HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — A court reprieve that halted the scheduled December lethal injection of a Texas prisoner means 2017 will come to an end with 23 inmates executed in the U.S.
Texas inmate Juan Castillo’s scheduled Dec. 14 execution was the last execution scheduled for 2017 in the 31 states that still impose the death penalty. It was halted by Texas’ top criminal court.
The number of executions carried out in 2017 is slightly higher than the 20 carried out in the U.S. in 2016.
Texas has carried out seven executions this year, making it the nation’s most active death penalty state. Arkansas carried out four executions, followed by Alabama and Florida with three, Ohio and Virginia with two, and Georgia and Missouri with one.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Supreme Court has rejected the post-conviction appeal of a California man serving life in prison for the 2012 fatal shooting of a western Nebraska man.
Jason Custer, formerly of Chico, California, was convicted in 2014 of first-degree murder and other counts for killing 35-year-old Adam McCormick, of Sidney. Prosecutors said Custer shot McCormick at a Sidney house after the two men argued over $160 in drug money.
After losing direct appeal, Custer filed for post-conviction relief, arguing his defense attorney was so ineffective that it violated his right to a fair trial. Custer cited several examples, including his claim that his attorney “failed to object at critical junctures throughout the entirety of the trial.”
This state’s high court said Friday that there was no merit to Custer’s claims.
WAVERLY, Neb. (AP) — Authorities have identified a man hit and killed by a train in southeast Nebraska.
The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office says 25-year-old Jeremy Sanchez, of Lincoln, was hit around 1:40 p.m. Thursday near Waverly High School in Waverly. Investigators say the crew of the BNFS freight train sounded the horn and applied the emergency brakes for some time before the train hit Sanchez.
The investigation is ongoing, and an autopsy has been ordered.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say no one was injured when a small plane was forced to make an emergency landing Friday in a southeastern Nebraska cornfield.
The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office says emergency responders were called to the scene just after noon. Arriving first responders found a small plane in a cornfield nearly two miles north of the airport with four people aboard.
The 46-year-old pilot and owner of the plane told authorities he was flying three adult family members and had just taken off from the airport when his 1964 Cessna 205 experienced engine trouble. The pilot said he landed in the cornfield, fearing he would not be able to make it back to the airport safely.
The plane was not damaged.
The Federal Aviation Administration will conduct an independent investigation.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Pete Ricketts has appointed two men to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
Ricketts, a Republican, announced Friday that Doug Zingula, of Sidney, and Scott Cassels, of Omaha, were appointed as new commissioners. Zingula will represent the state’s Panhandle district. Cassels’ seat is at-large.
Their four-year terms are effective Jan. 16.
Zingula is retired from outdoor retailer Cabela’s, where he was vice president of corporate merchandising. He serves on the board of the Nebraska Big Game Society and is a member of the Wild Sheep Foundation and the Safari Club.
Cassels is the executive vice president of Kiewit Corporation, where he has more than 35 years of experience in construction. He serves in several business and community leadership roles, including on the Ak-Sar-Ben Foundation Board of Governors.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union is suing Nebraska’s prison system, saying it has violated state public records laws by refusing to identify its suppliers of lethal injection drugs.
The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services denied a Nov. 10 public records request by The Associated Press. The Omaha World-Herald reported Tuesday that its request also was denied.
The department argues that the records are protected by attorney-client privilege and that the supplier is part of its “execution team,” whose identities are confidential.
The lawsuit disputes both arguments. The ACLU seeks the information’s release and attorney fees.
The department notified inmate Jose Sandoval on Nov. 9 that it intends to execute him using four drugs.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska says some counties in the state are profiting from exorbitant fees for phone calls made by inmates in jails.
The report found that inmates in state prisons can make a 15-minute call for $1.50, while inmates in the state’s county jails may pay $7 to $19 for a similar call.
The ACLU of Nebraska says the high fees limit inmates’ access to the basic need of communicating with their families and lawyers.
For-profit telephone companies contract with jails to handle collect and paid calls by inmates. Those contractors then give a portion of the profits to local counties.
Brad Johnson is the director of the Lancaster County Department of Corrections. He says the fees aren’t unreasonable and help cover incarceration costs.
Skylar Stethem sings during a recital at North Platte Community College earlier this month. Stethem will be one of many NPCC students performing during the college’s annual Christmas concert on Tuesday. (Courtesy Photo)
The music department at North Platte Community College will be singing in the Christmas spirit next week.
A holiday concert is planned for 7 p.m. Tuesday in the McDonald-Belton Theater on NPCC’s South Campus. The performance is free and open to the public.
“Anyone who loves Christmas music will love this concert,” said Pam Koch, interim music instructor. “It will feature a wide variety of both traditional and modern songs and will showcase the tremendous amount of musical talent this college has to offer.”
The music department’s full choir, jazz combo and newly created swing choir will all perform. Selections will range from “The First Noel,” to “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.”
Koch will direct the jazz combo. Angelina Gradel will direct the choirs. Kristin Simpson will serve as the accompanist for the choirs, and the percussionists will be Gregg Todd and Brodie Lienemann.
“We would encourage the entire community to come out and support our students,” said Koch. “Not just for the enjoyment, but also because the students perform best in front of an audience. It invigorates them. The more people we have sitting in the audience, the more our musicians will feed off that and the more exciting the performance will be.”
The following is a list of the performers. A “*” denotes members of the swing choir.
Full choir:
§ Case Axthelm*
§ Kelsey Folchert*
§ Chelsea Fraser*
§ Erinn Hajj
§ Lisa Hodgen*
§ Emily Keltz
§ Justin Morgan*
§ Danny Muñoz
§ Malachi Murtaugh*
§ Marissa Pascoe*
§ Madelyn Peters
§ Tia San Miguel*
§ Skylar Stethem*
§ Jon Wardyn*
§ Maximus Wohler*
Jazz Band
§ Chelsea Fraser
§ Marissa Pascoe
§ Malachi Murtaugh
§ Holly Williams
Robert Wayne Law, age 87 of the North Platte, Sutherland area passed away Thursday, November 30, 2017 at Sunset Manor Nursing Home in Brush, CO.
Memorials are suggested in his name and online condolences may be shared at www.adamsswanson.com. Graveside services will be held 10:30 A.M. Wednesday December 6, 2017 at the Morningview Cemetery in Wallace. Visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Tuesday December 5, 2017 at Adams and Swanson Funeral Home which is in charge of arrangements.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The FBI says investigators are talking to two people of interest in the disappearance of a 24-year-old Lincoln woman.
The FBI’s Randy Thysse (THEYE’-see) said at a Lincoln news conference Thursday that the public’s help was still needed to find Sydney Loofe, who was reported missing Nov. 16. Family and friends have said she went on a date the night before with someone she met online. Police say she was last seen in Wilber, 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Lincoln.
Authorities have called the disappearance “concerning.”
Lincoln Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister (BLEYE’-meye-stur) says 51-year-old Aubrey Trail and 23-year-old Bailey Boswell were arrested on unrelated warrants. Court records don’t list attorneys for them. Bliemeister says the two had reported contact with Loofe.
The authorities didn’t say where Trail and Bosewell were arrested.
HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — A court reprieve that halted the scheduled December lethal injection of a Texas prisoner means 2017 will come to an end with 23 inmates executed in the U.S.
