January 2015 – Page 35 – North Platte Post Archive

‘American Sniper’ Astounds with $105.3 Million Over MLK Weekend

Posted on January 19, 2015January 19, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) — Clint Eastwood’s R-rated Iraq War drama “American Sniper” opened in January like a superhero movie in July, taking in a record $105.3 million over the Martin Luther King Jr. four-day weekend.

The film’s success obliterated forecasts and set numerous box-office records. It easily surpassed “Avatar” to become the biggest January weekend ever.

This was actually the third week of release for “American Sniper,” which played in just a handful of theaters for two weeks. That release helped stoke demand for the film, in which Bradley Cooper stars as Navy SEAL marksman Chris Kyle.

The resounding wide-release opening is also tops for the 84-year-old Eastwood. And it, in one weekend, gives the Oscar best-picture race something it was lacking: a big box-office hit. “American Sniper” is nominated for six Academy Awards.

UNMC Will Again Skate to Raise Money for Research

Posted on January 19, 2015January 19, 2015

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The University of Nebraska Medical Center will again try to raise money for Parkinson’s research with a 24-hour-long ice skate-a-thon.

The event will run from noon on Jan. 23 to noon on Jan. 24. The previous skate-a-thons have raised thousands of dollars for research.

The event honors the memory of its founder, Colleen Wuebben, who died with Parkinson’s in 2013 at age 60.

Last year, four skaters managed to skate all 24 hours. One of those skaters plans to attempt to skate backward for 12 consecutive hours this year.

The event is held at UNMC’s ice skating rink near 42nd and Emile streets. The cost to participate in the event is $10.

Teens Suspected in Southern Crime Spree Captured in Florida

Posted on January 19, 2015

(AP)–One of the two teenage sweethearts from Kentucky suspected in a crime spree of stolen vehicles and pilfered checks around the South awaited a first court appearance Monday in Florida, where they were captured over the weekend.

Eighteen-year-old Dalton Hayes and his 13-year-old girlfriend, Cheyenne Phillips, were arrested without incident before dawn Sunday in Panama City Beach. The two had eluded police in several states while raising alarm.

Norman Chaffins, the sheriff of Grayson County, Kentucky, where the teens live, says the teens should be extradited back to Kentucky by the end of the week.

On Monday, Hayes is scheduled to make an 8:30 a.m. court appearance via video hookup, according to the Bay County jail records in the Panama City area. Hayes was being held Sunday on a charge of custodial interference.

Omaha Police: Woman Who Lost Legs in Accident Dies

Posted on January 19, 2015

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a 55-year-old Omaha woman has died in a hospital four days after her legs were severed in a traffic accident.

Omaha police Sgt. Joseph Collins says Joanne Smith died Sunday night. She’d been struck by another car on Wednesday evening while unloading items from the trunk of her car, which was parked on Northwest Radial.

Police say the driver of the other car reported that she got distracted when her cellphone fell to the floor of her car. The woman was not injured.

Man Rescued After Plunging Through Ice in Central Nebraska

Posted on January 19, 2015

LOUP CITY, Neb. (AP) — An ice fisherman has been pulled from Sherman Reservoir in central Nebraska after he and his all-terrain vehicle plunged through the ice.

The accident happened about 7:20 a.m. Sunday. Fifty-nine-year-old Ron Devitt, of Heartwell, says other people came to his rescue, and emergency responders helped warm him back up.

Nebraska Game and Parks officials say Sunday’s accident was the third time in a week that someone had gone into the bone-chilling reservoir water.

Pheasants Forever Group to Meet in Kearney in February

Posted on January 19, 2015

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s largest conference focused on protecting wildlife habitat will be held in Kearney next month.

Supporters of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever will meet on Feb. 7 at the Younes Conference Center.

The group’s president and CEO, Howard Vincent, will address the conference, and experts from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and University of Nebraska-Lincoln will also speak.

Kelsi Wehrman, who coordinates the group’s efforts in Nebraska, says Pheasants Forever has focused on partnerships and programs that succeed in protecting habitat.

North Platte Weather-January 19

Posted on January 19, 2015January 19, 2015

M.L.King Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 51. Northwest wind 7 to 10 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 21. West northwest wind 6 to 11 mph.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 42. West northwest wind 8 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 18. West northwest wind 9 to 11 mph.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 39. North northwest wind 9 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 13.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 43.

Super Matchup: Seahawks face Patriots for NFL Championship

Posted on January 18, 2015

For Russell Wilson’s Seattle Seahawks to become the first team in a decade to win consecutive Super Bowls, they’ll have to beat the most recent group to do it, Tom Brady’s New England Patriots.

In an enticing matchup pitting the defending champions against the dominant NFL franchise of the 2000s, the NFC’s Seahawks (14-4) will face the AFC’s Patriots (14-4) in the title game at Glendale, Arizona, in two weeks.

New England reached its eighth Super Bowl, equaling Dallas and Pittsburgh for most in league history. It’s the sixth time Brady and coach Bill Belichick made it in the past 14 years; they won trophies after the 2001, 2003 and 2004 seasons.

Some Las Vegas sports books had the Seahawks as 1-point favorites; others made the game a pick ’em.

AP Source: Broncos Finalizing 4-Year Deal with Gary Kubiak

Posted on January 18, 2015

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — A person with knowledge of the negotiations tells The Associated Press that Denver Broncos GM John Elway is hashing out a four-year contract with Gary Kubiak to become the team’s head coach.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement isn’t expected to be announced until Monday.

Kubiak replaces John Fox, who was ousted last Monday following Denver’s loss to Indianapolis in the playoffs.

Elway and team president Joe Ellis met with Kubiak in Houston for several hours Sunday.

Kubiak was Elway’s backup QB from 1983-91 and Denver’s offensive coordinator from 1995-2005 under Mike Shanahan.

Kubiak, who was the Ravens’ offensive coordinator last season, went 63-66, counting the playoffs, as head coach of the Texans from 2006-13.

Storm Get Six Goal Output To Sweep Thunder

Posted on January 18, 2015

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Tri-City Storm (18-10-5) got their highest offensive output of the season on Sunday afternoon to defeat the Bloomington Thunder (12-16-5) 6-2 at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

Nick Master led the way with two goals, while Tri-City also got tallies from Kevin Kerr, Mason Appleton, Jake Wahlin and Bobby Nardella.

Four goals in the opening period gave the Storm control of the game early on.

Kerr opened the scoring at 5:09 of the first, shooting the puck off a face-off win by Master. With traffic in front, the puck got behind Bloomington goaltender Logan Halladay to give Tri-City a 1-0 lead.

Less than a minute later, it was Appleton who got his own rebound and beat Halladay to make it 2-0. The Green Bay, Wis. native took a pass from forward Joel Herbert and went right to the net.

Herbert ended the game with two assists, and now has nine points on the season.

Only 11 seconds after Appleton’s tally, Wahlin forced Halladay from the game with the team’s third goal in the first 6:15 of the contest. Assists were credited to Conner Valesano and Wade Allison.

Later in the frame it was Nardella who found the back of the net to make it 4-0. The defenseman’s tally was his sixth on the season.

Master made it 5-0 in the second and struck again in the third for the team’s sixth goal of the night. The forward now has nine goals on the season which is second-best on the team.

Storm netminder Jared Rutledge made 23 saves in the win to pick up his fourth victory of the season.

Tri-City is now in third place in the Western Conference, moving ahead of Des Moines with the win.

The Storm return home for two contests in Kearney next weekend. On Friday night the Storm take on the Omaha Lancers at 7:30 p.m. before battling the Sioux Falls Stampede on Saturday at 7:05.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Nolan Aibel and Kyle Eastman along with defenseman Cameron Spicer…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

Tri-City – Kevin Kerr (Nick Master) 5:09
Tri-City – Mason Appleton (Joel Herbert) 6:04
Tri-City – Jake Wahlin (Conner Valesano, Wade Allison) 6:15
Tri-City – Bobby Nardella (Mason Appleton, Joel Herbert) 11:17

2nd Period

Tri-City – Nick Master (Matthew Freytag) 10:45

3rd Period
Bloomington – Matt Mendelson (Butrus Ghafari, Alec Mehr) 2:06
Tri-City – Nick Master (Garrett Gamez, Dan Labosky) 6:49
Bloomington – Jack Jenkins (Jeremy Davies, Tarek Baker) 18:12

PENALTIES

1st Period
Bloomington – Alec Mehr – (Slashing), 2 min, 0:21
Tri-City – Jake Wahlin – (Tripping), 2 min, 14:57
Tri-City – Jake Wahlin – (Roughing), 2 min, 14:57
Tri-City – Jake Wahlin – (Fighting), 5 min, 14:57
Tri-City – Jake Wahlin – (Fighting) (Misconduct), 10 min, 14:57
Bloomington – Shane Bednard – (Fighting) (Instigator), 2 min, 14:57
Bloomington – Shane Bednard – (Fighting), 5 min, 14:57
Bloomington – Shane Bednard – (Fighting) (Game Misconduct), 10 min, 14:57
Tri-City – Daniel Labosky – (Hooking), 2 min, 18:35

2nd Period

Tri-City – Tory Dello – (Interference), 2 min, 11:54
Tri-City – Gordi Myer – (Boarding), 2 min, 16:24
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie – (Unsportsmanlike Conduct), 2 min, 19:13

3rd Period
Bloomington – Joshua Shellman – (Interference), 2 min, 11:45
Bloomington – Jeremy Davies – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 15:20

Power Play

Tri-City – 0/3

Bloomington – 0/5

Shots

Tri-City: 19, 6, 8 = Total: 33
Bloomington: 7, 7, 11 = Total: 25

Saves
Tri-City – Jared Rutledge – 23/25
Bloomington – Logan Halladay – 7/10, Hayden Lavigne – 20/23