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Daniel and Carol Steburg Death Notice

Daniel and Carol Steburg, of Omaha, formerly of North Platte. Inurnment will be at 1 p.m. on Friday, May 4, at Fort McPherson National Cemetery near Maxwell with military honors.

Walter Brott

Walter Brott, 89, of Ogallala, passed away April 29, 2018, at Indian Hills Manor in Ogallala.

Walter was born on Nov. 24, 1928, in Perkins County to Henry and Anna Elizabeth (Lofing) Brott. Walter received his early schooling at District No. 60 in Perkins County.

After schooling, Walter worked on the family farm until 1951, at which time he was drafted into the U.S. Army. He served in the Korean War for two years and was awarded the Purple Heart and two Bronze Stars.

In 1953, Walter moved back home to the farm, where he lived and worked until he retired.

Walter Married Norma Jean Starkey on Aug. 1, 1954. They were married at St. John’s Lutheran Church.

Walter had life memberships with the American Legion, VFW and DAV. He had been a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church since baptism. He was also confirmed in the Lutheran faith on Oct. 11, 1942.

Walter was preceded in death by his wife, Norma; his parents; four sisters, Caroline, Ester, Lillian and Rosie; and seven brothers, Rineholt, William, Henry, John, Leo, Harry and Marvin.

Survivors include three daughters, Teresa (Ken) Thompson of North Platte, Beverly (Merlin) Rapp of Paxton and Bonnie (Gary) Wong of Lake Grove, New York; one sister, Katherine (Ronald) Stuehm of Holdredge; one brother, Harvey (Jeannie) Brott of North Platte; five sisters-in-law, Marion Brott, Ethel Brott, Shirley Brott, Lilace Brott and Faye Brown; eight grandchildren, Kerri Rapp, Jon (Eryn) Rapp, Jenilee Rapp, Mathew (Marsha) Thompson, Shawn Thompson and Stephanie Walrod, Aaron (Makayla) French, Brandon French and Cortney (Don) French-Dupreme; six great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Memorials are suggested to St. John’s Lutheran Church. Online condolences may be shared at drauckerfuneralhome.com, where services will be live streamed for those unable to attend.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, May 4, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, southeast of Ogallala, with the Rev. Robert Pierce officiating. Burial will follow at St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery with military honors. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. today, May 3, at Draucker Funeral Home, Ogallala, which is in charge of arrangements.

Dorette Jean Littlejohn Kleinkauf

Dorette Jean Littlejohn Kleinkauf, 93, passed away May 1, 2018, in Lincoln.

Dorette Jean Hoehne was born on Nov. 3, 1924, in Lincoln to John Albert and Valda (Zink) Hoehne.

After graduating from Lincoln High School in 1942, she met William Charles Littlejohn II. They were married on March 12, 1944, in New York City, where he played professional baseball. The marriage dissolved in September 1956, and Dorette moved the family back to Nebraska.

In April 1957, she began working as the clerk for the district foreman at the Union Pacific Railroad Roundhouse in North Platte. Shortly after Dorette met Donald Elmer Kleinkauf, a locomotive engineer, they were married on Aug. 20, 1960, at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church.

Dorette was an active community steward, serving consecutive terms as Sioux Lookout chapter regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution, a governing member and treasurer of the Great Plains Regional Medical Center, an advisor to the North Platte Community College and a litany of positions with nonprofit organizations.

She is survived by her son, William “Chip” (Marcy) Littlejohn III of Scottsbluff; daughter, Loree (Victor) Kirilloff of Lincoln; and grandchildren, Taylor and Jessica Littlejohn and Victoria Kirilloff.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 5, at Good Shepard Lutheran Church, 3825 Wildbriar Lane, Lincoln. Burial will be at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 7, at Fort McPherson National Cemetery near Maxwell. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, May 4, at Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home, 6800 S. 14th St., which is in charge of arrangements.

Police: Driver charged after ramming 2 cruisers, being shot

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Iowa authorities say they’ve obtained arrest warrants charging a man accused of ramming his pickup truck into two Council Bluffs police vehicles before being shot by an officer.

Police say 28-year-old Wade Clifton, of Bondurant, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder, aggravated assault on an officer and eluding.

Police say Clifton fled when officers tried to stop his pickup at a closed construction site around 3 a.m. Tuesday. The chase mostly took place on Interstate 29 before investigators say Clifton intentionally rammed two police cruisers. One officer then shot him.

Clifton was taken to a hospital in Omaha, Nebraska, for treatment of injuries not considered to be life-threatening. Two officers were treated and released from another hospital.

The names of the officers haven’t been released.

Traffic stop leads to large drug seizure on I-80 in Nebraska

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska State Patrol says troopers have seized more than 115 pounds of cocaine and a substance believed to be a powerful synthetic opioid during a traffic stop.

The patrol says trooper found the cocaine and suspected fentanyl in a false compartment inside a semitrailer stopped Thursday morning on Interstate 80 near Kearney.

The patrol says the compartment held 73 pounds of foil-wrapped cocaine and 44 pounds of a powder suspected to be fentanyl. The street value of the drugs is estimated between $5 million and $10 million.

The 46-year-old truck driver and his 52-year-old passenger, both of New Jersey, were arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and having no drug tax stamp.

Lieutenant governor hopeful criticizes veto of schools bill

Gov. Pete Ricketts

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Democratic candidate for Nebraska lieutenant governor criticized Gov. Pete Ricketts on Tuesday for his veto of a bill she introduced as a state senator this year to expand mental health services in schools.

Sen. Lynne Walz, of Fremont, made the comments while touring the state with her new running mate, Democratic governor hopeful Bob Krist. The tour seeks to introduce Walz to voters after Krist named her as his running mate this week.

Walz said she was shocked the governor vetoed the bill because it “because it would have helped so many kids.”

“Whatever the reason, the fact remains that children that need mental health services will now be ignored or remain in the shadows because the governor said ‘no,'” Walz said. “That is not Nebraska at its best.”

Ricketts, a Republican, has said he shares concerns about mental health services in schools but argued that Walz’s bill was unnecessary. The bill would have placed social workers in the state’s educational service units to help identify children who need mental and behavioral health services. The $3.6 million program would have relied on private donations for three years.

In his veto letter, Ricketts said the bill would have required the state to run a privately funded grant program. He also argued that people can already made donations to the service units.

The proposal “unnecessarily inserts the state between private funders and the political subdivision receiving those donations,” he said in the letter.

Krist still has to win Nebraska’s May 15 Democratic primary to secure the party’s nomination for governor. He is running against Democrats Vanessa Gayle Ward and Tyler Davis, both of Omaha.

On Tuesday, he praised Walz as a strong advocate for education, rural economic development and people with special needs.

“Lynn understands the problems faced by most Nebraskans in their daily lives,” Krist said. “As lieutenant governor, she will be their voices and work with me to make sure their voices are heard.”

Walz was elected to the Legislature in 2016, when she defeated then-Sen. David Schnoor, of Scribner, who was appointed to the seat by Ricketts.

Walz, a married mother of three and grandmother of three, works as a real estate agent after previous stints as a teacher. She also has been active in civic organizations in Fremont and has worked to provide services for people with disabilities.

Storms cause minor damage in parts of Nebraska, Iowa

Authorities say thunderstorms and tornadoes have left behind minor damage in parts of Nebraska and Iowa.

Two tornadoes were reported Tuesday evening in southern Nebraska, including one that caused minor damage but no injuries near Doniphan. The other touched down briefly just north of Odell.

Straight-line wind gusts of 80 mph (129 kph) also were reported.

The National Weather Service says strong winds destroyed or badly damaged outbuildings in Shelby, Iowa. Officials say a pole barn was knocked down, and grain bins also were damaged.

Baseball- and softball-size hail was reported in several spots in both states.

Heavy rain accompanied the storms, causing minor flooding in low-lying spots. The weather service says nearly 3 inches (nearly 8 centimeters) fell in Little Sioux, Iowa, in about an hour.

Nebraska hearing set for South Dakota men in ATV crash case

HARTINGTON, Neb. (AP) — A South Dakota man and his father are due in court May 14 to face charges stemming from the death of a 21-year-old woman after an all-terrain vehicle crash in northeast Nebraska.

The June 29 crash last year near Fordyce killed 21-year-old Jessi Anderson, a South Dakota State University student.

Nebraska court records say 26-year-old Derrik Nelson was driving the ATV after consuming alcohol for several hours before the crash. He’s charged with vehicular homicide, failure to render aid, and other crimes.

His father, 64-year-old J. Douglas Nelson, is charged with being an accessory. Prosecutors say he disassembled the ATV after the crash in an effort to hide evidence.

The men surrendered Monday and bonded out of jail. Their attorneys didn’t immediately return calls Wednesday from The Associated Press.

Authorities: Woman killed husband, then herself 3 days later

LODGEPOLE, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say an investigation has determined that a Nebraska Panhandle woman shot to death her husband and then herself.

Deputies found the bodies of 51-year-old Michelle Lee Marlatt-Arledge and 52-year-old Mark Arledge at their Lodgepole home on April 19. The deputies had been sent there to investigate a report of elder abuse. A woman inside the home said, “Just a minute,” when deputies knocked on the front door. They entered after hearing a gunshot and found the bodies in separate rooms.

A news release from Cheyenne County Attorney Paul Schaub said Tuesday that Mark Arledge is believed to have died three days earlier after his wife shot him several times.

Omaha City Council broadens mayor’s power to pardon

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Omaha City Council has broadened the mayor’s power to pardon people.

The measure approved Tuesday lets the mayor pardon people convicted of just about any criminal offense prosecuted under city code, including failing to restrain a dog or keeping a dirty yard. The power had been limited to offenses such as trespassing, prostitution and disorderly conduct.

The expansion doesn’t permit the major to pardon someone convicted of breaking a federal or Nebraska law.

Mayor Jean Stothert (STAH’-thurt) had sought the increase, saying she wanted to give residents another opportunity when they’re seeking employment.

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