January 2015 – Page 62 – North Platte Post Archive

Geneva Man Dies After Pickup Crashes in Southern Nebraska

Posted on January 9, 2015

SUTTON, Neb. (AP) — A 48-year-old man has died after the pickup he was driving crashed off a highway in southern Nebraska.

Clay County Sheriff Jeff Franklin says the crash was reported around 9:30 Wednesday night. Franklin says a passer-by noticed the wrecked truck in a field that bordered Nebraska Highway 41 south of Sutton.

Franklin says it appears the pickup was headed west on the highway when it went into a ditch. The driver overcorrected, and his truck ran off into the ditch on the other side and went airborne before landing and rolling.

The driver was ejected. Franklin identified him as Jerry Lane, of Geneva.

Lincoln Superintendent Changes Approach to Snow Days

Posted on January 9, 2015

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Lincoln school superintendent has changed his approach to giving students a day off because of bad weather.

Steve Joel told staffers and parents when he started his Lincoln job in 2010 that he wouldn’t call a snow day based solely on forecasts. But that’s what he did for Wednesday, because weather experts warned Tuesday of dangerously low wind chills ahead.

Joel says he’s realized that a surprising number of students walk to school. And given that more than 40 percent of them come from poor families, they may not have the right clothing to handle wind chills that can cause frostbite on uncovered skin within a few minutes.

Joel also says he thinks meteorologists and their equipment have become more accurate.

North Platte Weather-January 9

Posted on January 9, 2015January 9, 2015

Today: Sunny, with a high near 17. Wind chill values as low as -9. West wind 5 to 9 mph becoming light and variable in the afternoon.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 3. Wind chill values as low as -8. Calm wind becoming south southeast 5 to 8 mph in the evening.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 36. Wind chill values as low as -3. South southwest wind 6 to 8 mph becoming north northwest in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 4. Wind chill values as low as -4. North wind 3 to 6 mph.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 25. North northeast wind 3 to 7 mph.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of snow after midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 9.
Monday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 19.
Monday Night: Cloudy, with a low around 8.

Ronald Lewis Boltz

Posted on January 9, 2015

Ronald Lewis Boltz, age 64 of North Platte, passed away January 7, 2015 at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. He was born May 30, 1950 at North Platte to Robert and Lillian (Jones) Boltz. Ronald graduated from Brule High School and later served in the US Navy. He lived various places including Pensacola, FL and Washington, DC before returning to North Platte. Survivors include his sons, Chad Everett Boltz of Florida and Anthony M. (Catherine) Boltz of Maryland; three brothers, Bernie Boltz of North Platte, John (Patty) Boltz of Hastings, and James (Suzanne) Boltz of Lincoln; two sisters, Linda Jimenez of Lincoln and Ruth (Kevin) Cusic of North Platte; and two grandchildren, Robin and Kurt. He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Thomas; and a sister, Rebecca. Funeral services will be 1:30 pm Wednesday, January 14, 2015 at Carpenter Memorial Chapel. Visitation will be from 8:30 am to 8 pm Tuesday at Carpenter Memorial Chapel. A memorial has been established in his memory. Online condolences maybe shared at www.carpentermemorial.com

Florence “Susie” McFarland

Posted on January 9, 2015

Florence “Susie” McFarland, age 98 of North Platte, passed away January 8, 2015 at Centennial Park in North Platte. She was born on the family farm Northeast of Cozad to Danish emigrants, Henry and Kristina “Stena” (Jensen) Nielsen. Susie attended a one room country school where she learned English and also attended Cozad High School. She was united in marriage to Lloyd M. Arnold in 1935 living on the Arnold family farm where both their son and daughter were born. Susie was an accomplished pianist and gave lessons to many in Cozad and Eustis and also loved to play bridge and dance. She was a member of the First Methodist Church and was active in the women’s organizations, the Eastern Star and volunteered at the North Platte Railroad Station Canteen during WWII. She later married Francis Dale McFarland on May 6, 1983. Survivors include her son, L. Miller (Marty) Arnold of Loveland, CO, sister-in-law Ruth Nielsen of Cozad, four grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, two great-great-grandchildren, husband, Dale McFarland and his family; sons, James D. (Kimberly) McFarland, Mark A. (Marcia) McFarland, and Robert D. (Roselyn) McFarland, grandchildren, Brian, Gregory, and Jody. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Lloyd M. Arnold, daughter, Sharon Borden, brother, LaVern Nielsen, and sister, Leona DeBurnner. Online condolences maybe shared at www.carpentermemorial.com. Graveside services will be 3:30 pm Monday, January 12, 2015 at Floral Lawns Memorial Gardens. A memorial has been established in her memory. Visitation will be from 1 to 6pm Sunday at Carpenter Memorial Chapel, which is in charge of arrangements.

Connecticut Girl Says She Knows She’ll Die without Chemo

Posted on January 8, 2015

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A 17-year-old Connecticut girl being forced by state officials to undergo chemotherapy says she understands she’ll die if she stops treatment but it should be her decision.

The state Supreme Court ruled Thursday state officials aren’t violating the rights of Cassandra C., who has Hodgkin lymphoma.

Cassandra tells The Associated Press in an exclusive text interview it disgusts her to have “such toxic harmful drugs” in her body and she’d like to explore alternative treatments.

She says she understands “death is the outcome of refusing chemo” but she believes in “the quality” of her life, not the quantity.

The court ruled Cassandra’s lawyers had the opportunity to prove she’s mature enough to make that decision during a Juvenile Court hearing in December and failed to do so.

Boston will be American Bidder for 2024 Olympics

Posted on January 8, 2015

DENVER (AP) — The U.S. Olympic Committee chose Boston to bid for the 2024 Games in an attempt to bring the Summer Olympics to America after a 28-year gap.

During a daylong meeting at the Denver airport, USOC board members chose Boston over Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, all of which have been lobbying to become the American choice for more than a year.

Boston joins Rome as the only other city that has officially decided to bid. Germany will submit either Hamburg or Berlin, with France and Hungary among those also considering bids. The International Olympic Committee will award the Games in 2017.

America’s last two attempts to land the Games resulted in embarrassments — fourth-place finishes for New York (2012) and Chicago (2016).

Trooper Injured in Collision on Southwest Side of Lincoln

Posted on January 8, 2015January 8, 2015

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska state trooper has been injured in a collision on the southwest side of Lincoln.

Authorities say the accident occurred about 8:15 p.m. Wednesday. Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner said the trooper was headed north on U.S. Highway 77 when his cruiser struck a vehicle that was turning east off the highway onto Old Cheney Road.

Wagner says the trooper was released after treatment at a Lincoln hospital. The other driver wasn’t hurt but was cited for careless driving.

Man Who Died After Struggle with Norfolk Officer Identified

Posted on January 8, 2015January 8, 2015

NORFOLK, Neb. (AP) — Authorities have released the name of a 42-year-old man who died after struggling with a police officer at a motel in northeast Nebraska.

On Wednesday Madison County Attorney Joe Smith identified the man as Andre Murphy Sr., whose last known address was in Seward.

Officers had been dispatched to the Super 8 Motel in Norfolk on Wednesday morning after a series of 911 calls. The unnamed officer and Murphy struggled there, and Murphy died later at a hospital.

Smith says the officer attempted to deploy a Taser at one point during the incident, but no weapons were used by Murphy. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday. The officer was treated for minor injuries.

The Nebraska State Patrol is investigating, as will a grand jury.

Obama, National Security Team Confer After Paris

Posted on January 8, 2015

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has conferred with his national security team following the terrorist attack on a Paris satirical newspaper that left 12 people dead.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest says Obama held a conference call with top intelligence, justice and homeland security officials as Air Force One flew the president to Washington after an appearance Thursday in Phoenix.

Obama got an update on the investigation into Wednesday’s killings at the offices of Charlie Hebdo — and on America’s “terror threat picture” after the attack.

The Department of Homeland Security has said there’s no indication of a specific threat to Americans stemming from the events in Paris. But Obama has said the attack underscores the need for the U.S. to remain vigilant in trying to protect Americans wherever they may be.