LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Senators have approved Gov. Pete Ricketts’ choice to lead the Nebraska State Patrol despite concerns about his involvement in a gender discrimination lawsuit 10 years ago.
The Legislature voted 32-7 Tuesday to approve Bradley Rice of Elkhorn.
Rice was part of a panel that denied several promotions to a female sergeant between 2004 and 2005. The sergeant said the rejections were based on gender rather than her qualifications. During the lawsuit, another trooper testified that Rice said women were not qualified to be in law enforcement, an opinion Rice denied.
Opponents say Rice has not been forthcoming about the remarks, and the agency already fails to recruit and retain women and minorities.
Supporters say his comments were a one-time mistake.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Eric Hosmer hit a three-run homer, Jason Vargas shut down the Indians for the second straight start, and the Kansas City Royals went on to beat Cleveland 5-3 on Tuesday night.
Hosmer also had an RBI triple in the eighth inning, and Alex Gordon drove in another run for the Royals, who bounced back nicely after losing two straight to Detroit over the weekend.
Vargas (3-1) only allowed two hits, one a two-run shot by Michael Brantley, over six stingy innings. He struck out five while walking two and was rarely in trouble.
Ryan Madson pitched a perfect seventh for Kansas City, but Kelvin Herrera served up a homer to Lonnie Chisenhall in the eighth, ending his streak of 105 1-3 innings without allowing one.
Herrera still handed over a lead to Wade Davis, who cruised through the ninth for his sixth save.
DENVER (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies were postponed by rain for a second straight night.
A regular doubleheader was set for Wednesday — weather permitting, of course. Rain is in the forecast all week.
It was the third straight home game washed away by soggy conditions for the Rockies. Colorado had its game against San Francisco postponed on April 26 before a road swing.
The last time Colorado was rained out in three straight had been April 2005, according to information provided by the team from the Elias Sports Bureau.
Right-hander Josh Collmenter (2-3) will still start for the Diamondbacks. Colorado will stick with left-hander Tyler Matzek (2-0), who has not pitched since leaving his start last week with a cramp in his left hamstring.
HENDERSON, Neb. (AP) — County officials say a McCook man has died of an apparent heart attack he sustained while driving along Interstate 80, causing a two-vehicle crash.
Hamilton County Attorney Michael Powell says the collision occurred around 5:10 p.m. Monday about seven miles east of Aurora. He says 70-year-old Victor Schwartz was driving eastbound when he began swerving onto the shoulder and back onto the road, and then jerked sideways.
Powell says another eastbound vehicle then struck Schwartz’s car just behind the driver’s door. The condition of the driver wasn’t immediately available.
Schwartz was pronounced dead on arrival at Henderson Health Care Services. Powell says both the death and crash appear to have been caused by a medical episode, likely a heart attack.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots have released former starting cornerback Alfonzo Dennard after using him in just six games last season.
Dennard started seven games as a rookie in 2012 and nine in his second season. He started four of the first seven games last season but played in only two more and went on injured reserve with a hamstring injury before the last game of the regular season.
In 29 games with the Patriots, he had five interceptions.
Dennard was drafted in the seventh round out of Nebraska after being arrested for assaulting a police officer. He was found guilty in February 2013.
The Patriots also cut long snapper Tyler Ott and linebacker Deontae Skinner.
Lincoln — University of Nebraska Coach Tim Miles announced Tuesday that Johnny Trueblood will join the Husker basketball team as a walk-on for the 2015-16 season.
Trueblood, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound guard, comes to Nebraska after a decorated career at Elkhorn South playing for Coach Alex Bahe. Trueblood finished his career as the school’s all-time leading scorer (1,213 points), as well as holding single-game (42) and single-season (598) scoring marks at the school.
As a senior, he led the Storm to a 21-5 record and the school’s first Class B state title. He led Class B by averaging 23.0 points per game, while also adding 5.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.8 steals per game to garner first-team Super-State
honors from the Lincoln Journal Star and second-team All-Nebraska honors from the Omaha World-Herald. A first-team Class B all-state performer from both publications, Trueblood averaged 19.6 points per game in three state tournament games, including a 17-point effort while playing with a sprained in a 60-51 win over Sidney in the state championship at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
As a junior, he earned first-team Class B accolades from both major papers, averaging 15.4 points, 3.7 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game as Elkhorn South finished the regular season unbeaten and placed third in the state. In his three-year varsity career, Trueblood helped Elkhorn South to a three straight state semifinal appearances in Class B and a 66-13 record. In addition to his high school career, he played AAU basketball for the Omaha Sports Academy and Head Coach Bob Franzese.
Trueblood, who becomes the first Husker basketball player from Elkhorn South since the school opened five years ago, is the son of Tom and Sheila Trueblood.
KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm selected 20 players on Tuesday in Phase Two of the 2015 USHL Draft, led by first round selection Alex Limoges of the Selects Academy U18 team. Tri-City now has 45 names on its Initial Protected List for the 2015-16 USHL season.
Limoges, who hails from Winchester, Va., is coming off a big year in which he scored 20 goals and 39 assists in 28 games. The Storm are hoping he’ll play as a center on one of their top lines next season. The forward is committed to play collegiately at Cornell University.
After Limoges, the team had no pick until two in the fifth round, when they selected forwards Nico Sturm and Brendan Miller. Sturm’s season is still going, as he is suiting up in the playoffs for
the Austin Bruins of the North American Hockey League (NAHL). A native of Augsburg, Germany Sturm had 41 points in 53 regular season games this year on 11 goals and 30 assists. During the postseason, the forward has six goals and four assists in 10 contests. Miller spent his year with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres under-18 team. A native of North Tonawanda, N.Y., Miller scored 14 goals and 10 assists in 32 games.
In the sixth round, Tri-City bulked up on defense, selecting blueliners James Gobetz and Robbie Roche. This is the second consecutive Phase Two draft that the Storm have selected Gobetz, as he was a 12th round pick in 2014. The defenseman got close to making the 2014-15 squad, but was one of the final cuts before the final roster was finalized. Roche just finished his second season with the Walpole Express of the EHL, and is a native of Wachusett, Mass. The defenseman had 10 points in 33 contests this year.
In total, Tri-City selected 13 forwards, five defenseman and two goaltenders. All selected players still have to go through the team’s tryout camp, which will take place June 15-21 in Las Vegas.
The full list of players drafted today is below. It is also viewable on stormhockey.com.
Alex Limoges
Tri-City Storm 2015 USHL Phase Two Draft Selections
1st Round: Alex Limoges – Forward – Winchester, VA – Selects Academy
5th Round: Nico Sturmi – Forward – Augsburg, Germany – Austin Bruins
5th Round: Brendan Miller – Forward – North Tonawanda, NY – Buffalo Jr. Sabres
6th Round: James Gobetz – Defense – St. James, NY – Salisbury PS
6th Round: Robbie Roche – Defense – Wachusset, MA – Walpole Express
7th Round: Ben Taylor – Forward – North Falmouth, MA – Tabor Academy PS
8th Round: Bobby Kaiser – Forward – Detroit Honeybaked
8th Round: Justin Dixson – Forward – Sunnyville, CA – Anaheim Jr. Ducks
9th Round: Jack Hoey – Forward – Fairfield, CT – Choate Rosemary PS
11th Round: Joseph Matthews – Defense – Columbia, IL – St. Louis Blues AAA
12th Round: Jonathan Davidsson – Sweden – Djurgardens IF Jr. 18
13th Round: Nathan Clurman – Defense – Culver Academy U16
14th Round: Josiah Slavin – Forward – Erie, CO – Colorado Thunderbirds
15th Round: Ben Thomas – Forward – Ashburnham, MA – Winchendon PS
16th Round: Justin Robbins – Goalie – Alpine, NJ – North Jersey Avalanche
17th Round: Seamus Donohue – Defense – North Oaks, MN – St. Thomas Academy HS
18th Round: Cole Chatham – Forward – Belleville, IL – St. Louis Blues AAA
19th Round: Trevor Bishop – Forward – Rochester Hills, MI – Oakland Jr. Grizzlies
20th Round: Anthony Grimaldi – Forward – Plymouth, MI – Detroit Victory Honda
21st Round: Cam Burggrabe – Goalie – Canton, MI – Detroit Little Caesars
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Las Vegas man arrested while hauling drugs across Nebraska has been sentenced to federal prison.
Jose Juan Solorzano-Farias was given 41 months for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. A heroin possession charge was dropped in exchange for Solorzano-Farias’ guilty plea to the meth charge.
Authorities say he was driving along Interstate 80 west of North Platte on Sept. 6 when a state trooper pulled him over. The Nebraska State Patrol says a patrol dog alerted troopers to the smell of drugs in the vehicle Solorzano-Farias was driving, and troopers say they found 27.5 pounds of meth and 1.5 pounds of heroin inside.
His passenger, Jose Arturo Solorio-Salinas, of Burnsville, Minnesota, awaits sentencing on a meth possession charge as well.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Rain in some parts of the state has disrupted spring planting and other work in Nebraska’s farm fields.
The U.S. Agriculture Department says in a report for the week ending Sunday that an inch or more of rain fell on many east-central and southeastern Nebraska counties, but the rest of the state remained mostly dry.
Topsoil moisture supplies were rated 64 percent adequate or surplus. Subsoil moisture was rated 61 percent adequate or surplus.
The department says 57 percent of the state’s expected corn crop was planted by Sunday, compared with 41 percent last year at this time and the 38 percent average over the past five years. Twelve percent of the expected soybean crop has been planted, compared with nearly 10 percent last spring and 9 percent on average.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers have declined to re-confirm the state’s chief medical officer, citing his past conflicts with members of the Legislature.
Senators voted 22-15 on Tuesday for Dr. Joseph Acierno, three votes short of the minimum support required. Acierno was appointed by then-Gov. Dave Heineman in 2013 and re-appointed by Gov. Pete Ricketts in December.
Some lawmakers who worked with Acierno say he hasn’t cooperated with them in the past, and accused him of displaying a sarcastic and demeaning attitude.
Sen. Sue Crawford of Bellevue says Acierno was defensive when confronted with problems in the department. Sen. Sara Howard of Omaha says Acierno has been an obstacle to reforms that lawmakers deemed necessary within the department.
Acierno was not immediately available for comment.
