March 2017 – Page 29 – North Platte Post Archive

Nebraska high school football star charged in sex trafficking case

Posted on March 11, 2017

BELLEVUE, Neb. (AP) — A standout Nebraska high school football player has been charged with first-degree sexual assault of a child and human trafficking.

Eighteen-year-old DeArch Stubblefield, a senior defensive back on the Bellevue West state championship team, was charged Friday in Sarpy County Court. He is being held without bail.

Court documents say Stubblefield sexually assaulted a teen between 12 and 16 years old and forced the teen to engage in sex trafficking between Dec. 1 and Jan. 31.

Stubblefield’s next court hearing is set for March 28.

A Bellevue Public Schools spokeswoman says officials have not yet made a decision on Stubblefield’s student status.

A voice message left with the Sarpy County Public Defender’s Office, which is representing Stubblefield, was not immediately returned Saturday.

Man charged with molesting boy in Omaha mall bathroom

Posted on March 11, 2017

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 50-year-old resident of an Omaha assisted living facility has been charged with child sexual assault after police say he molested a 7-year-old boy in a Westroads Mall bathroom.

Bruce Perry is charged with third-degree sexual assault of a child and intentional child abuse in connection with the Wednesday incident. He is being held on $250,000 bail.

Prosecutors say Perry pulled down the boy’s pants and touched his genitals after the boy and his 11-year-old brother went into the bathroom. Police say the older brother fought off the man until the boys could escape.

Police say Perry told investigators he has exposed himself to boys many other times, but assistant public defender Cathy Saathoof disputes that. She says Perry has impaired intellectual capacity and mental health issues.

Nebraska, Iowa move to daylight-saving time

Posted on March 11, 2017

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — It’s time to spring forward again, as the country makes the switch to daylight-saving time.

Like those in almost all other states, Nebraskans and Iowans will trade an hour of sleep starting Sunday morning for an extra hour of sunlight in the evening.

The government expanded daylight-saving time in 2007 in an effort to save energy. It now begins on the second Sunday in March and continues until the first Sunday in November.

The official change occurs at 2 a.m. Sunday, local time, although people often change their clocks before going to bed Saturday night.

Daylight-saving time ends Nov. 5.

Lincoln man sentenced to prison for sexual assault

Posted on March 10, 2017

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 37-year-old Lincoln man has been sentenced to up to 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting a sleeping woman at a party.

Jesus “Jesse” Brown was sentenced Wednesday to 16 to 20 years in prison. He was convicted by a jury in January of first-degree sexual assault.

Prosecutors say Brown assaulted the woman three months after being paroled from prison. The 28-year-old woman told police she spent the night in Lincoln in September 2015 at an after-hours party at a house. She said she awoke early in the morning to Brown sexually assaulting her.

Brown said the sex was consensual.

Man placed in protective custody after outburst at Lincoln Co. Courthouse

Posted on March 10, 2017March 10, 2017

Authorities say a man has been placed in protective custody after an outburst at the Lincoln County Courthouse.

According to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the Lincoln County Courthouse at around 8:30 a.m. this morning on the report of a disturbance.

It was reported that a male subject was at the courthouse and was “very emotional and threatening to harm or shoot the first law enforcement officer he found.”

Chief Deputy Roland Kramer says, due to the size of the courthouse, deputies were unable to locate the man and he left the building.

Kramer says the man was located at a local gas station and taken into custody without incident. It was determined that the man was suffering from a mental illness and he was placed into emergency protective custody.

The LCSO didn’t indicate that any charges were pending against the man.

Nebraska treasurer formally requests audit of finance agency

Posted on March 10, 2017

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska State Treasurer Don Stenberg has formally asked for an audit of a state finance organization that he alleges is trying to hide information from the public.

Stenberg sent a letter to State Auditor Charlie Janssen on Friday, arguing that the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority has denied him information that should be posted on the state’s spending transparency website.

Tim Kenny, the authority’s executive director, says the organization has offered to provide a web link to its financial data but cannot place information on a server it doesn’t control. Kenny says doing so would violate the organization’s cyber risk insurance policy.

Kenny says Stenberg’s allegations are false and misleading.

The Nebraska Investment Finance Authority provides financing for certain first-time homebuyers, farmers and ranchers, among other duties.

Francesmary “Mary” Portz

Posted on March 10, 2017March 10, 2017

Francesmary “Mary” (Harmer) Portz, age 94 of North Platte, passed away Wednesday March 8, 2017 at her ranch home.

Mary was born on July 15, 1922 in North Platte to Norman J. “Doc” and Josephine (Hood) Harmer. She was raised in the Sandhills on the Mesmer Ranch at the head waters of the Whitehorse Creek. She had many roles in her life; she was a co-chairman of the Lincoln County Red Cross, a 4H Leader, pro-life advocate, involved with her husband with the NebraskaLand Days Board, was a board member of Community Christian Concern Day Care and Pre-School, she worked in the office of the Western Livestock Auction Co., she and her husband were founding members of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, she was a CCD coordinator and Daughter of Charity. In her personal life, she was an avid reader and loved Facebook. She was famous for her pecan cinnamon rolls, and angel food cake, and was an excellent seamstress. She twice won an award from Cheyenne Frontier Days for her reproduction of historical clothing. She and her husband Portzie gave this toast on many occasions, “May you always have the best of everything, blue skies, green grass, clear water and Herefords.” Mary will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

Mary is survived by her daughters Trudy (Dennis) Brosius of Brownlee, Jan (Gary) Bush of North Platte and Molly (Kevin) Gorman of Monee, IL; grandchildren Joe Brosius of North Platte, Bell (Tony) Meyer of Stapleton, Gary Bush of Kearney, Amy (Trevor) Buhler of Ferndale, WA, Ann (Jerry) Bloodhart of Shiloh, OH, Jerry Bush of Lincoln, Tess (Jamie) Simpkins of Loveland, CO, Shaun (Nora) Gorman of Los Angeles, CA, John (Tierney) Brosius of Rock Island, IL, Adam (Kristen ) Gorman of Chicago, IL, Jay (Carissa) Gorman of Cornelius, NC, and Kate (fiancé Avery Zink) Gorman of West Lafayette, IN; great grandchildren, Kevin Meyer of AZ, Justin Meyer of Odessa, NE, Sarah and Andrea Meyer of Stapleton, Keeley and Zander Buhler of Ferndale, WA, Kristen and Gage Bloodhart of Ohio, Emma and Abby Simpkins of Loveland, CO, Jack and Rowan Brosius of Rock Island, IL, Declan and Nolan Gorman of IL, Ara, Aleena and Lori Gorman of CA, and Elsie and Conner Gorman of NC; 2 great great grandchildren, Benjamin Meyer of AZ, and Clara Douglas of Stapleton.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Ed “Portzie” Portz in 2012; an infant son; grandson Jed Bush; and her sister Norma McCrone Peterson.

Memorials may be made to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and online condolences may be shared at www.adamsswanson.com. A Scriptural Rosary will be prayed at 7:00 p.m. Monday March 13, 2017 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church. After the Rosary, there will be a gathering of family and friends in the Parish Hall. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 a.m. Tuesday March 14, 2017 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church with the Reverend Mark Seiker as Celebrant. Burial will follow at Good Hope Cemetery near the headwater of the Whitehorse Creek north of North Platte. Visitation will be 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Monday March 13, 2017 at Adams and Swanson Funeral Home which is in charge of arrangements.

Nonstop Omaha-to-Miami flights announced

Posted on March 10, 2017

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Officials say people who use Omaha’s airport soon can fly nonstop to Miami.

Eppley Airfield officials say the daily American Airlines flights will begin July 5. Miami will be the 27th destination travelers can reach by nonstop flights from Omaha.

American plans to use 76-passenger jet aircraft for the Miami flights.

Nebraska prison warden’s deployment leads to staff shuffling

Posted on March 10, 2017

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s corrections department is shuffling its administrative staff after a prison warden was summoned for a deployment with the Army National Guard.

Nebraska State Penitentiary Warden Rich Cruickshank will go on a one-year deployment. Corrections Director Scott Frakes announced Friday that Robert Madsen, the warden of the Community Corrections Center — Lincoln, will take over Cruickshank’s position.

Charles West, the warden at the Community Corrections Center — Omaha, has been appointed warden of the Community Corrections Center — Omaha.

Ryan Mahr, the warden of the Nebraska Correctional Youth Facility, will continue to serve as warden of that facility but will also become warden of Omaha’s community corrections center.

Last year, 60 employees with the Department of Correctional Services were active National Guard members.

Man soon caught after escape from Lincoln hospital, authorities say

Posted on March 10, 2017

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say police soon captured a man who escaped from the state psychiatric hospital in Lincoln.

The Nebraska Health and Human Services Department says 22-year-old Christopher Torres Jr. hopped a fence and fled around 12:45 p.m. Thursday. He was caught within a few blocks about 15 minutes later and returned to the Lincoln Regional Center.

Department spokeswoman Julie Naughton said hospital staffers had Torres in sight the entire time.

Torres was sent to the hospital after a judge found him incompetent to stand trial in November. Prosecutors say Torres had used a knife to threaten a man after taking the man’s bicycle.