The Buffalo Bill extension project has finally been completed. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held this morning to officially open the route which includes a bridge over the South Platte River and a viaduct over I-80. North Platte residents can now drive from the Lincoln County Historical Museum to the inlet at Lake Maloney with one straight shot on Buffalo Bill Avenue. The project has been decades in the planning and completion.

(Above) Mayor Kaschke speaks prior to cutting the ribbon on the Buffalo Bill extension (Below) A virtual tour of the newly opened access

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) – Cats adopted from the local animal shelter are soothing inmates at the Lincoln County Jail in North Platte. Some inmates had been volunteering time at the shelter, cleaning cages and floors, walking dogs and giving them baths.
Sheriff Jerome Kramer says he wondered if having a couple of cats at the jail would help inmates pass the time and lower tensions. He says studies show that pets can help relieve stress. The cats have been a hit. Kramer says the inmates eagerly await their turns to take care of the two declawed, neutered males, Nemo and Sarge.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) – A 39-year-old Hershey woman faces trial in November on allegations that she did nothing to stop her husband from sexually assaulting children.
Deanna Fischer has pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of
intentional child abuse. A Lincoln County District Court judge set Nov. 23 for Fischer’s trial date. Her husband, Daniel Fischer, who also was charged, committed suicide in April. He had faced several counts of sexual assaulting children.  According to court documents, five girls ages 7 to 15 reported being assaulted by Daniel Fischer at the couple’s home in Hershey. Authorities say Deanna Fischer photographed some of the assaults and did nothing to stop them.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – A Nebraska state senator wants impose a ban on bath salts, a synthetic drug that has grown popular in other parts of the country. Omaha Sen. Heath Mello says he will introduce a bill when the
Legislature convenes in January to ban the new designer drug before it becomes a larger problem in Nebraska. The drug’s two main ingredients are stimulants that can cause paranoia, hallucinations and sometimes violent behavior. Mello says at least 25 other states have banned bath salts. The drug is typically labeled “not for human consumption,” which allows it to escape federal bans. Mello says the drugs are readily available on the internet, and can be as dangerous as heroin, ecstasy and PCP.