OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Thousands of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska customers soon will have the chance to see CHI Health doctors again without financial penalty after the two sides signed an agreement to work together again through June 2017.

The two parties signed an agreement on Thursday to restart their partnership beginning July 15.

CHI Health’s CEO says the new contract is fair to both sides. Blue Cross’s chief financial officer Jerry Byers says that no agreement would have been reached if CHI Health hadn’t brought its rates down.

Blue Cross removed CHI Health from its network last year after several months of saying that CHI’s prices were too high.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska emergency officials say recent severe weather has caused more than $13.5 million in damage to roads, bridges and other public infrastructure.

The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency said Friday that the damage was caused in 12 counties that were just designated as disaster areas.

Gov. Pete Ricketts was notified Thursday that President Barack Obama has approved a request for presidential disaster declaration for areas hit by severe storms, straight-line winds and flooding between May 6 and June 17. The declaration makes federal funding available to the state, local governments and certain nonprofits.

The affected counties are Cass, Dundy, Gage, Jefferson, Lancaster, Lincoln, Morrill, Nuckolls, Otoe, Saline, Saunders, and Thayer.

Bryan Tuma, assistant director of the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, says other counties could be added once more assessments are complete.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A falcon chick raised at the Nebraska Capitol has been named “Orozco” in honor of an Omaha police officer killed last month in the line of duty.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission announced Friday that the name was chosen from 507 contest submissions. The chick was named after Officer Kerrie Orozco, 29, who was shot and killed on May 30.

A list of finalists was selected by a committee before names were submitted to a public vote.

The chick hatched on May 10 from the nest box on the 18th floor of the Capitol, has fledged and has been exploring the area ever since.

The peregrine falcon pair which raised the chick has nested at the Capitol since 2005, and has produced 22 offspring over the last 11 years.

 

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraskans for the Death Penalty campaign raised nearly $244,000 in its first reporting period, with most of the money coming from Gov. Pete Ricketts and his father.

Ricketts and his father, TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts, each contributed $100,000 to the ballot drive that could put the death penalty question to voters. An expense report released Friday says the campaign spent more than $217,500 in the reporting period, leaving it with roughly $26,300 in cash on hand.

The campaign was launched after Nebraska lawmakers abolished the death penalty over the governor’s veto.

Nebraskans for the Death Penalty says it has paid roughly $192,000 to Lincoln Strategy Group, an Arizona-based consultant that is using paid circulators to gather signatures.

A group opposing the referendum announced a $400,000 donation last week.

A possible theft call ended with a North Platte woman going to jail after a police officer was injured.

At around 8:01 p.m., on June 25, officers with the North Platte Police Department were called to the 1400 block of East 4th Street, after receiving a report that someone was attempting to break into a storage unit.

The complainant was able to provide police with a vehicle description and license plate number.

As officers arrived, they observed a vehicle matching that description leaving the area and conducted a traffic stop.

One officer spoke with the male driver of the vehicle, as other officers attempted to identify two female passengers.

During the process, police say one of the females, later identified as Alejandra Reyna, provided a false name and ran from the vehicle.

With the help of a citizen, officers were able to apprehend Reyna, who became combative and resisted officers attempts to detain her.

Reyna was eventually apprehended and placed under arrest.

Authorities say, as a result of the struggle, one officer sustained a knee injury.

Reyna was transported to the Lincoln County Detention Center and charged with resisting arrest, providing false information and assault of a peace officer.

Officers also found suspected methamphetamine in Reyna’s pocket and learned that she had two active warrants.

Police say lab tests on the suspected meth are pending.

Officers did not report any charges filed against the driver of the vehicle or the other passenger.

 

A North Platte man is facing a felony charge after he allegedly made threats to a witness in a separate case.

On June 22, an investigator met with a subject who was a witness to a stabbing involving David Wengler earlier this month.

The witness reported that Payton Zambito had come to her house and told her that Wengler would “put out a green light” on them if they testified against him.

Police say the witness perceived this as a threat to harm them.

On Wednesday, officers made contact with Zambito.

He was placed under arrest and jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center on a charge of felony tampering with a witness.

RELATED CONTENT:

https://www.northplattepost.com/2015/06/08/suspect-arrested-in-connection-with-north-platte-stabbings/

 

Today: Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 80. North wind 5 to 7 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 55. North northeast wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming west around 6 mph in the morning.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Light and variable wind becoming south around 6 mph in the evening.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 88. West wind 5 to 15 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 87.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 89.