Post Staff – Page 10 – North Platte Post Archive

Nebraska lawmakers advance new business tax incentives

Posted on May 23, 2019

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.

Patrol: Nearly 2 dozen students injured in school bus crash

Posted on May 23, 2019

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.

The crash remains under investigation.

Judges announced for Miss Rodeo NE Pageant

Posted on May 22, 2019May 22, 2019

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 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 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

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.

Former county treasurer blasts board for her ouster

Posted on May 22, 2019

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.

NPPD Activity Log (5.21.19-5.22.19)

Posted on May 22, 2019May 22, 2019

Call Date

Call Time

Call Number

RMS CFS

RMS CFS Description

Location Of Incident

05/21/2019