We have a brand new updated website! Click here to check it out!

Firefighters: Minden Home Sustains $80,000 in Fire Damage

fireMINDEN, Neb. (AP) — Central Nebraska firefighters say a fire has caused about $80,000 damage to a Minden home.

The fire happened early Friday morning.

The Minden Volunteer Fire Department Chief Tom Brown says the fire was contained to a bedroom in the upper level of the house.

The seven occupants of the home — three adults and four children — were home at the time of the fire but were not injured.

Brown says the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but that the Nebraska State Fire Marshal has determined that it was started unintentionally.

The American Red Cross is helping the residents find shelter and other essentials.

Omaha Tribe Considering Trying to Legalize Marijuana

omaha-tribe-of-nebraskaLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska is considering getting into the marijuana business.

Tribe members will vote Tuesday on whether the tribe should allow recreational use of marijuana, medicinal use of marijuana, and growing industrial hemp on its northeast Nebraska reservation.

The ultimate decision lies with the Tribal Council. The referendum vote simply will give the council guidance on whether to move forward.

Tribal law expert Lance Morgan, who also is president and CEO of Ho-Chunk Inc., the Winnebago Tribe’s economic development arm, says the Winnebago Tribe has discussed legalizing marijuana but has no plans to yet do so.

Time to Set Clocks Back an Hour

timeOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska and Iowa residents are being reminded to set their clocks back an hour before going to sleep Saturday.

Standard time returns this weekend at 2 a.m. Sunday.

The change means most Americans will get an extra hour of rest, but those working overnight shifts might toil an hour longer. It also means some will forget to change their clocks, and show up early for church or other events on Sunday.

Daylight time returns to Nebraska and Iowa in March.

Not everyone in the United States makes the switch from standard time. The exceptions are Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas.

Private Investigator Finds California Cat in Omaha Home

private-investigatorOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 2-year-old California girl and her cat are together again thanks to the dogged work of an Omaha private investigator.

The girl’s mother, Riley McDermid of Vallejo, California, reported the pet missing last month.

McDermid told private investigator Mona Kay that the cat, Sheba, disappeared around the time an Omaha brother and sister arrived in the neighborhood to retrieve their late father’s possessions.

Neighbors said the brother and sister were looking for a black cat named Lucy that fled when they entered the residence. They were later seen loading a pet carrier into their van.

McDermid says she found the cat in Omaha with a woman who conceded that she made a mistake. The cat had an implanted microchip confirming it belonged to McDermid.

Nebraska Lawmakers Could Face ‘Extremely Lean’ 2016 Session

ne-legislature-13LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The board that projects Nebraska’s tax revenue is predicting the state will collect less than expected, creating an estimated $132 million budget shortfall.

New estimates approved Friday could force lawmakers to make cuts within the current two-year, $8.7 billion budget that was approved last year. It also could complicate efforts to pass tax cuts and other spending priorities.

Sen. Heath Mello of Omaha, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, says lawmakers will have to work through an “extremely lean” legislative session next year.

Gov. Pete Ricketts says he will work with senators, tax experts and others to prepare tax proposals, while taking steps to control state agency spending.

The new estimates were approved by the Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board, which reduced its revenue forecast by $154 million.

Man Arrested After Stabbing Woman in Back at Holdrege Store

holdrege-policeHOLDREGE, Neb. (AP) — Police have arrested a man accused of stabbing a woman at a grocery store in Holdrege.

Officers who were sent to the Sun Mart Foods a little before 3 p.m. Thursday found a 49-year-old Beaver City woman who’d been stabbed in the back. She was taken to a hospital for treatment and soon released.

The 27-year-old suspected of assailing her was later found at a Mosaic facility and taken to the Phelps County Jail, where he was booked on suspicion of theft, assault and use of a weapon to commit a felony. He has not yet been charged. Mosaic is a faith-based organization that treats people who have intellectual disabilities.

Holdrege police say the attack appears to be random because the man and woman apparently are not acquainted.

Love Blooms Amid Nebraska Tornado Recovery Effort

File Image
File Image

WAKEFIELD, Neb. (AP) — The love shared by Karissa Meyer and Mike Krusemark was born in the aftermath of a tornado that devastated the Meyers family farm in northeast Nebraska.

The Meyers’ farm suffered heavy damage in 2013 after an early October tornado tore through. The farm lost several grain bins, buildings and animals, including daughter Karissa’s horse.

Meyer’s parents decided to hire Krusemark from nearby Waterbury to help remove debris.

The pair’s paths crossed many times as they worked to clean up the farm. Three weeks into the job, the 27-year-old construction company owner finally decided to “take a shot” and ask Karissa Meyer to dinner.

A little more than two years later, Meyer and Krusemark will be married.

Man Sentenced for Holding Woman Hostage in Red Cloud

gavel-moreRED CLOUD, Neb. (AP) — A 31-year-old man has been given six months in jail and three years of probation for holding a woman hostage in a Red Cloud home.

Charles Folkman, of Red Cloud, had pleaded no contest and was convicted of false imprisonment. Prosecutors had lowered the charge and dropped two others in exchange for Folkman’s plea. He was sentenced earlier this month.

Officers responded around 2 a.m. on April 9 to the Red Cloud residence. Authorities say a negotiator arranged the release of an uninvolved 26-year-old man just before 3 a.m. The 46-year-old woman was released 15 minutes later and was treated at a nearby hospital for minor injuries.

Folkman surrendered around 5 a.m.

Omaha Entertainment Agency Told It Should Follow Open Meeting Laws

senator-ernie-chambersOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska attorney general’s office says the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority in Omaha should follow the state’s open meeting and open records laws, and the opinion is drawing rave reviews from an Omaha legislator.

The opinion released Thursday says the authority should be considered a branch of the Omaha city government and is subject to government transparency laws. Authority officials have resisted calls for complete openness, saying that would hamper its competition with other arenas and convention centers.

Sen. Ernie Chambers said the authority “should now do what it should have been doing all the time.” Chambers had requested the opinion, which is not legally binding.

Authority officials declined to comment about the opinion but said they are discussing it with their lawyer.

No Engines Problems Found in Nebraska Plane Crash

plane-crashCHADRON, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say they’ve found no engine problems so far that would have caused a Nebraska Panhandle plane crash that killed its Texas pilot.

A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board says it’s found no evidence of engine malfunction or failure. The single-engine Beechcraft P35 Bonanza went down on Oct. 6, killing 61-year-old John Prickett, of Double Oak, Texas. It crashed 10 miles south of Chadron Municipal Airport, a few minutes after takeoff on a flight to Alliance.

Safety board spokesman Keith Holloway says a final crash report normally takes a year or more to complete.

Copyright Eagle Radio | FCC Public Files | EEO Public File