The Thanksgiving holiday is almost here and soon families will be coming together for a time of celebration and thankfulness. In addition to the turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and all the other fixings, the Grand Island Fire Department encourages residents to put fire safety on their Thanksgiving menu.
According to the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires. In 2017, more than three times as many home cooking fires occurred on Thanksgiving as on a typical day with U.S. fire departments responding to an estimated 1,600 home cooking fires on the holiday.
Along with NFPA, the Grand Island Fire Department offers the following tips to keep families safe this holiday season:
Be sure to remove previous food and grease buildup from burners, stove top, and oven before starting Thanksgiving cooking.
Stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling, or broiling food. If leaving the kitchen, turn off the stove.
When simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly and remain in the home while the food is cooking.
Keep children at least three feet away from the stove as steam or splashes from vegetables, gravy, and other dishes can cause serious burns.
Avoid wearing loose fitting clothing while cooking and if wearing long sleeves roll them up.
Keep the number of people in the kitchen to a minimum, including children and pets, to avoid injuries from hot spills or causing tripping hazards. Crowded kitchens can cause confusion and result in burns.
Be sure electrical cords from appliances such as electric knives, coffeemakers, plate warmers, and mixers are not dangling off the counter or within easy reach of children.
Keep anything that can catch fire such as oven mitts, wooden utensils, towels, and wrappers away from stoves and ovens.
Never leave children alone near lit candles. Furthermore, matches and utility lighters should be kept in a locked cabinet out of the reach of children.
Test smoke alarms to ensure alarms are working properly.
Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen in case of emergency and know how to use it.
As noted above, many safety tips involve kids. The Fire Department suggests having activities that keep kids out of the kitchen during the busy food preparation time. Games, puzzles, or books centered on Thanksgiving will keep kids busy, but still allows them to be included in the holiday celebration.
Grand Island Fire Chief Cory Schmidt says, “The GIFD wants you have a safe Thanksgiving that is free from fire or accidents. Remember to stand by your pan and keep a close watch on your cooking and baking this holiday season.”
For more information about the Grand Island Fire Department visit us atwww.facebook.com/GI.FireDepartment.
Two people already charged with kidnapping two people have been accused of killing one, whose body was found in a drainage pipe in southwest Nebraska.
Chase County Court records say 24-year-old Kevin German, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and 22-year-old Keonna Carter, of Taylorsville, Utah, are charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and other crimes.
The two were arrested Saturday in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Court records say they’re suspected leaving 22-year-old Annika Swanson, of Imperial, in a drainage pipe in a Chase County pasture on Nov. 14. The records say Carter told investigators that German beat up Swanson and, accompanied by Carter, forced Swanson down into the pipe on Nov. 14. Using Carter’s information, authorities found and recovered Swanson’s body in the pipe on Sunday. Her father had reported her missing three days earlier.
German, Carter and a third person are also suspected of kidnapping a 20-year-old woman. Authorities have said she’s safe now.
Stivrins collected her second career all-region honor after posting 2.60 kills per set, 1.06 blocks per set and a team-best .385 hitting percentage. The junior middle blocker has led the Huskers to a .150 opponent hitting percentage this season, which ranks seventh in the nation. A first-team All-American last year, Stivrins has also served nine aces and was a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection this season.
Sun earned her second career all-region honor and first at Nebraska. The junior outside hitter leads the Huskers with 3.54 kills per set with 2.40 digs per set and a team-high 24 aces. Sun posted double-digit kills in 18 of 20 Big Ten matches and was a first-team All-Big Ten selection. She has nine double-doubles this season, second-most on the team.
Hames received her first all-region team selection after averaging 10.91 assists and 2.89 digs per set. One of the best defensive setters in the nation, Hames has a team-high 16 double-doubles and has served 24 aces. Her 11.37 assists per set in Big Ten play ranked third in the conference and earned her first-team All-Big Ten accolades. Hames has set the Huskers to a .272 hitting percentage this season.
Kubik earned Nebraska's first AVCA North Region Freshman of the Year honor since Kadie Rolfzen in 2013. She is the sixth Husker all-time to be named region freshman of the year. Kubik is averaging 2.75 kills and 2.51 digs per set in her first year as a Husker. She ranked fourth among Big Ten freshmen in kills (2.73 per set) and digs (2.52 per set) in conference play, earning her All-Big Ten Second Team and Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.
The four Huskers will be eligible for AVCA All-America honors, which will be announced next Wednesday, Dec. 18.
Adams Central 54, Holdrege 34
Alma 50, Kenesaw 41
Archbishop Bergan 78, Omaha Christian Academy 22
BDS 61, Hampton 17
Battle Creek 64, Wayne 59
Bayard 43, Crawford 40
Beatrice 55, Columbus 32
Bennington 55, Nebraska City 14
Bertrand 30, Axtell 27
Bloomfield 63, Emerson-Hubbard 21
Boone Central/Newman Grove 51, Hartington Cedar Catholic 40
Brady 47, Garden County 31
Bridgeport 63, Leyton 24
Broken Bow 53, North Platte St. Patrick's 37
CWC 63, Summerland 46
Central City 69, Gibbon 37
Chadron 61, Scottsbluff 44
Chase County 59, Wauneta-Palisade 40
Cody-Kilgore 67, Hay Springs 36
Creek Valley 41, Hyannis 37
Crete 65, Hastings 30
Crofton 63, Laurel-Concord-Coleridge 42
Cross County 59, Shelby-Rising City 27
Diller-Odell 60, Humboldt-Table Rock-Steinauer 56 (OT)
Doniphan-Trumbull 33, Blue Hill 26
Dundy County-Stratton 54, Kimball 25
Elgin Public/Pope John 47, Niobrara/Verdigre 30
Elkhorn Valley 53, Neligh-Oakdale 39
Elm Creek 58, Southern Valley 55
Exeter-Milligan 63, Osceola 19
Falls City Sacred Heart 65, Sterling 29
Fillmore Central 40, Milford 37
Frankfort, KS 55, Pawnee City 32
Franklin 35, Sandhills Valley 18
Gering 77, Alliance 42
Gordon-Rushville 39, Hemingford 34
Gothenburg 37, Hershey 25
Guardian Angels Central Catholic 61, Wisner-Pilger 11
Heartland 41, Wilber-Clatonia 24
Hi-Line 58, Ansley-Litchfield 43
High Plains Community 40, Giltner 36
Howells-Dodge 39, Stanton 26
Humphrey St. Francis 76, Palmer 15
Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family 48, Clarkson/Leigh 41
Johnson County Central 46, Mead 41
Kearney Catholic 64, Sutton 36
Lawrence-Nelson 52, Red Cloud 13
Lincoln Christian 30, Fairbury 28
Lincoln North Star 57, Kearney 38
Maxwell 60, Sandhills/Thedford 19
Maywood-Hayes Center 58, Wallace 16
Medicine Valley 42, Paxton 15
Meridian 45, Dorchester 25
Millard South 87, Omaha Bryan 8
Mitchell 41, Sterling, CO 39
Morrill 45, Potter-Dix 8
Mullen 56, Anselmo-Merna 42
Nebraska Christian 41, St. Edward 32
Norris 56, Plattsmouth 51
North Central 60, Burwell 16
North Platte 43, Sidney 39
Northwest 57, Waverly 40
Ogallala 39, Lexington 34
Omaha Brownell Talbot 59, Cornerstone Christian 10
Omaha Roncalli Catholic 50, Omaha Concordia 43
Ord 57, Ainsworth 56
Osmond 46, Randolph 43
Overton 51, Loomis 37
Papillion-LaVista 58, Bellevue East 28
Pleasanton 65, Arcadia/Loup City 49
Silver Lake 44, Deshler 37
South Loup (Callaway/Arnold) 41, Twin Loup 11
South Platte 41, Minatare 10
Southern 42, Palmyra 24
St. Mary's 54, Riverside 24
Sumner-Eddyville-Miller 56, Wilcox-Hildreth 38
Syracuse 55, Falls City 28
Wahoo 40, Aurora 37
Wausa 33, Plainview 30
Weeping Water 57, Malcolm 41
West Holt 41, Creighton 33
Winnebago 92, Walthill 19
Wray, CO 60, Perkins County 20
Wynot 71, Winside 16
Missing Scores:
@ Omaha Nation: Santee VS Omaha Nation
@ Pender: Tekamah-Herman VS Pender
@ Raymond Central: Aquinas Catholic VS Raymond Central
Saturday (12/07/2019)
Ainsworth 45, Gordon-Rushville 39
Aquinas Catholic 47, Shelby-Rising City 17
Archbishop Bergan 61, Douglas County West 26
Arlington 52, Ashland-Greenwood 43
Arthur County 52, Hay Springs 23
Atwood-Rawlins County, KS 65, Hitchcock County 61
BDS 70, East Butler 32
BRLD 61, Homer 40
Blair 51, Ralston 34
Boone Central/Newman Grove 38, Columbus Lakeview 29
Boyd County 53, Wausa 29
Bridgeport 49, Bayard 28
Centennial 58, Nebraska Christian 28
Chadron 62, North Platte 54 (OT)
Clarkson/Leigh 69, Madison 31
David City 37, Sandy Creek 24
Dundy County-Stratton 49, Morrill 39
Elkhorn 56, Waverly 39
Elkhorn South 71, Lincoln Southeast 38
Fillmore Central 39, Fairbury 31
Fremont 50, Omaha Westside 43
Fullerton 70, High Plains Community 33
Grand Island Central Catholic 58, Omaha Gross Catholic 49
Guardian Angels Central Catholic 55, Lutheran High Northeast 38
Hampton 32, McCool Junction 25
Hartington-Newcastle 60, Osmond 41
Hastings St. Cecilia 50, Bishop Neumann 26
Hemingford 54, Hyannis 28
Humphrey St. Francis 66, Heartland Lutheran 10
Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family 67, Battle Creek 49
Kearney Catholic 64, Holdrege 51
Kimball 60, Potter-Dix 5
Lawrence-Nelson 65, Tri County 18
Lincoln Christian 65, Freeman 37
Lincoln East 60, Norfolk 33
Lincoln High 57, Papillion-LaVista South 39
Lincoln Northeast 54, Bellevue West 51
Logan View-Scribner-Snyder 50, Twin River 18
Lourdes Central Catholic 34, Yutan 29
Malcolm 51, Auburn 38
Maxwell 51, Creek Valley 17
Maywood-Hayes Center 61, Southwest 30
McCook 47, Valentine 34
Meridian 57, Nebraska Lutheran 29
Milford 67, Raymond Central 28
Millard North 62, Grand Island 24
Millard South 101, Omaha Burke 71
Mitchell 49, Gering 43
Norfolk Catholic 38, Lincoln Lutheran 19
North Bend Central 78, Seward 37
North Platte St. Patrick's 57, Sutherland 17
Northwest 51, Norris 46 (OT)
Oakland-Craig 64, Boys Town 14
Ogallala 46, Minden 33
Omaha Duchesne Academy 32, Elmwood-Murdock 31
Omaha Mercy 51, Plattsmouth 46
Omaha North 71, Omaha South 27
Omaha Northwest 68, Omaha Benson 54
Ord 75, Central City 39
Platteview 59, Louisville 43
Ponca 55, Wayne 32
Shelton 33, Franklin 29
South Loup (Callaway/Arnold) 53, Amherst 28
South Sioux City 58, Columbus 45
St. Paul 43, Doniphan-Trumbull 15
Sterling 40, Thayer Central 24
Sterling, CO 49, Alliance 31
Stuart 50, Central Valley 36
Sumner-Eddyville-Miller 56, Loomis 54
Superior 64, Belleville - Republic Co., KS 25
Tekamah-Herman 30, Stanton 24
Twin Loup 38, Sandhills/Thedford 17
Weeping Water 60, Humboldt-Table Rock-Steinauer 29
West Point-Beemer 48, Omaha Roncalli Catholic 46
Wood River 43, Centura 38
Missing Scores:
@ Cody-Kilgore: Sioux County VS Cody-Kilgore
@ Fort Calhoun: Syracuse VS Fort Calhoun
@ Milford: Raymond Central VS Milford
@ Sedgwick County, CO: Garden County VS Sedgwick County, CO
Amy Schiel after Valentine
Josh Kershaw after Valentine
Ainsworth 55, Ord 37
Alliance 53, North Platte 32
Alma 57, Kenesaw 34
Ansley-Litchfield 90, Hi-Line 57
Aquinas Catholic 60, Raymond Central 31
Arcadia/Loup City 55, Pleasanton 42
Archbishop Bergan 84, Omaha Christian Academy 48
Axtell 61, Bertrand 36
BDS 56, Hampton 6
Battle Creek 57, Wayne 49
Beatrice 78, Columbus 68
Bennington 79, Nebraska City 44
Bloomfield 52, Emerson-Hubbard 25
Brady 59, Garden County 53
Bridgeport 58, Leyton 12
Burwell 70, North Central 23
Chase County 67, Wauneta-Palisade 17
Crawford 47, Bayard 37
Deshler 42, Silver Lake 37
Diller-Odell 56, Humboldt-Table Rock-Steinauer 45
Doniphan-Trumbull 50, Blue Hill 38
Dundy County-Stratton 58, Kimball 46
Elkhorn Valley 54, Neligh-Oakdale 37
Exeter-Milligan 56, Osceola 52 (OT)
Falls City 47, Syracuse 36
Falls City Sacred Heart 69, Sterling 29
Frankfort, KS 57, Pawnee City 44
Franklin 48, Sandhills Valley 36
Gering 67, Sidney 56
Gibbon 40, Central City 36
Giltner 49, High Plains Community 14
Gordon-Rushville 47, Hemingford 34
Hartington Cedar Catholic 78, Boone Central/Newman Grove 43
Hastings 56, Crete 39
Hay Springs 45, Cody-Kilgore 44
Hershey 53, Gothenburg 48
Howells-Dodge 49, Stanton 35
Humphrey St. Francis 71, Palmer 26
Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family 77, Clarkson/Leigh 34
Hyannis 67, Creek Valley 40
Johnson County Central 49, Mead 38
Kearney Catholic 51, Sutton 42
Laurel-Concord-Coleridge 64, Crofton 37
Lawrence-Nelson 60, Red Cloud 18
Lincoln Christian 67, Fairbury 38
Loomis 72, Overton 23
Malcolm 56, Weeping Water 34
Maxwell 48, Sandhills/Thedford 45
Milford 71, Fillmore Central 27
Mitchell 64, Chadron 49
Morrill 54, Potter-Dix 23
Mullen 68, Anselmo-Merna 56
Nebraska Christian 42, St. Edward 19
Niobrara/Verdigre 53, Elgin Public/Pope John 49
Norris 55, Plattsmouth 29
North Platte St. Patrick's 60, Broken Bow 39
Northwest 52, Waverly 33
Ogallala 67, Lexington 65 (OT)
Omaha Brownell Talbot 55, Cornerstone Christian 37
Omaha Nation 87, Santee 47
Omaha South 71, Omaha Benson 58
Osmond 55, Randolph 33
Palmyra 68, Southern 41
Paxton 65, Medicine Valley 49
Pender 57, Tekamah-Herman 45
Plainview 42, Wausa 27
Riverside 64, St. Mary's 47
Scottsbluff 68, Sterling, CO 59
Shelby-Rising City 49, Cross County 41
South Loup (Callaway/Arnold) 60, Twin Loup 25
South Platte 31, Minatare 28
Southern Valley 56, Elm Creek 50
Summerland 40, CWC 35
Sumner-Eddyville-Miller 55, Wilcox-Hildreth 25
Wahoo 48, Aurora 29
Wakefield 57, Allen 40
Wallace 65, Maywood-Hayes Center 27
Walthill 60, Winnebago 51
West Holt 63, Creighton 59
Wilber-Clatonia 62, Heartland 55
Wisner-Pilger 69, Guardian Angels Central Catholic 47
Wray, CO 86, Perkins County 45
Wynot 47, Winside 14
Missing Scores:
@ Meridian: Dorchester VS Meridian
Saturday (12/07/2019)
Ainsworth 60, Gordon-Rushville 56
Amherst 64, South Loup (Callaway/Arnold) 39
Aquinas Catholic 52, Shelby-Rising City 32
Ashland-Greenwood 58, Arlington 44
Auburn 83, Malcolm 42
BDS 48, East Butler 36 (OT)
BRLD 65, Homer 28
Bayard 56, Leyton 32
Belleville-Republic Co., KS 58, Superior 41
Bellevue West 69, Omaha Westside 62
Bishop Neumann 50, Hastings St. Cecilia 17
Boyd County 50, Wausa 26
Boys Town 76, Oakland-Craig 70
Bridgeport 72, Crawford 18
Centennial 70, Nebraska Christian 32
Central City 42, Ord 34
Central Valley 64, Stuart 38
Centura 47, Wood River 28
Clarkson/Leigh 64, Madison 44
Columbus 92, South Sioux City 67
Columbus Lakeview 60, Boone Central/Newman Grove 27
Creighton Preparatory School 66, Lincoln Southwest 54
Douglas County West 50, Archbishop Bergan 42
Dundy County-Stratton 42, Morrill 25
Fairbury 60, Fillmore Central 42
Fort Calhoun 67, Syracuse 19
Fullerton 79, High Plains Community 17
Grand Island Central Catholic 78, Norfolk Catholic 39
Gretna 67, Millard South 54
Hay Springs 48, Arthur County 40
Humphrey St. Francis 75, Heartland Lutheran 25
Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family 63, Battle Creek 60
Kearney Catholic 60, Holdrege 39
Lincoln Christian 65, Freeman 54
Lincoln East 68, Norfolk 59
Lincoln Lutheran 57, Omaha Gross Catholic 31
Lincoln North Star 65, Kearney 54
Lincoln Northeast 92, Fremont 54
Lincoln Southeast 58, Elkhorn South 45
Logan View-Scribner-Snyder 47, Twin River 30
Loomis 80, Sumner-Eddyville-Miller 45
Lourdes Central Catholic 50, Elmwood-Murdock 46
Lutheran High Northeast 66, Guardian Angels Central Catholic 57 (OT)
Maxwell 52, Creek Valley 24
Maywood-Hayes Center 61, Southwest 44
McCook 75, Valentine 42
McCool Junction 73, Hampton 26
Milford 54, Raymond Central 34
Millard North 79, Papillion-LaVista South 63
Mount Michael Benedictine 76, Plattsmouth 37
Norris 48, Northwest 26
North Bend Central 64, Seward 35
North Platte St. Patrick's 61, Sutherland 35
Ogallala 81, Minden 39
Omaha Central 69, Omaha Burke 57
Omaha North 55, Omaha South 54
Osmond 71, Hartington-Newcastle 59
Papillion-LaVista 64, Bellevue East 46
Ponca 58, Wayne 40
Ralston 59, Blair 50
Sandy Creek 41, David City 34
Scottsbluff 66, Alliance 50
Shelton 48, Franklin 22
Sioux County 45, Cody-Kilgore 31
St. Paul 49, Doniphan-Trumbull 46
Stanton 40, Tekamah-Herman 37
Sterling 51, Thayer Central 49 (OT)
Tri County 60, Lawrence-Nelson 30
Waverly 40, Elkhorn 33
Weeping Water 52, Humboldt-Table Rock-Steinauer 48
Yutan 70, Parkview Christian 26
Missing Scores:
@ Atwood-Rawlins County, KS: Hitchcock County VS Atwood-Rawlins County, KS
@ Hyannis: Hemingford VS Hyannis
@ Nebraska Lutheran: Meridian VS Nebraska Lutheran
@ Omaha Roncalli Catholic: West Point-Beemer VS Omaha Roncalli Catholic
@ Platteview: Louisville VS Platteview
@ Sandhills/Thedford: Twin Loup VS Sandhills/Thedford
@ Sedgwick County, CO: Garden County VS Sedgwick County, CO
Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney football team scored 15 points in the first six minutes, rushed for 446 yards and recorded four sacks to hold off Winona (Minn.) State, 50-33, in the 54th Annual Mineral Water Bowl Saturday afternoon in Excelsior Springs, Mo.
This marks UNK's fourth all-time postseason win in 113 years of playing football. The Lopers finish up at 7-5 with a large senior class helping turn around a program that was 0-11 in 2015 and 1-10 in 2016.
The Warriors (8-4), from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, came in with a veteran defense that was allowing just 16 points and 129 rushing yards per game. Head coach Josh Lynn's option-based offense gashed Winona early and often and managed those 446 yards on just 48 carries (9.2 avg.). UNK rushed for six touchdowns with quarterback TJ Davis (Colorado Springs) going 4 of 6 in the air for 46 yards and one score.
Davis, having a hand in five TD's in the first half, was named Offensive MVP with senior inside backer Sal Silvio (Kansas City) the Defensive MVP. Davis ran 12 times for 144 yards and four scores (54, 14, two, and 36 yards) with Silvio amassing nine tackles including his ninth sack of the fall. He ends a two-time all-region career with 323 tackles, second most in Loper lore.
The defense started the day with a three and out and then Davis, on the Lopers second offensive play, fooled the entire WSU defense and ran 54 yards down the right sidelines for a 6-0 lead. Lynn then called for a fake PAT and it worked as junior OLB Travis Holcomb (Centura) picked up the two points.
Another three and out followed and featured a 10-yard sack by Silvio who fell just short of the single season sack record (9.5/Nate Reicks/2008). A short punt and a 10-yard return by graduate student Luke Quinn (Scottsdale, Ariz.) put the ball deep into WSU territory. Two runs later and it was quickly 15-0.
The Warriors, minus all-conference back Sam Santiago-Lloyd, couldn't muster much of a run game against a stout Loper front (44 yards on 31 carries) but junior QB Owen Burke (6-3, 225 lbs.) kept his team in the game by going 22 of 32 for 284 yards, three TD's and no INT's. Also getting out of several sacks and keeping plays alive with his feet, he helped WSU trim the deficit to 15-9, 22-16, 36-26 and 43-33.
Both teams also had TD's wiped off the boards, UNK seeing a 39-yard run by senior back David Goodwin (Lauderhill, Fla.) called back due to holding. That would've made it 42-19 midway through the third quarter. A few minutes later WSU all-league punt returner/receiver Jake Balliu brought back a punt 70 yards for six points but an illegal block nullified that score. However, WSU did get a 33-yard pass from Burke to Tyler Knutson later on that drive to make it 36-26.
UNK responded as Goodwin ran for three tough yards to convert on 3rd & 2 and then senior back Darrius Webb (Allentown, Pa.) had runs of six, 19 and 23 yards, the third resulting in a TD. A 15-yard personal foul on WSU also aided that drive. All toll the teams combined for 11 penalties for 137 yards.
Winona came back once more as Burke completed passes of 30 and 38 yards before finding receiver Ethan Wittenburg from four yards out with 10 minutes to play. The back and forth continued as UNK used nine straight runs, including a 21-yard scamper by junior Dayton Sealey (Hastings), to salt things away. The 89-yard drive, which started with a penalty on the kick return, ended when Quinn – a six-year Loper – ran in from a yard out. That is his 21st and last score in a UNK uniform.
Backup QB John Rumpza tried to get WSU within 10 points again as he threw a 26-yard completion on 4th & 19 from the Loper 37-yard line. However, the defense finished the year in style by shutting down the Warriors on four plays from inside the five-yard line.
For UNK, Webb had a big second half and tallied a team-best 152 rushing yards on 12 carries. Goodwin managed 79 yards on 16 carries and thus went over 1,000 yards (1,041) for the season, as did Davis (1,030). This is the first time in school history two players have reached 1k in rushing yards in the same fall. The four rushing scores by Davis are tied for second most in school history in a game and just one off the record.
Next sophomore slot Montrez Jackson (Trenton, FL) caught two balls for 23 yards and one TD. Besides Silvio, senior OLB Zach Sullivan (Millard West) had nine tackles including a sack, junior corner Terrell Williams (Sacramento) had four stops and three PBU's and senior linemen Hinwa Allieu (Gaithersburg, Md) and Jordan Ingraham (Miami) had four tackles apiece.
For Winona, twelve different players caught a pass including five by Balliu. Backup back Miguel Benjamin had 49 yards on 10 carries with redshirt freshman backer Clay Schueffner having a team-best 10 tackles.
UNK begins spring ball in March 2020 with signing day coming in February.
