LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska senator who opposes the death penalty is once again trying to abolish the punishment even though voters reinstated it last year.
Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha introduced the repeal bill on Tuesday. Chambers has tried to outlaw the punishment for roughly four decades.
Lawmakers voted to abolish the punishment in 2015 over Gov. Pete Ricketts’ veto, but the law never went into effect. A group partially financed by Ricketts responded with a petition drive that suspended the law until voters decided whether to keep it.
In November, 61 percent of voters who cast a ballot on the issue chose to overturn the Legislature’s decision.
FREMONT, Neb. (AP) — An Arlington woman has been given 90 days in jail for the death of a memory care patient who was burned after falling asleep near a fireplace.
Court records say Anne Pavlik was sentenced Tuesday in Dodge County Court. The judge also gave Pavlik two years’ probation. She’d pleaded no contest to attempted abuse of a vulnerable adult in the death of 82-year-old Bernard Batten at a Fremont memory care center.
Investigators determined Batten awoke early on Feb. 12 and eventually sat in a chair. Pavlik, who was the only staffer on duty, didn’t notice Batten then pulled his chair near a fireplace fire and fell asleep.
Pavlik later found Batten was badly burned. An autopsy showed he died of natural causes and burns.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa trial again has been delayed for a Nebraska man charged with killing his wife.
Court records say a Woodbury County judge approved a defense request to delay Rogelio Morales’ trial. It had been scheduled to begin Jan. 24. Court records don’t show that a new date has been set.
The case was delayed last fall after Morales’ previous attorney withdrew from the case.
The 29-year-old Morales lives in Hubbard, Nebraska. He’s pleaded not guilty to killing 21-year-old Margarita Morales, of South Sioux City, Nebraska, on April 19, 2015, in his car near a Sioux City residence.
Court documents say Morales told investigators a fight broke out when his wife told him she no longer wanted to be in a relationship and that she was seeing another man.
NEW YORK (AP) — Wal-Mart plans to add about 10,000 retail jobs in the U.S. as it opens new stores and expands existing locations.
The world’s biggest retailer said Tuesday that there will also be about 24,000 construction jobs as well.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. says there will be 59 new, expanded and relocated Walmart and Sam’s Clubs facilities.
The chain is planning $6.8 billion in capital investments in the U.S. in the coming fiscal year, which starts on Feb. 1. The investments include construction and remodeling of stores, clubs and distribution centers, and the expansion of new services such as online grocery pickup.
Last week Amazon announced that it would add 100,000 full-time jobs over the next 18 months.
Photographs by local photographer, Martin Mora, are on display at the Prairie Arts Center.
Stone carvings by local artist, Mary Tanner, are on display at the Prairie Arts Center.
The Prairie Art Center’s latest Gallery exhibit features two local artists with tremendous talents.
Photographer Marty Mora says he’s always been amazed by the beauty of far-away places, majestic mountains, mysterious forest glades and breathtaking oceans vistas…but he also has a belief that true beauty lies in our own backyards. His exhibit at the PAC focuses on Nebraska’s hidden treasures like it’s colorful horizons and the Sandhills covered in early morning mists.
Mora worked for 12 years with Brown/Harano studio, developing his expertise in color balance, techniques ad enhancements, as well as a solid grounding in composition and photographic techniques. Mora honors include the Virgil Pitstick award for Best Novice Photographer, the Top Ten Professional Photographers in Nebraska, as well as many awards in state-wide photography competitions.
Stone carver, Mary Tanner has a background in illustration, clay sculpting and wood carving. But stone has become her favorite medium. Tanner says stone is true, clean, straightforward and honest. A nicely carved, well-finished sculpture in stone is unequaled in its beauty.
This exhibit features eleven on her magnificent pieces. Dancing figures carved in translucent alabaster, vertical flying birds in green soapstone and a roaring bear in black pearl soapstone grace the gallery. There is also a piece of carved limestone salvaged from the old McDaid building that was demolished several years ago.
Tanner’s public art includes the restoration of the Sioux Lookout Indian, restoration of the Fort McPherson Soldier Sculpture and the airplane mounted on the front terminal of Lee Bird Field. She has won Best of Show at Sculpture in the south in South Carolina, Best of 3-D two years in a row in Stuhr Museum’s Wings over the Platte.
Holly Carlini, Executive Director of the Prairie Art Center says, “This gallery exposed this community to the amazing world of art. It allows us to showcase art from all over the country, including amazing artists we have right here in North Platte.”
In 2008, the Creativity Unlimited Arts Council acquired the historic 1913 Post Office building. Renovation plans are well underway with the studio and first floor complete. The second floor is slated to finish by the end of 2017. The Prairie Arts Center provides opportunities for creative self-expression through exhibits, classes and community events.
Two people are facing felony assault charges following two separate incidents involving a knife.
The first incident occurred on January 14. At around 1:31 a.m., officers responded to the report of a stabbing in the 200 block of East Ninth Street.
Officers made contact with three subjects, a 26-year-old male victim, a witness and 28-year-old Trenton Marotta-Engleman.
It was reported that the victim and witness were in the front yard of a residence with Marotta-Engleman drove by. According to Investigator John Deal, Marotta-Engleman thought the male subject was involved in a relationship with his ex-girlfriend.
Deal says Marotta-Engleman accosted the subject, then approached him in an aggressive manner.
The two reportedly wrestled for a short time, at which time Marotta-Engleman allegedly produced a pocket knife and cut the victim on the forehead, ending the fight.
Deal says the victim had a cut that was less than a half inch wide and he was not transported to the hospital.
Officers search Marotta-Engleman and found the pocket knife allegedly used in the attack. He was charged with felony 2nd-degree assault and use of a weapon to commit a felony, and transported to the Lincoln County Detention Center.
In a separate incident, on January 17, at around 2:57 a.m., officers responded to a disturbance in the 1800 block of West Front Street.
It was reported that a 49-year-old female and 61-year-old Mary Ryan, who were both intoxicated, became involved in an argument.
Deal says, at one point, Ryan produced a kitchen-type knife and went after the victim.
Officers observed two small cuts on the victim, one on her shoulder and one on her leg. Deal says neither injury was serious.
A search turned up the knife that Ryan allegedly used in the attack. Officers found Ryan hiding in the backyard and placed her under arrest.
Ryan was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center and charged with felony 2nd-degree assault and use of a weapon to commit a felony.
NEBRASKA CITY, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a 43-year-old man has died in a collision between his car and a semi-trailer in Otoe County.
The accident occurred around 10:30 a.m. Sunday on U.S. Highway 75 south of Nebraska City. The Otoe County Sheriff’s Office says the northbound car crossed the center line and struck the oncoming truck.
The car driver was identified as Scott Koch, from rural Auburn. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver was identified as 56-year-old Mark Rieke, of Gretna. The Sheriff’s Office says Rieke wasn’t injured.
Deputies don’t think weather conditions contributed to the crash, which remains under investigation.
EDGEMONT, S.D. (AP) — Two BNSF Railway employees have been struck and killed by a train near Edgemont in southwestern South Dakota.
