DENVER (AP) — Denver police say they have arrested Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson for investigation of driving under the influence.
In a statement, the police said Lawson was stopped after an officer saw a car being driven fast and carelessly early Friday.
The Denver Nuggets said the team was aware of the arrest and would have no further comment.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — University officials say gifts totaling $3.5 million will help Nebraskans with their education, health and well-being.
Former University of Nebraska at Kearney student Ron Williams and his wife, Cille, have given $2 million to establish two endowed funds. Half of it will help the university’s College of Education, and the remainder will establish the Cille and Ron Williams Community Chair for Early Childhood Education.
The University of Nebraska Medical Center says a Nebraska native has donated $1.5 million to help the medical center’s students, faculty and programs.
The gift was made through the estate of Paul Kamrath, who graduated from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. He worked in California to help develop spacecraft before returning to Nebraska. He died last year in Columbus.
North Platte High School Activities Director, Marc Mroczek, has named Scott Mollring as the new head girl’s track coach for the 2014-2015 school year. Prior to coming to North Platte High School this year, Scott has coached at McCook High School, Southwest Public Schools, Kearney High School, and Shelton High School. Scott is currently the Strength and Conditioning teacher at North Platte High School.
Marc Mroczek, North Platte Activities Director comments: “Scott is well qualified and will be a great addition to our coaching staff at NPHS. He has a great vision for the program and is an excellent role model for our student-athletes. I am excited for the future of North Platte High School Girls Track and Field with Coach Mollring leading the program.”
Mollring takes over for Dennis Fornander, who resigned earlier this year.
PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — A former suburban Omaha teacher and her husband who were accused of serving alcohol to minors have been sent to jail and given probation.
Online court records say 50-year-old Ann Urwiler and 48-year-old Jon Urwiler on Thursday were each sentenced to 39 days in jail and two years of probation and fined $1,000 each. They’d pleaded guilty to contributing to the delinquency of a child. Sarpy County prosecutors dropped charges of procuring alcohol for a minor in exchange for their pleas.
Police say officers saw teenagers fleeing from a party at the Urwilers’ Papillion home in July.
A school district spokeswoman says Ann Urwiler in September quit her job as a first-grade teacher at Papillion’s Trumble Park Elementary School.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Lawmakers who investigated Nebraska’s prison system will seek an expansion of mental and behavioral health services and sentencing reform to address overcrowding.
Members of a special prisons committee vowed Friday to act this year, saying the problem needs to be fixed before civil liberties groups or the federal government sue the state. Senators have introduced seven bills and other measures.
Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha says lawmakers will work with Gov. Pete Ricketts’ new corrections director, Scott Frakes. Krist says Frakes, who starts on Feb. 2, may have new ideas that lawmakers haven’t considered.
Sen. Les Seiler of Hastings says Nebraska’s criminal code hasn’t been reviewed since 1970, and needs to be updated.
Nebraska’s prison population reached more than 159 percent of its design capacity last month, with 5,221 inmates.
A North Platte woman is facing a drunken driving charge after she rammed her car into a neighbor’s house, as children played in the living room.
At around 5:00 p.m., on Thursday, North Platte Police responded to 1202 William Court, after receiving a report that a vehicle had struck a house.
Officers arrived and met with the owner of the house, who advised that his two children were in the living room watching TV, when a vehicle drove through the side of the house and into the living room.
Both children were uninjured, but were transported to Great Plains Health as a precaution.
Officers identified the driver of the vehicle as 63-year-old Janet Shepherd.
Shepherd told officers that she did not know what had happened. She indicated that she was backing out of her driveway when the vehicle accelerated and hit the house.
Authorities believe Shepherd mistook the accelerator for the break.
As officers inspected the vehicle, they found a clear glass in the vehicle that smelled of alcohol. An officer also reported smelling alcohol on Shepherd’s breath.
Following a preliminary breath test, Shepherd was placed under arrest and transported to the Lincoln County Detention Center. Upon arrival at the jail, a second breath test was administered. Shepherd reportedly blew a .227.
As a result, Shepherd was charged with driving under the influence of liquor-over .15 (aggravated), and jailed.
According to police, Shepherd’s vehicle sustained an estimated $4,000 in damage, while the damage to the house is estimated at around $15,000.
No injuries were reported.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Tear’a Laudermill and Emily Cady combined for 34 of their 43 points in the first half on Thursday to lead No. 16 Nebraska to an 89-72 win over Wisconsin.
Laudermill had 18 of her 24 points and Cady 16 of her 19 as the Cornhuskers (15-3, 5-2 Big Ten) shot 62 percent in the first half for a 53-31 lead.
Rachel Theriot added 11 points, Hailie Sample 10 and Cady, who hit 8 of 9 shots, grabbed 12 rebounds as Nebraska won its fifth straight.
Dakota Whyte and Nicole Bauman had 15 points each for the Badgers (7-11, 3-5). Tessa Cichy scored 14 and Cassie Rochel 10 with 12 rebounds.
Wisconsin only trailed by seven with 8:17 to go in the first half when the Huskies went on a 14-2 run to lead 39-20 on a Theriot jumper at the 4:15 mark. The Badgers never got closer than 14 early in the second half.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A national advocacy group has ranked Nebraska and Iowa among the nation’s worst in enacting safer driving laws.
The Washington, D.C.-based Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety group released its annual report Thursday rating each state based on their laws meant to increase safety. Nebraska and Iowa are among nine states to receive the lowest rating.
The group has identified 15 laws it believes ensure safe driving. Both states have just five of the laws on the list.
Jacqueline Gillan, the group’s president, says these states’ secondary offense laws, such as texting while driving and not wearing a seatbelt, allow unsafe behavior.
Fred Zwonechek, Nebraska Office of Highway Safety administrator, said the low rating doesn’t mean the state isn’t a safe place for drivers.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Two men have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges and attempted robbery.
23-year-old Derick Lewis entered a written not-guilty plea Wednesday. Nineteen-year-old Joshua Nootenboom-Carr submitted his plea last month.
Police say the two are believed to have shot to death 21-year-old Maurice Williams in August when they went to his home to rob him. Police say the men entered Williams’ apartment with a rifle and shot Williams in the chest.
Nootenboom-Carr also faces two counts of using a firearm to commit a felony and possession of a stolen firearm.
Attorneys for the men could not be located. Their trial dates have not yet been set.
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