Iva T. Houpt, 69, of North Platte, passed away June 18, 2018 at Centennial Park Retirement Village. Online condolences may be shared atwww.carpentermemorial.com. Graveside services will be 1:00 p.m. Friday, June 22, 2018 at Floral Lawns Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thursday at Carpenter Memorial Chapel, which is in care of arrangements.
Author: Post Staff
Janet L. Konruff
Janet L. Konruff, 93, of North Platte, passed away June 16, 2018 at her home.
She was born on October 7, 1924, to Moulton and Marie (Bowman) Hammond in Stapleton, Nebraska. Janet graduated from North Platte High School in 1943 and later was united in marriage to Charles B. Konruff on June 12, 1945 at Oberlin, KS. Janet worked at Montgomery Ward as a clerk for many years. She was a member First Christian Church and the Diamond K Kiwanis.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; son, Terry, a brother, Gage Hammond and a sister, Marjorie (Don) Osmara.
Janet is survived by daughters, Linda Konruff of North Platte and Marjorie Nichelson of Yukon, Oklahoma ; daughter- in-law, Carole Konruff of Tampa, Florida; six grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.
The family would like to thank Dr. Murdock and his staff, the nurses and staff at Great Plains Health and Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney and Great Plains Hospice.
Graveside services will be at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 20, 2018 at Ft. McPherson National Cemetery near Maxwell. Visitation will be from 12-5 p.m., Tuesday, June 19, at Carpenter Memorial Chapel. Online condolences may be shared at www.carpentermemorial.com. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the First Christian Church Memorial Fund or Great Plains Hospice. Carpenter Memorial Chapel Is in care of arrangements
Harold “Butch” Rasmussen
Harold “Butch” Rasmussen passed away June 14, 2018, in Lake Mary, Florida.
He was born on Nov. 19, 1938, to Harold and Evelyn (Abegg) Rasmussen in North Platte. He graduated from North Platte High School in 1957 and married Charla Goodwin in 1960. Three sons, Randy, Scott and Mike, were born to that union.
In 1981, Butch married Barbara Greco and was married to her for 18 years.
In 2002, he married Georgia Mahaffie. They had grown up together in the same neighborhood and the same church and schools throughout their first 18 years, but after high school, they were separated for 45 years before finding each other again in 2001.
Butch managed the Cedar Bowl in North Platte from 1958 until becoming sole owner in 1986. During his time as manager, Butch worked with his father, Harold Rasmussen Sr., to strike a deal with a little-known “Kentucky Colonel” named Harland Sanders to sell his special recipe fried chicken at the old Cedar Bowl drive in on Rodeo Road. The colonel was to receive 5 cents royalty for each chicken sold. This all happened before Colonel Sanders became a national icon while franchising his famous recipe chicken.
Butch became president of the family corporation after the death of his father in 1976 and moved the Cedar Bowl from Rodeo Road to South Jeffers Street in 1978. He began a Husker football collection in the lounge soon after. The lounge was renamed the Touchdown Club and expanded in 1997 to become the largest collection of Nebraska Cornhusker sports photos and memorabilia anywhere in the country with the exception of the collection at the University of Nebraska.
Butch was president of the Nebraska Bowling Proprietor’s Association from 1967 to 1969 and continues to be the youngest person to ever serve in that capacity at the age of 29. He organized the western half of Nebraska for the state and national bowling organizations in the late ’50s and served on the Nebraska Bowling Proprietor’s Association State Board of Directors for 31 years.
He served the city of North Platte as campaign chairman for the North Platte United Way in 1970. The campaign made its goal that year for the first time in many years. He also served on the North Platte Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the state board of the Nebraska Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Little King franchisee’s National Advisory Council and served a term as president of that organization.
In 1971, he was named to the national publication of Outstanding Young Men of America. He received the Distinguished Achievement Award from the International Franchise Association in 1987, was elected to the Nebraska State Bowling Hall of Fame in 1986 and to the North Platte Bowling Hall of Fame in 1993. He was recipient of the Cody Scout Award for community service in 1991 presented by Mayor Jim Kirkman and was awarded the key to the city in 1999 by Mayor Jim Whitaker.
After retiring in 1999, Butch enjoyed the creative writing of his bowling column and then his sports column for The North Platte Telegraph. He also wrote articles for Huskers Illustrated magazine for three years.
Butch was preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Evelyn; brother, Robin Rasmussen; first wife, Charla; and grandchildren, Peyton Rasmussen and Parker Rasmussen.
He is survived by his sons Randy (Missy) of Sanford, Florida, Scott of Sanford, Florida, and Mike (Lynn) of Little Rock, Arkansas; six grandchildren, Matt Rasmussen, Josh Rasmussen, Micah Rasmussen, Chase Rasmussen, Sawyer Rasmussen, Gracie Rasmussen; a sister, Kandie (Kathy) Borchman; two brothers, Rocky (Teresa) Rasmussen and Ron (Jake) Rasmussen; many nieces and nephews; his forever stepchildren, Perry (Gail) Greco, Angi (Kirk) McAndrew, Amy Greco and Cammie McNeil; his forever stepgrandchildren, David McAndrew, Ashley (Matt) Perlinger, Taylor Sutton and M.J. McNeil; and three forever step great-grandchildren.
A private service will be at the North Platte cemetery.
Nebraska court offers treatment, support to veterans
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — It has been about a year since a Nebraska court began giving veterans facing felony charges a better chance to straighten out their lives than prison might offer, and some participants say the program has been helpful.
The Lancaster County Veterans Treatment Court has accepted six veterans into the program so far, the Lincoln Journal Star reported. The court serves combat veterans with little or no criminal record before their service ended, who were honorably discharged and have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder or a traumatic brain injury.
Corry Starks has both and was facing two felony drug charges.
Starks joined the military in 2000 and served 12 years of active duty, including four deployments to Iraq. He retired early due to medical reasons and moved to Nebraska, where he joined a motorcycle club and started using drugs. Starks began getting into trouble with the law when he was using meth, which he was influenced to do by other club members. It also became a form of self-medication.
Starks is the first veterans court participant. He said the program can be overwhelming, but it’s helping him transition back into society.
“It’s a huge life change,” Starks said. “A swing in the right direction.”
The program treats any issues that veterans might be dealing with, from substance abuse to depression or PTSD.
“In this kind of court, you know there are going to be struggles,” said Tony Conell, a coordinator. “Because relapse is going to happen. Issues are going to come up, because you’re dealing with people’s lives every day.”
All treatment is service-funded through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs instead of private providers, which keeps costs low.
“The public defender, the prosecutor, the judge, everybody is all basically donating their time as part of their normal duties, which is a great benefit, because it is reducing the amount of taxpayer dollars that are being spent,” Conell said.
He said the program is beginning to welcome more applicants. The court is looking to extend treatment to combat veterans with mental health disorders beyond PTSD and brain trauma.
Judge orders Nebraska to release lethal injection records
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska judge has ordered the state to release records about its supplies of lethal injection drugs, but officials say they plan to appeal the decision.
In a decision issued Monday, Lancaster County District Judge Jodi Nelson ruled the state Department of Correctional Services must release documents related to the acquisition of execution drugs. The judge decided the state could withhold documents that identify state employees.
The judge gave the state seven days to comply with her ruling, but an Attorney General’s office spokesman says the state will appeal. That likely will delay any action.
The ACLU of Nebraska, Lincoln Journal Star and Omaha World-Herald filed lawsuits seeking release of the information, arguing information such as photos of drug packaging and purchase orders were public records.
Lincoln judge named to Nebraska Supreme Court
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lancaster County judge will fill a vacancy on the Nebraska Supreme Court.
The governor’s office Monday announced the selection of 48-year-old John Freudenberg. Freudenberg is replacing Justice John Wright, who died in March. He’d served 24 years on the court.
Freudenberg has been a county court judge in Lancaster County since 2017. Freudenberg spent a decade as the criminal bureau chief in the state attorney general’s office before being named a court judge. His Supreme Court appointment takes effect July 6.
Gov. Pete Ricketts has now named four of the seven members of the state’s highest court.
Academic group rebukes U of Nebraska-Lincoln
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A national professors organization has rebuked the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for the way the university treated a graduate student lecturer who’d confronted a student.
On Saturday the American Association of University Professors placed the university on its list of censured administrations. The association’s committee on academic freedom and tenure found credible the conclusions of a report indicating that the university had violated the academic freedom of the lecturer who’d confronted the student, who was recruiting for the conservative group Turning Point USA.
The report says the university succumbed to political pressure in suspending lecturer Courtney Lawton and later barring her from teaching there.
University Chancellor Ronnie Green has said he disagrees with the report.
The censure brings no sanctions, but officials say it could harm the university’s ability to recruit staffers and students.
Some parents of epileptic kids wary of pot-based medication
By KATHLEEN FOODY and P. SOLOMON BANDA, Associated Press
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — A British pharmaceutical company is getting closer to a decision on whether the U.S government will approve the first prescription drug derived from the marijuana plant, but parents who for years have used cannabis to treat severe forms of epilepsy in their children are feeling more cautious than celebratory.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to decide by the end of the month whether to approve GW Pharmaceuticals’ Epidiolex. It’s a purified form of cannabidiol — a component of cannabis that doesn’t get users high — to treat Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes in kids. Both forms of epilepsy are rare.
Cannabidiol’s effect on a variety of health conditions is frequently touted, but there is still little evidence to back up advocates’ personal experiences. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has long categorized cannabis as a Schedule I drug, a category with “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”
That strictly limits research on potential medical uses for cannabis or the chemicals in it, including cannabidiol, or CBD.
But for years, parents desperate to find anything to help their children have turned to the marijuana-based products made legal by a growing number of states.
Meagan Patrick is among the parents using CBD to treat symptoms in their children. She moved from Maine to Colorado in 2014 so she could legally get CBD for her now-5-year-old daughter, Addelyn, who was born with a brain malformation that causes seizures.
“My child was dying, and we needed to do something,” Patrick said.
As for the potential approval of a pharmaceutical based on CBD, she said fear is her first reaction.
“I want to make sure that her right to continue using what works for her is protected, first and foremost. That’s my job as her mom,” Patrick said.
Advocates like Patrick became particularly concerned when GW Pharmaceuticals’ U.S. commercial business, Greenwich Biosciences, began quietly lobbying to change states’ legal definition of marijuana, beginning in 2017 with proposals in Nebraska and South Dakota.
Some worried the company’s attempt to ensure its product could be legally prescribed and sold by pharmacies would have a side effect: curtailing medical marijuana programs already operating in more than two dozen states.
The proposals generally sought to remove CBD from states’ legal definition of marijuana, allowing it to be prescribed by doctors and supplied by pharmacies. But the change only applies to products that have FDA approval.
Neither Nebraska nor South Dakota allows medical use of marijuana, and activists accused the company of trying to shut down future access to products containing cannabidiol but lacking FDA approval.
GW Pharmaceuticals never intended for the changes to affect other marijuana products, but they are necessary to allow Epidiolex to be sold in pharmacies if approved, spokesman Stephen Schultz said.
He would not discuss other places where the company will seek changes to state law. The Associated Press confirmed that lobbyists representing Greenwich Biosciences backed legislation in California and Colorado this year.
“As a company, we understand there’s a significant business building up,” Schultz said. “All we want to do is make sure our product is accessible.”
Industry lobbyists in those states said they take company officials at their word, but they still insisted on protective language ensuring that recreational or medical marijuana, cannabidiol, hemp and other products derived from cannabis plants won’t be affected by the changes sought by GW Pharmaceuticals.
Patrick Goggin, an attorney who focuses on industrial hemp issues in California, said the company would run into trouble if it tried to “lock up access” to marijuana-derived products beyond FDA-approved drugs.
“People need to have options and choices,” he said. “That’s the battle here.”
Legal experts say the changes are logical. Some states’ laws specifically prohibit any product derived from the marijuana plant from being sold in pharmacies. The FDA has approved synthetic versions of another cannabis ingredient for medical purposes but has never approved marijuana or hemp for any medical use.
A panel of FDA advisers in April unanimously recommended the agency approve Epidiolex for the treatment of severe seizures in children with epilepsy, conditions that are otherwise difficult to treat. It’s not clear why CBD reduces seizures in some patients, but the panel based its recommendation on three studies showing a significant reduction in children with two forms of epilepsy.
Denver-based attorney Christian Sederberg, who worked on the GW Pharmaceuticals-backed legislation in Colorado on behalf of the marijuana industry, said all forms of marijuana can exist together.
“The future of the industry is showing itself here,” Sederberg said. “There’s going to be the pharmaceutical lane, the nutraceutical (food-as-medicine) lane, the adult-use lane. This shows how that’s all coming together.”
Alex and Jenny Inman said they won’t switch to Epidiolex if it becomes available, though their son Lukas has Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
Alex, an information technology professional, and Jenny, a preschool teacher, said it took some at-home experimentation to find the right combination of doctor-prescribed medication, CBD and THC — the component that gives marijuana users a high — that seemed to help Lukas with his seizures.
“What makes me a little bit nervous about this is that there’s sort of a psyche amongst patients that, ‘Here’s this pill, and this pill will solve things,’ right? It works differently for different people,” Alex Inman said.
The Inmans moved from Maryland to Colorado in 2015 after doctors recommended a second brain surgery for Lukas’ seizures. The couple and other parents and advocates for CBD said children respond differently to a variety of strains.
The Realm of Caring Foundation, an organization co-founded by Paige Figi, whose daughter Charlotte’s name is attached to the CBD oil Charlotte’s Web, said it maintains a registry of about 46,000 people worldwide who use CBD.
For Heather Jackson, who said her son Zaki, now 15, benefited from CBD and who co-founded the foundation, Epidiolex’s approval means insurers will begin paying for treatment with a cannabis-derived product.
“That might be a nice option for some families who, you know, really want to receive a prescription who are going to only listen to the person in the white coat,” Jackson said.
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Banda and Foody are members of members of AP’s marijuana beat team. Follow them at Twitter at https://twitter.com/psbanda and https://twitter.com/katiefoody . Find complete AP marijuana coverage here: https://apnews.com/tag/LegalMarijuana
Dentist sentenced for submitting fraudulent Medicaid bills
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A Nebraska dentist has been sentenced to 10 months for submitting fraudulent bills to Nebraska and Iowa Medicaid programs.
Authorities say 59-year-old Gregory Garro, of Omaha, was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Omaha. He was ordered to pay restitution of more than $82,500 to the Nebraska Health and Human Services Department and more than $4,700 to Iowa’s Inspections and Appeals Department.
Garro pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud. He originally was indicted on 24 counts.
Authorities say Garro provided dental services at several nursing homes in Omaha and in Iowa and submitted false claims between Feb. 12, 2013, and Jan. 22, 2016.
Dale E. Dike Death Notice
Dale E. Dike, age 76, passed away Monday June 18, 2018 at Tiffany Square Care Center in Grand Island, NE. Services are pending at Adams and Swanson Funeral Home.