July 2014 – Page 59 – North Platte Post Archive

Pilger’s Tornado-Damaged School to Be Torn Down

Posted on July 9, 2014July 9, 2014

PILGER, Neb. (AP) — The middle school in Pilger that was heavily damaged by a tornado last month will be torn down on Friday.

The school and most of the town of 350 people was severely damaged by a tornado on June 16. Two people were killed in the storm.

The Wisner-Pilger school board decided the middle school building in Pilger couldn’t be salvaged.

The district plans to put up three portable classrooms for the middle school’s 75 students near the district’s elementary school in Wisner.

Residents and alumni will be able to keep a brick from the school as a keepsake if they request one.

Family Fishing Event at Merritt Reservoir on July 26

Posted on July 9, 2014

LINCOLN – A family fishing event, hosted by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the Nebraska Walleye Association (NWA), is scheduled for July 26 at Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area.

This event, scheduled for 4-7 p.m. at Bead’s Landing, is free for all families. Park entry and fishing permits are required.

Anyone can come and learn to fish, as loaner equipment and bait will be available. Staff from Game and Parks as well as the NWA will be on hand to assist anglers.

Participants may come early and watch the weigh-ins for two fishing tournaments held that day: the state high school fishing tournament at 1:15 p.m. and an NWA tournament at 2 p.m.

Merritt Reservoir is located 28 miles south of Valentine in Cherry County. Contact Larry Pape for details at larry.pape@nebraska.gov.

Omaha Man Accused of Rapes Gets Up to 140 Years

Posted on July 9, 2014July 9, 2014

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha man accused of raping multiple women over several years has been sentenced to up to 140 years in prison.

A judge sentenced Anthony Vaughn on Wednesday to 110 to 140 years in prison. The 42-year-old won’t be eligible for parole until he’s at least 96 years old.

In April, Vaughn made a last-minute deal with prosecutors and pleaded no contest to two counts of first-degree sexual assault and other charges. Several charges were dropped in return.

Vaughn was accused of a series of rapes between 1999 and 2009. A DNA sample taken in 2011 after a burglary conviction linked him to the crimes.

One victim said she was relieved by the sentence.

Tulowitzki Homers Twice as Rockies beat Padres

Posted on July 9, 2014

DENVER (AP) — Troy Tulowitzki hit two of Colorado’s five home runs, and the Rockies beat the San Diego Padres 6-3 on Wednesday.

Drew Stubbs, Charlie Blackmon and Wilin Rosario also went deep for the Rockies, who won a home series for the first time in nearly two months.

Colorado last won a home series taking two of three from San Diego in May. The Rockies managed to split a four-game set with Atlanta in June but lost five other series at Coors Field. They were swept twice.

They erased that mark with back-to-back homers off reliever Joaquin Benoit (3-1). Blackmon started the rally with a single and Stubbs followed with his ninth homer of the season and fifth in his last five games.

Tulowitzki then hit an 0-1 fastball into the left field seats. It was Tulowitzki’s second multihomer game this season and 10th of his career.

Vargas Scheduled for Appendectomy

Posted on July 9, 2014

ST. PETERBURG, Fla. (AP) — Kansas City Royals left-hander Jason Vargas has been taken to the hospital and will have an appendectomy.

Royals manager Ned Yost announced the news before Wednesday game against Tampa Bay and said surgery was planned for Wednesday night.

Yost says Vargas “started really having severe discomfort” around 4 a.m. Wednesday

There was no timetable given for how long Vargas will be out. Bruce Chen could replace Vargas in Sunday’s game against Detroit.

Royals All-Star outfielder Alex Gordon was scratched from Wednesday’s lineup due to a sprained right wrist. He will have an MRI exam and see a hand specialist Thursday when the team returns to Kansas City.

Yost said the injury could “very well” impact Gordon’s status for next week’s All-Star game.

Kansas City third baseman Mike Moustakas was also out of Wednesday’s lineup with the flu.

Houston Teen Who Fell from Lincoln Hotel Window Getting Better, Mom says

Posted on July 9, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The mother of a Texas 18-year-old who fell from a sixth-floor hotel window in Lincoln expects to take her daughter home this week.

Lynn Hamilton said her daughter, Brittany Turner, is “doing much, much better.”

On June 28 Turner fell from the broken window on the Embassy Suites sixth floor onto the second-story roof and was critically injured. Turner was in Lincoln with other Houston high school students for the International Thespian Festival.

On Tuesday Hamilton said Turner isn’t ready to talk about what happened before her fall.

Green Takes Silver at University Worlds

Posted on July 9, 2014

Pecs, Hungary – Husker wrestler James Green earned the silver medal at 70 kg/154 pounds in the men’s freestyle division of the University World Championships on Wednesday.

Green (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska RTC) opened the day with an 11-1 victory over Finland’s Jere Kunnas in the quarterfinals before taking down Russia’s Shamil Magomedov, 8-4, in the semifinals. In the finals, Evgheni Nedealco of Moldova pinned Green.

Green, Willingboro, N.J. native, earned a spot on the team by winning both of his matches at the University Nationals in Akron, Ohio on May 25. He defeated past All-American Adam Hall (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club), 4-1, 4-2.

This year’s competition marked the second consecutive year that Green competed in the University World Championships. Last summer Green posted a 1-1 record in Kazan, Russia.

Green will return to Nebraska’s lineup as a senior in 2014-15. He is a three-time All-American and the reigning Big Ten champion at 157 pounds. Green placed third at the 2014 NCAA Championships after taking seventh during both his sophomore and freshman seasons.

11th University World Wrestling Championships: Men’s Freestyle 70 kg/154 pounds
Round of 16: Bye
Quarterfinals: James Green (USA) def. Jere Kunnas (Finland), 11-1
Semifinals: James Green (USA) def. Shamil Magomedov (Russia), 8-4
Finals: Evgheni Nedealco (Moldova) def. James Green (USA), pin

Huskers Announce 2014 Schedule

Posted on July 9, 2014

The Nebraska soccer team released its 2014 schedule on Wednesday, which features three games against top 10 teams from the final 2013 RPI Rankings.

The defending Big Ten regular-season and tournament champions will compete in an exhibition match against Colorado College on Aug. 15 in Colorado Springs, Colo., before beginning the regular season at home on Aug. 22 against SMU. The game between the Huskers and Mustangs starts at 6 p.m., and will be the first of 12 home games for the Huskers at the Nebraska Soccer Field.

On Sunday, Aug. 24, NU hosts DePaul at 1 p.m. The following weekend, the Huskers will play Butler at home on Friday, Aug. 29 before traveling to Marquette for a Sundayshowdown on Aug. 31 at 1 p.m., in Milwaukee, Wis. The Golden Eagles finished the 2013 campaign with the No. 6 RPI ranking.

Nebraska returns home for the following two weekends to host four games, including the start of Big Ten play. On Friday, Sept. 5, Oklahoma takes on the Huskers at 5:30 p.m., before NU competes against North Dakota on Sept. 7. The Huskers’ Big Ten opener is against Northwestern on Thursday, Sept. 11 at 2:30 p.m. On Sunday, Sept. 14, NU hosts Illinois at 1 p.m.

The Huskers journey to Madison, Wis., on Saturday, Sept. 20 to face the Wisconsin Badgers at 7 p.m. The next weekend, NU will host the Big Ten’s two newest members at the Nebraska Soccer Field. The Huskers face Rutgers on Sept. 25 before taking on Maryland on Sept. 28.

NU hits the road for the next two weeks, first visiting Michigan before going to Minnesota. On Thursday, Oct. 2, the Huskers battle Michigan at 2:30 p.m., before taking on Michigan State on Sunday, Oct. 5 at noon. Nebraska plays Minnesota on Thursday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m., in Minneapolis, Minn.

On Friday, Oct. 17, Purdue comes to town for a 4 p.m. matchup. Nebraska will also host Indiana that weekend on Sunday, Oct. 19 at noon.

The Huskers’ final regular-season road trip is set for Oct. 24-26. On Friday, the Scarlet and Cream battles Penn State in University Park, Pa., before taking on Ohio State on Sunday in Columbus, Ohio.

Senior Day is slated for Oct. 31 at the Nebraska Soccer Field when the Huskers host Iowa at 3:30 p.m. Nebraska’s Big Ten Tournament defense begins Nov. 5 in West Lafayette, Ind. The tournament runs through Nov. 9.

Last season, Nebraska compiled a 19-4-1 record and went 10-1 in the Big Ten. The Huskers advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after winning the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles.

NBA Salary Cap goes to All-Time High $63.1 Million

Posted on July 9, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA has set the 2014-15 salary cap at $63.1 million, an all-time high, paving the way for contracts to be signed.

Deals can become official starting at 12:01 EDT on Thursday. Players and teams could agree to contracts starting July 1, but they couldn’t be signed during the moratorium period.

The cap is a 7.5 percent increase from last season’s $58.7 million.

The league also says Wednesday that the tax level jumped 7.1 percent to $76.8 million. Teams exceeding that will have to pay a luxury tax.

Lincoln Evicts Little Library from Right of Way

Posted on July 9, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The city of Lincoln has evicted a Little Free Library from a spot near a church in the Indian Village neighborhood.

A city official told the church, New Visions Community-Southminster site, that the little library can’t sit in a public right of way.

George Finley lives across the street from the little library, and he says he’s seen children go to it, grab a book and sit down on nearby grass to start reading.

Public Works Director Miki Esposito says she and neighborhood association president Barbara Arendt have talked about moving the library to private property, but that probably won’t be done until after Thursday’s deadline. She’s also working with Arendt to delay the possible city fine of up to $500.