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Facebook intends to build data center in Omaha suburb

facebook-logoPAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — Facebook has announced plans to build a data center near the Omaha suburb of Papillion (puh-PIHL’-yuhn).

The company said Tuesday at a news conference the center will be located on 144 acres at a Nebraska Highway 50 intersection just north of Springfield. It will include two 450,000 square foot (41,806-sq. meter) buildings and another 70,000 square foot (6503 sq. meter) building connecting them that will serve as administrative office space. The company says it could add up to two more buildings on the land if needed.

Officials say between 100 and 150 employees will work in the data center.

The county already has data centers for Yahoo, Fidelity Investments, Travelers Insurance and Cabela’s. Facebook also built a $300 million data center in Altoona, Iowa, in 2015.

Gun pre-emption bill sparks debate among Nebraska lawmakers

gun-ownershipLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers have kicked off a debate over a bill that would prevent local governments from passing gun restrictions that are stricter than state law.

The bill discussed Tuesday would allow residents to sue cities and counties if they are adversely affected by a local gun ordinance. Supporters say it would eliminate a confusing patchwork of local gun ordinances, particularly in Omaha and Lincoln.

Officials in both cities oppose the bill, arguing that it fails to consider differences between higher-crime urban areas and the rest of the state.

Sen. Mike Hilgers of Lincoln, the bill’s sponsor, says he reached agreement to address objections from Omaha’s police union, which voiced concerns that the bill would undermine police efforts to curb gang violence.

Berkshire Hathaway’s newspaper group cutting 289 jobs

berkshire-hathawayOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The newspaper chain owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway is eliminating nearly 300 jobs to cut costs because of declining advertising and circulation revenue.

181 people will be laid off at BH Media Group newspapers and another 108 vacant positions will be eliminated.

BH Media CEO Terry Kroeger says some of the group’s 31 daily newspapers are also reducing the number of pages they print.

For instance, the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia plans to lay off 33 employees, including 13 in the newsroom, and eliminate its separate daily business section.

Newspapers are a relatively small part of Berkshire Hathaway, which owns more than 90 subsidiaries and holds investments in companies like Coca-Cola Co., Wells Fargo, Apple and IBM.

Nebraska lawmakers advance bill to keep teen moms in school

pregnant-womanLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A bill that would require schools to provide accommodations for pregnant and parenting students has advanced in the Nebraska Legislature over protests from rural senators who say schools don’t need a mandate.

Senators gave the measure first-round approval Tuesday with a 29-3 vote. The bill would require schools to provide spaces for breastfeeding students to express and store milk and direct school boards to adopt policies allowing absences and alternative coursework for teen mothers.

Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha says he sponsored the bill because a December study from the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska found few districts had policies to make sure pregnant students graduated.

Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte says rural districts already take care of their students.

Nebraska medical students to receive high-tech learning

UNMCOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The University of Nebraska Medical Center is creating a facility that will give those in the medical field high-tech visualization and virtual reality tools to teach and learn.

University officials announced the nearly $119 million project Monday.

The four-story building will feature replicas of hospital settings where people can practice on lifelike, computer-driven mannequins. They will also be able to virtually map a brain tumor or see how a protein folds.

The facility’s name, which awaits approval by the university Board of Regents, will be the Davis Global Center.

The Davis Global Center will house two programs. One will allow all medical professionals to practice their skills. The other program will be a training, simulation and quarantine center focused on infectious diseases.

The facility is expected to open in fall 2018.

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China, Cherry Coke, and the Oracle of Omaha

Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett

NEW YORK (AP) — Coca-Cola is featuring a different type of celebrity on its cans in China: Warren Buffett.

The Atlanta company says it decided to feature a drawing of the billionaire investor on cans for the launch of Cherry Coke in the country. Buffett is a known fan of Cherry Coke, and his Berkshire Hathaway is Coke’s largest single shareholder.

Coke says it launched Cherry Coke in China March 10, and that the special edition cans with Buffett’s image will remain on shelves for a limited time. The flavor was introduced in the United States in 1985.

Seizure leads to multi-vehicle accident on Buffalo Bill viaduct

north_platte_patchThe Buffalo Bill viaduct was the scene of a multi-vehicle accident on Monday night after a man had a suspected seizure while he was driving.

According to Investigator John Deal with the North Platte Police Department, 29-year-old Nicholas Cooper, of North Platte, was traveling southbound in his 1992 Chevy S10 Blazer over the viaduct when he felt symptoms of a seizure coming on.

Cooper told officers that he attempted to pull over to the side and put the vehicle in park, but instead accidentally put it in reverse.  Deal says the vehicle began traveling northbound, backward down the viaduct.

Deal says the Blazer eventually veered back into the correct lane of traffic and struck a 2000 Nissan Xterra, driven by 19-year-old Jamie Roth, of North Platte.  Deal says the Blazer then came to rest in the opposite lane of traffic, but Roth’s Xterra was rear-ended by a 2000 Dodge Neon driven by 31-year-old Barbara Webster, also of North Platte.

After the Neon struck the Xterra and came to rest, Deal says a 1992 Cadillac DeVille driven by 18-year-old North Platte resident Jeremy Battreall, rear-ended Neon.

According to Deal, Cooper and Roth were both transported to Great Plains Health with minor injuries. No citations were issued.

The accident forced the closure of the viaduct for about 45 minutes.

 

2017 Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame Class

Nebraska High School Sports Hall of FameThe Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame Foundation will induct 11 athletes, five coaches, one contributor and one official at its annual Induction Ceremony Oct. 1 at Lincoln East High School.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for K-12 students. Pre-kindergarten children are admitted for no charge.

The athlete group includes three former Husker football players and one Olympian. The five coaches have coached teams to 18 state championships.
The inductees are:

ATHLETES:
–Forrest “Frosty” Anderson, Scottsbluff (1969): Was an all-state selection in football, a 2-year starter in basketball and a contributor to the Bearcats’ state championship track team of 1968. A 3-year letterman for the Huskers, he played split end on the national championship teams of 1970, ‘71.

–Kim (Behrends) Buckendahl, Chappell (1997): The Lincoln Journal-Star Athlete of the Year in 1997, she led Chappell volleyball to a 55-match winning streak and back-to-back state championships, earning all-class all-state her junior and senior years. In basketball, she started for four years, scoring 1,384 points. At UNL, she averaged more than four kills per game for the 34-0 national champions of 2000.

–Leodis Flowers, Omaha Central (1987): A two-time all-state running back and Parade All-American was one of eight finalists for the Gatorade National Player of the Year after rushing for 1,200 yards and scoring 19 touchdowns in seven games his senior year. At Nebraska, he rushed for more than 1,600 yards in his 3-year career.

–Erin (Gudmundson) Haussermann, Kearney Catholic (2002): All-state in volleyball and basketball, she qualified for the state track meet in seven different events, winning the all-class gold medal in the high jump her senior season. A three-year volleyball All-American at UNK, she was the NCAA Division II Player of the Year in 2005.

–Richard Knaub, Scottsbluff (1954): Won the all-class gold medal in the pole vault his sophomore and junior seasons at the state track meet and in the long jump his junior year. Slowed by injury his senior year, he went on to win a conference long jump title for UCLA and competed in the 1956 Olympic Trials.

–Laura (Pilakowski) Buttermore, Columbus (1999): Earned all-state honors in volleyball and basketball and qualified for the state track meet all four years of high school. A three-time All-Big 12 volleyball selection, she played on the Huskers’ national championship team of 2000 then finished her career playing on the Husker women’s basketball team.

–Barrett Ruud, Lincoln Southeast (2001): Became Lincoln Southeast’s all-time leading rusher with 2,988 yards and 54 touchdowns while helping the Knights to a 48-2 record and three state championships. A 4-year letterman at linebacker for the Huskers, he set a single-season record for tackles his junior year. He went on to play 8 years in the NFL.

–Renee Saunders, Omaha Marian (1995): Named to all-class all-state volleyball and basketball teams her junior and senior seasons, she went on to play basketball and volleyball for the Huskers. Currently the volleyball coach at Omaha Skutt, she was the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal-Star Female Athlete of the Year in 1995.

–Anne Shadle, South Sioux City (2001): Won three Class B state cross country championships and three all-class gold medals at the state track meet. She went on to earn seven track and cross country letters at Nebraska, winning the mile run and 1,500-meter at the NCAA championships. She competed in the 2008 Olympic Trials.

–Daryl Stovall, Bellevue West (1978): Drafted by Major League Baseball and the NBA, he averaged 24 points and 11 rebounds as a senior at Bellevue West and was a two-time all-state baseball selection. At Creighton, he was a three-year starter in basketball and baseball, signing with the Chicago White Sox before his senior season.

–Scott Usher, Grand Island (2001): Found most of his success in the breaststroke, winning three gold medals at the state meet and being a five-time collegiate All-American and a qualifier for the Olympic finals in 2004.

COACHES:
–Rick Hesse, Clearwater/Valentine: Led Clearwater to four consecutive state basketball titles from 1984-87. He finished with 440 career wins and 12 state tournament appearances.

–Kathy Mettenbrink, Centura: Coached girls basketball at Centura for 34 years, winning 549 games, making 11 state tournament appearances and finishing as state runner-up twice.

–John Miller, Chambers/Southern Valley: Retired as the winningest basketball coach in Nebraska history with 709 total victories — 585 wins and five state titles coaching the Chambers girls and 124 wins and one state title with the Southern Valley boys.

–Carl Tesmer, Grand Island Central Catholic/Hastings St. Cecilia: Has coached football for 41 years, compiling a 339-89-2 record with two state titles, which ranks as the state’s best winning percentage among active coaches.

–Mark Wortman, Elkhorn: Has led Elkhorn football to five state championships, four other state finals and 28 playoff appearances in 36 years.

CONTRIBUTOR:
–Jerry Stine, Omaha: Retired from coaching and teaching at Wheeler Central and Bertrand, but continues to work for several organizations including the Hall of Fame. He is the creator, author and secretary of the Nebraska Coaches Association milestone awards that bear his name.

OFFICIAL:
–Larry Bornschlegl, Hastings: Officiated basketball in Nebraska for 20 years, working 10 state tournaments and eight state championships. He has been an NSAA observer of officials for 25 years.

HONOREES:
In addition to the inductees, the Hall of Fame honors individuals, teams and programs for their accomplishments. This year’s honorees are:
–Great Moment in High School Sports: Winnebago state championship team of 2015 that captured the attention of the state.

–Dominant Dynasties: Omaha Westside swimming, coached by Hall of Fame inductees Cal Bentz and Doug Krecklow, won 24 state championships (13 boys, 11 girls) between 1973 and 1988.

–Ron Gustafson Inspiration Award: Taleah Williams of Norfolk was born without a lower left arm but had an outstanding prep career in basketball and track. She competed in the long jump at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio.

–Fischer Family Award: Pat Novacek family of Gothenburg, including Jim Novacek, All-Pro tight end Jay Novacek and Jason Novacek, Nebraska’s first 16-foot pole vaulter.

–Golden Anniversary Team: Schuyler’s “Jolly Green Giants” state championship basketball team of 1968.

–Golden Anniversary Team; Scottsbluff state champion football, cross country, wrestling and boys track teams of 1967-68.

–Silver Anniversary Team: The undefeated state champion St. Paul girls basketball team of 1993.

–Silver Anniversary Team: Lincoln Southeast championship factory that won seven state titles — boys and girls cross country, football, girls basketball, girls gymnastics, boys swimming and boys golf in the 1992-93 school year.

Isla Faye (Clausen) Beman

isla-beman

Isla Faye (Clausen) Beman, our beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, lost her long struggle with Alzheimer’s on Sunday April 2, 2017 at the Broken Bow Care and Rehabilitation Center in Broken Bow, NE.

Isla was born on her father’s cotton farm at the “Big Four”, near Ralls, in Crosby County, TX, on New Year’s Eve, 1922.  She was the 5th child born to Claus and Petrea Marthena (Christensen) Clausen, Jr.  In 1926, when Isla was just 3 years old, the Clausen family had to leave Texas and move back to Boelus, NE, when Isla’s mother, Petrea, underwent Escharotic treatment for cancer in Savannah, MO.  When the family was reunited, Claus purchased a farm near Boelus.  Isla grew up on that farm during those difficult hard times of the Great Depression and “Dust Bowl Dirty Thirties”.  She told us of times when it was so dusty they had to tie wet bandannas over their nose and mouth to breathe, as they watched their crops wither and die, or be devoured by clouds of grasshoppers who even ate clothes hanging out to dry.  Once in a while her mother could spare a nickel out of the egg money so Isla could pursue her lifelong love of the piano and take a few lessons from her Aunt Lydia.  Isla attended Boelus Public Schools, graduating from high school on May 9, 1940.  After graduation she moved to Grand Island, NE with her sister Ethel who was in nurses training at St. Francis Hospital.  Isla helped her with her studies and then after she was capped, they both got work at The Old Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home.  It was there, in the spring of 1941, on a blind date, that she met and fell in love with Orval C. Beman.  He was almost immediately drafted into the army on June 17th and sent to Ft. Leonard Wood, MO.  While home on furlough, they eloped and were married in Aurora, NE on November 1, 1941.  They were married for 59 wonderful years.  While Orval was serving in the South Pacific during WWII, Isla lived with her mother and father-in-law, Eva and Abe Beman, on their farm at Cairo, NE.  She and Abe worked in the Grand Island Ordinance Plant, which produced artillery shells.  Orval was wounded on the Island of Luzon in the Philippines on January 25, 1945.  He finally recovered and was discharged on October 21, 1945 at Ft. Lewis, WA.  After the war, Isla and Orval moved to North Platte, NE where he resumed his job with the Union Pacific, taking a transfer into engine service as a fireman.  He eventually was promoted to engineer.  Isla was a homemaker, and also gave piano and accordion lesions, and was active in Cody School PTA.  After the family was raised, she worked for Elsie McGovern’s Answering Service as a PBX operator, and then for many years as a sales clerk / florist at Leo’s Flowers.  She and Orval retired in 1978.  They enjoyed 22 happy, active years of retirement together, enjoying square dancing, bicycling, swimming, hiking, and most of all travel and camping in their 5th wheeler.  They spent winters in Texas and Arizona, and summers with their family in Nebraska.  Among Isla’s many hobbies over the years, were fishing, skiing, music, sewing, reading, crossword puzzles, and Husker football.  She was a member of the 1st Evangelical Lutheran Church, and later West End Chapel.  She was a life member, since 1946, of the Ladies Auxiliary of the V.F.W. Post 1504 North Platte, NE.  In Arizona she volunteered as a bell-ringer for the Salvation Army.

Isla was preceded in death by her loving husband Orval; her parents Claus and Petrea Clausen; brother Clyde Elgin Clausen; and sisters Lorraine Marian Clausen Peppmiller, and Cathryn Fern Clausen Bernhagen.

She is survived by her 2 sons Kenneth (Susie) Beman, Sr. of North Platte, and Richard Beman of Omaha; sister Ethel Clausen Claus of Seattle, WA; grandson Kenneth Beman, Jr. of Charlotte, NC; granddaughter Shelly (Mike Robb) Beman of North Platte; great granddaughters Willow Kovanda of Omaha and Faith Beman of Charlotte, NC; as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

Memorials are suggested to Asera Care Hospice of Kearney, NE and online condolences may be shared at www.adamsswanson.com.  Funeral services will be held 1:00 p.m. Friday April 7, 2017 at Adams and Swanson Funeral Home with Pastor Gary Smith officiating.  Burial will follow at Ft. McPherson National Cemetery.  Visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. Thursday April 6, 2017 at Adams and Swanson Funeral Home which is in charge of arrangements.

 

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