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Midwest economic survey figures show slight improvement

economyOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Figures from a survey of supply managers in nine Midwest and Plains states have risen slightly but still suggest slow or no economic growth ahead.

A report issued Thursday says the Mid-American Business Conditions index inched up to 47.8 in August from 47.6 in July.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says he expects the regional economy to underperform the national economy because of the region’s heavy dependence on manufacturers linked to the weak sectors of agriculture and energy.

The survey results are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests economic growth. A score below that suggests decline. The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

Omaha man who burned gay pride flag gets probation

Cameron Mayfield
Cameron Mayfield

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha man convicted of burning a gay pride rainbow flag has been given two years of probation.

Online court records say 25-year-old Cameron Mayfield was sentenced Wednesday. He’d been convicted of felony arson as a hate crime.

Prosecutors say Mayfield took the flag from the porch of a lesbian couple who lived near him, set it on fire and waved it in the middle of a street in March 2015. Mayfield’s attorney argued the act was a drunken prank and not a hate crime.

State settles with inmate seeking hormone therapy

neb-state-seal-featureLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Attorney General’s office has agreed to settle a civil rights lawsuit filed against a state prison’s medical director for refusing to provide hormone therapy to an inmate.

The terms of the settlement that was reached this week have not been released.

In a lawsuit filed last year, Riley Shadle accused Dr. Randy Kohl of denying her hormone therapy treatment for gender identity disorder. According to a letter from the Lincoln Correctional Center warden, the state denied the request because it was considered an elective treatment.

In February, a judge allowed the case to go forward on an Eighth Amendment claim alleging prison officials had failed to provide adequate care for a serious medical need.

Shadle, who was convicted under the name Dillon Shadle and later legally changed her name, was born male but identifies as female, according to court records.

Iowa man sentenced for Stolen Valor Act violation

dept.-of-justiceDAVENPORT, IA- On August 30, 2016, Robert Ellsworth Brooks, Jr., age 70, of Davenport, Iowa, was sentenced by District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose to five years’ probation and a $5,000 fine, announced United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel. Brooks pled guilty under the Stolen Valor Act to purchasing medals without proper authorization. Brooks was also ordered to forfeit the unauthorized medals and pay a $25 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund.

Brooks has served in both the United States Army and the United States Navy. From approximately November 1962 to September 1966, Brooks served in the Navy. From approximately May 1967 until September 1970, Brooks served in the Army. This time in the Army included deployment and service in Vietnam in the helicopter program. From approximately September 1970 until September 1974, he served in the Army Reserve. From approximately September 1974 until January 31, 1986, Brooks served in the Navy and was discharged under “other than honorable conditions.” After his discharge from the Army, Brook’s DD-214 dated September 10, 1970, listed the following Awards and Decorations (A & D): National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Army Aviator Badge, Parachute Badge, 30/S Service Bars, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Medal (14th award with “V” device).

Sometime between 1971-1974, and during his service in the Army Reserves, Brooks engaged in a conversation with others and as a result compiled a list of Awards and Decorations he thought he deserved, but had not validly been awarded. He knowingly provided this list to another and this information was falsely added to his official military file.

After Brooks began his service in the Navy in 1974, through a series of administrative interactions between the Army and Navy, the Navy obtained a copy of Army records, including a Form 66, which had been populated with this falsely added information under the Awards & Decorations. The Navy relied on this form as legitimate and believed Brooks was entitled to the incorrectly listed Awards & Decorations. When Brooks was discharged from the Navy on January 31, 1986, his DD-214 included the false Awards & Decorations. Throughout the years, the only document that was checked when suspicion arose about the earned Awards & Decorations was the fraudulent DD-214.

On January 31, 1986, Brooks was discharged from the Navy. As part of his plea in federal court, Brooks admitted that the DD-214 dated January 31, 1986, included false Awards & Decorations. Most significantly, Brooks’ DD-214 falsely reported that he had received a Silver Star Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, a Purple Heart with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, and a Combat Infantry Badge. Brooks also admitted that his records falsely included the following: Distinguished Flying Cross with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Bronze Star Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Airmen Medal with a 57, an Oak Leaf Cluster and “V,” Army Commendation Medal with “V,” Navy Good Conduct, Navy Pistol Expert, Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with star, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign w/ Bar, Republic of Vietnam Honor 1st Class, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, Navy Unit Commendation, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Presidential Unit Citation, (Army) Presidential Unit Citation, (Army) Meritorious Unit Citation, (Army) Valorous Unit Citation, Republic of Vietnam Combat Action Ribbon, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Republic of Vietnam Air Service, Vietnam Air Cross Gallantry w/ Silver Wings, Army Overseas Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Army NCO Proficiency Development, Naval Parachutist Badge, Naval Aviator Badge, Navy Aircrew Member Wings, Army Parachutist Badge, Republic of Vietnam Parachutist Badge, and Pathfinder Badge.

Brooks knew he had not been legitimately authorized to receive these Awards and Decorations. Brooks admitted that he knowingly and intentionally purchased unauthorized Awards & Decorations, including, but not limited to a Silver Star with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, a Purple Heart with 4 Oak Leaf clusters, and a Combat Infantryman Badge.

Brooks has repeatedly and falsely affirmed, in public and private settings, that he was properly entitled to and received the additional Awards & Decorations improperly added to his DD-214. Brooks has failed to correct this erroneous information. On several occasions when others have questioned his service record, Brooks has referred to the 1986 DD-214, knowing that it contained false information. At his sentencing hearing, the district court noted that Brooks’ public claims that he was a prisoner of war (POW) after he and his crew were shot down during the Vietnam War were not credible. The district court also noted that a story published in Chicken Soup for the Veteran’s Soul, based on information provided by Brooks and describing Brooks flying through enemy fire to save a group of Marines, one of which turned out to be a family member, also was apparently not true.

This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Kearney police officer charged in traffic stop shooting

Derek Payton
Derek Payton

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — The state attorney general’s office says a Nebraska police officer has been charged with assault in the shooting of a man after a traffic stop.

The office said in a news release Thursday that Officer Derek Payton of Kearney turned himself in Wednesday and immediately posted bond. Online court records don’t list the name of an attorney to speak on his behalf.

The office says Payton fired three times at Jose Klich as Klich fled a June 5 traffic stop. An arrest warrant affidavit says Klich backed up his vehicle and hit Payton’s leg, despite Payton’s orders to stop the car. The affidavit says Payton was not in the path of the car as it drove away and Payton fired.

Klich was struck once and underwent surgery.

Computer repair leads to child porn charge for NP man

Gale Gibbs (LCSO Photo)
Gale Gibbs (LCSO Photo)

A 66-year-old North Platte man is facing child porn charges after technicians at a local computer shop discovered possible images of child porn on his computer.

According to Investigator John Deal, on August 26, at around 3:07 p.m., an officer responded to Computer Troubleshooters, 1320 South Cottonwood, on a child pornography complaint.

Employees of the business were interviewed, and it was reported that a Gale Gibbs dropped off a laptop computer to be serviced.

As employees were working on the computer, they discovered images that appeared to be child pornography.

On August 31, Deal says a search warrant was secured for Gibbs’ residence in the 700 block of East Philip Avenue.  During a preliminary search of a computer at the home, officers discovered a video that met the statutory requirements of child pornography.

As a result, Gibbs was charged with felony possession of child pornography and jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.

According to jail records, Gibbs is being held without bond.

 

 

10-year-old tried to sell pot at school, Lincoln police say

lincoln-policeLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a 10-year-old boy tried to sell marijuana to two friends at school in Lincoln.

Lincoln police spokeswoman Katie Flood says the student told police he’d picked some of the pot from a wild plant in a neighbor’s yard. Flood says the neighbor told officers he’d found the plant growing in his flower bed. It’s been removed.

The boy was referred to juvenile authorities.

Car driver fled scene of fatal collision, Omaha police say

omaha-policeOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a car driver has been arrested after fleeing the scene of a fatal collision with a motorcyclist in western Omaha.

The accident was reported around 7:20 p.m. Wednesday. Police say the motorcycle was heading west when it collided with the eastbound car as the car turned north. The car left the crash scene, but it was soon spotted.

The driver was arrested on suspicion of committing several crimes, including leaving the scene of a fatal crash and driving under the influence, fourth offense. Online court records don’t show that he’s been formally charged.

Police say the injured motorcyclist was taken to Nebraska Medical Center, where he soon died. Police identified him as 43-year-old Justin Hart, who lived in Omaha.

North Platte Weather-September 1

forecast graphic september 1 2016Today
Widespread fog, mainly before 7am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 80. South southeast wind 7 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 57. South southeast wind 10 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.
Friday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 80. South southeast wind 9 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.
Friday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. South southeast wind 10 to 13 mph.
Saturday
A slight chance of thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. South wind 8 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Saturday Night
A chance of thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Sunday
A chance of thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunday Night
A slight chance of thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 60.
Labor Day
Mostly sunny, with a high near 85.
Monday Night
A chance of thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 59.
Tuesday
A slight chance of thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 81.
Tuesday Night
A chance of thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56.
Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.
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