Another person has been arrested in connection with the death of a North Platte woman. Jeffrey Dean Manary was taken into custody yesterday afternoon and charged with homicide and distribution of amphetamine. He and 40 year old Elizabeth Crawford are suspected in the death of 45 year old Esther M. Smith, also of North Platte, who was found unresponsive in the 2100 Block of West 14th Street on Wednesday afternoon. Smith was later pronounced dead at Great Plains Regional Medical Center. Both Manary and Crawford are being held in the Lincoln County Jail on $250,000 bonds.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) – Workers are breaking up some concrete floors and pouring new ones to resolve drainage issues at the new Lincoln County jail in North Platte.
Jail inspector Kirk Nichols first warned contractors about the problems in May last year, when the floors originally were poured.  Nichols says the repairs being done now won’t cost the county anything.  He says the floors will have to be sloped more toward the drains. He says that in some areas, the drains were placed level with the surrounding floors. At other spots, the drains sit higher
than the floors.  Before the jail opened, the roof had to be replaced because of
leaks that had led to mold.

Lt. Rich Thompson from the North Platte Police Department reported that emergency personnel responded to the 2100 block of West 14th Street on August 3rd, 2011 at 3:24 p.m. in response to an unresponsive 45 year old female. The female, identified as Esther M. Smith, was transported to Great Plains Regional Medical Center where she was pronounced dead. Following an investigation, North Platte Police arrested 40 year old Elizabeth Crawford for Distribution of a Controlled Substance and Manslaughter. Drugs are suspected in Smith’s death. A forensic autopsy has been scheduled for August 5th; the investigation continues.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) – A 29- year-old North Platte man has been given 18-to-36 months in prison for sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl.  Sammie Lee pleaded no contest to sexual assault of a child after prosecutors lowered the charge.  Court records say Lee was arrested in January after a girl reported that Lee had touched her in a sexual manner.  During his sentencing on Monday, Lee was given credit for 169 days already served.