February 2016 – Page 22 – North Platte Post Archive

North Platte Weather-February 15

Posted on February 15, 2016February 15, 2016

Washington’s Birthday

Partly sunny, with a high near 52. West wind 7 to 14 mph.

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30. Northwest wind 8 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Tuesday

Partly sunny, with a high near 50. Northwest wind 6 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 27. Light and variable wind becoming northwest around 6 mph after midnight.

Wednesday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 58. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming south southeast in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 32.

Thursday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 67.

Thursday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 36. Breezy.

3 Dead in Aftermath of Omaha Standoff with Police

Posted on February 14, 2016

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Sheriff’s officials say a nearly 12-hour standoff in a west Omaha house ended with the deaths of three men, including that of the shooter.

Douglas County Chief Deputy Sheriff Thomas Wheeler says the standoff began Friday morning when 45-year-old Kenneth Clark’s ex-girlfriend came to his house with her brothers to collect her belongings. Wheeler says a call made to 911 to report a shooting sent law enforcement officials to a house. After several hours of negotiations, police say Clark released his ex-girlfriend, Julie Edwards, unharmed.

But Wheeler says Clark refused to surrender. Around 10 p.m., officers fired tear gas into the house. Shortly afterward, officials heard a gunshot and discovered Clark dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. The bodies of Jason Edwards and John Edwards were found in the house.

Nebraska Student’s Rodeo Poster Rejected by School

Posted on February 14, 2016

AUBURN, Neb. (AP) — Auburn High School in southeast Nebraska has a tradition of honoring its student athletes by hanging posters of them in the school’s gymnasium. But this year, the school has refused to hang a poster made by one athlete because his sport of choice — rodeo competition — isn’t school sponsored.

Zach Oestmann and his parents are asking the school board to change that policy.

On Monday, the six-member board said it needed more information before it could act. Auburn Superintendent Kevin Reiman says district officials fear that accepting Oestmann’s poster would mean the district would have to accept all posters submitted by students — even if they’re offensive or inappropriate.

The school board meets again March 14.

Radon Bill Inching Forward in Nebraska Legislature

Posted on February 14, 2016

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A bill designed to protect new homes from radon gas is gaining traction among Nebraska lawmakers, but no major changes are likely until at least next year.

Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha has introduced a bill to create a state radon task force, which would look for the best construction techniques to keep the cancer-causing gas out of homes. The task force would report back to lawmakers in 2017.

Nebraska has the nation’s third-highest prevalence of radon, the odorless, colorless gas that seeps into buildings from the surrounding soil. Iowa and North Dakota are the only states where the gas is more widespread.

The bill is set for first-round debate this week.

University of Nebraska Builds Projects without Bids

Posted on February 14, 2016

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Several of the University of Nebraska’s biggest projects at its Lincoln and Omaha campuses are being built through private partnerships that don’t use public bidding.

Bids weren’t used to award much of the work being done on the $323 million cancer center in Omaha, the $188 million research park in Lincoln or the $88 million arena in Omaha.

Private donations of millions of dollars helped build all those projects.

The university set up private corporations to build the projects that shielded the contracts from public scrutiny.

University officials say the public-private arrangements are legal and help make it easier to solicit donations. They also say the elected Board of Regents provides oversight when it approves the projects.

Nebraska Man Who Killed Teen to Stay in Prison at Least 22 More Years

Posted on February 14, 2016February 14, 2016

Christopher Garza (NE Dept. of Corrections Photo)

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 42-year-old man will serve at least 22 more years in prison for killing a 17-year-old girl in 1990 while she was babysitting.

Douglas County District Judge Marlon Polk resentenced Christopher Garza Friday because he was 16 when the crime was committed.

Polk says the brutality of the crime prompted Garza’s new sentence of 90 years in prison for first-degree murder. Garza was also sentenced to between 6 years, 8 months and 20 years for using a knife in the killing.

Garza was eligible for a new sentence because of a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that said juveniles couldn’t be sentenced to life without parole in prison. Judges must at least consider other options before imposing a life sentence.

Chelsea Clinton to Visit Nebraska to Campaign for Her Mother

Posted on February 14, 2016

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Later this week, Chelsea Clinton will appear at a campaign event for her mother in Omaha ahead of Nebraska’s March 5 Democratic presidential caucuses.

Chelsea Clinton will speak at 4 p.m. Wednesday at a public campaign event in west Omaha at the Four Sisters Boutique.

Clinton is expected to talk about the election and how to support her mother during the caucus.

Campaign officials encouraged people who want to attend to RSVP at HillaryClinton.com.

NSAA State Wrestling Qualifiers

Posted on February 14, 2016February 14, 2016

Class A (district placing)
North Platte
120 – Jesse MacMillan (4th)
145 – Dylan Petesen (1st)
160 – Jayden Songster (2nd)
170 – Braiden Ruffin (2nd)
182 – Zach Huerta (4th)
285 – Bryan Halstead (4th)

Class B (district placing)
Gothenburg
113 – Trevor Holley (4th)
120 – Noah Larson (2nd)
126 – Bryce Larson (4th)
152 – Jayden Miller (2nd)
182 – Noah Gugleman (4th)

Class C (district placing)
Hershey
182 – Wyatt McConnell (4th)
220 – Bryan McGahan (1st)
285 – Lane Richardson (1st)

Class D (district placing)
North Platte St. Patrick’s
120 – Cody Weaver (3rd)
126 – Brett Riggs (1st)
132 – Cameron Riggs (1st)
138 – Kameron Jordan (1st)
145 – Aaron Allison (1st)

Maxwell
152 – Ryan McKeeman (4th)
285 – Houston Crane (3rd)

Sutherland
106 – Ryan Patrick (2nd)
120 – William White (4th)
138 – Garrett Elfeldt (2nd)
152 – Nathan Fleecs (1st)
160 – Preston Blake (3rd)
182 – Landon Fear (3rd)
195 – Jarod Nicholson (4th)
220 – Robert Muench (1st)

Huskers Knock Off No. 17 Michigan State

Posted on February 14, 2016

Natalie Romeo hit five threes and finished with 25 points against Michigan State. (Photo Courtesy Nate Olsen/Nebraska Communications)

Lincoln – Jessica Shepard scored 26 points and Natalie Romeo added 25 to power Nebraska to a 73-66 women’s basketball win over No. 17 Michigan State Sunday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

With the victory, Nebraska improved to 17-8 overall and 8-6 in the Big Ten, while Michigan State slipped to 18-7 overall and 9-5 in the conference.

The Huskers, who improved to 14-1 at home this season while playing in front of a season-high 8,338 fans on Play4Kay Day at Pinnacle Bank Arena, led 39-28 at halftime after a season-high 29 second-quarter points against the Spartans. Continue reading “Huskers Knock Off No. 17 Michigan State”

White Leads Huskers Past Penn State

Posted on February 14, 2016

Andrew White III finished with a career-high 35 points in NU's win. (Photo Courtesy Scott Bruhn/Nebraska Communications) — Andrew White III finished with a career-high 35 points in NU’s win. (Photo Courtesy Scott Bruhn/Nebraska Communications)

Lincoln – Behind a career-high 35 points from Andrew White III, Nebraska posted a 70-54 win over Penn State Saturday evening.

The Huskers (14-12, 6-7 Big Ten) took control with a 39-7 surge spanning both halves, turning a four-point deficit late in the first half into 28-point lead before cruising to a 16-point win.

Nebraska trailed 31-27 with 1:30 left in the half before seizing momentum by running off the final five points of the half, including a 3-pointer by Glynn Watson Jr. to beat the first half buzzer and give NU a 32-31 lead at the break. Continue reading “White Leads Huskers Past Penn State”