TECUMSEH, Neb. (AP) — Two Nebraska prison staffers have been suspended following allegations of excessive force against an inmate at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution.

The Department of Correctional Services says one unidentified staffer was suspended Thursday for the incident in a restrictive housing area.

A department spokeswoman says the inmate was subjected to pressure point control tactics used by prison staff, but did not elaborate. Corrections officials say they launched the investigation after reviewing reports and video of the incident and suspended a second employee Friday.

A statement from Warden Brad Hansen says force was necessary in the incident because the inmate was “combative and aggressive,” but prison authorities are reviewing whether the level of force was appropriate.

Corrections officials say they referred the incident to the Nebraska State Patrol for investigation.

A 32-year-old North Platte woman is in jail after police arrested her on charges stemming from an incident earlier this month.

On October 10, North Platte police responded to the report of an assault that had occurred earlier in the 1500 block of East 12th Street.

Officers met with a female victim who advised that she had been involved in a verbal disturbance with her boyfriend, 28-year-old Michael Charging Elk.

The victim reported that Charging Elk forced her into his car and drove to the East 12th Street location.

Officer Beth Kerr says Jerrita Kindle was at that location and she joined in the argument between the victim and Charging Elk.

The argument escalated and became physical and Kindle began assaulting the victim.

According to Kerr, the victim stated that Charging Elk held her down while Kindle continued to assault her. Kindle then allegedly tied the victim to a chair and held a gun to her head, continuing to yell and threaten the victim.

Kerr says the victim was eventually released and left the area.

Charging Elk was arrested a short time later and jailed on charges of 3rd-degree domestic assault and kidnapping. However, officers were unable to locate Kindle until they received an anonymous on October 20, stating that Kindle was at a residence in the 1300 block of West 9th Street.

Officers responded to that location and placed Kindle under arrest.

She was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center and charged with false imprisonment, terroristic threats, aiding and abetting domestic assault and use of a weapon to commit a felony.

Kindle was also wanted on a drug distribution warrant, but police deferred comment on that charge to the County Attorney’s Office.

Police did not comment on injuries sustained by the victim.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — A Hunt Safe session will be held Sun., Oct. 28, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Lincoln County Wildlife Gun Club located at 100 Eagles Nest Rd., which is southeast of the outlet area at Lake Maloney.

Completion of a Hunt Safe session is required for anyone age 11 to 15 who successfully completes a Nebraska Hunter Education online course. Those who complete Hunter Education via a traditional classroom class are not required to take a Hunt Safe session.
Registration for the Hunt Safe session is available at outdoornebraska.gov/huntered. Those who register must bring their certificate of completion of the online test to the class, along with a parent release form.

If time allows and weather is suitable, trap shooting will take place after the two-hour session. For more information, call the North Platte Game and Parks office at 308-535-8025.

Hunters age 12 through 29 must have completed a Firearm Hunter Education course and carry proof of successful completion on their person when hunting with a firearm or crossbow. Those wishing to bow hunt must complete the Bow Hunter Education course and carry proof on their person when hunting deer, antelope, elk or mountain sheep with a bow and arrow.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Powerball jackpot will top $620 million this week because no one won Saturday’s drawing, but that may seem relatively small compared to the $1.6 billion Mega Millions drawing expected on Tuesday.

Both lottery jackpots will approach new heights this week. The Mega Millions jackpot will likely set a new record, and the Powerball jackpot will be the third largest ever for that game on Wednesday.

The second-largest jackpot was a $1.586 billion Powerball drawing on Jan. 13, 2016.

The Mega Millions jackpot has been growing since July, when a group of 11 California office workers won $543 million.

It costs $2 to play either game.

The odds of winning Mega Millions are about one in 302 million. The Powerball odds are slightly better at one in 292.2 million.

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a 32-year-old man was fatally injured when his sport-utility vehicle crashed on the east edge of Kearney in south-central Nebraska.

The crash occurred around 2:40 a.m. Saturday. The Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office says the driver was ejected when his SUV went out of control and rolled, ending up in a field. The sheriff’s office says the driver died later CHI Health Good Samaritan hospital in Kearney.

His name hasn’t been released.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A foundation that has long supported Nebraska education wants to stimulate the state’s workforce.

The Aksarben Foundation intends to double the number of people who earn career certification and two-year associate degrees in Nebraska and increase the number of four-year graduates.

The foundation’s workforce development initiative is still in the planning stage, but one part will be a $500,000 challenge grant fund, according to the Omaha World-Herald. Some of it will go to each of the six Nebraska community college districts. The grants will require the colleges to also raise money to support workforce development programs.

Aksarben will award 100 two-year scholarships valued at $4,000 each toward students’ associate degrees or program certifications in the 2019-20 academic year.

“Anybody that wants to go to a community college, we’ll find a way to get them there,” said Terry Kroeger, board of governors chairman for Aksarben, a 122-year-old charitable organization.

The state’s lack of workforce growth stunts economic progress and leaves employers with too few qualified workers for jobs they want to create, the state’s business and economic leaders have said.

“This gets at some of the core challenges we have as a state and as a city,” said Dana Bradford, vice chairman of Aksarben’s board of governors and chairman of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. “There is a huge gap between workforce supply and demand.”

About 9,000 people a year are earning certificates or two-year degrees in Nebraska— a figure that needs doubling, he said.

“We need new workers and jobs that pay higher and better wages,” Bradford said. “You don’t grow your economy on $25,000-a-year jobs. People can’t live on that.”

The foundation also intends to raise its Aksarben/Horatio Alger four-year scholarships next school year to $10,000 a year from $6,000.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Powerball jackpot will top $620 million this week because no one won Saturday’s drawing, but that may seem relatively small compared to the $1.6 billion Mega Millions drawing expected on Tuesday.

Both lottery jackpots will approach new heights this week. The Mega Millions jackpot will likely set a new record, and the Powerball jackpot will be the third largest ever for that game on Wednesday.

The second-largest jackpot was a $1.586 billion Powerball drawing on Jan. 13, 2016.

The Mega Millions jackpot has been growing since July, when a group of 11 California office workers won $543 million.

It costs $2 to play either game.

The odds of winning Mega Millions are about one in 302 million. The Powerball odds are slightly better at one in 292.2 million.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new survey says farmland prices are expected to continue their decline in parts of 10 Plains and Western states.

The latest Rural Mainstreet survey shows that on average, bank CEOs in the region estimated farmland prices declined by 4 percent over the past 12 months. They expect farmland prices to fall by another 3.2 percent over the next 12 months.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says the survey also shows the farm sector is being weakened by negative impacts of tariffs and low agriculture commodity prices.

The overall economic index for the region increased slightly to 54.3 from 51.5 in September. That score still suggests growth because it is above 50, while any score below 50 indicates a shrinking economy.

Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.