NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) – The second-degree murder conviction of
a North Platte teenager in 2001 has been changed to manslaughter.
Reports are that the judgment against 27-year-old Tyler Keup was set aside in a
decision handed down Tuesday by Lincoln County District Judge John
Murphy. At age 16 Keup had been sentenced to 30-to-60 years in prison for the
shooting death of 18-year-old Maricella Martinez in 2000.
In his latest appeal, Keup argued among other things that his
trial attorney failed to raise the issue of whether Keup’s juvenile
brain was sufficiently developed to form the intent necessary for a
second-degree murder conviction.
In his ruling Tuesday, Murphy agreed that Keup was harmed by the
ineffectiveness of his trial attorney.
Keup’s manslaughter sentencing is set for June 21.
Author: Cooper Radio Show
Curmudgeon with a microphone....
Mini Dike protects buildings, flood imminent
NORTH PLATTE – Operations are underway to protect buildings and property from impending flood waters scheduled to arrive this weekend.
At Scout’s Rest Ranch, the strategy is to surround buildings with a mini-dike of dirt, cover the dirt in plastic, and use sand bags to weigh down the plastic. This avoids the time it takes to fill sandbags and manually haul them around. The strategy is faster due to the help of bulldozers.
The following video shows more.
FLOODING: Nebraska flooding hotline info
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency
has set up a hotline to answer residents’ questions about flooding
around the state.
Residents can call 855-211-2453 or 855-211-2454 for information
on flooding already occurring and potential flooding expected as
water levels increase across Nebraska.
The hotline will be staffed by National Guard troops with
assistance by public information officers.
The hours of the hotline will be from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
weekdays until further notice.
The State Emergency Operation Center is also open at the
Nebraska Emergency Management Agency in Lincoln from 7:30 to 5 p.m.
weekdays until further notice.
Sidney man receives 12-20 years for child porn
SIDNEY, Neb. (AP) – A Sidney man has been sentenced to 12 to 20
years in prison for possessing child pornography. Michael Billups
pleaded no contests to two counts in February after prosecutors
agreed to drop two others against him. Authorities say they found
nearly 40 explicit images on Billups’ computer.
OPINION: TN Court lets inmate fight for racist literature
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A convicted murderer has won the right
to argue to a federal judge that he should be entitled to receive
hate-filled white supremacist material in a Tennessee prison
because it’s part of his religion.
A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that a lower court
should not have dismissed Anthony Hayes’ lawsuit against the state
of Tennessee and its prison system.
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals wants the lower court to
address whether barring Hayes from receiving the mailings violated
a federal law that strengthens religious freedom in prison.
Prison officials have argued the racist literature poses a
security risk and should not be in the hands of a violent felon
held in maximum security.
Submit your opinion below
Remember “Balloon Boy”? Balloon up for auction!
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) – The former Colorado couple that told
authorities their son floated away in a helium balloon have made a
video saying they’ll auction off the inflatable to raise money for
Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief.
TMZ.com posted the video in which Richard and Mayumi Heene
(HEE’-nee) say they’ll work with California lawyer Perry Rausher on
the auction. Rausher confirmed to the Coloradoan he is working with
the Heenes.
The Heenes’ son wasn’t inside the balloon when it floated away
in 2009. Mayumi Heene served 20 days in jail for filing a false
report. Richard Heene served 30 days in jail for a felony count of
attempting to influence a public servant.
Terms of their probation say they can’t profit from their story
until 2013.
Highway 30 Still Flooded
Kevin Vicker has the latest:
Rep. Weiner has Twitter Issues.. Seriously –
Did you hear the one about the congressman named Weiner who tweeted a crotch-shot of bulging underwear to a 21-year-old?
Representative Anthony Weiner is hoping you haven’t and he’s trying to put the scandal behind him. Yesterday he said he’s no longer going to talk about the photo of a man’s lower body wearing underwear that turned up on his Twitter account on Friday night.
Initially, he claimed that his Twitter account was hacked, but now he’s just refusing to talk about it, despite the fact that conservative bloggers are calling for a full investigation to see if the liberal congressman’s account was really hacked.
Pedophile convicted of molestation receives prison time. — New charges
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – A Lincoln man who’s listed on Nebraska’s
Sex Offender Registry has been given 20-to-40 years in prison for
molesting another little boy.
Samuel Craigie was found guilty of two charges earlier this
spring after a nonjury trial. The Lincoln Journal star is reporting
that Craigie was sentenced on Tuesday.
The 38-year-old Craigie was given 20-to-40 years for sexual
assault of a child, prior conviction, and four-to-five years for
intentional child abuse. The sentences are to be served at the same
time.
The incidents occurred in 2009.
Court records say the boy’s mother told investigators that she
knew Craigie was a sex offender and that his victim more than a
dozen years ago was 5 years old, about the same age as her son in
2009.
See Samuel Craigie’s profile at the Nebraska State Patrol Website
Guilty plea in Scottsbluff embezzlement case
SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP) – The former manager of a Nebraska
company that manages Social Security and other benefits for clients
has pleaded guilty to embezzlement.
Scottsbluff radio station KNEB is reporting that 48-year-old
Karen Adams entered the federal plea in Seattle, where she was
arrested.
Adams is accused of taking more than $26,000 from Safe Harbor
Inc. between May 2008 and September 2009. The Scottsbluff company
manages Social Security and other federal program benefits as well
as private funds for its clients in western Nebraska and in Wyoming
and South Dakota.
The indictment says Adams took the money from more than a dozen
Safe Harbor client accounts, writing checks for goods and services
for her own use.
Her sentencing is set for Aug. 23.