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Nebraska Man Killed During 3rd Tour in Afghanistan

Staff Sgt. Benjamin G. Prange
Staff Sgt. Benjamin G. Prange

HICKMAN, Neb. (AP) — A 30-year-old Army staff sergeant from Nebraska man is being remembered as a devoted family man after his death in Afghanistan.

Benjamin G. Prange died Thursday after the vehicle he was riding in hit an explosive device.

Prange would have celebrated his eleventh anniversary with his wife, Liz Prange, on Saturday. The couple have two sons and lived in Hickman.

Former neighbor Josh Hicks says Prange was a nice gut who worked hard to take care of his family.

Prange was on his third tour in Afghanistan when he died. Another soldier — Pfc. Keith M. Williams, 19, of Visalia, California — was also killed in the same explosion.

2013 Gifts to Governor Heineman

dave-heineman

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — When you’re Nebraska governor, the gifts just keep coming.

Gov. Dave Heineman reports he received 255 gifts last year. That’s an average of nearly five gifts a week.

Gifts disclosed included food, books, T-shirts and 25 free golf outings with friends, business executives and lobbyists.

Most of the gifts fell below the state’s $100 reporting requirement. Four were valued at more than $1,000, including memberships at two exclusive golf clubs, according to data from the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission requested by The Associated Press.

Jack Gould of Common Cause Nebraska says the gifts should be banned because they undermine public trust.

Heineman says he golfs to relax with friends, and most of the gifts are tokens of appreciation from community groups he visits.

Gifts to Gov. Dave Heineman, according to the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission:

— 26 food items, including eight filet mignon Omaha steaks and lobster tails from Maine Gov. Paul LePage, a box of Tootsie Rolls and Christmas cookies from the Nebraska Supreme Court.

— 25 golf outings with friends, business executives and lobbyists, including chamber of commerce events.

— 48 Books, many of them promotional or Nebraska-themed. Titles include “Eat Move Sleep,” ”Standing Bear of the Ponca,” ”Texas Trounces the Left’s War on History,” and a large-print Bible.

— 34 sets of tickets to events, including campaign fundraisers for Republican candidates, chamber of commerce luncheons, charity banquets and a $500 ticket to the Omaha Symphony Gala.

— 30 shirts from businesses, school groups and constituents.

— Four gifts valued at more than $1,000: a $2,000 golf bag from Tam and Kathleen Allan; an $1,875 golf package from Cox Communications; a membership at the Hillcrest Country Club in Lincoln (exact price not given); and a membership at the Champions Run Golf Club in Omaha, valued at $3,000.

— A dog collar, leash and handkerchief for Snickers, the first dog.

Nebraska Abortion Clinic Nurse License Suspended

Medical-ChartLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A nurse at a suburban Omaha abortion clinic has had her nursing license suspended for 60 days and has been issued a two-year probationary license in an agreement with the state’s top prosecutor.

The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office had originally sought to revoke Lindsey Creekmore’s registered nursing license.

In May 2013, the office filed a petition accusing Creekmore of failing to follow patient medication orders accurately and improperly delegating some patient care to unlicensed staff. The case was based partly on information from another nurse who had worked at Dr. LeRoy Carhart’s clinic.

Creekmore reached the settlement earlier this month, ahead of a disciplinary hearing that had been set for next week.

Tulowitzki’s Name Bungled in Giveaway Gaffe

Troy Tulowitzki
Troy Tulowitzki

DENVER (AP) — Troy Tulowitzki has a tough name to spell, even at his own ballpark.

The Colorado Rockies handed out 15,000 jerseys with the All-Star shortstop’s name misspelled in a giveaway gaffe Saturday night at Coors Field.

The second “t” was missing, so the backs read “Tulowizki.”

The club issued a statement apologizing to fans for the mistake. The team said it was aware of the misspelling, but decided to hand out the jerseys because fans had come to the game against Pittsburgh specifically for the promotion.

The Rockies said fans can exchange them for corrected jerseys at a September date to be announced.

Tulowitzki leads the majors in hitting at .340. He is currently on the disabled list.

Butler, Royals Overcome Indians for 5th Win in a Row

kc-royalsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Billy Butler homered for the second straight game and the Kansas City Royals overcame a five-run deficit to beat Cleveland 7-5 Saturday night for their fifth straight win.

A day after his pinch-hit, two-run homer in the eighth inning beat Cleveland, Butler connected for a tiebreaking shot in the fifth. It was 5-all when he tagged Nick Hagadone for a drive over the Royals’ bullpen in left field.

Carlos Santana hit his third homer in two games for Cleveland, which has lost six of seven.

Jeremy Guthrie (6-9) won despite giving up five runs on 10 hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings. Greg Holland got his 27th save in 29 chances.

Zach McAllister (3-6) couldn’t hold a 5-0 lead. He gave up a single to Salvador Perez to start the fifth and was replaced by Hagadone.

Arenado Homers, Rockies Beat Pirates 8-1

Nolan Arenado Colorado RockiesDENVER (AP) — Nolan Arenado bounced back from a benching with three hits, including a home run, and the Colorado Rockies beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-1 on Saturday night.

Tyler Matzek pitched three-hit ball over seven innings. Drew Stubbs and Corey Dickerson also homered for the Rockies, who have won three straight.

Ike Davis denied Colorado its first shutout at Coors Field this season with a one-out homer in the ninth.

It was a bounce-back performance for Arenado, removed from Friday’s game when he didn’t hustle down the line on a grounder to the pitcher in the fourth inning.

Arenado met with manager Walt Weiss before Saturday’s game and said he agreed with the decision.

Omaha North Seeks Its Own Sports Stadium

omaha-north-vikingsOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha North High School, Nebraska’s current football champion, is thinking about getting a stadium of its own.

Omaha North is the only high school in the Omaha Public Schools system that doesn’t have its own stadium for football, track and soccer.

For years, the North High marching band, football team and its fans have had to make the five-mile trek to play at Northwest High.

Omaha North Principal Gene Haynes says leaders at his school are looking to build a stadium with up to 6,000 seats, funded solely through private donations and fundraising.

Haynes says any construction is probably three to five years down the road and would cost between $8 million and $12 million.

Prosecutors say Lincoln Man Strangled His Wife Before Decapitating Her

Kent Burklund
Kent Burklund

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Prosecutors say a Lincoln woman found slain in her home in April was strangled before she was decapitated.

The death certificated of 41-year-old Bettina Burklund spells out her death and mutilation.

County Attorney Joe Kelly says she was dead before her head was cut off.

The woman’s husband has been charged with second-degree murder in her death.

Forty-one-year-old Kent Burklund is being held on $1 million bond. A judge has ordered a psychological evaluation of him.

Burklund’s next court appearance is scheduled for mid-August.

Chiefs Working on Competition at Cornerback

Kansas City Chiefs HelmetST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid is serious about what he has said about competition at the cornerback position.

Sean Smith, last year’s starter at right cornerback, moved to the second team for the last four days of organized team activities. His status hasn’t changed three days into training camp.

“We look at Sean as a first-team player,” Reid said. “We need all those guys and we need two-deep at the corner where we feel like that two-deep is equivalent to starting players. That’s where we’re looking.”

The Chiefs are in transition following a 2013 season where the defense ranked 25th against the pass (247.6 yards per game).

Another factor for changes may have been the memory of blowing a 38-10 third-quarter lead en route to a 45-44 playoff loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Nebraska Man Dies in Motorcycle Crash

fatal-motorcycle-crashMURDOCK, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say they have found the body of a motorcyclist in a bean field in southeast Nebraska.

Cass County Sheriff’s deputies found the body of 36-year-old John Thompson, of Elmwood, Friday afternoon southwest of Murdock.

Investigators say Thompson had been driving his motorcycle west on Nebraska Highway 1 around 2 a.m. Friday when he failed to negotiate a curve in the road.

Family members called authorities when he didn’t reach his destination.

Thompson was pronounced dead at the scene.

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