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Month: September 2017

Nebraska man charged in wife’s shooting death to stand trial

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DAKOTA CITY, Neb. (AP) — A man accused of shooting and killing his wife outside a northeast Nebraska police station is now slated to stand trial in the first-degree murder case.

41-year-old Bei Sheng Chen, of South Sioux City, appeared in a Dakota County Court on Tuesday, where he waived his right to a preliminary hearing. The case has been bound over to district court for trial.

A judge refused his request on Tuesday to lower his $1.25 million bail.

His next court appearance is set for Nov. 3.

Police say he shot 33-year-old Mei Huang on Sept. 6 in the parking lot of the South Sioux City police station. She died hours later at a Sioux City, Iowa, hospital.

Nebraska School Activities Association & U.S. Bank Name 2017-18 Believers & Achievers

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LINCOLN – U.S. Bank® and the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) are proud to announce the 2017-2018 Believers and Achievers. Believers & Achievers is a state-wide program designed by U.S. Bank and the NSAA to give recognition to Nebraska’s future leaders.

Beginning in October 2017 and continuing through March 2018, 48 Nebraska high school seniors will be honored as Believers & Achievers. From those 48 finalists, eight will receive $500 scholarships from U.S. Bank® to the college or university of their choice at a scholarship banquet to be held on April 29, 2018.

These students will be recognized at NSAA State Championships throughout the 2017-18 activities year and on bi-monthly posters sent to all NSAA member schools and U.S. Bank branches throughout the state.

All of the students nominated for the Believers & Achievers awards program represent the very best of Nebraska’s high schools. Continue reading “Nebraska School Activities Association & U.S. Bank Name 2017-18 Believers & Achievers”

Nebraska to withhold voter data from Trump panel for now

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Secretary of State John Gale

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s secretary of state says he will continue to withhold voting data from President Donald Trump’s election commission until he gets more information about how the data will be used and kept secure.

Secretary of State John Gale raised several concerns Tuesday in a letter to the commission.

Gale is asking for assurances that voter data will not be accessible under federal public records laws once Trump’s term ends. He’s also asking what specific legal authority the commission has to dispose of the records once its work ends.

Additionally, Gale says he wants to know the status of several pending lawsuits to block the commission’s request to states.

Gale says he’s being cautious because of the recent breach at Equifax that exposed the personal information of 143 million American consumers.

Nebraska city sees uptick in unlicensed youths driving

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SCHUYLER, Neb. (AP) — An eastern Nebraska county is seeing more juveniles driving without a proper driver’s license or permit.

Colfax County Attorney Denise Kracl says there have been 10 to 15 such cases so far this year. One involved a 14-year-old who crashed into a tree in Schuyler with three other minors in the vehicle.

Nebraska has three types of permits that allow a 14-year-old to drive while accompanied by a licensed driver who’s at least 21 years old. A fourth permit allows a juvenile to drive from home to school.

Kracl says the biggest issue is parents allowing their children to drive without a license or a permit.

She says first-time offending minors can be ticketed and considered for a youth diversion program. Parents could also be charged.

Police: 2 donkeys found wandering in western Omaha roadway

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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say two donkeys were found wandering through a western Omaha roadway.

A driver spotted the animals around 5 a.m. Monday and called emergency services, say one of the donkeys appeared to be injured.

Omaha police officers and the Nebraska Humane Society responded and remained at the scene for about an hour until the donkeys’ owner arrived.

The owners told police the donkeys were rescue animals named “Stormy” and “Zippy” and had arrived Sunday. Police say the owners lived in the area where the donkeys were found.

A Humane Society veterinarian checked the injured donkey before both were taken away.

Nebraska city on the verge of regulating drone flights

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Don McCullough from Santa Rosa, CA, USA (commons.wikimedia.org)

SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska city is on the verge of regulating drone flights within its borders.

South Sioux City is in the process of adopting a new drone ordinance. The city council passed a first reading last Monday.

The city’s resolution is based on regulations put in place by the Federal Aviation Administration last year. The proposal will require drones to remain within 400 feet of the ground and within the operator’s eyesight. They’ll only be allowed to fly during daylight hours and only over property where owners have granted permission. Drone flying would be banned near airports, electric facilities and wires, and water intake facilities. Violations carry a $500 fine.

City Administrator Lance Hedquist says the rules are intended to protect citizens’ privacy and safety.

Kearney selects new airline to serve as airport carrier

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KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — Kearney city officials have chosen a new air carrier to replace an air service that declared bankruptcy in August.

The Kearney City Council voted 5-0 to select SkyWest Airlines at a special meeting on Monday. The city will recommend the airline to the U.S. Department of Transportation for a two-year service contract.

Seven carriers submitted 17 proposals to the DOT. The DOT is expected to award the essential air service contract in late September or early October.

City officials had to scramble to find a new airline after Peninsula Airways declared bankruptcy just 10 months after the city approved a two-year lease with the Anchorage, Alaska-based carrier. The air service gave notice at the beginning of August that it intended to discontinue service in Kearney.

Nebraska program advances county bridge maintenance projects

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COLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — A state program created to address a backlog of bridge maintenance projects is beginning to make a difference in some Nebraska counties.

The Nebraska Department of Roads awarded a total of $4 million to nearly 70 county bridge projects in January. Counties across the state have applied to the program since last year in hopes of receiving money for failing bridges.

Colfax County Highway Superintendent Marks Arps has received money for two of the five bridge projects he applied for. Arps says the two bridges were “some of the worst ones.”

The amount of grant funding allotted for both projects is $107,000, which Arps says will cover some of the materials.

The program is scheduled to end in 2023.

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54 Nebraska employers, 34 communities win wellness awards

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Gov. Pete Ricketts

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Fifty-four Nebraska employers and 34 communities have won accolades for offering wellness programs to their employees.

Gov. Pete Ricketts announced the winners Monday of the Governor’s Wellness Award. Ricketts says the businesses recognized are “putting people first” and creating a healthy workplace environment.

The award has two categories: the Sower Award for workplaces with established quality wellness programs and the Grower Award for businesses and organizations that demonstrate significant improvement in employee behaviors.

Awards will be presented at four separate award ceremonies between Sept. 21 and Nov. 7.

The award program is a partnership of the governor’s office, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Nebraska Safety Council/Workwell.

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