Year in Review 2012

NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH YEAR

IN

REVIEW 2012

Dry as the Dust Bowl In Neb., serious drought was one of the defining elements of 2012

By DIANE WETZEL dwetzel@nptelegraph.com

The first week of the New Year brought news of more water restrictions on the Republican River by the state Department of Natural Resources, confirming that drought was one of the top stories for 2012.

According to the Associated Press, the DNR has ordered more conservation measures in the river basin in order to comply with a long-standing agreement with Kansas and Colorado.

The 2012 drought came after a five-year period of more than adequate moisture for the state’s water systems. Lower than average rainfall and extremely hot temperatures threw the majority of the lower 48 states in America into a drought.

On July 2, Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman issued an emergency declaration because of drought conditions, and authorized the advance of a starting date for roadside haying in many of the state’s counties.

By the end of July, the entire state was designated as being in a severe to exceptional drought.

In August, U.S. Senator Ben Nelson was in North Platte, meeting with area farmers and ranchers to talk about the impact of the drought.

Weather forecasters noted that winter would not bring any significant increase in precipitation to reverse the drought. December through February is typically dry, so those affected by the drought are crossing their fingers that March and April will bring more than mere showers. Officials at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s National Drought Mitigation Center report that effects of the drought will more than likely worsen in 2013, because the state’s lakes and rivers are shrinking.

By Dec. 10, the federal government had paid $8 billion in crop insurance claims, with $483 million paid in Nebraska.

Telegraph file photo

Flames shoot up as a wildfire burns trees and pasture near Lake Maloney on Sept. 27, 2012. Nebraska’s emergency crews and firefighters had a busy summer and fall in 2012, battling many wildfires.

Fires blacken parched land Dry conditions spark dozens of destructive fires

By ANDREW BOTTRELL abottrell@nptelegraph.com

With dry conditions across the western half of Nebraska, fires sprung up on a nearly weekly basis in 2012.

Rangeland fires began early in the season, with 6,700 acres burning in McPherson and Hooker counties, approximately 50 miles northwest of North Platte on March 22. Fire crews battled fires throughout the summer and into the fall, with the latest rangeland fires on Nov. 24.

The worst day of the year for fires in west-central Nebraska may have been Oct. 18. Winds gusting as high as 70 miles per hour, combined with less than one inch of rain in the preceding months, led to a combustible situation from Chapel to Sutherland.

The largest of the three main fires reported on Oct. 18 was on the Keith and Perkins counties line, destroying several homes and burning about 10,000 acres of grassland. The fire started about noon on Oct. 18, jumped I-80, closing I-80 for several hours, and burned through the evening hours of Oct. 19.

A large fire also claimed several hundred acres of grassland eight miles north of Chapel in rural Deuel County on Oct. 18. A third fire was reported southwest of Sutherland, which threatened several rural homes. Cherry County also reported a fire on Oct. 18 near the unincorporated town of Ely. The largest western Nebraska fires during the summer were the three fires that became known as

2012 INLAND PRESS ASSOCIATION ~ PRESS PHOTOGRAPHIC QUALITY WINNER

the Region 24 Complex, in Keya Paha, Cherry, Brown and Rock counties.

Ranchers and farmers in the remote Niobrara river valley fought alongside federal firefighters called in from other fires in Colorado and Wyoming for five days.

More than 100,000 acres eventually burned across the four counties, with the fire sparking from dry lightning on July 21. The unincorporated town of Norden was the first community affected, as the fire destroyed much of the Keya Paha County community.

Fires also threatened Nebraska’s National Forests in 2012.

A several-thousand acre fire, known as the Camp 5 Fire, burned portions of the Nebraska National Forest near Halsey beginning on July 1. The fire shut down Natick Campground and the horse corrals there for several days, and kept ATV trails in the area closed for about a week. The cause of the fire, officials said, was likely dry lightning from storms.

Fire also burned in the Nebraska National Forest near Chadron, as well as rangeland north of Chadron in both Dawes and Sheridan counties.

On June 29 North Platte fire crews battled a blaze near Lake Maloney that threatened several homes. North Platte fire crews were also called to Lake Maloney on June 30 and July 4 for smaller blazes.

Firefighters from North Platte, Wallace and Wellfleet were against called to near Lake Maloney on Sept. 27 for several grass fires along Highway 83.

Firefighters in Logan County battled a large blaze north of Stapleton on Aug. 30, which closed Highway 83 for a time.

And again, on Oct. 3, nearly 800 acres burned in a fire south of Stapleton in Logan County.

YEAR IN REVIEW

D2 SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 2013

THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH

Land purchase means big things for NRDs Natural resources districts make plan to divert groundwater; lawsuits result

By ANDREW BOTTRELL and HEATHER JOHNSON abottrell@nptelegraph.com hjohnson@nptelegraph.com

In 2012, four natural resources districts in west-central Nebraska are teamed together to buy Lincoln Farms in southern Lincoln County.

In October, the Twin Platte, Upper Republican, Middle Republican and Lower Republican Natural Resources Districts formed the Nebraska Cooperative Republican Platte Enhancement Project in order to purchase 19,500 acres of land in the area. Twin Platte General Manager Kent Miller has said the property, the bulk of which is currently irrigated crop land, will be reseeded to native vegetation for livestock grazing, and the groundwater will be pumped to both the Republican and Platte Rivers to replenish water flows back to 1997 levels, because of state regulations.

At an Oct. 18 special meeting, the TPNRD announced their intent to participate in the land purchase, which will cost $83 million. At the meeting, TPNRD agreed to an interlocal agree-

ment with the three other natural resources districts in the Republican River valley to purchase the property, with 25 percent of the funds coming from TPNRD. The board approved the agreement 8-2.

“This project will get us a good way back to 1997 appropriations, possibly completely,” Board Chairman Dennis Schilz said, calling the project a stepping stone for the TPNRD. The project could add a total of 45,000 acre feet of water to both rivers in years when the districts need to maintain compliance with state regulations.

The goal, according to TPNRD General Manager Kent Miller, is to help Nebraska stay in compliance with state regulations regarding the use of irrigation water.

“For the Twin Platte NRD, that means we have to find 7,700 acre-feet of new water annually to get the Platte River back to 1997 levels,” he said. “At a minimum, you’ll get the consumptive use that was occurring on those lands.”

To pay for the rest of the TPNRD’s 25 percent allotment, the district will levy an occupation tax to people who farm irrigated

Officials question involvement Soon after the organization voted to enter into the interlocal agreement, citizens and officials began to question the move.

“When they were having discussions about this situation, they said they would make sure this wouldn’t impact the school to a great degree,” Wallace School Superintendent Todd Porter said.

Most of the 19,500 acres falls within his district.

“But they didn’t have any answers as to how they would ensure that,” Porter said. “There’s a lot of uncertainty as far as how are they going to be able to help us.”

If the NRD is required to pay no property taxes, Porter said it could impact Wallace’s school district from $200,000-$400,000 annually. Currently, the Wallace school budget is $7 million.

“That’s a big chunk of change to have come off the tax roles, let alone the economic affect on jobs and all of those trickle

down things that come from that,” Lincoln County Commissioner Joe Hewgley said.

According to Julie Stenger, Lincoln County assessor, if the land use was deemed as a “public purpose” then the land could be tax exempt. However, if the land were leased out in any fashion, the district may be required to continue to pay property taxes.

Irrigation districts sue On Dec. 28, two south-central Nebraska irrigation districts filed a federal lawsuit seeking an injunction against N-CORPE. The Frenchman Cambridge Irrigation District and the Bostwick Irrigation District, both situated along the Republican River near Harlan County Lake, filed the lawsuit Friday in the United States Eighth District Court.

David Domina, of Domina Law Offices, who represents the two irrigation districts said Wednesday that the districts are afraid that the water could bypass the irrigation districts, who have dealt with dwindling water flows for many years.

“They want a determination by the court to who is entitled to the water and under what circumstances,” Domina said.

“Both districts have been partially dry for several years.”

“It is a very self-serving piece of litigation. There are only so many ways to manage Nebraska’s allocation under the Republican River compact,” Blankenau said on Jan. 7. “What this litigation seeks to do is to shift the burden of compact allocation to everybody else. It’s one thing for the district to tell its own members that they shouldn’t use groundwater. It’s another thing to tell the state and surrounding districts that they can’t use groundwater.”

Domina also said the irrigation districts are afraid that NCORPE’s water project in southern Lincoln County, and another smaller project in Dundy County, could mean even less water for the downstream districts.

Blankenau disagreed, saying if the lawsuit were successful, it wouldn’t guarantee the two irrigation districts any extra water, and it could cause irrigators throughout the Republican River valley to shut off their wells.

“If N-CORPE is not allowed to develop this project, what it could necessarily mean is that other water users would have to shut down their wells or have them significantly curtailed, along with their neighbors,” Blankenau said. “It doesn’t mean Nebraska could consume any more water. Even if these districts are successful, they won’t get any water as a result.”

GPRMC begins expansion

2012 brings change at Iron Eagle

By HEATHER JOHNSON hjohnson@nptelegraph.com

By ANDREW BOTTRELL abottrell@nptelegraph.com

In 2012, the North Platte City Council chose to take a different direction with Iron Eagle Golf Course.

However, it wasn’t without debate, and narrow vote margins. Mayor Marc Kaschke ultimately cast the deciding vote to allow the city to begin negotiating with Landscapes Golf Group of Lincoln for management of the course.

Debate began at the second January meeting in 2012, where the council gave approval to the mayor to seek bids from management companies, which prompted a backlash from several residents at the meeting.

North Platte resident Jim Backenstose said the city was beating a dead horse, and asked why the mayor was revisiting a proposal turned down last March. The mayor said he decided to pursue the proposal again after seeing this past year’s budget numbers.

“It’s important to look at any and all options on how to best run that entity,” Kaschke said.

Backenstose said he would be disappointed if the city brought in an outside management company, and believed the city needed to solve the financial problem in-house.

“I see [an outside management company] raising rates,” Backenstose said.

“I see them raising product inventory prices. I see them hiring their own staff and letting this place fall apart.”

The council then heard from three prospective management companies at a special meeting on March 13, Navpoint Golf Group of Castle Rock, Colo., Landscapes Golf Group and Trademark Golf Management, of Alpharetta, Ga. Ultimately, on April 10, the council decided to move forward with Landscapes, asking City Administrator Jim Hawks to negotiate a contract with the company.

The council voted in a 44 tie, broken by Mayor

property within the district. A press release from the TPNRD said the district expects an approximate tax of $4-$6 per irrigated acre. Under state regulations, natural resource districts can levy up to $10 per irrigated acre.

Telegraph file photo

A flag waves on one of the holes at Iron Eagle Golf Course in January 2012. In 2012, the North Platte City Council decided to allow the city to begin negotiating with Landscapes Golf Group of Lincoln for management of the course.

Marc Kaschke, who voted to move forward with Landscapes.

The initial contract was brought back to the council for discussion on June.

After a lengthy closed session the council had some concerns over particular parts of the contract, and the council voted to continue further negotiations with the golf management firm, based in Lincoln.

“I don’t anticipate that there are any issues here that we can’t work together to resolve,” said Scott Tricker, representative of Landscapes at the June 5 meeting.

Stack told Tricker that the council had concerns about the status of current staff at the course moving forward with a private company, as well as some definitions and terms.

“Moving forward, it’s our intention to interview all existing staff at the club,” Tricker said.

The contract was then finalized on June 21, and Landscapes took over management control on July 1.

On July 1, three city employees were placed on administrative leave, with pay, including course director Brad Kai. Ultimately, the city settled with all three individuals.

Last year was a busy one for Great Plains Regional Medical Center.

In April, administrators announced plans to build onto the hospital, which was originally constructed in 1975. Plans for the $100 million expansion project include the construction of a five-story, 217,000 square foot tower at the current location of the atrium. The high rise will bring the total number of singlepatient rooms in the building to 116. Each will have a restroom, homelike atmosphere, area for visitors to spend the night and state-of-the-art technology.

Other features will include a new lobby, kitchen, cafeteria, restrooms, conference rooms and parking spaces. The chapel and gift shop will be expanded.

Libby Lashley, Great Plains Healthcare Foundation director, said a 10,000 square-foot healing garden would be built in the center of the building, between the new tower and the Callahan Cancer Center. The goal of it is to offer a meditation area to patients, visitors and staff.

Telegraph file photo

Construction continues on an expansion at Great Plains Regional Medical Center, which began in 2012.

She said the garden would not be domed, but would be protected from weather’s elements by short walls and a pergola over a paved patio. The area will contain a waterfall and native trees, grasses, flowers and shrubs. Benches, tables and chairs will provide a place to sit.

HDR of Omaha was se-

lected as the project architect, and Sampson Construction of Lincoln was named the general contractor.

Construction on a new information technology wing began in July between the emergency room entrance and the cardiology department.

In November, some GPRMC employees began

the move to office space in downtown North Platte. Marcia Baumann, vice president of growth and development, said a total of 65 employees would be relocated while renovations were under way.

They included those in the accounting, business development, patient financial services, human resources and education, foundation marketing, and outreach departments.

Those in charge of billing and administration for the North Platte Nebraska Physician Group were also relocated, as was GPRMC’s compliance officer. Baumann said the employees would be moved back to the hospital as new offices for them were completed.

Bonds for the project also went on sale in November, and were offered to local residents first.

Piper Jaffray, a Minneapolis-based investment banking firm, was chosen as the underwriter for the bonds, which were sold in minimum denominations of $5,000.

Baumann said demolition on parts of the hospital would start in March.

The goal is to finish renovations by the spring of 2015.

Bishop speaks in North Platte

By DIANE WETZEL dwetzel@nptelegraph.com

Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church Katharine Jefferts Schori traveled to North Platte in July to lead a service celebrating the life and ministry of Fr. Hiram Hisanori Kano. Jefferts Schori was joined by Kano’s children Cyrus and Adeline, as well as Episcopal Church officials and first-generation Japanese settlers to the area, their children and grandchildren.

Kano, who came to America from Japan to study agriculture, received a master’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Nebraska in 1918.

“He is a remarkable example of what it means to be a faithful follower of Jesus,” Jefferts Schori said. “He is someone who can inspire people who encounter difficulties in their lives, who want to befriend their neighbors, who they may not perceive to be like them.

He was a quiet, faithful witness who did immense good. He is remembered for his remarkable ability to build bridges between communities and his advocacy for Japanese-Americans and for his remarkable witness as a Christian.”

Kano is representative of the churches role in ministering to the Japanese immigrants, not only leading them to God but also to becoming citizens, she said.

There is a long tradition of Japanese Episcopal presence in western Nebraska, said Fr. Jeffrey

Hanson, rector of Church of Our Savior in North Platte “The ministry of the Episcopal Church enriched the lives of many Japanese immigrants,” he said.

“The church has a long history of really ministering to people on the margins. Early on, it was the Japanese, and then later it was the Hispanic immigrants. On a national level, we speak on behalf of other groups that have been marginalized. We are stepping up to truly be inclusive, as all are welcome here.”

Kano came to America after meeting Nebraska politician William Jennings Bryan in Tokyo.

Bryan urged the young Kano to study in Nebraska. After purchasing a 300-acre farm near Litchfield, Kano became active in the Japanese Americanization Society, teaching English and working as an intermediary or translator for immigrants. In 1921, Kano and Rev. George Beecher, the Episcopal bishop for western Nebraska, helped to defeat a bill introduced in the legislature that would have prevented Japanese residents from owning property and serving as guardians for their own children.

“Bishop Beecher was a large man and Fr. Kano was not,” Hanson said. “When they arrived in Lincoln, Fr. Kano suggested they get a taxicab so people wouldn’t see them together. Beecher said absolutely not and they walked to the capital together. People who saw them together said they looked like an elephant and a mouse.”

A lay missionary first, Kano became a deacon in 1928 and was ordained as Father Kano in 1936.

Through his efforts at the St. George Mission in North Platte and St. Mary’s Mission in Scottsbluff, by the spring of 1934 there were 250 people baptized and 50 confirmed.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Kano was arrested on the steps of the North Platte Episcopal Church after celebrating the Eucharist. He was the only Japanese from Nebraska who was interned during World War II. Taken to Omaha, Kano didn’t learn about the bombing of Pearl Harbor until he heard it on the police radio. He was imprisoned for more than two years.

Nearly 300 people attended a special service celebrating the rich Japanese heritage in western Nebraska. Prejudice and discrimination faced by Japanese immigrants during the last century still exist today, Jefferts Schori told the congregation.

“Immigration has been both an enormous blessing to the creative spirit of this nation and one of our greater sources of national shame,” she said. “Over and over again, American descendants of immigrants have found more recent immigrant groups to demonize, to blame for current social ills. One of the greatest gifts of Kano’s witness was his ability to cross the boundaries that human beings use to create in groups and out groups.”

YEAR IN REVIEW

THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH

January

Jan. 1: Lutheran Family Services celebrated 120 years of service in 2012.

Jan. 3: Cody Joseph Mraz was the 2012’s first baby at Great Plains Regional Medical Center.

Cody was born at 7:59 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 2, to Somer and Barry Mraz, of Curtis.

Jan. 4: The Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children of Lincoln County program got off the ground and was the 21st program of its kind in the state. Julie Nielsen and Kevin spearheaded Kennedy the initial effort.

Jan. 6: North Platte, Imperial and Valentine saw record temperatures in the upper 60s and 70s.

Jan. 7: An Omaha firm hired to seek out candidates for the North Platte Public Schools superintendent position narrowed down the candidate list to four — Marty Bassett, from Wray, Colo.; Dr. Randy Gross, from Rockton, Ill.; Dr. John Hakonson, from Sidney, and Jamie Isom, from Valentine.

Jan. 8: Local officials showed concern over a Centers for Disease Control survey that showed Nebraska with four of the country’s drunkest cities, including Grand Island, Omaha, Norfolk and Lincoln.

Jan. 10: Daniel Guenthner, a North Platte native who previously worked for the United States Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard, was named the county’s manageemergency ment director.

Jan. 12: Cecilia Lawrence, director of the North Platte Public Library, announced a series of events throughout the year to celebrate the library’s 100th year.

Jan. 13: In his State of the State address, Gov. Dave Heinemen proposed a new tax plan, which would cut taxes for most. He also proposed eliminating the so-called “death tax.”

Jan. 14: North Platte prepared to watch one of its favorite sons, Danny Woodhead, face off against the closest professional team, the Denver Broncos, in the National Football League playoffs. Paul Wiezorek, a Broncos fan, said it was tough rooting against either.

Jan. 18: The North Platte City Council voted 5-3 to allow Mayor Marc Kaschke to seek bids from outside management companies for control of Iron Eagle Golf Course.

Jan. 20: The Golden Spike Hall of Fame announced its inaugural Edd Bailey, class, William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, William Jeffers, William Riley, Sr., Joe Roddy and George Vroman.

Jan. 21: The North Platte Public School Board announced the hiring of Marty Bassett as the new school superintendent.

An Ogallala native, Bassett was formerly the superintendent of the Wray, Colo., school district.

Jan. 26: A staple of spring in North Platte, the Sandhill cranes, showed up a month earlier than normal, as temperatures were higher than average.

Jan. 28: Local officials reacted to Union Pacific Railroad’s announcement that it would spend $1 billion in Nebraska, including $70 million at Bailey Yard in North Platte.

February Feb. 5: North Platte was spared from extreme snowfall amounts, but 7.8 inches fell in North Platte. Areas north of North Platte saw as much as 20 inches of snow.

Feb. 7: The Southwest Power Pool, a regulatory commission, approved it’s 10-year Integrated Transmission Plan, giving Nebraska Public Power the go ahead to construct two lines transmission across Nebraska by 2019.

Feb. 8: North Platte won its bid to host the Connecting Young Nebraskans conference. The annual summit is designed to link young business people in order to

SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 2013

2012 in review make the state a better place to live and work.

Feb. 10: North Platte High School was the recipient of the inaugural Canteen Spirit Award, handed out by the city of North Platte, for the school’s volunteer efforts in the annual December food drive.

Feb. 15: The North Platte Public School Board approved the $180,000 contract with new superintendent Marty Bassett.

Feb. 16: Officials with Central Public Power and Irrigation and the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program prepared to release water from Lake McConaughey for environmental impact purposes.

Feb. 17: Two-term North Platte City Council member Judy Pederson announced that she would not seek a third term in her Ward 2 seat.

Feb. 21: On President’s Day, students at Lincoln Elementary in North Platte began collecting pennies in hopes of raising $150, the cost of sending one child to school in Kenya for a year.

Feb. 22: Jerry Hitchcock, Lincoln County roads superintendent, told the Lincoln County Commissioners that the longawaited Birdwood Viaduct project would go to bid in May. Feb. 23: Sen. Tom Hansen, of North Platte, talked about the bill he introduced requiring motorists to leave at least three feet of space between them and bicyclists on roadways in the state.

Feb. 24: The United States Post Office announced that North Platte would retain its mail distribution center. The USPS said it would be closing the operations in Alliance and Colby, Kan., and incorporating the services with the North Platte center.

Feb. 25: Longtime Hershey farmer Tom Brown received the Seventh Generation Award from the Center for Rural Affairs, for his efforts to help promote family farming in Nebraska.

March March 1: Former U.S. Senator and Nebraska Governor Bob Kerrey officially announced his plans to run for the Democratic nod for the U.S. Senate race. Sen. Ben Nelson announced he was retiring and would not seek re-election.

A Hershey man died as the result of an accident south of Hershey.

March 4: The three area North Platte Kiwanis clubs flipped hundreds of pancakes to raise money that would go towards their charitable events in 2012. It’s the largest Kiwanis fundraiser of the year. The Colonel Cody Cruisers car club hosted its annual spring show at the Platte River Mall.

March 10: NebraskaLand Days organizers hit the halfway mark for fundraising for a new entrance to Buffalo Bill Arena. North Platte Community College hosted their annual “Souper Bowl” event raising money for the Nebraska MakeA-Wish program.

March 11: More than 100 Girl Scouts from the Guiding Star Service Unit went to Harvest Christian Fellowship to celebrate the Girl Scout’s 100th anniversary.

March 13: North Platte native Reid Rogers appeared on Jeopardy and fell just one answer short of winning the episode in Final Jeopardy.

March 14: The North Platte City Council heard proposals from four different management firms for management of Iron Eagle Golf Course.

March 15: Stephanie Miller was named the director of the Lincoln County Court Appointed

Special Advocates program.

March 17: Area fire crews battled several fires after the National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning because of high winds and dry conditions.

March 18: North Platte celebrated the inaugural St. Patrick’s Day parade that culminated with music at the Espresso Shoppe.

It was also a week for the record books as four days reached record highs, with temperatures in the 60s and 70s throughout the week.

March 20: Residents coped with the aftermath of four area tornadoes.

One tornado tore down power lines and whipped a semi off of I-80, injuring the driver, southwest of North Platte. Another tornado to the west of North Platte destroyed two homes and turned over a railcar west of Bailey Yard.

March 21: The mansion at Buffalo Bill Ranch State Park opened for business for 2012, after a flood-riddled 2011.

March 27: After setting out to raise $150 in pennies, Lincoln Elementary School raised $1,050, which the school planned to adopt Jackline Mwendwa Mukuba, a primary school student in Kenya, as part of the MWAKI program. Lincoln County Commissioners signed a disaster declaration after tornadoes struck the area on March 19. The commissioners hoped that declaring it a danger would garner FEMA funds for the county.

March 28: North Platte native Danny Woodhead talked about his involvement with the Teammates Program during his visit to North Platte.

March 31: Marge Beatty, Tom Hansen and Edward Raines, all North Platte High School alumni, spoke with students about their memories and experiences at the school.

Danny Woodhead returned to speak at the Education After Hours event.

April April 1: The Spirit of Nebraska Girl Scouts broke ground on a new cabin at Lake Maloney.

U.S. Senate hopeful Bob Kerrey spoke to supporters and media in North Platte. Danny Woodhead signed autographs and spoke about the importance of the Teammates Program at NebraskaLand National Bank.

April 5: North Platte High School Activities Director Rich Reinert announced his plans to retire after 39 years with school district. North Platte saw its first spring rain, though officials with the West Central Extension and Research Center said the area would need a lot more moisture.

April 11: A split vote of the North Platte City Council, decided by Mayor Marc Kaschke’s deciding vote, authorized a contract with Landscapes Golf for management of Iron Eagle Golf Course.

Road crews began resurfacing Highway 83.

April 14: Area men, dressed in drag, took part in the “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” event, as part a awareness and of fundraising campaign for the Rape and Domestic Abuse Program in North Platte. Hundreds of people pitched in to help victims of the March tornadoes at Harvest Christian Fellowship.

April 15: A storm system that rolled through North Platte spawned several confirmed tornadoes along with heavy rain and wind. Miniature Train enthusiasts flocked to the D&N Center for the 18th annual Miniature Train Show.

April 18: A Delta flight was forced to land early at the North Platte Municipal Airport for a passenger who had gone into

labor. Defense attorneys for Stathis Kirkpatrick, who was charged with killing 14-year-old Kailee Clapp, of McCook, in 2011, filed motions to suppress conversations that Kirkpatrick had with investigators and jail personnel.

April 19: Drew Wade, one of four fugitives who escaped from a county jail in Ottawa, Kan., turned himself in to police at Walmart in North Platte.

April 20: Local people hosted a raffle for 7-yearold MaKenna Walters who recently had underwent several heart surgeries.

April 21: The city of North Platte broke ground on its new Bus Barn facility on the southwest corner of 16th Street and Jeffers Street.

April 25: Jeanie Gilbert announced her retirement as director of the Rape and Domestic Abuse Program in North Platte after 16 years in the position.

April 26: Great Plains Regional Medical Center announced their plans to construct a new tower and expand at their current location in North Platte. The construction is expected to be fully completed in 1914.

April 27: The County Bluegrass Festival in North Platte kicked off at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds with Goldwing Express, of Gothenburg taking the stage. The West Central Research and Extension Center introduced their one-ofa-kind wind tunnel, used to study the displacements of chemicals on crops.

May May 1: A major resurfacing project on U.S Highway 83 began on the north side of town, creating some construction delays from the Jeffers Street viaduct to Rodeo Road.

May 3: California consultants Barry Howard and Jill Bensley outlined the concept for Rail Town USA at a public meeting.

Kim Flanders was named principal at Cody Elementary School and Denise DiGiovanni was tapped for the principal position at Hall Elementary.

May 4: About 70 people gathered at the Lincoln County Courthouse for the National Day of Prayer Event.

May 10: McDonald Elementary fifth grader Max Hayes was named North Platte Mayor for a Day after winning a essay contest.

May 11: The North Platte Animal Shelter officially opened its new quarantine area.

May 12: Mid-Plains Community College had graduation at its North Platte and McCook campuses.

May 15: Union Pacific Railroad locomotive No. 844 stopped in North Platte on its way home to Cheyenne after three days in Council Bluffs.

May 16: Dwight Livingston and incumbent Marc Kaschke were the top vote earners in the primary election. The two men will face off in the general election.

Joe Hewgley earned another term on the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners, and the two races for North Platte City Council were narrowed down for the general election. In Ward 1, Josh Weldon and Brook Baker were the top vote winners. In Ward 2, Glenn Petersen and Barb Keller moved forward.

State senator Deb Fisher defied the odds and won the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate race.

The North Platte City Council voted to reject a request to build a cell tower at the corner of Fourth and Willow Streets, saying the tower would not be in harmony with the surrounding property.

May 17: Rape and Domestic Abuse program competed renovations to it’s emergency shelter, the

first major upgrades since the facility opened eight years ago.

May 18: The first 137 days of 2012 were the warmest for any year on record, according to the National Weather Service.

May 22: Scouts Rest Ranch was preparing to open for the season, after floods in 2011 caused damage forcing the area to close.

May 23: The North Platte Telegraph Academic All-Stars were honored at a luncheon at North Platte Community College’s South Campus.

May 24: Former chief financial officer Ryan Purdy was named president of Mid-Plains Community College president. Purdy had been acting as interim after the resignation of Michael Chipps, who took the top job at Northeast Community College.

Grand opening ceremonies celebrated the new clubhouse at Lake Maloney Golf Course.

May 25: A project to repave part of 18th Street from Sheridan to Hays Street is completed.

May 26: Lincoln County highway superintendent Jerry Hitchcock said the cost of the Birdwood Viaduct project is expected to be $10 million, up from the $8.5 million originally estimated.

May 29: Area cemeteries honored the fallen at ceremonies recognizing Memorial Day. May 31: The Betty Memorial Keenan Splash Pad officially opened in Memorial Park.

June June 1: Roy Lawton is the new executive director of The Connection Homeless Shelter. Lawton was hired after the resignation of former director Ron Snell.

June 4: A fire destroyed a home occupied for former councilman Larry Lee Britton. Opening ceremonies at the Platte River Mall kicked off a week of competition for the Miss Nebraska Scholarship Pageant.

June 6: A ribbon cutting officially ceremony opened the new and improved entrance to the Wild West Arena, just in time for the annual Nebraskaland Days celebration.

June 7: Miss America 2011 Teresa Scanlan and NASA astronaut Clayton Anderson were special guests at the Miss Nebraska Scholarship Program special concert celebrating the programs 75th birthday. The North Platte Genealogy Association received a $2,500 grant from the Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation toward the purchase of an electronic grave directory for the North Platte Cemetery.

June 8: MaKenna Walters, 7, is recovering from a heart transplant at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock.

June 9: Opening ceremonies for Nebraskaland Days 2012 took place at the same time temperatures hit triple digits in North Platte.

June 10: Mariah Cook,

D3

Miss Nebraska State Fair, was crowned Miss Nebraska 2012 at the conclusion of this year’s pageant.

June 13: A gunman shot and wounded two city police officers and a state patrol office during a standoff in Alliance.

June 14: Former gangster and North Platte resident Henry Hill died at 69. Samantha Chytka, 23, of Broken Bow was named Miss Rodeo Nebraska 2013. Karlie Osborne, 15, earned the Miss Teen Rodeo Nebraska crown.

The Alliance shooter who stormed into a pharmacy demanding drugs and took the owner hostage was identified as Andres Gonzalez, 27. He died in shootout with police.

June 15: University of Nebraska Athletic Director and former Husker head coach Tom Osborne was the featured speaker at the annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast. Steve and Sharon Hambek were the recipients of the 2012 Dale Studley Award.

The couple received the honor during the annual Buffalo Bill Rodeo.

June 17: Justin Roberts received the 2012 Nebraskaland Days Trail Boss Award. Thousands of people crowded the streets for the annual Nebraskaland Days parade. Retired North Platte Community College educator Marilyn McGahan received the Elaine Stuhr Leadership and Advocacy Lifetime Achievement Award.

June 19: The temperature hit a record breaking 106 degrees.

June 20: The North Platte City Council’s scheduled vote on outsourcing management of Iron Eagle Golf Course was postponed, after a mix up on procedure. Notice of the meeting was not posted in three public places within a 24-hour period before the meeting, a violation of the state’s Open Meeting Act. June 22: Mayor Marc Kaschke cast the tiebreaking vote to approve the contracting of Iron Eagle Golf Course management to Landscapes Golf Group. Dead carp were washing up on the shores of two Lincoln County lakes, a stinky situation that had officials from Nebraska Game and Commission Parks stumped.

June 23: Country star Toby Keith’s concert at the Wild West Area was delayed by nearly two hours due to a severe thunderstorm. Lightning was blamed for five fires in the area. Union Pacific Railroad announced it was adding $22 million in track improvements to the rail line west of North Platte.

June 24: Former American Idol star Chris Daughtry had the crowd jumping on the final day of the Nebraskaland Days celebration.

June 27: Temperatures hit 107 degrees in North Platte with no reprieve from the heat in sight. Nebraska Jobs Daughters gathered in North Platte for their state convention.

Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman was a special guest at groundbreaking ceremonies for the new NebraskaLand National Bank building.

June 28: The first class of Lincoln County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) were sworn in at a ceremony in front of Lincoln County Judge Kent Florom.

YEAR IN REVIEW

D4 SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 2013

July

July 1: King’s Court trailer park was evacuated when a fire sparked by fireworks threatened the area.

July 3: A drowning victim discovered at Sutherland Reservoir was identified as James DeCent, 50, of Paxton. Wildfires continued to burn near Halsey in the Bessey Ranger District of Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands.

July 6: Nebraska Public Power District was urging conservation after beating its previous energy records twice in a week.

Public service personnel were still cleaning up after a chaotic Fourth of July. The fire department responded to 15 fire calls, most fireworks related.

July 10: Temperatures were above 90 degrees for 16 days in a row, one of the longest heat waves in North Platte’s history.

July 12: North Platte Public Library will get a sprucing up. Plans were announced to renovate the facility’s entryway were announced. Volunteers at Lincoln County Historical Museum began training for the upcoming Smithsonian Institution’s “Journey Stories” exhibit.

July 13: Lincoln County was among 16 counties in the state designated as a natural disaster area beongoing cause of drought.

July 18: The Platte River Mall announced that a national clothing retailer, rue21, would soon be opening a story in North Platte.

July 19: Catholic radio station Spirit 90.1 hit the airwaves a month ahead of schedule.

July 20: Hotel Pawnee has been cited for 35 state assisted living violations following an inspection by Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Violations included failure to properly clean and maintain the building, to pay staff and bills and comply with licensing requirement. Administrator Sandra Schade said they intended to appeal.

July 21: The cause of a house fire at 109 North Hayes Avenue was still under investigation. Residents Staci Houpt and son Tate were not at home when the fire started. The body of Mattie, the family cat, was discovered on the utility room floor.

July 22: Music fans arrived in North Platte for the Bluesfest celebration, hosted by Unreel Events.

July 25: Bridge of Hope Child Advocacy Center director LeeAnn Nielsen announced she was leaving after seven years in the job.

July 26: The Hotel Pawnee remained under scrutiny after a non-profit group for mentally and physically disabled traveled from Lincoln to investigate the vulnerability of the patients. North Platte native Isaiah Casillas, 6, has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.

Family and friends are organizing benefits to help the family pay expenses. It was entry day at the Lincoln County Fair.

July 28: Lake Maloney Property Owners Association are working to build a sidewalk around the south and west sides of the lake for walkers, rollerbladers, cyclists and skateboarders.

July 31: Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and the children of Rev. Hiram Kano joined Episcopal Church officials and Church of Our Savior members in celebrating the rich Japanese heritage in western Nebraska and in the Episcopal Church.

A hawk flying into a power line sparked two grass fires south of North Platte.

August Aug. 1: The international convention of the Union Pacific Historical Society opened in North Platte. William Dover, 64, died in a motorcycle accident 20 miles south of North Platte.

Aug. 2: The ASA Northern National Girls 16- U Fastpitch softball tournament began in North Platte with 26 teams.

Aug. 4. Nebraska Attorney General Jon

Bruning announced he was planning to shut down the Hotel Pawnee and fine the assisted living facility more than $600,000 for operating without workman’s comp insurance.

Aug. 5: Hundreds of area residents attended the annual Relay for Life fundraiser at Adams Middle School.

Aug. 8: City councilman Jim Carman proposed a repeal of the city’s gun ordinance and any action on allowing guns in parks was tabled.

Aug. 14: A masked gunman attempted to rob Farmers State Bank in Wallace.

Aug. 15: Five people were injured in a crash on I-80 near North Platte after the driver of a van fell asleep at the wheel. No names were released, but authorities did confirm that the driver was from Lincoln. Drew Alexander Steler, 20, and Tracy Neal Black, 52, both of Evanston, Wyo., were arrested in Chase County, suspected of being involved of an attempted robbery of Farmers State Bank in Wallace.

Aug. 16: Three North Platte physicians had their medical licenses suspended for 60 days after pleading guilty to tax evasion charges. Dr. Walter Weaver, Dr. Deborah Weaver and Dr. Michael Trierweller also agreed to pay a $10,000 fine. The Village of Brady received a $1.5 million loan from the U.S Department of Agriculture Rural Development to upgrade sewer and water systems.

Aug. 17: The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services announced that Lincoln County had seen its first case of West Nile virus since 2010.

Aug. 21: MaKenna Walters died 17 days after her eighth birthday from a stroke. The youngster had a full heart transplant on June 3 at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. She would be remembered as “an independent, feisty and strong little girl,” her mother Jill told The Telegraph. The 2012 American Softball Class A 16U Northern National Softball Tournament brought in more than $1 million to North Platte’s economy.

Aug. 22: Washington Elementary School made big strides with test scores, coming one step closer to being off the persistently low achieving list in the state. All schools in the district showed improvement when the annual Nebraska State Accountability test scores were released. The city council voted 6-2 to repeal the ban on guns in city parks.

Aug. 24: A second case of West Nile virus was reported in Lincoln County.

Aug. 25: An abandoned warehouse at Seventh and Poplar Streets burned.

Aug. 28: Rogello Diaz was sentenced to 18-36 years in prison for the attempted murder of his wife Michelle.

Aug. 29: Josh Stansbery, North Platte, spent his 21st birthday in Brooke Army Medical Center is San Antonio, Texas, recovering from injuries he sustained from a roadside bomb exploded while he was serving in Afghanistan.

Aug: 31: Multiple fire departments fought a fire in Logan County, northeast of Stapleton.

September Sept. 5: A Colorado man was killed and another was charged with manslaughter following a boat accident at Lake McConaughy. A search was underway for Larry Sack, a North Platte man reported missing after he failed to show up for a family gathering. The city was a step away from repealing a 1975 ordinance banning firearms in city parks.

Sept. 7: Dive teams searched the Sutherland Canal for Larry Sack.

The superintendent, principal and coach of the Maxwell Public Schools faced charges for allegedly failing to report child abuse.

Sept. 13: Karen Cole-

2012 in review man-Buresh announced she was starting a roller derby team, the Heartland Hellcats. Monte Hueftle of Brady died after he crashed and was partially ejected from his pickup.

Sept. 15: A human leg, believed to have been Larry Sack’s, was discovered in the Sutherland Reservoir. Rail Fest officially began.

Sept. 16: About 9,000 people turned out for the annual Union Pacific Railroad employee picnic at Cody Park. Rail Fest visitors had the chance to learn about Union Pacific Railroad history with an interactive touchscreen exhibit at Bailey Yard.

Sept. 19: Anne Power was named the new executive director of the Bridge of Hope Child Advocacy Center.

Sept. 22: A body, believed to be that of Larry Sack, was pulled from the Sutherland Reservoir.

Sept. 26: Early voting began. The Nebraska Department of Roads said construction on Highway 83 would be finished

by Nov. 1. More than $50,000 was raised during the Students Steppin’ Out for Education event.

October Oct. 3: Great Plains Regional Medical Center officials announced that some staff would be displaced to North Platte’s downtown area while a remodel was done on the hospital. The North Platte Genealogical Society raised $10, 140 toward the $25,000 needed to purchase an electronic directory for the North Platte Cemetery. The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District voted to implement water restrictions during the 2013 growing season.

Oct. 4: The Union Pacific Railroad embarked on a $12 million project that included undercutting ballast and replacing ties along one of its three lines through Bailey Yard.

Oct. 5: A fire blew the top off a 6,000-gallon lube oil tank at Bailey Yard.

Oct. 14: More than 225 people rook part in the Chris Jarvis Memorial Autumn Run at Cody Park. Thousands of children learned about everything from science to dental hygiene during the Kids Discover festival at the North Platte Community College.

Oct. 17: Josh Stansbery, a soldier from North Platte, was on the road to recovery after being injured by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.

Oct. 19: The Hotel Pawnee was put on probationary status by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. West central Nebraska battled earth, wind and fire as high winds whipped across the region. The highest gust was reported at 73 miles per hour. Roads were closed because of poor visibility and wildfires burned out of control.

Oct. 20: Crews assessed damage and quelled hot spots following a 10,000acre fire in Keith and Perkins counties. Seven local leaders were honored at the annual Women of Achievement luncheon.

More than $3,000 was raised during a chili and soup cook-off at the Platte River Mall to benefit United Way. Oct. 24: A man drove a minivan through the Chiropractic Care Center in the Westfield Shopping Center. Third-graders at McDaid Elementary were given dictionaries by the Elks Lodge. A North Platte bus driver was lauded for saving a team of volleyball players from what could have been a tragic accident.

Law enforcement, school officials and parents credited Alan Little’s quick thinking for avoiding a collision that totaled a pickup and jackknifed a semi between Sidney and Bridgeport.

Oct. 25: A two-vehicle accident took the lives of

three people and critically injured another just west of Maxwell. Conner Gentry, 14, his brother, Colten Gentry, 10, and Elaine Grasz, 45, died.

Miss Rodeo Nebraska 2012 Sierra Peterson reflected on her yearlong reign and shared her preparations for the Miss Rodeo America Pageant in Las Vegas, Nev. Oct. 28: More than 1,000 children turned out for the Downtown Halloween walk. Firefighters spent 10 hours trying to contain a blaze in a storage building at the corner of 4th St. and Miles Ave. in North Platte.

Oct. 30: Dan Manookin was hired as the new building and grounds for Lincoln director County. People began questioning a decision by the Twin Platte Natural Resources District and three other NRDs to purchase 19,500 acres in southern Lincoln County for $83 million.

November Nov. 1: The Girl Scouts had a ribbon cutting for their new cabin at Lake Maloney.

Nov. 3: U.S. Senate candidates Bob Kerrey and Deb Fischer made their final campaign stops in North Platte. Area residents rallied around Terry Grasz of Brady, the sole survivor of a fiery crash that claimed the lives of three other people.

Nov. 6: The players in the Birdwood Viaduct project were introduced to the public during a Lincoln County Board of Commissioners meeting.

Also at the meeting, local residents listened to the reasoning behind a controversial land purchase by the Twin Platte, Upper Republican, Middle Republican and Lower Republican natural resources districts.

THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH 7: President Nov. Barack Obama was reelected during the general election. Dwight Livingston defeated incumbent Marc Kaschke in the race for North Platte mayor. Deb Fisher beat out Bob Kerrey in the U.S. Senate race. Jack Price and Mike Morrell were elected to terms on the North Platte Public Schools Board of Education. Challenger Andrew Lee topped longtime North Platte City Council representative Dan McGuire in the election.

Brook Baker, Glenn Petersen and Larry Campbell were also elected to serve on the City Council.

Lincoln County saw a record turnout at the polls.

Nov. 8: The race for the City Council Ward One seat between Joshua Welden and winner Brook Baker was 21 votes apart — just outside the mark for an automatic recount. Roy Lawton, executive director of the North Platte homeless shelter, resigned.

Nov. 17: Three months after her death, MaKenna Walters continued to make an impact on those she left behind. Lincoln County participated in a drive statewide food challenge.

The U.S. Drought Monitor showed little improvement in Nebraska’s drought conditions, with more than 95 percent of the state still in extreme to exceptional drought. The drought, coupled with continued warm temperatures, had an adverse affect on lawns.

Nov. 18: Army Pfc. Josh Stansbery arrived home after being wounded in Afghanistan.

Nov. 21: Stathis Kirkpatrick was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Kailee Clapp, 14, of McCook.

December Dec. 1: Lehya Bartels, 6, died after a courageous fight against cancer. Officials with four natural

resources districts fielded questions from the public in Wallace about the impact that a large purchase of land in southern Lincoln County would have on tax rolls and NRD water obligations.

Dec. 2: About 700 coscontestants tume-clad took part in the annual Jingle Bell Run. The Christmas season officially kicked off in Cody Park with the opening of Santa’s Workshop.

Dec. 4: Isaiah Casillas, 6, died after struggling with a rare form of brain cancer.

Dec. 5: Dwight Livingston, Brook Baker, Glenn Petersen and Andrew Lee were sworn into office during a North Platte City Council meeting.

6: Michael Dec. Malmkar, pleaded no contest to vehicular homicide in connection to an accident that killed bicyclist Levern Walter in 2011. Lincoln County Attorney Rebecca Harling chose not to file charges against Maxwell school officials accused of failing to report child abuse.

Dec. 8: Jenny Salestrom was named the new executive director of the Mid-Plains United Way. Paul Pedersen, North Platte fire chief, announced plans to retire after 40 years of service.

Dec. 11: Lady Antebellum backed out of the Nebraskaland Days country concert after the lead singer became pregnant.

Dec. 15: Local residents reacted to a tragic school shooting in Newtown, Conn. Officials said a pipeline project in southern Lincoln County could eventually lead to a storage site for water in years when flooding occurs on the Platte River.

Dec. 27: A Brady woman drove her GMC Yukon through a metal guardrail and a fence and landed on the railroad tracks at Bailey Yard.

Dec. 30: Dwight Livingston opened up about his first month as mayor.