FAIRBURY, Neb. (AP) — A 32-year-old convicted sex offender has been sent back to a Nebraska prison for 25 more years.
Online court records say Billy Barritt was sentenced last week after being convicted of five counts of child sexual assault.
Fairbury police say Barritt molested one boy several times over a year following Barritt’s release from prison, where he’d served time for sexually assaulting a child in Madison County. Police also say Barritt molested three other children at a birthday party held at Barritt’s Fairbury home in 2012.
ELKHORN, Neb. (AP) — Access to the Elkhorn River in eastern Nebraska will continue to be restricted through the July 4th weekend cause of dangerous high water.
The Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District has closed all the Elkhorn River access points in Douglas County.
General manager John Winkler says boating on the river remains dangerous.
But if the river returns to normal levels, the access points could be reopened next week.
A 40-year-old North Platte man is facing several charges following a disturbance Wednesday morning.
At around 4:30 a.m., on July 2, officers with the North Platte Police Department responded to a disturbance in the 300 block of East 9th Street.
Upon arrival, officers discovered a Ford Explorer with the front window broken out, and furniture strewn about the back yard of the residence.
They then noticed Rodger Roose inside the residence and requested that he come outside and speak to them.
According to Officer Rodney Brown, Roose briefly opened the door, cursed at the officers and slammed it shut.
Brown said officers noticed two small children, ages two and six, inside the residence with Roose. They also observed that the interior of the home appeared to be damaged and in disarray.
Officers learned that the children’s 36-year-old mother, who Roose had been fighting with throughout the night, had left on foot prior to their arrival.
Eventually, officers were able to reason with Roose and took him into custody.
He was charged with misdemeanor obstructing the police and misdemeanor child abuse, because the children were witnesses to the violence.
Roose was transported to the Lincoln County Detention Center, and the children were placed in the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services.
At around 7:00 a.m. the same morning, the children’s mother contacted law enforcement and wanted to know where the the girls had been taken to.
An officer made contact with her at the residence, and learned that, during the fight, Roose had punched her, kicked her and dragged her by hair.
As a result, the officer returned to the jail and charged Roose with felony 3rd degree domestic assault.
A pair of Broad-winged hawks with a nest has been confirmed in the 2600 block of Birchwood in North Platte.
Broad-winged hawks have been nesting in the North Platte area for at least seven years, which is unusual as in Nebraska this hawk species typically nests along the Missouri River and south of the Platte River.
“Their preferred habitat is eastern deciduous forest; apparently the North Platte neighborhoods with a lot of large trees are close enough to that for some of them as we now have a small breeding population here in North Platte.” said TJ Walker, NGPC District Manager, Wildlife Division and avid birder. “In past years the nests have been blown out of trees resulting in the loss of the young hawks.”
At least two young have been sighted in the nest this year.
Residents are being warned that if they walk or bike on the north side of the 2600 block of Birchwood for the next two to three weeks they may stand the chance of being dive-bombed by the adult birds protecting their nest.
“They are well equipped with sharp talons and a sharp beak” added Walker, who then suggested that North Platte residents should be urged to stay on the south side of the street in that block.
Broad-winged hawks prey on small mammals like mice and rabbits, small birds, reptiles and large insects.
KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — At a Kearney conference on prescribed burns, people will learn techniques and hear success stories in land management.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission says the July 14 event is scheduled to run from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn.
The conference will bring together landowners and fire professionals to discuss the challenges of prescribed burns. There will be presentations on economics, burn layouts, range health and the ecological objective of prescribed burns.
For more information or to register, go online at https://1.usa.gov/1mcWHD1 or contact Harlan Grunden at 308-367-7479 or hgrunden@curtis-ne.com.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Some military retirees in Nebraska will soon qualify for a tax exemption.
The Department of Revenue says retirees can exclude part of their military benefit income under a law that goes into effect on July 18. To qualify, they must choose between two options within two years of retiring from the service.
One option allows military retirees to exclude 40 percent of their income for seven consecutive years, beginning in the year the election is made. The other option allows them to exclude 15 percent of their retirement benefit for all taxable years, beginning in the year when they turn 67.
The exclusion is not available until tax year 2015. Forms are now available on the Department of Revenue website.
North Platte — Anglers interested in learning all aspects of carp fishing may attend Carp-O-Rama Saturday, July 12 at Lake Maloney State Recreation Area.
The free event is from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the east side of the lake, near the main boat ramp. Lake Maloney SRA is located approximately 7.6 miles south of North Platte in Lincoln County. Loaner fishing poles, bait and instruction will be available.
Carp is an excellent fish for beginning anglers to pursue because they are plentiful statewide, and the required equipment is relatively simple. The strong-fighting fish also is not restricted by bag, possession limits or size limits.
Carp caught by anglers will be used in demonstrations on cleaning, preparing and cooking the fish. The cooked fish will be served with Dutch oven fruit cobbler as a free shore lunch. Try your hand at fish printing by recording your fish on fabric with paint. Prize drawings will be held for children age 15 and younger.
A park entry permit is required of all vehicles entering Lake Maloney. A fishing license is required of anglers age 16 and older. Both permits may be purchased at the lake.
The Nebraska State Patrol continues its efforts to “Drive to Save Lives” with an increased presence over the July 4 Holiday.
Beginning Thursday, July 3 and continuing through Saturday, July 5, troopers and communications specialists will put in overtime hours thanks in part to an $18,960 grant from the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety (NOHS).
Special enforcement efforts will focus on safe driving practices with an emphasis on crash causing behaviors such as speeding, following too closely, impaired and distracted driving. In addition, motorist assist volunteers in specially marked vans will be available to help stranded motorists along Interstate 80 from Kearney to Omaha.
“Increased traffic can be expected on Nebraska roads over the holiday weekend,” said Colonel David Sankey, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “If you are planning to travel, we encourage you to help us save lives by complying with all highway safety laws.”
For more information on specific enforcement activities over the July 4th weekend call your nearest Nebraska State Patrol Troop Area Headquarters. You may also view a calendar of selected NSP enforcement activities at https://1.usa.gov/1m2lo3i.
The final suspect in a theft scheme at JC Penney in North Platte has been arrested.
According to Officer Rodney Brown, a 17-year-old male juvenile was processed and released at the Lincoln County Detention Center yesterday after being arrested for felony theft by deception.
The investigation began on June 16, when store management suspected employees were stealing from the store.
It was reported to police that three employees had been selling merchandise to each other at hugely discounted prices, then returning the merchandise for a full-price refund.
Justin Bailey, 21, and Ashleigh Larson, 19, have also been charged with felony theft by deception in the case.
Brown said the trio is believed to have stolen over $7,400 from JC Penney over a three month period.
The Post is not naming the juvenile pending the filing of formal charges by the Lincoln County Attorney’s Office.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The government is expanding its “mystery disease” program, funding a network at six universities to help diagnose patients’ super-rare diseases.
The National Institutes of Health has evaluated hundreds of these cold-case patients in its campus research hospital as part of a pilot program since 2008. Demand is so great, there’s a waiting list.
So on Tuesday, the agency announced the NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Network, a four-year, $43 million initiative to bring more doctor-detectives on board. The goal is to at least put a name to more patients’ puzzling symptoms, and then eventually find treatments.
The centers include: Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Duke University, Stanford University, University of California, Los Angeles, Vanderbilt University and the Harvard University teaching hospitals Brigham and Women’s, Massachusetts General and Boston Children’s.
FAIRBURY, Neb. (AP) — A 32-year-old convicted sex offender has been sent back to a Nebraska prison for 25 more years.
