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Sand Sculpting Competition to Take Place at Lake Mac

Lake McConaughy
Lake McConaughy

(AP) — A sand sculpting competition will be among the activities at the 24th annual Kites and Castles event at Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area in western Nebraska.

The event is scheduled for July 27 at Sandy Beach. Participants may register at kitesandcastles.com or on the beach at 11 a.m. that day.

Sculpting begins at noon, judging at 4 p.m. and the awards dinner and dance at 5 p.m. at Admiral’s Cove. Trophies and prizes will be awarded.

There is no registration fee for the event, but a park entry permit is required. Call 800-658-4390 for more information about Kites and Castles.

Commodity Carnivals Scheduled at NE County Fairs

4h(AP) — County fairs throughout Nebraska will offer a series of hands-on carnival games to visitors this summer to teach about commodities.

The 4-H Commodity Carnivals will take place at 10 county fairs throughout July and August. The games will debut at county and state fairs in 11 states, including Nebraska.

The mini-games were developed by the Ohio State University Extension as a way to introduce the concepts of agriculture futures, options and commodity training. The games are targeted at families and youths between ages 8 and 14.

The games will be available at fairs in Adams, Cedar, Lincoln, Cheyenne, Morrill, Scotts Bluff, Cuming, Cherry and Otoe counties, as well as the Dakota-Thurston County Fair.

Michelin Announces Voluntary Recall of 100,000 Tires

michelin-man(AP) — Michelin is voluntarily recalling 100,000 tires after a retailer discovered that some had holes and quickly deflated.

The recall affects certain sizes of Michelin’s LTX M/S 2, X Radial LT2 and Latitude Tour tires. The tires are typically used on light trucks and SUVs.

The puncture, in the sidewall, was caused by machines used to handle the finished tires. The tires were made in Michelin’s Lexington, S.C. plant.

There have been no reports of damage, death or injury. Michelin says about 2,500 of the recalled tires may have the defect.

Customers who may have purchased the tires will be notified by mail beginning next week. Customers who have already replaced the tires may be reimbursed.

Owners can contact Michelin at 1-855-851-4951 or

Woman Dies While Riding Six Flags Roller Coaster

The Texas Giant
The Texas Giant

(AP) — A woman has died while riding an amusement park roller coaster in North Texas.

The incident happened just after 6:30 p.m. Friday at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington. A statement issued by park spokeswoman Sharon Parker says the woman died while riding the Texas Giant roller coaster.

Parker didn’t specify how the woman died. A message left for her by The Associated Press wasn’t returned.

An Arlington police spokesman referred all questions to Parker. No other details were available.

Six Flags said it was closing the section of the park around the accident site temporarily but didn’t say for how long. It also expressed sadness over the accident.

The Texas Giant reaches 14 stories high and has a drop of 79 degrees. It can carry up to 24 riders.

Omaha Mayor’s Aid Will Be Allowed to Carry Concealed Handgun

Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert
Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert

(AP) — Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert’s chief of staff has been given the OK to carry a concealed handgun in the City-County Building.

The administrator of the Omaha Douglas Public Building Commission granted the request for Chief of Staff Marty Bilek, who served for 38 years with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. He retired from his position as chief deputy to accept the position with Stothert.

Although federal law lets retired officers carry concealed weapons, Stothert had to seek approval because the City-County Building doesn’t allow weapons.

Stothert called it “another layer of caution.”

She says Bilek will carry a 9 mm handgun that he has owned for 25 years. Bilek will buy his own bullets for the gun.

Lincoln Firefighters Rescue Cats from Burning Home

lincoln-fire-department(AP) — Lincoln firefighters rescued three cats from a two-alarm blaze in an apartment.

The fire was reported Friday morning, but before firefighters arrived a passing motorist stopped and kicked in a door after learning that cats were inside.

Firefighters arrived a short time later and rescued the cats.

Firefighters used special oxygen equipment designed for animals to treat the cats.

The animals were taken to a shelter and are believed to be healthy.

Investigators haven’t determined the cause of the fire.

Omaha Firefighter Falls 35 Feet During Training

us-fire(AP) — An Omaha firefighter candidate is recovering from injuries sustained after he fell 35 feet during a training exercise.

The Omaha Fire Department says the man suffered internal and external injuries from the accident Friday at the Rainwood Training Center. He is in stable condition.

The man, whose name hasn’t been released, was performing a search-and-rescue drill that involved finding a small child dummy. He was in a room with several people when he fell from a window on the third floor.

Officials say the first-year probationary firefighter candidate was hired in July 2012.

Fairbury Man Charged with Making Threats with Knife

stab(AP) — A southeast Nebraska man has been accused of threatening another man with a knife.

28-year-old Christopher P. Kuhlman, of Fairbury, is accused of demanding money from a man Thursday morning.

Kuhlman is accused of pulling out a silver folding knife when the man refused to give him money.

Kuhlman was arrested on suspicion of making terroristic threats, using a weapon to commit a felony and trespassing. He was taken to the Gage County Detention Center.

The newspaper reports Kuhlman’s bond was set Friday at $15,000. His next court appearance is scheduled Aug. 2.

Court records do not list an attorney.

Court Sides with Family of Utah Boy Killed by Bear

bear(AP) — The Utah Supreme Court has sided with a family that sued the state after a bear killed their 11-year-old son at a campground in 2007.

The court ruled Friday that a lower court erred in deciding the state was not at fault. The justices found that a bear shouldn’t be considered part of the “natural condition on the land” as the lower court ruled.

The ruling sends the case back to a lower court.

The family argued before the Supreme Court that Division of Wildlife Services workers should’ve warned them when they arrived at a campground in American Fork Canyon on Father’s Day 2007 that the site had been abandoned earlier that day because of a non-fatal bear attack.

Sam Ives was asleep that night when the bear ripped through his tent, pulled him out and killed him.

Columbus Man to Stand Trial for Pushing Man Down Stairs

gavel(AP) — A trial date has been set for a Columbus man accused of pushing another man down a flight of stairs.

36-year-old Jason Fisher has been bound for trial in district court on July 23 on a first-degree assault charge. He waived his right to a preliminary hearing in the case.

Fisher is accused of pushing 57-year-old William Jorgensen down the stairs of a downtown apartment building at the end of May. Jorgensen suffered a crushed pelvis from the fall.

Jorgensen said he and Fisher had a disagreement inside an apartment unit where the tenant was not home. Jorgensen told authorities that Fisher shoved him as hard as he could down the stairs.

Fisher was later arrested and remains at the county jail.

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