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Nebraska Measure Would Drop Minimum Age for State Office to 18

ne-legislature-13LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers are considering a ballot measure that would let 18-year-olds serve in state office.

The constitutional amendment proposal would lower the age to serve as governor and lieutenant governor, as well as in the Legislature and on the Nebraska Supreme Court. Senators debated the measure by Thursday but adjourned before voting.

Nebraska imposes an age minimum of 21 for state senators and 30 to serve as a governor, lieutenant governor or Supreme Court justice.

Sen. Tyson Larson of O’Neill says voters should be able to choose anyone who has reached the federal voting age and is otherwise qualified to serve.

Some senators opposed the measure, saying it could result in governors and justices whose brains haven’t fully developed.

Nebraskan Who Wanted to Take Squad Car for Joyride Sentenced

Kristopher Koebel
Kristopher Koebel

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 32-year-old man who wanted to take a Lincoln police cruiser for a joyride has been sentenced for burglary and other crimes.

At a Thursday hearing, Kristopher Koebel was given five to seven years in prison.

Police say Koebel broke into a vehicle business on June 12 and stole a car and soon broke into a store. Then he was spotted inside a cruiser parked outside a police substation. Police say he asked an off-duty sergeant for the cruiser’s key and then raced away in the other car when the officer refused to provide the cruiser’s key.

Koebel later told officers he wanted to steal the cruiser “and have fun driving it around.”

Nebraska Mountain Lion License Plate Bill Wins Initial Approval

File Image
File Image

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Wildlife enthusiasts could show their love for mountain lions with a special license plate under a bill advanced by Nebraska lawmakers.

Senators gave first-round approval Thursday to a measure that would offer “mountain lion conservation plates” through the Department of Motor Vehicles.

The measure would impose a $5 fee for the plate, with the revenue going to a program that educates youth about wildlife conservation. Personalized plates would cost $40.

Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, well-known animal lover, says he introduced the proposal because of the strong interest in preserving the mountain lion population. Chambers has spent the last several years trying to abolish Nebraska’s mountain lion hunting season.

Senators voted 38-0 to advance the bill.

 

Judge: Man Accused in Failed Nebraska School Attack Remains Dangerous

gavel-moreLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lancaster County judge has ruled that a 28-year-old Lincoln man accused of planning an attack on Malcom High School in 2004 remains dangerous by reason of mental illness.

Joshua Magee appeared at his annual mental health review hearing Tuesday. The judge ordered that Magee continue his psychiatric treatment plan.

Magee was 17 when authorities say he planned to attack the high school, but changed his mind and alerted the principal. Authorities say they found rocket-style fireworks and other explosives in the trunk of his car. He was found not guilty of attempted murder by reason of mental illness and committed to the Lincoln Regional Center before being transferred to a supervised residential program.

Last year, a judge granted Magee permission to live independently in an apartment.

 

Cremains to Be Removed After Omaha Funeral Home Fire

fire-graphicOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Officials at an Omaha funeral home that caught fire say that it could be the end of the week before the last of the remains inside the building are retrieved.

Firefighters responded to Heafey-Hoffmann-Dworak & Cutler Mortuary around 3:20 a.m. Tuesday. Funeral home director Terry Kucera said that all nine bodies that were in the building were removed that day, and cremains will likely not be removed until Friday.

Kucera says the cremains were not damaged. The funeral home says that it has been in contact with all families who had loved ones’ bodies in the building.

Funeral home co-owner Bill Cutler was injured in the fire. Three firefighters who were injured have been released from the hospital.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Anonymous $1M Donation to Help Finish Kearney Trail

Kearney,-NEKEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — Officials say a $1 million anonymous donation and a $250,000 grant will help Kearney complete a hike-bike trail.

The city announced Tuesday that the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission awarded the grant.

The trail will run more than 13 miles, from Cottonmill Park to Fort Kearny State Park. Officials say the 8-foot-wide trail will be made of concrete and have limestone on the side.

The project is expected to be finished by the end of 2016.

Nebraska Man Sentenced to Prison for Fatal Car Wreck, DUI

gavel-and-scaleDAKOTA CITY, Neb. (AP) — A man has been sentenced to prison for a fatal car wreck in which he was driving under the influence near Homer.

Judge Paul Vaughan sentenced 41-year-old Russell Roberts Jr. to at least 10 years and up to 16 years in prison Wednesday.

A jury found Roberts guilty in December of one count of motor vehicle homicide and two counts of driving under the influence resulting in serious bodily injury.

Court documents say Roberts was driving a pickup truck around 2:15 a.m. on Jan. 19, 2014, when the vehicle went off the road.

Twenty-eight-year-old Tiffany Schmitt was thrown from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. Two other passengers were injured.

Roberts’ prison sentence includes a mandatory minimum of five years before he’s eligible for release.

North Platte Weather-January 28

forecast graphic january 28 2016Today
Sunny, with a high near 53. West northwest wind 7 to 10 mph.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 22. West southwest wind around 6 mph.
Friday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 54. Breezy, with a northwest wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph.
Friday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 27. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Saturday
Partly sunny, with a high near 59. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the morning.
Saturday Night
A chance of rain and snow before midnight, then a chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Sunday
Partly sunny, with a high near 43.
Sunday Night
A slight chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23.
Monday
A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36.
Monday Night
A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 19. Blustery.
Tuesday
A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 29. Blustery.

Accordion Found in Suspicious Box That Evacuated Grand Island School

Grand-Island-PoliceGRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — A suspicious package that turned out to be an accordion in a box led to the evacuation of 900 students and staff members from a Grand Island school.

Capt. Robert Falldorf says a school safety officer was contacted Wednesday after a staff member spotted a suspicious box in the Walnut Middle School band room.

A school safety officer was contacted who agreed the school should be evacuated as a precaution.

All students and staff walked to Grand Island Senior High, a few blocks north.

A call to Grand Island Police came in around 1:50 p.m. Nebraska State Patrol and the Grand Island Fire Department both responded to the scene. After investigating the claim, officials found an accordion in the box.

Romeo Ties Three-Point Record, Shoots Huskers to Win

Natalie Romeo tied her own Nebraska record with eight three-pointers in Wednesday's win over Wisconsin. (Photo Courtesy Scott Bruhn/Nebraska Communications)
Natalie Romeo tied her own Nebraska record with eight three-pointers in Wednesday’s win over Wisconsin. (Photo Courtesy Scott Bruhn/Nebraska Communications)

Lincoln – Natalie Romeo tied Nebraska’s three-point record for the second time in two weeks, knocking down eight threes to finish with 30 points and shooting the Huskers to a 75-62 women’s basketball win over Wisconsin on Wednesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Nebraska notched its sixth straight Big Ten win to improve to 15-5 overall and 6-3 in the conference, while Wisconsin slipped to 6-13 and 2-7 with its fifth straight loss. Continue reading “Romeo Ties Three-Point Record, Shoots Huskers to Win”

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