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Former President Obama visits Omaha Sunday for charity event

obamaOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Former President Barack Obama is visiting Omaha for the first time since leaving office.

Obama landed in Omaha Sunday afternoon and was driven to an event at Happy Hollow Country Club.

Democratic Party officials told WOWT that Obama was in Omaha to attend a charity event on Sunday. But details of the event and the charity involved were not immediately clear. No public events were planned.

The last time Obama visited Omaha was in January 2016 as part of a series of speeches he gave after his final State of the Union address.

Nebraska weighs striking party labels from county ballots

voteLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Lawmakers in the nation’s only nonpartisan legislature are considering several measures that would remove party politics from county-level elections.

A legislative committee will hear three bills this week that would make all county races nonpartisan or allow county residents to decide if they want nonpartisan elections.

Sen. Matt Hansen of Lincoln, who sponsored one of the measures, says party politics have no role in most county jobs. His bill would eliminate all partisan elections for county-level positions.

Measures sponsored by Sens. Sue Crawford of Bellevue and Dan Hughes of Venango would let county inhabitants vote on having nonpartisan county elections.

The Nebraska Association of County Officials opposes the bills. Association executive director Larry Dix says party labels help voters identify their potential county commissioners’ fundamental policy beliefs.

Lincoln officials look to install adult playground equipment

lincoln-parks-and-recLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Lincoln officials are looking at installing playground equipment for adults, prompted by a resident who brought home the idea from a trip to China.

Dorene Casey and her sister, Jan Savoie, of Omaha, noticed the equipment and used some while visiting China two years ago.

Casey said much of the exercise equipment designed for older people is geared toward improving balance and flexibility. Equipment often is arranged to promote conversation between people working out.

She took the idea to Lincoln Parks and Recreation officials, who liked it and have been looking for ways to pay for it.

Lincoln may see its first piece of adult playground equipment next summer at Phil E. Mendoza Park, thanks to funding from the neighborhood association.

End of an Era; Lady Knights fall to Dakota College in final game under head coach Dick Thurin

North Platte – The basketball season came to an end for the North Platte Community College Lady Knights on Saturday afternoon, being defeated by the Dakota College at Bottineau Lady Jacks 70-63 at the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.

It was the final game for Lady Knight Head Coach Richard Thurin, who is retiring after 16 years at the helm of the Lady Knights.

It was also the final game in a Lady Knights uniform for sophomores Aljahnay Duncan, Mai’Zhrae Duncan, Caroline Delatour, Thomesha Wilson, Mickenzie Brennan, and Jessica Lovitt.

The Lady Jacks started out the game with three-pointers by Stephanie Brendan and Darby Deckert to give them the lead over the Lady Knights 6-2. The Lady Knights took their first lead at 10-9 on a putback basket by Lovitt. There were four lead changes in the first quarter and the Lady Knights held a 16-14 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

The Lady Knights held the lead throughout the second quarter and led by as much as six at 26-20. They held a 28-24 lead at halftime.

The Lady Jacks tied the score at 34 on a field goal by Victoria Obergfell. The Lady Jacks took the lead at 37-34 on a three-pointer by Deckert. After a three-pointer by the Lady Knights Victoria Brown, the Lady Jacks Chelsie Deibert hit two three-pointers to give the Lady Jacks the lead for good at 43-37. The Lady Jacks held a 45-42 lead at the end of the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Lady Jacks leading 59-56 went on an 11-2 run to put the game out of reach at 70-56.

The Lady Knights finish the season at 10-19. Lovitt led the Lady Knights in scoring with a career high 24 points. Lovitt has scored in double figures her last 13 games. The Knights season leading scorer Thomesha Wilson finished the game with 15 points. The other Lady Knight to score in double figures was Victoria Brown with 12 points on four three-pointers. Lovitt led the Lady Knights with nine rebounds

The Lady Jacks, 16-14 advance to the National Junior College Athletic Association Women’s Division II National Tournament in Harrison, Ark., March 20-25. The Lady Jacks were led in scoring by Madison Erickson with 18 points. Four other Lady Jacks finished in double figures. Obergfell and Deibert each had 14 points. Deckert added 12 points and Brendan had 11 points. Erickson also led the Lady Jacks with nine rebounds.

Omaha man adapts toys for kids with special needs

good-newsOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha man is spending his time altering electronic toys for children across the state with special needs.

Aaron Miller was inspired by his 8-year-old son Evan, who has cerebral palsy, to use his garage to adapt electronic toys. The toys then fill the shelves at United Cerebral Palsy’s seven tech toy lending libraries.

Organization finance and service director in Nebraska, Anne Brodin, says the program began more than 20 years ago. Before Miller, most of the lending libraries’ toys would come from expensive toy-adapting companies.

Miller hopes that his adaptions can give those children back some of the independence they can lose due to their disabilities. He also sometimes hosts workshops for parents to learn how to adapt toys for their own children.

Nebraska high school football star charged in sex trafficking case

DeArch Stubblefield
DeArch Stubblefield

BELLEVUE, Neb. (AP) — A standout Nebraska high school football player has been charged with first-degree sexual assault of a child and human trafficking.

Eighteen-year-old DeArch Stubblefield, a senior defensive back on the Bellevue West state championship team, was charged Friday in Sarpy County Court. He is being held without bail.

Court documents say Stubblefield sexually assaulted a teen between 12 and 16 years old and forced the teen to engage in sex trafficking between Dec. 1 and Jan. 31.

Stubblefield’s next court hearing is set for March 28.

A Bellevue Public Schools spokeswoman says officials have not yet made a decision on Stubblefield’s student status.

A voice message left with the Sarpy County Public Defender’s Office, which is representing Stubblefield, was not immediately returned Saturday.

Man charged with molesting boy in Omaha mall bathroom

Bruce Perry
Bruce Perry

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 50-year-old resident of an Omaha assisted living facility has been charged with child sexual assault after police say he molested a 7-year-old boy in a Westroads Mall bathroom.

Bruce Perry is charged with third-degree sexual assault of a child and intentional child abuse in connection with the Wednesday incident. He is being held on $250,000 bail.

Prosecutors say Perry pulled down the boy’s pants and touched his genitals after the boy and his 11-year-old brother went into the bathroom. Police say the older brother fought off the man until the boys could escape.

Police say Perry told investigators he has exposed himself to boys many other times, but assistant public defender Cathy Saathoof disputes that. She says Perry has impaired intellectual capacity and mental health issues.

Nebraska, Iowa move to daylight-saving time

timeOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — It’s time to spring forward again, as the country makes the switch to daylight-saving time.

Like those in almost all other states, Nebraskans and Iowans will trade an hour of sleep starting Sunday morning for an extra hour of sunlight in the evening.

The government expanded daylight-saving time in 2007 in an effort to save energy. It now begins on the second Sunday in March and continues until the first Sunday in November.

The official change occurs at 2 a.m. Sunday, local time, although people often change their clocks before going to bed Saturday night.

Daylight-saving time ends Nov. 5.

Lincoln man sentenced to prison for sexual assault

Jesus "Jesse" Brown
Jesus “Jesse” Brown

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 37-year-old Lincoln man has been sentenced to up to 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting a sleeping woman at a party.

Jesus “Jesse” Brown was sentenced Wednesday to 16 to 20 years in prison. He was convicted by a jury in January of first-degree sexual assault.

Prosecutors say Brown assaulted the woman three months after being paroled from prison. The 28-year-old woman told police she spent the night in Lincoln in September 2015 at an after-hours party at a house. She said she awoke early in the morning to Brown sexually assaulting her.

Brown said the sex was consensual.

Man placed in protective custody after outburst at Lincoln Co. Courthouse

lincoln-county-court-houseAuthorities say a man has been placed in protective custody after an outburst at the Lincoln County Courthouse.

According to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the Lincoln County Courthouse at around 8:30 a.m. this morning on the report of a disturbance.

It was reported that a male subject was at the courthouse and was “very emotional and threatening to harm or shoot the first law enforcement officer he found.”

Chief Deputy Roland Kramer says, due to the size of the courthouse, deputies were unable to locate the man and he left the building.

Kramer says the man was located at a local gas station and taken into custody without incident.  It was determined that the man was suffering from a mental illness and he was placed into emergency protective custody.

The LCSO didn’t indicate that any charges were pending against the man.

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