OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — First National Bank of Omaha will pay more than $35 million in reimbursements and civil fines after federal regulators concluded that some of the bank’s practices deceptively or unfairly enrolled and charged customers for products they didn’t get.
The bank hasn’t sold any of the products in regulators’ sights since 2012, and two of them had been sold to customers since 1997.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the bank’s main regulator, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, ordered the bank to reimburse about 257,000 customers for a total of nearly $27.8 million. The bank must also pay $7.5 million in civil fines.
The protection bureau enforcement action found the bank obscured its sales pitch, deceived consumers into making a purchase and made it hard for customers to cancel such services.
GIBBON, Neb. (AP) — Authorities have released the names of three people involved in a fatal Interstate 80 crash in south-central Nebraska.
The accident was reported about 1:20 p.m. Thursday near the Gibbon interchange in Buffalo County. The Nebraska State Patrol says the driver lost control of the vehicle and it rolled into the median.
The patrol says one passenger, 62-year-old Stephen Clark, was killed. Clark’s wife, 61-year-old Kathleen Clark, also was a passenger. She was treated at a Kearney hospital and released. Their home is in Punta Gorda, Florida.
The driver was hospitalized in Kearney. The patrol says she’s a 17-year-old girl from Lansing, Michigan.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — An attack that sent nine Nebraska prison employees to the hospital is ramping up pressure on state officials to increase staffing levels at their facilities.
The assaults prompted several state lawmakers to call for more manpower in the prisons. A Department of Correctional Services staffing analysis released Thursday says the agency needs to fill an additional 138 positions. The greatest need is at the Lincoln Correctional Center, which needs 44 additional positions.
Gov. Pete Ricketts on Thursday called for the state’s public employee union to negotiate immediately on a special prison employee contract.
Mike Marvin, executive director of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees, says the union cannot legally negotiate for prison employees alone. The negotiations must also include protective service staffers in the Department of Health and Human Services.
CLATONIA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities have identified the man whose body was found in a Gage County irrigation pond.
Gage County Attorney Roger Harris said Friday the body was that of 68-year-old Wayne Brinkmeyer, who lived in DeWitt. Authorities were sent to the pond three miles south of Clatonia Thursday evening after relatives called for help. They’d grown concerned because he’d missed a scheduled dinner with friends and wasn’t answering calls.
A family member told authorities that Brinkmeyer had been working on a pump in the pond.
An autopsy has been scheduled.
Brinkmeyer had been heavily involved in agriculture issues and had served on the county Planning and Zoning Commission.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — State health and environment officials have ended a health alert for toxic blue-green algae at Branched Oak Lake in Lancaster County.
The alerts will continue for at least another week at Iron Horse Trail Lake in Pawnee County, Pawnee Lake in Lancaster County and Willow Creek Lake in Pierce County.
Officials said in a news release Friday that the alerts were issued following tests of the lake water. Lakes that are on health alerts must have two consecutive weeks of readings below the threshold before the alerts are discontinued.
Skin exposed to the toxin from certain strains of blue-green algae can develop rashes and blisters. Someone who drinks water containing the toxin is at risk for headaches, nausea and muscular pain.
Adam Marshall, Associate Broker and lead auctioneer for Lashley Land and Recreational Brokers has won two prestigious Auctioneer Championships
Adam Marshall, Associate Broker and lead auctioneer for Lashley Land and Recreational Brokers has won two prestigious Auctioneer Championships
In May, Adam won the 2016 Auctioneer Championship Contest held at the annual convention of the Nebraska Auctioneer Association. That competition featured 20 contestants from Nebraska, Colorado, and Texas. The contest was judged by nationally known, world championship winning judges.
Adam went on to compete at the Iowa State Fair on August 16th , placing first again as Grand Champion of the Iowa Auctioneer Association’s Bid Calling Championship, beating out 20 contestants from multiple states. Again, the judges were nationally and internationally known and respected auctioneers.
The format for both contests is a live auction consisting of a preliminary round with the top ten contestants advancing to the final round. Each contestant introduces themselves, describes their items, and auctions them to the audience. The auctioneer is judged on their auction chant, which includes voice control, speed, clarity, rhythm, as well as appearance and body language.
Both contests feature a cash prize and either a trophy or a belt buckle, along with automatic entry for the International Championship to be held in July 2017 in Columbus Ohio.
In addition to his role as the lead auctioneer/associate broker for Lashley Land and Recreational Brokers, Inc. of North Platte, Adam owns Adam Marshall Auctioneers, conducting farm equipment and land auctions across Nebraska. Adam also works as a Relationship Manager at Heartland Bank in Riverdale. Adam is also active in his community by volunteering his services at local fundraisers such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, University of Nebraska at Kearney athletic fundraisers and various Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever events.
GIBBON, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say one person has been killed and two injured in a crash on Interstate 80 in south-central Nebraska.
The accident was reported about 1:20 p.m. Thursday near the Gibbon interchange in Buffalo County. The Nebraska State Patrol says the driver lost control of the vehicle and it rolled into the median.
The patrol says one passenger was killed and the driver and another passenger were taken to a Kearney hospital. Their names haven’t been released.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) â Authorities say a man wearing only boxer shorts stole a pickup and drove it into a Southwest Airlines plane at an airport in Omaha, Nebraska, causing minor injuries to three people on board.
Eppley Airfield Police Chief Tim Conahan says an officer spotted the man outside the terminal Thursday evening, screaming that people were trying to kill him. When officers approached, the man ran, climbed a fence into the gate area, undressed and stole an airline pickup. He drove into the plane, which was headed to Denver, as passengers were boarding.
The man is in custody. His name hasn’t been released.
Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz said Friday that the plane’s nose gear tires were flattened, so another plane flew the 113 passengers to Denver, landing three hours later than originally scheduled.
Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. Light east southeast wind becoming southeast 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Tonight
Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 1am. Patchy fog after 1am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. East southeast wind 5 to 8 mph becoming light and variable after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Saturday
Areas of fog before 10am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Light southwest wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the morning.
Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. South southeast wind 7 to 9 mph.
Sunday
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. South wind 6 to 11 mph.
Sunday Night
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 62.
Monday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.
Monday Night
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 61.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A state senator from Gothenburg has joined the race to become the Nebraska Legislature’s next speaker.
Sen. Matt Williams is looking to replace Sen. Galen Hadley of Kearney, who won’t return to office next year because of term limits.
Williams, a Republican, says he knows the position carries an “awesome responsibility,” but he believes he’s up to the challenge.
Williams was elected in 2014 to represent a district that includes Dawson and Custer County and the northern third of Buffalo County. He serves on the Judiciary Committee; the Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee; and a state prison investigations committee.
Sen. Jim Scheer of Norfolk has also announced his intention to run for speaker.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — First National Bank of Omaha will pay more than $35 million in reimbursements and civil fines after federal regulators concluded that some of the bank’s practices deceptively or unfairly enrolled and charged customers for products they didn’t get.
