Robert R. Gibson, age 84 of Hershey, NE, passed away at his home Sunday July 8, 2018. Arrangements are pending at Adams and Swanson Funeral Home.
Month: July 2018
Micheline Jo “Mickie” Phagan Notice of Service Times
Micheline Jo “Mickie” Phagan, age 67 of North Platte, passed away Monday April 23, 2018. A graveside service will be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday July 14, 2018 at North Platte Cemetery. Adams & Swanson Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
Doris Marie (Mutchie) Lemmer
Doris Marie (Mutchie) Lemmer, age 97, formerly of North Platte, NE passed away February 26, 2018 in Chandler, AZ.
Doris was born June 15, 1920 in Eddyville, NE to Edward and Elsie (Griffin) Mutchie. She married Donald Lemmer on December 23, 1946 and together they raised seven children.
Doris was survived by her children Sharon (Jim) Walsh of Chandler, AZ, Steve (Terry) Lemmer of Panama City, FL, Diane Gage of Sacramento, CA, Micheline Phagan of North Platte, NE, and Mark (Sherri) Lemmer of Gulf Breeze, FL. Mark was the grandson she raised who died suddenly the same day as Doris; as well as many grandchildren, great grandchildren, great great grandchildren, and nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband Don; her parents; sons Raymond Don and Gary; two grandsons; two brothers and three sisters.
Memorials are suggested in her name and online condolences may be shared at www.adamsswanson.com. Doris’s daughter Micheline Phagan passed away April 23, 2018 and a graveside service will be held at North Platte Cemetery on Saturday July 14, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. with the Reverend Sagar officiating to honor both Doris and Micheline. There will be a Celebration of Life picnic at the Centennial Park Gazebo following the service. Adams and Swanson Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
Carol Lyn Ristov
Carol Lyn Ristov, age 72, of North Platte, NE, died on Thursday, June 28, 2018, at Great Plains Health.
Carol was born on January 29, 1946, to Alfred Mahlon and Bessie May (McDaniel) Purvis at Ainsworth, NE, where she grew up. When she was a teenager, the family moved to Lexington, NE, and Carol went on to graduate from Lexington High School.
On April 15, 1965, Carol married William Tashev “Bill” Ristov in Lexington. During the summer of ’66 they moved to North Platte where they raised their children. Carol devoted her life to her family and studying the word of God.
One of the happiest days of Carol’s life came on September 6, 1969, when she was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. For the next 49 years she joyfully supported the activities of the local congregation. She greatly enjoyed talking to others about the Bible, especially in the rural areas around North Platte. One of her fondest memories was being able to participate in the construction of the new Kingdom Hall in 1990.
Carol loved reading and studying the Bible, and faithfully did so each day. She had a tender heart for children and animals and was generous and self-sacrificing, always putting the interests of others ahead of her own. Her entire focus was on helping others in any way she could.
Carol is survived by her children, William Ristov, of Grand Island, NE, Anthony (Melea) Ristov, of Broken Bow, NE, and Terence Ristov and Natasha (Dustin) Crowe, of North Platte; six grandchildren, Arri Ristov, Anya Ristov, Carter Ristov, Makenna Ristov, Mason Crowe and Parker Crowe; sisters, Kathleen (Jim) Spegel, of Albany, OR, and MaryLou Sheets, of Deadwood, SD; brother, Jed Purvis, of Florida; several nieces, nephews and other family members.
Carol was preceded in death by her husband, Bill, their son, Jerome, and her parents.
Cremation was chosen. Memorial Service will be 1 p.m. Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The memorial book may be signed at odeanchapel.com or prior to the service at Kingdom Hall. Memorials are suggested to the church. Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore is in charge of arrangements.
NPCC to offer Driver Education course
North Platte Community College will offer a Driver Education course July 23-27. Class time is from 8 a.m. to noon each day and driving sessions will be in the afternoon. The registration deadline is July 17.
Driver Education is open to students as young as 14 who have a learner’s permit. It is approved by the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles and consists of 20 hours of class time and five hours of drive time.
The instructors are: Will Winchester, Tom Allberry, Dennis Fornander, Jeff and Janet Henne, Lynn Rinehart and Bob Zohner.
Those who successfully complete the program will receive a waiver, enabling them to skip both the written test and the drive test when applying for a license. Discounts on car insurance may also apply, depending on the policy.
A $ 235-course fee, which covers the cost of a required textbook, must be paid in advance. Payments will not be accepted at the door. Registration can be done online at www.mpcc.edu/bce.
More information is available through the Business and Community Education department at NPCC, (308) 535-3678.
Troopers Remove 16 Impaired Drivers in Fourth of July Enforcement
(LINCOLN, NEB.) — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) took 16 impaired drivers off the road during special enforcement operations over the July 4th holiday.
The effort, which ran from July 3-5, placed an emphasis on taking drunk drivers off the road. Troopers worked to reduce the potential for serious injury or fatality crashes in several counties identified as priority counties by the Nebraska Department of Transportation – Highway Safety Office (NDOT-HSO).
In addition to the 16 arrests for drunk or drugged driving, troopers also issued citations for speeding (432), open container (6), minor in possession (6), driving under suspensions (19), no proof of insurance (15), no seat belt (39), and improper child restraint (9). Troopers also responded to 154 calls for assistance from motorists on Nebraska roads.
This effort, which included saturation patrols and vehicle checks, was made possible thanks in part to a grant for $12,000 from NDOT-HSO.
Man faces charges in Nebraska, Iowa following police chase
SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. (AP) — An Iowa man faces charges in Nebraska and Iowa after officials say he led officers on a high-speed chase and rammed two law enforcement vehicles.
The Nebraska State Patrol says the incident happened Friday evening when a trooper tried to stop a pickup truck being pursued by South Sioux City police. Officials say the truck rammed the trooper’s car, which had maneuvered in front of it, from behind before crossing into Iowa.
The trooper and a Dakota County Sheriff’s Office following the truck onto Interstate 29 before it went out of control and became stuck in a median. Officials say the truck then rammed both the trooper’s car and the sheriff’s SUV before the driver was arrested.
The patrol says 43-year-old Larry Johnson II, of Sioux City, in being held in an Iowa jail.
The officers were not seriously injured.
New law could help Nebraska state park construction projects
By GRANT SCHULTE , Associated PressThe new law will allow the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to hire a project’s designers and builders at the same time, instead of bidding out parts of the job separately.
The “design-build” approach typically allows one firm to take on the whole project, ensuring that all players work collaboratively while avoiding last-minute design changes.
“It’s a very effective tool for specialized projects,” said Sen. John Stinner, of Gering, who introduced the law and has approved design-build projects as a former school board member. “It’s a more efficient way to get projects designed and built in a timely fashion.”
Stinner said the design-build approach particularly makes sense in rural areas that have a shortage of individual contractors. Lawmakers and Gov. Pete Ricketts approved the law in March, and it’s scheduled to go into effect later this month.
Game and Parks officials requested the law in hopes of using it on future projects, although they’ll continue to bid out some work in the traditional way, said Tim McCoy, the commission’s deputy director.
McCoy said the design-build approach tends to reduce the number of times state officials must ask for a project redesign due to problems identified by the construction firm.
“There are some places where we think this can really provide us some benefits,” he said. “I don’t know if there will be a huge dollar savings, but the efficiency is really what we’re looking for.”
One example, he said, was a recent effort to build an aquarium at Schramm State Recreation Area in Sarpy County. McCoy said the project faced additional design costs and had to be reworked because one of the contractors didn’t get input from a consultant that specializes in aquarium projects.
“The designers wished we had that ability” to offer design-build projects, he said. “It would have made it a lot easier.”
McCoy said the commission will likely use design-build for special projects, such as a planned “raging river” ride at Mahoney State Park, but will stick to traditional bidding for routine work, such as adding roofs or upgrading water and sewer systems. The latter projects need to go slower because they’re required to get permits from state health and environmental regulators, McCoy said.
The commission has been adding new features as Nebraska’s state parks and recreation areas grow increasingly popular, with a rising number of visitors. In 2015, the commission unveiled a $35 million plan to create recreational parks along the Platte River that would allow children to scale rock walls and splash around in floating playgrounds.
The new law gives greater flexibility to state officials and contractors that work on projects, said Jean Petsch, executive director of the Associated General Contractors’ Nebraska Building Chapter. Petsch said the private sector has done design-build projects for at least 20 years, and the service is also allowed for public school districts and the Nebraska Department of Transportation.
“Different projects have different schedules, different budgets and different needs,” she said. “It’s that flexibility that is the big advantage.”
Central Nebraska cathedral to celebrate 90-year anniversary
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — A central Nebraska cathedral is celebrating its 90 anniversary with readings, prayers and receptions.
St. Mary’s Cathedral will honor the anniversary of its building’s consecration at its Masses on Sunday.
The Rev. Jim Golka says ground was broken for the cathedral in 1926, and it was dedicated on July 5, 1928.
Golka says at least 200 historic items will be on display at the receptions. Volunteers will be on hand to answer questions about the historic cathedral.
Nebraska county found not liable for inmate’s 2013 death
BEATRICE, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska judge has ruled that Gage County was not liable for a jail inmate’s 2013 death.
A district court issued the decision in a negligence lawsuit filed by the estate of Chad Gesin. Gesin hanged himself in a jail cell in July 2013 after he was arrested for domestic assault and third-degree assault. A grand jury found no criminal conduct in his death.
The lawsuit alleged that county jail workers failed to properly care for Gesin while he was in custody and should have placed him on suicide watch. It sought $1 million in damages.
The lawsuit alleged that sheriff’s department officials had interacted with Gesin before, including in 2011, when he stabbed himself and had to be taken to a hospital.