Photo courtesy Ted Phillips
The carnage in the days following the tower’s collapse was a sight in itself. Ted Phillips took this picture after he and his wife, Elaine, realized the tower was gone and went to investigate. Below, Elaine stands near part of the toppled tower, showing its size and where it broke through the trees.
The Seward County Sheriff’s office has identified a man involved in suspicious activity at a local Walmart store.
According to a public safety information release posted on the department’s social media on Feb. 3, the department was made aware of at least four incidents occurring at the Seward Walmart in the past few days.
“During each incident there has been a Hispanic male following adults with children around the store and photographing the children. In one incident, the Hispanic male left the store when noticed and waited outside for the female,” the release said.
An update on the situation the afternoon of Feb. 4 said the sheriff’s office and Seward Police Department positively identified the man and that he was no longer in Seward County, most-likely having traveled to California.
The investigation is ongoing, with an interview of the subject pending, the update said.
The department obtained a description of a maroon van with 16-county tags in connection with one of the incidents.
Sheriff Mike Vance urges the public to be aware of their surroundings and the people around them.
He said deputies and officers were to patrol the store both in and out of uniform after the incidents were reported.
He said anyone who notices this or other suspicious activity should contact local law enforcement and let store employees know immediately.
He also notified the York County Sheriff’s Office of the activity.
The office’s non-emergency number is (402) 643-2359.
A snowstorm Jan. 18 caused a 60-plus-year-old TV tower to collapse near Beaver Crossing.
The tower, owned by KOLN-TV, helped carry the signal for channels 10 and 11 to Beaver Crossing and the surrounding area.
KOLN reports that no one was injured when the tower came crashing down and that it has restored service to most, but not all, of its area viewers.
Beaver Crossing resident Elaine Phillips wrote the following recollection of the tower:
“Beaver Crossing lost a landmark late Friday night when the Channel 10 tower fell. High winds and ice caused it to collapse onto itself.
“It has stood tall and strong for over 60 years and withstood the tornado in 2014, which took down structures near it, and the ice storm of 1976, which left parts of the surrounding area without power for nearly three weeks.
“Frankly, I think it is pretty amazing it stood that long. It was 1,500 feet tall on only a 10-foot base. Some powerful engineering kept it up a long time.
“We live straight west of the tower remains. It was front and center in the picture windows of both houses. Curtis (Phillips, father-in-law) used to check it before he went for a flight in his airplane. If the top was visible, he knew he had a 1,500-foot ceiling and could fly VFR (with visual flight rules). For more of the story, check out this week's issue of the SCI.
Learn the lingo on labels: Understanding what is in the foods you buy is key to stocking a nutritious kitchen. Yet food labels are not always easy to decipher. What are you getting when you buy juice or a multigrain bread or a low-fat food? Find out more at a program at the Seward Senior Center today at 12:30 p.m. This was rescheduled because of weather.
Yolanda Harden, regional director for the Set Me Free Project, a nonprofit organization focused on fighting sex trafficking through prevention education for youth and families, will give a presentation titled “Human Trafficking and Social Media Safety” Wednesday, Feb. 5, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Dunklau Center Lecture Hall at Concordia University. This presentation is free and open to the public. This event is organized by Concordia’s Law and Justice Club, and supported by the Martin and Regina Maehr family.
The Seward County League of Women Voters will hold its monthly meeting tomorrow, Feb. 6 at the Seward Civic Center, beginning at 6:15 p.m. The public is invited to attend.
Nebraska Lt. Gov. Mike Foley will speak at the 2020 Ag Growth Gathering in Seward next month. An informational meeting about the convention will be held this Friday, Feb. 7 at the Seward County Fairgrounds at 3 p.m.
The second annual Walk for Hope at Concordia University will be this Saturday, Feb. 8, from 7-8:30 p.m. The event is held to raise awareness for those struggling with a mental health disorder. Registration can be found at the SCCDP website or by stopping into their office.
