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Task force arrests 4 on drug charges in Kearney

An on-going, joint investigation involving members of the Central Nebraska Drug and Safe Streets Task Force resulted in the service of three search warrants at approximately 7 a.m. Friday, May 17, in Kearney.

Search warrants were served simultaneously at 1801, 1806, and 1811 Ave B by members of the Kearney Police/Buffalo County Emergency Services Team and Task Force Officers.

Officers located narcotics at each location and made four arrests.

36-year-old Jennifer Burbach,n43-year-old JC Hunt, 46-year-old Geoffrey Mazankowski, and 54-year-old Gordon Macellus, all of Kearney, were booked into the Buffalo County Jail on Felony Possession of Controlled Substance charges. Two children were also present during the arrests and have been placed in the custody of family members.

This is an on-going investigation.

Members of the Central Nebraska Drug and Safe Streets Task Force involved with this operation include the Kearney Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Department, Adams County Sheriff’s Department, Hall County Sheriff’s Department.

Vivian Marie Haynes (1926 – 2019)

Vivian Haynes, 93, of Gothenburg, Nebraska died on May 13, 2019 in Kearney, Nebraska.

Vivian Marie Haynes was born 18 miles north of Gothenburg, called Rock Island Table, on February 26, 1926 to Rash & Ella (Weeks) Jones.  Siblings were brothers, Ralph and Orval Jones, and sister, Virginia Rey.  She graduated from Gothenburg High School in 1944.

She was a devoted wife to Stanley Haynes and a full-time mother to three children: Stanley, Marcia and Steven.  She had two grandchildren and four great grandchildren.  Her family is what she considered her greatest accomplishment.  In her lifetime she worked as a waitress and a nurse’s aid for Dr. Ayers.  She enjoyed bowling, water skiing, pinnacle, sewing, square dancing, bingo, yard work and attending family sports and music events.  At one time, she was an active member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the First Presbyterian Church.

Survivors son Stanley (Donna) Haynes and their children; Michael (Andrea) Haynes and daughter Adelenne and Matthew (Shelley) Haynes and their children, Willard, Noah, and Harper all of Omaha;  daughter Marcia Haynes of Kearney and son Steven Haynes of Baltimore, Maryland.

Vivian was preceded in death by her husband, Stanley Haynes; father, Rash Jones; mother, Ella Jones; brothers, Ralph Jones and Orval Jones; and her sister, Virginia Rey.

Services were held at the First Presbyterian Church in Gothenburg on Friday, May 17, 2019 with internment following at the Gothenburg Cemetery.  Memorials may be given to the Gothenburg Senior Center, 410 Twentieth Street, Gothenburg, Nebraska.  Blase-Strauser Memorial Chapel in Gothenburg was in charge of arrangements.

Roger K. Stear (1933 – 2019)

Roger K. Stear, age 85, passed away peacefully with his loving wife and children by his side on Wednesday, May 15, 2019 at Gothenburg Hospital.

Roger was born on August 22, 1933 in Cozad, Nebraska to Lawrence and Francis (Kerr) Stear.  He grew up on the family farm and graduated from Cozad High School in 1951.

Roger joined the U.S. Navy, proudly serving his country during the Korean War from 1952 to 1956.

Roger married Joan Thomason on Jun 6, 1955 in Cozad.  He was the loving father to Shane, Susan and Jeffrey, proud grandfather of Andrew, Ashleigh, Alex and Mercedes, and great grandfather of Kinsley Drew.

Roger had a true passion for farming and raising his hogs; starting on the family farm and continuing in Eastern Wyoming in 1969.  He truly lived life to the fullest through simple pleasures; chatting and spending quality time with family and friends.  Roger was a spiritual man and was involved in many church activities with the Lyman and Scottsbluff Nebraska Methodist Churches.

Roger and Joan retired and moved back to Gothenburg, Nebraska in June 0f 2016.

Roger is survived by his wife Joan of Gothenburg, son Shane (Laurie) of St. Louis, Missouri, daughter Susan (Keith) Maddox of Ft Worth, Texas; grandchildren, Ashleigh and Alex Star, Treasure and Mercedes Maddox; great granddaughter, Kinsley Drew Benoist; brother Ron (Karen) Stear of Cozad; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by a son, Jeffrey, and grandson, Andrew Stear.  He was also preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Sharon Bowen and Shirley Paulsen, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, and several nephews.

Per Roger’s wishes, cremation has taken place and there will not be a memorial service.  A Celebration of Life will be held with family and friends at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Gothenburg Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department, Gothenburg Hospital Foundation, Gothenburg Senior Center, or a charity of choice.  He will be deeply missed by family, friends and all who knew him.  Blase-Strauser Memorial Chapel, 620 Tenth Street in Gothenburg, is in charge of arrangements.

Knights Mens Basketball send another player to D1

North Platte – The Knights are sending another one of their players to a NCAA Division I school. Edgars Kaufmanis has accepted an offer to play for Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

The Islanders are a Division I school who play in the Southland region. Last season the Islanders went 14-18 and lost in the first round of the Southland Conference tournament.

Kaufmanis had a spectacular year with the Knights averaging 9.2 points per game to go along with 4.1 Rebounds. Kaufmanis is a deep threat as well shooting 41.2% from 3pt range and 46.2% overall.

Other Knights basketball players who have signed this offseason are Jakub Karwowski who will be playing for Utah State and Nahatabaa Nacona who will be playing for Eastern Nazarene University.

 

Troopers kick off Click It or Ticket campaign

Troopers across Nebraska will be on the lookout for seat belt violations during traffic stops as part of the annual Click It or Ticket campaign that traditionally begins the summer driving season.

The campaign, which runs from May 20 through June 2, includes the Nebraska State Patrol and numerous other agencies across the state with partnership from the Nebraska Department of Transportation – Highway Safety Office (NDOT-HSO).

“There’s no question that seat belts save lives,” said Colonel John Bolduc. “Our troopers see it on a daily basis as they respond to and investigate crashes.”

While 86 percent of Nebraskans wear seat belts, nearly 70 percent of the people who lose their lives on Nebraska roads are not wearing a seat belt, according to 2018 statistics. 

“The statistics are clear,” said Bolduc. “We encourage everyone to wear their seat belt for every trip and every time they’re in the vehicle.”

Troopers and dispatchers will be working overtime as part of this enforcement thanks in part to a grant for $25,000 from NDOT-HSO.

 

Nebraska jobless rate inches up to 2.9% in April

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Officials say Nebraska’s unemployment rate inched up to 2.9% in April.

The Nebraska Labor Department said in a news release Friday that the preliminary April rate is up a tenth of a point from March’s rate of 2.8% – the same figure recorded for April 2018. It also was well below April’s national preliminary rate of 3.6%, which is down two-tenths of a point from 3.8% in March and three-tenths of a point under the April 2018 rate of 3.9%.

The Nebraska figure had been 2.8% for eight months in a row.

The preliminary nonfarm employment figure last month rose to more than 1.02 million.

Report: Ohio State team doctor abused 177, leaders knew

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — At least 177 men were sexually abused by an Ohio State team doctor who died years ago, the university said Friday as it released findings from a law firm that investigated the accusations, concluding that school leaders knew at the time.

The claims about Richard Strauss span from 1979 to 1997 — nearly his entire time at Ohio State — and involve athletes from at least 16 sports, plus his work at the student health center and his off-campus clinic.

Many of the accusers who have spoken publicly said they were groped and inappropriately touched during physical exams. Some also said they were ogled in locker rooms where athletes joked about Strauss’ behavior, referring to him with nicknames like “Dr. Jelly Paws.”

The law firm hired to conduct the investigation for the school interviewed hundreds of former students and university employees.

In releasing the report, President Michael Drake offered “profound regret and sincere apologies to each person who endured Strauss’ abuse.” He called it a “fundamental failure” of the institution and thanked survivors for their courage.

The university said it has begun the process of revoking Strauss’ emeritus status.

His accusers allege more than 20 school officials and staff members, including two athletic directors and a coach who is now a congressman, were aware of concerns about Strauss but didn’t stop him. Most of those claims are part of two related lawsuits against Ohio State that are headed to mediation.

The university has said the law firm’s work included determining what Ohio State and its leaders knew during Strauss’ tenure.

But the independence of the investigation has been questioned by some of Strauss’ accusers, including some of the lawsuit plaintiffs, their attorneys and the whistleblower who helped to spur the investigation last spring.

Ohio State has sought to have the lawsuits thrown out as being time-barred by law, but university leaders have insisted they’re not ignoring the men’s stories.

The U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights also is examining whether Ohio State responded “promptly and equitably” to students’ complaints.

Strauss, a well-regarded physician and sports-medicine researcher, killed himself in 2005.

No one has publicly defended him, though his family has said they were shocked at the allegations. Like the school, they said they were seeking the truth about him.

Employment records shared by Ohio State reflect no major concerns about Strauss before he retired in 1998. But alumni said they complained as early as the late 1970s, and Ohio State has at least one documented complaint from 1995.

The State Medical Board of Ohio said it never disciplined Strauss but acknowledged having confidential records about the investigation of a complaint involving him. Records of board communications indicate Ohio State reported Strauss to the medical board at some point but include no details.

Strauss’ personnel records indicate he previously worked at five other schools. None of those has said any concerns were raised about him.

Man denies assault; says he was just teaching teen about sex

Joshua Kandler
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A man who told authorities he was just teaching a 16-year-old girl about sex has been convicted of sex assault and other crimes.

A jury found 42-year-old Joshua Kandler guilty on Tuesday. Online court records don’t show a sentencing date.

The Lincoln Journal Star reports that police arrested him on Feb. 1, 2018, after Kandler confirmed portions of the girl’s statement that he was educating her on sexuality. She had told authorities that she and Kandler had sex several times in 2017.

He denied her report and testified that she’d made up stories about being sexually abused.

2019 Girls State Tennis

Class A #1 Singles

#3 Mary Faulk (10), Millard North 17-4 Def Katrina Webster (11), North Platte: 6-1, 6-0

Class A #2 Singles

Jenna Hoover (12), North Platte Def Kinsli Auman (12), Gretna: 6-3, 6-2
#1 Brooke Sailer (12), Lincoln East 28-1 Def Jenna Hoover (12), North Platte: 6-0, 6-0

Class A #1 Doubles

Aspen Luebbe (12)/ Emily Miksch (11), Columbus Def Codi Guerrieri (12)/ Samantha Uppal (11), North Platte: 7-6 (9-7), 6-2

Class A #2 Doubles

Julia Steiner (11)/ Kathryn Terry (9), Omaha Westside Def Aniston Manzano (12)/ Anam Vaziri (11), North Platte: 6-3, 6-7 (1-7), (10-6)

Class B #1 Singles

#3 Kassidy Michaelis (12), McCook 38-0 Def Madeline Ketcham (11), Ogallala: 6-0, 6-0
#3 Kassidy Michaelis (12), McCook 38-0 Def Keyana Hastings (11), Hershey: 6-0, 6-0
#3 Kassidy Michaelis (12), McCook 38-0 Def #6 Zoee Smith (11), Gering 29-10: 6-0, 6-0

Keyana Hastings (11), Hershey Def Sadie Weiner (11), Omaha Roncalli Catholic: 6-1, 6-1
#3 Kassidy Michaelis (12), McCook 38-0 Def Keyana Hastings (11), Hershey: 6-0, 6-0

Class B #2 Singles

#4 Sydney Stewart (12), McCook 33-5 Def Analiese Wiedenbeck (12), Waverly: 6-1, 6-1
#4 Sydney Stewart (12), McCook 33-5 Def Elizabeth Gerkin (11), South Sioux City: 6-2, 6-0
#5 Abigail Brewster (10), Omaha Duchesne Academy 18-6 Def #4 Sydney Stewart (12), McCook: 33-5, 7-5, 2-6, 10-7

Alyssa Gove (9), Lincoln Christian Def Carly Sexson (10), Hershey: 4-6, 6-2, 13-11

Class B #1 Doubles

#3 Riley Hansen (12)/ Kori Uerling (11), McCook 35-3 Def Megann Mogensen (12)/ Ngoc Nguyen (12), South Sioux City: 6-0, 6-0
#3 Riley Hansen (12)/ Kori Uerling (11), McCook 35-3 Def Brooke DeSha (12)/ Shelby Bewley (11), Scottsbluff: 6-4, 6-3
#3 Riley Hansen (12)/ Kori Uerling (11), McCook 35-3 Def #6 Lilith Fair (12)/ Madison Mendoza (12), Ogallala: 28-4 6-4, 6-3

#11 Avery Plessel (10)/ Olivia Pfeiffer (9), Beatrice 16-14 Def Anna Berntson (10)/ Trissa Wilson (11), Hershey: 7-5, 6-4

Class B #2 Doubles

#8 Megan Hodgson (10)/ Delaney Jumps (12), McCook 28-6 Def Kara Buss (11)/ Elli Marker (9), Adams Central: 7-5, 6-1
#8 Megan Hodgson (10)/ Delaney Jumps (12), McCook 28-6 Def #9 Jordyn Boehler (12)/ Mackenzie Steckelberg (12), Waverly: 15-7, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4)
#1 Jane Krueger (11)/ Kiersten Capelle (11), Omaha Duchesne Academy 26-1 Def #8 Megan Hodgson (10)/ Delaney Jumps (12), McCook: 28-6, 6-3, 6-1

Mackenzie Demuth (10)/ Alli Jacobi (10), Hastings St. Cecilia Def Kaitlyn Compton (11)/ Reagan Hudson (10), Hershey 6-3, 7-5

Inmate serving life sentence for Lincoln slaying has died 

Walter Bradford

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – An inmate serving a life sentence for a Lincoln murder has died.

The Nebraska Correctional Services Department says 61-year-old Walter Bradford died Thursday at the department’s Diagnostic and Evaluation Center in Lincoln.

The department says Bradford started his sentence in December 1983. He’d robbed and fatally stabbed Gordon Robert Eno in Lincoln the year before. Brian Perkins also was convicted in the slaying and sentenced to life.

The department says Bradford was being treated for a medical condition, but the cause of his death has not yet been determined.

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