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Officials: Man shoots another before fatally shooting self

GRETNA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a dispute led a man to shoot another man in a Gretna apartment complex parking lot, then fatally shot himself.

The Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office says the shooting happened around 8 a.m. Thursday, when 50-year-old Michael Bartenhagen, of Gretna, was shot two to three times while he was in his vehicle. Investigators say Bartenhagen drove himself to a nearby fire station and was then taken to an Omaha hospital in serious condition. He’s expected to recover.

Deputies say they found the suspect, 52-year-old Scott Rieflin, of Gretna, in his apartment suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators say the two men knew each other and that Rieflin was upset about a relationship between Bartenhagen and a woman.

Nearly 300 pounds of weed seized in traffic stop near Kearney

Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested two men and seized 290 pounds of marijuana and other products during a traffic stop on Interstate 80.

The traffic stop occurred at approximately 8:20 a.m. Wednesday, when a trooper observed an eastbound, maroon Freightliner pulling a box trailer, make an improper lane change at mile marker 279 near Kearney. The semi also had a lighting defect.

During the traffic stop, an NSP K9 detected the odor of a controlled substance coming from the semi-trailer. A search of the vehicle revealed 284 pounds of raw marijuana, 2.5 pounds of marijuana wax, and 3.6 pounds of marijuana-infused vape tubes. The estimated street value is more than $1,000,000.

Luis Lopez, 48, of Bakersfield, California, and Kenneth Keepes, 48, of Culver, Oregon, were both arrested for possession of marijuana – more than one pound, possession with intent to deliver, and no Drug Tax stamp. Both men were lodged in Buffalo County Jail.

Iowa woman sentenced to prison in fentanyl trafficking death

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Another person has been sentenced in connection with the distribution of a powerful synthetic opioid that led to the death of a Council Bluffs man.

Federal prosecutors say 24-year-old Amalia Pandis, of Carter Lake, was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl that caused death.

Pandis was also ordered to serve five years’ supervised release once she’s out of prison.

Prosecutors say Pandis was part of a drug trafficking ring responsible for obtained fentanyl from a source in China and selling it western Iowa and eastern Nebraska.

The investigation into the group began in June 2015, when police were called to a Carter Lake home and found the body of 20-year-old Diego Lemus. Police learned a second man had been hospitalized for a fentanyl overdose.

54-year-old Columbus woman killed in collision with train

NORTH BEND, Neb. (AP) — Eastern Nebraska officials say a Columbus woman has died after her vehicle hit a train at a railroad crossing.

The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office tells the Fremont Tribune that 54-year-old Debra Kessler was traveling northbound on a county road around 9 p.m. Wednesday when her minivan and the train collided at a crossing about three miles west of North Bend.

Firefighters removed Kessler from the van, and she was flown by a medical helicopter to a Fremont hospital, where she later died.

Officials say Kessler was alone in her vehicle and was not wearing a seatbelt.

2 men suspected of using stolen credit card information

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — Grand Island police say officers have arrested two men suspected of using or possessing dozens of credit or debit cards encoded with stolen card information.

Police said Thursday that Rafael Figueredo Hidalgo faces 119 counts of felony forgery and 22 counts of felony and misdemeanor criminal possession of a financial transaction device. Andres Aguila Carrasco faces 84 counts of felony forgery and 20 counts of felony and misdemeanor criminal possession of a financial transaction device

Hall County Court records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for Carrasco. Hidalgo’s attorney in a separate case, Andrew Hanquist, said Thursday that it wasn’t clear whether he was going to represent Hidalgo in the new case and declined to comment.

Omaha juvenile justice center may be developed by nonprofit

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A city-county commission is planning to use a nonprofit to develop a potentially $120 million juvenile justice center in Omaha.

The Omaha-Douglas Public Building Commission wants a nonprofit to handle the hiring of construction and management firms for the project, the Omaha World-Herald reported. Public officials will oversee the nonprofit, named the Douglas County Unified Justice Center Development Corp.

The county hopes to create juvenile and family courtrooms and related services to replace cramped quarters in the Douglas County Courthouse, though no specific proposal has been made. The commission intends to issue up to $120 million in bonds for the project. The building commission would own the facilities and the county would rent them out.

Mary Ann Borgeson, chair of the nonprofit’s board, said the corporation is already considering Omaha businesses and investors to be involved in the project. All contract work will need to be approved by the county and the commission, she said.

Using a nonprofit allows the project to include private donations, Borgeson said.

“This is big, this is huge, if it goes forward,” Borgeson said. “We wanted to use a successful model, one that would keep us on top of things, that would keep us accountable, that would keep everything on time and on budget.”

County Board member Jim Cavanaugh has criticized the project as not being open to public scrutiny or discussion.

“There’s going to be lots of eyes and lots of conversation to make sure everything and everybody stays on task, on time and on budget,” Borgeson countered. “I’m not worried about that at all.”

Judge hears testimony against schools superintendent

OSHKOSH, Neb. (AP) — A judge is considering a verdict after the trial of a western Nebraska school superintendent accused of assaulting a student.

On Wednesday Judge Randin Roland heard testimony regarding the misdemeanor assault charge against Garden County Schools Superintendent Paula Sissel.

A prosecutor said Wednesday that Sissel had put her hands on the 8-year-old girl. A video of the Nov. 13 incident shows Sissel pulling the girl down a hallway before the girl’s placed in what was referred to as a “chill out room.” It’s alleged the girl suffered a rug burn on a shoulder.

Sissel acknowledged pulling the girl, in part to protect a physical therapist who was trying to deal with the girl’s outburst. The girl’s mother says the girl is possibly autistic and functions at the level of a 3- or 4-year-old child.

A ruling is expected within two weeks.

Ex-Creighton student sentenced for slashing woman’s neck

Christopher Wheeler

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former Creighton University student accused of slashing a fellow student’s neck has been sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years’ probation.

Twenty-year-old Christopher Wheeler was sentenced in Douglas County District Court on Wednesday. He pleaded no contest in April to second-degree assault. In exchange, prosecutors dropped a charge of use of a weapon to commit a felony.

Police have said Wheeler entered the dorm room of a 19-year-old student he didn’t know in February 2017 and swiped at her neck with a pocketknife, scarring the woman but not seriously injuring her.

Wheeler had sought to argue that his fraternity hazed him into a state of intoxication so severe that it caused his actions, but a judge ruled last month that he could not use that defense.

Son of Sean Penn, Robin Wright settles Nebraska drug case

Hopper Penn

AURORA, Neb. (AP) — The son of actors Sean Penn and Robin Wright has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor in his Nebraska drug case.

Twenty-four-year-old Hopper Penn and his girlfriend, 26-year-old Uma Von Wittkamp, were arrested during a traffic stop on April 4 on Interstate 80 in southeastern Nebraska.

The Nebraska State Patrol says a search of their vehicle turned up 14 grams of marijuana, four amphetamine pills and 3 grams of psychedelic mushrooms.

Both were initially charged with felony drug possession. Court records show they later pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charge of attempt of a felony. Each was ordered to pay $1,000.

A no-contest plea allows a defendant to not admit guilt but acknowledge that there’s enough evidence for a conviction.

Omaha man charged in Iowa kidnapping, assault case

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A man from Omaha, Nebraska, faces life in prison if he’s convicted of kidnapping and other charges after police say he held several people at gunpoint and beat some of them inside a Council Bluffs apartment.

36-year-old Derrick West-Jones has been charged with six counts of kidnapping, three counts of aggravated assault, domestic abuse and other drug and weapons counts.

Police say he pulled a gun early Monday after a disturbance in the apartment and would not let anyone leave. Police say he also pistol-whipped and beat some of them with a wrench. Police say the people were held captive about two hours.

Two people were taken to hospital for their injuries.

West-Jones is being held on $1 million bail in the Pottawattamie County Jail.

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