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Former prosecutor gets probation in domestic assault case

PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — A former Sarpy County prosecutor accused of domestic assault has been given 18 months of probation.

Sarpy County Court records say 48-year-old Jennifer Hessig was sentenced Tuesday in Papillion. She’d pleaded guilty in May to disorderly conduct and four counts of disturbing the peace. The charges had been lowered from domestic assault and negligent child abuse in exchange for her pleas.

The judge also ordered Hessig to attend a batterer intervention program and not drink alcohol.

The charges stemmed from a July 3, 2017, incident in which Sarpy County deputies were called to Hessig’s home to investigate an altercation between Hessig and her husband. A court document says five children were home at the time.

Hessig later resigned from her position with the Sarpy County attorney’s office.

Pfizer: No records of drug sales to Nebraska for executions

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A spokesman for Pfizer says the pharmaceutical manufacturer has no records showing that it sold any potential lethal injection drugs to Nebraska’s corrections department.

Pfizer spokesman Steven Danehy made the comments Monday to the Lincoln Journal Star after state Sen. Ernie Chambers challenged the company to sue the state in hopes of blocking the scheduled Aug. 14 execution of inmate Carey Dean Moore.

Pfizer has asked Nebraska’s corrections department to return any “restricted products” that could be used in an execution and renewed its request just in case the state has obtained them.

Corrections officials have repeatedly refused to release records that might identify its supplier.

Another drug company, Alvogen, filed a legal objection in Nevada this month to keep one of its drugs from being used in an execution.

Man gets additional homicide charge in crash that killed boy

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A man accused of fleeing the scene of an Omaha crash that killed a 2-year-old boy faces a new charge: motor vehicle homicide.

24-year-old Davionne Collier was in Douglas County Court on Tuesday, where the new charge was announced. Collier was originally charged with leaving the scene of an injury accident resulting in death, willful reckless driving and driving under suspension. Officials said Tuesday that evidence backed the new charge.

Police say Collier was driving a sport utility vehicle that collided with a car on May 28, fatally injuring 2-year-old Devon Morris and injuring three other people. Police say Collier and a passenger in his SUV walked away from the crash scene.

Collier’s next court appearance is set for Aug. 30.

Pedestrian bridge between Omaha, Council Bluffs closed

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Officials have closed the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge linking eastern Nebraska to western Iowa for a routine inspection.
Omaha Parks and Recreation says the bridge closed Monday and will remain closed most of the week until a five-year maintenance inspection can be completed. The bridge spans the Missouri River, connecting Omaha, Nebraska, to Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Officials expect the bridge to reopen before the coming weekend, but note “there is no guarantee.”

SUV recovered from lake near Omaha airport 

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A sport utility vehicle with no one inside has been pulled from a lake near the Omaha airport.

An Omaha officer reported seeing tire tracks leading into Carter Lake around 4:35 a.m. Tuesday. An Omaha Fire Department boat equipped with sonar found the SUV in nearly 10 feet of water.

Divers later hooked the SUV up to tow straps and a cable so a tow truck could pull it out.

Investigators are looking into whether the SUV had been stolen and then dumped in the lake near Eppley Airfield.

Woman accused of stealing from chamber of commerce

RALSTON, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha woman has been accused of stealing more than $41,000 when she worked for an Omaha suburb’s chamber of commerce.

Douglas County District Court records say 42-year-old Michelle McElligott is charged with felony theft. Her attorney didn’t immediately return a call Tuesday from The Associated Press.

A court document says that, without permission, McElligott wrote more than 60 three-figure checks to herself on an account belonging to the Ralston Chamber of Commerce. The court document says the last check was written on July 12 for $745.

Ex-teacher, Husker player takes deal in sex assault case

Sean Applegate

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A former Lincoln schoolteacher and Husker football player has made a plea deal in a sex assault case.

41-year-old Sean Applegate pleaded no contest Monday to attempted sexual assault and child abuse. His sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 12.

He was arrested in April last year after a woman reported that she had been molested by him at his Lincoln home between 2013 and 2014, starting when she was 15.

Applegate was a wingback for the Huskers, 1996-1999. He had worked as an industrial arts teacher at Pound Middle School.

Food left cooking on stove the source of fire station blaze

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Officials say the fire that damaged a northwest Omaha fire station started after someone left food cooking on a stove.

The fire Sunday morning left the kitchen and the station’s living areas heavily damaged. A battalion chief caught a whiff of smoke at the station and found the kitchen ablaze. He called for help because most of the firefighters assigned there were out on a call.

Battalion Chief Scott Fitzpatrick said Monday that the firefighters who left for the emergency call thought the stove was turned off. Turns out it wasn’t, and the fire eventually broke out.

The department hopes to have firefighters back living and working in the station within four weeks. The repairs will include addition of a sprinkler and fire-suppression system over the stove.

Police say woman fatally shot at Lincoln home

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a woman died at a hospital after intruders shot her at a Lincoln residence.

Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister (BLEYE’-meye-stur) says the intruders entered the home just after 3:30 a.m. Tuesday and officers were called at 3:45 a.m.

The woman was pronounced dead around 5 a.m. Her name hasn’t been released. Bliemeister says four children were among seven people in the home when the woman was shot. No other injuries have been reported.

No arrests have been reported.

Lincoln district modifies dress code amid hoodie backlash

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Lincoln education officials have modified the district’s dress code policy after a middle school received backlash from parents over a new rule banning hooded sweatshirts.

Lincoln Public Schools announced a new districtwide rule on Monday that allows students to wear hoodies but prohibits wearing the hood over their head in school. The move comes days after Mickle Middle School removed hoodies from the list of approved attire this fall.

Mickle parents pushed back against banning the sweatshirts, which are a staple of many students’ wardrobes and school sports team apparel.

Matt Larson is the district’s interim associate superintendent for instruction. Larson says district officials considered parent feedback when revising the policy.

He says officials will share the modified hoodie rule with all principals, who will communicate it to parents.

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