March 2015 – Page 52 – North Platte Post Archive

Suh Arrives in Miami as Dolphins Close in on Record Deal

Posted on March 11, 2015

MIAMI (AP) — Ndamukong Suh has arrived in Miami and is soon expected to sign a contract with the Dolphins that will make him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history.

In anticipation of sealing the deal Wednesday, the Dolphins released defensive tackle Randy Starks, who had been with the team since 2008, the longest tenure of any position player. Starks started 96 games for Miami but struggled late last season.

His release clears $5 million in salary cap space, which will be needed to make room for Suh’s huge contract. Suh was a three-time first-team All-Pro defensive tackle with the Detroit Lions.

The Dolphins brought in free agent cornerback Brice McCain for a visit. McCain has 19 career starts, including nine last year for the Steelers.

Has Rough Season for College Hoops Taken Luster off March?

Posted on March 11, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — There is concern about the current state of men’s college basketball with the NCAA Tournament little more than a week away.

Scoring is at a near-record low this season. Fouls are a pervasive problem. Attendance has dropped precipitously in many places, and television ratings are struggling to reach last year’s levels.

Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s vice president for men’s college basketball, says the game could be hurt if scoring stays down and physical play continues.

Attendance in men’s Division I basketball has fallen seven straight seasons, from an average of 5,327 in 2006-07 to 4,817 last year. Both CBS and ESPN are weathering ratings declines this season.

The NCAA tried to intervene last year, instituting a series of rules reforms designed to boost scoring. They have largely failed to stick.

Maximo ‘Max’ Orosco

Posted on March 11, 2015

Maximo ‘Max’ Orosco, 89, of McLouth, KS, formerly of Sutherland, NE, passed away Monday, January 12, 2015, in Kansas.

Max was born October 12, 1925, to Manuel and Juana Gonzales Orosco at Wellington, KS. The family moved to Sutherland in the mid 1930’s where Max grew up and attended school. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1945 and served during W.W.II on the U.S.S. Pennsylvania.

Max was honorably discharged in 1947 and later moved to Omaha, NE where he went to work at a packing house. In 1952 he moved to Corvallis, OR and hired on with the Union Pacific Railroad. Max then moved to Seattle, WA in 1959 and worked for Boeing Aircraft.

Max was married to Barbara until she passed away in 1990. Following her death he moved to Escondido, CA and met Virginia. They were together for over 20 years until she too passed away. Max later moved back to Kansas to be closer to his family.

He is survived by his brothers, Joe Orosco, of Omaha, Jim (Suzanne) Orosco, of Gretna, NE, and John Orosco, of Nevada; sisters, Inez Reyes, of Gretna, NE, Elisa (William) Poteete, of Raytown, MO, Lucile Rivera, of Omaha, Frances Orosco, of Denver, CO, and Bonnie (Don) Zager, of Lincoln, NE; brothers-in-law, Ray Gabbard and Jason Rivera, of Colorado, and Delbert Hunt, of Ogallala, NE; and many nieces, nephews and other family.

Along with his wife, Barbara, and special friend, Virginia, Max was also preceded in death by his parents, Manuel and Juana; and sisters, Carmen Abasolo, Katherine Rivera, Mary Lou Gabbard and Rose Hunt.

Cremation was chosen. A graveside memorial service with military honors will be 10 a.m. Saturday, March 21, 2015, in the North Platte Cemetery with Father Jim Golka officiating. Condolences may be shared at odeanchapel.com. Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore is in charge of arrangements.

Douglas Fay Johnson

Posted on March 11, 2015

Douglas Fay Johnson, age 67, of Frisco, TX, formerly of North Platte, NE, passed away at home on Thursday, November 27, 2014, with his family by his side.

Doug was born August 20, 1947, to Robert Fay and Frances Arlene Peterson Johnson at North Platte where he grew up. He graduated from North Platte High School with the Class of 1965. While living in North Platte Doug was a teacher, guidance counselor, realtor and City Council Representative. He was on the City Council when the city approved the building of the East Viaduct and the North Platte Recreation Center.

Doug married Ronda Jean Shaner and they made North Platte their home until they moved to Texas. Doug later spent over 25 years in Hospital Sales with Hospira, formerly Abbott Laboratories. He held positions as a sales representative, District Manager, National Accounts Manager and retired as an Area Sales Director in 2011. Doug was the recipient of the All-Star Award many times and was a friend and mentor to many of his colleagues.

Doug had an affinity for fitness and exercised daily for many years. Hiking in the Arizona mountains with his wife, Ronda, was his true passion and the shining stars in his life were his grandsons who knew Doug as “D-Paw”. They will miss his gentle spirit, sweet laugh and all those hugs and kisses.

Doug is survived by his wife, Ronda, and daughter, Alison (Rich) Wiegard, all of Frisco, TX; a son, Ben (Kristie) Johnson, of Thornton, PA; two grandsons, John Ryan Wiegard and Cash Douglas Johnson; his loving mother, Frances Johnson (special friend, Kris Krzycki), of North Platte; three wonderful sisters, Shar (Gerry) Berglund and Cindy (Spike) Haddock, all of North Platte and Becky (Ted) Dreyer, of Portland, Oregon; his mother-in-law, Betty Shaner, of North Platte; brother-in-law, Steve (Deb) Shaner, of Manhattan, KS; and his nieces, nephews, cousins and other family members.

Doug was preceded in death by his father, Bob, and father-in-law, Ron Shaner.

Cremation was chosen. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 21, 2015, at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore with Job Vigil officiating. In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established in his name to the North Platte Recreation Center. Donations can be made to: Doug Johnson Memorial c/o North Platte Rec Center Fund, PO Box 1321, North Platte, NE 69103. The memorial book may be signed at odeanchapel.com or from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore which is in charge of arrangements.

Official: 11 Service Members Missing in Florida Crash Presumed Dead

Posted on March 11, 2015

PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — A military official says the seven Marines and four soldiers aboard an Army helicopter that crashed over waters off Florida during a training mission are presumed dead.

The Pentagon official said Wednesday that the 11 service members are presumed dead and that the Coast Guard found debris in the water. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the official wasn’t authorized to speak on the record.

Andy Bourland, a spokesman for Elgin Air Force Base outside Pensacola, says the UH-60 Black Hawk from the Army National Guard was reported missing around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, and crews found debris around 2 a.m.

The area was under a fog advisory Wednesday. The crash scene is near a remote swath of beach between Pensacola and Destin. It’s owned by the military and used for test missions.

North Platte Weather-March 11

Posted on March 11, 2015

Today: Sunny, with a high near 75. Light southeast wind becoming south 10 to 15 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 30. South wind 6 to 11 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 75. South wind 5 to 14 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 37. South wind 6 to 9 mph becoming north after midnight.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. Breezy, with a north wind 11 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 28.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 66.

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
304 AM CDT WED MAR 11 2015

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE
80 FOR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...

.SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TODAY AHEAD OF A STRENGTHENING SURFACE
TROUGH ON THE HIGH PLAINS OF EASTERN COLORADO AND WYOMING. THIS
WILL ALLOW FOR SOUTHWEST WINDS OVER MUCH OF THE SANDHILLS REGION
OF NEBRASKA WHICH WILL DRAW VERY WARM AND DRY AIR TO THE REGION.
HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON TO RISE WELL
ABOVE AVERAGE.

NEZ204-206-208-209-112215-
/O.CON.KLBF.FW.W.0002.150311T1700Z-150312T0100Z/
EASTERN PANHANDLE/CRESCENT LAKE NWR-
SANDHILLS/VALENTINE NWR/NEBRASKA NATIONAL FOREST/
SAMUEL R MCKELVIE NATIONAL FOREST-
NIOBRARA VALLEY/FORT NIOBRARA NWR-LOUP RIVERS BASIN-
304 AM CDT WED MAR 11 2015 /204 AM MDT WED MAR 11 2015/

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON CDT /11 AM MDT/
TODAY TO 8 PM CDT /7 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE ZONES ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE
80...

* AFFECTED AREA...IN NEBRASKA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 204 EASTERN
  PANHANDLE/CRESCENT LAKE NWR...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 206
  SANDHILLS/VALENTINE NWR/NEBRASKA NATIONAL FOREST/ SAMUEL R
  MCKELVIE NATIONAL FOREST...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 208 NIOBRARA
  VALLEY/FORT NIOBRARA NWR AND FIRE WEATHER ZONE 209 LOUP RIVERS
  BASIN.

* WINDS...SOUTH 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 12 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...ANY RANGE FIRE START WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BURN
  OUT OF CONTROL AND EXHIBIT EXTREME BURNING BEHAVIOR.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF
STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL
CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR.

Omaha Police: Man Dead After Shooting Near School

Posted on March 11, 2015March 10, 2015

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say a man who was shot in the chest in south Omaha has died.

The Omaha Police Department says officers responded to a report of a shooting around 1:45 p.m. Tuesday near 18th and U streets. The man was taken to Creighton University Medical Center in extremely critical condition, and was later pronounced dead.

Authorities say investigation into the shooting is ongoing. The name of man has not yet been released.

Woman Apologizes to Nebraska Church for 50-Year-Old Sin

Posted on March 11, 2015March 10, 2015

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — An Oklahoma woman has apologized to the First-Plymouth Church in Lincoln for a “sin” that she says she committed 50 years ago.

The Rev. Jim Keck, the senior minister of the church, received an anonymous letter from a Tulsa woman, who said that she was writing to make peace with a sin she committed as a little girl. The woman said that she shattered one of the church’s windows with a rock.

A $300 money order was included with the letter. Keck says the money might not cover the cost of the damage, but that it was more than enough, spiritually.

Keck says the church experiences a fair amount of vandalism and theft since it is open to the public.

Nebraska Court Says Cases Tainted by Prosecutor’s Misconduct

Posted on March 11, 2015March 10, 2015

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Court of Appeals has reversed the kidnapping and rape conviction of a Lincoln man, finding that the misconduct of a Lancaster County prosecutor unfairly swayed the jury in his case.

Frederick McSwine was convicted by a jury of kidnapping, first-degree sexual assault and other counts for allegedly forcing a woman from her apartment at knife-point and raping her in October 2012. He was sentenced in 2013 to 57 to 85 years in prison.

On Tuesday, the state appeals court found that the Lancaster County prosecutor in the case knowingly providing false information to the jury during his closing arguments in the case.

Because of that, and the failure of McSwine’s defense attorney to object, the appeals court determined that a new trial must be held.

NPCC Knights Softball Splits with Dawson

Posted on March 10, 2015

The North Platte Community College Knights softball team split their doubleheader with the Dawson County Community College Lady Buccaneers on Tuesday at the Wayne Dowhower Softball Complex.

The Knights lost the first game 14-12 in extra innings and won the second game 5 – 1.

The Lady Buccaneers Jackie Thomas led off the first game by being hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and advanced to third on a wild pitch that was ball four to Rachael Dillon. Both of them scored on ground outs to give the Lady Buccaneers the early 2 – 0 lead at the top of the first inning. In the bottom half of the first, the Knights scored five runs on four infield hits to make the score 5 – 2 in favor of the Knights. In the second inning with Jacey Schleicher on base, the Lady Buccaneers Dillon homered to cut the lead to 5 – 4.

Shannon Lieber, the Knights first baseman led off the bottom of the third with a home run. An inning later, with Sara Villalobos on base, Lieber doubled and later scored to make the score 8 – 6.

The Knights were leading going into the seventh inning 9 – 7. The Lady Buccaneers rallied to tie the score at nine on runs by Haley Swan and Venessa Quintero.

In the eighth inning, the Lady Buccaneers were able to push across five runs to take the lead 14 – 9. The Knights rallied for three runs in the eighth inning by Audrie Conner, Villalobos and Sara Runia but it was not enough to win.

In the second game, the Knights scored four runs in the second inning by Brittney Odum, Shelby Clark, Toree Polsley and Andrea Quiroga.

Lieber added a run in the fourth on a solo home run to make the score 5 – 0.

Pitcher Baileigh Oleson was able to hold the Lady Buccaneers scoreless for 4.1 innings. Dillon scored the only run for the Lady Buccaneers in the second game.

The Knights are now 4 – 12 on the season and the Lady Buccaneers are now 3 – 1 on the season.

The same two teams will face each other again on Wednesday in a doubleheader. Game times are 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. CDT.

The games will be broadcast on ESPN Radio 1410 and on the internet at www.northplattepost.com. They will also be live streamed on www.coachesaid.com.