• Believers & Achievers Banquet Held at Nebraska Club

Believers & Achievers, the state-wide program designed by U.S. Bank and the Nebraska School Activities Association to give recognition to Nebraska’s future leaders, held its 14th annual scholarship banquet on June 5th at the Nebraska Club, atop the U.S. Bank Building, in Lincoln. The festivities highlighted the nine-month process that began last October when the first Believers & Achievers were announced.

 

•  Eight Selected from 48 Finalists

From the 48 finalists named Believers & Achievers, eight received $500 scholarships from U.S. Bank to the college or university of their choice. The eight scholarships were presented to the Believers & Achievers who demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, participated in NSAA activities and were involved in school and community projects during their high school career.

 

•   Believers & Achievers Scholarship Winners

The NSAA and U.S. Bank are proud to recognize the accomplishments of eight Believers & Achievers. U.S. Bank representatives Steve Erwin, and Dolores Terwey presented $500 scholarships to Misael Azpeitia, Boys Town; Nathan Bell,Aurora; Ethan Enochs, Overton; Luke Friesen, Grand Island; Janelle Osteen,North Platte; Justine Peters, Leyton; Dasirae Sieh, Stanton; and Alexander Wirth,Grand Island Central Catholic. A brief biography of each scholarship winner is listed below.

North Platte, Neb. – June 6, 2012 – An unresolved issue have blocked DISH customers from accessing their programming in North Platte, demanding DISH accept a massive price increase.

Amid retransmission negotiations, Hoak blocked DISH’s ability to transmit KNOP / KIIT’s content. Hoak is insisting on a rate increase of more than 200 percent and has demanded that DISH eliminate its customer-enabled commercial skipping technology found on its Hopper™ Whole-Home DVRs.

“Dish pulled our signals (KNOP/KIIT) last night at 5pm. This has nothing to do with the Hopper that Dish offers. This is strictly a retransmission consent issue where Dish and Hoak Media, (KNOP/KIIT) are unable, at this point, to come to an agreement. Hoak Media offered an extension that Dish did not take, thus pulling our signals from their satellite systems. Our hope is that this issue can be resolved quickly so KNOP/KIIT can deliver the best in local programming.”  says President and General Manager of KNOP/KIIT-TV Lewys Carlini

DISH no longer has the legal right to carry KNOP / KIIT.

“Our customers pay a lot of money to KNOP / KIIT and Hoak as part of their monthly bills,” said Shull. “We believe customers have the right to watch purchased TV content in any manner they prefer. Why Hoak executives feel they can stop viewers from something they’ve been doing for years is a mystery.”

(North Platte Post)-Yesterday (June 6th) The Boy Scouts of America confirmed a consideration of policy change that if accepted would allow openly gay people to serve in local chapters.

This daring movement sparked by activist Zach Wahls 20 year old author of the book My Two Moms: Lessons of Love, Strength, and What Makes a Family who has a strong standing on the issue of homosexual discrimination. Wahls is not a homosexual but was raised by two lesbian mothers, which has not negatively impacted his life and he wants the world to know.

Wahls delivered a testimony to the Iowa House Judiciary Committee. You can watch the video here on Youtube that has scored nearly 3,000,000 hits on Youtube.

Zach Wahls sparked the consideration of allowing gays into the scouts after collecting 275,000 petition signatures, then met with scout leadership. A task not easily done, though inspired when his mother had been kicked out of the Scouts as Den Leader for being a lesbian.

“I love the organisation and I refuse to stand by idly as it forfeits it’s cultural relevancy at the very moment this country needs it most” said Wahls.

What do you think about allowing gays to openly serve in the scouts? Feel free to leave comments here.

Today: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. Breezy, with a south wind between 13 and 22 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph.

Tonight: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 7pm and 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 62. South southeast wind between 11 and 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. South wind between 8 and 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) — A North Platte woman who pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors in the drug-related death of her sister will serve probation.

Local media says Elizabeth Crawford was placed on probation for 18 months. She was sentenced on Monday in Lincoln County District Court.

Her sister, 45-year-old Esther Smith, died on Aug. 3, 2011, of what authorities have said was a drug overdose.

Crawford pleaded guilty in March to attempted abuse of a vulnerable adult and possession of methamphetamine.

Crawford and Jeffery Manary originally were charged with manslaughter and distribution of meth. Crawford will cooperate in the case against Manary. Police say Manary supplied the drug that Crawford injected into her sister.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska labor officials are planning another career fair to help veterans and their spouses find jobs.

The state Labor Department plans to hold a job fair Tuesday in northwest Omaha at the DC Centre banquet facility. The event is co-sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Nebraska National Guard.

Officials say more than 80 employers registered for the Omaha job fair, and hundreds of job opportunities are available.

A previous event in Lincoln attracted more than 350 current and former military members and their spouses.

About 4,800 men and woman serve in the Nebraska Army and Air National Guard.

More information about the job fair can be found online at http://hoh.greatjob.net and http://dol.nebraska.gov .

NORTH PLATTE-  Fans of the NEBRASKAland DAYS Parade have been on the hunt for the
best spot to watch the parade for years. Where is this “best spot’? Some would say
outside of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, others would say on the corner of 4th and
Jeffers, but one of the prime spots of the parade seems to be along 4th Street in Memorial Park.
This year the City of North Platte is restricting Memorial Park marking.
Fans may not reserve their spot until Friday June 15, at 1:00 p.m.
This allows workers at Memorial Park to be able to fulfill their mowing
duties free of obstacles in time for the parade on June 16th, which begins at 1:00 p.m.
“The City wants to make sure that Memorial Park is at its best when the
Parade starts, and this new policy will allow them to do that,” says
NEBRASKAland DAYS Executive Director David Fudge.

PLEASANTON, Neb. (AP) — A Pleasanton woman has pleaded no contest to motor vehicle homicide.

Local media says 41-year-old Tammy Wiese entered the plea in Buffalo County Court on Monday. She faces up to a year in jail when she’s sentenced July 26.

The charge stems from an accident in March 2011 near Pleasanton on Nebraska Highway 10. Authorities say witnesses reported that Wiese’s van drifted over the center line and collided with a pickup driven by 63-year-old Daniel Miles, of Arnold.

Miles died at the scene.

(Lincoln, Neb.)- The Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) in conjunction with the Thayer County Healthy Communities Coalition, conducted compliance checks at 11 retail outlets.

During the checks conducted Saturday, June 2, five businesses in Thayer County were found to be non-compliant after selling alcohol to minors, for a non-compliant rate of 45%.  The retail outlets checked during the collaborative effort included convenience, liquor, and grocery stores as well as restaurants and bars.

Compliance checks are conducted to help communities determine the extent of the problem of alcohol sales as a source of youth access to alcohol. Local law enforcement conducts compliance checks to ensure that businesses are in compliance with the state’s youth alcohol laws.

Media requests for additional information may be made to Sgt. Martin Costello, Headquarters Troop-Lincoln, at (402) 471-4545 during regular business hours.