OGALLALA, Neb. (AP) — A truck driver from Florida has pleaded no contest to charges stemming from a 2016 crash in western Nebraska that killed six people, including a family of five from Minnesota.
Court records say 55-year-old Tony Weekly Jr. entered the pleas Tuesday in Keith County District Court. The charges: three felony and three misdemeanor counts of vehicular homicide and one misdemeanor count of reckless driving.
Sentencing is set for July 20.
Investigators say Weekly was distracted July 31, 2016, and didn’t slow down in an Interstate 80 construction zone near Brule (brool), smashing into the back of a minivan. Inside were Jamison and Kathryne Pals, of St. Paul, and their three children, aged 3 years, 2½ and 23 months.
Another man injured in the crash, Terry Sullivan, of Denver, died later.
RMH spokeswoman Robin Jenkins told the Lincoln Journal Star the company’s restaurants are expected to continue operating during the bankruptcy reorganization.
In the bankruptcy filing, the company said it owes between $100 million and $500 million, and it has assets within the same range.
RMH has restaurants in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wyoming.
HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — Authorities are investigating after the body of a man was found just outside of Hastings.
The Hastings Tribune reports that the body — believed to be that of a middle-aged man — was found around noon Monday by a groundskeeper who was mowing at the Motorsport Park Hastings.
Adams County Sheriff’s Deputy Gary Reed says officials are looking into whether the remains belong to a man who was reported missing in October. Reed says an autopsy will be conducted Wednesday in Omaha.
Reed says there are no obvious signs of foul play, but investigators aren’t ruling anything out and are collecting evidence for possible use later.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will allow year-round sales of renewable fuel with blends of 15 percent ethanol as part of an emerging deal to make changes to the federal ethanol mandate.
Republican senators and the White House announced the deal Tuesday after a closed-door meeting, the latest in a series of White House sessions on ethanol.
The Environmental Protection Agency currently bans the 15-percent blend, called E15, during the summer because of concerns that it contributes to smog on hot days. Gasoline typically contains 10 percent ethanol. Farm-state lawmakers have pushed for greater sales of the higher ethanol blend to boost demand for the corn-based fuel.
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley called the agreement good news for farmers and drivers alike, saying it would increase ethanol production and consumer choice at the pump.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said the deal will save the jobs of thousands of blue-collar workers at refineries in Texas, Pennsylvania and other states.
“Terrific final decision from @POTUS meeting,” Cruz tweeted. “This is a WIN-WIN for everyone.”
The decision allowing E15 to be sold year-round will provide “relief to refiners” and “protect our hardworking farmers and refinery workers,” White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said. “The president is satisfied with the attention and care that all parties devoted to this issue.”
Trump met Tuesday with Grassley, Cruz, Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst and Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, as well as EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.
The EPA oversees the decade-old Renewable Fuel Standard, commonly known as the ethanol mandate, which sets out how much corn-based ethanol and other renewable fuels refiners must blend into gasoline. The program’s intent was to address global warming, reduce dependence on foreign oil and bolster the rural economy by requiring a steady increase in renewable fuels over time.
The mandate has not worked as intended, and production levels of renewable fuels, mostly ethanol, routinely fail to reach minimum thresholds set in law.
Environmental groups criticized the deal, saying it would worsen air pollution during summer months.
“Waiving clean-air standards at the behest of one favored industry would not only set a precedent for bad policy, it could cost lives,” a coalition of environmental groups said in a statement.
Ernst said allowing year-round sale of E15 “will drive up domestic ethanol production and consumption” while helping to “maintain already low prices” for fuel credits that oil refiners must buy if they can’t blend ethanol into their fuels.
She and Grassley also said they were encouraged that the Trump administration will take a closer look at “hardship” waivers that have been granted to small refineries, a practice they say has hurt biofuels and undermined the RFS.
The EPA has reportedly granted a waiver to a refinery owned by billionaire Carl Icahn, a former Trump adviser, as well as other small refineries. The agency has not disclosed which refineries received the waivers, saying it did not want to reveal private business information.
Cruz said the president also agreed to consider his proposal to include fuel credits for ethanol that is produced domestically and exported. The proposal is meant to make it easier for the industry to meet annual sales volumes required under the renewable-fuel mandate.
“This is good for farmers, refiners and America,” Cruz said in a statement.
But the Renewable Fuels Association, an industry group, said allowing exports to qualify for RFS compliance could dramatically reduce domestic demand and result in retaliatory trade barriers from countries that import U.S. ethanol.
The group’s president, Bob Dinneen, called the export idea a “disgrace” and said ethanol producers and farmers would bear the brunt of any retaliatory tariffs.
BATTLE CREEK, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a man who died on a northeast Nebraska farm was accidentally electrocuted.
The accident Friday near Battle Creek killed 54-year-old Greg Weidner, who lived in Madison.
Madison County Attorney Joe Smith told the Norfolk Daily News that Weidner was injured while working on an irrigation pivot well. No autopsy was ordered.
Vivian Louise Bockus, age 92, formerly of North Platte, received her heavenly promotion Thursday, May 3, 2018, at the Plattsmouth Care and Rehabilitation Center.
Vivian was born September 18, 1925 to Harry and Martha (Griffith) Stackhouse in Brady, NE. She grew up in the Maxwell area and attended Bignell School from 3rd-10th grade, graduating from Maxwell High School in 1942.
At the age of 12, she accepted the Lord as her Savior at Maranatha Bible Camp. Vivian had a strong faith in the Lord. After high school she attend Midwest Bible and Missionary Institute in Salina, KS, graduating in 1945.
On October 17, 1945, Vivian was united in marriage to Chester Orvill Bockus at the Maxwell Baptist Church. They lived in North Platte and Lexington and then worked as missionaries in Panama from 1951-1960. Afterward, they returned to Nebraska, living in Cozad and Lexington. Vivian worked in the cafeteria at Morton Elementary School in Lexington for 13 years before retiring and returning to North Platte in 1994. Vivian was a member of Calvary Baptist Church and taught Sunday School and Awana Children’s Club for many years.
She is survived by her sons, Larry (Valerie) Bockus of Lincoln and Darrell Bockus, of Kensington, MN; sister, Maxine Christensen Tilton of North Platte; brother, Dale (Cynthia) Stackhouse of North Platte; six grandchildren, Heidi (Corey) Simmons, Ruben (Maria) Bockus, Lydia Bockus, Sarah (Tom) Oja, Rachel Bockus, and Elizabeth (Warren) Johnson; 9 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
Vivian is preceded in death by her parents, Harry and Martha Stackhouse; sister-in-law, Phyllis Stackhouse; and brothers-in-law, Don Christensen and Clem Tilton.
A graveside funeral service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 12, 2018, at Plainview Cemetery, south of Maxwell. Online condolences may be shared at odeanchapel.com.
Memorials are suggested to KJLT Radio, Maranatha Bible Camp, or Back to the Bible. Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore is in charge of arrangements.
Kearney police are asking the public to help them find a missing male.
Andrew J.Callahan, white male, 6’2”, 280 pounds, 30 years old, DOB 08/23/1986 was last heard from on May 2, 2018 around 6 p.m. when he told his roommate he was going camping and planned to return by Friday, May 4, 2018. Andrew did not return.
He is believed to be traveling in a blue, 2004, Ford F-150 Super Crew pickup, Nebraska Commercial license plate # 98590A. The pickup has a Houston Texans sticker in the back window.
If you see Andrew, please contact the Kearney Police Department at 308-237-2104.
Foul play is not suspected at this point in the investigation, but police would like to find Andrew in
order to assure he is safe.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts will travel to Mexico in August for an international trade mission.
Ricketts said Monday that Mexico is the second largest agricultural export market in North America and he plans to look for opportunities to expand Nebraska’s relationship with the country.
Mexico accounts for nearly $1 billion of America’s $6.4 billion annual export revenue. Nebraska exports corn, soybeans and beef to Mexico.
Ricketts says he hopes to thank the country for its business and find more ways for Nebraska to highlight and expand agriculture connections.
He has traveled to Asia and Europe in previous years for trade missions.
OGALLALA, Neb. (AP) — A truck driver from Florida has pleaded no contest to charges stemming from a 2016 crash in western Nebraska that killed six people, including a family of five from Minnesota.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — One of the largest Applebee’s franchisees that operates 163 restaurants in 15 states has filed for bankruptcy protection.
HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — Authorities are investigating after the body of a man was found just outside of Hastings.
BATTLE CREEK, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a man who died on a northeast Nebraska farm was accidentally electrocuted.
