February 2015 – Page 21 – North Platte Post Archive

No. 21 Nebraska Women hold off Indiana 67-64

Posted on February 21, 2015February 22, 2015

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Emily Cady had 22 points and 12 rebounds and freshman Natalie Romeo made four free throws in the final 29 seconds to help No. 21 Nebraska hold on for a 67-64 win over Indiana on Saturday.

Nebraska led 63-54 when Brandi Jeffery scored with 5:11 left in the game but the Cornhuskers did not score again until Romeo’s first two free throws, which pushed the score to 65-61. Larryn Brooks then knocked down a 3-pointer from the right wing but Romeo responded with two more free throws at 12 seconds.

Indiana’s contested 3 from the top of the key at the buzzer did not hit the rim.

The Huskers (19-8, 9-7) were without All-Big Ten and honorable mention All-American point guard Rachel Theriot (16.5 ppg, 5.2 apg), who underwent season-ending surgery on Thursday after injuring an ankle in practice on Feb. 3.

Brooks led the Hoosiers (14-13, 4-12) with 17 points and Jess Walter had 16.

Longtime University of Nebraska Band Director Dead at 93

Posted on February 21, 2015

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The longtime director of the marching band at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has died.

A university spokesman says Jack Snider died Friday afternoon of natural causes in Lincoln. He was 93.

UNL music school director John Richmond says Snider was an iconic figure in music at the university.

Snider led the band from the 1950s until 1975. He taught horn and brass instruments at the school for 36 years before retiring in 1986. He continued to support UNL music long after he retired.

Snider, a native of McCook, Nebraska, founded the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association, which gives out an award each year in his name. Snider also started the Lincoln Community Concert Band in 1981.

Funeral service details were not immediately available.

Creighton Medical Center Receives Approval as Medical Trauma Center

Posted on February 21, 2015February 23, 2015

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha has been approved again as a state-certified trauma center.

The hospital lost the designation as an adult comprehensive level trauma center in January after a review team found the trauma center failed to meet four of 160 standards.

The hospital reapplied for the designation and a review team visited the hospital on Feb. 11. The hospital was notified on Friday of its approval by Dr. Joseph Acierno, the state’s chief medical officer.

Approval means emergency response personnel may resume taking trauma patients to Creighton.

Since January the Omaha Fire Department has taken all trauma patients to the Nebraska Medical Center.

Trauma centers treat the most severely injured patients. The Omaha Fire Department transports about 120 such patients per month.

1980 US Olympic Hockey Team Reunites in Lake Placid

Posted on February 21, 2015

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (AP) — Thirty-five years after the U.S. Olympic hockey team’s stunning gold medal at the Lake Placid Winter Olympics, the once-fuzzy-faced heroes are being feted for their signature accomplishment.

Every surviving member of the hockey team is coming back for a “Relive the Miracle” reunion on Saturday night at Herb Brooks Arena, the hockey rink on Main Street they made famous with one of the most memorable upsets in sports history.

Missing will be Brooks, the Hall of Fame coach who was killed in a car accident in 2003, and rugged defenseman Bob Suter, who died at age 57 in September.

Festivities will include audio, video and still pictures, as well as a discussion of the game with the players. Suter’s jersey also will be raised to the rafters as a tribute.

NBC also plans to anchor its “Hockey Day in America” coverage from Lake Placid on Sunday and feature the team.

NPCC Knights Defeat Southeast

Posted on February 21, 2015

The North Platte Community College Knights defeated by the Southeast Community College Storm 72-44 Friday Night at the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.

The win improved the Knights record to 21-7 and broke a three game losing streak. The Knights are undefeated in the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference with a 5-0 record in conference play.

The Storm started out the scoring on a three-pointer by John Swift to take a 3-0 lead. It would be the only lead for the Storm for the rest of the night. Marco Pascolo hit a three pointer and CJ Polk made a field goal and free throw to give the Knights a 6-3 lead.

The Knights led by as much as 23 in the first half with 2:08 to play 38-15. The Knights held a 40-20 halftime lead.

In the second half it was more of the same. The Knights went on a 20-6 run to lead 60-26 with 11:30 to play. The Knights maintained a 30 point or more lead throughout the rest of the game until the last minute to take a 28 point victory.

The Knights were had a balanced scoring attack led by CJ Polk and Tyree Peter with 12 points each. Matt Thomas and Riley Rice added 11 points. Rice had a double-double by adding 10 rebounds. Thomas and Cameron Williams each dished out 3 assists.

“We played well as a team tonight” Knights assistant coach Ryan Glenney said.

The Storm dropped to 11-17 on the season. They were led in scoring by Josh Stroud. Alex Davis grabbed 6 rebounds.

The Knights travel to Sterling, Colorado to play Northeastern Junior College on Saturday, Feb 21. The winner of the game will control their own destiny in obtaining the number one seed for the South sub-region of the National Junior College Athletic Association Region IX. Coming into tonight the Knights have a 10-4 sub-region record and trailed Northeastern who had an 11-3 record. Northeastern was upset at home by Eastern Wyoming 76-73, giving them four losses in the sub-region. Tip-off is at 8:30 p.m. CST and may be viewed via the Northeastern Junior College live stream on www.njcaatv.com .

Missouri Police Officer Charged with Assault After Shooting

Posted on February 21, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri police officer has been indicted on assault charges after shooting and injuring a man police were trying to arrest last summer.

Kansas City officer Jacob Ramsey was arraigned Friday after being indicted by a Jackson County grand jury. He’s facing charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action. A judge entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf.

Investigators say Ramsey shot 37-year-old Anthony Contreras after police went to Contreras’ home to serve an arrest warrant on June 24. Police say Contreras was shot while he tried to flee on foot.

Through his attorney, Ramsey waived his right to a jury trial and requested that a judge decide the case. A trial was scheduled for April 2.

The 31-year-old Ramsey is on unpaid administrative leave.

Nebraska Panel Approves Bill Allowing Teenage Governor

Posted on February 21, 2015

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Eighteen-year-olds could serve as state legislators, governor or lieutenant governor under a resolution that will be debated on the floor of the Nebraska Legislature.

An eight-member committee voted 7-1 on Friday to advance the measure by Sen. Tyson Larson of O’Neill that would allow any citizen of federal voting age to run for state office.

Nebraska’s constitution now requires lawmakers to be at least 21 and the other officials to be at least 30.

When Nebraska’s one-chamber legislature was founded in 1937, the voting age was 21. The 28-year-old Larson says the resolution aligns the age requirement with the modern voting age, which changed to 18 in 1971.

Although they supported the measure, committee members say they doubt it will survive debate and become law.

Panel Eyes Mental Health, Oversight in Nebraska’s Prisons

Posted on February 21, 2015

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A legislative panel is looking at ways to reduce crowding, expand oversight and increase access to mental health services in Nebraska’s problem-plagued corrections department.

The Judiciary Committee heard testimony Friday on bills that were introduced in response to department scandals.

One bill would expand the definition of mental illness so that more prisoners could qualify for treatment, while requiring that department officials notify law enforcement when a potentially mentally ill inmate is released.

Another would require the governor to declare a state emergency that would lead to more inmates being paroled.

A third measure would create an inspector general position under the Legislature that would serve as a watchdog for the department.

A fourth bill would require the department to specify how and when inmates are placed in segregation.

Stepmom Covered 10-Year-Old’s Head Gash with Hair Extensions

Posted on February 21, 2015

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A 48-year-old Philadelphia woman who authorities say split her 10-year-old stepdaughter’s head open has been sentenced to life in prison in the girl’s death.

The district attorney’s office says Margarita Garabito began abusing her stepdaughter, Charlenni Ferreira, in 2006. They say Garabito beat “every inch of her body.”

Ferreira died in 2009 from a buildup of fluid inside her chest as a result of broken ribs.

Prosecutors say Garabito tried to cover up a head wound Ferreira received with cotton gauze and hair extensions. Hair clips were used to affix the extensions and were embedded into her scalp like staples.

Authorities say the girl was also raped by Garabito’s son. Ferreira’s father was also arrested but hanged himself in prison.

Exxon Appeals $1 Million Fine for Yellowstone River Oil Spill

Posted on February 21, 2015

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Exxon Mobil Corp. has asked federal regulators to reconsider a $1 million penalty imposed against the oil giant over a 63,000-gallon crude spill into Montana’s Yellowstone River.

The Texas-based company asked the Department of Transportation to withdraw three of its four findings of pipeline safety violations. It also asked for the penalty amount to be reduced.

Safety regulators said Exxon Mobil failed to adequately heed warnings that its 20-year-old Silvertip Pipeline was at risk from flooding.

An Exxon attorney said in the petition for reconsideration filed Feb. 12 that the company was justified in determining flooding was not a great danger following a 2010 risk assessment.

That conclusion proved wrong. The spill left oil along an 85-mile stretch of the Yellowstone, killing fish and wildlife and prompting a cleanup that took months.