January 2015 – Page 74 – North Platte Post Archive

Savard’s Long Goal leads Blue Jackets past Avs 4-3

Posted on January 5, 2015

DENVER (AP) — David Savard drove in shot from just inside the blue line at 18:59 of the third period, lifting the Columbus Blue Jackets past the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 on Sunday night.

Savard, whose turnover early in the game led to a goal for Colorado, was able to get enough on the puck to knock it past Semyon Varlamov for the Blue Jackets’ fifth win in their last six road games.

Brandon Dubinsky scored a pair of goals for the Blue Jackets, and Ryan Johansen and added a goal.

Colorado scored its quickest goal of the season when Jarome Iginla intercepted a wayward pass by Savard in the Blue Jackets’ zone and wristed a shot past Curtis McElhinney 30 seconds into the game.

Gabriel Landeskog and Cody McLeod also had goals for Colorado.

North Platte Weather-January 5

Posted on January 5, 2015

Today: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. Wind chill values as low as -17. South wind 8 to 15 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 21 mph.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 8. Wind chill values as low as zero. West wind 6 to 16 mph becoming north northeast after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 27. Wind chill values as low as -1. Calm wind becoming north 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 0. Wind chill values as low as -15. North wind 9 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 11. North wind 5 to 13 mph becoming south southwest in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 5.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 38.

Royals Sign Veteran Madson to Minor League Deal

Posted on January 4, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals have signed veteran right-hander Ryan Madson to a minor league contract that includes an invitation to spring training.

The 34-year-old Madson hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2011, when he was 4-2 with a 2.37 ERA and 29 saves for the Phillies. He signed a one-year deal with Cincinnati for the following season, but he was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery in spring training.

Madson attempted a comeback with the Angels last season but made only one appearance for Class-A Inland Empire before hurting his elbow again.

Madson is 47-30 with a 3.59 ERA and 52 saves in 491 big league appearances.

Longtime ESPN Sportscaster Scott Dies at 49

Posted on January 4, 2015

BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — Stuart Scott, the longtime “SportsCenter” anchor and ESPN personality known for his known for his enthusiasm and ubiquity, has died at age 49.

The network says Scott died Sunday and had fought cancer since a diagnosis in late 2007, remaining dedicated to his craft even as he underwent chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.

ESPN president John Skipper says Scott was “a true friend and a uniquely inspirational figure” and that his “energetic and unwavering devotion to his family and to his work while fighting the battle of his life left us in awe, and he leaves a void that can never be replaced.”

Scott is survived by his parents, O. Ray and Jacqueline Scott; his siblings Stephen Scott, Synthia Kearney and Susan Scott; children Taelor and Sydni; and girlfriend Kristin Spodobalski.

Report: Meth Seizures at US-Mexico Border Soar in 2014

Posted on January 4, 2015

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Seizures of methamphetamine soared at the US-Mexico border during fiscal year 2014.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports Sunday (https://bit.ly/1BxwFy2) that meth seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s San Diego field office accounted for 63 percent of all meth seized at land, air and sea entry points nationwide.

Almost all meth used to be produced in the United States and San Diego was a production hub.

But the U.S. cracked down with laws limiting access to the synthetic ingredients, and now it’s cheaper and easier to make it in Mexico.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration estimates that 90 percent of meth in United States now comes from Mexico.

Drug cartels find it cheaper to make meth than smuggle cocaine from South America.

The 2014 fiscal year ended Sept. 30.

Equipment from Lincoln Auditorium to Be Auctioned Off Online

Posted on January 4, 2015

pershing-auditorium — Pershing Auditorium (Courtesy City of Lincoln)

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Anyone who wants a souvenir, or maybe a walk-in freezer, from Lincoln’s idle Pershing Center will soon be able to buy it.

The city is getting ready to sell nearly everything it can from Pershing, which closed last fall after 57 years.

Fred McCoy is closing down the building where he’s worked for 36 years. He says nearly everything will be for sale at bigiron.com starting in mid-January.

The sale closes Feb. 11, but buyers have to pick up whatever they buy themselves.

But until the auction wraps up, the city is trying to save money by setting the boilers to 40 degrees and keeping the lights off.

Pershing was replaced by the new Pinnacle Bank Arena that opened in 2013.

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg Starts Reading Program

Posted on January 4, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) — Mark Zuckerberg is attempting to add a little more “book” to Facebook.

The Facebook founder and CEO announced on his page recently that he has vowed to read a book every other week in 2015, with an emphasis on learning about different beliefs and cultures.

Zuckerberg created a “Year in Book” page and urged his friends to join him in the project. As of Sunday afternoon, it had more than 89,000 likes.

The first book in his program, Moises Naim’s “The End of Power,” was out of stock Sunday on Amazon.com and had a sales ranking of No. 203. The book was first published in 2013.

Oprah Winfrey remains the gold standard for choosing books, though clubs have been started by “Good Morning America” and the “Today” show, among others.

Nebraska Lawmakers Preparing for Busy 2015 Season

Posted on January 4, 2015

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers will kick off their 2015 session this week with an expected focus on property taxes and prison reform.

The session that starts Wednesday will usher in a new Republican governor and a large freshman class that’s generally viewed as more conservative.

Gov-elect Pete Ricketts has promised to push for property and income tax reductions. Lawmakers also have to pass a new two-year budget, and have pledged to overhaul the state’s scandal-plagued prison system.

The session will likely include new debates over gambling, health care, cigar bars and driver’s licenses for young immigrants who have qualified for President Barack Obama’s deferred action program.

Sen. Beau McCoy of Omaha says he also anticipates new debates on abortion and a voter identification bill.

Concerns Rise Over US Anti-Prison Rape Law’s Fate

Posted on January 4, 2015

When Congress passed a law in 2003 aimed at ending sexual assault in U.S. prisons, jails and juvenile detention centers, survivors were hopeful that it would help solve the long-ignored problem.

Now, some of the inmate advocacy groups and rape survivors worry that a proposal to reduce the law’s financial penalties will severely damage it. Its sponsor, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, vows to re-introduce it in the new GOP-controlled Congress.

He said the funds include grants for worthy programs, such as ones that support rape and domestic violence victims outside of prison. He says the law should be more narrowly tailored to affect money for prison construction, operations and administration.

Advocates say the measure is the latest sign that the law’s implementation is too slow.

Liability Concerns Prompt Some Cities to Limit Sledding

Posted on January 4, 2015

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Part of the fun of sledding is the risk that comes with flying down a steep hill.

But that risk leaves cities open to potential bills from sledding injuries, and some have opted to close hills rather than risk large liability claims.

No one tracks how many cities have banned or limited sledding, but the list grows every year. One of the latest is in Dubuque, Iowa, where officials are moving ahead with a plan to ban sledding in all but two of its 50 parks.

Parks manager Marie Ware says Dubuque is hilly and the risk is too prevalent.

In meetings leading up to the ban, City Council members lamented the move but say it’s the only responsible choice given liability concerns and demands from Dubuque’s insurance carrier.