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Nebraska school board member acquitted in animal torture case

judgeshipSTANTON, Neb. (AP) — A northeast Nebraska school board member has been found not guilty of charges related to animal cruelty.

Court records say a judge acquitted 44-year-old Kirk Van Pelt after a nonjury trial Thursday in Stanton. Van Pelt had been charged with aiding and abetting cruel mistreatment of an animal and four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a child.

Police had said he played a role in the torture of a cat and an opossum. Four juveniles convicted in the case were sentenced to probation and community service. His attorney said there was no evidence that Van Pelt aided any crime or encouraged any delinquency.

Van Pelt is a member of the Stanton Community Schools board.

Lincoln to save money by sharing 911 radio system with state

911-ServicesLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The city of Lincoln will save more than $570,000 through an agreement to share emergency radio system assets with the state.

Lincoln public safety director, Tom Casady, says the city will operate its new 911 radio system using the Nebraska computer core and will be able to use the statewide radio system for communication, which will be particularly helpful in rural parts of the county.

Through the agreement, the state will be allowed to use Lincoln’s new radio system, which offers better communication service inside the urban area.

Casady said Lincoln will save money now and in the future since it won’t have to buy the core or pay for maintenance in five to 10 years.

The city and state won’t exchange any money in the arrangement.

Teen takes plea deal in Gering locker room recordings case

gavel-and-scaleGERING, Neb. (AP) — A teenager accused of secretly recording activity in the girls locker room at Gering High School has made a deal with prosecutors.

The 16-year-old entered the juvenile court equivalent of a guilty plea Tuesday to a misdemeanor count of unlawful intrusion and three counts of felony unlawful intrusion by photograph. Prosecutors dropped the remaining 36 counts in return for the boy’s pleas.

A court document says the recordings show the girls “in a state of undress.”

The Associated Press generally doesn’t name juveniles accused of crimes. His sentencing is set for Sept. 15.

 

North Platte Weather-July 29

Forecast Graphic July 29 2016Today
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7am. Areas of fog before 10am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 81. Calm wind becoming southeast 5 to 7 mph in the morning.
Tonight
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 10pm and 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Southeast wind around 7 mph.
Saturday
Partly sunny, with a high near 85. South southeast wind 5 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Saturday Night
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. Southeast wind 9 to 11 mph.
Sunday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. South southeast wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
Sunday Night
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 68.
Monday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 94.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 67.
Tuesday
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94.
Tuesday Night
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 68.
Wednesday
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92.
Wednesday Night
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65.
Thursday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 84.

WCDHD to reopen Public Health Clinic Aug. 1

wcdhdThe West Central District Health Department is re-opening our Public Health Clinic beginning on August 1st, 2016. The clinic will be located within its main location at 111 North Dewey Street North Platte, NE 69101.

Patients with or without insurance can make the Public Health Clinic their primary health care provider.  Services will include: yearly physicals, back to school physicals, sports physicals, preventative medical services, immunizations, travel immunizations, preventative screenings, and patient navigators to link our patients to other needs such as food, housing, transportation.

The public health clinic will provide quality health care services to those who previously had limited access to primary care. “Our commitment is to promote the care of the whole person by enhancing access to care through a comprehensive approach; addressing all patient needs that impact their health and empowering patients to actively participate in their care. WCDHD can provide individuals with dental care, preventative health care, education, and links to our partners through our patient navigators,” said Shannon Vanderheiden, Executive Director.

WCDHD would like to thank our community partners who helped in re-opening the public health clinic to increase the access to health care. The partnership and donations from Great Plains Health and Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation grant has allowed WCDHD’s public health clinic to begin seeing patients August 1st.

Police: Body of man found in downtown Omaha parking garage

omaha-policeOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha police are investigating the death of a man whose body was found in a downtown parking garage.

Police say the body was found around 6:30 a.m. Thursday on the floor of the garage connected to the DoubleTree Hotel.

Officials say the body was found between a wall and a parked pickup.

Police blocked at least one entrance to the garage while collecting evidence.

Authorities had not released the man’s name or any other details about his death by late Thursday afternoon.

AUDIO: Nicholson, Kuenle shine at NCA all-star game; Lady Bulldogs reload for 2016

Nebraska Coaches Association All-Star Volleyball Game
Blue Team……………25 24 25 25
Red Team…………….23 26 21 20

Blue Team (kills-aces-blocks): Olivia Nicholson (North Platte) 15-1-2½, Nerissa Moravec (Lincoln SE) 3-0-1, Maddie Squiers (Kearney Catholic) 2-1-½, Chandler Hageman (Chadron) 1-0-2, Dani Carlson (Elkhorn) 3-1-½, Emily Lenners (Freeman) 3-1-3½, Alyssa Woodman (Omaha Skutt) 9-1-0, Kylie Belt (Emerson-Hubbard) 4-0-½, Katie Stephens (Papillion-La Vista) 4-0-0, Cassidy Loberg (Millard West) 2-0-½, Brianna Boender (Waverly) 1-1-0.

Red Team (kills-aces-blocks): Allison Kuenle (North Platte) 10-0-½, Morgan Alexander (Ord) 0-0-½, Mollie Kaps (Bertrand) 3-0-½, Taylor Els (Lincoln Southwest) 1-0-0, Breanna Kreikemeier (West Point GACC) 2-0-½, Halie McArdle (Gretna) 7-0-0, Lauren Hinrichs (Doniphan-Trumbull) 5-0-1, Payton Rosendahl (Columbus Lakeview) 5-0-½, Maeghan Pieper (Columbus Scotus) 3–1-½, Kiley Hixson (Aurora) 4-0-0, Elizabeth Loschen (Omaha Marian) 10-0-1, Kelsey Green (Elkhorn South) 5-0-2.

Oregon State Fair to feature marijuana

High_Quality_Marijuana_1PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A new crop will be featured at the Oregon State Fair this year: marijuana.

The fair awards prizes for the curviest vegetable or the most misshapen fruit. This year, marijuana plants will also be on display — and will be judged by a panel of growers before the fair.

The Oregon Cannabis Business Council is sponsoring the exhibit. Chairman Don Morse says nine plants will be displayed in a greenhouse and monitored by a security guard.

Only people age 21 and older will be allowed inside.

Fair spokesman Dan Cox says the exhibit is a nod to the newly legal status of cannabis. Morse says, however, that those hoping for a sample will be disappointed.

The fair runs Aug. 26 through Sept. 5.

New president picked for Grand Island junior college campus

central-community-collegeGRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — A new president has been selected for Central Community College’s Grand Island campus.

Marcie Kemnitz has been dean of instruction for the entire college’s health sciences offerings since February 2009. Pending her approval by the college district board next month, Kemnitz will succeed Thomas Walker. He left to become president of Wayne Community College in Goldsboro, North Carolina.

Before joining Central Community College, Kemnitz was an assistant professor in the Sanford School of Medicine at the University of South Dakota. She holds a doctorate and master’s from the University of South Dakota.

Lexington OKs permit so former laundromat may be used as mosque

city-of-lexingtonLEXINGTON, Neb. (AP) — The Lexington City Council has voted to let a former laundromat continue to be used as a mosque.

The council voted Tuesday to grant a conditional use permit for the Islamic Center of Lexington. The council originally voted Dec. 22 to deny the permit, citing concerns about parking and what was best for development and redevelopment of downtown. The mosque already was operating in the building.

City and mosque officials have been negotiating since the city sued the center in February, saying a certificate of occupancy hadn’t been obtained and a conditional use permit was required before the former laundromat can be used for religious purposes.

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