Month: February 2015
North Platte Weather-February 10
- Today:Mostly sunny, with a high near 64. Northwest wind 6 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.
- Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 24. North northwest wind 9 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
- Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 44. North northwest wind 13 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
- Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 16. North northeast wind 7 to 10 mph.
- Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 47. Northeast wind 6 to 13 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
- Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 25.
- Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 56
Kevin Durant Scores 40, Thunder beat Nuggets 124-114
DENVER (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 40 points, Russell Westbrook had 26 and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat Denver 124-114 on Monday night to hand the Nuggets their sixth loss in a row.
Durant matched a career best by hitting seven 3-pointers and finished 13 of 19 from the floor. Mitch McGary added 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Thunder.
The Nuggets, who have lost 13 of 14, were led by Wilson Chandler’s 23 points. Kenneth Faried and Ty Lawson each added 22 for Denver, which also lost its sixth straight at home — its longest home skid since dropping seven in a row at the Pepsi Center from Feb. 6 to March 2, 2003.
Trailing by 14 at halftime, the Nuggets scored the first nine points of the third quarter to pull to 73-68. But Westbrook countered with a 3 to spark a 13-3 burst that put the Thunder back in front by 15.
Ohio Girl, 11, Charged with Murder in Death of 2-Month-Old
WICKLIFFE, Ohio (AP) — Police say an 11-year-old girl in northeast Ohio has been charged with murder in the beating death of a 2-month-old who was staying overnight with the girl and her mother to give the baby’s mom a break.
Wickliffe police Chief Randy Ice said at a news conference Monday that the 11-year-old, her mother and the baby girl were on a couch downstairs when the mother fell asleep at about 3 a.m. Friday. The mother was awakened less than an hour later by her daughter, who was holding the badly injured infant.
The baby died later at a hospital.
A juvenile judge entered a not guilty plea for the girl on Monday. She remains in the Lake County juvenile detention center and will receive a competency evaluation.
Regional Matchups Highlight 2015 Houston College Classic Field
HOUSTON, TX — The 15th annual Houston College Classic returns to Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros, from March 6-8 with regional matchups highlighting the three-day, six-team, nine-game tournament. The University of Houston will be making its yearly appearance in the Classic and will be joined by Baylor, Texas A&M and LSU, which is making its first appearance in the tournament. Nebraska, which is coached by former Astro Darin Erstad, and Hawaii, round out the tournament field.
The Houston College Classic once again boasts a strong lineup led by No. 2 LSU and No. 3 Houston, as ranked by Baseball America in their preseason poll. This marks the first time in tournament history that it will host two of the top three teams in the country. This event is regarded as one of the top collegiate baseball tournaments in the nation, as it continues to draw fans, top-ranked programs and scouts from every Major League organization on a yearly basis.
Last year’s Classic, which featured three teams ranked in the preseason top 25, eventually had all six participants make an NCAA Regional. Historically, the Houston College Classic has hosted the No. 1 team in preseason polls six times in tournament history and has hosted two eventual College World Series Champions. Several current Major League players have played in the Classic, including David Price, Michael Bourn, Gerrit Cole, Mike Leake and Anthony Rendon, to name a few.
For local fans or alumni, this year’s tournament represents the only time that Hawaii, LSU and Nebraska will play in the state of Texas this season, while the Houston College Classic will be the only stop in Houston for Baylor and Texas A&M in 2015.
“The Astros are extremely proud to host the Houston College Classic,” said Houston Astros President Reid Ryan. “It’s one of the best preseason college baseball tournaments in the country and represents a great kickoff to our 2015 season.”
Select student and adult daily tickets and three-day tournament passes are now available for purchase online at www.Astros.com/CollegeClassic. Tickets can also be purchased at the Minute Maid Park Box Office (during regular business hours), by calling Ticketmaster at 1-877-9ASTROS, or by visiting any of the Astros regular Houston-area Ticketmaster outlets.
Adult tickets purchased in advance are available for a $16 daily admission, as well as a $36 three-day tournament pass. Tickets for high school and college students, with a valid student ID, and children (ages 4-14) are available now for $10 daily and $24 for a tournament pass.
Season ticket holders (27-game packages and up) are offered a $10 daily ticket and a $24 tournament pass. To purchase general admission group tickets for groups of 20 or more, please call 713-259-8381. Luxury suites can be purchased for the entire tournament or on a daily basis by calling 713-259-8843. Diamond Club tickets are available for purchase by calling 713-259-8333.
Select parking in the Astros controlled lots will be sold for $15 (Diamond Lot) and $10 (Lot A, B).
2015 Houston College Classic Schedule*
Fri., March 6 Baylor vs. Hawaii
Sat., March 7 Hawaii vs. Nebraska
Sun., March 8 Nebraska vs. LSU (#2)
Pace of Play Not Expected to be College Football Rules Issue
The NCAA coordinator of college football officials says he does not expect pace of play to be a major topic when the rules committee meets this week.
Rogers Redding said Monday the use of technology on the sideline will be a focus during committee meetings Tuesday and Wednesday.
Redding said the conversation about pace of play has been “muted.”
“There hasn’t been an awful lot of concern about that this year,” Redding said. “We’ll probably talk about it in the meeting, but I don’t anticipate any changes in the rules as a result of that.”
The NCAA football rules committee does not usual stir up much controversy, but last year it made headlines and talk-radio fodder for weeks with its proposal aimed at slowing down the game and limiting the number of plays for safety reasons.
Man Stiffs Taxi Driver for $600 After 221 Mile Trip to Omaha
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A man who took a 220-mile taxi ride to Omaha has been accused of refusing to pay the driver the nearly $600 fare.
A 58-year-old Yellow Cab driver submitted a report to the Omaha Police Department saying the 30-year-old man didn’t pay his $599.97 fare after the trip from Kansas City, Missouri, to Omaha. Their names haven’t been released.
The driver tells police the man submitted credit card information when the ride was booked online, but the transaction failed. He says the passenger just laughed when he called him seeking more information.
The driver says during the trip, the passenger claimed to be hiding from Kansas City gang members. He says the passenger mentioned intentions to go to Seattle and continue on to Alaska.
Buffett’s Old Cadillac Will Be Auctioned Off for Charity
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Warren Buffett’s old 2006 Cadillac is going to be auctioned off to raise money for one of his favorite charities now that the billionaire finally upgraded his car to a newer model.
Buffett’s old DTS sedan will go up for sale online at www. proxibid.com starting Wednesday. The auction will run through Feb. 19.
The 2006 Cadillac has only 20,310 as Buffett enjoys a short commute to work at Berkshire Hathaway’s headquarters in Omaha. Based on past auctions involving Buffett, the car will draw much more than its Kelly Blue Book value of between $10,000 and $11,600.
The last time Buffett’s car was auctioned off, his 2001 Lincoln drew $73,200 — well above its book value of $11,200.
All proceeds will go to the nonprofit Girls Inc. of Omaha.
Mitchell Man Gets 2-4 Years After Reaching Plea Deal in Crash Death
GERING, Neb. (AP) — A 21-year-old western Nebraska man has been given two to four years in prison for procuring alcohol for a teenage girl who died in a crash last May.
Online court records say Chris Miller, of Mitchell, was sentenced on Friday and credited with 46 days already served. He’d pleaded no contest after prosecutors dismissed unrelated drug charges against him and dropped plans to revoke his probation.
Authorities say Miller had provided the alcohol that he and 17-year-old Salena Cochrane had been drinking before they left his house in her vehicle. Cochrane, who was driving, was not wearing a seat belt and was partially thrown from the vehicle when it crashed northeast of Mitchell on May 27.
2-Year-Old Fatally Struck During ATV Race in Florida
WILDWOOD, Fla. (AP) — Authorities say two all-terrain vehicles were racing each other when one of them swerved and hit people who were watching, including a 2-year-old boy who was killed.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 28-year-old Terry Killings Jr., of Wildwood, was racing another ATV Sunday evening when he swerved and struck several spectators alongside rural road in central Florida.
The spectators included 2-year-old Jakhyrian Graham and 56-year-old Johnny Williams. Sgt. Steve Gaskins says Killings and Williams were hospitalized with serious injuries.
He says other spectators also were taken to hospitals. Gaskins says similar unsanctioned ATV races have taken place in rural Sumter County over the last several weeks.
Authorities were looking Monday for Killings’ ATV and the ATV he was racing.