KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — Sentencing has been scheduled May 30 for a man who admitted starting a fire at a woman’s basement apartment in Kearney.
Court records say 31-year-old Clifford Sellers pleaded guilty to arson after prosecutors dropped a burglary charge.
Police say no one was injured in the Jan. 22 fire.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Organizers say 650 Vietnam veterans will be flying free to Washington, D.C., soon to visit memorials in and near the nation’s capital.
Bill Williams of Patriotic Productions says four chartered jets will leave early on May 1 from Omaha’s Eppley Airfield and return by 8:30 p.m. the same day at Lincoln Airport. Williams says thousands of people are expected to greet and cheer the veterans upon their return from Washington.
Williams says that of the 650 veterans, 55 are Purple Heart recipients.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a man wounded in an apartment complex parking lot has died at an Omaha hospital.
Police say officers sent to investigate reports of gunshots found 26-year-old Trent Stutheit around 8:05 p.m. Sunday. He was taken to Creighton University Medical Center. Police say he died there.
No arrests have been reported.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The City of Lincoln will begin a program to keep veterans or active duty military members facing felony criminal charges out of prison and to get them the support and services they need to stay out of trouble.
The Veterans Treatment Court will swear in three mentors Wednesday. The mentors, all veterans, will later be paired with participants.
Lincoln coordinator Tony Conell says the program will soon start screening potential candidates and go to the Veterans Court Committee to decide if they’re eligible.
Candidates must have to have served in combat, have a mental health diagnosis, be eligible for Veterans Administration benefits and not have a long criminal history prior to their service.
The program will be the second of its kind in Nebraska.
BENNINGTON, Neb. (AP) — The current commander of the 4th Marines interviewed a World War II veteran in Nebraska to chronicle his experiences for the 75th anniversary of the surrender of Corregidor and for teaching future Marines.
Col. Kevin Norton stopped by the Bennington retirement home last week and interviewed 96-year-old Warren Jorgenson about his life and experiences in the Marines.
While Iowa native Jorgenson was touring with the 4th Marine Regiment, he witnessed the departure of the “China Marines” from Shanghai in 1941, the Japanese attack on Manila after Pearl Harbor and the fall of Corregidor in 1942.
The filmed interview with Jorgenson will be shown next month during services commemorating the 75th anniversary of the surrender of Corregidor. The film will also be used to teach young Marines about the Corps’ history.
DENVER (AP) — A new national poll says Americans think it’s safer to use marijuana than opioids to relieve pain.
The Yahoo/Marist poll out Monday says two-thirds of the respondents in the telephone survey said opioid drugs such as Vicodin or OxyContin are “riskier” to use than pot, even when the pain pills are prescribed by a doctor.
Only one in five said marijuana was riskier than opioids. The rest weren’t sure.
Those answering the poll overwhelmingly said pot should be legal for medical use. But they were less comfortable with children and pregnant women using pot to treat medical conditions.
The telephone poll of 1,122 adults was conducted last month. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.
A Colorado couple is in jail after an alleged assault led to the discovery of marijuana.
On April 15, at around 8:37 a.m., officers responded to the area of Philip Avenue and Lakeview Boulevard on the report of a disturbance between a male and a female inside a vehicle.
An officer located a White Nissan Altima with Colorado plates, which matched the description of the vehicle involved in the disturbance, near A Street and Michael Avenue. The officer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and made contact with the driver, 25-year-old Steffan Sprinkle, and a passenger, 26-year-old Stephanie Wallo.
According to Investigator John Deal, officers reported that Wallo had abrasions on several areas of her body and red marks on her neck.
Wallo told officers that she and Sprinkle had been arguing when he began purposely slamming on the breaks, which caused her to hit her head on the dashboard.
Deal says Wallo told officers that she attempted to get out of the vehicle multiple times, but Sprinkle would grab her and prevent her from getting out. She also said, at one point, Sprinkle grabbed her around the neck and choked her.
Officers determined that there was probable cause to arrest Sprinkle and charge him with domestic assault, felony strangulation and false imprisonment.
As officers investigated further, they noticed a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Inside the vehicle, officers located several individual packages of marijuana, a scale, a marijuana grinder and empty plastic bags. Deal says the marijuana seized totaled about half a pound.
As a result, officers added a charge against Sprinkle of felony possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. Wallo was arrested on the same charge and on an active Lincoln County warrant..
Wallo and Sprinkle were jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.
Deal said the couple lives in Colorado but one of them has ties to North Platte.
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Patrick Arthur Thomas, age 74, of North Platte, NE, died Friday, April 14, 2017, at the Fillmore County Hospital in Geneva, NE.
Pat was born January 22, 1943, to Roy and June Maxine Kincaid Thomas in Seattle, WA, where he grew up and attended school. When he was 17 years old, Pat enlisted in the U.S. Army and married his first wife whom he later divorced. Following his discharge in 1963, Pat moved to Los Angeles, CA, and went to work in construction.
In May 1969 Pat married Marcia Torres and they moved to Spokane, WA, where he continued working in construction. The couple had two children, Scott and Jill, and later divorced. Pat then worked on the oil pipe lines in Alaska for several years. He later had a jewelry business which he took to different states.
Pat liked to travel and sell jewelry along the way. He had been to all 48 continental states and decided he liked Myrtle Beach the best. He also loved to fish, especially at Baker Lake. By 2005 Pat moved to North Platte from Spokane and retired to South Oak Manor.
He is survived by his children, Scott (Heather) Thomas and Jill Funk (Bud Vaughn), all of North Platte; seven grandchildren, Cam Thomas, Kody Funk, Ryan Funk, Jonathan Thomas, Alysha Thomas, Jeremy Funk and Isaiah Thomas; former son-in-law, Cory Funk; brother, Tim Thomas, and sisters, Kathy Attosen and Karen (Lanny) Jay, all of Spokane; as well as several nieces, nephews and other family.
Pat was preceded in death by his parents, Roy and June.
Cremation was chosen. Memorial Service will be 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 18, 2017, at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore with Pastor Tim Eighmy officiating. Inurnment with military honors will follow in Fort McPherson National Cemetery. The memorial book may be signed at odeanchapel.com or prior to the service at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore which is in charge of arrangements.
Altha M. Hill, age 98, died April 13, 2017 at Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Atkinson, NE.
Altha was born November 18, 1918 to John William and Mabel Evelyn Newberry in Tryon, Nebraska. She grew up on the Newberry Ranch in McPherson County and attended a country school graduating with the class of 1938 in Tryon, Nebraska.
On August 3, 1941 she married LaRoy James Millikin. From this union two daughters were born. LaRoy preceded her in death November 4, 1955.
On July 5, 1959 she married Hewett Lee Hill who brought into this marriage a son Carey Hill. Lee preceded her in death April 20, 1989.
Altha lived at South Oak Manor in North Platte for several years before retiring to Cherry Hills Manor in Valentine Nebraska. Because of health reasons she moved to Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Atkinson, Nebraska where she resided until her death.
Two brothers and three sisters preceded her in death. Survivors include two daughters, Sandra L. Johnson of Loveland CO. and Cheryl A. Wendt of Pierre, South Dakota Carey Hill of Harrisonville, MO, several grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
Graveside services will be 11:00 a.m. Thursday April 20, 2017 at Fort McPherson National Cemetery with Elder Wayne Godfrey of the Restored Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ officiating. Those wanting to sign the register book may do so Wednesday April 19, 2017 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Adams & Swanson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
