanning nearly three decades in sports marketing, publishing, sales, media relations, and management, Fallen assumed the League’s leadership position on June 1st. He is just the third Commissioner for the USHL in the past 20 years.
“I am thrilled with the opportunity to lead the finest junior hockey league in the world,” said Fallen. “The foundation built by my predecessors, league owners, and the stakeholders throughout the hockey industry have made the USHL an important step along the developmental path for players, coaches, and officials. I look forward to working with our staff, aligned partners, and the international hockey community at-large to build upon our success.”
Fallen most recently managed the U.S. trade marketing efforts for Reebok-CCM Hockey – the world’s largest hockey equipment manufacturing company and equipment supplier to many leagues including the NHL, AHL, and USHL. In his position, Fallen was responsible for executing retail product launches, strategic account planning, media promotion, and maintaining various league alliances.
Prior to his stint with Reebok-CCM, Fallen’s career included several hockey business related endeavors including retail and event venue graphics, magazine publishing, corporate sponsorship, and event management. His professional experience includes serving as Associate Publisher for USA Hockey Magazine andMinnesota Hockey Journal along with developing the partnership development efforts for Minnesota Hockey and the Hobey Baker Memorial Award – college hockey’s top individual honor.
Fallen has also been heavily involved in hockey at the amateur level. He served for several years on the USA Hockey Marketing Council, supporting various initiatives in marketing, sponsorship, media, and membership development. He has also been a board member for the Upper Midwest High School Elite League, a Minnesota-based league for top high school hockey talent that has helped produce a number of players that have moved on to play in the USHL. Fallen led an effort that significantly increased the Elite League’s sponsorship and media efforts. In a personal role, he is the Director of Skaters Keep Achieving Thru Education(S.K.A.T.E.), a non-profit organization devoted to promoting academic achievement among youth hockey players.
“Skip Prince did a tremendous job elevating the USHL to where it is today and Bob is inheriting a strong league that is on an upswing,” said Brad Kwong, Interim Chairman of the USHL Board of Directors. “But the USHL still has much untapped potential, and we are extremely excited that we’ve been able to attract Bob to be the leader that will help us achieve even bigger and better things during our next phase of growth.”
Coming to the USHL marks a return to the Chicago area for Fallen as he is a native of Glen Ellyn, Illinois and began his professional career in the area after graduating from nearby Northern Illinois University. Early career opportunities encompassed roles for a number of sports management and promotion companies, including International Management Group, Kemper Sports, and Sport F/X, an agency he started which had a client roster that included the National Hockey League, USA Hockey, and United States Hockey Hall of Fame.
Fallen and his wife, Kathy, have two children, a daughter Kelley (25) and son Thomas (23). Kelley played NCAA hockey at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN and was a four-year letter winner, including serving as a captain during her senior season in 2011. Thomas spent two seasons playing in the USHL for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (2009-11) and helped the team capture the regular season Anderson Cup title in 2010-11. He is now entering his fourth season of college hockey at Yale University and was recently named captain of the Bulldogs for 2014-15. He was part of the school’s first-ever NCAA Ice Hockey Championship in 2013 and is among the school’s all-time scoring leaders for defensemen.
Bob Fallen takes over the role of President and Commissioner of the USHL that had been held by Skip Prince since 2008. Prince, along with the USHL Executive Committee, helped lead the national search for the new Commissioner, and he will continue to serve in an advisory role for the League on projects and initiatives.
Eagle Communications employee-owner, Olivia Brown, has been named to fill the position of General Sales Manager for Eagle Communications in North Platte.
Brown began her career with Eagle in 2011, and has recently been functioning as Local Sales Coordinator since January of this year.
As Sales Manager, Brown will be responsible for developing and implementing all local sales campaigns and promotions, and in mentoring the sales staff. She has experience as a sales representative as well as on-air announcing. Brown is married with two children.
“Olivia has shown herself to be a great motivator and team leader”, said station manager, Jerome Gilg. “She is an excellent choice for leading our award winning sales team and I look forward to working with her in this new capacity”, he added.
Eagle Communications is a comprehensive communications company headquartered in Hays, Kansas. The corporation’s holdings include Radio, Cable TV Systems, Electronic Billboards and Digital news and entertainment.
North Platte resident Larry Gosnell was awarded the Trail Boss Award at last year’s Buffalo Bill Rodeo. He has volunteered with the rodeo for 26 years.
North Platte, Neb. (June 2, 2014) – Larry Gosnell never thought he’d be involved in rodeo.
The North Platte man always came to watch the Buffalo Bill Rodeo when he was a kid, but he never thought he’d be behind the chutes.
It was in 1988 when Melvin Hill, another North Platte resident, stopped by his business, Larry’s Glass, on West Fifth Street. He asked Larry to go for a ride with him. They stopped for coffee and a donut, and Melvin asked if Larry would want to be on the Buffalo Bill Rodeo committee. Melvin said the committee was made up of cowboys and businessmen, and they were looking for more businessmen. “I said, I don’t know anything about rodeo,” Larry remembers, and Melvin told him he didn’t need to know anything about rodeo, he needed to know business. “I said, ‘you’ve got to be kidding.’ I thought it was a joke, and I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be voted in.”
A few weeks later, after the rodeo board election, Melvin called Larry. You were a unanimous decision, he told him, and again Larry said, “You’ve got to be kidding me. I didn’t know what I was getting into,” he laughs.
Larry joined the committee and right away was put to work. His jobs were sponsorships and organizing the meals served to cowboys, cowgirls, contract personnel, and special guests after each rodeo. He’s continued in those jobs, and now also does the daysheets, the listing of the contestants for each performance.
And 26 years later, he’s still at it and enjoying it. He loves meeting the people, seeing them through the growing up years of their kids, their lives throughout the years. Stock contractor Bennie Beutler has been bringing bulls and horses and his family to North Platte for years. “Bennie’s family grew up with my family,” Larry said. He’s made friends with cowboys and contract personnel from across the nation. “Knowing all the cowboys who came to town” has been a thrill. “Ty Murray, Tom Reeves, Dan Mortensen, the Etbauers (saddle bronc riding brothers), the Suhns (steer wrestling brothers), so many of them.” He’s enjoyed their friendship, and how they will literally give you the coat off their back. He remembers when the rodeo committee was to receive commemorative coats from Copenhagen-Skoal, and the sponsor was short one coat. “Big old Randy Vaughn (who worked for Copenhagen-Skoal) took off his coat and gave it to me.”
He’s seen a lot of the rodeo entertainers come through town, too. Bullfighters Ted Kimzey and Leon Coffee, barrelman Butch Lehmkuhler, rodeo clown Keith Isley, and specialty acts The One Arm Bandit and Max Reynolds are all among his friends. And bullfighter Greg Rumohr, who worked the North Platte rodeo for 24 years before retiring in 2011, got his start the same year Larry began.
His daughter has continued with an interest in rodeo. Susie Dobbs, who lives in Nashville, was part of the Beyond Rodeo television show on RFD-TV for five years and has sung the national anthem at the National Finals Rodeo. “That’s pretty special,” he says.
Last year, Larry was honored with the Buffalo Bill Rodeo’s Trail Boss Award, given annually to a volunteer who goes above and beyond with their support of the North Platte rodeo. He was caught off-guard. “I had no idea,” he says. His daughter Susie awarded it to him, and he didn’t realize he was the recipient till her presentation was nearly done. “That’s when I lost it,” he said. “And then I couldn’t talk at all.”
He’s looking to retire from the rodeo committee, but his fellow committeemen aren’t willing to let him go yet. “They say they need me for my wisdom,” he jokes.
And this June, he’ll be back at the arena, ready for more rodeo. “If it hadn’t been for Melvin, I would be there. I have to thank him, even though he’s gone, because I’ve had 26 of the most fun times of my life.”
The Buffalo Bill Rodeo takes place each evening at 8 pm June 18-21 at the Wild West Arena in North Platte. Tickets range in price from $7 to $20 and can be purchased online at NebraskalandDays.com, at the gate, and through the NebraskalandDays office (509 East 4th Street in North Platte.) For more information, visit NebraskaLandDays.com or call the NebraskalandDays office at 308.532.7939.
The Nebraska State Patrol conducted compliance checks over the weekend at 13 retail outlets in Custer and Thomas Counties.
During the checks held Saturday, May 31, of the eight businesses checked in Custer County, one business, Fiesta Brava in Broken Bow, was found to be non-compliant after selling alcohol to a minor. In Thomas County five businesses were checked with two, Sandhills Oil Company in Thedford and Cattleman’s Restaurant in Seneca, found to be non-compliant after selling alcohol to a minor. The retail outlets checked during the effort included convenience, liquor and grocery stores, as well as restaurants and bars.
Law enforcement performs compliance checks to ensure that businesses are complying with the state’s alcohol laws and to decrease youth access to alcohol.
Compliance checks in Custer and Thomas counties were conducted thanks in part to a $1,320 grant from the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety (NOHS).
The commons area at the Platte River Mall was a little brighter Sunday afternoon as 19 of Nebraska’s most talented and enthusiastic young women arrived to begin their quest to become the next Miss Nebraska.
Sunday’s festivities kicked off in grand fashion as North Platte Mayor, Dwight Livingston, issued a proclamation declaring June 5-June 10 Miss Nebraska Scholarship Pageant Week in North Platte.
The mayor’s proclamation was followed by a poised and graceful welcome by Miss Nebraska 2013, JaCee Pilkington.
Then, after saying goodbye to moms, dads, brothers, sisters and boyfriends, the contestants began a journey that they will never forget.
An intense week of rehearsals and appearances will culminate Thursday night, with the first Preliminary Night of competition, when the quest for the crown truly begins.
Contestants will be judged on five categories: Interview, Talent, Evening Wear, Swim Wear and On-Stage Question, as they compete for over $75,000 in cash and prizes.
This year’s judges are former Nebraska Cornhusker football player and Olympic bobsled athlete, Curt Tomasevicz, former Miss Nebraska titleholder, Jennifer Love-Timmons, North Carolina General Assembly Executive assistant, Beverly Adams, administrative assistant to Nebraska Basketball Coach Tim Miles, Brett Sapp and Washington Scholarship Foundation trustee, Charlie Vantramp.
Preliminary competitions will be held Thursday, June 5 and Friday, June 6 at 7:00 p.m. Finals night and the crowning of Miss Nebraska 2014 will take place Saturday, June 7, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
A silent auction will be held during Intermission of Friday’s competition.
Tickets are $18 for each Preliminary Night and $25 for Finals Night, and can be purchased by contacting Peggy Fox at 308-532-2783. Tickets can also be purchased at the door prior to each night of competition, based on availability.
The Miss Nebraska Scholarship Pageant has been held in North Platte for 30 years.
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — For decades, seasonal allergy sufferers had two therapy options to ease the misery of hay fever. They could swallow pills or squirt nasal sprays every day for brief reprieves from the sneezing and itchy eyes. Or they could get allergy shots for years.
