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North Platte Weather-June 21

forecast graphic june 21 2016Today
Sunny and hot, with a high near 99. South southeast wind 6 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 68. South wind 9 to 13 mph becoming west after midnight.
Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. North wind 13 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.
Wednesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. East wind 6 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Thursday Night
A slight chance of thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Friday
A slight chance of thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Friday Night
A slight chance of thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 67.
Saturday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 87.
Saturday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 58.
Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 89.
Sunday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 60.
Monday
A chance of thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90.

4-year-old boy killed in rolling Kansas City gun battle

kcmo-policeKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say a stray bullet from a rolling gun battle struck and killed a 4-year-old as he rode in the backseat of a car in Kansas City.

Police said in a news release that Mahsaan Kelley-Wilson, of Kansas City, died at a hospital after the car’s driver rushed him there. Police say his parents unknowingly drove into the gunfight early Monday involving people in two vehicles east of downtown. No one else was wounded.

The shooting happened after another 4-year-old boy suffered a critical head wound Saturday across the state in St. Louis while riding in a car with his father and another man. Police say another vehicle pulled alongside and someone opened fire.

No arrests have been made in either shooting.

Ricketts unveils ‘business plan’ for social services agency

Gov. Pete Ricketts
Gov. Pete Ricketts

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s social services agency is making a series of changes to become more responsive to its users under a plan unveiled by Gov. Pete Ricketts.

Ricketts on Monday announced a 25-part “business plan” for the Department of Health and Human Services. The plan is a list of priorities and goals for the agency through June 2017, many of which are already under way.

Some of the goals include reducing out-of-home placements for at-risk youth, expanding the use of a prescription drug monitoring program to prevent overdoses and starting construction on the new Central Nebraska Veterans Home in Kearney.

Department CEO Courtney Phillips says the changes are intended to increase the agency’s transparency and accountability.

Ricketts cautions against ‘throwing money’ at prisons

prisonLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Pete Ricketts says “throwing money” at Nebraska’s prison system may not fix the problems that came to light after two inmates escaped earlier this month.

Ricketts said Monday he’s reviewing a request by lawmakers to approve emergency funding to hire more guards. But he notes that it appears the escape happened because employees forgot to follow security procedures, rather than a staffing shortage.

Nebraska’s corrections department has faced criticism for being short-staffed, with high rates of employee turnover and a large number of inexperienced workers. Director Scott Frakes has said he is working on those issues and will discuss pay with the state employees’ union during the next round of collective bargaining.

Ricketts says Frakes is taking a methodical approach to be a good steward of state tax dollars.

Mom pried son’s head from mountain lion’s mouth

File Image
File Image

ASPEN, Colo. (AP) —Authorities say a Colorado woman saved her 5-year-old son’s life by prying his head from a mountain lion’s mouth after the animal attacked the boy in their front yard.

Pitkin County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Buglione (BOO-lee-oh-nee) says the woman told him she found the lion crouched over her son biting his head Friday outside their home near the resort town of Aspen. She told deputies she grabbed one of the animal’s paws and stuck her right hand in its mouth to pry it open.

Buglione says the mother had bite marks on her hand and scratches on her leg after the lion, estimated to be about 2 years old, ran off.

He says the boy suffered deep cuts to his face, head and neck and was taken to a Denver hospital. Their names weren’t released.

Wildlife officials say they shot one young mountain lion near the home and a second one in the area several hours later.

Church turning TV station site into center to serve the poor

good-newsOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha church has begun work on turning a former television station facility into a health clinic and food pantry for the poor.

Congregants at Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church held a groundbreaking Sunday at the site, which sits a few blocks west of downtown Omaha. Station KETV occupied the site for more than a half century until moving more to a renovated former railroad station.

The church sits next door to KETV’s former home. Church plans call for a one-story health clinic and a two-story Kountze Commons that will have space for church events, the food pantry and a small cafe.

The Rev. Dean Baird says the 2,000-member, 110-year-old congregation paid $2.2 million for the KETV property.

Services set for boy, 2, killed in Florida alligator attack

Lane Graves
Lane Graves

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Private family services have been scheduled for a 2-year-old Nebraska boy killed by an alligator at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

A vigil service for Lane Graves is set for 3 p.m. Monday at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Omaha, Nebraska. The funeral is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Tuesday, also at St. Patrick’s.

Authorities say an alligator pulled Lane into the water last Tuesday, despite the frantic efforts of his father. Lane’s body was recovered Wednesday.

An autopsy showed the boy died from drowning and traumatic injuries.

The beach at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa is across a lake from the Magic Kingdom. It had “no swimming” signs but no warning about alligators. The company added alligator warning signs on Friday.

Nebraska board member died in accident on farm, authorities say

washington-county-sheriffKENNARD, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say an elected official died in an accident on his rural property in Washington County in eastern Nebraska.

The Sheriff’s Office says 60-year-old Scott Japp was found dead about 5:30 p.m. Sunday near his home three miles west of Kennard. The office says Japp was trying to unload a miniature antique bulldozer from a trailer when he got pinned between the bulldozer and the rear of a truck.

Japp had been running for his third term on the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District board. His two previous terms had been marked by disagreements with other board members over dam construction plans, the district’s tax levy and other issues.

On Sunday board member John Conley acknowledged the disagreements but said he appreciated Japp’s opinions.

Ex-detective in Hastings charged with theft through website

Jerry Esch
Jerry Esch

HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — A former Hasting police detective has been charged with using a fundraising site to raise money for fraudulent medical expenses.

46-year-old Jerry Esch is charged with theft by deception involving more than $5,000.

Ecsh told authorities he raised more than $30,000 after posting the GoFundMe page. Court documents say he told co-workers he needed to cover medical expenses not covered by his insurance provider, Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

The affidavit also says that Blue Cross Blue Shield records from October 2014 to November 2015 show that Ecsh didn’t have any out-of-network services and that he had no denied claims in 2015.

Hastings Police Chief Pete Kortum didn’t confirm if Esch’s departure from the department was connected to the financial issue.

It wasn’t immediately clear if Ecsh has an attorney.

Beverly J. Pearson

Beverly J. Pearson of Callaway died June 15 in Geneva.
Funeral Services will be held Friday, June 24th at 11am at the United Methodist Church in Arnold. Inturment will be in the Arnold Cemetary.
Memorials are suggested to the Methodist Tree & Landscaping Fund.
Arnold Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

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