February 2017 – Page 17 – North Platte Post Archive

Driver injured when train hit car near Gering, patrol says

Posted on February 13, 2017

GERING, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a driver was injured when his car was struck by a train in the Nebraska Panhandle.

The Nebraska State Patrol says the crash occurred around 3:20 a.m. Saturday about a mile and a half east of Gering. The car was sitting between two rail lines with one tire between a set of the tracks when it was hit by the train. The car was pushed about 30 yards before flipping off the tracks and ejecting the driver.

The driver was taken Regional West Medical Center. The patrol identified him as 23-year-old Julian Salinas, of Morrill.

Lincoln man who hid under vehicles to touch women’s feet sentenced

Posted on February 13, 2017

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 20-year-old Lincoln man has been given probation for hiding under parked vehicles and touching women’s feet.

Online court records say Jesse Johnson was sentenced Friday to two years of probation on each of five convictions for disturbing the peace. He’d pleaded no contest after prosecutors dropped other charges. The sentences are to run at the same time.

Lincoln police say five women last year reported that, as they stepped into their vehicles in public lots, someone under their vehicles grabbed their feet or ankles.

Man gets probation, fine for Kearney County crash death

Posted on February 13, 2017

MINDEN, Neb. (AP) — A man has been given probation and a fine for causing collisions that killed another Minden man last year.

Online court records say 37-year-old Jason Fiske was sentenced Thursday to 18 months of probation and fined $1,000. He’d pleaded no contest to misdemeanor vehicular homicide.

Prosecutors say Fiske was driving a pickup on June 8 when he rear-ended a car driven by 62-year-old Neil Jurgens on U.S. Highway 34 in Kearney County. The crash forced Jurgens’ car into oncoming traffic, where it was hit by another pickup. Jurgens was pronounced dead at the scene.

Questions raised about sentencing of drunken defendant

Posted on February 13, 2017

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A public defender says someone should have stopped an Omaha hearing before a judge sentenced an apparently intoxicated woman who, minutes later, tested out 5½ times the legal limit to drive.

The judge gave Sarah Carr 90 days after she acknowledged violating probation by being arrested Oct. 25 on suspicion of drunken driving.

Her aunt told the judge that Carr was not at the Feb. 2 hearing because she was passed out drunk outside. A wheelchair soon was used to take Carr into the Omaha courtroom.

The judge said he couldn’t be certain Carr was drunk at the hearing, but county Public Defender Tom Riley says the judge, the prosecutor or Carr’s court-appointed attorney should have sought a delay until Carr was tested.

Nebraska lawmakers approve budget bill despite opposition

Posted on February 13, 2017February 13, 2017

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A proposal to balance the state’s finances for the next five months has passed despite opposition in the Nebraska Legislature.

Senators voted 42-3 Monday to send the measure to Gov. Pete Ricketts for approval.

The budget bill would impose across-the-board cuts, make withdrawals from cash funds and take back unspent money from departments. Withdrawals would include about $2 million from the legislative council. Sen. Bon Krist of Omaha says giving up that money would lead to problems down the road with plans to replace the Capitol’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.

Sen. John Stinner of Gering, the Appropriations Committee chairman, says it’s not right to exempt the Legislature from cuts. Nebraska faces a projected revenue shortfall of nearly $900 million.

Tony Lyle Znaniecki

Posted on February 13, 2017

Tony Lyle Znaniecki, age 43, of North Platte, NE, died unexpectedly as the result of an accident at home on Friday, February 10, 2017.

Tony was born May 9, 1973, to Lyle H. and Camila Patricia Alonso Znaniecki at Peru, IL, and was raised by his mother and stepfather, Glenn Odvarka. They moved to North Platte in 1975 where Tony grew up and graduated from North Platte High School in 1991. He then attended Mid-Plains Community College and became an Auto Body Technician in 1993. In May of ’93 Tony joined the U.S. Marines and served until 1997.

On January 15, 1995, Tony was united in marriage to Chari Lynn Wilcox in Las Vegas, NV, and they made their home in North Platte. Tony hired on with the Union Pacific Railroad in 1997, first working as a Brakeman then an Engineer. He was still working with the railroad at the time of his death.

Tony was a member of the Nebraska Cornhusker Motocross Association and Tri-State Dirt Riders. He loved his dirt bikes, classic muscle cars, car shows and throwing candy out during parades. If it had wheels and a motor, he liked it! Everything was a race to him. Tony enjoyed life and loved his cats and dogs and doing yard work. But most of all, Tony loved his wife and family. He will be missed so much.

Tony leaves behind his wife, Chari, sons, Markus and Corbin Znaniecki; mother and stepfather, Camila and Glenn Odvarka, and mother-in-law, Marilyn Wilcox, all of North Platte; father and stepmother, Lyle, Sr. and Lori Znaniecki, of Loves Park, IL; brothers, Peter Odvarka, of North Platte and Lyle, Jr. (Jennifer) Znaniecki, of Norwalk, IA; sisters, Maria Odvarka, of North Platte, Rachel Odvarka Gazaway (Jason), of Fort Collins, CO, and Lisa Metcalf, of Aurora, CO; sister-in-law, Tina Gastineau, of North Platte; niece, Kenzie; nephews, Matthew, Ethan and Sebastian; as well as his many friends and other family.

He was preceded in death by his father-in-law, Charles ‘Chuck’ Wilcox.

Funeral Service will be 10 a.m. Thursday, February 16, 2017, at Parkview Community Church of the Nazarene with Pastor Dynette Oberg officiating. Burial with military honors will follow in Fort McPherson National Cemetery.

Visitation will be 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, February 15, 2017, at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore, which is in charge of arrangements. In Lieu of Flowers, memorials are to Fur the Love of PAWS. Condolences may be shared online at odeanchapel.com

Steven W. Gorley

Posted on February 13, 2017

Steven W. Gorley, age 67 of Maryville, IL, born August 14, 1949 in Curtis, NE, passed away on Tuesday, February 7, 2017 at his residence.

Steven was an office manager for the SEIU Local #1 in St. Louis, MO. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his father, Charles Gorley.

He is survived by his life partner, David Kujawa; his mother, Donna Lee Lewin Bodenstab; three brothers: Jeff and wife Eileen, Mark and wife Vicki and Scott and wife Melinda; a sister, Susan Lewis and husband Albert, many nieces and nephews; and his canine companion, Maggie.

Upon his request he was cremated and private services will be held at a later date.

Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society and mailed to Barry Wilson Funeral Home, 2800 North Center, Maryville IL 62062.

Gerald (Jerry) Eugene Tipton

Posted on February 13, 2017

Gerald (Jerry) Eugene Tipton, 81, of North Platte, Nebraska passed away on February 10, 2017. Jerry was born in Akron, Ohio on June 16, 1935.

He is survived by his wife, Sharon Tipton, daughter, Linda Payne and husband Cecil, son Gerald Tipton Jr and wife Kathy, daughter Cindy King and husband Mark, daughter Sandra Jones and husband Colin, daughter Elizabeth Cahill and husband Steve, daughter Gina Olson and husband Jeff and Brian Haley and wife Cindy, brother Bill Tipton and sister Beverly, 17 grandkids and 18 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by parents Clarence and Helen Tipton, brother, Robert Tipton, grand-daughter Jennifer Tipton and great grand-daughter Kimberly Payne. Jerry served in the Air Force and was proud to serve. He was a pillar in the Nebraska bowling community including owning Tipton Bowl in North Bend, Nebraska, pinsetter mechanic at Westbrook Lanes in Columbus, Nebraska and a member of the North Bend Bowling Hall of Fame.

Services are pending at Carpenter Memorial Chapel, North Platte, NE. Online condolences may be shared at www.carpentermemorial.com. Funeral services will be held at Carpenter Memorial Chapel on Monday, February 13, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. Burial will be at Ft. McPherson with military honors. A memorial has been established in his memory. Visitation will be from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Sunday, February 12, 2017 at Carpenter Memorial Chapel, which is in care of arrangements.

North Platte Forecast-February 13

Posted on February 13, 2017February 13, 2017

Today

Mostly sunny, with a high near 54. Calm wind becoming north 5 to 8 mph in the morning.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low around 22. North northwest wind 5 to 7 mph.

Tuesday

Sunny, with a high near 51. North northwest wind 6 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.

Tuesday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 23. North northwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming light northwest.

Wednesday

Sunny, with a high near 60. West southwest wind 5 to 8 mph.

Wednesday Night

Clear, with a low around 28.

Thursday

Sunny, with a high near 65.

Thursday Night

Clear, with a low around 28.

Friday

Sunny, with a high near 65.

Friday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 31.

Saturday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 59.

Saturday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 33.

Sunday

Partly sunny, with a high near 59.

2 may join Nebraska death row but will executions resume?

Posted on February 12, 2017

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — After briefly repealing its death penalty only to have it reinstated by voters, Nebraska has resumed an effort to acquire drugs needed to carry out executions for the first time in 20 years. That comes just as judges consider whether to increase death row by two men — Nikko Jenkins and Anthony Garica — who between them killed eight people in Omaha.

Nebraska is among the few states where those facing capital punishment have a remarkably good shot at dying of natural causes. Since 2001, four death row inmates have died of natural causes while awaiting execution.

Of the 10 people currently on Nebraska’s death row, Carey Dean Moore has waited 37 years for his murder convictions in the 1979 shooting deaths of two Omaha cab drivers.