March 2015 – Page 72 – North Platte Post Archive

DiCaprio Partners with Netflix for Series of Documentaries

Posted on March 4, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) — Leonardo DiCaprio is partnering with Netflix for a series of documentaries he will produce for the streaming service.

Netflix announced Wednesday that DiCaprio and his production company, Appian Way, have signed a first-look deal with Netflix for nonfiction projects. The company says DiCaprio and Netflix will seek to develop and acquire documentaries and docuseries “with partial focus on environmental and conservation themes.”

DiCaprio teamed with Netflix last year to release the Oscar-nominated documentary “Virunga.” In a statement, DiCaprio said “Virunga” ”sparked a shared vision” between him and the streaming service.

The deal adds to a growing stable of Hollywood talent Netflix has lured to its expanding original film operations. Along with an earlier deal with Adam Sandler, Netflix recently acquired “Beasts of No Nation” by “True Detective” director Cary Fukunaga.

Mother of Slain Girl Sues Omaha Police Over Drug Charge

Posted on March 4, 2015

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The mother of a 5-year-old girl killed last year by a stray bullet is suing two Omaha police officers and the city, accusing the officers of planting drugs in an effort to frame her.

Tabatha Manning filed the lawsuit Monday in Douglas County District Court. In it, Manning details being pulled over on Sept. 17, 2013, and arrested on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant for unpaid fines. The arresting officers said they later found a bag containing a small amount of methamphetamine in the police car and determined it was Manning’s.

Manning’s lawsuit says the officers planted the drugs in order to falsely implicate her in a felony. The drug charge was later dropped.

Months after her arrest, Manning’s daughter was struck and killed at her home by a stray bullet.

Exxon Official: Get Used to Lower Oil Prices

Posted on March 4, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) — Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson expects the price of oil to remain low over the next two years because of ample global supplies and relatively weak economic growth.

Speaking at the company’s annual investor meeting in New York, Tillerson cautioned that geopolitical turmoil could unexpectedly send prices higher. But he said that if tensions calm, much more oil is ready to hit the market — a market that is already flush with crude oil.

Exxon’s presentation to investors outlining its business plans through 2017 assumes a price of $55 a barrel for global crude. That’s $5 below where Brent crude, the most important global benchmark, traded on Wednesday. It’s about half of what Brent averaged between 2011 and the middle of last year.

Survey Says Nebraska Ag Land Value Down 3 Percent Over Year

Posted on March 4, 2015

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A new survey report says the average value of Nebraska’s agriculture land dropped 3 percent in the past year.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln report released Wednesday says that as of Feb. 1, the land value was $3,210 an acre, compared with the 2014 average of $3,416.

In the report, university Extension educator Jim Jansen says “bearish comments reported by survey participants” on cropland values reflected the decline in grain prices.

And he says land used for the cow-calf industry rose in value or held steady “due to a strong return in that market over the last one to two years.”

The survey respondents included real estate salespeople and brokers, appraisers, bankers and mortgage experts.

Murder Victim Relatives Seek End to Nebraska’s Death Penalty

Posted on March 4, 2015

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraskans whose relatives were murdered are calling on lawmakers to abolish the death penalty, saying it prolongs the suffering of victims’ families and wastes tax dollars on endless appeals.

Relatives rallied at the Capitol on Wednesday came in advance of a legislative hearing on a bill to end capital punishment.

Miriam Thimm Kelle, whose brother James Thimm was murdered by Michael Ryan at a farm near Rulo in 1985, says the death penalty has distracted from the needs of victims’ families.

The repeal bill was introduced by longtime Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, who has fought for nearly four decades to end capital punishment.

Of the 33 Nebraska inmates sentenced to death since 1973, three have been executed.

McDonald’s to Use Chicken without Certain Antibiotics

Posted on March 4, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) — McDonald’s plans to announce it will start using chicken raised without antibiotics important to human medicine and milk that is not treated with rbST, an artificial growth hormone.

The announcement comes as the fast-food giant struggles to shake its junk food image amid intensifying competition from smaller rivals positioning themselves as more wholesome alternatives.

McDonald’s has long battled negative perceptions about its food, but the issue has become a bigger vulnerability as more people shift toward options they feel are made with natural ingredients.

The “clean label” movement has prompted companies across the industry to purge ingredients with unrecognizable chemical names from their recipes, even while standing by their safety.

McDonald’s has been struggling to boost sales and saw customer visits to U.S. stores decline two years in a row.

Attorney Says Burning of Gay Pride Flag in Omaha Wasn’t a Hate Crime

Posted on March 4, 2015

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The attorney for an Omaha man accused of stealing a gay pride flag and burning it says his client’s actions don’t add up to a hate crime.

Twenty-three-year-old Cameron Mayfield is charged with arson and resisting arrest. He’s accused of taking the rainbow flag on Saturday from the porch of a lesbian couple who lived near him and setting the flag on fire.

James Martin Davis is Mayfield’s attorney, and he said if his client’s actions seemed political, it wasn’t intentional.

Davis says that what Mayfield did “is criminal mischief, it’s destruction of property, and I think he’s willing to pay for that and probably apologize to these ladies.”

Nebraska Man Convicted in Child Rape Case Found Incompetent

Posted on March 4, 2015

BEATRICE, Neb. (AP) — A 40-year-old Beatrice man convicted of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old boy has been found incompetent.

Gage County District Judge Paul Korslund said in a court document signed Monday that Scott Taylor needs court-ordered custody or treatment because he suffers an intellectual disability or severe chronic cognitive impairment. In September Taylor pleaded no contest to sexual assault of a child. Prosecutors had lowered the charge.

His sentencing was delayed after questions were raised about the danger he poses to the public. Three evaluations were conducted on Taylor, who is unable to read, write or do math. Court documents say experts concluded that Taylor does pose a threat to others.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services has been ordered to devise a plan for his treatment and custody.

Former Nebraska County Official Takes Plea Deal for Theft

Posted on March 4, 2015

MADISON, Neb. (AP) — A former zoning administrator for Madison and Pierce counties has taken a deal and pleaded guilty to a lesser theft charge.

Online court records say 55-year-old John Johnson was convicted on Tuesday of misdemeanor theft. He’d been charged with a felony. Prosecutors say Johnson charged more than $500 in gasoline to Madison County for use in his personal vehicle.

He’s scheduled for sentencing on May 21.

Johnson, of Madison, had served 12 years as zoning administrator for both counties before resigning last summer.

Huskers Poised for Big Ten Championships

Posted on March 4, 2015

The Nebraska wrestling team heads to Columbus, Ohio over the weekend for the Big Ten Championships at St. John Arena.

The conference tournament begins on Saturday at 9 a.m. (CT) with the first session. Session II, also on Saturday, starts at 5 p.m. Sunday’s action commences with Session III at noon before Session IV, which begins at 2 p.m. Each of the first three sessions will be streamed on BTN Plus, with a subscription required to view the matches. The final session will be televised live on the Big Ten Network.

Live scoring and brackets will be available on TrackWrestling.com. The action can also be followed on Twitter via @HuskerWrestling.

The Big Ten Championships are the final event for the Huskers before the NCAA Championships, set for March 19-21 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.