HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — Lincoln County has won this year’s county-versus-county food drive competition.
The county collected more than 10,700 items or cash equivalents for the contest, which is called Do a Good Deed Feed Those in Need. Donations were accepted from county employees and the general public, as well as from private businesses.
Winners are determined by the average of items given per full-time county employee. Lincoln County has 140 full-time workers, so its winning average was nearly 77 items per employee.
Finishing second was Clay County, with more than 3,600 items donated, 50 full-time workers and an average of nearly 73 items per employee.
Hamilton County finished third. Adams County, which originated the drive in 2007, finished fourth.
The total collected was nearly 33,000 items.
KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — The 58-year-old Nebraska man charged with killing his former divorce lawyer and his ex-wife earlier this month had numerous guns and ammunition stockpiled.
Authorities searched Michael Petersen’s property near Glenvil after the Nov. 13 shootings.
Authorities found at least a dozen guns, 13 boxes of rifle bullets and more than 100 other bullets and shells. The vehicles authorities believe were used in the shootings were also found.
Petersen has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Prosecutors say he used a rifle to shoot Nancy Petersen outside her home in Buffalo County and then drove to Grand Island and killed 52-year-old lawyer Todd Elsbernd.
Elsbernd represented Michael Petersen in his 2005 divorce.
Petersen’s preliminary hearings are scheduled for Jan. 21.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Experts say practicing good food safety is important to a successful Thanksgiving.
The Nebraska Regional Poison Center says taking proper precautions can help ensure that no one gets sick at your holiday gatherings.
It’s important to use a meat thermometer to make sure the turkey and any other meat dishes reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. That ensures any bacteria is killed.
Don’t leave perishable food out at room temperature for more than two hours.
Refrigerate any leftover turkey and use it within four days.
Make sure anyone helping in the kitchen washes their hands.
The Poison Center can answer other food safety questions at 1-800-222-1222.
Total firearm deer harvest for the nine-day 2013 November firearm season was 36,882, a 21 percent decline from 2012.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission eliminated approximately 87,000 permits and bonus tags in 2013 in response to the epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) outbreak of 2012. A significant reduction in harvest was expected.
Harvest totals by Game and Parks district are: Northeast, 9,290; Northwest, 5,705; Southeast, 7,457; and Southwest, 14,430.
Details of harvest by sex, species and unit are not yet available, but check station data reveals the largest harvest declines occurred in southeast Nebraska, where nearly all bonus antlerless tags had been eliminated. The area least affected by EHD and permit reductions was the western half of southwest Nebraska, where a 6 percent decline in harvest occurred.
Total harvest for 2013 is expected to be approximately 50,000 deer. Archers have had better success in 2013, with more than 2,400 whitetail bucks harvested compared to 1,843 whitetail bucks taken during the same time span in 2012.
Deer season remains open through Jan. 18, 2014.
A Lincoln County District Court judge has dismissed charges against a former Fairbury police officer accused of stealing a patrol car and leading law enforcement on a pursuit.
Judge Donald Rowlands signed the dismissal order on Tuesday for the case against 40-year-old Stanly Colby.
Colby was accused of stealing a Fairbury police car and leading other officers on a chase in September.
Police say when they arrested Colby south of North Platte, he was still in uniform. Rowlands ordered a mental health evaluation, which was conducted at the Lincoln Regional Center in October.
Judge Rowlands said only that he was dismissing the case “in the interest of justice.”
Related Content:
https://www.northplattepost.com/2013/10/12/lincoln-county-wont-return-suv-t-fairbury/
https://www.northplattepost.com/2013/09/15/fairbury-cop-busted-in-stolen-squad-car-in-north-platte/
Thanksgiving is all about loved ones getting together and enjoying a delicious holiday dinner. Since cooking is the number one cause of home fires, the American Red Cross announces the top ten ways to avoid a fire while preparing the holiday meal this year:
1. Don’t wear loose clothing or sleeves that dangle while cooking.
2. If you are frying, grilling or broiling food, never leave it unattended – stay in the kitchen. If you just leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
3. If you’re simmering, baking, roasting or broiling food, check it regularly.
4. Use a timer to remind yourself that the stove or oven is on.
5. Keep kids and pets away from the cooking area. Make them stay at least three feet away from the stove.
6. Keep anything that can catch fire – pot holders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, food packaging, and towels or curtains—away from your stove, oven or any other appliance in the kitchen that generates heat.
7. Clean cooking surfaces on a regular basis to prevent grease buildup.
8. Consider purchasing a fire extinguisher to keep in your kitchen. Contact your local fire department to take training on the proper use of extinguishers.
9. Always check the kitchen before going to bed or leaving the home to make sure all stoves, ovens, and small appliances are turned off.
10. Install a smoke alarm near your kitchen, on each level of your home, near sleeping areas, and inside and outside bedrooms if you sleep with doors closed. Use the test button to check it each month. Replace all batteries at least once a year.
To learn how to prevent a fire in your home and how to keep members of your household safe, you can download The Red Cross Fire Prevention and Safety Checklist. Downloadable fact sheets are also available on how to be fire safe over the holidays, how to avoid home heating fires, candle safety, proper use of smoke alarms and how to teach your children what to do in the event of a fire.
The Neville Center for the Performing Arts has been a hot spot in downtown North Platte since 1929, once serving as the Fox Theater, the building has been the home of the North Platte Community Playhouse since 1983.
One feature of the historic building that draws attention from community members and tourists is the brightly lit marquee.
Recently, the company that manufactures the message boards on the marquee went out of business. As a result, the Playhouse is unable to get replacement light bulbs and parts.
Because of this, the only option is to replace the message boards with newer more up-to-date technology. The new boards will feature full-color LED lighting.
The Playhouse is asking the community for their support in this endeavor, with the cost of the project totaling about $20,000.
The NPCP Board of Directors is asking the community to contribute so the project can be completed by the beginning of 2014.
“We are very proud of our venue, and we are constantly striving to maintain its historic beauty,” NPCP Executive Director Scott Carlson said. ” The Playhouse depends on community support, not only as performers, directors and musicians, but also financially. Our marquee adds to the elegance and class of the building.”
Carlson said it’s important for people to understand that the only part of the marquee being replaced is the message boards. The historic Fox Theater sign will not be removed or replaced.
The proceeds from this year’s Carousel of Homes, hosted by the North Platte Community Playhouse Guild, will go to the “Light the Marquee” campaign.
If you are interested in donating, contact the Playhouse at (308) 532-8559 or mail your donation to NPCP “Light the Marquee,” PO Box 1045, North Platte, NE 69103.
When it comes to cats, the North Platte Animal Shelter is bursting at the seams.
According to officials, when the shelter becomes too full, staff is often forced to send the cats to farms or euthanize them. This is a problem because most cats are domesticated and do not transition well into the farm setting.
In order to encourage adoption, Paws-itive Partners is offering a $50 credit towards spaying or neutering any cat or kitten adopted from the North Platte Animal Shelter. Additionally, an anonymous donor has offered to pay half of the $20 adoption fee for cats and kittens adopted by December 6th.
If you are interested in getting a new furry family member, contact the North Platte Animal Shelter at (308) 535-6780.
GERING, Neb. (AP) — Authorities in the Nebraska Panhandle are investigating what caused a man to drive his car into a moving train.
Gering police say 60-year-old Michael Green, of Scottsbluff, became disoriented Tuesday morning and went around the gate arms at a train crossing. He drove his pickup into an empty coal car attached to a moving train.
The pickup was damaged but Green was not injured. He was taken to a local hospital as a precaution.
Green told authorities he was dizzy right before the accident.
