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Nebraska monument seeks donations of eclipse glasses

BEATRICE, Neb. (AP) — Those wondering what to do with their eclipse-viewing glasses now that the Aug. 21 solar eclipse has passed now have a better option than the trash can.

The Homestead National Monument of America in Beatrice is seeking donations of certified solar eclipse-viewing glasses. The monument plans to send them on to Astronomers Without Boarders, which is collecting the glasses to be redistributed across South America and Asia for the 2019 total solar eclipse.

Donations will continue through mid-September. Donation boxes can be found at either the Homestead Education Center or the Homestead Heritage Center.

The monument sits four miles west of Beatrice, along Nebraska Highway 4.

Man stabbed to death in Norfolk; another man arrested

NORFOLK, Neb. (AP) — Police in Norfolk say a man has been stabbed to death, and another man has been arrested in the case.

Police say officers were called to an apartment complex Friday afternoon on reports of a stabbing and found a man with wounds outside the complex. The man died at the scene. Police had not released his name by midday Saturday pending notification of his family members.

A suspect, a 48-year-old Norfolk man, was arrested Friday night after he turned himself in at the police department. He is being held in the Norfolk City Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder.

Ex-city attorney in Iowa faces drug charge in Nebraska

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former Council Bluffs, Iowa, assistant city attorney has been indicted on drug charges in Nebraska.

44-year-old Don Bauermeister, of Omaha, was charged by a federal grand jury with possessing with intent to distribute about 13 pounds of marijuana.

Reached at his house by the World-Herald late Friday, Bauermeister declined to comment.

Bauermeister had been city employee since February 2003, but resigned in mid-June. At the time, Council Bluffs City Attorney Dick Wade said Bauermeister gave no reason for his resignation.

The indictment was handed down Thursday. The allegation covers a period from November 2016 to Jan. 9, 2017.

If convicted, Bauermeister faces up to five years in prison.

Ex-youth center worker sentenced for sex contact with teen

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — A former mental health practitioner at the state youth treatment center in Kearney has been sentenced to 30 days in jail and four years of probation for having sexual contact with a teen at the center.

29-year-old Samantha Halstead, of Pleasanton, was sentenced Friday in Buffalo County District Court. She pleaded no contest in July to second-degree sexual abuse involving a teen at the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center.

Court records show Halstead was investigated for sexual contact with an 18-year-old male being treated at the center. Buffalo County Attorney Shawn Eatherton told the Hub she had sexual contact with the teen in her office at the center.

State law bars prison or detention center employees from having sex with anyone in custody.

Nebraska doctor, 80, back to work as part-time pediatrician

LOUISVILLE, Neb. (AP) — A former chancellor at University of Nebraska Medical Center retired three years ago, but has returned to work part time as a pediatrician.

80-year-old Dr. Harold Maurer says he “failed retirement” in his two-month foray into doing little besides spending time with family and friends.

His wife, Beverly, says she’s ready for him to hang up his stethoscope, but he isn’t.

His schedule isn’t intense anymore. He said he often sees one to three patients a day.

When he was chancellor, Maurer raised hundreds of millions of dollars to transform the medical center’s campus. When he worked as a physician before that, he helped develop a chemotherapy-radiation regimen for a rare childhood cancer that led to fewer amputations and more lives saved.

Sargent woman pleads not guilty to theft from store

BROKEN BOW, Neb. (AP) — A western Nebraska woman has pleaded not guilty to embezzling about $32,000 from the former Sargent convenience store where she had worked.

36-year-old Cynthia Lowry entered the plea Thursday in Custer County District Court to a count of felony theft.

Court records say Lowry “cooked” several accounts for the Whoa N’ Go in Sargent from January through July 25 last year.

Her jury trial has been set for Feb. 12.

Scientists study causes of toxic algae blooms

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Scientists are working to get a better understanding of what causes toxic algae to flourish in some lakes.

The Environmental Protection Agency says it will work with state officials in Nebraska and Kansas to identify sources of water pollution and assess the toxic algae blooms.

When algae flares up in lakes, health officials restrict access because contact with the water can cause illness.

The EPA says it can be challenging for environmental managers to monitor sources of E. coli and algae blooms.

The research will use an advanced monitoring technology to find sources of fecal contamination in rivers and streams in Nebraska.

In Kansas, researchers will work to identify the species of bacteria that produce toxins and promote algae blooms.

Dove hunting season to begin next month in Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Dove hunting season is set to begin next month in Nebraska.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission says hunters can hunt doves from Sept. 1-Oct. 31, with daily bag and possession limits of 15 and 45, respectively.

Shooting hours run from 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset. The commission says bag limits are for mourning, white-winged and Eurasian collared doves in aggregate.

Nebraska residents 16 years old and older and all nonresidents are required to get a valid Nebraska small game hunting permit, habitat stamp and Harvest Information Program number. HIP numbers are free online at OutdoorNebraska.gov/hip or at any Game and Parks office.

NPCC volleyball finishes 2-2 at Southeast CC Tournament

Beatrice – The North Platte Community College Lady Knights volleyball split games on both days of the Southeast Invitational Tournament, finishing 2-2 on the weekend. They were defeated in the first match on Friday by Highland Community College 3-0. In the second match on Friday, the Lady Knights defeated Cloud County 3-1.

On Saturday, they were defeated in three sets by Colby Community College. In their final match of the tournament, the Lady Knights swept Southeastern Iowa Community College in three games.

In the match against Highland, they were defeated 25-18, 25-22, and 25-18. Luisa Hernandez led the Lady Knights in kills with eight, followed by Shaylee Johnson and Aly Camacho, who each had six kills. Carlie Wytulka had 27 set assists and Carly Moss had nine defensive digs to lead North Platte. Camacho also had two solo and eight assisted blocks.

In match two against Cloud County, the Lady Knights won 25-23, 20-25, 25-21, and 26-24. Neci Sundquist had 11 kills, while Camacho, Hernandez, and Johnson each had eight kills in the match. Wytulka had 44 set assists. Antonya Schaffert had18 defensive digs. Johnson also contributed three solo and five assisted blocks to lead the Lady Knights.

On Saturday, in the first match against Colby, the Lady Knights were defeated in three sets 25-16, 25-17, and 25-12. Hernandez led the Lady Knights with five kills, Wytulka had 16 set assists, and Schaffert had five defensive digs and five assisted blocks.

In match two on Saturday, the Lady Knights bounced back to defeat t Southeastern Iowa in three sets, 27-25, 25-22, and 25-19. Hernandez had seven kills, Wytulka contributed 24 set assists, Schaffert had seven defensive digs and Camacho had two solo and eight assisted blocks to lead the Lady Knights.

The Lady Knights are now 2-3 on the season.
They will return to action on Wednesday, August 30 when they host Northeastern Junior College at 7 pm at the McDonald – Belton Gymnasium.

Donor gives kits to OPD to protect officers from overdose

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An anonymous donor has given more than $10,000 to the Omaha Police Department for 150 naloxone kits to help protect officers from accidental opioid overdoses.

The donation was announced by police this week.

Deputy Chief Greg Gonzalez says the kits, which are made of two-dose nasal spray, will be given to all police dog handlers and distributed among patrol officers, detective, and school resource officers.

Officers can use the spray if they suspect an opioid overdose or if their fellow officers or trained drug dogs come into contact with the powerful powdered drug fentanyl, carfentanil or heroin.

Police and first responders around the country have reported accidental exposure and, in some cases, overdose after coming in contact with powerful opioids while on the job.

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