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Month: November 2017

Veterans are key as surge of states OK medical pot for PTSD

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NEW YORK (AP) — When New York decided to let post-traumatic stress disorder patients use medical marijuana, it joined a fast-rising tide of states.

Twenty-eight states plus the District of Columbia now cover PTSD as part of their medical marijuana programs. The tally has more than doubled in the last two years.

It’s happened amid increasingly visible advocacy from veterans’ groups, including the 2.2-million-member American Legion. It’s pressing the federal government to let Department of Veterans Affairs doctors recommend medical marijuana where it’s legal.

But others, including the 82,000-member Vietnam Veterans of America, have qualms about advocating for medical marijuana as a treatment for PTSD. Pot is illegal under federal law and doesn’t boast extensive, conclusive medical research.

Family Ice Fishing clinics scheduled in January

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LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Game and Parks has scheduled three free Family Ice Fishing clinics in January.

The first, a classroom clinic, will be held Jan. 6 at Yanney Heritage Park’s Environmental Resource Center in Kearney from 5 to 9 p.m.

An on-ice clinic will be held Jan. 7 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Fort Kearny State Recreation Area Lake No. 6. And the commission will hold another on-ice clinic Jan. 20 at Lake Wanahoo State Recreation Area north of Wahoo from 1 to 4 p.m.

Loaner equipment will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Bait and instruction will be provided. Participants are encouraged to bring their own equipment.

Park vehicle entry permits are at Fort Kearny and Lake Wanahoo.

Nebraska high school student creates body camera holders

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KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska high school student has fabricated a metal bracket that lets police officers remove their body cameras and place them on their body shields.

Kearney High School senior Ryan Lundell created the device after the Kearney Police Department approached the school’s metals instructor about the project.

Cameras are typically worn on officer’s uniforms or on their helmets. Pat McLaughlin is the school’s resource officer and an officer at the police department. He says the camera’s view can sometimes be obstructed by other equipment.

Lundell’s bracket slides onto body shields and provides a place for officers to put the cameras for a clearer view.

Officers trained with the new device during a recent set of their monthly drills.

Christmas in the Woods set at Ponca State Park

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PONCA, Neb. (AP) — People are invited to celebrate the holiday season at Ponca State Park and enjoy the activities of Christmas in the Woods.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission says the events present chances for families to do seasonal crafts, get family photos taken, decorate cookies or cupcakes, attend outdoor programs or ride on a decorated and lighted hayrack. Also, a Snowman Building Contest will be held from Nov. 25 through March 19.

The Christmas in the Woods events are scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 2, Dec. 9 and Dec. 16.

Contact the park for more information about activities or discount lodging packages at 402-755-2284. The park sits about a mile north of Ponca in northeast Nebraska’s Dixon County.

Remains turned over to Ponca Tribe for burial

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LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Remains found in northeast and eastern Nebraska have been turned over to the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska for burial on the tribe’s ancestral homeland along the lower Niobrara River.

Some of the human remains given to tribal representatives Wednesday were found nearly 60 years ago by workers building a railroad bridge in Knox County. Others were found in Platte County, and others in Butler County.

The return of the Ponca remains is part of a repatriation process begun in 1990, when the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act became federal law. The Nebraska State Historical Society consequently inventoried all the human remains in its custody. If archaeologists could determine which tribe they came from, they were to be given to the tribe.

Small plane lands OK after bird smashes through windshield

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LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a small plane landed safety at the Lincoln Airport after a bird smashed through its cockpit windshield.

The plane was flying from Plattsmouth to Lincoln on Tuesday evening when the bird struck it about 10 miles (17 kilometers) from Lincoln.

Lincoln Airport deputy operations director Bob McNally says such an incident is virtually unheard of for Lincoln. McNally said the airport follows a wildlife management plan to deal with birds near the airport, but it can’t easily account for birds so far away.

It’s unclear whether the two people aboard the plane were injured.

4 arrested after bank robbery in eastern Nebraska

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MALMO, Neb. (AP) — Four people have been arrested on suspicion of robbing a bank in eastern Nebraska.

The robbery of Security Home Bank in Malmo occurred around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. Two suspects were soon arrested, and two more were arrested after a high-speed chase that ended in western Omaha.

No injuries have been reported. None of the suspects have been identified.

University of Nebraska system reallocates state funds

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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — University of Nebraska system officials say the Omaha campus will benefit from the system’s redistribution of state funding.

The Omaha campus is expected to get $6 million more in state appropriations from 2018-19, while the Lincoln campus will receive $12.5 million less.

NU President Hank Bounds says the budget strategy previously relied heavily on salary costs. The new method will focus more on student credit hours and take into account expensive classes, such as engineering, doctoral programs and nursing.

Bounds says the strategy won’t be fully implemented until 2018-19 to give campuses time to prepare.

The system has been struggling to deal with a decline in state appropriations. It’s implemented other strategies to cut costs, such as realigning marketing and advertising efforts and reorganizing information technology services.

Feds say Nebraska man owes more than $301K in back taxes

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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities have indicted a northeast Nebraska man for not paying nearly $302,000 in income taxes.

U.S. District Court records say 62-year-old Daniel Kinnison (VUR’-dih-gree), is charged with tax evasion. A phone listed for him in Verdigre (VUR’-dih-gree) rang busy during several calls Thursday. His attorney didn’t immediately return messages from The Associated Press.

Indictment documents say Kinnison didn’t pay a large part of the income taxes due for 2002 through 2005. The documents say he directed his income from two companies into a relative’s business and bank accounts as a way to conceal that income. The documents also say Kinnison lied to IRS agents on Feb. 23, 2016, when he told them he had no employment income from 2009 to that date.

His next court date is Dec. 11.

Man gets 2 years for trying to pay off brother’s accuser

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LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 37-year-old man has been imprisoned for trying to bribe a woman who accused his brother of sexual assault in Lincoln.

Ivan Leon was sentenced Wednesday to two years. He’d pleaded no contest to tampering with a witness.

Court records say the woman reported in April that Leon’s brother, Edmundo Vera, had assaulted her. Police arrested Vera on June 27. Officers arrested Leon the same day, saying he’d told the woman he’d pay her $1,000 to call police and drop her allegations.

Vera remained in Lancaster County Jail on Thursday, awaiting trial. His attorney didn’t immediately return a call Thursday from The Associated Press.

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