Julie Thompson, age 57 formerly of McCook, passed away at her home in North Platte on Friday June 23, 2017. Services are pending at Adams and Swanson Funeral Home.
Author: Post Staff
Betty A. Gardner
Betty A. Gardner, age 82, formerly of North Platte passed away June 9, 2017 at Highlands Ranch, Colorado.
She was born on April 9, 1935 in North Platte to Dr. E. Bernard and Josephine (Brown) Drost. Betty graduated from St. Patrick’s Catholic Schools in 1953. She attended college in Colorado at Loretta Heights in Denver before marring C. James Gardner on January 2, 1954 in Julesburg, CO. The couple resided in North Platte where Betty was a stay at home mom. Later in life, she was office manager for her father, Dr. E.B. Drost. They later moved to Chandler, AZ where she was office manager for an appliance company, and moved back to North Platte where they were members of Holy Spirit Catholic Church. Betty was active in the ladies group Catholic Daughters, and home visitation. She was in the St. Pat’s choir for 26 years, was an avid bridge player, and her favorite job was the raising of her family. She will be missed very much.
Survivors include her children, Linda (Bruce) Malsbury, Mike (Beverly) Gardner all of North Platte, David (Susan) Gardner of Federal Way, WA, Bill (Lucy) Gardner of Almsville, OR, and Thomas (Kristi) Gardner of Highlands Ranch, CO; 9 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; a brother, Larry (Linda) Drost of Boise, ID; and a special friend, Lynette Beckmann of North Platte.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Jim; a son, Richard; brothers, Dr. Jerry and Bernie Drost; and a great-granddaughter, MaKenna Walters.
Memorials may be made to the North Platte Catholic School Endowment Trust and online condolences may be shared at www.adamsswanson.com.
Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 a.m. Friday, June 30, 2017 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church with the Reverend James Novakowski as celebrant. Inurnment will follow at the North Platte Cemetery. Those wishing to sign the register book may do so 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Thursday at Adams & Swanson Funeral Home which is in charge of arrangements.
Average US gas price drops 7 cents, as crude cost falls
CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) — The average price of a gallon of regular-grade gasoline dropped 7 cents nationally over the past two weeks, to $2.32.
Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg of the Lundberg Survey said Sunday that the drop reflects lower costs for crude oil.
She says the national average is 4 cents a gallon below the price a year ago.
Gas in San Francisco was the highest in the contiguous United States at an average of $3.06 a gallon. The lowest was in Charleston, South Carolina, at $1.91 a gallon.
The U.S. average diesel price is $2.53, down 3 cents from two weeks ago.
Mahoney State Park site of Nebraska snakes presentations
ASHLAND, Neb. (AP) — Interested in things that slither in the night? Daytime, too?
A University of Nebraska-Lincoln herpetologist will make several presentations about Nebraska’s snakes the weekend of July 22-23 at Mahoney State Park near Ashland in eastern Nebraska.
The free event will run 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days at Riverview Lodge, with snakes on display and naturalist programs. Herpetologist Dennis Ferraro will give presentations at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. each day.
A park entry permit is required.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln dorms to be imploded
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The University of Nebraska-Lincoln plans to raze a matching pair of high-rise dormitories that have housed thousands of students since 1963.
All 13 stories of Cather Hall and Pound Hall will be imploded and disappear from Lincoln’s skyline as early as the end of this year. Both dorms have been used for overflow in recent years as the demand for student housing exceeded expectations.
Cather Hall was reopened to students in 2013, shortly after it was taken offline. Pound Hall has been home to students in each of the last three school years.
Brooke Hay, assistant director of university’s facilities planning and construction, says the school settled on what officials say will be the quickest, safest and most cost-effective option for the buildings.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg visits Nebraska and Iowa
NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) — Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg paid a visit to Nebraska and Iowa and toured Union Pacific’s railyard in central Nebraska.
Zuckerberg also attended part of the Heartland Pride Festival in Omaha on Saturday and stopped in several Iowa towns as part of a tour of the area.
After touring the railyard, Zuckerberg posted pictures on Facebook and commented about how important railroads are to the economy because of everything they haul.
Zuckerberg spent about an hour at the Omaha event Saturday meeting with community leaders.
Previously, Zuckerberg had said he planned to tour the country this year as part of an effort to meet people in every state.
Severe weather strikes Offutt AFB
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. (AP) — Officials at Offutt Air Force Base south of Omaha say a tornado that tore through the base last week damaged 10 military planes — including two of the Pentagon’s four “doomsday” planes.
The tornado June 16 knocked out two of the E-4B Nightwatch aircraft that serve as aerial command centers for top military officials in case of a catastrophic national emergency.
The twister also damaged eight of the 55th Wing’s fleet of RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft, which fly surveillance missions. Drew Nystrom, a 55th Wing spokesman, says seven of those planes sustained only minor damage, and six have been repaired.
Nystrom says the cost of the aircraft repairs hasn’t been determined.
A preliminary estimate says the storm caused up to $10 million in damage to other Offutt facilities.
10-year-old Omaha boy drowns in backyard swimming pool
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police in Omaha say a 10-year-old boy has drowned in a backyard swimming pool.
Police say officers were called to the east Omaha home around 12:30 p.m. Thursday for a boy pulled from a pool.
Officers first on the scene found 10-year-old William Chapman unresponsive, with family members performing CPR.
The boy was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
South Sioux City makes plans for natural gas power plant
SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. (AP) — Officials in northeastern Nebraska’s South Sioux City say a proposed five-megawatt natural gas power plant could be operating as early as the end of 2018.
The project would be the latest of several recent moves by the city to diversify its public energy portfolio and keep electricity rates low.
The city plans to place the single-story, 50-by-80-foot structure in the Roth Industrial Park. City Administrator Lance Hedquist says once completed, the plant would use natural gas purchased from MidAmerican Energy or Northern Natural Gas pipelines to generate electricity.
The City Council will vote Monday on two items related to the project: an agreement for soil testing at the proposed site and an ad for bids on the proposed $5 million natural gas plant.
Judge: Woman’s insanity made her not responsible for fire
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 20-year-old woman accused of starting a fire in an Omaha college bathroom has been found not responsible by reason of insanity.
Sarah Piccolo had pleaded not guilty to a felony arson charge, accused of setting the Nov. 5 fire at Metropolitan Community College’s Elkhorn campus. After a nonjury trial Tuesday, Judge J. Russell Derr declared Piccolo was not responsible for the blaze and also a danger to herself and others because of mental illness. He ordered her to be evaluated at the state psychiatric hospital in Lincoln.
Piccolo is on five years’ probation because of a Lancaster County conviction. Authorities say she used a hunting knife and a claw hammer to attack a 17-year-old girl at Lincoln Pius X High School in October 2013. The girl was hospitalized.