LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A coalition of property owners and elected officials is calling on Nebraska policymakers to rely less on property taxes to finance the government.

The group Reform for Nebraska’s Future announced Tuesday that it has collected nearly 12,000 petition signatures calling on lawmakers to act in this year’s session, which begins Wednesday.

Nebraska relies on a combination of income, property and sales taxes to pay for local and state government, but the largest share comes from property taxes which finance local governments. Reform for Nebraska’s Future says the state should rebalance the revenue streams, possibly by increasing the sales tax or using revenue from internet sales to offset property taxes.

Mark Fahleson, the group’s chairman, says property taxes should take priority over other tax cuts in this year’s session.

BRIDGEPORT, Neb. (AP) — The trial of a man accused of stuffing a Colorado man’s body into a barrel after killing him in 2015 won’t be moved to another location.

Morrill County District Court judge Leo Dobrovolny ruled Tuesday that 25-year-old Zachary Mueller’s trial would be held in Bridgeport.

Lawyers for both sides started narrowing down a pool of 120 potential jurors on Tuesday. Opening arguments could be held as soon as Wednesday.

Mueller has pleaded not guilty to killing 33-year-old Pedro Dominguez of Greeley, Colorado.

A farmer found the barrel with Dominguez’ body inside near Bayard, Nebraska, on December 4, 2015. Authorities said Dominguez had been shot in the back of the head.

A Colorado man is in custody after he allegedly stole a car in North Platte, then crashed it into the river and set it on fire.

At around 11:25 a.m., on January 2, a North Platte police officer was on patrol when he observed a Sport Utility Vehicle on fire and partially submerged in the South Platte River, just south of Harvest Christian Fellowship Church, 1501 South Dewey Street.

The officer investigated further and was contacted by a witness who stated that a male subject had run eastbound from the vehicle.

According to Investigator John Deal, the witness was able to give a description of the suspect and a trooper with the Nebraska State Patrol made contact with the man, later identified as 30-year-old Daniel Founds.

Deal says Founds was uncooperative and did not comply with verbal commands given by the officers.  Founds reportedly became combative and Deal says it took several officers to detain him.

The officers noticed that Founds clothes smelled of gasoline, and found his pants and feet were soaked.  He also appeared to be intoxicated.

Officers learned that the 1986 Chevy Blazer, which had by now been extinguished by the North Platte Fire Department, had been stolen earlier in the day from a residence in the 600 block of South Silber Street.

Officers turned their focus to the vehicle and determined that the fire had been intentionally set in the passenger compartment of the Blazer, which explained why Founds smelled like gasoline.

Deal said that Founds had been staying with family members in town.  Police contacted the family members and they were able to identify a key found near the vehicle as theirs.  They also showed officers a car speaker that Founds had brought to their home at an earlier date.  Deal says that was stolen from a vehicle in the 800 block of South Taft Street, on December 29.

Founds was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center and charged with theft by unlawful taking, resisting arrest, obstructing justice, arson, driving under the influence of liquor and refusal to submit to a chemical/breath test.

The Blazer was deemed a total loss.

 

 

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Soaring numbers in a monthly survey of business supply managers suggest economic conditions are improving in nine Midwest and Plains states.

The Mid-America Business Conditions Index report released Tuesday says the overall economic index for the region jumped to 53.1 in December from 46.5 in November. The October figure was 43.8.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says the December and November increases point to an improving regional manufacturing economy.

The survey results are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth in that factor. A score below that suggests decline.

The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.