We have a brand new updated website! Click here to check it out!

NP man convicted of homicide for passenger’s crash death

Samuel Wood

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) — A North Platte man has been found guilty for the death of his passenger after a collision with a semitrailer.

Court records say 41-year-old Emmett Wood was convicted last week of misdemeanor vehicular homicide after a nonjury trial in Lincoln County Court. His sentencing is set for Feb. 15.

Authorities say Wood was speeding in his pickup truck on May 11 when it struck the big rig near a truck stop. Wood’s passenger, 73-year-old Michael Torres Sr., died soon afterward at a hospital.

Wood already is serving a prison sentence of three to six years for an unrelated case of assault.

Man accused of looting ailing mother’s bank account

TECUMSEH, Neb. (AP) — A man has been accused of looting his ailing mother’s bank account and not paying her bills in southeast Nebraska.

58-year-old Gary Vaughn, of Auburn, is accused of misusing nearly $61,000 from his mother’s account. Court records say he’s charged with three felony counts of abuse of a vulnerable adult. His attorney didn’t immediately return a call Friday from The Associated Press.

Vaughn’s next court date is Feb. 14.

An arrest warrant affidavit says Vaughn has power of attorney for his 83-year-old mother and is supposed to be paying her bills. The affidavit says the facility caring for his mother is owed nearly $28,000.

Man takes plea deal for fatal Omaha shooting in parked car

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 22-year-old man has taken a plea deal in the fatal shooting of an Omaha resident inside a parked car.

Court records say Benjamin Guevara is scheduled to be sentenced March 19. He pleaded guilty Tuesday to manslaughter and a weapons crime. Originally he was charged with first-degree murder for the death of 21-year-old Oziel Vasquez-Serrano.

The records say Guevara shot Vasquez-Serrano on May 13, pulled him from the car and left him to die.

Omaha police to get cultural, mental health training

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha police officers will undergo Native American cultural sensitivity and mental health training after a mentally ill Native American man died in police custody.

29-year-old Zachary Bearheels died in June after he was shocked with a Taser multiple times, punched in the head and dragged by his ponytail.

Bearheels was a member of the Rosebud Sioux of South Dakota and also had ties to Apache and Kiowa Tribes of Oklahoma. His relatives say he had bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Lt. Catherine Milone says all officers will attend an hour and a half Native American cultural training and an hour and a half mental health training in June.

More than 50 members of the basic and veteran police recruit classes received Native American sensitivity training in December.

Nebraska senators advance rules for residency challenges

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers have advanced new rules to clarify how they will investigate allegations that members of the Legislature don’t live in the districts they represent.

Senators gave the measure first-round approval on Friday with a 38-0 vote. The bill was inspired by a former legislative candidate’s claims that state Sen. Ernie Chambers doesn’t live in his north Omaha district.

John Sciara of Omaha challenged Chambers’ residency after his failed attempt to defeat the longtime senator in the 2016 election. The case against Chambers was dismissed after a legislative committee concluded that Sciara’s allegations weren’t supported by evidence.

The bill seeks to answer many of the questions that were raised during the Legislature’s review of the case.

Lawmakers confirm new Nebraska State Patrol superintendent

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers have confirmed a new superintendent for the State Patrol despite some reservations about recent problems in the agency.

Senators voted 37-0 on Friday in favor of Col. John Bolduc, who was appointed by Gov. Pete Ricketts and sworn in for the job on Oct. 16.

Some senators raised concerns that they still don’t have detailed answers about why Bolduc’s predecessor, former Col. Brad Rice, was abruptly fired in June. Bolduc has promised to overhaul the agency and ensure all patrol members are accountable to the public.

Rice’s termination came after news surfaced that the agency had mishandled internal investigations and didn’t properly respond to possible misconduct against female recruits by a patrol doctor.

Rice was chosen following a national search for a replacement.

Natasha “Tosha”Richards Death Notice

Natasha “Tosha”Richards 29, of North Platte, died Jan. 29, 2018, at University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha. A celebration of life and pot luck dinner will be from 3-5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3, at the Moose Lodge, 1315 E. Fourth St.

Patty Mae Smyth

Our beautiful angel went on to blooming flowers and green gardens.  Patty Mae Smyth was born January 5, 1954 to Russell Morris and Florence Virginia Easton Morris.  She grew up in many different places and holds a special place for all her cousins, Aunts and Uncles with whom she lived with throughout her childhood.  Patty went to school in Ogallala and North Platte, graduating from North Platte High School.  In 1973, she married Steve Adkisson and to this union were 5 children.  She hired on with Union Pacific Railroad in March of 1978 and continued to work there for 18 years as a carmen and car foreman, after which she went onto work at Earl May and Huebner’s from 2006 to 2014, retiring from there; these were the best times in her life.  She had a zest for life and her laugh was contagious.  She will be missed by so many.  She loved her children, grandchildren, husband and all her Ya Ya’s. On October 23, 2009, she married the love of her life, Danny Smyth.

Survivors include her husband, Danny Smyth of North Platte; her children, Jason (Jennifer) Adkisson of Lincoln, Season (Mike) Kreber of North Platte, Kasey (Rebecca) Adkisson of Aurora, CO, Kortney (Les) Marky of North Platte, and her baby, McKenzie Adkisson of North Platte; grandchildren, Jacob, Joey, Aura, Chloe, Gus, Kennedy, Antonia, Gracey Mae, Jamel, Devin, Chuckie, Travis, Tyler, Ashlynn, Dallas, Jackie, Maximus, Keith and Kaiden; her Ya Ya’s, Susan Thomas, Leslie Morris and wife Diana Oneil, Katie (Scott) Fosbinder, Tammy Morris Flatt and Annette (Mark) Hamrick; step children, Chuck and Jamie Roberts, Kayla Smyth, Mickey (Miranda) Smyth, Timmy Jr.; numerous Aunts, Uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her father, Russell Morris, Jr.; numerous Aunts, Uncles, and cousins.  Patty loved her plants, flowers and especially her beautiful patio, all her fairy princes’ and princesses’, as she would call all her grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Russell Morris, Jr. She was the best mother, grandmother, sister, wife and friend.  Our world is a lot smaller without her huge heart here.  Online condolences may be shared at www.carpentermemorial.com.  A memorial has been set up at Hershey State Bank.  Cremation was chosen.  Services will be 11:00 a.m. Monday, February 5, 2018 at Carpenter Memorial Chapel, which is in care of arrangements.

Copyright Eagle Radio | FCC Public Files | EEO Public File