LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Lawmakers have advanced a proposal to replace Nebraska’s largest tax incentive for businesses with a newer program despite concerns from some who want to focus first on property taxes.
The bill won first-round approval Wednesday on a 29-5 vote after supporters overcame a legislative filibuster.
The proposal by Sen. Mark Kolterman, of Seward, would create a tax credit program known as the ImagiNE Nebraska Act.
It would replace the Nebraska Advantage Act, the state’s largest and most widely used tax credit program for businesses that is set to expire next year. Some lawmakers have questioned whether the advantage act has been effective in creating high-paying jobs.
Some rural lawmakers reluctantly supported the measure but say they may fight it if the Legislature doesn’t also advance a property tax measure.
DUNBAR, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska State Patrol says nearly two dozen students suffered minor injuries in a crash in southeastern Nebraska.
The patrol says the crash happened shortly before 3 p.m. Wednesday on a rural highway near Dunbar in Otoe County. Investigators say a car was trying to turn south onto Highway 67 when it hit an eastbound school bus carrying 38 fourth-graders and four adults.
Two other school buses traveling with the first picked up the passengers from the crashed bus and took all 42 to a Nebraska City hospital. The patrol says 21 children were injured. The other 17 children and four adults were not injured.
The driver of the car was taken to a hospital in Syracuse with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.
Ruth Louise Stacey, 89 of North Platte died Sunday, May 19,2019 at Linden Court, North Platte, Nebraska.
She was born March 3, 1930 at Longford Kansas into the family of Edwin Roy and Beulah (Smith) Bane.
Ruth grew into womanhood and attended the schools in her birth community. In 1948 she graduated from cosmetology school in Topeka, Kansas. At a very early age, she demonstrated an ability for sewing and needlework by making clothes for her dolls. She married Herschel Stacey on December 19, 1948 at Longford, Kansas. Ruth was a devoted wife and mother throughout her life.
Ruth was a member of the First Methodist Church in North Platte and participated in the Christian Women’s organization. She enjoyed square dancing and was a member of the Good Times Square Dance Club.
The family would like to thank the staff at Linden Court for the love and care they showed for Ruth during her time with them.
Survivors include husband, Herschel of North Platte; daughter, Debra (Dave) Swanson of Raleigh, NC; son, Kurt Stacey of Loveland, CO; grandchildren, Andrew (Chalon) Swanson of Raleigh, NC, Matthew Swanson of Thailand, Drew Swanson of Columbia, South America, Blake (Danielle) Stacey, and Apryl Stacey all of Loveland, CO; great grandchildren, Owen Stacey, Eli Stacey, Brooklynn McCauley, Carter Swanson, and Cayla Swanson; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Edwin and Beulah; and a brother Curtis Bane.
Memorial are suggested in her name to the First United Methodist Church in North Platte. Online condolences made may be shared at www.adamsswanson.com.
Service will be 11:00 a.m. Friday May 24 at the First United Methodist Church with the Reverend Dr. Douglas Delp officiating. Graveside services are pending due to flooding near the Greenridge Cemetery in Kansas north of Abilene. Visitation will be 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. with the family receiving friends 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at Adams & Swanson Funeral Home which is in charge of arrangements.
Judges have been announced for the Miss Rodeo Nebraska Pageant June 9-12 in North Platte. They are Joni James Smith, Lynn Welker and Shelia Croft.
Joni James Smith
Joni James Smith
Joni James Smith is the daughter of 1962 Miss Rodeo America, Karen Lavens James. Joni grew up in south Idaho ranching, farming and rodeoing. She was a four-sport varsity athlete in high school and attended college on a basketball and track scholarship.
Fond childhood memories include raising 4-H steers, branding and calving, junior rodeos, horse shows and competing in rodeo queen contests. Smith was the Idaho High School All-All Cowgirl in 1984 and National Miss College Rodeo in 1987.
She filled her Women’s Professional Rodeo Association permit in barrel racing before being crowned the 1990 Miss Rodeo America at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Okla. for the one year that the MRA pageant returned to Oklahoma City.
Smith has a Bachelor of Science degree from Boise State University and a master’s degree in school counseling from Louisiana State University. She has been married to 1998 world champion steer wrestler Mike Smith for 28 years. They have four children: Callen, 24, Naomi, 21, Cole, 16, and Nykell, 13.
The family currently resides in Lake Charles, La. Joni has been a basketball coach, science, physical education and special education teacher, as well as a middle school and high school counselor. She currently oversees 560 freshmen at a large high school in southern Louisiana. Family, good friends, running marathons and triathlons, pleasure reading, horses and the mountains are close to her heart.
Lynn Welker
Lynn Welker
Lynn Welker is originally from Kilgore, Neb. and now resides in Highlands Ranch, Colo. She has a deep appreciation for agricultural roots, having grown up on her family’s ranch – and now running her own cattle as well.
Welker graduated from Cody-Kilgore High School as valedictorian of her class in 2000. Then in 2003, Lynn had the opportunity to serve as Miss Rodeo Nebraska, promoting the sport of rodeo and agricultural way of life. That particular experience, prior years of pageant preparation and competition and public speaking events from childhood through early adulthood (4-H, FFA and college) helped construct and shape a strong communications foundation from which Welker would build her public relations business down the road.
In 2006, she graduated from the University of Wyoming with honors earning a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a minor in biological anthropology. After graduation, Welker was able to gain valuable experience in both the public and private sector – providing her with insight, background and understanding in community outreach, stakeholder management, regulatory policy, governmental processes and business operations. To gain additional education from a development perspective, Welker completed a certificate program at MIT in Complex Business Strategy.
Welker was accepted to and graduated from the Leadership Wyoming Program in 2014, and thanks to amazing mentors and encouragement from, what are now Welker’s lifetime friends, WelkerPR, Inc. was borne. Welker had always aspired to be an entrepreneur, and now with her husband, Bryan, they operate WelkerPR, Inc., dba Welker and Fevold PR, providing public relations, marketing, fundraising, government affairs, business strategy and graphic design services.
In her free time, Lynn’s favorite gig is being “Auntie Lynn.” She loves to spend time with family and friends, hunt, trap, fish, hike, work out, travel, snowboard, judge pageants and work on her fiction novel that she hopes to complete in the next two years.
Sheila Croft
Sheila Croft
Croft has been involved with rodeo queen pageants since 1992. Currently, she serves on the Miss Rodeo America Executive Board and is the judge’s liaison at the Miss Rodeo America Pageant.
She has volunteered on the Miss Rodeo Kansas Pageant committee for 23 years and served as the national director from 2003-’15.
Growing up in the farming and ranching industry, Croft competed in team penning and barrel racing. She served on the Beef Empire Days Rodeo committee for several years and was instrumental in helping establish the Miss Beef Empire Days Rodeo Queen Contest. Croft has judged nine state pageants and many local pageants.
She resides in Copeland, Kan., where she is the city clerk and owns and operates a business specializing in women’s clothing and accessories. Croft enjoys playing piano at her church, photography and spending time with her husband J.T., their children and three granddaughters.
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) — NFL owners have given the competition committee the go-ahead to decide whether to refine the new rule allowing replay challenges involving pass interference.
The proposed tweak would take the decision on whether to review in the final two minutes of each half out of the hands of officials. Reviews in the final two minutes would instead require a coach’s challenge.
A final decision on the change will come after the committee discusses the subject with the league’s coaches next month. Owners voted in March to allow interference calls or non-calls to be challenged by coaches and reviewed via replay as a one-year experiment.
NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) — A former western Nebraska county treasurer who was ousted by county commissioners has blasted the board for her removal.
The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners cited a state law May 13 in removing Lorie Koertner for “neglecting or refusing to render any account or settlement required by law.”
Koertner appeared briefly Monday at a Board of Commissioners hearing and read a statement in which she said “not one dollar belonging to the county or its political subdivisions has ever been unaccounted for (and) not one report or account required by law has not been rendered timely” from the time she was sworn in Jan. 3.
Board chairman Joe Hewgley said Wednesday that the board took no action Monday to rescind Koertner’s dismissal. He referred other questions to Deputy County Attorney Joe Wright, who declined to answer questions.
Kent Douglas Priest, of North Platte, died suddenly on Sunday, May 19, 2019, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney at the age of 56.
Kent was born June 12, 1962, in North Platte to Kenneth Dean and Maxine June (Fuller) Priest. When he was very young, he lost his dad so he and his sister, Denise, were raised by their mom and stepfather, Marion Hornkohl, in North Platte. Kent went on to graduate from North Platte High School with the Class of 1980 then attended Mid-Plains Community College and worked for Priest/Hornkohl Bulk Milk Hauling, his mom’s business.
On August 17, 1987, Kent married Jennifer Renee Minerd at Ogallala. They made their home in North Platte where they raised their son, Austin.
On December 1, 1997, Kent went to work for the Nebraska Dept. of Roads (NDOR), which is now Nebraska Dept. of Transportation, and had been with them ever since. He liked what he did and was awarded Employee of the Year for NDOR.
Kent was passionate about his work with the Masons and Shriners. He was an active member of Platte Valley Lodge #32 AF&AM, Scottish Rite where he was a 32° KCCH, Tehama Shrine Temple and the North Platte Shrine Club. Over the years he served each organization in various positions including Past Master of the Lodge, Potentate of Tehama Shrine in 2013 and was currently serving as the North Platte Shrine Club Secretary and Treasurer. Kent could be seen selling onions and circus tickets for the Shrine Club and participating in parades with the North Platte Puddle
Jumpers, among other things. He was also a member of Valley Christian Church, Eagles Aires #2839 and the Moose Lodge.
After 31 years of marriage, Kent and Jennifer still looked at each other with a warmth and fondness that never faded. Jennifer was his best friend, companion and no doubt, soul mate. They traveled extensively, on vacations and adventures, often in a vehicle with never a moment of silence. Kent proudly became a grandpa to Emma Violet in 2017 and spent as much time with her as possible, pushing her in a swing, gathering rocks from the alley and practicing going up and down the stairs.
Kent was a jovial and caring man who was generous and giving. He drew great strength, comfort and joy from his family and was happiest when surrounded by those he loved. He was taken too soon and will be greatly missed.
He leaves behind his wife, Jennifer, their son and daughter-in-law, Austin and Lisa Priest, and granddaughter, Emma, all of North Platte; sister and brother-in-law, Denise and Bob Peterson, of Elgin, Oklahoma; mother-in-law, Barb Minerd, of Hershey; aunt, Phyllis Priest, of North Platte; niece, Leah and husband, Jamie Carlyle; great niece and nephews, Heaven, Riggin and Creed; special friends, Tim and Lorie Wilson, of Hershey; as well as other family, friends and the Bretheran.
Along with his dad, Kenneth, Kent was preceded in death by his mom and stepdad, Maxine and Marion Hornkohl; and father-in-law, Bob Minerd.
Funeral Service with Masonic Rites will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 24, 2019, at Valley Christian Church. Burial will be 2 p.m. in the Miller Cemetery i Tryon, Nebraska. Visitation will be 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday with family greeting friends from 5-7 p.m. at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore, which is in charge of arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorials are to Tehama Transportation Fund or Lincoln County Historical Museum. Online condolences may be shared at odeanchapel.com.
WISNER, Neb. (AP) – A northeast Nebraska police chief has resigned after questions were raised about what he said were years of service in the U.S. Marines.
The Wisner City Council voted Monday night to accept the resignation of Jeffery Treu.
The Norfolk Daily News reports that a Howard County sheriff’s deputy, a U.S. Navy veteran, had requested information about Treu from the National Personnel Records Center. A letter in response says the center is “unable to locate any information that would help us verify the veteran’s military service.”
Efforts by The Associated Press to reach Treu on Wednesday were unsuccessful.
A retired U.S. Army soldier, Shannon Falk, says he talked to Treu and asked him directly whether he’d ever served in the military. Falk says Treu acknowledged that he had not.
STELLA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say two tornado sightings have been reported in southeast Nebraska.
The National Weather Service says the first report came in a little before 7:45 p.m. Tuesday. The report says the tornado was spotted about a mile south-southwest of Dawson. The second report was received a little before 8:10 p.m. It says a twister was seen about a mile north of Stella.
It’s unclear whether the sightings were of the same tornado or were of two formations from the same storm moving north-northeast.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The weather service also reported 1-inch hail about 5 miles east-southeast of Auburn.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Lawmakers have advanced a proposal to replace Nebraska’s largest tax incentive for businesses with a newer program despite concerns from some who want to focus first on property taxes.
