Today: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 98. South wind 10 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.

Tonight: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. East wind 7 to 12 mph becoming north northeast 13 to 18 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. North wind 10 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.

GERING, Neb. (AP) – A judge’s decision is expected next week on a petition calling for a grand jury investigation into the 2008 death of a 2-year-old Gering girl.

More than 1,700 petition signatures were turned in but only 975 valid signatures were needed. The Scotts Bluff County clerk has certified the necessary signatures and has turned the petition over to Judge Randy Lippstreu.

Nebraska is one of six states that allow grand juries to convene by petition.

Lippstreu will review the petition language, and he says he’ll make a decision next week.

The petition effort was started earlier this year by relatives and others who are dissatisfied with officials’ efforts to find out whether Juliette Geurts was a homicide victim and who might have killed her.

(Kearney, Neb.)- Two separate traffic stops on Interstate 80 in central Nebraska have led to the seizure of more than 360 lbs of marijuana and the arrest of four individuals.

Just before 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, August 1, a trooper stopped a 2012 Chevy Traverse for failure to signal at the Shelton exit on I-80 in Buffalo County. The vehicle was eastbound when it exited the interstate. An NSP canine indicated the odor of drugs coming from the vehicle. A search of the vehicle led to the seizure of 330 lbs. of marijuana. The marijuana which was packaged in 13 bundles was located in seven duffel bags in the cargo area of the vehicle.

The driver of the vehicle, James Villa, 42, Tucson, Ariz., and a passenger in the vehicle Brenda C. Noriega, 23, Tucson, Ariz., were both lodged in the Buffalo County Jail, each on a charge of possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.

An earlier traffic stop around 9:00 a.m., on Wednesday, August 1, led to the seizure of 30 lbs marijuana, and the arrest of two Michigan men.  A trooper stopped an eastbound 2008 Cadillac Escalade for speeding on I-80 near the Giltner exit in Hamilton County. The trooper was given consent to search the vehicle. The search led to the seizure of 30 lbs of marijuana. The marijuana was located in a luggage rack on top of the vehicle.  A second vehicle, a 2012 Kia Soul, traveling with the Escalade was also stopped.

The driver of the Escalade, Timothy A. Davis, 36, St. Clair Shores, Mich., was lodged in the Hamilton County Jail on a charge of possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.   The driver of the second car, Joshua M. Sword, 36, Westland, Mich., was also lodged in the Hamilton County Jail on a charge of possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.

Though some may say the rain we received last Wednesday night was a blessing, for the residents living in the house apartment building on 12^th St and Poplar, it became a nightmare.

A structure fire lit the attic into a blaze of the apartment, a passing local called in the report of the fire at 11:30 last night.

The fire was contained  around 1:30 AM. The fire was located in hard to reach areas, the house suffers water damage, making the house unable to live in.

No one was home at the time, no injuries reported.

The house style apartment is separated to four floors with a living situation in the basement, ground level, upper level and the next up is the attic.

The cause of the fire is unknown but with the storm Wednesday night the suspected cause is lighting, though it  is not confirmed.

 

Omaha, Neb., August 1, 2012 – Legendary steam locomotive No. 844 is on the fourth leg of the UP 150 Express, a multi-segment tour celebrating Union Pacific’s 150^th anniversary, and sharing the company’s rich history with the communities it serves.

Visitors can step inside Union Pacific’s vintage Promontory baggage car that has been transformed into a state-of-the-art traveling museum. The traveling exhibit closely replicates the full-scale Building America exhibit that opened earlier this year at the Union Pacific Railroad Museum in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

The traveling exhibit takes visitors back in time using the latest interactive touch screen technology to illustrate how Union Pacific supported communities as they were established along the way as the transcontinental railroad was built. The interactive experience culminates with the modern Union Pacific Railroad, which transports goods American businesses and consumers use every day.

No. 844 will pull the traveling exhibit 13,000 miles through 15 states as part of Union Pacific’s 150^th anniversary celebration. The tour makes its next stop in Des Moines to be part of the Iowa State Fair activities and will be on display August 9 – 12.

“Our 150^th anniversary is a milestone that provides us with the opportunity to thank our communities for supporting Union Pacific,” said Robert W. Turner, senior vice president – Corporate Relations for Union Pacific. “We are happy to celebrate our past and look forward to continuing to meet America’s freight transportation needs.”

Known as the Living Legend, No. 844 is scheduled to make overnight stops with stationary displays along the route before arriving back in Cheyenne, Wyo., August 19. The fifth segment of the UP 150 Express will be heading to the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island and will be on display, Aug. 31 – Sept. 3. Other community displays are planned throughout the year in several other cities in the following states:

• California
• Idaho
• Iowa
• Nebraska
• Oregon
• Texas
• Utah
• Washington
• Wyoming

Arrival and departure times for the steam train can be found at www.upsteam.com. Website visitors can follow No. 844 on a GPS system map that updates its location every five minutes. GPS updates are also available at http://twitter.com/UP_Steam.

UP Steam App

Combining new technology with the historic allure of its steam locomotives, Union Pacific allows smart device users to track its legendary No. 844 steam engine with the touch of a screen. The UP Steam app offers real-timeGPSlocation, up-to-the-minute schedules, and sends an alert when the locomotive is within 50 miles, among other features. The free app can be downloaded at Apple’s App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod users.

Interactive Timeline

Rail enthusiasts, Abraham Lincoln fans, students, history buffs and employees will enjoy visiting the railroad’s interactive and resplendent historical timeline published at www.up150.com.  Combining history and high-tech, the timeline highlights in detail 60 milestones in Union Pacific’s history and features more than 100 photos from Union Pacific’s archives.

Union Pacific Steam Locomotive No. 844

Steam Locomotive No. 844 is the last steam locomotive built for Union Pacific Railroad. It was delivered in 1944. A high-speed passenger engine, it pulled such widely known trains as the Overland Limited, Los Angeles Limited, Portland Rose and Challenger. When diesels took over all of the passenger train duties, No. 844 was placed in freight service in Nebraska between 1957 and 1959. It was saved from being scrapped in 1960 and held for special service.

The engine has run hundreds of thousands of miles as Union Pacific’s ambassador of goodwill.  It has made appearances at Expo ’74 in Spokane, the 1981 opening of the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, the 1984 World’s Fair in New Orleans and the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Los Angeles Union Station in 1989. During the 1990s, No. 844 pulled numerous Denver Post Cheyenne Frontier Days special trains and visited several Oklahoma cities during the Oklahoma Centennial in 2007.  In 2010, No. 844 traveled to Harlingen, Texas, and Milliken, Colo., to be a part of heritage celebrations in those communities.

About Union Pacific

It was 150 years ago that Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Act of July 1, 1862, creating the original Union Pacific. One of America’s iconic companies, today, Union Pacific Railroad is the principal operating company of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP), linking 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country by rail and providing freight solutions and logistics expertise to the global supply chain. From 2000 through 2011, Union Pacific spent more than $31 billion on its network and operations, making needed investments in America’s infrastructure and enhancing its ability to provide safe, reliable, fuel-efficient and environmentally responsible freight transportation. Union Pacific’s diversified business mix includes Agricultural Products, Automotive, Chemicals, Coal, Industrial Products and Intermodal. The railroad serves many of the fastest-growing U.S. population centers and emphasizes excellent customer service. Union Pacific operates competitive routes from all major West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways, connects with Canada’s rail systems and is the only railroad serving all six major Mexico gateways.

ARNOLD, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a pickup driver has died after a collision with a semitrailer in west-central Nebraska.

The accident occurred about 9 a.m. Wednesday on Nebraska Highway 92 about five miles west of Arnold.

Logan County Sheriff Jonathan Heflin says a pickup driven by Rod Watson, of Arnold, collided with an oncoming big rig driven by Bryan Kruse, of Seward.

Watson was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger in the pickup was taken to Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte. The name and condition of that person have not been released.

Kruse also was taken to the hospital.

SCOTTS BLUFF, Neb. (AP) — A human case of West Nile virus has been reported in Scotts Bluff County.

County health officials say a man in his 50s tested positive for the virus, which is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito.

The county received notice of the test results earlier this week.

There have been two other confirmed human cases of West Nile virus in Nebraska this year — in Hamilton and Butler counties. State health officials say West Nile activity is increasing statewide. People should use mosquito repellent, wear long sleeves and take other precautions when outside.

West Nile virus has flu-like symptoms. Symptoms of the more serious West Nile encephalitis include inflammation of the brain and paralysis. The disease can be fatal.

Today: A chance of thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 96. North wind 7 to 10 mph becoming east in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Tonight: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. East southeast wind 6 to 11 mph.

Friday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 100. South wind 6 to 13 mph.