HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — Eight Nebraska teenagers are facing theft charges because police say they worked together to steal more than $1,700 in merchandise from the Wal-Mart where they worked as cashiers.
Tickets were handed out to the suspects after a Hastings Police detective spent Wednesday at the store.
Hastings Police Sgt. Brian Hessler says the teens would go to a checkout line manned by one of the other people in the group, and that cashier would either void the item or just pretend to scan it.
A Wal-Mart spokeswoman says all eight teens were fired after the investigation.
The suspects include an 18-year-old woman, an 18-year-old man, four 17-year-old boys and two 17-year-old girls. All are from Hastings.
RALSTON, Neb. (AP) — A 23-year-old Omaha woman accused of breaking one of her infant son’s legs has been given five years of probation.
Court records say Brittany Burgess was sentenced last week in Douglas County District Court. She’d pleaded guilty to a lesser child abuse charge after making an agreement with prosecutors.
Ralston police arrested Burgess last January. A court document says a hospital doctor told officers a bone in one of the boy’s lower legs was fractured more than once and was caused “by pushing down and twisting.”
The boy was 2 months old at the time. He and his older brother were placed in state custody.
Helen Eileen Howey, age 94, of Gering, NE, formerly of North Platte, NE, passed away at Heritage Estates in Gering on Tuesday, December 27, 2016.
Helen was born April 11, 1922, at Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and was later adopted by Carl and Anna Anderson. She grew up in Nebraska, between Arnold and Callaway, and attended school at Arnold and Maxwell, graduating from Maxwell High School in 1940.
In 1941 Eileen married Robert Howey and they moved to Nevada where he worked in construction. When Bob served in the military Eileen moved back to Nebraska to live with her parents. After his discharge Bob and Eileen moved to Brady Island where they farmed, raised cattle and worked damn hard! They also had three daughters, Sandy, Sheila and Bobbi.
By 1970 they moved to North Platte and Eileen went to work for Hinky Dinky grocery store. In 1979 she started working for Dr. Larson and Dr. Britton. She worked as a medical assistant until 1994 when she had a stroke and had to retire.
Eileen was a member of the Tallin Union Church, north of Gothenburg. She was also a life member of B.P.O. Does Drove #109 and the American Legion Auxiliary Post #183. Eileen was feisty and fun loving all her life. She will be greatly missed by her family and many friends.
She is survived by her daughter, Bobbi Turner, of Gering, NE; nine grandchildren, Chris (Ryan) Schultis, of Tryon, NE, Mike (Gladys) Henry, of North Platte, Suzanne (Brian) Heflin, of Kansas City, MO, Bev (Tim) Larsen, of Kearney, NE, Erik Albertson, of Omaha, NE, Melinda (Rick) Strain, of Scottsbluff, NE, Kristi Welsh, of Gering, Pam (Michael) Engelhaupt, of Minatare, NE, and Patti Miller of Las Vegas, NV; 13 great-grandchildren; 5 great great-grandchildren; and other family members.
Eileen was preceded in death by her parents, Carl and Anna Anderson; and two daughters, Shelia Albertson and Sandra Henry.
Cremation was chosen. A Gathering in Celebration of Eileen’s life will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 7, 2017, at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore. Inurnment will follow in Floral Lawns Memorial Gardens. The memorial book may be signed at odeanchapel.com. Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore is in charge of arrangements.
People in relationships argue from time to time, but doing it while you’re standing beside a stolen vehicle is probably not a good idea.
On December 27, at around 1:44 p.m., officers with the North Platte Police Department responded to the Mentzer Oil gas station, 3002 South Jeffers Street, after receiving a report of a male and female arguing outside of a white van with Colorado plates.
An officer arrived and observed a white van in the parking lot of the gas station. A female, later identified as 25-year-old Casey Williams, was in the driver’s seat and a male, later identified as 25-year-old James Dotts, was in the passenger’s seat.
According to Investigator John Deal, as the officer stopped and started to exit his vehicle, Williams took off and drove around the patrol car.
A second officer was just pulling into the lot, but Williams was able to swerve around him and continue onto Eugene Avenue. Deal says Williams blew a red light at Eugene and US Highway 83, then headed southbound on Highway 83, reaching speeds of around 80 mph.
When the van approached Fremont Drive, Deal says Williams attempted to make a u-turn and head northbound, but she was traveling too fast and skidded across the northbound lanes and into the east ditch.
But, Williams wasn’t ready to give up yet.
Deal says Williams intentionally drove through a fence and continued to attempt to elude officers. But they wouldn’t make it far. Deal says Williams ran into an embankment and became stalled.
Williams and Dotts both exited the vehicle and attempted to flee, but were soon apprehended and taken into custody without further incident.
At first, Deal says neither subject was cooperative and would not identify themselves. Therefore, officers ran their fingerprints and learned that Williams had a felony warrant out of New Mexico for burglary, and Dotts had five active New Mexico warrants, including one for aggravated burglary.
Further investigation revealed that the van had been stolen from New Mexico, and the plates had been stolen from Colorado.
A search of the vehicle yielded numerous property and identifications belonging to other people. Deal says officers believe this property is all stolen, but additional follow-up is needed.
Officers also recovered a handgun that was confirmed as stolen from New Mexico and two shotguns which were shorter than 18 inches, which is a violation of Nebraska law.
The duo was placed under arrest and transported to the Lincoln County Detention Center. In addition to the warrants, Williams and Dotts were both charged with felony possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of a stolen firearm, and possession of prohibited weapons. Williams was also charged with willful reckless driving, flight to avoid arrest and criminal mischief.
The investigation is ongoing and Deal says additional charges could be forthcoming.
FUNK, Neb. (AP) — The National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado touched down briefly in south-central Nebraska on Christmas Day.
The service said Wednesday that the EF1 twister carried peak winds of an estimated 100 mph and touched down at 11:50 a.m. Sunday about 2.8 miles south of Funk and lifted three minutes later.
No injuries have been reported. The service says the tornado damaged at least six power poles and four center pivot irrigation systems.
The service says the tornado is the latest confirmed Nebraska occurrence in a calendar year since 1950 and the first December tornado since Dec. 13, 1975.
HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — Eight Nebraska teenagers are facing theft charges because police say they worked together to steal more than $1,700 in merchandise from the Wal-Mart where they worked as cashiers.
