Year in Review 2012

Year flood OF

THE

City, state withstand a nervous, and soggy, spring and summer

By HEATHER JOHNSON hjohnson@nptelegraph.com

World-Herald News Service

Pipeline opponents can be seen in this Sept. 27, 2011, photo at a rally outside Pershing Auditorium. Friends and foes of the Keystone XL pipeline had their day in Lincoln, testifying at State Department hearing at the auditorium.

A pipeline’s unexpected

detour

Few thought the state would or could move to change the Keystone XL proposal

By PAUL HAMMEL World-herald News Service

LINCOLN — Most lawmakers, lobbyists and State Capitol watchers didn’t just scoff, they outright laughed when it was suggested earlier this year that state senators should hold a special session to reroute the controversial $7 billion Keystone XL pipeline.

Only a handful of senators cared enough to support the idea.

“I had people laughing,” said Ken Winston, the lobbyist for the Nebraska Sierra Club, who was in favor of a special session. “Hardly anyone thought a special session was going to happen. And if it did, nothing of substance would be coming out.”

Gov. Dave Heineman said over and over that such a session would be a $10,000-aday waste of time and money.

And, hey, wasn’t the pipeline a federal issue, anyway?

Fast forward to this fall.

Heineman, prompted by an outcry over a potential threat to the Ogallala Aquifer beneath the state’s unspoiled Sandhills, made an abrupt about-face and called lawmakers back to Lincoln.

After a series of fortuitous developments, including a federal delay in reviewing the project, Nebraska lawmakers passed two bills regulating crudeoil pipelines. The state also got what most people wanted: an agreement to reroute the 36-inch, 29 million-gallon-a-day crude-oil pipeline around the Sandhills.

“It was a Nebraska miracle,” said State Sen. Ken

Haar of Malcolm, who first proposed the idea of a special session.

The transition of the pipeline from a back-burner concern of a small band of environmentalists to a red-hot controversy was one of the major Nebraska stories of 2011.

The issue pitted big oil against a determined group of ranchers and a well-organized opposition, rounded up by Bold Nebraska’s Jane Kleeb and others.

It raised awareness about the shallow groundwater and fragile soils of the sparsely settled Sandhills, where cattle outnumber people by a long stretch.

It was a battle of engineering versus common sense, construction jobs versus an expensive and environmentally costly form of synthetic crude oil from Canadian tar sands, and oil that could be obtained from a North American ally instead of unstable dictators and Middle Eastern sheiks.

“You don’t mess with Sandhills ranchers,” said Fullerton Sen. Annette Dubas, who raised several concerns about the pipeline. “These are hardscrabble people. They work hard, but they love their ranches, and they love the Sandhills. ... I don’t think people understood how hard they would work to protect their land.”

The ultimate deal, crafted by the speaker of the Legislature, Norfolk Sen. Mike Flood, was a testament to how deeply Nebraskans care about water. After all, it’s been said that Nebraska is the “groundwater capital of the world.”

Please see DETOUR, Page D2

North Platte residents endured a long, wet summer in 2011, with flood waters from the North Platte River threatening many parts of the city. Heavy spring rains coupled with an abundance of snowmelt in Wyoming made for disastrous conditions.

Concerns about the potential for flooding began the end of February when the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District, which controls Lake McConaughy, began increasing outflows of water from the dam. Predictions were that the influx would bring the North Platte River to flood stage by the end of the week.

It was all part of a plan to lower the lake to make room for the above-normal amounts of snow pack in the Wyoming mountains.

At that time, the total storage in the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s system of reservoirs was 141 percent above average, but officials were unsure exactly how much runoff would flow in.

The river hit the 6-foot flood stage March 9 at North Platte. By March 18, it made the 6.5-foot mark, the highest it had been since 2008 when it reached 6.3 feet.

Sandbag supplies ran low as residents scrambled to gather up all they could to protect their homes and businesses. Some had never had to deal with severe flooding before, and therefore, didn’t have flood insurance.

By the end of May, many were wading through knee-deep water in their living rooms moving furniture out. They took refuge in campers or stayed with friends and family, abandoning their homes. Law enforcement watched closely for vandalism of the vacated properties.

In some cases, mold and water damage was so bad that houses were put up for sale at reduced prices. Nearly a year later, they continue to sit empty.

Scouts Rest Ranch closed its doors June 3 and lost out on two months worth of income. Park officials were worried enough money would be lost that the former home of Buffalo Bill might never open again. Dirt berms were constructed around all of the buildings, and artifacts were moved either to higher floors or to other locations.

Organizers of Nebraskaland Days, the state’s official celebration, essentially planned for two two-week celebrations. Because most of the events were supposed to take place at the Wild West Arena, which was at risk for flooding, they had to find back-up locations for everything. Coordinators of the Miss Rodeo Nebraska Pageant also had to work around the water, and in the end, continued the contest as planned.

The Lincoln County Historical Museum was not closed, but the presence of sandbags around it deterred potential visitors who thought it was. The museum ended up postponing its Heritage Festival until fall.

The North Platte Regional Airport built a dike around its facility amid concerns that the terminal building would flood and opera-

Telegraph file photos

Above: This photo from late May 2011 shows a washed-out Long School Road, one of the areas hardest hit by the spring and summer flooding.

Below: National Guard members attach massive sandbags to a waiting helicopter east of North Platte on June 5, 2011.

tions would be shut down, and City officials entered into a contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to construct a levee system around the northern edge of town.

Roads closed on the east and west sides of the community as water ran over them. When a breeched dike threatened a Union Pacific Railroad bridge, the Army National Guard sent in Black Hawk helicopters to assist repair efforts. Sandbags were dropped onto the break from the air.

On June 23, emergency management officials and the Office of Drinking Water and Environmental Health urged local residents to test their drinking wells for contamination. Septic companies couldn’t keep up with calls for help with overflowing sewer systems.

Also in June, the West Central District Health Department reported that the number of mosquitoes trapped in the community was double the usual amount. Officials said standing water had created the perfect breeding ground for the insects.

Nebraska Game and Parks Com-

mission representatives warned people to be on the lookout for animals moving into town after being displaced from riverbanks. One of the concerns was that the animals could carry rabies.

Residents were also warned to watch out for scam artists who would promise to help with clean up efforts, but would instead take the money they were given and leave town.

The Small Business Association and other organizations began offering financial assistance, and at the end of September, the Federal Emergency Management Agency opened a disaster recovery center to help those affected by flooding.

Damage within Lincoln County was estimated at $1.3 million.

Flooding didn’t officially end until October when the river receded to 5.66 feet. Even though the water has gone down, it still remains pooled in areas along the banks. Because there doesn’t appear to be a clear plan from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding precautionary measures for this spring, residents are bracing for what may come.

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YEAR IN REVIEW

Jail woes were big news Moldy roof, other construction problems plagued county’s new detention center throughout 2011

By HEATHER JOHNSON hjohnson@nptelegraph.com

Construction of the Lincoln County Jail continued to be a hot topic throughout 2011.

It was a subject that had rolled over from 2010. That’s when problems first started cropping up including cleanliness, moisture sealed into the walls during painting, progress delays, cracks and trowel marks on concrete floors, visible piping and imperfections on detention frames.

Kirk Nichols, the county’s jail inspector, had complained numerous times that workers failed to remove rainwater from the roof and other areas of the building. He warned the commissioners, general contractor Roche Constructors and architect Treanor Architects that the water would create bigger problems down the road if it was allowed to pool.

In January 2011, his predictions came true. Test results confirmed that six different types of mold were growing on all three levels of the roof.

A special session was called amongst all of the entities involved with the project to discuss remedial action, and the county brought Lincoln attorney Craig Dirrim on board to address legal aspects.

The building couldn’t be insured until the mold was removed, and it couldn’t be occupied until it was insured. As a result, Lincoln County’s overflow of prisoners was sent to Lexington.

It amounted to an average of 18 prisoners a day at a rate of $45 per day per inmate, and jail officials worried their money budgeted for housing

would run out before prisoners could be transferred to the new facility in North Platte.

County officials had another concern. They worried that moisture inside the roof could seep down through the jail walls and carry mold spores with it. If that happened, the spores could potentially be blown through the air vents and cause health problems in the detention center’s staff and inmates.

That would open up the potential for litigation. One of the mold types tested was known to cause breathing ailments, rashes and other skin irritations. Troubles were put to rest after tests determined no abnormal amounts of mold were present.

The next issue that had to be addressed was removing the roof without jeopardizing the safety of the public. Workers were required to wear boots, gloves and safety glasses. They also had the option of wearing respirators.

A water and detergent solution had to be misted onto the underside of the roof membrane as it was rolled to keep mold spores from spreading.

The roll was then be wrapped in plastic, and the plastic was taped closed. materials Contaminated placed in trucks had to be covered with tarps while they were hauled away. Small debris was removed from the roof deck with soft push brooms and High Efficiency Particulate Air vacuums, after which the deck was mopped with the detergent mixture.

While the roof was being replaced, another problem occurred. The high-priced furniture installed in the new jail

didn’t fit in the rooms. According to commissioner Willis Roethemeyer, the budget for furniture, fixtures and equipment was $411,000. The preliminary cost for furniture was $190,000, however on Feb. 18, the County was sent an invoice for $240,065.

That included a $9,455 desk and conference table system in former chief deputy Dean Sparks’ office, as well as a $2,055 loveseat and $7,891 desk in sheriff Jerome Kramer’s office.

Both men had $1,420 highbacked executive office chairs that were too big to swivel around their workstations.

The chairs in the conference room were too small for deputies to squeeze into while wearing gun belts. The news caused a public outcry, and everyone involved in the jail project pointed fingers at those they thought were to blame.

In the end, problem furniture was either adapted or replaced with cheaper models.

The county was allowed to keep the conference room chairs, which were moved to the courthouse.

In May, workers tackled a leaky wall. Water had been seeping in from the outside of the building where the brick and synthetic stucco joined together. The moisture crept through eight-inch thick concrete block drywall and stained a dayroom floor.

Inmates were ushered into the new detention center in July, and shortly thereafter, one of them tampered with a fire sprinkler and flooded a dayroom. That brought attention to the floor drains, which were either even with or higher than the floors depending on the room they were in. The concrete had to be torn up and the drains reset.

In September, both Lincoln County and Roche Constructors filed claims over the jail project. They have yet to be resolved.

THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH

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LOOK BACK AT

2011

JANUARY Jan. 1: The New Year dawned with more sun than clouds, but cold, with temperatures remaining in the mid-teens. Local news was sparse, and the front page featured an article on the new Nebraska license plates featuring the state flower and state bird.

Jan. 2: The inaugural “Run for the Cure” event raised more than $5,000 to battle breast cancer.

North Platte’s Howard Mendonca organized the event after watching his mother fight the disease.

Jan. 4: “Baby Girl” Boltz was the first baby born in 2011 at Great Plains Regional Medical Center. Lincoln County Commissioners raised mileage reimbursement for employees by one cent.

Jan. 5: Miss Rodeo Nebraska Becky Grimm officially began her reign.

Jan. 6: Test confirm mold growing in new Lincoln County Jail. North Platte Public School administration announced the formation of a 25-member task force to prepare ideas to help resolve a potential funding shortfall.

Jan. 7: A bronze bell was installed at the Callahan Cancer Center. Patients who have completed their treatment can ring the bell to mark the end of their treatment journey. Retiring Lincoln County District Judge John Murphy presided at a swearing in ceremony for county officials.

Jan 8: A special traveling exhibit “Remembering the Fallen” honoring Nebraskans and Iowans killed during the War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan arrived in North Platte.

Jan. 9: Among those attending opening ceremonies for the “Remembering the Fallen” exhibit at the Platte River Mall was Jan Collins of McCook, mother of Randy Matheny. Matheny was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2007. “As a mom, I didn’t want him to be forgotten,” Collins said. “This exhibit is evidence that he lived.”

Jan. 11: Bitter cold temperatures, plunging to minus-20 de-

DETOUR from Page D1

Even folks from Omaha and Lincoln could relate to the potential threat.

“Water is connected to our soul,” said Flood.

But no one could have predicted that the Keystone XL pipeline would have whipped up a firestorm that eventually brought the Nebraska Sandhills to the lips of Washington politicians, including President Barack Obama.

After all, a slightly smaller pipeline, the 30-inch Keystone, was built across eastern Nebraska in 2009 by the same company, TransCanada, with barely a ripple of opposition.

Most news stories raved about the financial windfall to main street motels and cafes from hundreds of pipeline construction workers.

But when the Deepwater Horizon oil platform blew up off the Gulf Coast in April 2010, suddenly the Neincluding nation, braskans, was focused on the impact of oil spills on water.

Then in July 2010, a crude-oil pipeline break in Michigan leaked 800,000 gallons of oil that threatened to flow down the Kalamazoo River into the Great Lakes.

That set off further questions. Obviously pipelines, and not just oil wells deep in the Gulf, can spill.

Concerns again arose in May 2011, when a North Dakota farmer watched as a 60-foot geyser of oil shot from a nearby pumping station on the brand-new Keystone pipeline — one of more than a dozen leaks in the pipeline’s first year of operation.

By then, TransCanada had stirred up more bad publicity by sending letters

grees moved into the area. The Rev. James Golka, pastor at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in North Platte was named recipient of Creighton University’s Archbishop Daniel E. Sheehan Award.

Jan. 12: Organizers announced that there would be no Hoggy Doggy Shadow Splash this year. For the first time in 12 years, the event where costumed participants went into the South Platte River to raise money for the local homeless shelter, was cancelled due to a time crunch.

Organizers hope to bring the event back in 2012.

Jan. 13: North Platte Catholic Schools were winners at the Great Plains Regional Medical Center walking challenge for taking the most steps during a one-month challenge. Team members averaged 226,373 steps per walker.

Jan. 14: Governor Dave Heineman was in North Platte as part of his annual state-wide tour on the “state of the state.”

North Platte Telegraph reporter Mark Young and KNOP-TV reporter Kendra Potter were honored by the Substance Abuse Prevention Council for their work in raising awareness of the importance of prevention.

Jan. 15: Former North Platte attorney Mike Piccolo was sworn in as Lincoln County’s newest judge. Local taxpayers watchdog group, the Western Nebraska Taxpayers Association, announced they were forming a task force to run in conjunction with the school district administration’s task force.

Jan. 16: Teresa Scanlan, crowned Miss Nebraska in North Platte in June 2010, was crowned Miss America in Las Vegas.

Scanlan was the first Miss Nebraska to win the crown and the youngest (17) Miss America since the pageant instituted age requirements in the 1930s.

Jan. 18: Chief of Police Mike Swain and Deputy Chief Dwight Livingston told members of the

threatening rural landowners with eminent domain if they resisted allowing the company right of way on property along its chosen route.

Pipeline proposals during the Legislature’s regular 2011 session mostly stalled under lingering uncertainty over whether the state had any power to affect pipeline routes.

Veteran Lincoln lobbyist Walt Radcliffe, who was eventually hired by TransCanada, said that politically, “situation and circumstance” ultimately came together.

“Things don’t happen in a vacuum,” Radcliffe said.

A persistent, populist push from Bold Nebraska, the Sierra Club and Nebraska Wildlife Federation kept the issue at the boiling point.

It’s estimated that TransCanada spent millions of dollars on a campaign of television, newspaper and radio ads — even spots at Nebraska football games — to assure the public that pipelines are safe.

Opponents countered with yard signs, letters to the editor and a series of protests, including one that had grandmas delivering homemade cookies and jelly to the Governor’s Mansion.

“It was the first time in a long time that Nebraskans were asked to fight for their state,” said Kleeb, a Hastings activist who used blogs, tweets, websites and emails to rally the opposition. “It wasn’t just one group. ... It was progressives, moderates and conservatives working together.”

Kleeb estimated that her group, which is financed through donations and liberal Omaha businessman Dick Holland, spent $250,000 to counter Trans-Canada’s sometimes blanket advertising.

Please see 2011, Page D3

The rising opposition, Radcliffe and others said, helped persuade Heineman to make a stunning change of heart on Oct. 24 and call a special session.

Radcliffe compared the push against the pipeline to the citizen initiative that led to the 1982 ballot passage of Initiative 300, Nebraska’s ban on corporate farming.

The U.S. State Department, which will have the final word on the pipeline, also had a change of heart.

During the special session, the department announced it would delay its final decision until 2013 to allow time to study detours around the Sandhills.

The department also told Flood it wouldn’t require a costly new environmental impact study of the entire 1,700-mile-long pipeline, only a quicker study of the 100-mile detour in Nebraska.

That led to the compromise crafted last month by Flood that the Legislature quickly passed, 48-0.

Kleeb said TransCanada “won” in some respects because state lawmakers didn’t pass laws to protect landowners from threats of eminent domain or increase liability for pipeline spills.

But she also predicted that the pipeline won’t be built and that the recent political maneuvering in Washington to force Obama to make a final decision on the proposal within 60 days will backfire.

She said that under the Nebraska compromise, the Ogallala Aquifer is still at risk because the as-yet-determined detour will avoid only the Sandhills and areas of extremely high groundwater.

“The aquifer is still at risk,” Kleeb said. “That’s why I believe President Obama will reject the pipeline.”

WWW.NPTELEGRAPH.COM

YEAR IN REVIEW

THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH

SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 2012

2011 bill was a matter of horse sense

14-year-old’s murder rocks community of McCook

Meat inspection proposal drew international attention to Neb.

Several tragic, sometimes bizarre crimes grabbed headlines in 2011

By ANDREW BOTTRELL abottrell@nptelegraph.com

An 18-year-old Red Willow County man was charged with first-degree murder in January after the death of a 14-year-old girl.

Stathis Kirkpatrick, a teenage resident of Red Willow County, was charged with the death of Kailee Clapp, after her burned remains were found in a Bartley cemetery on Jan. 21.

Clapp’s mother, Nora reported the Clapp, teenager missing on the morning of Jan. 21. Evidence in the case pointed to several phone conversations between Kirkpatrick and Kailee Clapp on the night of Jan. 20, but when contacted by investigators, Kirkpatrick told them he had stayed the night with his girlfriend in McCook.

However, investigators found that Kirkpatrick had spent the night with his uncle in Bartley, who told investigators he got to his home at 4 a.m. After searching the room Kirkpatrick stayed in at his uncle’s home, investigators found bloodstained clothes.

After being presented with evidence found at his uncle’s home in Bartley, Kirkpatrick told police he witnessed a man attack Clapp behind her home on Jan. 20, and followed the man to Bartley cemetery, telling police that’s where Clapp’s remains could be found.

On March 8, Kirkpatrick pleaded not guilty in Red Willow County Court, and his attorney sought a psychological evaluation.

In September, Red Willow District Court Judge David Urbom ruled that Kirkpatrick wasn’t competent to stand trial, and on Sept. 24, committed Kirkpatrick to the Lincoln Regional Center for treatment. n On June 25, Rogelio Diaz, 33, of North Platte, was charged with manslaughter in the death of his wife Michelle Diaz,

35. Three days later, the county attorney’s office upgraded the charge to murder in the second degree, a class one felony carrying a maximum of life in prison.

Police responded to the home in the 1900 block of West Eighteenth Street at 2 a.m. on Saturday, June 25, and found Michelle Diaz unresponsive. She was transported to Great Plains Regional Medical Center where she was pronounced dead. Rogelio Diaz originally told investigators that Michelle had fallen down the stairs and hit her head, but later changed his story.

In the following months, at the request of Diaz’s attorney Stephen Potter, Diaz underwent several psychological evaluations, and in September, Potter told Lincoln County District Judge Donald Rowlands that he would pursue an insanity plea in the case. n On June 30, convicted killer Michael Grandon was killed at the Nebraska State Penitentiary. Another inmate, Mohamed Abdulkadir, was charged in August with Grandon’s death.

On June 30, Abdulkadir stabbed allegedly Grandon, who was transported to BryanLGH Medical Center West where prison officials say he died at 4:20 p.m. Grandon was convicted of the killing Lori and Tiara Solie in their apartment on May 17, 2007. He began serving a life sentence, without the possibility of parole, on March 31, 2008.

Abdulkadir faces trial this February. n On Saturday, Oct. 20, Nathaniel Polanco, 24, was arrested and charged with manslaughter in connection to the stabbing death of Michael Fernau, 24. He was officially charged with manslaughter, a class three felony, and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, a class two felony, and could face up to 50 years in

2011 from Page D2

Lincoln County Substance Abuse Council that local businesses were complying with a crackdown on copycat drugs.

Jan.19: Dr. Jeff and Connie Britton were honored by North Platte Catholic Schools for their contributions. Lincoln County Commissioners set salaries for the year.

Jan. 20: North Platte Public School District para-professionals voted to unionize. The city began to dig out from under 6 inches of snow. The Pump for Pennies fundraiser sponsored by Timesaver generated $2,455 for the Callahan Cancer Center.

Jan. 21: Officials report the new Lincoln County Jail is safe, despite tests revealing mold in the roof. Three houses were donated to the Lincoln County Community Development Corporation for their purchase, rehab and resell program.

Jan. 22: North Platte Public School Foundation donated $4,700 to Adams Middle School for new exercise equipment. Attendance at the Golden Spike Tower and Visitor Center in North Platte increased by 10 percent in 2010, according to the end of the year financial report.

Jan. 23: North Platte Kiwanis Club celebrated its 90th birthday. No one was injured when a semi-truck lost control at the icy intersection of Buffalo Bill Avenue and Rodeo Road and slid into a ditch.

Jan 25: The Miss Nebraska Scholarship Pageant board announced that Nicky Haverland of Omaha is the newest Miss Nebraska, appointed after Miss Nebraska Teresa Scanlan was named Miss America. Maxwell School su-

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By HEATHER JOHNSON hjohnson@nptelegraph.com

Telegraph file photo

Mourners for 14-year-old Kailee Clapp wear T-shirts dedicated to her memory while waiting to enter her memorial ceremony in McCook in January 2011. The partiallyburned remains of the McCook teen were found in a Red Willow County cemetery on Jan. 21, 2011, and aquaintence Stathis Kirkpatrick was charged with her murder. prison, if convicted.

Polanco pleaded not guilty on Dec. 13, and faces trial in January of 2012. n Also in October, four North Platte residents were arrested after police found two children shut in a dog kennel during a wellbeing check.

On Oct. 22, Bryson L. Eyten, 25, Samantha J. Eyten, 24, Ashly A. Clark, 22, and Lacy J. Beyer, 20, were all arrested at a home on East E Street, and charged with two counts of felony child abuse, a class 3A felony, two counts of false imprisonment, a class 3A felony, and misdemeanor child abuse, based on the living conditions in the home. Judge Michael Piccolo later dropped the misdemeanor child abuse counts in Lincoln County Court.

When officers arrived at the scene for a well-being check, they found two children, ages 5 and 3, in a wire animal kennel with a mattress inside it, where they were sleeping. Clark, the mother of the two boys, told officers that the boys were in the kennel so that they would not crawl out of the home at night.

Authorities said the wire kennel was 42 inches by 28 inches by 30 inches.

perintendent Chuck Hervert announced he would be retiring at the end of the school year.

Jan 26: St. Patrick’s Catholic School teacher Martin Cordes remained in critical condition after the bicycle he was riding was struck by a car. More than 2,000 people came to a candlelight vigil in McCook for 14-year old Kailee Clapp, who is missing and presumed dead. Former Keith County attorney John Edwards and his wife Shirley were arrested for felony theft. About $18,000 was allegedly embezzled from diversion funds managed by the Keith County Attorney’s Office.

Jan 27: North Platte will be the site of a new wind tunnel testing facility, located at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln West Central Research and Extension Center. Big Cat Rescue, based in Tampa, Florida, contacted the Telegraph to emphasize that they are not affiliated with Big Cat Rescue Entertainment, currently showing exotic animals at the Platte River Mall.

Jan. 28: 18-year-old Stathis Kirkpatrick was charged with first-degree murder and three other crimes in the death of 14-year old Kailee Clapp of McCook. Changes in state aid may mean less help in providing affordable housing for low-income families in Lincoln County.

Jan. 29: The demand for services for domestic violence is up and funding is down, according to Lynn Lange, executive director of Nebraska Domestic Violence Sexual Assault Coalition.

Jan 30: More than 100 area students gathered at North Platte High School for the Singing Youth of Nebraska Festival Choir. “Big Cats do not belong in malls,” read one sign among the protesters gathered at the Platte River Mall, protesting Big Cat Entertainment bringing exotic animals to display.

Two other children, ages 8 and 8 months, were also found in the home, in what officers considered unsafe conditions. The officers reportedly found the residence to be unsanitary, and unsafe for children. Bond for all four was initially set at $50,000, but was lowered to $25,000 at a preliminary hearing in November.

At a December hearing, all four pleaded not guilty after the case was bonded over to Lincoln County District Court, with a scheduled trial set for Jan. 31, 2012.

The possible reemergence of horse processing plants became a subject of discussion during 2011 Nebraska legislative session.

On Jan. 12, 2011, Sen. Tyson Larson of O’Neill, introduced a bill to create a state meat inspection program, which Sen. Tom Hansen of North Platte co-signed on.

Larson said creating a state meat inspection program would be good for economic development. He claimed it would benefit people in niche markets, such as those who raise elk, bison and ostriches by making it easier for them to sell their products. According to Larson, those businessmen and women would then have more money to reinvest into their local communities.

But, that wasn’t all Larson thought the bill would do.

He also hoped it would revive an industry thought around the world to be dead—that of horse processing. The last horse slaughterhouse in the nation, Belgian-owned Cavel International, Inc. in DeKalb, Ill., closed in 2007.

In 2006, Congress prohibited the use of federal money to inspect horse meat intended for human consumption. Federal inspection was needed to transport the product across state borders.

Some facilities continue to import the meat from Canada and Mexico and prepare it for zoos, but because the majority of the market had revolved around shipping horse meat to other countries for people to eat, U.S. processing plants closed.

Larson thought the 2008 Farm Bill had created a loophole. He believed that if Nebraska could inspect its own horse meat, it wouldn’t have to rely on federal inspections to send it across state lines.

The idea caused controversy. Animal welfare activists became outraged at the thought of bringing back a practice they claimed was antiquated, inhumane and heartless.

Not only were they against the method used to kill horses in processing plants, captive bolt, they also spoke out against the methods used to transport horses, the potential for toxins in the meat and blamed breeders for creating an abundance of horses to begin with. They said owners either needed to take responsibility for their animals, find them new homes or have them

Please see HORSE, Page D4

YEAR IN REVIEW

D4 SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 2012

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THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH

2011

FEBRUARY Feb. 1: Superintendent of Schools David Engle announced he would be leaving at the end of the school year to take a position in New Jersey.

The Buffalo Bill Farm and Ranch Expo begins this week.

2011 is the 20th year for the popular event.

Feb. 2: Don Kilgore is the 2011 recipient of the Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation “Above and Beyond Award.” Heather Halligan is the new executive director of the North Platte Area Children’s Museum.

Feb. 3: Reporter Sharron Hollen retired, ending her 48year career at the North Platte Telegraph. The North Platte Public Library announced a series of classes on e-books.

Mid-Plains Community College vice-president Marilyn McGahan announced her retirement after 40 years.

Feb. 4: Museum designer Barry Howard, Santa Monica, California, visited North Platte at the request of the Original Town Association. The group has proposed a Rail Town USA complex near the site where the Union Pacific Railroad Depot once stood. Nebraskaland Days announced the theme for the 2011 Buffalo Bill Birthday Bash is “Paisley Beach Party,” celebrating the upcoming concert with Brad Paisley. The annual event raises money for Nebraskaland Days.

Feb. 5: Congressman Adrian Smith was in Hershey, visiting with students about current events. A fire alarm at the Connection Homeless Shelter turned out to be a false alarm.

The North Platte School Board announced the hiring of Jim Huge and Associates to begin the search for a new school superintendent.

Feb. 6: Lincoln County Community Development Corporation director Nancy Striebel was inducted into the Nebraska

Investment Finance Authority Housing Hall of Fame. Elks Lodge 985 sponsored a soup and sandwich fundraiser in hopes of boosting their scholarship program.

Feb. 8: The roof of the Lincoln County Jail will be replaced after six types of mold was discovered. The Miss Nebraska Scholarship Pageant board announced that Miss America Teresa Scanlan will be in North Platte for a homecoming event on Feb. 24.

Feb. 9: John Scharf was the featured speaker at the annual TeamMates Mentoring program recognition ceremony at Adams Middle School. Students at St. Patrick’s High School showed off their science skills at a science fair.

Feb. 10: State lawmakers voted to cut state aid to cities and Natural Resource Districts. The move would cut less that 1 percent of North Platte revenues.

Chief of Police Mike Swain announced the city would no longer use the Code Red system to alert residents of snow emergencies.

Feb. 11: A North Platte man died as the result of a car accident. Chad Burk, 23, died after the car he was driving struck a mailbox at Front Street and Wagon Trail Road. Employees of NebraskaLand National Bank donated $7,000 from the My Fair Share Program to the North Platte Rape and Domestic Violence Prevention program. Tickets went on sale for the homecoming of Miss America Teresa Scanlan.

Feb. 12: Lincoln County noxious weeds superintendent Mitch Huxoll announced he would be retiring at the end of the month. Stathis Kirkpatrick, the 18-year old charged with the murder of Kailee Clapp waived his right to a preliminary hearing.

Feb. 13. North Platte high school students Jamie Panzer

Telegraph file photo

Gering’s Teresa Scanlan held her homecoming ceremony in North Platte on Feb. 24 after being named Nebraska’s first Miss America 2011 in January. Scanlan, 17 at the time, was one of the youngest women to ever be named Miss America. and Ben Hill placed third at the 32nd annual Blue and Gold Debate and Speech Invitational. Councilwoman Judy Pederson announced that she intended to bring a proposal for a splash park at Memorial Park to the city council.

Feb. 15: Temperatures climbed above normal, leaving mud and water behind. Agnes Gosnell and Lavern Schneider

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were named Queen and King of Valentine’s Day at Premier Estates. Lincoln County Commissioners opted to sign a more expensive but shorterterm phone service contract from Qwest Communications.

Feb. 16. Dr. James E. Thayer known as the composer and lyricist of music performed at the Nebraskaland Days Frontier Revue, died at age 86.

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Gayle Reed, evidence officer for the North Platte police department was named Employee of the Year for 2010.

Feb. 17: Around 75 students from area high schools competed at the technical skills competition hosted by North Platte Community College.

Feb. 18: An arcing power line was responsible for the burning of up to 5,500 acres of land in Arthur County. The first Sandhill cranes of the season arrived.

Feb. 19: North Platte High School wrestler Grant Holscher moved to the finals at the state wrestling tournament in Omaha after defeating Antoine Tureaud of Omaha Westside.

Feb. 20: A job fair hosted by North Platte Community College drew 150 participants. Terry Dowling, North Platte, was named the TeamMates Mentoring program “Mentor of the Month.”

Feb. 22: Rape and Domestic Violence program director Jeanie Gilbert announced that nearly 3,000 balloons were purchased this year for the organizations annual Valentines Day fundraiser, bringing in more than $6,000.

Feb. 23: Dan Twarling was named superintendent of Maxwell Public Schools. Lincoln County launched a new, more user-friendly website at www.co.lincoln.ne.us.

Feb. 24: Mid-Plains Community College board of directors approved a $4 per semester tuition increase and an increase in the cost of room and board.

Feb. 25: Miss America Teresa Scanlan arrived in North Platte. Life since winning the national crown has been “absolutely crazy,” she said at a press conference. Kenneth Aten, known as the father of vocational training in the area, passed away at age 77.

Feb. 26: Curtis native George Garlick announced at $50,000 donation to the Miss Nebraska Scholarship program in honor of Teresa Scanlan.

Feb 27: The North Platte Area Children’s Museum hosted a health fair. Al’s Smokehouse, 2205 East Fourth Street, opened for business.

2011

MARCH Mar. 1: Lincoln County Commissioners approved the formation of Court Appointed Special Advocates for children (CASA).

Central Nebraska Public Power announced it was increasing the amount of water being released from Lake McConaughy into the North Platte River.

Mar. 2: More than $14,000 was raised during the Buffalo Bill Birthday Bash, benefiting Nebraskaland Days.

Mar. 3: The Cat in the Hat was a special guest at Osgood Elementary School, celebrating Dr. Suess’ birthday and Reading Partnerships.

Mar. 4: Money to pay for a new splash pad at Memorial Park will come from private donations, Councilwoman Judy Pederson said. Troop D of the Nebraska State Patrol received the Patriot Award for the support of National Guard and Re-

HORSE from Page D3

euthanized.

Breeders claimed the end of slaughter had led the horse market to collapse. They said economic conditions made it hard for owners to afford to care for their animals or have them put down. As a result, they said horses were being abandoned and neglected and said horse rescues were at their breaking point.

People on both sides had an interest in where a processing plant would be built. The issue gained attention as far away as Europe and Asia, where potential investors watched to see if they might have a chance at reopening a

serve employees.

Mar. 5: The annual North Platte Home Builders Home Sweet Home Show opened at the D&N Center.

Mar. 6: Twenty one schools and 450 students participated in the Best of the West speech invitational at North Platte High School. Around 1,000 people attended the annual Kiwanis pancake feed at United Methodist Church.

Mar. 8: Parents were reminded that all Nebraska school children need to receive a second chicken pox vaccination before starting school next year.

North Platte Community College choir and jazz band presented a free concert featuring music from “Les Miserables.”

Mar. 9: State Treasurer Don Stenberg was in North Platte, talking about his plan to reduce his office’s budget by 13 percent in the next two

plant in the U.S. where they could better control the market.

Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, spoke out adamantly against the proposal. The issue also sparked a weekly debate in The North Platte Telegraph between Charles Stenholm, senior policy advisor for Olsson Frank Weeda, P.C. in Washington, D.C., and John Holland of Virginia, co-founder of the Equine Welfare Alliance.

The bill made it up all rungs of the legislative ladder, and Gov. Dave Heineman signed off on a feasibility study. The results of the study were unveiled in November, and they revealed bad news for horse processing proponents.

According to the report,

years. Long-time school administrator Jim Whitney announced he would be retiring at the end of the school year.

Mar. 10: St. Patrick’s High School cheerleaders and basketball players visited residents at Premier Estates Senior Living Community. Lincoln County District Judge John Murphy dismissed two lawsuits filed by Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation district against Twin Platte and Tri-Basin NRDs. Mar. 11: A total of 72 railcars derailed 7 miles west of Thedford. St. Patrick’s High Fighting Irish basketball team defeated the Arapahoe Warriors in overtime to make the semi-finals at the state basketball tournament in Lincoln.

Mar. 12: The No. 1 seed Archbishop Bergan blasted the St. Pat’s Irish 4636 in semi-final basketball action. Wauneta-Palisade Broncos beat Sterling to advance to the finals.

Mar. 13: Miss Rodeo Nebraska hopefuls learned about the art of the pageant during a

Please see 2011, Page D5

any program producing horse meat for human consumption would have to be regulated by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. At the time the report was released, the service was still prohibited at the federal level from conducting inspections.

Shortly thereafter, however, the funding restriction was pulled. Horse processing plants can start up again in the U.S., but whether any will remains to be seen.

They would have to cross a number of hurdles first including finding money for inspections and overcoming the possibility of future federal regulations.

Animal rights groups have promised to fight any facility that does attempt to open.

YEAR IN REVIEW

THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH

SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 2012

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2011 was a bustling year for business in NP

By ANDREW BOTTRELL abottrell@nptelegraph.com

This past year brought a number of new businesses, additions and new facilities to community stalwarts. n Construction on the Health Complex at Mid Plains Community College South Campus along State Farm Road in North Platte began in 2011.

The new facility, which is expected to be complete in 2012, will help expand the classroom space at the college. The health department will move from the North Campus to the South Campus, and much of the mathematics and science departments will also move into the facility.

The $9 million project has been in the works, for nearly 20 years, the college said. n In July, Great Plains Heart cardiology clinic Center’s opened for business, with Dr. Arshad Ali leading the way.

The new facility offers 24hour, seven days a week intercardiology care, ventional which provides both diagnostic and treatment services. The new clinic also gives the hospital the ability to offer stents, something patients previously had to travel to Lincoln or Denver to receive.

Great Plains Regional Medical Center hopes the new heart center will be a referral site for physicians in an area that stretches from west of Kearney to Sidney and from McCook to Valentine.

The clinic was temporarily housed in office space at 611 West Francis, but in August moved into the area south of the hospital’s emergency room, previously occupied by the Nebraska Heart Institute. n Also in July, work began on renovating and upgrading office space at the east end of Francis Street, so that Allo Communications could move in.

The communications based company out of Imperial provides television and Internet services through fiber optics, something that wasn’t available in North Platte to consumers.

The fiber optics project is a $10 million investment and local contractors are being used to do the work. The office space on Francis will act as the retail center for North Platte.

Allo has similar consumerbased fiber optics networks in Gering, Scottsbluff, Ogallala and Alliance. n This past year, Westfield Animal Clinic in the Westfield Shopping Center at 1821 West A Street doubled the size of their clinic and expanded services.

Previously, the clinic operated a small kennel near the high school. In 2011, the clinic was able to expand and move the

2011 from Page D4

three-day clinic in North Platte. The 100th annual Firefighters Banquet and Award ceremony honored volunteer firefighters.

Mar. 15: Replacement of the roof at the new Lincoln County Jail is scheduled to begin this week.

Lincoln County may have a drug court in place by fall, Eleventh Judicial District Judge James Doyle told the Lincoln County Commissioners.

Mar. 16: The North Platte City Council approved the building of a splash pad in Memorial Park.

North Platte High School was the scene of a jazz festival featuring groups from University of Nebraska-Omaha and Chadron State College.

Mar. 17: Jack O’Holleran, son of Dr. Tim and Molly O’Holleran of North Platte, spoke to the Telegraph about his experiences in Tokyo during the recent earthquakes. The Sandhill Symphony celebrates its 50 anniversary.

Mar. 18: Taste of Home Cooking Show culinary specialist Guy Klinzing entertained a large crowd during the annual event.

Mar. 19: Buffalo Bill Kiwanis Bringing up Grades program recognized students who work hard to bring up their grades at a ceremony at Jefferson Elementary.

Mar. 20: Speech students at St. Patrick’s High School and North Platte

kennel service to the clinic in Westfield Shopping Center. Now, they can offer 50 spaces, and have expanded their kennel services to include daily care and walking.

The expansion also allowed them to increase the size of their lab. Dr. Craig Kelly said 95 percent of all lab work that needs to be done can be inhouse, and results in mostly same-day results.

The addition also allowed for an expansion of their x-ray services and their laser surgery services.. Westfield Small Animal Clinic offers digital x-rays, which helps lower their costs and provides on-spot x-ray services for patients and clients.

Three veterinarians and three techs are employed by Westfield, and their services also include acupuncture and chiropractic care. n In September, Phelps Family Dentistry celebrated the open-

ing of their brand new building at 221 South Jeffers, at the corner of C and Jeffers. In business since 2008, the family dentistry clinic expanded into a brand new building in 2011.

The Phelps were able to purchase the building at 221 South Jeffers and remodel the entire facility, from the inside to the store front and even the roof.

The remodel helped them expand their business and workflow, adding 3D imaging, which helps with their single visit crown service. That service allows patients to receive crowns in one visit, rather than having to come back twice to receive dental work.

They were also able to pave the parking lot, which helps with aesthetics, and add 1300 square feet of leasing space next door. Depot Drug will open in that space in January of 2012. n The Asia Palace also opened at their new location, 1318 South

Long-time North Platte restuarant Roger’s served its last cup of coffee on Nov. 30. The business closed in late 2011, after Nebraskaland National Bank bought the property, as well as adjoining properties along the one-ways between Francis and William streets. The bank later announced plans to build a new branch on the property.

High School earned their way to a berth at the state competition.

Mar. 22: North Platte Catholic Schools Endowment-Trust announced it would host a retirement dinner for St. Patrick’s High School superintendent Bill McGahan for his 45 years of service.

Mar. 23: American Cowboy Magazine named North Platte as one of the 20 best places to live in the west. “Early-out” Wednesdays will continue into next year for North Platte Public Schools, after approval by the school board. Police were investigating a possible shooting on West 10th Street.

Mar. 24: Police say the shooting story was “fiction.” Shane Reed accidentally shot himself in the upper leg and family members told police he had been shot by two men driving by in a car. The Butterfly Pavilion traveling exhibit from Westminister, Colo., is coming to visit the North Platte Children’s Museum.

Mar. 25: Area high school students spent a day at the 1074th Transportation Company Armory in North Platte, shooting laser guns, painting camouflauge on their faces and wearing night vision goggles as part of the annual LEAD Day. Nebraska Humanities Council speaker Darrel Draper portrayed Theodore Roosevelt as part of a living history program at the North Platte Public Library.

Mar. 26: A North Platte

man was shot and killed inside the police building after he attacked officers with a knife. Local media identified the man as Marion L, Johnson, 60. NPPS Superintendent David Engle announced that seven school principals will be relocated in the next school year.

Mar. 27: Child Abuse Prevention Month KickOff Kids Carnival at the Platte River Mall was a popular destination.

Mar. 29: Governor Dave Heineman attended a special rally in Hershey. Hershey School had the highest test scores for a Class C2 school in the state. Miss Lincoln Jessica States and Nebraska State Patrol investigator Carlos Trevino talked to Kids Klub about Internet safety.

Mar. 30: The North Platte River continued to remain above flood stage and area irrigation districts and NRD’s agreed to divert some water into irrigation canals to ease the risk of further flooding.

Lincoln County Commissioners approved the revival of the juvenile diversion program.

Mar. 31: North Platte High School senior Jamie Panzer earned the National Forensic League’s degree of Premier Distinction for her successful debating season. “You got Panzered,” became a rallying cry for debate team members. Irina Bassis was named new vice president of marketing at Great Plains Regional Medical Center.

Chestnut. This past year, with the new location, the Asian restaurant expanded its menu and offers both in-store dining and take out.

The restaurant features Chinese, Fondue, Taiwanese and Thai food. n Vic’s Corn Popper in the Westfield Shopping Center also expanded in 2011, and is in the process of changing the name of the business in 2012.

In 2011, Vic’s added The West Wing, doubling the size of the business for the second time, and allowing overflow space, as well as a party room, that is available for rent.

It has also allowed Vic’s to bring in Shermie at the Piano to entertain customers on Wednesdays from 11:30 to 4 p.m. n Jazzercise also moved locations, moving into a bigger facility at 1220 West A Street in North Platte, just a few doors down from their previous location.

Telegraph file photo

The new facility allowed them to offer more classes and the ability to expand their full day care services. n In September, Pinpoint Communications completed a 1,700-square foot data center at 1003 East State Farm Road. The facility is along Pinpoint’s Denver to Chicago fiber optics line, which will help strengthen the signal, and help lead to more infrastructure in North Platte. At the time, Pinpoint said the facility will help North Platte become a hub for activity between the eastern and western portions of the state.

Pinpoint works with major telephone, Internet and telecom companies to send and receive signal through fiber optics.

Pinpoint did not identify who the anchor tenant for the facility was, but said it was an earthstation uplink/downlink for a major wireless carrier. n In September, Nebraskland National Bank celebrated the opening of their North Branch at 1002 North Jeffers. The bank officially opened on Sept. 11 with a celebration of veterans, a ceremony and the unveiling of an engraved stone.

Nebraskaland National Bank also announced the purchase of the block between Dewey and Jeffers, between Francis and William streets. In August, the bank announced that it had purchased the Time Saver building and Rogers Fine Foods. In December, bank President Mike Jacobson announced that they had also purchased A&W, and the north end of the block, as well.

Nebraskaland Bank will begin construction on a new main branch sometime in 2012, while continuing operation at their downtown location.

Gary Jones, who owns the Modern Muffler shop on that portion of the block subsequently announced that he had purchased the Royal Colonial and would be expanding his business on that plot, including the addition of a full service car wash.

Purchases, construction and demolition continued on the ones in December, as Centris Federal Credit Union announced they will construct a new branch at the corner of Phillip and Jeffers, where the Knights Inn Motel once stood.

That building was torn down in December. Centris, currently located at 301 East Philip, said they will begin construction in the spring of 2012.

YEAR IN REVIEW

D6 SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 2012

April 1: A fundraising campaign began to start a splash pad in Memorial Park.

April 2: Demonstrators marched outside the Lincoln County courthouse to protest the actions of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services’ Child Protective Services division.

April 3: English exchange students visiting Mid-Plains Community College were treated to their first rodeo.

April 5: Steven Kramer was offered the job of Lincoln County noxious weeds superintendent.

April 6: Comedian Mack Dryden spoke about staying positive during difficult situations. Work began on a new community garden.

April 7: Tempers flared as city council members discuss accountability for the Iron Eagle Golf Course.

April 8: Dr. David Lindley, West Central District Health Department medical director, outlined the department’s goals for public health services in North Platte, including a medical clinic for the uninsured.

April 9: The 20th Century Veterans Memorial board of directors sought to change the name of the park the memorial

May 1: Turnout nearly doubled for the Women’s Resource Center’s Walk for Life after Planned Parenthood had announced it might be opening a clinic in North Platte.

May 3: North Platte residents responded with cautious optimism to the news of Osama bin Laden’s death. A Denny’s restaurant opened in North Platte. The Nebraska Farm Bureau honored Cody Elementary School teacher Jill Walters with a Teacher of the Year award.

May 4: The North Platte Public Schools approved the creation of an alternative education program following the closure of the Boys and Girls Home.

May 5: A 14-year-old boy was arrested after taking a pistol to school and

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2011

APRIL is in to Veterans Park.

April 10: The Mid-Plains United Way board of trustees announced plans to award $165,000 to local agencies. A machinist fired from Union Pacific Railroad got his job back after an investigation showed the termination was the result of him reporting an on-the-job injury.

April 12: Three candidates were interviewed for the North Platte Public Schools superintendent position.

April 13: The Western Nebraska Taxpayers Association and ESU 16 presented ideas for dealing with funding cuts within the North Platte Public Schools system.

April 14: The Mid-Plains Community College Board of Governors approved construction of an event center in McCook and a health and science complex in North Platte.

April 15: Daniel Fischer, a

using it to threaten another student. North Platte cardiologist Rick Heirigs gave lifesaving CPR to a fellow runner participating in a halfmarathon in Lincoln. The North Platte Noon Rotary Club unveiled a decorative clock at the corner of Sixth and Jeffers Streets.

May 6: Ground officially broke on a new health and science complex for North Platte Community College. A bill to create a state meat inspection program passed the final reading in the Legislature.

May 7: Information gathered from a raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound showed he was planning an attack on U.S. railways.

May 8: Gas prices were predicted to drop 50 cents

by June.

Sutherland youth minister facing multiple counts of sexual assault on a child was considered a fugitive from justice. Nebraska State Patrol trooper Kevin Horst was honored for his heroism with the Military Order of the Purple Heart award.

April 16: North Platte hotels filled up as a spring blizzard forced the closure of Interstate 80.

April 17: The Nebraska Society of New York announced plans to connect Nebraskans living in the Big Apple through a dinner party.

April 19: Daniel Fischer, a Sutherland youth minister facing multiple counts of sexual assault on a child, was found dead in a canal near Hershey. Rain slows roof replacement on the new Lincoln County Jail.

April 20: Gov. Dave Heineman announced he had faith communities like North Platte could compensate for a cut

May 10: The counters were upgraded in the County Court offices, making the area safer for employees who have to deal with angry people. A mountain lion was shot in a Kearney neighborhood.

May 11: Great Plains Regional Medical Center officials announce plans to expand the hospital and make it a regional healthcare destination for west central Nebraska.

Marcus Garstecki was hired as the new North Platte Community College vice president.

May 12: The Stapleton School District received a $1.1 million grant to improve test scores after it was deemed as persistently underachieving.

May 13: Lincoln County emergency management director Jim Nitz encouraged residents living along

THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH in state aid.

April 21: Deputy chief Dwight Livingston announced his retirement after 39 years with the North Platte Police Department.

April 22: Planned Parenthood of the Heartland listed North Platte as a consideration for a new clinic location. Great Plains Regional Medical Center implemented an automatic chest compression device to keep emergency responders from becoming fatigued.

April 23: Men walked a mile in women’s shoes and raised about $4,500 for the Rape and Domestic Abuse Program. The North Platte Public Schools Board of Education suspended the search for a new superintendent.

April 24: The Lincoln County Child Abuse Prevention Council announced plans to recognize several people for their dedication to the community’s children. Those honored were Monte McNeil, Larry Gipe, Jody Ryan, Carol Halley, Brenda Aufdenkamp, Gene Nelson and Tina Maria Fernandez. North Platte Community College vice president Marilyn McGahan received the Phi Theta Kappa Michael Bennett Lifetime Achievement Award.

the North Platte River to prepare for flooding. A major roads funding bill was sent to Gov. Dave Heineman for his signature.

May 14: Chelsea Feusner is named the Hall Elementary School principal.

May 15: North Platte residents planted a community garden to benefit the Backpack Program.

Capt. John Joneson retired after 26 years of service with the North Platte Fire Department.

May 17: The Reading Partnership granted $500 scholarships to 10 North Platte Public School classrooms. The M.E. Group was hired to conduct an engineering study regarding improvements to the Lincoln County Courthouse. Water was found leaking through a dayroom wall in the new Lincoln County jail.

May 18: Lincoln County Sheriff ’s Office chief deputy Dean Sparks resigned after he was charged with violating a protection order. Local law enforcement participated in a torch run for the Special Olympics.

May 19: Water in the North Platte River exceeded the six-foot flood stage, and emergency management officials estimated levels could surpass eight feet before the end of summer. Vickey McKinley, Donna’s Restaurant waitress, performed the Heimlich maneuver on a choking customer and saved his life.

May 20: Tami Eshleman was appointed acting superintendent of the North Platte Public Schools. A Chevy blazer flipped at Oak and E Streets. The top of the vehicle had to be removed to free the driver.

May 21: Scouts Rest Ranch supervisor Steve Kemper retired from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission after 43 years of service. The Comstock Music Festivals’ Country Fest was pushed back from June to

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April 26: Expensive furniture ordered for the new Lincoln County Jail didn’t fit.

Original Town Association chairman Dave Harrold received the Friends of Tourism award from the North Platte and Lincoln County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

April 27: The North Platte Public Schools Board of Education approved the resignation of assistant superintendent Dr. Kate Orozco.

April 28: North Platte artist Sandy Meyer received the First Lady’s Outstanding Community Service Award for lifetime achievement in volunteer service. Fifty people released pink balloons in Centennial Park in honor of 5-year-old Hannah Huckfeldt who died from cancer. Teachers attended safety presentations at North Platte High School following the death of McCook student Kailee Clapp.

April 29: Great Plains Regional Medical Center evicted The Nebraska Heart Institute so it could start its own cardiovascular program.

April 30: Homeland Security investigated some alleged designer bags that were going to be sold at the Bag Lady Tea and Purse Auction.

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2011

MAY

Telegraph file photo

Barricades block off Highway 30 east of North Platte in late May 2011. Rising flood waters forced the closure of many area roads, including the highway, as the swollen North Platte River began spilling over its banks.

August because of financial problems.

May 22: The North Platte River surpassed the seven-foot mark, breaking the previous record of 6.7 set in 1971.

Great Plains Regional Medical Center officials said 20 percent of the hospital’s doctors were from other countries.

May 24: The North Platte River hit 7.2 feet a week ahead of predictions. Work to replace a moldy roof on the Lincoln County Jail ended.

May 25: The North Platte Regional Airport rushed to finish a levee to hold back rising floodwaters, which pooled over several of Lincoln County’s roads. Buffalo Bill Rodeo committee members implement precautions against the highly contagious Equine Herpes Virus-1.

May 26: City officials use pumps to remove floodwater from the River’s Edge Golf Course before it has a chance to reach the animal shelter and Dowhower Softball Complex. The Gift of Hope Cancer Foundation announced it’s halfway toward having

enough money to create a hospice in North Platte.

Convicted killer Carey Dean Moore had his execution put on hold until issues over the lethal injection drug could be resolved.

May 27: Students from 12 area high schools were honored at an Academic All Stars event.

Road officials predicted U.S. Highway 30 would reopen after White Horse Creek overflowed and flooded it.

May 28: Emergency management officials said residents along the North Platte River should be prepared to evacuate. Great Plains Regional Medical Center representatives announced plans to make the hospital a certified stroke center.

May 29: Floodwaters brought an influx of mosquitoes, prompting health officials to warn against diseases.

May 31: Sutherland soldier Justin Nelms recovered from a traumatic brain injury sustained in Afghanistan. Hundreds gathered at Fort McPherson National Cemetery to pay their respects to servicemen and women.

YEAR IN REVIEW

THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 2012

D7

2011

JUNE June 1: The city joined with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to create a dike and levee system for the community.

Flooding closed North Airport Road and East Long School Road. The Lincoln County jail was declared ready for occupation.

June 2: Officials said the spring’s cool, wet conditions wiped out the majority of grasshoppers.

June 3: Tyler Keup, the man convicted of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Maricela Martinez, had his conviction set aside. The annual Pony Express Re-ride was pushed back because of an Equine Herpes Virus-1 outbreak.

June 4: The Lincoln County Historical Museum’s annual Heritage Festival was postponed because of flood concerns. Scouts Rest Ranch closed because of flooding. The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled that Lincoln County District Judge John Murphy should have disqualified himself from a case between two landowners and a land developer because of a possible personal bias against one side’s attorney.

June 5: Al-Qaida leader Ilyas Kashmiri was believed to have been killed in a U.S. drone attack.

June 7: The U.S. Army National Guard began dropping sandbags on a breached levee east of town. Emergency officials from across the state met at the North Platte Regional Airport to discuss flood control plans. The Miss Nebraska Scholarship Pageant began.

June 8: Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District engineers said the worst flooding had yet to come. Nebraskaland Days officials prepared to launch the state’s official celebration as planned, despite flooding concerns.

June 9: Just like during the Canteen, volunteers handed out food and water to the soldiers building dikes and levees around North Platte. City officials announced they would spend over $1 million to make improvements to storm sewers north of Rodeo Road.

June 10: Alliance native Kayla Batt won the preliminary swimwear and talent

contests during the Miss Nebraska Scholarship Pageant.

June 11: Teresa Scanlan reflected on her experience as Miss America. Miss Rodeo Nebraska officials said their pageant would continue as planned despite flooding.

June 12: Kayla Batt was crowned Miss Nebraska 2011.

Brooke Ludemann was named the 2011 Miss Nebraska Outstanding Teen. Nebraskaland Days kicked off with opening ceremonies.

June 14: Thirty artists from across the country displayed their work at the annual Artistry in Wood Show and Sale. Hundreds flocked to the Kids Costume Parade.

June 15: People began staking out viewing spots half a week ahead of the Nebraskaland Days parade. Hundreds turned out for the Miss Rodeo Nebraska style show.

June 16: Sierra Peterson is named Miss Rodeo Nebraska 2012. Dakota Clough was crowned Miss Teen Rodeo Nebraska 2011. Floodwaters knocked out railroad crossing arms and lights throughout the region.

June 17: Eighty people went through the new Lincoln County Jail during the first hour that tours were offered. Gayland and Sandy Meyer received the Dale Studley Award.

June 18: Levern Walter died after being struck by a vehicle while riding his bike on State Farm Road. Lake McConaughy managers reduced water releases by 500 cubic feet per second in an attempt to mitigate downstream flooding.

June 19: Bullfighter Greg Rumohr received the Trail Boss Award during the Buffalo Bill Rodeo. More than 150 groups participated in the annual Nebraskaland Days parade.

June 21: Lincoln County sheriff Jerome Kramer pitched a plan to the commissioners that would dramatically lower medical costs at the jail.

Sand supplies ran low after Nebraskans spent weeks battling floodwaters.

June 22: CEO of Destination Development International Roger Brooks told North Platte business leaders that community branding depends on experiences. A summer storm knocked a tree into a home

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Telegraph file photo

North Platte High School senior Brooke Ludemann waves from a parade float during North Platte’s 2011 Nebraskaland Days Parade on June 18, 2011, just six days after she was crowned the 2011 Miss Nebraska Outstanding Teen. Joining Ludemann in 2011’s winners circle was Alliance native Kayla Batt, named Miss Nebraska 2011 during the June pageant. along South Cottonwood Street.

Tyler Keup, a man who had his murder conviction set aside, had his re-sentencing continued.

June 23: Flooding pushed wildlife into residential areas, causing health threats to people. U.S. Highway 30 reopened to traffic after being closed for weeks because of flooding. Nebraskaland Days officials expected 10,000 people to attend the Brad Paisley country concert.

June 24: A federal report indicated that closing horse processing plants had a negative impact. Emergency management officials encouraged

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residents in the flood zone to test their water.

June 25: A Colorado couple died after their vehicle was struck by a semi on Interstate 80. The Women’s Resource Center paid off its mortgage, enabling it to turn its attention toward building renovations.

Heavy rains caused flash flooding in Hershey.

June 26: Roger Diaz was charged with manslaughter in the death of his wife Michelle Diaz.

June 28: The Lincoln County commissioners rejected $150,000 in Quality Growth Fund money that had been awarded to the North Platte and

2011

JULY July 1: Lincoln County District Judge John Murphy reduced Tyler Keup’s sentence to a maximum of 20 years in prison, after overturning his murder conviction to manslaughter in May. Keup was convicted in the shooting death of a North Platte woman in 2000.

July 2: Michael Grandon, who had been convicted in 2008 of killing two North Platte residents, was stabbed to death in the Nebraska State Penitentiary.

July 3: The Golden Spike Tower and Visi-

Telegraph file photo

The Golden Spike Tower and Visitor Center welcomed its 100,000th visitor in June, and in July hosted 300 people for the third annual Red, White and Blue Barbecue.

tor’s Center hosted 300 people for the third annual Red, White and Blue Barbecue.

July 5: County authorities continued their search for two time capsules, one from 1933 and another from 1971, before demolition would begin on the old county jail.

July 6: A facility and energy assessment of the Lincoln County Courthouse revealed up to $1.9 million in upgrades and remodeling that may need to be done.

Please see 2011, Page A2

Lincoln County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Land acquisitions for the Birdwood Viaduct project moved forward.

June 29: Roger Diaz had his manslaughter charge upgraded to second-degree murder. The North Platte City Council considered a new cell phone tax. The Golden Spike Tower and Visitor Center welcomed its 100,000th visitor.

June 30: Charges against him were dropped, but former Lincoln County Sheriff ’s Office chief deputy Dean Sparks did not get his job back. The Lexington Police Department investigated a playground fire.

D8 SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 2012

2011 from Page A1

July 7: Ben Franklin’s, open since 1974 in Westfield Shopping Center, announced that it was closing.

July 7: Officials with Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation announced that water levels in the North Platte River began to recede, though experts expected water to remain above flood stage through the fall.

July 8: Tom Gorman reflected on his 41 years of service to Mid-Plains Community College and his retirement.

July 9: Kyle and Gina Cantrell, and their children, of Merna, talked about being the face of the Nebraska Corn Board’s “Sustaining Innovation” campaign.

July 10: As tick numbers swelled because of the wet spring, Entomologist Dave Boxler offered up tips for keeping the bloodsuckers at bay.

July 12: Scouts Rest Ranch, closed because of flooding in May, announced it would reopen in August.

July 13: Women of the Union Pacific Railroad gathered at Cody Park to honor the women who have worked for the railroad, as the Old Town Association prepared a book commemorating their experiences.

July 14: Mail carrier Tandi Ashburn talked about being attacked by an American bulldog while on her route on July 11, and the three surgeries she faces from the attack.

July 15: Relay for Life of Lincoln County asked North Platte and Lincoln County to Paint the Town Purple to recognize the fight against cancer.

July 16: North Platte Library researcher Kaycee Anderson talked about the history of jails in the North Platte area, as the demolition of the old jail neared.

July 17: An inmate at the new Lincoln County Detention Center set off a fire sprinkler, flooding a dayroom.

July 19: Lincoln Coun-

ty Emergency Management Director Jim Nitz said that flood damage is estimated to be $1.3 million.

July 20: The Lincoln County Fair introduced the stock dog competition at this year’s fair.

Out Back Dog Stock Association members Denny McDaniel and Eddie Merritt talked about the competition.

July 21: Entry Day opened up the week-long Lincoln County Fair at the fairgrounds on the east edge of North Platte.

July 22: Maywood says goodbye to Sgt. Omar Jones, who died July 18 while deployed in Afghanistan.

July 23: Nearly 50 youth from around the area participated in North Platte Community Playhouse’s production of “Alice in Wonderland.”

July 24: The Lincoln County Historical Museum hosted a Civil War re-enactment of the First Battle of Bull Run. July 26: County assessor Julie Stenger told the Lincoln County Commissioners that her office would be conducting a three-year re-assessment of property values throughout the county.

July 27: Sgt. Omar Jones was laid to rest at Ft. McPherson National Cemetery. Jones died July 18 in Afghanistan.

July 28: Paws-itive Partners began a month-long campaign called Responsi-Bull, urging people to be responsible with breading pit bulls, the most euthanized animal in the city of North Platte.

July 29: Nebraska Game and Parks confirmed the sighting of a mountain lion near Sutherland.

July 30: Pro Printing painted their lawn purple as part of Relay for Life’s Paint the Town Purple week.

July 31: Best friends Sierra Winder, 8, and Mia Hilber-Hansmeier, 9, talked about their bake sale where all the proceeds went to the Lincoln Connection.

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YEAR IN REVIEW

THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH

Test scores prove troubling NPPS officials say low scores aren’t a reflection of schools

By DIANE WETZEL diane.wetzel@nptelegraph.com

Only about half of students at North Platte public school met or exceeded state standards for math, according to figures released in August 2011.

2011 was the first year for Nebraska State Accountability testing in mathematics and the second year for reading under the NeSA system administered by the Nebraska Department of Education. NeSA tests are a one-time snapshot of student skills, given each spring to grades three through eight and high school juniors.

During a press conference in Lincoln, state education commissioner Roger Breen said that statewide nearly 72 percent of Nebraska students met or exceeded state reading goals and about 63 percent met or exceeded mathematic standards.

Aug. 1: The owners of Roger’s Fine Foods, founded in the 1970s, announced that they would be closing later in the year.

Aug. 3: Crews began fixing the drainage problems at the new Lincoln County Detention Center.

Aug. 4: The girl scouts announced the demolition of the Girls Scouts Spirit of Nebraska Lakeview Cabin at Lake Maloney.

Aug. 5: Two North Platte residents, Elizabeth Crawford and Jeffery Manary, were charged with manslaughter in what authorities called the drug-related death of Esther Smith.

Aug. 6: City of North Platte officials talked about how they were able to lower the property tax levy for the 2011-12 budget.

Aug. 6: North Platte resident Patricia Romero talked about beating cancer after a three-year battle with the disease.

Aug. 7: Relay for Life of Lincoln County raised more than their goal, $75,000, for the American Cancer Society at the annual event.

Aug. 9: North Platte Councilman Jerry Stoll introduces a proposal to extend the telecommunications tax to cell phones in the city.

Aug. 10: Maxwell mourned the death of 14year-old Lindsay Morris, after a four-year battle with bone cancer.

Aug. 11: Visitors to the Golden Spike Tower and Visitor’s Center were up from 2010, for the summer months.

Aug. 11: Local authorities were searching for two fugitives from Oregon who stole a vehicle in Cozad, and eluded authorities.

Aug. 12: Roland Kramer was named the new Chief Deputy for the Lincoln County Sheriff ’s Department.

Aug. 12: Inmates at the new Lincoln County Detention Center were introduced to a pair of cats that quickly became favorites at the facility.

Aug. 13: Justin Brodie, also known as “Big Red” entertained and educated children at the North Platte Children’s Museum.

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“One of the strengths and weaknesses of NeSA is that it is a onetime thing, a snapshot,” Breen said.

“The 249 school districts in the state need to have a plan in place for kids who don’t do as well as we hoped.”

School curriculums need to be aligned with common core standards, Breen said. Schools have work to do to improve math scores, adding that the first year scores on the state reading test improved from 69 percent in 2010 to 72 percent in 2011.

NPPS district students at the seven tested class levels tested at 71 percent in reading and 51 percent in mathematics.

Lower test scores does not mean the students aren’t learning, said NPPS curriculum director Gayle Sharkey.

“It is not a reflection in the quality of education our students are getting,” she said. “There is a lot of great instruction going on. We need to make sure it is happening at the right grade level at the right time.”

It’s not about teaching to the test, Sharkey said, but a matter of teaching to the rigor of the expectations.

“Math testing is a baseline this

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year,” she added, “and the basic message is that as a district, it identifies opportunities for growth. We have spent a lot of focus on good instruction. Now it’s time to take that focus and make sure that the basic expectations of the state are being met.”

State expectations are more rigorous than in the past, she said.

“Every single student, no matter what their career path, is expected to take Algebra II,” Sharkey said.

“In order to have them ready for that, we have to ramp up algebra from kindergarten on up.”

Sharkey was hired as director of curriculum, instruction and assessment in July 2011.

The complete NeSA test score results are available online at www.education.ne.gov.

More than 50 teachers in the district have volunteered to serve on a committee to help align the curriculum to state standards, Sharkey said.

“The teachers are all about wanting to make sure our kids reach their fullest potential,” she said.

“The curriculum committees will be an ongoing process so we can continue to get better and better.”

2011

AUGUST Aug. 13: Three men were arrested in the North Platte area and charged with car thefts from a rental facility in Lincoln.

Aug. 14: Area residents participated in the summertime tradition of garage sales on National Garage Sale Day. Aug. 16: Construction on improvements to Fifth Street between Dewey and Bailey by Steele’s Construction began.

Aug. 17: School resource officer Rod Brown urged drivers to use caution on the verge of the 2011-12 school year.

Aug. 18: North Platte High School welcomed the Class of 2015 on the first day of school.

Aug. 19: The city of North Platte celebrated the completion of the south Buffalo Bill Road extension with an official ribbon cutting.

Aug. 20: The annual Pony Express re-ride traveled through North Platte.

Aug. 20: Mohamed Ab-

dulkadir, an inmate at the Nebraska State Penitentiary is charged in the stabbing death of convicted killer Michael Grandon.

Aug. 21: Old-fashioned craftsmen from around Lincoln County put their work on display at the annual Heritage Days Festival at the Lincoln County Historical Museum.

Aug. 23: The Lincoln County Commissioners allocated $20,000 to the North Platte Area Chamber of Commerce, cut in half from previous years’ allocations.

Aug. 23: A crew of workers for Utility Services Corporation, out of Texas, began re-painting the North Platte water tower.

Aug. 24: Several weeks after the 2011 Relay For Life event, the Lincoln County chapter announced proceeds of over $90,000, shattering their old record.

Aug. 25: Representatives with the Federal Emer-

gency Management Agency assessed flood damage in and around North Platte, from the floods earlier in the year.

Aug. 26: The Lincoln County Historical Museum asked for volunteers to help remove sandbags, which had been placed around the building when flooding from the North Platte river threatened the building beginning in May. Aug. 27: An eastbound Amtrak train collides with a crane west of Benkelman. No one is seriously injured, but Amtrak is forced to charter buses to get passengers to their destinations.

Aug. 28: The U.S. State Department released a report stating that the route for the Keystone XL Pipeline is as good as any other route, igniting calls for a special legislative session of the Unicameral.

Aug. 30: The 2011 cast of Up With People arrived in North Platte for their three-night run at the North Platte Community Playhouse.

Aug. 31: Former Hyannis resident Dana Brennen, now a resident of Nassau, Bahamas, talks about enduring Hurricane Irene.

Telegraph file photo

North Platte got international media coverage after the Telegraph published its story about the Lincoln County Detention Center’s “jail cat” program in August.

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YEAR IN REVIEW

THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH

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2011

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 1: High school aged youth with the Project Search and Jobsite programs helped give back to the community by removing sand bags from the Lincoln County Historical Museum.

Sept. 2: The Original Town Association talked about honoring the women of the Union Pacific Railroad at the 2011 Rail Fest.

Sept. 3: Citizens and officials voiced opposing views on the amount of money the city of North Platte and the Lincoln County Commissioners planned to allocate for the North Platte Area Chamber of Commerce in 2011-12 budgets.

Sept. 4: A bomb scare at the U.S. Post Office brought the bomb disposal robot from Grand Island to town. The mysterious unmarked package contained several household items including a lava lamp.

Sept. 6: The second annual Running to Cure Breast Cancer road race drew contestants to North Platte from seven different states.

Sept. 7: Dog owners from around the area celebrated the Dog Days of Summer with the Puppy Olympics at Cody Park.

Sept. 8: Union Pacific talked about bringing the historic steam locomotive No. 844 to help North Platte celebrate Rail Fest.

Sept. 9: When approving the proposed city budget, the North Platte City Council decides not to lower the tax levy and votes to place those extra funds garnered into a contingency fund.

Sept. 10: The community celebrated A Day of Hope with a luncheon fundraiser at the Salvation Army building at 1020 N. Adams. Hundreds of cars and even more car enthusiasts descended on downtown North Platte for the 17th annual Colonel Cody Cruise Show and Shine, Sept. 910.

Sept. 11: People across the country, including those in North Platte, reflected on the 10-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Sept. 13: Aron Ralston, whose experiences were the inspiration for the movie “127 Days,” spoke at the Neville Center as part of the Town Hall Lecture Series.

Sept. 14: The 2011-12 Mid-Plains United Way campaign kicked off with the “Business Blitz.”

Sept. 15: The Creativity Unlimited Arts Council received a $300,000 Community Development Block Grant to remodel the historic 1913 Post Office building into the

Prairie Arts Center.

Sept. 16: The United States Postal Service announced a feasibility study on the North Platte Mail Distribution Center, and the city could lose the facility in 2012.

Sept. 17: Rail Fest kicks off in Cody Park, while actors honor the volunteers of the Canteen with the North Platte Cemetery Tour.

Sept. 18: Area residents flocked to the north side to experience Rail Fest, while Union Pacific honored workers and families with their annual Cody Park picnic.

Sept. 20: FEMA extended those eligible for lowinterest loans to help with flood clean up to individuals and private nonprofits, after only originally allowing small businesses to apply for the assistance.

Sept. 21: Students from North Platte High School received a glimpse into the world of agriculture during the annual Youth Science Field Day sponsored by the West Central Research and Extension Center.

Sept. 22: After the completion of the Lincoln County Detention Center, Sheriff Jerome Kramer said the county received an influx of prisoners, peaking out with more than 120.

Sept. 23: Great Plains Regional Medical Center celebrated the completion of the Great Plains Heart and Vascular Center.

Sept. 24: The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled that a petition circulated by the Western Nebraska Taxpayers Association was invalid.

Sept. 25: A crew with Dostals Construction began the final installation of water features at the North Platte Splash Pad at Memorial Park.

Sept. 27: A 64-year-old North Platte man, Steven Clark Van Horn, was charged with attempted homicide after attacking an employee at the Buffalo Bill Manor.

Sept. 28: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church opened the doors to a 9,000-square-foot addition and planned a dedication ceremony.

Sept. 29: Madison Middle School students helped the city and Keep Lincoln County Beautiful plant trees at 3700 West Second Street as part of a celebration of ReTree Nebraska.

Sept. 30: The North Platte Public Library announced the expansion of their electronic media collection with the addition of compatibility with Kindle and Nook, as well as a number of other mobile devices.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 2012

D9

Buffalo Bill extension opens

By ANDREW BOTTRELL abottrell@nptelegraph.com

Completing a decades-long process, the city of North Platte celebrated the opening of the Buffalo Bill Avenue extension on Thursday, Aug. 18.

The new road opens up the west side of North Platte, allowing traffic to cross over I-70, and goes all the way to Lake Maloney.

“Discussions started in the late ’60s,” said former mayor G. Keith Richardson at a ceremony celebrating the opening of the road in August.

“There’s some disagreement about exactly when. Some people say ’67, some say it was ’68 and some say ’69.”

The final leg of the construction was the South Platte river bridge to Leota, with the portion of the road from South Platte River Road to State Farm Road opening up in December 2010.

Leaders from around the community gathered on Aug. 18 to talk about the importance of completing the project.

Dan Mauk, Chamber and Development Corporation president, said it would take some of the traffic load off of Highway 83.

“I think traffic patterns will change,” Mauk said at the ceremony.

“It’s also going to open up the potential for economic development somewhere between here and the other side of the river.”

The extension also gave the city a chance to reassess emergency routes out of the city in case of extreme emergencies, lessening the burden on Highway 83 in those situations, as well.

In August, the city estimated that the total cost of the project was $15.1 million, with the city on the hook for 20 percent of those funds. The city partnered with both the Department of Roads and the Federal Highway Commission for funding.

Telegraph file photo

North Platte Mayor Marc Kaschke gestures for traffic to begin crossing the newly-opened Buffalo Bill Avenue overpass on Aug. 18, 2011.

The opening of the road extension marked the completion of a project that had its roots in the 1960s.

Judge rules on Golden Spike petition lawsuit

By DIANE WETZEL dwetzel@nptelegraph.com

Today the Golden Spike Tower and Visitor Center is part of the North Platte landscape. The tourist attraction overlooking the Union Pacific Railroad’s Bailey Yard had a long and sometimes contentious journey to completion before opening its doors in 2008. There were battles over the location, the design, the director and the funding.

On Sept. 23, 2011, the battle on how the Golden Spike is funded ended with a decision by the Nebraska Supreme Court.

The city of North Platte charges a 2 percent occupation tax on hotel and motel occupancy, with the revenues going to fund the Golden Spike. The funds are used to repay a U.S. Department of Agriculture loan that paid to build the attraction. Any excess revenues go to pay operating costs.

Opponents of the use of

Telegraph file photo

Original Town Association Chairman Dave Harrold speaks during opening ceremonies for Rail Fest 2011 on Sept. 16. Rail Fest again welcomed thousands of visitors from all over the world to North Platte, in a two-day celebration of Union Pacific Railroad’s relationship with the community.

taxes to subsidize the Golden Spike circulated a petition calling for a vote, asking that occupation tax funds be used only to repay the USDA loan and that any excess revenues to the city’s general fund for property tax relief.

“The court said the petition was invalid because it would have required voters to vote on two separate issues,” attorney Steve Grasz of Husch Blackwell in Omaha said at the time. Grasz worked with city attorney Doug Stack on the city’s arguments before the state’s highest court.

In a long and complex decision, the court overturned Lincoln County District Judge John P. Murphy’s decision to block a count of the votes cast on the petition during the May 2010 primary election and his decision that the proposed referendum violated state statute by interfering with a contractual obligation.

“We are pleased that the court recognized that the referendum could not be rejected under the city’s rational that anytime they enacted an occupation tax for a future

contract, the tax itself would not be subject to referendum,” said V. Gene Summerlin of Ogborn, Summerlin and Ogborn, who argued the case for appellants Bill Tilgner, Dallas Dye and Ed Reiker.

However, Murphy’s decision that the proposed referendum violated a common-law single subject rule was upheld.

Voters were asked to decide on two separate issues with one vote, Grasz said, whether or not hotel tax revenues could be limited to replaying the USDA loan and whether hotel taxes have to be used by the city for property tax relief.

The city’s original ordinance required the city to use hotel tax revenues for two purposes, to assist with the construction and operation of a visitor’s center until February 2029 and, after that date, to increase the general fund.

The changes proposed by the petition would have changed the original ordinance to impose two separate requirements on the city. The first would require using hotel occu-

pation taxes to retire the USDA debt until February 2029 and prohibit using any of the revenues for operation costs. The second required the city to use additional hotel tax revenues to provide property tax relief.

“Under the second proposed amendment, the city could not use the additional revenues to increase its general fund,” the court ruled. Using additional revenues for property tax relief did not have a natural connection to limiting use of revenues to reduce the Golden Spike’s debt, the court ruled, and voters could not express a preference without approving or rejecting both, which is a violation of the single subject rule.

“The Golden Spike’s funding has been secured because the petition that would have changed it has been declared invalid,” Grasz said.

The state supreme court is the final word on the matter because it is a state constitutional issue.

The controversy could come back to North Platte voters again if the petition people would like to file two separate petitions.

“It would require a referendum to change the city’s ordinance and an initiative that says once the USDA loan is paid off, occupation taxes will go for property tax relief,” Summerlin said.

YEAR IN REVIEW

D10 SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 2012

Oct. 1: Steppin’ Out for Education raised more than $15,000 to benefit North Platte Public Schools.

Oct. 2: The Rev. Samuel Boman returned to the Episcopal Church of Our Savior to recall how he helped rebuild the church after a fire.

Oct. 4: A car fire stopped traffic on Leota, is extinguished, then starts again on the trailer taking it across town.

Oct. 5: A wildfire in Logan County set off a stressful string of days for Stapleton and the surrounding area.

Oct. 6: Governor Heineman declared a disaster in Logan County as the fire damages reach an estimated $4 million.

Oct. 7: 60-mph gusts helped fuel another blaze seven miles from the first in Logan County.

Oct. 8: Three fires in a week fatigued firefighters, including Stapleton fire chief Frank Kramer, whose own corn and soybeans were damaged.

Oct. 9: Thankfully, rain helped douse the flames, but St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church appreciated an opening in the clouds for its annual pumpkin festival.

Nov. 1: Haunted Driveway raised more than $500 for the American Cancer Society.

Nov. 2: Lawmakers in Lincoln began a special session for pipeline, and State Sen. Annette Dubas presented her proposal.

Nov. 3: A federal report found Nebraska to have the lowest number of prescription drug deaths.

Nov. 4: Jimmy Knutson led the formation of a non-traditional student organization at NPCC. Area unemployment figures show numbers to be less than state average.

Nov. 5: The Creativity Unlimited Arts Council announced the Prairie Arts Center — to be housed in the former post office building at Fifth and Jeffers streets — could be open by 2013.

Nov. 6: Firefighter and paramedic Kris Rosenthal was featured in the Telegraph’s “35 under 35” series for his efforts in saving lives and defusing a potentially deadly hostage situation.

Nov. 8: Sen. Dubas’ pipeline proposal faced scrutiny from a public hearing held by The Com-

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2011

OCTOBER Oct. 11: Greenbrier grant sparked debate at the county commissioners’ meeting between Western Nebraska Taxpayers Association’s Mike Groene and Joe Hewgley, commissioner.

Oct. 12: Fifth Street’s completion was predicted for November after weather and unexpected findings beneath the street set the project back.

Oct. 13: North Platte High School begun offering an ACT prep course to battle falling local test-score averages.

Oct. 14: NPHS students raised school spirit, breast cancer awareness and about $5,000 with a Pink Out. Oct. 15: Lincoln County was slated to adopt a drug court after Dawson County’s success in helping those with drug-related offenses get back on track.

Oct. 16: Kids Discover played

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host to many a family-friendly event as Miss Nebraska Kayla Batt added to the festivities.

Oct. 18: Ron Snell announced his retirement as director of The Connection, planning to quit on July 1, 2012.

Oct. 19: A Malayan Flying Fox, the largest species of bat in the world, visited the North Platte Children’s Museum.

Oct. 20: North Platte’s superintendent search continued with input from seven interested taxpayers.

Oct. 21: The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a ruling that kept protesters several hundred feet from funerals or memorial services.

Oct. 22: Union Pacific Railroad announced plans to invest $17 million in its tracks between Hershey and Wyoming.

Oct. 23: 24-year-old Michael S. Fernau was stabbed to

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THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH

death, and Nathaniel R. Polanco was arrested on charges of second-degree murder.

Oct. 25: Governor Heineman calls for a special session to decide how to handle the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

Oct. 26: Two children were found confined in an animal kennel, and four North Platte residents were charged with child abuse.

Oct. 27: Michelle Bucholz prepared to return to work at Adams Bank & Trust after a bout with stage 4 cervical cancer.

Oct. 28: State Senator Ken Schilz of Ogallala pitched an idea for an all-terrain vehicle park at Lake McConaughy to the Game and Parks Commission.

Oct. 29: Tami Eshleman, Wilma Hackney, Nancy Faulhaber, Dawn Miller, Cheri Erickson, Jan Wright and Vikki Carlson were named as 2011’s Women of Achievement.

Oct. 30: Skate shop owner Brandon Raby reflected upon his efforts to build a new skatepark and cultivate a business in the Telegraph’s first “35 under 35” story.

2011

NOVEMBER mittee on Natural Resources.

Nov. 9: The North Platte Elks Club donated dictionaries to thirdgrade students, as it has for the past eight years.

Nov. 10: Six U.S. Army Apache helicopters made a pit stop at the North Platte Regional Airport. Skaters celebrated the $30,000 grant and $10,000 raised by themselves in hopes of building a $400,000 Skate Plaza.

Nov. 11: The State Department halted the Keystone XL pipeline project citing environmental concerns over the ecologically sensitive Sandhills. The Nebraskaland Days board named David Fudge as its new director.

Nov. 12: Hundreds gathered downtown and at various events to honor veterans as part of Veteran’s Day. Nov. 13: The Out of

Dec. 1: Roger’s Fine Foods closed shop after more than 35 years of coffee and conversation.

Nebraska Public Power District announced a proposal for a new $380 million electrical transmission project.

Dec. 2: The National Railway Labor Conference said it had helped the freight railroad industry avert a potentially costly strike. Richard Birch was sworn in as the 20th District Judge. Fifth Street opened officially after construction.

Dec. 3: The Jingle Bell Run drew another record crowd despite blowing snow and icy roadways.

Dec. 4: Hall Elementary School principal Chelsea Feusner talked about how she teaches music while being an administrator as part of the Telegraph’s “35 under 35” series.

Dec. 6: The USPS began to consider closing the processing centers in North Platte, Grand Island, Norfolk and Alliance as part of widespread cuts.

Dec. 7: Veterans and others looked back upon the attack at Pearl Harbor on its 70th anniversary.

Dec. 8: The city of North Platte and the Community Foundation announced the North Platte Recreation Fund, a vehicle for private donations to go toward improvements and projects at the Recreation Center.

Dec. 9: The Downtown Association kicked off Christmas celebrations early by hosting the third annual Christmas Lights Parade.

Dec. 10: NPHS seniors beat out the rest of the high school in the student council’s annual food drive competition.

Dec. 11: A Wreaths Across America Day ceremony at Fort McPherson takes place as part of more than 500 across the country to honor veterans.

Dec. 13: Memorabilia from Roger’s Fine Foods was sold, marking the very end of a longtime North Platte restaurant.

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the Darkness walk drew 234 people to share stories and raise awareness about suicide prevention.

Nov. 15: Nebraskaland Days announced its headliner for the 2012 festival as Toby Keith.

TransCanada agreed to take whatever steps necessary to reroute the Keystone XL pipeline path.

Nov. 16: NPHS seniors Brooke Ludemann, Natalie Poppe and Ben Montgomery are picked for the Nebraska Music Association’s All-State Chorus. North Platte legends William Jeffers, Edd Bailey, Joe Roddy, George Vroman, William Riley Sr. and William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody are honored as part of the Hall of Fame at the Golden Spike.

Nov. 17: The new Lincoln County Sheriff ’s Office and Detention

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Center was dedicated at a ceremony.

Nov. 18: The organizers of Beardfest set plans for charity alongside the event, raising funds for Salvation Army.

Adams Bank & Trust welcomes back Michelle Bucholz after her recovery from cervical cancer.

Nov. 19: The Salvation Army started its Red Kettle drive, this time with online and byphone options for donation.

Nov. 20: Families gathered to celebrate Adoption Day at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church.

Nov. 22: The Festival of Trees hosted its many decorated trees following the theme “Have Yourself a Blingy Little Christmas.”

Nov. 23: Governor Heineman signed into law two pipeline bills to govern routing of the Keystone XL and future

2011

DECEMBER

Telegraph file photo

In December 2011, North Platte residents Mike and Mindee Mohr carried on the tradition of the Angel House in honor of their parents. The Telegraph featured a story on the couple on Dec. 24.

Dec. 14: The city of North Platte announced the Canteen Spirit Award to honor today’s volunteers.

Dec. 15: Cozad hosted Ballet Nebraska for a production of “The Nutcracker,” in which members of the community of Cozad played parts and helped backstage.

Dec. 16: Jail inspector Kirk Nichols said sod laid at the Lincoln County Sheriff ’s Office and Detention Center didn’t meet specifications and would

have to be rejected.

Dec. 17: The Canteen celebrated its 70th anniversary. The Western Nebraska Taxpayers Association cried foul after its task force’s recommendations for the school board, they said, were disregarded.

Dec. 18: Miss Nebraska Kayla Batt said farewell to North Platte at a send-off event as she prepared to leave for the Miss America Pageant in Las Vegas.

Dec. 20: Union Pacific was found to be not responsible for

pipelines. North Platte firefighters battled a blaze at a house on North Jessie Street.

Nov. 24: Miss Rodeo Nebraska 2011 Becky Grimm prepared for the Miss Rodeo America Pageant (Miss Rodeo Oregon Mackenzie Carr would go on to win the pageant).

Nov. 25: The Red Cross began selling poinsettias as part of its fundraiser to benefit disaster recovery efforts.

Nov. 26: Four bales of hay, weighing about 900 lbs. each, fell out of a semi and blocked the intersection at Poplar and Sixth streets.

Nov. 27: Downtown hosted a craft show for all sorts of artisans. A squirrel knocked out the electricity for some of North Platte after it got caught in a transformer.

Nov. 29: St. Pat’s and NPHS drama clubs prepared their one-acts — “The Haunted Carousel” and “The Birds,” respectively — for competition.

Nov. 30: After reading Bob Greene’s book, “Once Upon a Town,” a school in Oklahoma wrote 100,000 cards for soldiers serving overseas.

nearly $38 million in fines as part of drug trafficking that used trains as transportation.

Dec. 21: Quality Growth Fund financing was granted to Premier Toyota to aid in its move across town.

Dec. 22: Police said shoplifting is on the rise in North Platte, common during the holiday season, but more so during a struggling economy.

Dec. 23: The Salvation Army completed its distribution days after having provided gifts and food for 492 families for Christmas.

Dec. 24: Mike and Mindee Mohr carried on the tradition of the Angel House in honor of their parents.

Dec. 25: Speed-up legislation for the Keystone XL pipeline, inserted into the payroll tax cut extension by Republicans, appeared to backfire in part as the State Department announced it likely wouldn’t be able to wrap up its review process in 60 days.

Dec. 27: As lawmakers prepared to return to the Capitol for a 60-day session, they expected to face potentially expensive decisions concerning child welfare services.

Dec. 28: Senator Ben Nelson announced his retirement from life in public office after eight years as governor in the ’90s and more than 10 years in the Senate.

Dec. 29: The South Loup River Blues Festival called it quits after hosting the music event for 18 years in Arnold. The Salvation Army topped its 2011 fundraising goal of $180,000 for its Red Kettle Campaign.

Dec. 30: The A&W restaurant marked its last day of business in North Platte.

Dec. 31: Avian biologists in Nebraska and Iowa reported record numbers of snowy owl sightings. The Nebraska Public Power District announced it will seek public comment on coal-fired power plants such as the Gerald Gentleman Station near Sutherland.

NEBRASKA’S

TOP

10 STATEWIDE

STORIES

OF 2011 OMAHA (AP) — The top 10 Nebraska stories of 2011, as voted upon

by Associated Press newspaper and broadcast members:

Summer of floods Extended flooding over the summer displaced thousands for months, damaged and destroyed homes and threatened Omaha’s airport, wastewater treatment plants and a nuclear power station.

Oil pipeline After heavy political pressure in Washington, D.C., and Lincoln, Canadian company TransCanada pledged to reroute its second proposed Keystone oil pipeline through Nebraska.

State budget Nebraska’s nearly $1 billion budget deficit dominated the 2011 regular legislative session.

Big Ten Nebraska went 9-3 during the regular season, its first in the Big Ten, and prepared to face the University of South Carolina in the Capitol One Bowl in Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 2.

Omaha school shooting Suspended 17-yearold Robert Butler Jr. fatally shot an assistant principal at Millard South High School and wounded the principal before fleeing the campus and taking his own life.

Miss America Seventeen-year-old Teresa Scanlan, Miss Nebraska, won the 2011 Miss America pageant.

She’s the first Miss Nebraska to win the Miss America pageant.

Child services A legislative committee and the state auditor’s office harshly criticized the state’s efforts to privatize Nebraska’s child services.

UNO athletics Football and wrestling programs at the University of Nebraska at Omaha were dropped as the school moved to Division I.

Growing state Census estimates showed that Nebraska’s population grew at a faster rate than the total U.S. population for two years in a row between 2008 and 2010 because of the relative strength of the state’s economy.

Executions delayed Nebraska tried to set its first execution in more than 13 years, but questions about the state’s supply of the three drugs needed to carry out lethal injections forced more delays.