ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Denver Broncos defensive end Antonio Smith is under investigation in Texas over a criminal allegation the local sheriff describes as “sexual in nature.”
Smith has not been arrested and no charges have been filed. TMZ first reported the investigation on Thursday.
Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls said a complaint was made against Smith in November and it was “sexual in nature.” After its investigation, the sheriff’s office forwarded its findings to the county District Attorney’s Office in February.
Prosecutors are still reviewing the matter.
The 33-year-old defensive end signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Broncos on April 2.
DENVER (AP) — Michael McKenry hit a two-run homer and Jorge De La Rosa became Colorado’s career strikeouts leader as the Rockies beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 on Thursday.
Troy Tulowitzki added a two-run single for the Rockies. Brandon Barnes, just recently called up from Triple-A Albuquerque, had four hits.
De La Rosa fanned Freddy Galvis on the fourth for this 774th strikeout in a Rockies uniform, moving past Ubaldo Jimenez.
The left-hander struck out five in 4 1-3 innings. Christian Bergman (2-0) got a pair of flyouts in the fifth.
Jerome Williams (3-4) gave up five runs over five innings in his first start against Colorado in 10 years. He became the third pitcher to go more than a decade between starts against the Rockies, joining Tim Wakefield and Pedro Martinez, according to STATS.
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Left-hander Jorge De La Rosa became the Colorado Rockies’ career strikeouts leader by fanning Philadelphia shortstop Freddy Galvis in the fourth inning Thursday.
That strikeout gave De La Rosa 774 with the Rockies, one more than Ubaldo Jimenez.
De La Rosa joined the Rockies in 2008. He’s one of the few pitchers who actually feels comfortable at Coors Field, going 45-15 in the hitter-friendly park.
Kyle Kubat made his 43rd career start on Thursday (Photo Courtesy Nate Olsen/NU Media Relations)
Minneapolis – The No. 8 seed Nebraska baseball team (34-23) had a 7-3 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth inning on Thursday afternoon at Target Field, but the No. 5 seed Michigan State Spartans (34-22) exploded for six runs in the frame on its way to a 9-7 victory that eliminated the Huskers from the Big Ten Tournament.
The Huskers entered the game 28-1 on the year when leading after seven innings, but were unable improve to 29-1. Reliever Ben Miller took the mound in the eighth and gave up a walk to Brandon Hughes to start the frame. The bases were quickly loaded following singles by Chad Roskelly and Anthony Checky. Dan Durkin stepped in and Miller issued a four-pitch walk to plated a run. NU went to senior Josh Roeder and NU’s all-time saves leader came into a jam, the bases loaded and no out. With the tying runs on base and the top of MSU’s order coming to the plate, Roeder plated a run with just his third walk of the season before Ryan Krill delivered a grand slam that put the Spartans ahead, 9-7, it was Krill’s 13th homerun of the season.
MSU reliever Joe Mockbee worked the final 3.2 innings for the Spartans, including a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his sixth win of the season.
The loss ended the careers of seven Husker seniors, including Kyle Kubat, Chance Sinclair, Christian Cox, Austin Darby, Blake Headley, Tanner Lubach and Roeder. Kubat, who was winless in his past eight starts entering Thursday, left the game in line for the win with a 6-3 lead. Kubat was looking to become the 11th pitcher in school history to reach 20 career wins, but it wasn’t meant to be. In his 43rd career start, the fifth most in NU history, Kubat went 5.0 innings and allowed three runs on eight hits, while striking out three.
MSU starter Jeff Kinley lasted 4.1 innings in his fifth start of the season. The one-time closer for the Spartans this year allowed five runs on six this and two walks, but did notch six strikeouts.
Kubat retired the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the first before he hit Mark Weist. The HBP came back hurt on the very next pitch of the game, as Blaise Slater launched a two-run homer into the third deck in left field. Former Husker Ryan Richardson then ripped a single before Kubat got a pop out to end the inning.
Down 2-0, the Huskers cut MSU’s lead in half in the top of the second on two hits. Scott Schreiber started the inning with his fourth hit of the tournament and was soon in scoring position on a groundout by Headley. Miller then came through with a single that put runners on the corners and Jake Placzek drove in Schreiber with a sacrifice fly to left field. Darby worked a walk with two outs and Jake Meyers nearly came through with a two-out RBI, but Checky made a running catch in the left-field gap to end the frame.
The Spartans had their next scoring opportunity in the fourth when they had a runner on second with two outs after Checky was hit-by-pitch. Facing MSU’s No. 9 hitter, Kory Young, Kubat got an inning-ending ground ball to Headley at third, keeping MSU’s lead to 2-1.
After Kubat got out of the jam, NU’s offense went to work in the top of the fifth with five runs on five hits and two walks. Placzek got the inning started with a single and after Darby struck out, got himself in scoring position by stealing second base. Meyers then worked a walked and Luis Alvarado singled to load the bases for Jake Schleppenbach. The Lincoln native lined the first pitch he saw into right field for a game-tying RBI single. MSU went to lefty reliever Anthony Misiewicz to face Lubach and the junior walked in a run to put the Huskers ahead 3-2. The Spartans again made a call to the pen and right hander Walter Borkovich got Schreiber to foul out. With two out and the bases still loaded, Headley worked a full count before driving a two-RBI single into left field. Miller, the ninth batter of the inning, followed with a RBI single to push NU’s lead to 6-2. Placzek stepped in for his second at-bat of the inning with two runners in scoring position and Borkovich put an end to the bleeding with a strikeout.
Working with the lead for the first time all day, Kubat faced the top of MSU’s lineup in the bottom of the fifth. He retired the first two batters before giving up a single to Weist and then he hit Salter. Kubat dug in and got a 1-3 groundout from Richardson to keep NU’s four-run lead intact.
Kubat took the mound in the sixth but wouldn’t record an out, as he was replaced by Jeff Chesnut after giving up consecutive singles to start the inning. With runners on the corners, Chesnut got a 5-3 groundout of the bat of Checky, but the grounder was slow enough to score Hughes on the play. MSU went to pinch hitter, Durkin, who lined an infield single off of Chesnut to again put runners on the corners. With the top of the order up and one down, Cam Gibson came to the plate as the tying run. Gibson got a 3-1 hitters count, but Chesnut made the pitch he needed and got a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning with the Huskers ahead 6-3.
The Husker offense got the run back in the seventh with one hit and a pair of sacrifices. Schreiber led off the frame with his sixth hit of the tournament and with Headley up Schreiber took second on a wild pitch Mockbee. Headley then laid down a sacrifice bunt that moved Schreiber to third and Miller drove him in with a sacrifice fly to deep right field that gave NU a 7-3 lead.
Colton Howell took the mound for NU in the eighth and gave up a one-out walk, but nothing else, and struck out Richardson to keep the Husker lead a 7-3 through seven.
With three runs on eight hits through the first seven innings, the Spartans scored six runs in the eighth on four hits and three walks to retake the lead for good.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert has ordered flags in city to be lowered to half-staff in honor of Officer Kerrie Orozco, who was killed Wednesday in the line of duty.
Stothert says flags should remain at half-staff until dusk Monday on Memorial Day.
Stothert said Thursday the move is a sign of respect for Orozco and her service to the city.
The city also plans to turn lights at the Heartland of America Fountain and on the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge blue beginning Thursday night through Memorial Day.
Stothert is in Florida for her son’s wedding on Friday. She will return to Omaha on Sunday, ahead of schedule, to participate in services for Orozco.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Farmers and ranchers who open their property to tourists could be shielded from certain lawsuits under a bill passed by Nebraska lawmakers.
The Legislature gave the measure final approval on Thursday with a 46-0 vote.
Sen. Ken Schilz of Ogallala has said he introduced it to promote rural tourism and give farmers and ranchers another potential revenue source without the fear of lawsuits.
The bill is aimed at sites such as working farms and ranches, hiking trails, lakes and hunting and bird-watching areas. It also could apply to hayrack or boat rides, vineyard tours and haunted houses.
A 2012 Nebraska Tourism Commission report found that liability and insurance concerns were a major roadblock to the tourism industry’s growth in the state.
GERING, Neb. (AP) — A 27-year-old Scottsbluff man who faces three drug charges also is accused of stealing from his father.
Online court records say a preliminary hearing is scheduled May 29 for Dustin Leonhardt. Jail records say he remained in custody on Thursday. His attorney didn’t immediately return a call from The Associated Press, seeking comment on the allegations against Leonhardt.
Leonhardt is charged with forgery and unauthorized use of a financial transaction device in addition to the three drug charges.
A court affidavit says Leonhardt used his father’s check card three times earlier this month and wrote a check on his father’s account.
The affidavit says the drugs were discovered Friday on Leonhardt and in his father’s backyard shed, where officers found and arrested Leonhardt.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska farmers and business owners could get a property tax exemption under a bill passed by lawmakers.
Senators voted 47-0 on Thursday to give final approval to an exemption for personal business property.
The measure by Sen. Mike Gloor of Grand Island would allow business owners to exempt the first $10,000 worth of tangible property used in their operations, for an average tax savings of $162. The bill would apply to farm equipment such as irrigation pivots and tractors, and business equipment such as rail cars, pipelines and factory machines.
The bill would cost the state an estimated $19.6 million a year in lost revenue. It now heads to Gov. Pete Ricketts.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts now faces the decision to uphold or withdraw his predecessor’s policy of denying driver’s licenses to deferred-action youth.
Senators voted 34-9 Thursday to allow driver’s licenses for young people brought to the United States illegally as children, but allowed to stay under a federal program that gives them a Social Security number and work permit for two years.
Nebraska is the only state to withhold the licenses from the deferred-action youths.
Supporters say the youths need licenses to obtain and maintain jobs in industries that need them.
Ricketts has argued those who arrived in the country illegally shouldn’t receive privileges intended for legal residents.
LEXINGTON, Neb. (AP) — A June sentencing has been scheduled for a 26-year-old man convicted for an exchange of gunshots with Lexington police.
Jose Covarrubias pleaded no contest and was convicted on four counts last week. A weapons charge was dropped in exchange for his pleas. He’ll be sentenced on June 29.
Police say officers checking on a disturbance on July 30 last year saw Covarrubias fire a handgun at a woman fleeing a house. The officers say he fired at their vehicles, and one officer returned fire before Covarrubias fled. A child was treated at a hospital for a minor injury from an apparent ricochet.
Authorities say Covarrubias was captured in September in Laredo, Texas, at the U.S.-Mexico border as he tried to return to this country.
YORK, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska woman who testified that her home was a temple of drugs has been convicted of four drug charges.
Online court records say 53-year-old Brenda Hines, of York, on Wednesday was found guilty of three similar charges of possession for sale and one of maintaining a place for drug trafficking. Hines was acquitted on one charge: possessing drug money.
Hines is scheduled to be sentenced on July 13.
Hines testified that what she called her Temple of Zion reflected her religious beliefs and that God provided the marijuana she sold to temple members.
But prosecutor Candace Dick said during her closing arguments that, “We cannot interpret the Bible in our own way to justify breaking the law.”
