May 18-30, 2014 - Great Plains Conference

Christ Memorial United Methodist Church had 4 confirtnand^ that declared their
love for the Lord on Sunday April 27. Pictured are, Truman Lauck, Recce
McFarland, Pastor Trudy Hanke, Anna Green and Jared Hornback.
Centenary UMC sends delegates to conference
Submitted to
the
Daiiv Sun
Every four years, United
Methodist Women from
around the world come together in fellowship to praise
God, learn and recommit
to active participation in
the global ministries of the
church. Five women from
Centenary UMC attended
the 2014 National Assembly
in Louisville, Kentucky April
25-27. This year's theme
challenged the 6,000 women in attendance "To Make It
Photo provided
Happen!"
Ellie Quiring, left, Denise Larsen, Deanna Holland, Harrietta Reynolds and
Keynote speaker at the Jane Nider were the delegation of Centenary United Methodist Church to
Assembly was former U.S. 2014s National Assembly of United Methodist Women.
Secretary of State Hillary
Rodham Clinton. A lifelong being nurtured by a church personal salvation and also
Methodist, Mrs. Clinton said that preaches a gospel of a gospel of social action has
played a large part in making her who she is today. She
credited a youth minister for
first instilling in her a sense
of social justice.
Commenting on this
year's UMW mission focus
of improving prenatal and
maternal health around the
world, Clinton said it is a
unacceptable that "so many
women are dying while giving birth to life."
Centenary's Unit of United Methodist Women has
one hundred members in
four circles. Unit members
play a very active role in the
local church and work diligently to support mission
projects at home and abroad.
UM4GI to host monthly immigration clinics
By
Harold Reutter
[email protected]
UM4GI is joining with Justice For
Our Neighbors-Nebraska to have Trin-ity
United Methodist Church in Grand
Island serve as the host site for a
monthly clinic for people
questions
immigration
on
who have
issues.
UM4GIismadeupof TrinityUnited
Methodist Church, First-Faith United
con-gregation
Church, aa Sudanese conMethodist Church,
gregation that
worship
Sunday worship
that holds
holds Sunday
services in Arabic at Trinity United
MethodistandMinisterio de Fe, a Span-ish-speaking
congregation that holds
Sunday
worship
services
at
First-Faith.
The Rev. Theresa Mason said Jus-tice
For Our Neighbors-Nebraska has
m-migration
in iimattorneys who are specialists
specialists in
conduct clinclin-ics
migration law and who conduct
ics around the state for individuals
individuals
and
who are
are dealing with
and families
familieswho
with varvar-ious
immigration issues.
ious immigration
Mason said Grand Island will be
the fourth clinic site in Nebraska, join-ing
clinics that
in
are
Omaha,
already operating
Lexington
and
Columbus.
The first two clinics in Grand Is-land
May 29,
29, and June 27
land will be May
27 at
Trinity
United Methodist Church,
Ma-son
Trinity United
Church, Mason said.
said.
Christy Horky,
turn to IMMIGRATION
who is
a clinic co-
CLINICS, page
2B
IMMIGRATION CLINICS: Scheduled for late May 29, June 27
Millewa, who will be acting
of the clinic.
Horky said volunteers
translator during the
Brummund, said people will clinics, asked permission to will try to make the clinic “a
be asked to arrive at the announce the news about the safe place, a warm place” for
church by 5 p.m., with the clinics to the people who people who want to talk to
clinic itself beginning at 5:30. came to the funeral service. JFON lawyers. In addition
Mason said Trinity United When Millewa made his an-nouncement, to serving as guides for the
people at the process, volunteers will pro-vide
Methodist has two iPads that
vide any
care that is
will allow people in Grand service applauded.
any child care
Island to talk about their im-migration Appointments
needed while parents talk to
issues with attor-neys
the attorneys. The clinic also
People who want to make
in Omaha.
provide light refresh-ments
will
People in Grand Island appointments must call the
for people when they
and the attorneys will use a Nebraska Immigration Le-gal are not engaged in talking
technology called Facetime,
Assistance Hotline to the attorneys.
whichwill allowthemtohave NILAH at ( 855) 307-6730 be-tween
The Grand Island immi-gration
9 and 11 a. m. or 2: 30
secure conversations, Mason
clinic will have trans-lators
and3: 30 p. m. onMondaysand
said.
available to help with
The blessing service for Wednesdays; between 9 a. m. theFacetimecommunication
UM4GI’s newest outreach and noon or 1: 30 to 3: 30 p. m. with the JFON immigration
mission was April 23. Mason on Tuesdays and Thursdays; lawyers in Omaha. Mason
said numerous immigrants or from9 a. m. to noon on Fri-days said there will be peoplewho
to get an initial review speak Spanish, Arabic and
were invited to be part of the
ceremony andmany showed of their situation.
Nuer.
up for the service. Also, sev-eral
After their information
Charles Shane Ellison, le-gal
other immigrants at-tended has been reviewed, the im-migrant
director for JFON-Ne-braska,
will be contacted to
the blessing service
saidJFONattorneys
after learning about it set up an appointment dur-ing will use the clinic to decide
through“ word of mouth.”
a scheduled clinic.
whether they will take on a
Prior to the blessing ser-vice, person’s immigration case.
Mason said all immi-grants
Justice for Our Neigh-bors Ellison said JFON does not
who attended the
lawyers from Omaha serve individuals or families
blessing service were given
telephone numbers to make conducted a training session who can afford their own
appointments for the two up-coming for volunteers, who will have attorney.
various duties during the
clinics.
JFON-Nebraska provides
She said the clinics also clinics, Brummund said.
free immigration legal ser-vices
UM4GI has 30 names
names on
on vices to indigent immigrants
have been publicized since
its volunteer
list.
throughfinancialsupportpro-vided
the blessing service.
its
volunteer list.
financial support prothrough
Continued from 1B
ordinator along with Deb
said sheconducted
she conducted
Masonsaid
Mason
service
service for a SudaSuda-nese
nese man
man who
who was
was killed
killed as
as
result of
of the
the violence
in
aa result
violence in
Sudan.
Sudan.
She said that just before
She
the benediction,
benediction, Abraham
a funeral
as a
Brummundsaidsomevol-unteers
Brummund
said some vol- vided by
by numerous
private
numerous private
unteers will act
act as
as clinic foundations, individuals,
individuals, the
guides
through Nebraska Legal Aid and Ser-vi
and will "walk
guidesandwill“
walkthrough
Serces
process" for people who vices Fund,
the process”
and support from
Fund, andsupport
come for help. Part
come
Part of
of that the Nebraska United MethMeth-odist
process likely
likely will be help-ing
help- odist Conference.
process
Conference.
ing people
people fill out any paper-work
paperaddition to turning
In addition
required as
work that is required
as part
down
people
who
can afford
to pay for their own lawyers,
Ellison said JFON attorneys
also may have to turn down
requests for help because the
organization
to help only
U-visas
has the
one
He said
capacity
so many people.
immigration
of the typi-cal
issues that
JFON works on is U-visas,
provided to peopeo-ple
which are provided
who are
are the
the victims
ple who
victims of
of
serious crimes. Many times
those serious crimes include
domestic violence, although
U-visas covermany other se-rious
criminal offenses as
well.
U-visas
are
provided
to
immigrants—including un-documented
immigrants—
who help law enforcement
authorities with the prose-cution
a person
who is re-sponsible
for committing a
serious crime.
of
Ellison said JFON can
work on T-visas for immi-grants
who
as the result
came to the
of human
U. S.
traf-ficking,
then help with the
of human traf-fickers.
traf-ficking
fickers. He said human trafcan sometimes ininficking can
-volve
volve bringing people to the
the
purpose
United States
United
States for the
the purpose
of forced labor. Human traf-ficking
of
trafcan also
also involve
involve sexficking can
sex-ual
ual exploitation.
trafficking can
Human trafficking
can
people to the United
bring people
n-cluding
States by
by various means,
means, iincluding force, coercion and
deceit.
prosecution
Another typicalimmigra-tion of legal clinics that are of-fered
through the United
tion issue handled
handled by JFONJFON-Nebraska
ref- Methodist Committee on Re-lief.
status, granted to undocu-mented Nebraska isis working for
for refimmigrant juveniles ugees, especially helping
Written information
who have been abused, ne-glected those immigrants change about that nationwide netnet-work
serve "imsays they will
will serve“
im-migrants
or abandoned by par-ents, their status so they can ob-tain work says
green cards, the first step migrants of all
races,
all faiths, races,
either in their home
country or in the United for people who want to be-come abilities and ages,
an
ages, with an
U. S. citizens. Other typ-ical emphasis on the most
States. Achieving special im-migrantjuvenilestausmeans
issues include removal vulnerable.”
qual- defense and deferred action
that a young
young person
person can qual-ify
Mason said UM4GI will
not be serving only immi-grants
ify for permanent resident for childhood arrivals.
Mason said Justice For
andmay
may
status (a green card)
Mason
For
in Grand Island with
card) and
eventually become aa citizen Our
Our Neighbors-Nebraska
Neighbors-Nebraska isis its JFON-Nebraska clinics,
the national
national network
network but
but also immigrants from
part of
of the United States.
of
from
of the
can
JFON
also help with
special immigrant juvenile
Hastings, Kearney, Gibbon,
Wood River, Alda and other
area
a
communities.
UM4GI has already made
connection with Oscar
Perez from Christo Poder de
Dios in Hastings, Mason said.
Written information provided
by Mason shows that UM4GI
also will be working with the
Multicultural Coalition of
Grand Island for support of
JFON-Nebraska.
MIDLANDS
FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014
SECTION B
Towns hit by
tornado still
picking
picking up
—
pieces
the pieces
significant damage to
electrical grid. There
BY NANCY GAARDER
WRITER
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
WORLD-HERALD STAFF
Recovery
Recovery remains laborious
laborious
the tornado-and
tornado- and storm-damin the
in
aged
aged areas of southeast Nebraska.
BeaThe hard-hit
hard-hit town
town of Beayet to get
get its
Crossing has
ver Crossing
has yet
back, nor
electric
electric power back,
nor has
Agency.
Fawl said the EF3 tornado that
hit Beaver Crossing created
created so
hit
so
damage that debris piles
piles
much damage
grown to 20
have grown
20 feet
feet tall and 30
30
piles are
40 feet
to 40
feet wide. Those piles
are
Tornadoes: $19
caused damage.
Stewart, disaster
Linda Stewart,
recovery coordinator
coordinator for the
the
Great Plains United Methodist
Methodist
Conference, said
Conference,
said 227
227 homes
damaged in and around
were damaged
Crossing, which has
Beaver Crossing,
people. Businesses
about 400 people.
Businesses
and churches
churches have
have also
also been
and
damaged,
damaged, she said.
Of the more
$20 million
more than
than $20
million
damage caused by
by the
the
in
in damage
storms, at least $$19
storms,
19 million
million was
was
grid.
to the state’s
state's electrical grid.
Power
The Nebraska Public Power
District estimates that its
District
its
system
system sustained more
more than
damage, and the
$18
$18 million in damage,
Omaha Public Power
Omaha
Power District
District
damage could
estimates that damage
could
a
reflection of the
the state’s
also are
scattered power outages.
Electrical restoration to this
point has focused on repairing
the mangled grid that carries
power between towns, said Jodi
Fawl, spokeswoman for the Nebraska Emergency Management
Cordova
has yet to
be restored in Beaver
Crossing and Cordova
Electricity
million of
402-444-1102, nancy.gaarder8owh.com
being cleared out so electrical
restoration can more safely be
done in town.
By this weekend, Seward
Public Power District officials
say, they plan to have power
restored to the town of Cordova.
Power restoration to Beaver
Crossing is expected to be under
way Saturday.
More than a dozen tornadoes
hit the state Sunday, and powerful straight-line winds also
damage
See Tornadoes: Page 2
was to electrical grid
Towns hit by tornado still picking up the pieces
Electricity
has yet to be restored in Beaver Crossing and Cordova, Nebraska
BY NANCY GAARDER
WORLD-HERALD STAFF
WRITER
Recovery remains laborious
in the tornado- and storm-damaged areas of southeast
Nebraska.
The hard-hit town of Beaver
Crossing has yet to get its
electric power back, nor has
Cordova
a reflection of the
significant damage to the state’s
electrical grid. There also are
scattered power outages.
Electrical restoration to this
point has focused on repairing
the mangled grid that carries
power between towns, said Jodi
Fawl, spokeswoman for the
Nebraska Emergency Management Agency.
Fawl said the EF3 tornado
that hit Beaver Crossing created so much damage that debris
piles have grown to 20 feet tall
and 30 to 40 feet wide. Those
piles are being cleared out so
electrical restoration can more
safely be done in town.
—
By this weekend, Seward
Public Power District officials
say, they plan to have power restored to the town of Cordova.
Power restoration to Beaver
Crossing is expected to be
underway Saturday.
More than a dozen tornadoes
hit the state Sunday, and powerful straight-line winds also
caused damage.
Linda Stewart, disaster
recovery coordinator for the
Great Plains United Methodist
Conference, said 227 homes
were damaged in and around
Beaver Crossing, which has
about 400 people. Businesses
and churches have also been
damaged, she said.
Of the more than $20 million
in damage caused by the
storms, at least $19 million was
to the state’s electrical grid.
The Nebraska Public Power
District estimates that its
system sustained more than
$18 million in damage, and the
Omaha Public Power District
estimates that damage could
exceed $1 million. Other smaller districts, notably Seward
Public Power, saw substantial
damage,
too.
Because of the accumulating
stress from the storm, 12 chaplains are available to talk with
people at City Hall in Beaver
Crossing from 7 a.m. to curfew.
State and federal teams will
begin surveying the area Monday to see whether damage is
extensive enough to qualify for
federal aid.
Volunteers who want to help
are asked to leave their name
and number with the Seward
County Emergency Manage-
ment
Office, 402-643-4722.The
office will match volunteers
with the work that needs to be
done.
Contact the writer:
402-444-1102, [email protected]
BEAVER CROSSING, NEBRASKA
A week later, reality is setting in
Emotions are still raw in town tested
BY NANCY GAARDER
•
by EF3 tornado
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
BEAVER CROSSING, Neb. — Skyward
was the only direction a person could look in
this small town on Sunday and see normal.
• Above, tender tufts of white scooted across
a canvas as blue as a robin s egg.
But on the ground, just past a National Guard checkpoint, was a wrecked town in motion. Utility crews
were restringing electrical lines; relief workers were
checking IDs. And at the First United Methodist Church,
neighbors were setting out trays of potato salad, chili and
chicken for a community luncheon.
A week after an EF3 tornado screamed out of a
turbulent sky and through this community of 400, one
yard bore signs of routine life: laundry fluttering on a
clothesline.
All around the freshly washed overalls and unmentionables was a grotesque landscape of splintered trees,
ripped-open homes and piles of debris. The chatter of
birds, audible a few blocks away, was drowned out by the
hum of a generator.
See Tornado: Page 3
"This is a town dial has been broken open. I hope we won't let this trial go wasted."
—
The Rev. Eric wtezorek
Tornado: Many trees that shaded
the town added to amount of debris
"This is a town that has been
broken open," the Rev. Eric
Wiezorek said before the start of
a Sunday morning unity service.
"I hope we won't let this trial go
wasted."
At the service, Wiezorek,
pastor of the local nondenominational church, Hope Center,
prayed for Beaver Crossing to
be born anew, with ties among
neighbors strengthened.
Beaver Crossing took the
hardest blow from the more
than 12 tornadoes and powerful
straightline winds that hit southeast Nebraska on Mother's Day.
The number of damaged and
destroyed homes in Beaver
Crossing has not yet been
released. But based on available
numbers, Seward County, where
the town is situated, accounts
for 80 percent of the houses the
storm affected.
According to the Nebraska
Emergency Management Agency, at least 239 Nebraska homes
were affected in some way. Of
those, 17 were destroyed and 22
sustained major damage.
The storm traveled about 150
miles from south of Hastings
to the western edge of Omaha,
dropping one tornado after
another.
Some were mere touchdowns
in open fields. Others, like the
EF3 that hit Beaver Crossing,
traveled miles.
According to the National
Weather Service, wind speeds
from the Beaver Crossing
tornado are believed to have
reached about 140 mph; the
tornado was on the ground for at
least 15 miles; and at its widest,
it stretched 1.5 miles across the
valley floor.
The storm is estimated to
have caused more than $20 million in damage to the state's
electrical grid, irrigation systems, homes and businesses. A
final total may never be known.
For Chris Heater and Karen
Roth, who met as 11-year-olds
playing in town, the storm undid
four years of renovation on
Heater's childhood home.
After the tornado tore off the
roof, torrential rains filled the
house, Roth said. Now they'll
do what they did four years
ago: take the house down to the
studs.
lines were
destroyed in and around town
that Beaver Crossing still was
without electricity Sunday.
So many power
Paul Cowan of Seward Public
Power District said last week's
focus was on rebuilding the
transmission line that serves the
community; now begins the task
of restoring power to homes.
Al Berndt, as assistant director of the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, said
homeowners affected by the
storm aren't likely to receive
federal disaster grants because
the state probably didn't sustain
enough residential damage to
meet the standards set by the
Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Nevertheless, state and fed-
eral disaster workers this week
will survey the damage path to
determine whether federal loans
will be available to homeowners.
Today, townsfolk will meet as
a community for the first time
since the tornado and talk about
its next step.
It won't be an easy talk. Some
homes must be razed. Some
homeowners lacked insurance.
Residents wonder who will stay
and who will leave.
"We're going to need to find
out what is going to happen to
Beaver Crossing," Heater said.
Russ Anderson, a Navy veter-
an, was counting his blessings
Sunday but choked back tears
when talking about his neigh-
bors.
"We're lucky no one was
hurt," he said as he pointed to
house after house and talked
about missing roofs, tossed vehicles, displaced sheds. Anderson's mobile home was damaged
but is habitable.
Down the road, Randy Detweiler paused while tossing debris
into a dumpster. He described
the odd feeling he had when
he drove into Beaver Crossing
after the tornado. Mangled trees
and electrical wires filled the
streets. Once-familiar outbuildings had been swept away.
"You've seen where tornadoes
hit other towns, but when it is
your own? It's like walking into
your own home where someone
has messed it up and not recognizing it."
Berndt, a veteran of Nebraska disasters, said the Beaver
Crossing tornado generated a
remarkable amount of debris.
Nebraska is relatively treeless
except for its river valleys, he
said, and Beaver Crossing is one
of those communities bordering
a stream. This was a town where
a canopy of cottonwoods, sycamore and ash greeted visitors.
Outside his home, Anderson
said he was waiting for help
pulling down the tree debris he
couldn't get on his own.
"Where you are standing right
now would have been shade,"
Anderson said.
Instead the sunlight dazzled
next to his trailer home.
Sunday's unity service at the
First United Methodist Church
was disrupted twice by the outside realities of tornado cleanup.
First came an announcement
that the owner of a gold Nissan
needed to move it so that the
power crews could get to a pole.
Then, as the Methodist pastor,
Tamara Holtz, was handing over
the microphone to Wiezorek, the
power to the church
—
and the
microphone
—
went dead. The
generator had run out of gas.
A bit of interdenominational
ribbing took place, and Wiezorek
launched into his sermon, based
on the story of Job. The biblical
story centers on the pious man
subjected to multiple, demoralizing tests as the result of a
bet between God and Satan.
Surely, Satan bet God, Job would
turn away from God if his life
became miserable enough.
"I don't know about you,"
Wiezorek told the roughly 100
people gathered in the sanctuary, "but whenever I'm given a
test, I want to pass it so I don't
have to take it again."
After the service, Wiezorek
elaborated on the importance of
the weeks ahead.
"People are running on adrenaline now," he said. "This week
or next, reality is going to set in,
and when that happens, a collision will happen. This can either
become a bad experience for us,
and we can become bitter, or we
can open up and be filled with
hope for the future."
Contact the writer:
402-444-1102, nancy.gaarder8owh.com
Speaker
to focus
on
6:30 p.m., at St. Luke’s United Methodist
Church, 620 D Street, David City.
trafficking
The program will define“ human traf-ficking”,
document cases of human traf-ficking
Human trafficking happens in Nebraska.
Nebraska, and offer ways to
in
Human trafficking is modern-day slavery become involved to stop
human traffick-ing.
in which people profit from exploiting
Family Alli-ance,
Buell,
Hannah
Nebraska
others through force, fraud, coercion or
Lincoln will be the guest speaker.
deception.
encour-aged
Everyone who isis interested isis encourVictims are trafficked for forced labor aged to attend.
attend.
or the sex industry.
your questions to
Direct your
to JoJo Taylor, 402Learn what you can do to stop it. St. 367-3266 or
or Louise Niemann, 402-367402-367Luke’s United Methodist Women will 4285.
sponsor a program to spread awareness of
human trafficking, Wednesday, May 14, at
human
Methodist women
serving Election
Day soup and pie
The United Methodist
Women are hosting their
annual Election Day
soup and pie lunch in the
church hall at 1600 West E
on Election Day, Tuesday,
May 13.
From 8-11 a.m. they will
serve homemade rolls
and coffee for $3. Home-made
soup and pie will be
served from 11 a. m. to 1
p. m., for $5.
Everyone
is welcome.
Residents need not vote
there to enjoy the
the food.
there
food.
Commencement for N W U graduates on
Cameron Munter, a former U.S. ambassador to Pakistan
and Serbia, will deliver the address at Nebraska Wesleyan
University’s 125th commencement on Saturday.
His address will be shared with nearly 570 undergraduate and graduate students during commencement exercises, which begin at 6:30 p.m. on Taylor Commons on
the university’s campus.
Munter is a distinguished public servant often called
upon to lead U.S. diplomacy in the most complex and difficult international situations. He has served as the National Security Council’s director of Central Europe under
President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush.
He now teaches international relations at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif.
Nebraska Wesleyan will recognize Munter with an
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Other honorary degrees will be bestowed on banking executive Alice
Dittman, Honorary Doctor of Laws degree; New Testament scholar Robert Jewett, Honorary Doctor of Sacred
Theology, and banking executive Blaine Rieke, Honorary
Doctor of Laws.
Commencement day begins with a hooding ceremony
for master’s degree candidates at 1 p.m. at First United
Methodist Church. A baccalaureate service for all graduates begins at 4 p.m. at the church, 50th Street and St.
Paul Avenue.
Bachelor of Arts
Accounting
Austin, Texas: Jillian Guerrero
Lincoln: Rebecca BoellstBoellstorf, Jackson
Carter, Rachel Naber, Jamie Reed
Louisville: Christina Rydl
Omaha: John Hower
Lakewood, Colo.: David Jennings
Art
French
Omaha: Erin
Beatrice: Erin Jardine
Lincoln: Gwendolyn Lopez
Sidney: Courtney Fletcher
WakWakeield: Libby Henschke
German
Fort Collins, Colo.: Leslie SatterSatterield
Lisco: Mariah Jessen
Global Studies
Biology
Kellsie Sedlak
Iola, Kan.: Amber Snesrud
La Vista: Jacob Williams
Lincoln: John Burt, Justina Clark,
Alanea Rile
Omaha: Emmalee Fishburn, Taylor
Raymond, Rebekah Remus
Potter: Luke Maas
Hastings:
Business Administration
Martin
Firth: Taylor TeKolste
Hastings: Jefery Thaut
Lincoln: Curtis Danek, Zachary Peed,
Patrick Reese
Oakland: Brandon Peterson
Omaha: Samuel Sullivan, Alexander
White
Sutherland: Alexander Sandberg
Wahoo: Miranda Voboril
Eagle: Zachary
Chemistry
Aurora: Linda Arthur
Bennet: Jared Jones
Hartington: Emily Schaefer
Norfolk: Jonah Bradley
Communication
Ga.: Alexandria Stajduhar
Axtell: Sara Marcellus
Gretna: Victoria Stahr
Kearney: Lauren Wibbels
Lincoln: Meghan Nickman
North Bend: Kathryn Reznicek
Omaha: Christine Gammel, Adam Hein
Paxton: Samuel Fisher
Plattsmouth: Alexandria Burch
Rising City: Ellen Glock
San Diego: Megan Mulvey
Scribner: Carol Ready
Alpharetta,
Elementary
Lincoln:
Morgan
Education
Boatman
English
Benkelman: Taylor Lutz
Fremont: Logan Johnson, Megan
Robertson
Gretna: Alexis Winnicki
Hastings: Samantha Niemeyer
Indianola, Iowa: Madelyn Schoonover
Neely
Taiwan: Sha-Lin Wu
History
Ashland: Nicole Pointer
Bellevue: Anna Carnes
Lincoln: Lauren Bodield, Anna-Marie
Kroos, Brandon Terpsma, Dane Whittier
Norfolk: Lacey Adams
Omaha: Jerrold Warren
Parker, Colo.: Jordan Delbaugh
Valley:
Sabina Wiekhorst
Water: Zachary Barrett
Weeping
History-Social
Science
Education
Lincoln: Nicole Winterstien
Omaha: Marcus Klabunde
International Business
Lincoln: Alicia Cline
Arts Education
Language
Eagle: Kelsy Reynoldson
Music
Bellevue: Michelle Bester
Lincoln: Catherine Bobst
Torrington, Wyo.: Dustin Hall
Political Communication
Houston: Natalie Micale
Political Science
Lincoln: Eric Jackson
Omaha: Michael Sutherland
Psychology
Ashland:
Pettit
Aurora: Brittney Hofmann
Beatrice: Jalisa Winkle
Burlington, Colo.: Michael Satterly
Eagle: Camille Sass
Erie, Colo.: Alexandra Wilson
Filley: Anna Jurgens
Fort Collins, Colo.: Rachael Den
Herder
Hebron: Brianna Pickering, Courtney
Yoachim
Lincoln: Troy Haugh, Malinda Jenks,
Hayley
Saturday
Talicia Landeros, Rachel Wenzl,
Emily
Heyl
Omaha:
Timothy
Music
Milford: Keaton Schweitzer
Nebraska City: Madelen Deabill,
Natalie Rosane
Seattle: Ruth
Norfolk: Jenna Beckner
Omaha: Allyson Wolfe
Houston:
Science Education
Grant: Elisabeth Carlson
Social Work
Doniphan:
Lincoln:
Jordyn
PfPfeifer
Council Blufs,I owa: Molly Cox
Gering: Devon Beezley
Spanish
Lincoln: Dominic Gappa
Papillion: Hannah Smith
Tekamah: Alexandra Langley
Special
Sport Management
Nebraska
City:
Andrew Fedoris
Theatre Arts
Belgium: Chloé Petit
Elkhorn: Caitlin Hays
Lincoln: Blake Cassell
Mount Dora, Fla.: Rachel Davis
Omaha: Rachel Bauer
Shenandoah, Iowa: Daniel Anderzhon
Sioux Falls, S.D.: Maria Niechwiadowicz
Wheaton, Ill.: Abigail Krentz
Theatre Studies
Omaha: Christina Olson
Bachelor of Business
Administration
Business
Kearney:
Lincoln:
Amanda Minert
Micheal
Ginger Lauby,
Thompson
Omaha: Morgan Blaney
Orleans: Lance Simpson
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Acting
Callaway:
Colton Schied
Clarinda, Iowa: Jameson Bellairs
Kearney: Megan Ghorashy
Lincoln: Austin Nolte
Overland Park, Kan.: Kirk Koczanowski
Princeton, N.J.: James McKinnon
South Easton, Mass.: Brittney Gossett
Wayne: Kaitlin Kietzmann
Art
Biology
White
Littleton, Colo.: Valerie Igoe
Omaha: Sydney Kading
Overland Park, Kan.: Kayli Jamison
ScoScottsbluf: Aimie Adams
Wentzville, Mo.: Cameisha Cotton
Yutan: Jordan Zauha
Daryl
Theatre Studies
Fremont:
Ryne
Sorensen
Kenosha, Wis.: Aaron Mann
Albion: Shelby Travis
Ashland: Jennifer Survil
Bellevue: Ryan Ehrlich, Andrew Reuss
Central City: Seth Gress
Columbus: Brian Ackman, James
Landholm
Friend: Shelby Spicka
Gretna: Evan Lange
Hebron, Ill.: Elizabeth Ippolito
Kearney: Natalie Cantral, Rachael
Lincoln: Richard Eisloefel, Alexa
Owen, Trey Nygren
Spale
Kenesaw: Deidra Heier
Lincoln: Joshua Fenster, Trevor
Johnson, Derek Kay, Karis Overton,
Shyamaly Premaraj, Aaron Schilling
McCook: Katherine West
Minden: Ashley Wood
Manassas Park, Va.: Jessica
Omaha: Daniel Kelly
Conaway
Bachelor of Music
Music Education
Education
North Platte: Erin Paloucek
Bryant
Musical Theatre
Morgan Young
Sociology-Anthropology
Grant: Mackenzie Hite
Lincoln: Kaitlin Weskamp
Pierce: Brittney Dinkel
Ralston: Alexander Michalak
Wahoo: Henry Hrdlicka
Brawner
Falls City: Rodney Mount
Lincoln: Cao Nguyen
Aurora, Colo.: Robert Lighthall
Norfolk: Michaila Gansebom
North Platte: Morgan Harms
Omaha: Zachary Weir
Springield: Daniel Layher
Music Performance
Gretna: Leana Wolt
Minden: Laynee Woodward
Omaha: Kaitlin Zardetto-Smith
Bachelor of Science
Accounting
Beatrice: Tommie Bardsley, Heidi
Nelson
Falls City: Trenton Scheitel
Hickman: John Hovendick
Lincoln: Robin Holloway, Caroline Rife,
Ethan Walz
North Platte: Shelby Pieper, Kayla
Wagner
North Platte: Brian na Wieseler
Omaha: Christopher Johnson,
Jonathan Keck, Keithstone Kim, Diana
Palandri
Plattsmouth: Kelsey Haswell, Zachary
Parshall
Sutherland: Jacob Fleecs
Waverly: Kyle Jisa
West Point: Kelsey Knobbe
Business
Lincoln: Eric Ihde, Sarah Johnson,
Rana Schreiber, Megan Shortridge,
Matthew Spethman, Quang Ton,
Heather Vanover, Richard Wasielewski,
Drew Hoferber, Alisha Kadavy
Omaha: Miyom Deng
Plainview: Justin Dohmen
Seward: Debbie Ocken
Waverly: Brenda Heger
Business Administration
Albion: Keir Harner
Aurora: Leslie Graves,
Benjamin
Harvey
Omaha: Brett Potter
ScoScottsbluf: Hilary Krantz
Seward: Tyler Lichty
Verdon: Michael Huettner
Waverly: Stephanie Abbott
Athletic
Training
Fecht
Axtell:
Columbus: Tyler Vrba, Timothy
Wallick
Council Blufs,I owa: Emily Gorman
Henderson: Jennifer Goossen
Highlands Ranch, Colo.: Emily Leines
Wahoo: Matthew Hornung
Spencer
Biochemistry
Molecular
&
Biology
Burr: Madison Cameron
Firth: Spencer Evans
Beatrice: Samuel Busboom, McKayla
Randel
Castle Rock, Colo.: Jeremy Belk
Cozad: Zachary Brown
David City: Kelby Vandenberg
Frederick, Colo.: Tyler Olson
Fremont: Colby Angst
Geneva: Paul Hubert
Grand Island: Ellie Daws
Kilgore: Dustin Bryant
Lincoln: Joseph Bayne, Jenna Brester,
Lindsay Coupens, Richard Durand,
Scott Gilbreth, Addie Hofman, Kathryn
Hunsaker, Jacquelyn Michals, Nathan
Smith, Elizabeth Svoboda
Nipomo, Calif.: Rory Doll
Omaha: John Brennan, Aaron Lorrain,
Ryan Longacre
Caleb Armstrong
Seward: Laural Wagner
Spring, Texas: Colby Richards
Springield: Adam Heimes
Stromsburg: Ryan Beebe
Waverly: Taylor Guenther, Adam
Winters
Papillion:
Chemistry
Scribner: Elizabeth Boschult
Communication
Vanessa Linegar
Miles Wade
Lincoln: Nicholas Dolson
McCook: Austin Edwards
Omaha: Michaela Dahl
Whitman: Braden Storer
Gothenburg:
Hastings:
Computer
Science
Bedford, Iowa: Timothy Schweitzer
Fremont: Jacob Herink
Lincoln:Jason Beach
Valparaiso: Tyler Masek
Criminal Justice in Society
Aurora, Colo.: Nicholas Barteldes
Gering: Jordan McBride
North Platte: Sarah Windham
Economics
Lincoln: Austin Mathers
Plattsmouth: Lukas Kirk
Elementary
Education
Rebecca Reicks
Hickman: Avery Pella
Lincoln: Allison Yardley, Amy Cofer
Omaha: Stephanie Millard
Syracuse: Julie Isaacs
Elgin:
Exercise Science
Columbus, Ohio: Stephen Boakye
Council Blufs,I owa: Gabriel Taylor
Crete: Rebecca Bomberger
Daykin: Allison Johnson
Elkhorn: Colby Twist
Fremont: Danae Sunderman
Grand Island: Casey Wiens
Holdrege: Sara Ehresman
Kearney: Zachary Lind
Lakewood, Colo.: Connor Davis
Lincoln: Jerrick Jara, Anthony Johnson, John Kingston, Marshall Ozaki,
Jaclyn Anderson, Blake Koehn
Norfolk: Hannah Fennessy
O’Neill: Tanner Timmerman
Overland Park, Kan.: Michelle Curtis
Tecumseh: Cody Miller
Wahoo: Derek Virgl
Yutan: Morgan Remm
Health and Fitness Studies
Chambers: Halie Gribble
Doniphan: Skyler Williams
Franklin: Jacob Trout
Grand Island: Tyler Chamness
Gretna: Brian Krajicek
Brandon Reeves
Omaha: Michelle Pettit
Palmyra: Dalton Ringland
Rosalie: Taylor Ostrand
Hastings:
Waverly: Kegan Murphy
West Point:
Carly Manley
Health and
Physical
Education
Lincoln: Griin DePriest
History
Lincoln: Alexandria Hutcherson,
Trevin Wurm
Tecumseh: Derek Kuhl
I nd ustrial/Organizational
Psychology
Auburn: Abriel Schlange
Aurora: Alexa Badura
Bellevue: Kristin Kenny
Dakota Dunes, S.D.: Kathryn Farrell
Fremont: Katherine Peterson
Geneva: Nicole Rosenquist
Hickman: Leah Harms
Lincoln: Allyson Barnes, Nathan Christensen, Hannah Gallentine, Lindsay
Key, Alexandra Miller
Nebraska City: Benjamin Fedoris
Omaha: Kelly Knudson, Nicole Kraft,
Summer Scorvo
Papillion: Gerrit VanSteenbergen
Plattsmouth: Corey Cundall, Samantha Dutton
Social Work
Lincoln: Matthew Sernett
Mathematics
Lincoln: Jayme Prenosil
Omaha: Michael Watson
Red Oak, Iowa: Alex Whigham
Vona, Colo.: Melissa Minasi
Organizational
Communication
Lincoln: Corey Stefkovich
Blair: April Bacon
Clarinda, Iowa: Michael Reed
Crete: Michael Bomberger
Culbertson, Mont.: Tyler Koenig
Gretna: Gregory Grundmayer
Lincoln: Michael Fleming, Elizabeth
Hertzler
Omaha: Kathy Palacio
Philosophy
Papillion:
Lena Cowell
Physical
Education
Lincoln: Stewart Venable
Beatrice: Joellyn Trauernicht
Blair: Melanie Lenz
Las Vegas: Alycia Carlston
Lincoln: Malith Ayiu, Rebecca Brune,
Vicki Hanson-Crawford, Laila Khoudeida, Tanya Star, Kristina Whisenhunt
Omaha: Michael Miller, Karen Wanga
Shelton: Jaime Weekley
Sociology-Anthropology
Auburn: Meleia Oestmann
Lincoln: Aaron Kilgore
Omaha: Morgan McKinley
St. Louis: Leron West
Special
Physics
Lincoln: Garett Bowmaster, Brandon
Crumb, Paul Dorenbach, Benjamin
Marcussen
Sioux City, Iowa: Katherine Lyons
Political Communication
Milwaukee: Jacob Fricke
Sport Management
Benedict: Hannah Lott
Columbus: Stuart Harrington
Exeter: Travis Yound
Kearney: Matthew Woodman
Lincoln: Zachary Adams, Jacob Owen,
Ryan Hughes
Plattsmouth: Andrew Mitteis
Political Science
Grand Island: Miranda Baxter
Kearney: Hannah Husmann
Lincoln: Jessica Adkisson, Kelsey
Arends
Murdock: Victoria Rosenboom
Waverly: Dallas Polivka
West Point: Morgan Nelson
Psychology
Education
Bellevue: Maggie Barrett
Byron: Sheila Heitmann
Ewing: Sierra Summers
Hickman: Joy Fuller
Lincoln: Halsey Buell, Alexandria
Tewes
Malcolm: Michelle Fry
Nursing
Albion:
Olnes
Atlantic, Iowa: Debra Church, Delilah
Heuton
Beatrice: Markie Novotny, Lisa
Roberts
Bellevue: David Forbush, Jennifer
Goble, Wendi Vanderzyl
Ceresco: Jillian Isley
Amy
Clarinda, Iowa: Jennifer Chambers,
Deborah Goecker, Lauren Hess,
Sritrang McCunn, Lori Mead
Council Blufs,I owa: Jenna Brandt,
Amy Darrington, Wendy Ludwick
Crete: Tammy Wenz
David City: Mary Romshek
Eddyville: Jolynn Leader
Fort Calhoun: Pamela Smith
Glenwood, Iowa: Mahala Ehlers,
Jayme England
Gretna: Kelly Mendenz, Lindsay
Weddle
Knob Noster, Mo.: Laura Land
La Vista: Ashley Webster, Ishwor
Dhakal, Alysha Di Mauro
Lenox, Iowa: Philicia Hancock
Lincoln: Kelli Monarrez, Yvonne
Bartek, Jill Brandl, Jamie Fischer,
Giang Huynh, Miyuki Inamura, Sheri
Matzke, Mikiko Oka, Shannon Schmidt,
Diane Shriner, Janelle Smith, Siokhoon
Tan-Borgeson, Nicole Wilson
Milford: Danielle Glissman
Missouri Valley, Iowa: Debra Cohen
Omaha: Ilako Agbatchi, Amanda Chin,
Juliette Gbeteglo, Anita Hernandez,
Araceli Jauregui, Michaela Kalkwarf,
Robin Keller, Carlie Lesley, Nitu Maharjan, Lauren Moser, Rabia Moukrad,
Sarah Paulsen, Simone Redboy, Valerie
Vanecek, Anne Vilda, Tifany Volkart,
Maria Alvarez, Cyrus Ombaire
Panama, Iowa: Rose Zimmerman
Red Oak, Iowa: Angela Baier
Stuart: DeannaKaup
Unadilla: Annette Block
Utica: Sally Saf
Valley: Christina Phillips
Waco: Jaymie Budler, Joan Naber
West Point: Angela Wegner
Master of Arts
Historical Studies
Leawood, Kan.: Kaitlin Morrow
Lincoln: Donna Anderson, Melissa
Ash, Lori Browne, Elizabeth CarranzaRodriguez, Sherri Day, Michelle
Eckman, Susan Halsted, Mark Holland,
Stephanie Howell, Kate Leonard-Barr,
Caitlin Leuenberger, Helen McLaughlin,
Stephanie Meyer, Patrick O’Meara,
Carolyn Patterson, Pamela Reber,
Meghan Schmidt, Abigaella Shelbourn,
Paula Smith, Holly Stange, Dru Sypal,
Jaime Thompson, Anna Whisinnand,
Sonya Zimmerman
Norfolk: Jennifer Noelle
Omaha: Andrew Brooks, Todd Compton, John Costanzo, Nicole Dice, Mary
Hansen, Kathryn O’Donnell, Rebekah
Wiebusch, Holly Ortega
Wisner: Jules
Spickelmier
Master of Science
Forensic Science
Bancroft: Ferron Wambold
Des Moines, Iowa: Amy Ziegenhorn
Howard, S.D.: Jamie Johnson
Jeferson, Wis.: Casey Coussens
Lincoln: Felicia Martin
Missouri Valley, Iowa: Cassandra
Salter
North Platte: Katie Sheets
Omaha: Hannah Weber
Ashland: Abby Russell
Council Blufs,I owa: Jessika Karl
Iowa City, Iowa: Cierra Laughlin
Omaha: Mianna Molinari
Parker, Colo.: Ashley Paggen
Nursing
Arcadia: Cori Doran
Aurora: Michelle Graham
Bassett: Amanda Fox
Beaver Crossing: Hayley Jambor
Bellwood: Emily Sample
Bennington: Elaine McCord
Center: Sara Norris
David City: Carol Busch
Deshler: Kimberly Pahl
Hastings: Mikayla Albin
Lincoln: Jessica Beute, Chantel Collier,
Kelly Dewing, John Fahrnbruch, Ashley
Fritz, Alicia Jennings, Gina Jesionowicz, Katherine McManus, Suzy Nootz,
Cathy Smith, Jill Weyers, Frances Mae
Alcarde-Suyo
Marquette:
Chelsie
Rodabaugh
Marshalltown, Iowa: Dana Hubbard
McCook: Kayla Brickell
Milford: Kelli Klopfenstein
North Platte: Allison Moritz
Oakland, Iowa: Lindsay Bentley
Odell: Laticia Bergmeier
Omaha: Rachel Alexander, Amy Brasel, Ashley Emmel, Bobbi Hefelinger,
Sang-Min Kim, Sally Nord, Elizabeth
PfPfefer, Marisa Schafer
Ord: Jacquelyn Krason
Papillion: Renae Meyer, Essi Yovogan
Summerield Kan.: Heather Talbott
Sutton: Meredith Smith
Utica, S.D.: Teresa Hawlik
,
Southeast Kiwanis
spaghetti
dinner Tuesday
Lincoln Southeast Kiwanis
Club will hold its sixth
annual spaghetti dinner May
20 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at
Christ United Methodist
Church, 4530 A St.
In addition to the spaghetti dinner there will
silent and live auctions. The
live auction starts at 6:30.
Among the auction items
are a basketball autographed
by Husker men’s coach Tim
Miles, Husker football tickets, and a week’s reservation
(July 6-13) at the Branson
Yacht Club Resort in Branson, Mo.
Proceeds will support
the activities of the Lincoln
Southeast Kiwanis Club,
whose projects and partnerships include:
CEDARS Youth Services
back-to-school
backpacks for 50 elementary
students.
RIF (Reading is Fundamental)
monthly reading in ExCITE/Head Start
Program.
Kiwanis dictionaries
development for 3rd-graders at
multiple schools.
Child Advocacy Center
Stuffed animal drive to
restock the center’s inven-
– –
–
–– –
–
classes, providing
a new
book every month for each
student.
Food Bank of Lincoln
–
–
BackPack Program
Partnered with Belmont
Elementary on a fall coin
drive resulting in more than
$ 1,000 for the BackPack
Support vocabulary
tory.
Camp OK
Sponsor
three Saratoga School students for summer camp.
Farm City Breakfast
Sponsor Waverly FFA
students’ attendance at this
annual event to promote
rural and urban interaction
and understanding.
Nebraska Girls State/
Boys State
Support area
high school youth to this
event, encouraging governmental development for
outstanding high school
students
Terrific Kids
Motivation and recognition of positive behaviors for grades 1-4
at College View Academy.
South Gate UMC marks 50 years of
South Gate United Methodist Church, 3500 Pioneers Blvd., will celebrate
50 years of ministry in Lincoln with special activities
Sunday (May 18).
The Bishop of the Great
Plains Conference of the
United Methodist Church,
Scott Jameson Jones, will
preach at the 10 a.m. worship, and an anthem titled
“Celebration!” commissioned for the 50th anniversary, written by church
member Aaron Elliott, will
be sung by the combined
choirs. A catered meal will
be served at 11:30 a.m. A
12:30 p.m. program will
include special recognition
and presentations as well
as musical guest Ex Animo
bringing their barbershop
tunes to the celebration.
South Gate United Methodist Church was founded
as a mission church in 1974
by the former Evangelical United Brethren (EUB)
denomination and given
to the congregation along
with a parsonage on Loveland Drive. Members of the
Lincoln EUB churches were
commissioned to become
members of the new
ministry
church and joined many
other families from various
churches to form the first
congregation. The opening
service in 1974 included 86
people.
Stephanie
Pastor
Ahlschwede said this is
not only the celebration of
50 years past, it is also the
launch of the next 50 years
of service to this part of
Lincoln and mission outreach in the community
and in the world. She asks
all to join in “Trumpeting
South Gate’s Jubilee!”
BEAVER CROSSING, NEBRASKA
A week later, reality is setting in
Emotions are still raw in town tested by EF3 tornado
BY NANCY GAARDER
•
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
BEAVER CROSSING, Neb. — Skyward
was the only direction a person could look in
this small town on Sunday and see normal.
• Above, tender tufts of white scooted across
a canvas as blue as a robin s egg.
But on the ground, just past a National Guard checkpoint, was a wrecked town in motion. Utility crews
were restringing electrical lines; relief workers were
checking IDs. And at the First United Methodist Church,
neighbors were setting out trays of potato salad, chili and
chicken for a community luncheon.
A week after an EF3 tornado screamed out of a
turbulent sky and through this community of 400, one
yard bore signs of routine life: laundry fluttering on a
clothesline.
All around the freshly washed overalls and unmentionables was a grotesque landscape of splintered trees,
ripped-open homes and piles of debris. The chatter of
birds, audible a few blocks away, was drowned out by the
hum of a generator.
See Tornado: Page 3
"This is a
town
that has been broken open. I hope we won't let this trial go wasted."
—
The Rev. Erie Wiezorek
Tornado: Many trees that
shaded the town added to amount of debris
final total may never be known.
"This is a town that has been
For Chris Heater and Karen
broken open," the Rev. Eric
Wiezorek said before the start of Roth, who met as 11-year-olds
a Sunday morning unity service. playing in town, the storm undid
four years of renovation on
"I hope we won't let this trial go
Heater's childhood home.
wasted."
After the tornado tore off the
At the service, Wiezorek,
roof, torrential rains filled the
pastor of the local nondenomihouse, Roth said. Now they'll
national church, Hope Center,
do what they did four years
prayed for Beaver Crossing to
ago: take the house down to the
be born anew, with ties among
neighbors strengthened.
Beaver Crossing took the
studs.
So many power lines were
hardest blow from the more
than 12 tornadoes and powerful
straightline winds that hit southeast Nebraska on Mother's Day.
The number of damaged and
destroyed homes in Beaver
Paul Cowan of Seward Public
Power District said last week's
focus was on rebuilding the
Crossing has not yet been
released. But based on available
numbers, Seward County, where
the town is situated, accounts
for 80 percent of the houses the
storm affected.
According to the Nebraska
Emergency Management Agency, at least 239 Nebraska homes
were affected in some way. Of
those, 17 were destroyed and 22
sustained major damage.
The storm traveled about 150
miles from south of Hastings
to the western edge of Omaha,
dropping one tornado after
another.
Some were mere touchdowns
in open fields. Others, like the
EF3 that hit Beaver Crossing,
traveled miles.
According to the National
Weather Service, wind speeds
from the Beaver Crossing
tornado are believed to have
reached about 140 mph; the
tornado was on the ground for at
least 15 miles; and at its widest,
it stretched 1.5 miles across the
valley floor.
The storm is estimated to
have caused more than $20 million in damage to the state's
electrical grid, irrigation systems, homes and businesses. A
destroyed in and around town
that Beaver Crossing still was
without electricity Sunday.
transmission line that serves the
community; now begins the task
of restoring power to homes.
Al Berndt, as assistant director of the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, said
homeowners affected by the
storm aren't likely to receive
federal disaster grants because
the state probably didn't sustain
enough residential damage to
meet the standards set by the
Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Nevertheless, state and federal disaster workers this week
will survey the damage path to
determine whether federal loans
will be available to homeowners.
Today, townsfolk will meet as
a community for the first time
since the tornado and talk about
its next step.
It won't be an easy talk. Some
homes must be razed. Some
homeowners lacked insurance.
Residents wonder who will stay
and who will leave.
"We're going to need to find
out what is going to happen to
Beaver Crossing," Heater said.
Russ Anderson, a Navy veter-
an, was counting his blessings
Sunday but choked back tears
when talking about his neigh-
bors.
"We're lucky no one was
microphone
went dead. The
generator had run out of gas.
hurt," he said as he pointed to
A bit of interdenominational
house after house and talked
ribbing took place, and Wiezorek
about missing roofs, tossed velaunched into his sermon, based
hicles, displaced sheds. Anderon the story of Job. The biblical
son's mobile home was damaged story centers on the pious man
but is habitable.
subjected to multiple, demorDown the road, Randy Detwei- alizing tests as the result of a
ler paused while tossing debris
bet between God and Satan.
into a dumpster. He described
Surely, Satan bet God, Job would
the odd feeling he had when
turn away from God if his life
he drove into Beaver Crossing
became miserable enough.
after the tornado. Mangled trees
"I don't know about you,"
and electrical wires filled the
Wiezorek told the roughly 100
streets. Once-familiar outbuildpeople gathered in the sanctuings had been swept away.
ary, "but whenever I'm given a
"You've seen where tornadoes test, I want to pass it so I don't
hit other towns, but when it is
have to take it again."
your own? It's like walking into
After the service, Wiezorek
your own home where someone
elaborated on the importance of
has messed it up and not recogthe weeks ahead.
nizing it."
"People are running on adrenBerndt, a veteran of Nebrasaline now," he said. "This week
ka disasters, said the Beaver
or next, reality is going to set in,
Crossing tornado generated a
and when that happens, a colliremarkable amount of debris.
sion will happen. This can either
Nebraska is relatively treeless
become a bad experience for us,
except for its river valleys, he
and we can become bitter, or we
said, and Beaver Crossing is one can open up and be filled with
of those communities bordering hope for the future."
a stream. This was a town where Contact the writer:
a canopy of cottonwoods, syca402-444-1102, nancy.gaarder8owh.com
more and ash greeted visitors.
Outside his home, Anderson
said he was waiting for help
pulling down the tree debris he
couldn't get on his own.
"Where you are standing right
now would have been shade,"
Anderson said.
Instead the sunlight dazzled
next to his trailer home.
Sunday's unity service at the
First United Methodist Church
was disrupted twice by the outside realities of tornado cleanup.
First came an announcement
that the owner of a gold Nissan
needed to move it so that the
power crews could get to a pole.
Then, as the Methodist pastor,
Tamara Holtz, was handing over
the microphone to Wiezorek, the
power to the church
—
and the
—
Grand designs for a good cause
Submitted photo
Meadows Elementary School's fifth-graders recently designed advertisements for the Ralston Recorder's Kids Take Over promotion.
Thirteen of the students' ads appeared in the paper and a portion of sales for the ads were designated to a local nonprofit. Here, students
in Joe Zadina's class present Dee Adams of Trinity United Methodist Church's Lost and Found Clothing Center a check for the funds they
helped earn.
Tribland
Melissa D. Choate of 1303 N.
Briggs Ave. reported Tuesday
that her purse and contents
were taken from a vehicle at
her residence.
A Tribute to Our Loved Ones
this Memorial Day publishes in
the Tribune Saturday May 24;
deadline May 20. For more
information call 402-461-1234.
-Adv.
Danceworks School of Dance
recital “Fearless Rhythms”
,
knives owned by Kelly D.
Whitney and Austin S.
Whitney, both of 211 N. Laird
Ave., were taken at the resi-dence.
We buy
cars.
-
Jackson’s Car
Corner,
Corner, Inc.
Inc. 463-0688. -Adv.
Adv.
Vehicles reportedly driven by
Blanca D. Cabrera Kadre of 130
E. Third St. and Trevor D.
Bumgardner of 853 N. Sixth
Ave. collided Friday at Ninth
Street and Eastside Boulevard.
Friday Saturday May 16, 17,
It was reported Tuesday that
6:00, City Auditorium. Free.
a credit card owned by Jeri R.
Kniep of Hershey was used
Adv.
20-year-old
without permission at 3400 N.
Authorities cited a
Hastings man Tuesday for
Osborne Drive East.
reportedly shoplifting at
Sign up for Vacation Bible
School, First United Methodist,
MenardÕs, 3400 N. Osborne
Drive East. The value of items
June 2 thru 6. 463-6733 or
hastingsfirstmethodist.org -Adv
taken was $ 129.97.
Eagles, Friday, steak night
Grand Opening of Lynn’s
Nails, Friday, May 16, 11: 45
6:00 to 8:00 p.m. All welcome.
a. m., 714 West 2nd; free food. -Adv..
Vehicles reportedly driven by
Adv.
Estefany
reported
Tuesday
Perez Deloera of
It was
that
money owned by Pepsi-Cola
Grand Island and Kirsten
Bottling Co. of Hastings, 3800
Hargis of 1714 W. Fifth St. col-lided
Sunday at U. S. Highway
N. Osborne Drive East, was
taken in the 1400 block of
281 and Kansas Avenue.
Hargis, 20, and her passenger,
West 16th Street.
Duanna J. Aulrich, 44, of 1714
For your convenience, the
Hastings Tribune has a drive-up W. Fifth St., were treated and
payment box in our north
released at Mary Lanning
parking lot. This may be used
Healthcare.
Retirement reception for
for subscription and advertising
payments. -Adv.
Susie Baker, Monday, May 19,
It was reported Tuesday that 4: 00 to 5: 30, Juniata
jewelry a safe, medications and Elementary.
Adv.
Elementary. -Adv.
,
,
,
-
-
-
Tornado totals: 16 homes
destroyed in
Crossing, ‘major damage’ noted at 22
Lincoln
Journal Star
The
The Nebraska
Emergency
Management Agency said
Sunday that 16 homes in
Beaver
Crossing
were com-
pletely destroyed by
the
May
11 storms, with an additional
22 homes suffering “major
village
town hall
is
holding
a
meeting Monday
about the storms, which
sent 17 tornadoes rolling
across central and southeast
Nebraska on Mother’s Day
evening.
Members of the Nebraska
National Guard will
damage.”
remain in the affected areas
A total of 227 homes in until Tuesday, helping lothe Beaver Crossing area cal emergency management
were damaged in some way, officials.
according
to Linda
-
Stewart,
Army
Those involved in the
re-
disaster recovery coordina- lief effort have requested
tor for the Great Plains Unit tarps for buildings, as well
ed Methodist Conference. as blankets and towels with
Businesses and churches washcloths. Those items can
also were damaged.
be left at the Beaver Crossing
United Methodist Church.
Workers also need help
tools if
Beaver
more
they
can.
Household items such as
furniture and clothes for donation can be left at Etcetera
roofs.
Volunteers can contact
the Seward County Emer- Thrift Store in Seward or
gency Management Office at
New Beginnings in Crete.
402-643-4722 or report to
Financial donations for
the fire hall in Beaver CrossCrossing residents
Beaver
ing, on the southeast corner
can
be made to The Hope
of Dimery and West streets
Center, c/o the Village of
in the middle of town.
Crossing, P.O. Box
Beaver
Volunteers must be 19 or
Crossing, NE
older, and should bring an 116, Beaver
repairing
I.D.
along
with
sturdy shoes,
a hat and
Ear and eye pro-
long pants, gloves,
sunscreen.
tection
is recommended,
and volunteers should bring
rakes, silage forks and hand
68313.
Money
the
village’s
116,
Beaver
intended for
infrastructure
can be made to the Village
of Beaver Crossing, P.O. Box
68313.
Crossing,
NE
HH
|
journalstar.
com
|
BEAVER CROSSING
POWER RETURNING,
BUT WORK REMAINS
BEAVERCROSSING
More than
100 recovery-weary residents
celebrated some good news at a
town hall meeting on Monday.
They were told electrical crews
had rebuilt 16 miles of power lines
ravaged by the tornado that struck
on Mother's Day. With the power
coming back on, National Guard
members and the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency field
team will be set to leave town.
Lt. Gov. Lavon Heideman will tour
Beaver Crossing Tuesday. State and
federal damage surveyors will review the damage later this week before submitting a report to Gov. Dave
Heineman.
See RECOVERY, Page A6
Photos
It was standing room only at Monday night’s meeting in Beaver
tornado that struck their community May 11.
Crossing,
where residents heard
an
by
LAUREN JUSTICE/ Lincoln Journal Star
update
on
recovery from the
Recovery
Meanwhile, the
cleanup continues.
Family and
continues. Family
and
friends, the town's
town’s volunvolunfriends,
department and
teer fire
fire department
and
thousands of
of volunteers
have
to clear
streets,
helped to
have helped
clear streets,
yards
homes.
yards and damaged
damaged homes.
up a lot
"We've
picked up
“We’ve picked
lot of
of
piles,”
piles," said Beaver Crossing
Crossing
firefighter Rick
volunteer firefighter
Rick
volunteer
Backhus,
Backhus, who heads the
town's
town’s debris
debris removal
removal efefforts.
forts.“"There's
There’s going
to be a
going to
piles yet."
yet.”
lot
lot of
of piles
Some
Some residents
residents here wonwonder
neighbors
der whether
whether their
their neighbors
pack up
town,
will pack
up and leave town,
while others
while
others stew with
with ununcertainty
certainty over their
their own
own
situation.
situation.
wife)
driving (my
(my wife)
"It's driving
“It’s
said. "I'm
nuts,”
nuts," Keith
Keith Pulse
Pulse said.“
I’m
not
not doing
either.
doing fine with it either.
just want to
“We just
"We
to be
be
Earl Imler of the Nebraska
home.”
weren’t hit as hard
as their neighbors, Pulse
said, but the damage to
their home has forced them
to stay with their daughter
in Seward.
Now they await repairs
from their insurance comThey
pany’s
contractor.
said it would be
before fall,” Pulse said.
The National Weather
Service said the May 11 tornado was an EF3 with wind
speed peaking at 140 mph.
Beaver Crossing, a town of
about 400, was hit with just
one of at least 12 tornadoes
spawned along a 119-mile
stretch from Clay County
east to Douglas County, the
weather service said.
“They
Emergency
Management
said he’d be surif the town didn’t receive some federal disaster
aid.
The community, however, probably won’t qualify
for individual assistance
from the federal governAgency
prised
ment. A town often needs
to lose at least 100 homes to
be
eligible, Imler said.
The storms destroyed 16
homes in Beaver Crossing,
the agency reported Sunday.
Imler said
said the
But Imler
the town
may qualify
Small BusiBusiqualify for
for Small
may
relief,
ness Administration
Administration relief,
which would allow people
people
to
to take
take out
out low-interest
low-interest
government-backed
loans.
government-backed loans.
Village
Village
board members
members
board
said that all residents who
will receive some of
the
the
monetary donations
the monetary
donations the
town has
has received.
received.
Robin
Robin Butzke
Butzke said she’s
she's
confident
will
confident her
her insurance
insurance will
help
help cover her
her home's
home’s postpost- May.
tornado
roof,
tornado needs:
needs: a new
new roof,
But progress will move
windows and
windows
and floors.
floors.
slowly, they said.
now, she’s
she's relying
relying
But
But for
for now,
And though crews worked
calm to restore some street lights
on a familiar
familiar face
face to
to calm
her
2-year-old boys,
boys, outside the community
her 6-and
6- and 2-year-old
who fret
and worry
when center, officials said street
worry when
who
fret and
gets cloudy
itit gets
wind lights elsewhere were a long
cloudy and
and the
the wind
up.
picks
picks up.
way off.
"(Local
weatherman)
“(
Local TV weatherman)
DarylHansen, operations
Ken
out a lot,”
helps out
lot," manager for Seward County
Ken Siemek
Siemek helps
Butzke said.
Public Power, advised resiShe knows of at least sev- dents to "use the moon, and
en families who’ve decided everything you can" for
to pack up and leave Beaver illumination.
apply
Crossing.
But she is not
one
Roofing crews patched
re-shingled the roof
of them. up and
of the United Methodist
Church late Monday afternoon above the church’s
steeple
white
marked
“SAVE.”
Red spray paint marks the
side facing the town’s main
drag, Dimery Street: “Down
but not out.”
Reach the writer at 402-4732657 or [email protected].
On Twitter @ LJSRileyJohnson.
A Great Achievement
Seniors
honored with
scholarships
CAMBRIDGE - The
Cambridge senior graduating
class celebrated their final
milestone on Saturday
afternoon at graduation
ceremonies. The Cambridge
band led the seniors in
the processional, followed
by the opening given by
Shelby Fair, Class President.
Breanna Eubanks gave
the valedictorian address
and Troy Gregory gave the
Salutatory address. Kadee
Long gave the closing.
Scholarships awarded
included:
Krayton Banzhaf is
the recipient of the First
Bank and Trust Company
Scholarship, Harold Mousel
Scholarship, Ag Valley COOP Scholarship, Central
Community College Tuition
Scholarship, Brady Koch
Scholarship, Velma Holtze
Scholarship, and Central
Community College Compass
Advantage Scholarship
Krayton plans to study
Agri-Business at Central
Community College in
Hastings.
Taten Banzhaf is
the recipient of the Fran
Jorgensen Scholarship,
Carl Johnson Scholarship,
Cambridge Lions Club
Scholarship, United
Methodist Scholarship, Red
Cross Scholarship. Taten
plans to study Diversified
Ag at Southeast Community
College in Beatrice
Rachelle Carpenter
is the recipient of
the Harold Mousel
Scholarship, Cambridge
Museum Scholarship,
Cambridge Education
Association Scholarship,
Cambridge Youth Sports
Scholarship, Laura Becker
Memorial Scholarship,
Haven and Virginia Smith
Scholarship, State Bank of
Bartley Scholarship, United
Methodist Scholarship,
Centennial Scholarship.
Rachelle plans to study PrePharmacy at the University
of Nebraska Kearney
Justin Dick is the
recipient of the Robert
Druse Scholarship
Morehouse College
Academic Scholarship.
Justin plans to study
Physics and Aerospace
Engineering at Morehouse
College in Atlanta, Georgia
Breanna Eubanks is the
recipient of the Cambridge
Museum Scholarship, Joy
Teter Scholarship, First
Bank and Trust Post Prom
Scholarship, Harold Mousel
Scholarship, Henry Krieger
Scholarship, Frontier
United Methodist
Scholarship. Breanna plans
to study Radiology at the
University of Nebraska
Kearney
Shelby Farr is the
recipient of the Middle
Republican NRD
Scholarship, McCook
Community College
Freshman Academic
Scholarship, Robert Burke
Scholarship, Red Cross
Scholarship. Shelby
plans to study Education
at McCook Community
College.
Anthony Fischer is the
recipient of the Central
Community College Tuition
Scholarship. Anthony has
decided to serve in the
Continued from front
United States Army
Troy Gregory is the recipient of the Eagle
Presidential Scholarship, Norman Walburn
Scholarship. TJ plans to study Education at
Chadron State College
Mackenzie Hansen is the recipient of
the Pheasants Forever Scholarship, Harold
Mousel Scholarship, FFA Cambridge
Alumni Scholarship, Bob Burke Memorial
Scholarship, Cambridge Lions Club
Scholarship. Mackenzie plans to study Horse
Production and Mgmt. at Colby Community
College
County Farm Bureau
Taylor Kubik is the recipient of the
Scholarship, AgValley
Valley
CO-OP Scholarship, Furnas
Ag
CO-OP Scholarship, First
County Lions Scholarship, Holbrook Lions
Central Bank Scholarship,
Masonic Lodge Scholarship, Club Scholarship. Taylor plans to study
John F. Johnson Memorial Diversified Ag at Southeast Community
College in Beatrice
Scholarship, Stu & Ethel
Kelsey Landreth is the recipient of the
Minnick Scholarship,
Wilsonville United Christian Baptist Church
KHOP from the University
Scholarship, Norman Hosea Scholarship,
of Nebraska Kearney,
Freshman Walsh-Brady Academic
Scholarship. Kelsey plans to study Law
Enforcement at McCook Community College
Kadee Long is the recipient of the
First Central Bank Post Prom Scholarship,
Cambridge Youth Sports Scholarship,
Harold Mousel Scholarship, First Central
Bank Scholarship, Holbrook Lions Club
Scholarship. Kadee plans to study Radiology
at the University of Nebraska Lincoln
Jake Wirte is the recipient of the Leroy
and Alice Witte Scholarship, Wilsonville
United Christian Baptist Church Scholarship,
Harold Mousel Scholarship, Post Prom
Scholarship, AgValley CO-OP Scholarship,
Wilsonville United Baptist-Christian Church
Scholarship, First Bank and Trust Company
Scholarship, Gerald Cowles Scholarship,
Cambridge Youth Sports Scholarship, Clint
and Caroline John Scholarship, Furnas
County Lions Scholarship, South Central
Nebraska Corn Growers Agricultural
Scholarship. Jake plans to study Agri
Education at the University of Nebraska
Lincoln.
The total of all scholarships is: $227,542
The amount of local scholarships is: $22,150
The total amount of State College
scholarships is: $205,392
CAMttKiLMjc.
-
Cambridge Junior Brandon Andrews greets
graduate Rachelle Carpenter with a big hug on Saturday following graduation, while Breanna Eubanks waits in line.
HDONIPHAN
T^T> A T T-X
.*******************ai_l FOR ADC 686
9T
21P
577 03-01-15
UNIVERSAL PRESS CLIPPING
1623 FARNAM ST STE 6GG
OMAHA NE 681Q2-2108
■
■
■
■
M
M
J^mt^^
Deb Hartman to be new director of Little Miracles
in
By Christine Hollister
Doniphan Herald
her 35th
ementary School, is now
year teaching. Her husband, Steve,
DONIPHAN Deb Hartman, who is a teacher and coach at D-T. She
will take over as the new director of spent 20 years teaching kindergarten
teaching
Little Miracles Childcare Center in and an additional 10 years
first
and
second
She
has also
grades.
May
27,
said
her
Doniphan
teaching
summer preschool in a couple
taught
philosophy can be summed up into
of locations.
just a few words:
"For Steve and I, this has become
"The following three words tell
hometown," she said. "This is a
our
to
you what you need
know . . I love
I can help Doniphan and maybe
way
kids," she wrote on the school's new
I can reach even more kids. This is
website,
littlemiraclesindoniphan.
something that is near and dear to my
weebly.com.
Little Miracles Childcare Center heart.
"I do love teaching my older kids
is a ministry of the United Methodist
in Doniphan, but my expertise is in
Church in Doniphan and Rosedale.
children," she added.
Hartman is a member of the Doniph- primary age
Hartman
was raised in Clay Cenan United Methodist Church and had
attended college at the Univerbeen on the Little Miracles Board of ter,
of Nebraska-Lincoln and gradusity
Directors for the past year and a half.
ated
with a degree in elementary
Hartman said when she found out
education.
She has also taken several
Little Miracles' current director Amy
graduate courses in early childhood
was
to
run
Wilson
Little
resigning
MIRACLES, continuedfrom pg. 1A
Stingers Childcare in Giltner, she
quickly became interested in the job education and led workshops.
opening.
Before coming to D-T in 20 1 2,
"It's always been my dream to Hartman taught previously
have my own school," she said. "I in Blue Springs, Beatrice and
thought it would be awesome to have Grand Island.
"Throughout my teaching
a place where kids would be involved
career, I have always wondered what it would be like to
have my own school; a school
where children would be able
to 'wonder,' where nature is
explored, discoveries made,
hearts are nurtured, and the
love of learning is as natural as
taking a breath," Hartman said
on the website. "A few weeks
in learning from when they're tiny
I made a decision to purago,
until they're older."
dream of mine. When
sue
this
Hartman, currently a fifth-grade
the
for director of
position
at
teacher
Doniphan-Trumbull El-
-
Little Miracles was advertised,
I knew I needed to apply, and
lucky for me I was hired for
the position."
The center's mission is
to provide quality childcare
to children in a safe, loving,
Christian learning environment and assist in meeting a
variety of family needs, the
website says.
"We're ready for a different look and a different feel,"
Hartman said. "I would like to
have the different age groups
separated so they're involved
with their own teacher and
developmentally appropriate
activities.
"I would really like to
make sure we incorporate the
Christian education in there
with Bible stories and songs
just a good, spiritual feeling
to help the kids begin to have
that included in their everyday
schedules," she said.
"But I also want a family,
community feel to the building," she added. "I'd like to
have a community gathering
time of all of the kids probably
early in the morning so we can
have that togetherness."
Hartman said she's going to
miss the students and staff at
Doniphan-Trumbull, but looks
forward to continue serving
the community's families.
"It's very hard to leave
D-T," she said. "I love what I
do right now, but 1 thought this
is probably my last chance in
-
my career I can find a place
to make a difference like this.
And what better way to try to
help the kids of Doniphan?
"The community just needs
to know that kids are my priority and any kids 1 work with 1
treat like my family and hopefully they will see that," she
said. "I'm just really excited to
meet the kids and their families and just become a part of
their lives."
Christine Hollister/ Doniphan Herald
Deb Hartman will take over as the new director of Little Miracles Childcare Center in Doniphan May 27. Hartman is currently a fifth-grade teacher at D-T Elementary.
Osceola Seniors Honored at Methodist Church
Osceola High School seniors Laurin Schleif, Eric Hays, Lauryn Gustafson were recognized during worship service at the
Osceola United Methodist Church on Sunday, May 4. On behalf of the congregation Pastor Mike Flury presented each of
the graduates with a personally engraved Bible. A reception
in their honor was held in the Fellowship Room following the
worship service.
The Cedar Rapids High School Class of 2014 enjoys breakfast hosted by
the United Methodist Church in Cedar.
United Methodist
Church Hosts Senior
Breakfast
Friday morning, May 9, the United Methodist Church of Cedar Rapids
hosted the 2014 Senior Class of Cedar
Rapids High School and their sponsor at a breakfast in the church basement. This was approximately the 14 lh
year the church has honored the graduating class on the day of their graduation practice. Pastor Vernon Olson
gave a prayer before the breakfast was
eaten and sent the graduates off with
a question about what they would remen 3er as the high points of their
high school years when they meet for
their 10 th year anniversary.
–
women's
Free support for parents, 6:30 to
8 p.m. at St. James United
Methodist Church, 2400 S.
Tuesday
—
CALENDAR
—
—
Friedman, 402-477-6050.
Thursday
Officers of
Bethany Women’s Club
for 2014-2015 year to meet
11th St. A facilitated ques- at the Olive Garden for
tion-and-answer session noon luncheon and to plan
about parenting and how for the upcoming club year.
to help children live happy,
Next weekend
healthy lives, sponsored United
Methodist
by the United Method- Women at South Gate
ist Women’s group. Light United Methodist Church,
refreshments, child care 3500 Pioneers Blvd., to cel(for up to age 12) provided. ebrate the 50th anniversary
of the Women’s Group with
Info.:” (402) 423-4220.
Wednesday
Heritage
9:30 a.m. worship service
League monthly general Sunday, June 1, followed by
membership luncheon brunch. Open to all United
meeting, 11:30 a.m. at Methodist Women who
Hillcrest Country Club, were members at South
9401 O St. Guest speaker: Gate during the past 50
clinical social worker Jane years. RSVP, or just come.
—
Kinsey. Topic: “Challenges
of Mature Age.” New offi-
cers to
be installed. For
reservations contact Sara
More info:
4815.
Ruby
Coming
GYN
cancer
–
at 488
soon
support
group monthly meeting,
6:30 p.m. Thursday, June
5 at Gere Branch Library,
56th & Normal Blvd.
Coming soon
Lincoln Quilters Guild June
meeting to be replaced by
a tour of six local quilt studios from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Saturday, June 7, featuring
the artists’ quilts and quilt
spaces, LQG community
outreach
projects
and LQG
Quiltfest displays. Tickets
may be purchased at
any participating studio. A
list of the locations can be
found on the Guild website
($5)
at
http://www.lincolnquiltersguild.org.three/ Three
local quilt shops
also
participating.
are
Email calendar items to
journalstar.com.
dbuckley@
Family
By
—
of 11 gets new,
a
They’ve already
UTICA
been assigned bedrooms.
Two weeks after a tornado
ripped apart
their home in Beafamily has
ver Crossing, the Nisly
a new one.
It sits at the end of a quiet,
dead-end street in Utica, about
12 miles north of Beaver Crossing. Trees line the east end of the
yard, separating it from the farm
field on the other side.
——
the matriarch of
grown one adoption and
foster child at a time
chose the
rooms. When dealing with nine
children, five of them teenagers,
room assignments are a tactical
practicality. The four older girls
will share the basement, which
has two bedrooms and room to
add a couple more. Everyone else
will be on the main level.
Mitch and Betty Nisly’s bank
approved them for a home loan
last week. They happen to know
the owner of the house, who
Betty Nisly
NICHOLAS BERGIN
Lincoln Journal Star
family
post-tornado
heard
their hardship
hardship and
heard about
about their
and
keys beoffered
hand over the
the keys
beoffered to
to hand
fore
the sale
sale closed.
closed.
fore the
The Nislys
the offer.
Nislys jumped
jumped at the
The
offer.
Since
tornado, they’d
11 tornado,
they'd
Since the
the May
May 11
been
in a three-bedroom
living in
been living
three-bedroom
house owned
the Utica
Utica United
United
by the
house
owned by
Methodist Church
Methodist
Church sleeping
sleeping on
air
packed so
tightly
air mattresses packed
so tightly
they
they touched.
Nisly
Because the house
was went out.
who is blind and disabled,
—
—
“I got
a
“I’m going to be honest with
you. The tension was high in
there,” Mitch said.“ When you’ve
got five teenage girls, yeah, you
better believe the tension is high.”
The past couple of weeks have
been filled with meetings with
insurance and real estate agents.
But Mitch doesn’t complain.
He is grateful for the generosity of
friends
and strangers
and that
friends and
that his
his
strangers and
family made
family
through the
made it
it through
the tortornado
and has
nado and
has a roof
roof over its
its head.
head.
Page B2
NISLY, Page
See
B2
See NISLY,
…
lot of my mind,”
went to the front passing him from person to Mitch said.“ I got nine chilwith the
the insurance
squabble with
squabble
insurance door but couldn’t get it to person over broken branches. dren to take care of. I got a
company over
over repairs. And
And open. She ordered everyone
The storm crushed their family to take care of. I don’t
12-passenger van, so all 11 know
all their
their belongings
know anybody
situahaving all
belongings downstairs.
anybody in
my situahaving
in my
doesn't have
have to
leveled, he doesn’t
leveled,
easy way
an easy
away was an
blown away
said.
de-clutter, he
to de-clutter,
he said.
The Nislys got keys to the
new home Wednesday.
While they have assigned
rooms, the kids preferred to
spend their first night together
on the living room floor, curled
up under donated quilts.
Moving their
their belongings
Moving
belongings
didn't take
take long.
long. They
They left
didn’t
the
of the
the ruins of
the house in BeaBeaver Crossing
Crossing with little more
the rain-soaked
rain- soaked clothes
than the
their backs.
on their
It was Mother’s Day. They
had gone to church that
morning at Christ’s Place in
Lincoln, ate lunch at Outback
Steakhouse, then headed
home to relax.
Mitch told the kids they
could watch TV until 5, and
then it was Dad’s turn. He
was surprised when they
didn’t argue. They were
more interested in the storm
developing outside.
Nine-year-old Michael
Nine-year-old
Michael
the wind
wind pick
trampick up aa tramsaw
saw the
it and
and smash
smash itit to
poline, flip
poline,
flip it
the
ground.
the ground.
Then came
came the
the sirens.
sirens. AA
Then
few
lights
later, the
few minutes
minutes later,
the lights
Betty
They held each other and family members piled into the
prayed
what sounded like extended cab of Mitch’s Ford
freight train passed
F-150. It took them 30 minhead. Water poured through utes driving through yards
the ceiling and soaked them. and around downed trees
a
as
over-
In one corner, the water ran
hot. Betty feared the ceiling
would collapse.
When the noise abated,
Mitch was first out of the
basement. The tornado
had filled the stairway with
debris he had to shove out of
the way or climb over.
“I couldn’t believe my
eyes. I yelled back, It’s all
gone.’”
Only
‘
of the
house’s walls remained and
their belongings were scattered across the nearby cemetery and farm field.
A supercell produced 17
tornadoes that night in a 119mile area from Clay County
to Douglas County. Beaver
Crossing was hardest hit,
with 16 houses destroyed,
but Sutton and Cordova also
sustained damage.
damage.
sustained
the Nisly home,
home, Mitch
At the
Betty led the
and
and Betty
the kids
kids up
from the basement. They
10-year-old Daryl,
carried 10-year-old
portions
home
that would be sleeping.”
sleeping."
tion that
family that
It's
It’s aa family
that grew
slowly
the years.
slowly over the
have told
"If you
you would
would have
told
“If
me
was
years
ago
ago
going
10
me 10
I was going
and power lines to make it the to have all
all these kids, I would
would
couple of blocks to the Beaver
Crossing Fire Department.
That night they slept on
cots in Centennial School in
Utica.
Donations and offers of
support began to pour in that
night. First clothes and blankets, then gift certificates,
furniture and a slow cooker,
among other items.
To help clean up, one of to be a foster parent at age 13
Mitch’s former bosses lent while growing up in Califorhim a payloader and told him nia. She took in her first fosnot to worry about refilling ter kid34 years ago, when she
the tank.
was 21 and living in Oregon.
“It is wonderful. It’s just
Her oldest adopted child is
unreal,” Betty said of the out- now an adult with a
family of
pouring of support.
his own.
The Utica
Utica United
United MethMethThe
When it comes to raising
odist Church offered
offered a house children, she has a simple
odist
for
stay in.
for them
them to stay
woman philosophy.
in. A woman
offered to host
host aa graduation
graduation
offered
"What's right is right.
party for
for 19-year-old Amber. What's wrong is wrong. And
Mitch Nisly hasn’t slept we don't do what is wrong."
well since the tornado. That
Everybody pitches in. And
first night he got only a cou- in a crowded house, manners
ple of hours.
are a must.
“To keep me sane, I have to
them in line, Betty said.
Thanks to insurance and
donations, all of the family’s
needs are met, the Nislys
said.
“I’m not grunting about
my insurance. I had better
insurance than I thought I
had,” said Mitch.
They have ordered a new
wheelchair for Daryl, and
in the meantime he has one
hastily thrown together from
parts of others.
Mitch said the family has
had to turn down some donations because they didn’t
have room for everything
while living in the house pro
vided by the Utica church.
“Later on down the road,
we probably are going to need
some more stuff. But right
now, we’re set up.”
keep
”
-
Death penalty talk
Bruce Crosby/McCook Gazette
Curtis McCarty, right, says he "tried to maintain my composure" during his 22 years
in prison — 19 on death row — after being falsely convicted of murder. Speaking
at the United Methodist Church in McCook Wednesday night, McCarty and Stacy
Anderson, left, executive director of Nebraskans for Alternatives to the Death
Penalty, argued that resources spent on executions, running into the millions of
dollars each, would be better spent on the "front end," on education, crime prevention, treatment and law enforcement. McCarty was convicted of killing a police
officer's daughter and was exonerated only after testimony that documents had
been falsified in his and several other cases. The greatest tragedy, he said, was
that changes in the law prevent the evidence that was used to clear him could not
be used to convict the person who actually committed the crime.
Pastor Alan
Gager to be
Ordained
Gager, Associate
Pastor Alan W.
W. Gager,
Pastor ofof The First United Method-ist
MethodKearney, Nebraska,
ist Church
Church inin Kearney,
Nebraska.
ordained aa Full Elder of the
will be ordained
Bishop
United Methodist Church by Bishop
on June
Scott Jones
Jones on
June 13,2014, at 7:7:30
30
p. m. atat the
p.m.
the Lied
Lied Center in Lincoln,
NE.
NE.
The ceremony
during
ceremony will be held during
the historic first Annual Conference
the
of the Great Plains Conference
Conference
comwhich
which consists ofof the newly com-bi
ned
bined Nebraska; Kansas East and
and
Kansas
Kansas West
West Conferences.
Conferences.
graduate of Table
Pastor Alan isis aa graduate
Table
Rock-Steinauer High School, Peru
Mas-s
State College
College and received his Mas-ter'
Degree from Saint Paul School
ter's Degree
of Theology
Theology in Kansas
City, MO.
Kansas City,
Spalding Presents 'Cowboy Church'
At Minden United Methodist Church
Steven Spalding will be presenting a 'Cowboy Church' concert at Minden United Methodist Church on Wednesday, May 21 .
This is Spalding 's 50th year as a singer/songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He has
performed all over the country and has been
nominated by the
Country Music
Association for
Entertainer of
the Year, Male
Vocalist of the
Year, and Single
of the Year. He
is a member of
the Western Music Association,
Country Gospel
Music Association, Missouri
Cowboy Poets
Association, and
has been a guest
on the Grand Ol'
Opry in Nashville.
'Cowboy
Church' includes
Steven's original
cowboy gospel
music, and a short
message. A free
will offering will
be received.
Pastor Gager
Ordination
June 13
Pastor Alan W. Gager, Associate Pastor of The First
United Methodist Church in
Kearney, Nebraska, will be
ordained a Full Elder of the
United Methodist Church by
Bishop Scott Jones on June
13, 2014, at 7:30 p.m. in the
Lied Center in Lincoln, NE.
The ceremony will be held
during the historic first Annual Conference of the Great
Plains Conference which consists of the newly combined
Nebraska, Kansas East and
Kansas West Conferences.
Pastor Alan is a graduate
of Table Rock-Steinauer High
School, Peru State College
and received his Master's De-
gree from Saint Paul School
of Theology in Kansas City,
MO.
He served two years as a
Student Pastor at the Adams
and Hopewell United Methodist Churches, seven years at
the Pawnee City and Dußois
United Methodist Churches,
including the Burchard United Methodist Church during
his last year prior to being
appointed to the large Kearney (NE) United Methodist
Church in June of 2013.
Pastor Alan is the son of
Shad and Lois Gager of Table
Rock.
Nebra ska poets remember A ngelou ent ra nce
-
based upon her experiences
from that time. Dawes said
his mother knew her during
When news of Maya Ange
those years, but he didn’t
lou’s death reached two Nemeet
her until recently.
braska poets, they rememDawes and other writers
bered not only her works and
had been invited to Angeher activism, but also the way
lou’s home in North Caroshe walked into a room.
lina during a festival last
At a speaking engagement year. The guests waited for
at Nebraska Wesleyan Uni- Angelou in the garden of her
versity years ago, Angelou
home. There came a point
strode to the podium inside where they wondered if she
the First United Methodist would appear, Dawes said.
Church singing a song. AnAnd then, flanked by two
gelou’s entrance stayed with young, impeccably dressed
Twyla Hansen, Nebraska’s men, Angelou arrived to her
party.
state poet, for decades.
“You just realize that she
“We were in the presence
of greatness, and it left us knows how to make an enbreathless,” Hansen said in trance,” Dawes said.
Dawes first learned of Maya
an email to the Journal Star.
Angelou’s death when he re“At least I was.”
Kwame Dawes, a poet and ceived an email from NPR’s
the chancellor’s professor “The Takeaway” Wednesday,
of English at the University asking if he’d go on the air to
of Nebraska-Lincoln, was talk about her life.
Takeaway,”
On “The
born in Ghana, where Angelou spent part of the ‘60s Dawes spoke of Angelou’s
living with her son. Her influence on aspiring poets.
he asked students
book, “All God’s Children When
By
CORY MATTESON
Lincoln
Need
Journal Star
Travelling
Shoes,”
is
whose work they had read,
who had inspired them, Angelou’s name was nearly always mentioned.
“I Know Why the Caged
Sings,”
Angelou’s
Bird
recounting
memoir
her
childhood in the Jim Crow
South, should be read by all
Americans, Dawes said during an interview with the
Journal Star. Each volume of
her memoirs showcases her
skills as a writer and storyteller, Dawes said.
On Wednesday, Dawes
said he thought of the poem
she read at President Clinton’s inauguration, “On the
Pulse of Morning.” It was
the first time since Robert
Frost in 1961 that a poet had
given an inaugural address.
There was talk on “The
Takeaway” of the moment
not aligning with President
Obama’s historic inauguration. But Dawes said the
time was right for Angelou,
and the country, in 1993.
Barriers, he said, are broken
in increments.
“That
was an
impor-
tant incremental moment,”
Dawes said.
remember
the
more than the
poem, he added. Dawes said
it highlighted not only her
writing but also her strong
voice. The first lines of “On
the Pulse of Morning” ran in
her New York Times obituary Wednesday.
Along
with her work,
Dawes on Wednesday recalled the author’s generosity.
Her speaking fee rivaled
her literary stature, but
Angelou would weigh the
needs of organizations and
sometimes waive the fee
People
event
perhaps
altogether.
Angelou had been scheduled to speak in Omaha next
month. She died Wednesday in her home in Winston-Salem at age 86.
“It feels like an era passing,”
Dawes said.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7438
or [email protected]. On
Twitter @ LJSMatteson.