March 2019 – Page 6 – North Platte Post Archive

Troopers find 399 pounds of weed in 2 traffic stops

Posted on March 26, 2019March 26, 2019

Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) have arrested two people and seized nearly 400 pounds of marijuana during multiple traffic stops on Monday, March 25.

At approximately 11:45 a.m., a trooper observed an eastbound Nissan Rogue driving on the shoulder of Interstate 80 near Lincoln at mile marker 393. During the traffic stop, an NSP K9 detected the presence of a controlled substance coming from inside the vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed 180 pounds of marijuana.

The driver, Richard Huckaba, 50, of Ruston, Louisiana, was arrested for possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and no drug tax stamp. Huckaba was lodged in Lancaster County Jail.

At approximately 2:00 p.m., another trooper performed a traffic stop on a Chevrolet Silverado after observing the vehicle fail to signal on the exit ramp of I-80 at mile marker 366 near Utica. During the traffic stop, another NSP K9 detected the odor of a controlled substance coming from inside the vehicle. Troopers searched the vehicle and located approximately 219 pounds of marijuana in the covered bed of the pickup.

The driver, Rebecca Jayne, 60, of Selma, Oregon was arrested for possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and no drug tax stamp. Jayne was lodged in Seward County Jail.

Nebraska Game and Parks April outdoor calendar

Posted on March 26, 2019

LINCOLN, Neb. – The following is a listing of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission events and important dates in April. Get more event details at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov. Visit OutdoorNebraska.org for a list of hunter education classes and boating safety classes.

April 2 – Landowner big game public meeting, Senior Center, Wauneta

April 3 – Landowner big game public meeting, Red Willow County Fairgrounds 4-H building, McCook

April 4 – Landowner big game public meeting, Fire Hall, Oxford

April 5 – Light Goose Conservation Order closes in Rainwater Basin and West zones

April 6 – Spring youth shotgun turkey season opens

April 6-7 – Platte River Art Show, Eugene T. Mahoney State Park, Ashland

April 7 – Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center, indoor ranges closed to the public, Lincoln

April 7 – Handgun Demo, Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center, Lincoln

April 9 – Turkey Calling Clinic, Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center, Lincoln

April 13 – Spring shotgun turkey season opens

April 13 – Spring Tea, Arbor Lodge State Historical Park, Nebraska City

April 13 – First Shots pistol seminar, Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center, Lincoln

April 13 – Earth Day, Wildcat Hills Nature Center, Gering

April 14 – Youth Fishing Instructor Certification Class, Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center, Lincoln

April 15 – Light Goose Conservation Order closes in East Zone

April 15 – Application period begins for bighorn sheep lottery permit

April 20 – Salamander Citizen Science Workshop, Indian Cave State Park, Shubert

April 20 – Spring Eggstravaganza, Ponca State Park, Ponca

April 20-21 – Easter Weekend Celebration, Arbor Day Farm, Nebraska City

April 21 – Growing Up WILD Educator Workshop, Concordia University, Seward

April 24 – Nebraska Game and Parks Commission meeting, Ponca State Park, Ponca

April 25 – Growing Up WILD Educator Workshop, Concordia University, Seward

April 26 – Arbor Day, Game and Parks offices closed

April 26 – Arbor Day, Arbor Day Farm, Nebraska City

April 27 – Outdoor Adventure, Indian Cave State Park, Shubert

April 27 – Roger G. Sykes Outdoor Heritage Education Complex opens for 2019 season, Platte River State Park, Louisville

April 27-28 – Arbor Day Weekend, Arbor Day Farm, Nebraska City

April 27-28 – Becoming an Outdoors-Woman: Experience Platte River State Park, Louisville

April 28 – Bacon and Beer Feed, Fort Atkinson State Historical Park, Fort Calhoun

North Platte Giving Day set for May 8 with 67 local nonprofits

Posted on March 26, 2019March 26, 2019

A total of 67 local nonprofit causes have signed up to participate in North Platte Giving Day which is set for May 8.

During this 24-hour community giving event, donors can choose which nonprofits to support and how much to give to each.

“North Platte Giving Day is the best day to help community causes,” said Eric Seacrest, executive director of Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation, which is hosting Giving Day for the fourth year.

“Just by donating, donors can help their favorite nonprofits earn pledged matching gifts and win cash prizes provided by sponsors,” Seacrest said. Cash prizes will be given to nonprofits based on random selection or greatest number of unduplicated donors online or by check during various time periods.

100% of each gift will go to the donor selected nonprofits. The Community Foundation and an anonymous donor are covering costs of processing donations. There is no charge for nonprofits to participate in North Platte Giving Day.

Online donations can be made at the NorthPlatteGivingDay.org website. Prescheduled donations can be entered online beginning April 29 and the gift will be charged on Giving Day May 8. Checks can be delivered to one of several local donation sites on Giving Day.

“North Platte Giving Day fits the mission of the Community Foundation to serve charitable people and worthy causes in this area,” said Kimberly Steger, Community Foundation president. “Our Board of Directors wants the community to know about the important work of nonprofits in this area and their need for financial support.”

Each of the 67 participating nonprofits serves people in Lincoln County and in many cases an even larger area. Information about each participating nonprofit can be viewed on the North Platte Giving Day website.

During last year’s Giving Day, $231,844 was raised for local nonprofits from donations, cash prizes from sponsors and earned matching gifts. Giving Day gifts are deductible for income tax purposes as charitable contributions.

New this year will be live support available on the website to assist donors if needed on Giving Day. Also this year the minimum online gift to a nonprofit has been lowered to $10.

Also new on the Giving Day website this year, many local nonprofits provide information about their need for volunteer help and how to learn about volunteer opportunities.

Giving Day website technology again is provided by CiviCore, based in Denver. CiviCore provides technology for many of the largest giving days in the country as well as many other giving days in Nebraska.

During Giving Day a real-time online leaderboard will provide updates on donation totals for nonprofits as well as prizes won by nonprofits.

The following nonprofits are participating in North Platte Giving Day May 8:

20th Century Veterans Memorial

American Red Cross

Autism Society of Nebraska-North Platte Area

Boy Scouts of America Overland Trails Council

Brady School Foundation Fund

Bridge of Hope Child Advocacy Center

Community Connections

Connection Homeless Shelter

D & N Event Center

Deborah’s Legacy

ESU 16 Innovation in Education Endowment

Fur the Love of PAWS Rescue

Gift of Hope Cancer Foundation

Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska

Golden Spike Tower

Goodfellow Shoe Fund

Great Plains Health Care Foundation

Guardians of the Children Flatrock Chapter

Heartland Singers

Hershey Public School Educational Foundation

Keep North Platte and Lincoln County Beautiful

KJLT/KJTF Radio

L2 for Kids-Clothes for Youth

Lake Maloney Trail Fund

Legal Aid of Nebraska-North Platte office

Lincoln County 4-H

Lincoln County Agricultural Society

Lincoln County CASA

Lincoln County Community Development Corp

Lincoln County Crime Stoppers

Lincoln County Historical Museum

Lincoln County Sheriff’s Holographic Rifle Sights Fund

Maxwell Public School Scholarship Foundation Fund

Mid-Plains United Way

Miss Nebraska Scholarship Foundation Fund

Nebraska Children’s Home Society

Nebraska Youth Center

NEBRASKAlandDAYS Foundation Fund

North Platte Area Children’s Museum

North Platte Area Disaster Relief & Recovery Fund

North Platte Area Habitat for Humanity

North Platte Area RSVP Fund

North Platte Catholic Schools Endowment-Trust

North Platte Citizen Advocacy

North Platte Community College Foundation

North Platte Community Playhouse

North Platte Concert Association

North Platte Kids Academy

North Platte Opportunity Center

North Platte Parks, Recreation & Wellness Foundation Fund

North Platte Public Library Foundation Fund

North Platte Public Schools Foundation

North Platte Recreation Center Fund

North Platte Senior Center

North Platte Skate Park Fund

North Platte Trails Network Fund

Paws-itive Partners Humane Society

People’s Family Health Services-WIC and Family Planning

Prairie Arts Center

Rape/Domestic Abuse Program

Salvation Army

Sandhills Symphony Fund

Supportive Services for Veterans and Families

Sutherland Anchor Memorial Park Fund

Sutherland Public School Foundation Fund

Teammates Mentoring

Salvation Army

Women’s Resource Center

Nebraska fires hoops coach Miles, missed NCAA Tourney again

Posted on March 26, 2019

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska has fired seventh-year coach Tim Miles after the Cornhuskers finished 13th in the Big Ten and failed to make the NCAA Tournament for a fifth straight year.

Athletic director Bill Moos announced the firing Tuesday, two days after the Huskers finished a 19-17 season with an 88-72 loss to TCU in the second round of the NIT.

Miles was 116-114 overall and 52-76 in Big Ten regular-season games. Nebraska was 10th or lower in the Big Ten in all but two of Miles’ seasons.

The Huskers started this season 13-4 and appeared in The Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 2014. The Huskers lost 11 of 13 games in January and February. Winning two games in the Big Ten Tournament wasn’t enough to get them an NCAA bid.

Theresa Coyle

Posted on March 26, 2019March 27, 2019

Theresa Coyle of Gothenburg, Nebraska, died on March 24, 2019 at her home in Gothenburg at the age of 49.

Theresa was born on March 3, 1970 in Broken Bow, Nebraska to Dr. Joseph and Loretta (Doody) Coyle. She graduated in 1988 from Omaha Marian High School. She attended college at Kansas State University, where she played golf for four years. She earned her degree in Accounting. She worked in corporate America for 12 years before returning to school to earn her degree in teaching. At the time of here death, Theresa was a high school Math teacher at Cozad High School in Cozad, Nebraska.

Theresa had many passions in her life. She was an avid golfer who competed all over the state, making friends everywhere she went. in 2018, she was inducted into the Omaha Marian High Hall of Fame. She loved collecting anything “Snoopy” and loved to entertain her friends and students with her dancing skills. Theresa was a beloved teacher in Springview, Maywood, and Cozad, and was determined to help young people succeed. Her incredible sense of humor and compassion made her a favorite among all of her students. She was incredibly generous to everyone she knew and preferred to remain anonymous.

Theresa was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Michael, and many beloved relatives. Survivors include her sister Colleen and husband Mark of Tampa Bay, Florida; brother Patrick and wife Missy of Fort Worth, Texas; niece Macy Potts; nephews Brandon Potts, Clay and Cooper Coyle; and her aunt, Sister Mary Jo Coyle of Kansas City, Kansas. She is also survived by many, many firends and students whose lives she inspired.

Services will be Friday, March 29, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. at Our Lady of Good Counsel, 1914 Avenue J in Gothenburg with Father Jorge Canela offficiating.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 29, 2019 from 1:00 – 7:00 p.m. with family receiving friends from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Blase-Strauser Memorial Chapel at 629 Tenth Street in Gothenburg.

Memorials may be directed to the family in her name for a later designation. Online condolences may be shared at www.blasestrauser.com

Betty J. Thalken

Posted on March 26, 2019March 26, 2019

Betty J. Thalken, age 91, of North Platte passed away peacefully on Wednesday March 13, 2019 at Great Plains Health surrounded by her loving daughters.

Betty (Hoefer) Thalken was born April 7, 1927 on a farm outside of Sutherland, NE to Henry and Margaret (Jochum) Hoefer. She attended Star School south of Hershey until it closed in 1942 and then the family moved to North Platte where she attended St. Patrick’s Catholic High School, graduating with the class of 1944. She married John “Jack” Thalken on April 7, 1947 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and the two shared a blessed life together for nearly 70 years. Betty was a lifetime member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and enjoyed volunteering at Great Plains Medical Center, AARP, RSVP, and the Bargain Bin. She was a member of the Altar Society and Catholic Daughters and was the funeral salad lady for many, many years. Everyone was always welcome in their loving home and Betty’s greatest joy was her large family and her faith.

Betty is survived by her son, David (Bette) Thalken of Granbury, TX; daughters, Cindy (Bill) Mills of North Platte, Deb Thalken of Peoria, AZ; Pat (Phil) Bahl of Omaha, Mary (Blake) Gigax of Hayes Center, and Diana (Terry) McCarty of North Platte; 21 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews, and cousins; and her special friends at Linden Estates.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Margaret Hoefer; husband John “Jack” Thalken; son Stephen J. Thalken; brothers Roman and Quentin; sisters Frieda Tepley, Irma Pueppka, Ione Dwyer, Callista Binegar, Jean Mueller, and June Kerkman; and many brothers and sisters-in-law.

In lieu of flowers memorials are suggested to the North Platte Catholic Schools Endowment Trust and online condolences may be shared at www.adamsswanson.com. Christian Wake Services will be held 10:30 a.m. Friday March 29, 2019 prior to Mass of Christian Burial which will be 11:00 a.m. at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church with the Reverend Josh Brown as Celebrant.

Inurnment will take place 10:00 a.m. Monday, April 1, 2019 at Ft. McPherson National Cemetery near Maxwell.

Visitation will be 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Thursday March 28, 2019 at Adams & Swanson Funeral Home which is in charge of arrangements.

Lavonne Jean Peterson

Posted on March 26, 2019March 26, 2019

Lavonne Jean Peterson, 87, of Gothenburg passed away March 25, 2019 at Stone Hearth Estates in Gothenburg, Nebraska.

Visitation will take place at Blase-Strauser Memorial Chapel, 620 Tenth Street, Gothenburg on Friday, April 5, 2019 from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Family members will be present from 5 to 7 p.m.

Funeral services will be conducted at the Evangelical Free Church, 1721 Lake Ave, Gothenburg, Nebraska on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at 10 a.m. with the Rev. Robert Litzenberger & Rev. Scott Newman officiating. Interment will follow at the New Hope Cemetery in Gothenburg.

Memorials are suggested to KJLT, P.O. Box 709, North Platte, NE 69102, Gideons International, P.O. Box 133, Gothenburg, NE 69138 or Avant Ministries (Spain Camp), 10000 North Oak Trafficway, Kansas City, MO 64155.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.blasestrauser.com

Nebraska Lottery says someone won $25K a year for life

Posted on March 26, 2019

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Lottery says someone who bought a Lucky for Life lottery ticket has won $25,000 a year for life.

The lottery says the ticket was sold at the Peoples Service of Spalding in the Greeley County community of Spalding. It matched the numbers on five white balls in Monday’s drawing but didn’t match the Lucky Ball number. If it had, the ticket would have been worth $1,000 a day for life.

The lottery says it was the winning ticket sold in Nebraska for the prize of $25,000 a year for life. The winner has yet to come forward.

Lincoln police mull requiring testing of all DNA evidence in rape cases

Posted on March 26, 2019

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — As hundreds of untested rape kits remain in storage at the Lincoln Police Department, officials are considering broadening the scope of the department’s kit-testing policy to require all DNA evidence to be tested.

The department has more than 350 untested rape kits that have been collected since 2004, the Lincoln Journal Star reported.

Nearly all the untested kits are from cases in which the victim knew the alleged offender, said Chief Jeff Bliemeister. The DNA evidence could confirm if there was sexual contact, but wouldn’t confirm if it was nonconsensual, he said.

“There are no untested kits in our property unit that hold investigative value specific to the allegations” of the cases reported, Bliemeister said in February.

Rape kits are required to be tested in cases where the victim doesn’t know the alleged offender, according to department policy. Police are now considering changing that policy.

“We are evaluating best practices from the National Institutes of Justice, meeting with community stakeholders and making a determination if all biological evidence should be sent to the lab, even when the facts and circumstances of the investigation we are working don’t require the analysis,” Bliemeister said last week.

Investigators aren’t considering workload or costs when weighing whether to test kits, Bliemeister said. Police sometimes pay more to have kits tested in other labs to avoid a backlog, he said.

Testing all sexual assault kits can help identify serial rapists, according to End the Backlog, a federal initiative by the Joyful Heart Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates for all kits to be tested.

Victims whose rape kits aren’t tested can feel like their sexual assault hasn’t been taken seriously, said Michelle Miller, the sexual violence program coordinator for the Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence.

The police department works to document all reports of sexual assault, allows anonymous reporting and works with victim’s advocates, Bliemeister said.

June trial set for driver in crash that killed 3 passengers

Posted on March 26, 2019

LEXINGTON, Neb. (AP) – A June 18 trial start has been scheduled for a woman who survived a central Nebraska collision that killed three passengers in the car she was driving.

Dawson County District Court records say 20-year-old Angelique Kampmann, of Kearney, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of vehicular homicide while driving under the influence, one of causing serious injury while driving under the influence and one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence, first offense.

The collision occurred Oct. 16 on U.S. Highway 30 between Overton and Elm Creek. The Nebraska State Patrol says a southbound car driven by Kampmann didn’t halt at a stop sign and collided with an eastbound sport utility vehicle.

Donald Anderson, of Overton; Karli Michael, of Pontiac, Illinois; and Ziera Nickerson, of Kearney, were killed.