July 2016 – Page 14 – North Platte Post Archive

Ex-school official to stand trial in domestic violence case

Posted on July 19, 2016July 19, 2016

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — A former Shelton school superintendent will stand trial in Hall County District Court on three charges in a domestic violence case.

45-year-old Brian Redinger waived his right Tuesday to a preliminary hearing. His attorney, Kevin Knake, says Redinger and his wife would like to see the case go to trial as soon as possible.

Redinger is charged with making terroristic threats and two other assault-related charges.

Sheriff’s investigators say that on April 10, Redinger attacked his wife, hitting her head on a car dashboard and later driving at her before she escaped to safety at a Hall County truck stop.

He resigned his position as superintendent of Shelton Public Schools some weeks after his arrest.

Nebraska prisons will take steps to ease crowding, overtime

Posted on July 19, 2016

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska prison officials are planning a series of changes to reduce inmate crowding and improve working conditions for correctional employees.

Department of Correctional Services Director Scott Frakes unveiled four initiatives Tuesday in response to prison employee concerns.

Among the changes is a pilot program that will give Tecumseh State Correctional Institution employees more flexibility with work shifts. Frakes says he will work with prison staff members on a schedule that reduces mandatory overtime.

A second pilot at the Nebraska State Penitentiary will create a new class of supervisors intended to increase employee engagement.

Prison officials are also correcting security deficiencies uncovered in an audit, such as aging perimeter fences, and building a temporary housing facility for 100 inmates to ease overcrowding.

Nebraska farmers nearly done harvesting winter wheat

Posted on July 19, 2016July 19, 2016

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska farmers are nearly done harvesting the state’s winter wheat, and the corn crop continues to progress.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says at least 75 percent of the winter wheat crop has been harvested with most of the remaining acres sitting in the Panhandle. That’s ahead of the 52 percent average.

And 65 percent of the winter wheat crop is in good or excellent shape.

Roughly 80 percent of the corn crop is in good or excellent shape. And 55 percent of the state’s corn is at the silking stage.

Nebraskan charged with crash death of Iowa motorcyclist

Posted on July 19, 2016

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 27-year-old man has been charged with vehicular homicide for the crash death of a motorcyclist in Omaha.

The Douglas County attorney’s office says Nicholas Colabello’s first court hearing is scheduled for Tuesday. Online court records don’t list the name of an attorney who could be contacted to comment for Colabello, who lives in Papillion (puh-PIHL’-yuhn).

Police say the collision happened around 1:30 a.m. Saturday. Investigators say a westbound car driven by Colabello turned left in front of a motorcycle operated by 31-year-old Dustin Roof, of Council Bluffs, Iowa. Police say Roof was taken to an Omaha hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The county attorney’s office says Colabello’s blood tested out above the legal limit for alcohol.

Fremont man dies after jumping off rope swing into lake

Posted on July 19, 2016July 20, 2016

FREMONT, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a 22-year-old man had died after jumping off a rope swing into a private lake south of Fremont.

The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office says deputies and medics were dispatched around 2:45 a.m. Saturday to Emerson Estates. They found 22-year-old Harrison Harner on the lake bank. They performed CPR, but he was pronounced dead later at Fremont Health Medical Center.

Investigators say friends of Harner reported that he began struggling for air after he jumped off the rope swing into the water. They pulled him to shore.

Autopsy results are expected in a few weeks.

Nebraska man gets probation, jail time for bicyclist’s crash death

Posted on July 19, 2016

ORD, Neb. (AP) — A 20-year-old Ericson man has been given two years of probation and some jail time for the crash death of a bicyclist.

Online court records say Tucker Tonniges was sentenced Monday to 30 days in Valley County Jail and ordered to pay a $100 fine. He’d pleaded no contest to misdemeanor vehicular homicide and to careless driving.

The Nebraska State Patrol says 67-year-old Gregory Jensen, of Ord, was riding his bike the night of May 24 along Nebraska Highway 11 in Ord when he was struck by a pickup being driven by Tonniges.

Omaha police: Training, security to ramp up after attacks

Posted on July 19, 2016

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha police officials say the department will step up its event security and officer training in the wake of deadly attacks on officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer says security will be strengthened for the public’s safety at major events, such as the minute of silence ceremony this Sept. 11.

All Omaha officers will also soon receive additional daylong active-shooter training. The new training will cover some of the tactics that have been used in recent attacks, particularly the sniper in Dallas and the truck attack in Nice, France.

Schmaderer says he commends the Omaha community and his department for working to cultivate a positive relationship that has helped curtail crime and violence.

Boys playing in garage blamed for Lincoln fire

Posted on July 19, 2016

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Boys playing in a garage are being blamed for a fire that spread to two houses in Lincoln.

Firefighters were dispatched to the homes just after 5 p.m. Monday. Fire investigator Mike Wright says boys 7, 8 and 11 were playing when one knocked over a gas can, spilling gas onto the floor. One of the boys then struck a piece of flint, igniting the flames.

The fire damage to the garage and two houses was estimated at about $250,000. None of the boys or occupants of the houses was injured.

One firefighter was sent to a hospital to be checked out for exertion during the day’s heat.

NPCC Lady Knights Basketball Adds Victoria Brown

Posted on July 19, 2016July 19, 2016

North Platte – The North Platte Community College Lady Knights basketball team announced the signing of Victoria Brown from Port Arthur Memorial High School in Port Arthur, Texas.

Brown, a 5’ 7” guard, played for Memorial High School, who finished 18-13 in the 2015-16 season.

Brown averaged 6.8 points per game, 1.2 assists per game, 3.1 rebounds per game and 1.4 steals per game.

Lady Knights Head Coach Richard Thurin said, “Brown shoots the three-pointer well and will help at the guard position. She sees the floor really well.”

Brown is the fifth recruit for the Lady Knights for the 2016-17 season.

Samson Bidan Charles

Posted on July 19, 2016

Samson Bidan Charles, age 19, of Tanzania and North Platte, passed away on July 11th, 2016 in a kayaking accident.

He was born on Wednesday, July 17th, 1996 in Tanzania in the Majimoto Health Center in Serengeti district, where he lived and finished his primary education. He then moved to Dar Es Salaam where he attended high school and joined The University of Dar Es Salaam. He stayed at the university for 1 year before being recruited to play basketball at North Platte Community College.

Since childhood Samson was loved by everyone in the village, especially his mother because he was her last born. Samson was also known as ‘Jomba’ by his family. Jomba means uncle, as he was named after his late uncle.

Samson grew up in the village, as every other child from his family. He lived in a hut made of mud and grass, but he was always thankful and loved grazing cattle. His mother taught him to say thank you after every single meal that she prepared, so he would run to her and say “thank you mom, may God add a lot more so that we can have lunch/dinner tomorrow too”

Samson loved Ugali with beans-the main dish his mom used to cook for him. He would cry for Beans early in the morning, and his mom was there to provide it for him. He also loved sports. To provide sports equipment where there was none, he would even create make-shift footballs made of plastic bags and old rags.

After moving to Dar Es Salaam, Samson joined an army owned school for his high school studies. This is where he begun to shine as a basketball player and managed to be selected to play for the Tanzania Men’s Basketball National team at age 17. He was also then playing for a local Tanzanian team.

Samson is preceded in death by his grandparents, Idah and Charles Emmanuel Okal (paternal), and Akinyi and Joshua Kong’o (maternal); uncles, Elmada, Naftal, and Ojongo; Aunties, Fridah, Dosilla, and Idah. He is survived by his parents, Magreth and Nicholaus Bidan Charles; brothers, Solomon, John, Charles Jr (Babu), Peter (Dalmas), and Abraham; sisters, Pamela and Damaris; nephews, Emmanuel and Bidan Jr; and nieces, Magreth, Atieno, and Alice.

Samson will be missed so much by every family member, friend, and the whole community in Majimoto Village.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, July 21 at North Platte Berean Church with Pastor John Stone officiating. Donations for funeral expenses can be made at https://npberean.org/samson-charles-memorial/. Samson will be laid to rest near his family in Serengeti, Tanzania. Online condolences may be shared at www.carpentermemorial.com. Those wishing to sign Samson’s memorial book may do so from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Wednesday at Carpenter Memorial Chapel, which is in charge of arrangements.