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FBI: Washington Navy Yard Shooter Didn’t Target Specific Victims

Aaron Alexis
Aaron Alexis

(AP) — The FBI says there is no indication that the Navy Yard shooter targeted any specific individuals when he opened fire inside a building, killing 12 people.

Valerie Parlave, head of the FBI’s field office in Washington, said Wednesday during a news conference that investigators are continuing to explore the background and motivations of 34-year-old Aaron Alexis. However, she says Alexis had a well-documented history of mental health issues.

Parlave says Alexis held a delusional belief that he was being controlled by extremely low frequency waves, or ELF waves. Alexis had written “my ELF weapon” on a shotgun he used in the rampage.

Alexis, a former Navy reservist and IT contractor, was killed in a shootout with police.

New $100 Bill Has Ink Well, More Color, 3D

100-bill(AP) — America’s new $100 bill will feature a color-changing ink well, a 3-D security ribbon, and more texture on Benjamin Franklin’s collar.

The new C-note that goes into circulation next month is aimed at fighting back against counterfeiters with improved printers and technology.

It still carries the image of Franklin, one of America’s Founding Fathers. But it adds part of the Declaration of Independence from Franklin’s left shoulder to the right edge of the bill. A quill and an ink well are printed behind the text, and a blue ribbon runs near the center of the bill.

The ink in the well changes colors when the bill is turned.

The new $100 bill is scheduled to enter circulation on Oct. 8 after years of delays due to production issues.

Bellevue Man Sentenced for Stealing from Employer

EMBEZZLIN(AP) — A judge has sentenced a Bellevue man to 90 days in jail and three years of probation for stealing more than $700,000 from his employer.

Douglas County Judge James Gleason sentenced Steven S. Molnar on Tuesday.

Molnar faced up to 20 years in prison after pleading no contest to theft charges, but the judge noted he’d repaid the $768,000 he stole from Pitney Bowes Presort Services, a business that specializes in mail sorting and delivery. Molnar’s probation officer also recommended probation.

Molnar worked as an account manager. He kept some of the money in banks but had $207,000 in cash, which he wrapped in a grocery bag and stuffed behind drywall at his home.

Prosecutors speculated he viewed the money as his retirement fund.

Facebook Message Leads to Stalking Charge for North Platte Man

Dylan Aufdengarten
Dylan Aufdengarten

A North Platte man is facing multiple felony charges after Police say he sent a Facebook message to a female who he is prohibited from contacting.

At around 10:10 p.m. on Tuesday, North Platte Police received a complaint of a protection order violation from a 29-year-old female.  The victim alleged that the suspect, Dylan Aufdengarten, had messaged her via Facebook.

The responding officer confirmed that there was an active Domestic Protection Order served on Aufdengarten, in which the victim was the protected party.

The Officer was able to locate Aufdengarten at a residence in the 2400 block of West 14th where he discovered that the owner of the home was not present, and also had a separate Protection Order in place against Aufdengarten.

Police placed Aufdengarten under arrest and charged him with two counts of  felony Violation of a Domestic Protection Order.  Additionally, Police learned Aufdengarten had just been released from a 10-day jail sentence earlier in the day, also for violating a protection order.  Because of the previous conviction, he was charged with Stalking, also a felony.

Aufdengarten is being held at the Lincoln County Detention Center.

Lincoln Man Gets Prison for Trying to Run Down Woman

Mark Kometscher Jr.
Mark Kometscher Jr.

(AP) — A 19-year-old man who acknowledged trying to run down a woman and her boyfriend in Lincoln has been sentenced to prison.

Online court records say Mark Kometscher Jr. was sentenced on Monday to two consecutive terms of 20 months to 36 months. He’d pleaded no contest to two felony counts of terroristic threats after prosecutors dropped two felony assault counts.

Police say Kometscher told officers that he was so angry at the woman that he tried to run her and her boyfriend over on Oct. 16. The couple told officers Kometscher tried to hit them with his car several times and at one point got out and pointed a gun at them, threatening to shoot. He didn’t, and officers later found a black BB gun in the car.

 

Man Sentenced for Mailing Threats to Mutual of Omaha

gavel-more(AP) — A 61-year-old man has been sentenced for mailing a threatening communication to Mutual of Omaha in Nebraska.

Federal prosecutors say David Naylor, formerly of Perrysville, Ind., was sentenced Tuesday in Lincoln. He was ordered to spend another day in custody, serve 100 hours of community service and pay restitution of more than $1,800. Naylor also must serve three years of supervised release. Naylor already has spent 54 days behind bars awaiting prosecution.

Prosecutors say that on May 14, 2012, the Mutual of Omaha mail facility in Blair received an envelope that had been mailed by Naylor. The envelope contained a white powder. A message on the outside of the envelope said: “Open carefully contains cornstarch.”

Four workers had to remain in place until experts determined the powder was not harmful.

Omaha Warden Chosen to Lead Dept. of Corrections

ne-department-of-corrections(AP) — Gov. Dave Heineman has appointed an Omaha prison warden as the new head of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services.

Heineman announced Wednesday that Michael L. Kenney, of Lincoln, will serve as the department’s new director. The 60-year-old Kenney has served as warden of the Omaha Correctional Center since 2010.

Kenney will replace director Bob Houston, who retired this month from the position he held since 2005.

In a statement, Heineman says Kenney is a respected professional with 36 years of experience in correctional services.

Kenney has previously served as warden of the Nebraska Correctional Youth Facility in Omaha, where he oversaw a 100-bed facility for violent youths. He served as warden of the Nebraska State Penitentiary from 1999 to 2006.

His annual salary will be $115,000.

Nebraska Economy Grows Modestly in 2nd Quarter

CASH_MONEY(AP) — The Nebraska economy continued to grow modestly in the second quarter as manufacturing businesses sold more exports and the housing construction picked up.

The Federal Reserve Bank’s Omaha branch executive Nathan Kauffman says the number of nonfarm jobs in the state grew 0.7 percent from April to the end of June.

Kauffman says the value of exported goods from Nebraska plants grew 15 percent to $1.7 billion in the quarter.

The number of single-family home building permits also jumped more than 30 percent, and permits for multi-family construction grew 80 percent.

In addition to those factors, retail sales were 5 percent higher than last year’s second quarter figure. So consumers were spending more even though earnings growth remained relatively flat.

Heineman to Pursue Changes to Nebraska ‘Good Time’ Law

Governor Dave Heineman
Governor Dave Heineman

(AP) — Gov. Dave Heineman says he will pursue changes to Nebraska’s system of awarding “good time” to prisoners, following criticism of the state corrections department and the arrest of a former inmate accused of committing four murders.

Heineman made the announcement Wednesday in an open letter to Sen. Heath Mello, of Omaha. Mello has criticized the Department of Correctional Services under Heineman’s watch for not proposing any changes and failing to address prison overcrowding.

The “good time” law gives prisoners a day of credit for every day they spend behind bars. A Heineman spokeswoman says the governor believes good time should be earned, not given automatically.

The announcement came after authorities charged Nikko Jenkins with four Omaha-area murders that took place shortly after he was released from prison.

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