HARRISBURG, Neb. (AP) — Organizers say the 2014 Cattlemen’s Ball of Nebraska raised more than $1.3 million last month.
The event was held June 6-7 at the Hoot Owl Ranch near the Panhandle community of Harrisburg in Banner County.
The ball has been held yearly since 1998 at a different ranch. Ninety percent of the proceeds go toward cancer research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The remainder goes to regional medical organizations.
SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle fire officials say a man trying to kill a spider caused a $60,000 fire using “a self-made blowtorch.”
Fire department spokesman Kyle Moore says the man used a can of spray paint and a lighter in an attempt to torch the spider, setting the wall and ceiling of a laundry room on fire.
The man initially tried to put water on the fire, but the blaze quickly spread into the attic.
Moore says fire “is not the method to use to kill a spider,” though he’s “pretty sure” the spider died in the blaze.
Fire crews were called to the rental home in West Seattle just before 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The Red Cross is providing temporary shelter for the home’s two residents, whom authorities have not identified.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say an Omaha man and woman faked her kidnapping so they could get money from her boyfriend.
The two were booked into jail on suspicion of attempted theft by extortion. They have yet to be charged in court.
Police say the 19-year-old woman text-messaged her 21-year-old boyfriend on Monday night, telling him she’d been abducted. Then the boyfriend began getting messages demanding money for his girlfriend’s return.
The boyfriend reported the messages to police. Officers went to the home the woman was sharing with the other man and found them there. Officers soon learned the woman was not in danger.
YORK, Neb. (AP) — An August sentencing has been scheduled for a 38-year-old York man convicted in the crash death of a teacher from Aurora.
Otis Newcomb pleaded no contest to felony manslaughter on Tuesday in York County District Court. Prosecutors had lowered the charge from vehicular homicide and dropped another charge in exchange for Newcomb’s plea.
Authorities say the van Newcomb was driving on Nov. 2 crossed the center line on U.S. Highway 34 about two miles west of York, striking a pickup. Thirty-one-year-old Lauren Akerson was a passenger in truck, and she was fatally injured.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has received a $4 million gift to help bring top Broadway shows to Nebraska.
The estate gift will create the Glenn Korff Broadway Series at the Lied Center for Performing Arts. The new endowment at the University of Nebraska Foundation seeks to enhance the center’s Broadway programming, visiting artists program, commissioned theater projects and more.
The gift comes after Glenn Korff, a Nebraska native and UNL alumnus, announced an $8 million gift to the university for the Glenn Korff School of Music at the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts. The gift created a permanently endowed fund at the University of Nebraska Foundation to provide annual support for students, faculty and programs.
Korff, a native of Hebron who lived in Boulder, Colo., died in August.
BEATRICE, Neb. (AP) — A Gage County grand jury has found no criminal conduct caused or contributed to the death of a jail inmate in February.
The grand jury convened Tuesday to investigate the death of 26-year-old Adam Wolken. It issued its decision on Tuesday afternoon.
Wolken was found unresponsive in his Gage County Jail cell just before 4 a.m. on Feb. 15 and could not be revived. He’d been arrested on Feb. 13 following a standoff with police at a Beatrice motel. Police say Wolken held two women and a 20-month old child hostage before surrendering. He’d been armed with a semi-automatic rifle and a handgun.
State law requires a grand jury investigation whenever a person dies in custody or in the process of being detained.
The Big Ten Conference and its television partners announced kickoff times for games in the opening weeks of the 2014 season, including the Huskers’ first two home games, Wednesday afternoon.
The 125th season of Nebraska football will kick off on Saturday, Aug. 30, when the Huskers play host to Florida Atlantic at Memorial Stadium. Game time has been set for 2:30 p.m. CDT with television coverage provided by BTN.
The Huskers stay at home in week two and will take on McNeese State in a game scheduled for an 11 a.m. CDT kickoff. The contest will be televised on ESPNU.
With Wednesday’s announcement, Nebraska has kickoff times set for each of its first seven games of the 2014 campaign. Following the games against Florida Atlantic and McNeese State, Nebraska will play five consecutive prime-time contests.
Nebraska travels to Fresno State on Sept. 13 (9:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network), before returning home for matchups against Miami (Sept. 20, 7 p.m., ABC/ESPN/ESPN2) and Illinois (Sept. 27, 8 p.m., BTN). The prime-time run concludes with pair of road games at Michigan State (Oct. 4, 7 p.m., ABC/ESPN/ESPN2) and Northwestern (Oct. 18, 6:30 p.m., BTN).
Game times and television information for Nebraska’s remaining games will be announced six to 12 days in advance of kickoff.
Nebraska will begin preseason camp in early August, beginning with Nebraska Football Fan Day presented by U.S. Cellular on Friday, Aug. 1.
The Nebraska Athletic Department also announced on Wednesday that all public season tickets for the 2014 football season have been sold.
Husker fans will now have the opportunity to purchase single-game tickets, beginning on Tuesday, July 22, including a special two-game package for the Florida Atlantic and McNeese State games. The limited number of tickets come from the visiting team allotment, and are not being used by the schools visiting Memorial Stadium this fall.
The Cornhusker Kickoff Combo will let Nebraska fans buy tickets to each of the Huskers’ first two games for $100. Any available single-game tickets for other Nebraska home games throughout the 2014 season are $75 each.
Fans can purchase the tickets beginning next Tuesday at 8 a.m. Tickets may be purchased on-line at Huskers.com, in person at the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office (Stadium Drive Parking Garage) or by calling 1-800-8-BIG RED.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have acquired veteran reliever Jason Frasor from the Texas Rangers for Triple-A right-hander Spencer Patton.
The trade was made Wednesday, the same day Patton was scheduled to participate in the Triple-A All-Star game. The Rangers will assign him to Triple-A Round Rock.
Frasor was 1-1 with a 3.34 ERA in 38 appearances this season, his second in Texas. He spent nine seasons with Toronto (2004-12), returning to the Blue Jays after being traded to the White Sox in July 2011 and finishing that season in Chicago.
Patton is 4-3 with a 4.08 ERA and 14 saves in 34 relief appearances for Triple-A Omaha this season. He has 60 strikeouts in 46 1-3 innings while holding opponents to a .161 batting average.
Lincoln – Husker volleyball fans can get their first look at the 2014 squad on Saturday, Aug. 23, when the Huskers hold the annual Red/White Scrimmage at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
Tickets for the Red/White Scrimmage will go on sale beginning Wednesday, July 23, at 8 a.m. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets online at Huskers.com, and they are also available by visiting the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office during business hours (8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday) or calling 800-8-BIGRED.
Public ticket prices for the scrimmage are set at $10 (reserved seating) and $8 (standing room only). UNL students will receive free admission to the Red/White Scrimmage, but ticket quantities are limited and students must secure a ticket in advance on Huskers.com beginning in early August.
Current season ticket holders wishing to attend the Red/White Scrimmage will need to purchase separate tickets for this match, and purchase information was included in season-ticket invoices sent earlier this summer.
The Huskers welcome back six starters and three All-Americans from a team that went 26-7 and reached the NCAA Regional Final in 2013. The returnees are led by sophomore All-American outside hitter Kadie Rolfzen, who averaged 3.46 kills per set in 2013, and had 13 double-doubles. Other returning All-Americans include junior setter Mary Pollmiller and junior middle blocker Meghan Haggerty. Nebraska also welcomes a four-member recruiting class that was ranked 11th nationally by PrepVolleyball.com.
The Red/White Scrimmage is the best chance to experience Husker volleyball at the Devaney Center. Nebraska will enter the 2014 season with a streak of 200 consecutive sellouts dating back to 2001, and it is likely that the 2014 season will be sold out in advance of the season opener against Florida State on Friday, Aug. 29.
In 2013, Nebraska led the nation with a school-record 8,175 fans per match in its first season at the newly-renovated Devaney Center. The average was the highest for any college volleyball program in more than 15 years.
Florence Effie Ella (Nelson) Lunkwitz, age 91 of Sutherland, passed away July 15, 2014 at the Sutherland Care Center.
Florence was born on January 20, 1923 in North Platte, to Fredrich Oscar Nelson and Effie Jane (Hankins) Nelson. She grew up in the area, was baptized at the First Evangelical Lutheran Church in North Platte on April 20, 1924 and confirmed on the 5th day of April, 1936. She graduated from North Platte High School in May 1940. On February 27, 1940 she married Roy Everett Lunkwitz at the First Lutheran Church Parsonage (attended by Effie Nelson and Lilly Laveley). Roy and Florence were married 65 ½ years before Roy passed away in August of 2005.
At the age of 42, Florence went back to school to earn her teaching degree and graduated from Kearney State College in 1967 in 2 ½ years by taking 24 hours per semester. She received her BA degree in Elementary, History, and Political Science and the following year received her BA in Special Ed. She was one thesis short of receiving her Masters.
Florence worked out of her home for 42 years. She worked for Townsend Manufacturing in Sutherland and Good-all in Ogallala. After receiving her teaching degree, she taught at the Hershey Public Schools for 20 years, retiring in 1987. At that time Roy needed surgery for a pacemaker and she wanted to be there for him. She was well known at the “Hugging Teacher”, her dedication to her students, and getting parents in involved with their children’s education. She loved her husband Roy, her dog “Bandit”, and her many, many friends. She and Roy loved making crafts of all kinds. She was a member of the Grace Lutheran Church in Sutherland, a 50-plus year member of the Order of the Eastern Star (OES), and served as a board member of the Nebraska Visually Impaired Peer Support (VIPS). With the help of Roy, she presented over 10 workshops for the visually impaired. She and Roy were both winners of the VIP Presidential Award, recognizing their dedication and hard work to that organization.
Florence is survived by 4 sisters-in-law, Gladys Nelson, Eunice Gobel, Ione (Fred) Seifer, Rosie (Tom) Neilsen; 1 brother-in-law, Frank (Della) Lunkwitz; her special adopted family, Ted and Sandy Adams; 33 nieces and nephews; and her dog “Bandit”.
She was preceded in death by her husband Roy Lunkwitz; her mother and father; sister Gladys Nelson; and 2 brothers, Fred and Albert Nelson.
Memorials are suggested to the Sutherland Fire Department or the Sutherland Senior Center. Online condolences may be shared at www.adamsswanson.com. Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m. Friday July 18, 2014 at Grace Lutheran Church in Sutherland with Pastor Erin Dunlavy officiating. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery. Visitation will be from noon until 9:00 p.m. Thursday July 17, 2014 at Adams and Swanson Funeral Home which is in charge of arrangements.
