LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A nearly $646,000 federal grant will pay for research into how law enforcement works with rural schools across Nebraska on safety and emergency preparedness.

The research will be led by the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center, working with the Nebraska Department of Education.

Researchers will use Education Department data, crime statistics, census data and survey results from law enforcement and personnel from more than 150 Nebraska schools to examine strategies being used and develop ways to increase engagement and safety.

Mario Scalora is director of the Public Policy Center, and he says rural schools face many of the same safety issues as their urban and suburban counterparts but with fewer resources.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s secretary of state wants to know more about how a federal commission plans to use voter information before he provides it.

Secretary of State John Gale sent a letter Monday to President Donald Trump’s election commission seeking more details about how Nebraska voter data would be kept private.

Trump’s commission was formed to investigate allegations of voter fraud in the 2016 elections, but critics say it’s looking for ways to suppress the vote and the requests are an invasion of privacy.

Gale said he hasn’t had any serious concerns about the integrity of Nebraska’s elections since he took office in 2000. Gale, like Trump, is a Republican.

Gale then suggested several things that could be done to improve election security, including giving local election officials access to a database

Columbus, Neb. – The price of copper has been inching up slightly in 2017, and so have copper thefts. Copper theft, done specifically to pick up a small amount of cash quickly, is especially harmful because of the safety risks it creates when taken from electric utility property, such as substations and power poles. The risk can cause fires, explosions, power outages, electric shock, or even loss of life.
In the past week, Nebraska Public Power District has seen a significant jump in thefts of copper from its locked substations. Individuals have entered several substations illegally and have taken grounds, typically an eight inch copper rod used to direct stray current to the ground and minimize equipment damage. There is no way to know by looking at the ground rod and wiring whether it is carrying electricity or not at any given time.
“We are asking the public to be our ‘eyes and ears’ and be on the lookout for the potential theft of copper wiring from transmission poles and substations across the state,” said NPPD Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Tom Kent. “The substations targeted are located in rural areas as opposed to those located in communities. Stealing copper or other metals from substations or electric facilities is a crime.”
Kent explained that copper theft is a significant safety issue for the thieves, but it can potentially cause harm to members of the public and utility workers. Copper thefts can cause power outages that can be inconvenient for customers and costly to business.
NPPD urges anyone who may see suspicious activity at electric substations to contact their local law enforcement agency with a description of the individuals and vehicles involved. Kent emphasized that individuals should not attempt to apprehend the intruders.
He also stressed that NPPD’s service vehicles are well-marked with bright orange bumpers. Other utilities serving specific areas have wording or logos on their vehicles identifying them as an electric utility, too. “The public should alert local law enforcement of any vehicles that are not identified as being from a utility and activities that appear to be unusual, or individuals that appear to be acting suspicious around electric facilities including power line poles,” he added.
NPPD works with law enforcement agencies across the state to make them aware of the signs of potential copper theft and their personal safety when investigating these thefts. Some of the signs of copper theft to watch for include:

· Loose or broken wires;

· Broken utility pole attachments;

· Open gates at unattended substations or holes in the security fence;

· Burn marks on utility equipment; and

· Electrical arcing

A 30-year-old North Platte man is facing charges after he allegedly entered a home, threatened the people inside with a gun and fired the gun into the ceiling.

According to Investigator John Deal, on July 13, at around 11:04 p.m., officers responded to the report of a disturbance that had occurred earlier at a residence in the 900 block of South Tabor Street.

It was reported that Daryl Jones and an unidentified male had arrived at the residence and went inside uninvited.

Once inside, the victims, a 53-year-old male and a 25-year-old female, say Jones and the other man produced firearms.

Deal says, while Jones and the victims were familiar with each other, Jones and the other man were looking for a male subject who was not present at the time of the incident.

Before leaving, the victims stated that Jones pointed the gun at them and demanded to know where the other male subject was, then fired a round into the ceiling of the residence.

During the evening hours of July 15, an officer observed Jones in the passenger seat of a vehicle near H Street and Cottonwood Avenue. A traffic stop was conducted and Jones was taken into custody.

He was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center on charges of use of a weapon to commit a felony, discharging a weapon into an occupied dwelling and terroristic threats, all felony charges.

Deal says investigators are still trying to identify the other male subject.