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Jury begins deliberating in medical school killings case

jury-boxOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A jury has begun deliberating the case of a former medical resident accused of killing four people with ties to an Omaha medical school, including a young boy.

Anthony Garcia’s attorneys sought to poke holes in prosecutors’ case during nearly four hours of closing arguments Tuesday. Prosecutors pointed to credit card and cellphone records that put Garcia in and around Omaha on the day of two of the killings as part of their case.

Garcia is charged with stabbing to death the 11-year-old son of two doctors and the family’s housekeeper in 2008 and then killing another Omaha doctor and his wife in 2013. Prosecutors say Garcia was motivated by revenge against two of the doctors, who had him fired from the Creighton University medical school’s residency program in 2001.

Tractor rolls on incline, kills 72-year-old Nebraska man

dakota-county-sheriffHOMER, Neb. (AP) — A 72-year-old man has died after his tractor rolled over in a field in northeast Nebraska.

Emergency crews were called to a rural area southeast of Homer on Monday night on a report of a man trapped under a tractor.

Dakota County deputies and Homer Fire and Rescue crews found a man in a field who was pinned under a tractor that had rolled on an incline. He was pronounced dead.

The man’s name is being withheld until relatives can be notified.

Daniel Gene Hengen

hengen

Daniel Gene Hengen, age 59 of Madrid, NE unexpectedly passed away Monday, October 24, 2016 at his mother’s home in North Platte.
Dan was born on May 29, 1957 in Sutherland, NE to Stephen “Paul” and Leslie “Pat” (Fletcher) Hengen. He grew up on the Hengen Ranch on the North River Road and graduated from Hershey High School in 1975. He worked at numerous places in the North Platte and Hershey areas. He loved his current job as a parts man at Regier Implement in Madrid. He married Kay Courtney in 1980 in North Platte and to this union a daughter Cicely was born. He married Lucy Reed September 28, 2002 in Hershey and to this union a son Bradley was born. Dan loved to hunt and fish and was a friend to everyone. Family was at the center of his life; and his second family was his friends at the Hershey Bar. He never knew a stranger and was always “fine”. Dan’s big smile and hardy laugh will be missed.
Dan is survived by his mother Pat of North Platte; children Cicely (Mike) Kimball of Springfield, MO, and Bradley Hengen of Hershey; grandchildren Greyson and Celise Kimball; siblings Dave (Kristi) Hengen of North Platte, Dennis (Rose) Hengen of McCook, Diana (Steve) Berg of Hastings, Donna (Terry) Douglass of Grand Island and Doug (Monica) Hengen of North Platte; 20 nieces and nephews; 5 great nieces and nephews; Dan was also a father to those who found themselves without one, Amy Kalsbeek, Ryan Nardini and Eric Nardini; as well as numerous other family members and many friends.
He was preceded in death by his father Paul; grandparents Steve and Una Hengen, and Les and Lea Fletcher.
Memorials are suggested in his name and online condolences may be shared at www.adamsswanson.com. Christian Wake Services will be 7:00 p.m. Thursday October 27, 2016 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 a.m. Friday October 28, 2016 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church with Reverend Bryan Ernst as Celebrant and Reverend Don Buhrman and Reverend Mark Maresh as Con-Celebrants. Burial will follow at Riverside Cemetery near Hershey. Visitation will be 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. Wednesday, and 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Thursday at Adams and Swanson Funeral Home which is in charge of arrangements.

Nebraska man who claimed self-defense acquitted in brother’s shooting

judgeshipGENEVA, Neb. (AP) — A Grafton man has been found not guilty in the shooting of his brother.

A Fillmore County District Court jury in Geneva on Friday acquitted 62-year-old Ervin Fuehrer of assault and use of a deadly weapon.

Authorities say Fuehrer shot his brother, Stephen Preslicka, on March 19, 2015, in Fuehrer’s shop driveway following an argument. Fuehrer’s attorney Bob Parker said in his closing arguments that Preslicka was wild when he showed up at Fuehrer’s shop. Preslicka has a bipolar disorder, and it was believed he was in a manic phase at that time.

Fuehrer says he fired a warning shot outside the shop and then shot his brother in self-defense. He said Preslicka had thrown a fire extinguisher at him and broke several windows with his bare hands.

Closing arguments set in trial on medical school killings

Anthony Garcia
Anthony Garcia

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Attorneys are expected to deliver closing arguments Tuesday in the case against a former medical student accused of killing four people with ties to an Omaha medical school, including an 11-year-old boy.

Anthony Garcia’s attorneys focused during the last day of testimony Monday on the prosecution’s timeline and other aspects of the prosecution’s case. Garcia remained silent. He has not testified during the trial, which began Oct. 3.

Garcia is charged with stabbing to death the 11-year-old son of two doctors and the family’s housekeeper in 2008 and then killing another Omaha doctor and his wife in 2013. Prosecutors say the killings were motivated by Garcia’s desire for revenge against two of the doctors, who had him fired from the Creighton University medical school’s residency program in 2001.

Nebraska man died after SUV struck building, pickup, authorities say

fatal-accidentNEMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a 25-year-old man died after his sport utility vehicle crashed into a building and a parked pickup in southeast Nebraska.

The crashes occurred a little before 8:30 p.m. Sunday in Nemaha. The Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office says the SUV was headed south on Nebraska Highway 67 when it left the roadway and struck the building and pickup. Investigators suspect speeding and alcohol consumption were factors in the crashes.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. He was identified as Matthew Sciarappa, who lived in Auburn.

Norfolk man takes plea deal in crash deaths of 2 other men

gavel-moreNORFOLK, Neb. (AP) — A December sentencing has been scheduled for a Norfolk man charged with the crash deaths of two men.

Court records show 23-year-old Brandon Plante pleaded guilty Monday to two felony counts of vehicular homicide. Prosecutors dropped a drunken driving charge and another misdemeanor charge in exchange for Plante’s pleas. His sentencing hearing is set for Dec. 19.

Authorities say Plante was driving north in a southbound lane of U.S. Highway 81 on June 26 when he struck an oncoming vehicle driven by 32-year-old Tar Eh. Eh and a passenger in the vehicle, 32-year-old Yeh Htoo, were fatally injured. Both lived in Norfolk.

911 texting services see successes, challenges in Nebraska

911-ServicesLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Officials from two Nebraska counties say allowing people to text emergency calls has some challenges, even though it has expanded emergency services and saved some lives.

Buffalo and Douglas counties began their text-to-911 services in January 2015. Officials say calling 911 is still the fastest, most effective way to assure first responders can get to the scene.

Interim Douglas County 911 Director Mark Conrey says text exchanges in Omaha are processed more slowly than regular 911 calls and that location information transmitted with the messages can be unreliable.

But in Buffalo County, the system helped two Kearney children, who successfully alerted authorities via text that their dad was drunk and driving them to Colorado in April. Buffalo County Sheriff Neil Miller says they’ve only had problems receiving photos from some carriers.

Nebraska nuclear plant contract termination will cost $5M

fort-calhoun-dryOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha Public Power District officials say it will cost $5 million to end what was supposed to be a 20-year-contract with the company that has managed day-to-day operations at the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant since 2012.

The power district began permanently shutting down the nation’s smallest nuclear power plant on Monday. It’s one of the first steps of a decommissioning process that could last decades.

Exelon Generation has managed Fort Calhoun since September 2012, when it stepped in to bring the nuclear plant back from a nearly three-year outage. The utility would have paid $400 million to Exelon if it had completed its licensing term in 2033.

A utility spokeswoman says it is unclear when the contract will be terminated.

North Platte Weather-October 25

forecast-graphic-october-25-2016Today
Patchy fog before 1pm. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 69. Light and variable wind becoming east around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight
Partly cloudy, with a low around 42. Calm wind becoming west northwest around 5 mph after midnight.
Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 74. Northwest wind 6 to 8 mph.
Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 39. Light and variable wind.
Thursday
Sunny, with a high near 79. Southwest wind 3 to 8 mph.
Thursday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 45.
Friday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.
Friday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 43.
Saturday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 70.
Saturday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 39.
Sunday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 72.
Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 43.
Monday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 73.
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