January 2015 – Page 21 – North Platte Post Archive

After 17 Years, Florida, Nebraska Company Lawsuit Continues

Posted on January 24, 2015

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Seventeen years after it started, a multimillion-dollar insurance dispute between the state of Florida and a Nebraska company continues to meander through the courts.

The Nebraska Supreme Court has ruled on aspects of the case four times, and the primary defendant, David Fulkerson, died in 2009. But none of that has ended the lawsuit that began in 1998.

Chris Welsh, president of the Nebraska Association of Trial Attorneys, says it’s unusual for a case to drag on this long.

The National Center for State Courts says Nebraska courts strive to have jury judgment in civil lawsuits within 18 months of when they are filed.

?The case centers on the relationship between Fulkerson’s former company, Countrywide Insurance Agency, and an insolvent insurance company that Florida regulators took control of in 1997.

UNMC Gets $1.9M Grant to Develop Nerve Agent Defense

Posted on January 24, 2015

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center have received a $1.9 million grant to develop a new therapy for members of the military exposed to nerve agents.

Nerve agents, which can be deadly, are often made from some of the same chemicals as insecticides.

The researchers plan to develop a therapy based on a molecule that exists in human plasma that already works to deactivate nerve agents in the blood.

Dr. Steven Hinrichs and Oksana Lockridge are the main researchers on the Defense Department project.

Hinrichs says the idea is for soldiers to use the medication before going into an area where nerve agents would be used to provide protection.

Nebraska to Get $1.2 Billion in Federal Conservation Grants

Posted on January 24, 2015

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission says it will receive $1.2 million in federal grants over the next five years to help private landowners improve grasslands and croplands for wildlife habitat and agriculture production.

The money comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program. The new program, created in the 2014 Farm Bill, is managed by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. Through service forms a public-private partnership that enables private companies, local communities and other partners to invest in efforts that protect natural resources.

Game and Parks’ assistant wildlife administrator Alicia Hardin says the cost-share grant dollars will be used to enhance grasslands in southeastern Nebraska for livestock grazing and wildlife, such as quail and prairie chickens.

2 Killed, 6 Wounded in Omaha Attack

Posted on January 24, 2015January 24, 2015

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say two women were shot and killed and six other people were wounded in an early-morning attack at a home in Nebraska’s largest city, Omaha.

Police say officers responded to a report of gunfire at a home at the intersection of North 34th and Parker streets shortly before 2 a.m. on Saturday.

The department said in a news release that two women in their 20s were dead at the scene and that three people were taken by ambulance to University of Nebraska Medical Center. One is in critical condition and the other two are in serious condition.

Three other wounded people were driven in a private vehicle to the hospital.

The department hasn’t identified the victims or any suspects in the shooting.

Bradley’s Go-Ahead 3 helps Celtics beat Nuggets 100-99

Posted on January 23, 2015January 24, 2015

DENVER (AP) — Avery Bradley scored 18 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:24 left, and the Boston Celtics hung on to beat Denver 100-99 on Friday night, sending the Nuggets to their fifth loss in a row.

The Nuggets played without star guard Ty Lawson, who was away from the team for what the club said were personal reasons following his arrest earlier Friday for allegedly driving under the influence.

Jameer Nelson, acquired from Boston in exchange for Nate Robinson in a trade Jan. 13, had 23 points in his first start for the Nuggets in place of Lawson. But he missed a mid-range jumper at the buzzer that would have beaten his former team.

The Celtics won consecutive games for the first time since winning three straight in mid-December. They beat Portland on the front end of their back-to-back set on Thursday.

Arron Afflalo added 20 points for Denver.

Storm Stifle Omaha 5-1, Run Win Streak To Five

Posted on January 23, 2015January 24, 2015

KEARNEY, Neb. – For the second consecutive game, the Tri-City Storm (19-10-5) scored four goals in the first period to open up a big lead and never looked back. Friday night’s performance finished with a 5-1 win over the Omaha Lancers (19-10-5) at the Viaero Event Center, the Storm’s fifth consecutive victory.

The five goals were each scored by different forwards, led by Cody Milan and Mason Appleton, who each had two points on the night. Team captain Garrett Gamez also factored into the scoring, recording two assists in the win.

With the victory, Tri-City moved into a tie with Omaha for second place in the USHL’s Western Conference, just two points behind the idle Sioux City Musketeers.

It was another successful first period for the Storm, as they scored three goals in the first 10:17 of the contest. Milan started the scoring, as he took a pass from Appleton and wristed a shot under Omaha netminder Kris Oldham at 5:17 of the opening period.

Tri-City struck again under a minute later as leading scorer Chris Wilkie scored his 21st of the season after a Lancers turnover at the top of the zone. The Omaha native took the loose puck and made his way to the opposing net with plenty of room to maneuver before ripping a shot past Oldham to make it 2-0 Storm.

Next, it was Appleton who scored his eighth goal of the season while Tri-City was killing a penalty to defenseman Jalen Schulz. The Green Bay, Wis. product took a leading pass from Milan and sped past the Lancer power play unit, beating Oldham as he was taken down to the ice.

Oldham was then pulled in favor of backup netminder Zach Driscoll just 10:17 into the game.

Nick Master put a cap on the Storm’s first period, scoring his third goal in his last two games and his 10th of the season at 18:54. Gamez found the Broomall, Penn. native at the top of the left circle in the Lancer end before Master put a shot off the right post and in for the team’s fourth goal of the frame.

Matthew Freytag added his eighth goal of the season from Gamez halfway through the second period to extend his team’s lead to 5-0.

The Lancers got on the board at 6:20 of the final period when Nick Rivera scored a power play goal.

The tally was the lone strike against Storm netminder Jared Rutledge, who made 21 saves in the game to earn his fifth victory with Tri-City this season.

The Storm will wrap up the weekend when they take on the Sioux Falls Stampede Saturday night at the Viaero Event Center at 7:05 p.m.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Nolan Aibel and Kyle Eastman along with defenseman Jason Krych…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

Tri-City – Cody Milan (Mason Appleton) 5:17
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie (unassisted) 6:10
Tri-City – Mason Appleton (short-handed) (Cody Milan) 10:17
Tri-City – Nick Master (Garrett Gamez) 18:54

2nd Period

Tri-City – Matthew Freytag (Garrett Gamez) 11:05

3rd Period
Omaha – Nick Rivera (power play) (Michael Wilson, Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson) 6:20

PENALTIES

1st Period
Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Roughing), 2 min, 8:24
Omaha – Jimmy Schuldt – (Tripping), 2 min, 16:12

2nd Period

Tri-City – Dan Labosky – (Slashing), 2 min, 8:39
Omaha – Anthony Angello – (Elbowing), 2 min, 11:19
Tri-City – Jake Wahlin – (Slashing), 2 min, 13:18

3rd Period
Tri-City – Garrett Gamez – (Holding), 2 min, 4:35
Omaha – Matthew Meier – (High Sticking), 2 min, 15:43

Power Play

Omaha – 1/4

Tri-City – 0/3

Shots

Omaha: 4, 6, 12 = Total: 22
Tri-City: 10, 8, 8 = Total: 26

Saves
Omaha – Kris Oldham – 2/5, Zach Driscoll – 19/21
Tri-City – Jared Rutledge – 21/22

UNL Reassigns Assistant Professor Accused of Sexual Assault

Posted on January 23, 2015

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has reassigned an assistant professor accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old boy.

University spokesman Steve Smith said 33-year-old Jeff A. Hawks has been reassigned to faculty duties that don’t involve working with students. He had been a research assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering since 2011.

Hawks, a Lincoln youth baseball coach, was charged Tuesday with third-degree sexual assault of a child. Reports say the sexual abuse occurred during stretching exercises at a training session sometime between August and December.

Hawks has also been removed from his role in the Lincoln Sox youth baseball organization.

Hawks was released from jail Wednesday and has been ordered to avoid unsupervised contact with any unrelated child younger than 16.

Family of Boy Who Drowned at Omaha School Seeks $1 Million

Posted on January 23, 2015

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The family of a 12-year-old boy who drowned at an Omaha school last fall is seeking $1 million from the district.

James Martin Davis submitted a claim to Omaha Public Schools this week on behalf of Demariont’e Brown-Elliott, who died on Nov. 13 at Nathan Hale Middle School. Ten students were being supervised by one teacher during a gym aquatics class when Brown-Elliott was pulled from the pool.

In the claim, Brown-Elliott’s family alleges his death was the “direct and proximate result” of the district’s negligence.

The district has six months to respond. If the deadline passes or the claim is denied, the family can file a lawsuit.

Davis says the family is hoping that sending the claim will prevent future drownings.

Former Bulldog McGuire, Young Huskers Compete at NWU Invitational

Posted on January 23, 2015January 24, 2015

LINCOLN, Neb. – Prior to hosting the Mark Colligan Memorial on Saturday, members of the Nebraska track and field team took part in the Nebraska Wesleyan Invitational on Friday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Indoor Track.

With just a small group of athletes competing, the Huskers won four event titles. Noah Gabel won the men’s high jump, clearing a personal-best 6-6 1/4 (1.99m). It was the first collegiate event title for the redshirt freshman. His classmate, Cody Walton, took the long jump title with a mark of 21-7 1/2 (6.59m), beating his previous PR by more than two inches. Junior Kari Heck was the third Husker champion, winning the 200 meters in 25.07. True freshman Wyatt McGuire captured the Huskers’ fourth title of the day with a win in the 3,000 meters. McGuire finished in 8:34.67 in his first time running the 3,000 in college.

Jacob Holtmeier came in second in the 1,000-meter run in a time of 2:31.33. Freshman Tyler Loontjer was also second in the men’s pole vault (15-9). Shauna Tweedy finished third in the women’s long jump. The freshman leaped 16-3 1/4 (4.96m). Kelley Carden tied for second in the women’s high jump at 5-4 1/4 (1.63m).

The Huskers return to the track tomorrow for the Mark Colligan Memorial. NU will welcome Oral Roberts and Wichita State in the scored meet at the Devaney Center. The field events are slated to begin at Noon, with the running events starting at 1:30 p.m.

Nebraskans Pack Public Hearing to Argue Voter ID Bill

Posted on January 23, 2015

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Supporters and opponents of a Nebraska voter identification bill packed a public hearing in a fierce debate over the measure.

The Legislature’s Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee heard heated arguments Friday on a bill by Sen. Tyson Larson of O’Neill. The legislation would require voters to show a driver’s license or state identification card at a polling place.

Advocates say the bill prevents voter fraud and non-citizens from voting, although voter fraud is exceedingly rare in Nebraska.

Opponents call the bill biased, racist and oppressive, saying it places an unconstitutional burden on voters.

ACLU of Nebraska legal director Amy Miller says voter fraud is almost non-existent in Nebraska, and warned the committee that her group would sue the state and win if the bill becomes law.