OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Douglas County prosecutors have decided not to charge a woman with vehicular homicide in the death of a 90-year-old struck by her pickup as he mowed his lawn.
A news release said Friday that Donald Fitzwater was making U-turns on 261st Street while driving his riding mower back and forth May 19 and was struck by 54-year-old Brenda Nelson’s truck. Her blood later tested out nearly twice the legal limit.
Prosecutors say Nelson won’t face a homicide charge because evidence suggests the accident still would have happened even if Nelson were not intoxicated. The mower’s presence on the road was a contributing factor.
The prosecutors say Nelson will be charged with driving under the influence. Court records don’t list the name of her attorney.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Two cars have been damaged in the partial collapse of a parking structure in Omaha.
The cars were parked on the top level when the pavement gave way beneath them around 10:15 p.m. Thursday. One car fell completely out of sight into the parking level below, but the man in the driver’s seat escaped without injury. The other car was unoccupied and was only partially swallowed.
Officials decided to wait until daylight to determine how the accident happened and to remove the damaged vehicles.
BLAIR, Neb. (AP) — Construction workers are making weather damage and other repairs at the former campus of Dana College in Blair, but who or what might benefit remains uncertain.
The campus has been closed since 2010 because an accreditation body refused to approve its sale to for-profit investors.
Omaha developer Frank Krejci bought the property three years ago for the expansion of Fremont’s Midland University, but the university dropped those plans in March.
Krejci said he’s willing to donate the property for the right use, saying, “I can be very generous.”
Blair officials soon will send literature on the property to colleges across the country.
Mayor Jim Realph wants the campus to remain “an educational area, but I’m kind of resigned to the fact that may not happen.”
Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. South southwest wind 7 to 14 mph becoming north in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 21 mph.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 53. North northwest wind 6 to 11 mph.
Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 79. Breezy, with a north-northwest wind 9 to 14 mph increasing to 18 to 23 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph.
Saturday Night
Clear, with a low around 48. North wind 12 to 17 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph.
Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 81. North northwest wind 6 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 53.
Monday
Sunny, with a high near 83.
Monday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 56.
Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 83.
Tuesday Night
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 59.
Wednesday
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87.
Wednesday Night
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 60.
Police say a North Platte man stole numerous items from a home where he was staying, then asked the victim to pay for its return.
According to Investigator John Deal, at around 3:12 p.m. on May 29, North Platte police responded to a residence in the 3200 block of West Ninth Street on the report of a theft.
Officers met with a male subject who reported that an acquaintance of his, 29-year-old Carl McKinney, had been staying at his house for “a couple of days.”
He stated that when he returned home from work on May 27, he noticed that McKinney was gone, and so was some of his property. He reported that a phone, stereo equipment, power tools and a pair of tennis shoes were all missing.
The value of the items was estimated to be around $1,500, Deal said.
During the investigation, another subject contacted police and reported that McKinney had sent him a text message saying that he had the alleged victim’s property, and would return it if the victim paid him $300.
Investigators contacted several other witnesses who reported that they had seen McKinney with some of the stolen property.
Then, an anonymous call was placed to the victim saying that some, but not all, of his property, was on the side of the road near 16th Street and Hayes Avenue. S property was recovered at that location.
On June 1, officers made contact with McKinney at a residence in the 2000 block of West 16th Street and placed him under arrest. Deal said he was wearing the tennis shoes that were reported stolen at the time of his arrest.
McKinney was transported to the Lincoln County Detention Center and jailed. He’s been charged with felony theft. As of Thursday afternoon, he was being held without bond.
DEWITT, Neb. (AP) — Volunteers have helped DeWitt homeowners build up flood protection and bolster the foundations of their homes.
During the Dirt Day event earlier this week, truckloads of dirt were spread around the foundations of 19 homes in the southeast Nebraska community of around 500 people. The homes had lost soil from around their foundations in May 2015, when Turkey Creek and the Big Blue River overflowed their banks. Many house basements in town filled with up to a foot of water.
The DeWitt Area Recovery Team organized volunteers from the Southeast Community College Ag Club to spread dirt provided by an anonymous donor. The dirt was packed down and sloped away from the foundations so rainwater runs off and doesn’t seep down and collect next to foundations, which can leak.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The new property tax valuation notices sent to about 100,000 Douglas County homeowners reflect the increases and reductions ordered by the state.
The Nebraska Tax Equalization and Review Commission had said valuations were too low for more than 75,000 homes in central and west Omaha. The commission ordered Douglas County assessor/register of deeds Diane Battiato to raise the valuations by 7 percent. The commission also said valuations were too high on about 25,000 properties in northeast Omaha and ordered Battiato to lower them by 8 percent.
The county plans to appeal the commission’s order to the Nebraska Supreme Court.
Battiato said her office mailed the valuations out Tuesday to meet the June 1 deadline.
Patricia Ann (O’Brien) Schwenk passed away peacefully in her place of residence on May 31st in Henderson, Nebraska at the age of 77.
Patricia (Pat) was born on September 30, 1938, to John and Elva (Stingley) O’Brien in Wallace, Nebraska. She graduated from Wallace High School in 1956. She married Elmer “Jr” Schwenk on September 27, 1957. The couple’s only daughter, Danella, was born January 12, 1960. Pat enjoyed quilting, embroidery, and painting pottery. Pat and Jr resided in North Platte until his death in April of 2015, at which time Pat relocated to Henderson to be closer to family.
Pat was preceded in death by her father and mother, John and Elva (Stingley) O’Brien; her husband, Jr Schwenk; daughter, Danella Engen; Son-in-law, Wayne Engen; two brothers, Jack and Danny O’Brien; three brothers-in-law, Gene, Robert, and Paul Schwenk; and one sister-in-law, Lila Schwenk.
She is survived by two granddaughters, Lane Callaghan, of Central City and Emily (Kyle) Norman, of Lincoln; great-grandchildren, Andrew Bryant, Addysen Bryant, Jakson Callaghan, Jase Callaghan, Kaiden Norman and Lexie Norman; a sister-in-law, Cora Ann Wood; two brothers-in-law, Ed Schwenk and Garland Wood; four sisters-in-law, Barb Schwenk, Alene O’Brien, Barb O’Brien, and Liz Schwenk; and a number of nieces and nephews, whom she loved dearly.
Online condolences may be shared at www.carpentermemorial.com. Graveside services will be 11:00 a.m. Monday, June 6, 2016 at Ft. McPherson National Cemetery near Maxwell. Visitation will be from 9:00a.m. to10:00 a.m. Monday prior to graveside services at Carpenter Memorial Chapel, which is in charge of arrangements.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Judges from Hall and Otoe counties and an attorney from Gage County are finalists for an expected opening on the Nebraska Supreme Court.
State officials announced Wednesday that Otoe County District Judge Jeffrey Funke, Hall County District Judge Mark Young and private attorney David Bargen, of Adams, were advanced as candidates to be considered by Gov. Pete Ricketts. Seven people had applied for review by the state’s Judicial nominating Commission.
The opening will be created by the retirement of Justice William Connolly, who is stepping down effective Aug. 1.
DETROIT (AP) — Seven automakers are adding nearly 4.4 million vehicles in the U.S. to the massive Takata air bag inflator recall.
Documents detailing recalls by General Motors, Volkswagen, Ford, Daimler Vans, BMW, Jaguar-Land Rover and Mercedes Benz were posted Thursday by the government. Recalls from eight other companies were posted last Friday.
They’re part of a mammoth expansion of Takata air bag recalls announced last month. Seventeen automakers are adding 35 million-to-40 million inflators to what already was the largest auto recall in U.S. history.
Thursday’s recalls include passenger air bags, mainly in older models in states with high temperatures or humidity.
Takata inflators can malfunction and spew shrapnel into drivers and passengers when exposed to humidity and repeated hot-and-cold cycles.
The recalls are being phased in during the next two years.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Douglas County prosecutors have decided not to charge a woman with vehicular homicide in the death of a 90-year-old struck by her pickup as he mowed his lawn.
