LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers have confirmed three key executives within the Department of Health and Human Services.

Senators on Tuesday voted in favor of Courtney Phillips as the department’s CEO, Calder Lynch as the state Medicaid director, and John Hilgert as director of the Division of Veterans’ Homes.

Phillips and Lynch come to Nebraska from Louisiana’s Department of Health and Hospitals. Both were appointed by Gov. Pete Ricketts at the end of a national search.

Hilgert has served as director of the Division of Veterans’ Homes since 2007. He also serves as director of the Nebraska Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Sen. Kathy Campbell of Lincoln, chairwoman of the Health and Human Services Committee, says Phillips has shown great enthusiasm for working with lawmakers to improve the department.

MIAMI (AP) — A federal appeals court has ruled that investigators do not need a search warrant to obtain cellphone location records in criminal prosecutions.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, overturning a three-judge panel of the same court, ruled Tuesday that authorities properly got records from MetroPCS for Miami robbery suspect Quartavious Davis using a court order with a lower burden of proof.

The 11th Circuit decided Davis had no expectation of privacy regarding records establishing his location near certain cellphone towers. The records were used to convict Davis of a string of armed robberies, leading to a 162-year prison sentence.

Two judges dissented, contending the Fourth Amendment requires probable cause and a search warrant for such records.

Davis’ lawyers could ask the U.S. Supreme Court for review.

By Officer Rodney Brown-NPPD Public Information Officer

Parking enforcement is seldom a popular subject with the public; much like a barking dog complaint, but a necessary function to ensure parking availability for all citizens.

This time of the year the City of North Platte generally receives an increase in complaints from the public regarding the length of time boats, trailers, RV’s etc. can be legally parked on public roadways.  As a reminder, just as motor vehicles, an owner is allowed 72 hrs for their property to be parked before it should be moved.

• 76.10  MAXIMUM TIME LIMIT.

Unless otherwise posted with appropriate signs, and subject to the provisions of § 76.21, it shall be unlawful for anyone to park or leave standing any motor vehicle, truck trailer, mobile home, travel trailer, boat, boat trailer, pontoon trailer, utility trailer, pickup camper, horse trailer, car trailer, stock trailer or machinery of any kind upon the public streets for more than 72 consecutive hours.

(Prior Code, § 50-240)  (Ord. 3409, § 1, 3-19-2002)  Penalty, see § 76.99

Understand the goal for law enforcement is always voluntary compliance of the law.   Thanks from the North Platte Police Department.

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — A 25-year-old Tennessee man has been given 20 to 30 years in a Nebraska prison for trying to kill a friend.

Evan Swenson, of Nashville, Tennessee, was sentenced on Monday in Buffalo County District Court in Kearney. He’d pleaded no contest and was convicted of attempted murder. Prosecutors dropped a weapons charge in exchange for Swenson’s plea.

Prosecutors say Swenson shot 31-year-old Gerard Vinett twice on Nov. 19. Swenson, Vinett and Swenson’s girlfriend at the time, Ashley Dominguez, were in Kearney that day because their vehicle had broken down on their way to California. Prosecutors say Swenson became angry with Vinett because, among other things, he thought Vinett had stolen money from him and thought Vinett had hit on Dominguez.