Chief Mike Swain of the North Platte Police Department announced his retirement Tuesday on Facebook. Swain will stay on the job until October. Thanks, in advance, for your service Chief! Here’s the Facebook post and the post for the position:
The Nebraska Department of Economic Development announced today that the North Platte / Lincoln County “Shot in the Arm” was one of the statewide housing development projects selected to receive Nebraska Rural Workforce Housing Funds. The local program was awarded $383,400 in state funds. Additionally $800,000 in local funds are committed to the program.
Gary Person, President and CEO of the North Platte Area Chamber and Development, commended the state’s innovative approach to workforce housing. He applauded the local funding partners for supporting its $1.18 million housing incentive program and making it possible to get the state funding support.
Union Pacific’s Community Ties Giving Program ($100,000), Great Plains Health ($100,000), City of North Platte Quality Growth Fund ($350,000) and DEVCO’s 90 local business incentive investment partners ($250,000) provided greater than 1 to 1 match for the state program giving the local application the strength it needed to get funded.
“The state challenged communities and organizations across Nebraska to come up with creative and innovative housing development efforts as the message continues to get louder about the lack of workforce housing in most rural communities,” Person said.
“When our two largest employers Union Pacific and Great Plains Health step up and say they want to be part of the solution as housing directly impacts their ability to recruit and hire new workers, it makes a tremendous statement about their commitment to our community,” he added.
“We are greatly appreciative to these invested employers and our board of directors, who show vision working towards our future growth opportunities. The City has also been an outstanding partner in everything we do to enhance economic development,” Person said.
“Union Pacific’s corporate vision is ‘Building America,’ and we are talking about much more than tracks running through North Platte,” said Scott Moore, Union Pacific’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Relations and Chief Administrative Officer. “Our employees live and work in the community; it’s critical they have affordable housing options, creating growth opportunities and safe neighborhoods for their families.”
“Insufficient housing has a two-pronged impact on our community,” said Mel McNea, Great Plains Health chief executive officer. “First is the inability to address the safety of older and dilapidated homes, which ultimately affects the health of the adults and children living in those homes. The second is the difficulty for large employers to recruit when there are limited homes on the market for new employees to purchase or rent.”
“This program will help close the housing gap for the North Platte area,” said McNea. “We support the efforts of North Platte Area Chamber and Development and the Nebraska Department of Economic Development to improve housing availability in North Platte and across the state. It aligns well with our health system’s strategic objective to ensure access to quality care and grow services. We won’t achieve this objective without better housing availability.”
The Chamber Development program modeled itself after the very successful Phase 1, “Shot in the Arm” housing incentive program from 2015-2017 that added 48 new homes and gained statewide publicity and accolades for its creativity. The Phase 2 program has a strengthened incentive profile with a goal of 150 additional living units in the next two years.
“Yes, it’s ambitious, but the evidence is overwhelming that it’s needed. Every conversation we have with employers and prospective new businesses starts and ends with a discussion on housing and workforce,” Person said. “The number of open jobs and hiring needs of our employers is staggering. We either address it or watch those jobs get shifted to other communities and other states.”
Chamber DEVCO plans to launch the “Shot in the Arm – Phase 2” program immediately and developers and contractors are encouraged to apply for the funds. The program includes a $12,000 incentive for single family and townhome duplexes (per side), $6,000 for modular and up to $6,000 per unit for multi-family. Each developer or contractor must commit to at least two units, but there is no maximum, as per the discretion of the Application Review Team.
Brady, Hershey, Sutherland, and Wallace are program participants with North Platte. The living units must be located within the zoning jurisdiction of each municipality.
The following is an update from North Platte Police on the standoff that took place on April 27, 2018:
The individual who was arrested in the standoff on 4/27/18 is identified as Zachary Batt (8/28/82). He was arrested at his residence in the 40 block of South Madison.
Officers were initially dispatched on 4/27 at 4:39 PM to the area of Sweetwood Drive and Lakewood Lane on a disturbance involving a firearm. Officers met with a 35-year-old male victim who indicated he was doing some construction work in the area. It was reported that Zachary Batt arrived in a vehicle and began yelling at the victim. It was reported that Zachary became increasingly angry and his statements weren’t making any sense to the victim. The victim and Zachary are acquaintances. It was reported that as Zachary was making accusations and produced a small caliber rifle and fired it one time towards the victim. The victim was not struck and had no injuries. A witness that was present corroborated the victim’s statements.
Officers then responded to Zachary’s residence in the 40 block of South Madison. Officers saw Zachary come outside and when they attempted to approach him he ran inside. A perimeter was set up around the residence. Additional manpower from NPPD responded as did the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and the Nebraska State Patrol.
Negotiations took place for several hours and eventually it was determined officers would enter the house to take custody of Zachary. Zachary was taken into custody without incident at approximately 1:50 AM on 4/28. Zachary was the only one present in the residence. He was taken to GPH for evaluation and later released. He was incarcerated for attempted 2nd-degree murder, terroristic threats, use of a weapon to commit a felony and several drug-related warrants. A search warrant was issued for the residence and officers located a rifle that matched the victim’s description and ammunition for the weapon. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Related Content:
https://www.northplattepost.com/2018/04/27/updated-np-police-in-standoff-with-man-who-fires-gun/
LINCOLN, Neb. – Gov. Pete Ricketts has signed into law a measure that increases liquidated damages levied against persons who violate certain Nebraska game laws by killing, possessing or selling wildlife illegally.
Liquidated damages are assessed by the courts that are in addition to fines imposed for violating the game law. These monies from liquidated damages then are returned to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and credited to the Game Fund.
LB 1008, which was introduced by Sen. Bruce Bostelman, amended Section 37-613 in the statute, increasing liquidated damages as follows:
— $25,000 for each bighorn sheep;
— $10,000 for each bull elk with 12 points or more and $3,000 for any other elk;
— $10,000 for each white-tailed deer of eight points or more with an inside spread between beams of 16 inches or more, $2,000 for any other antlered white-tailed deer, and $500 for any antlerless white-tailed deer;
— $10,000 for each mule deer of eight points or more with an inside spread between beams of 22 inches or more, and $2,000 for any other mule deer;
— $5,000 for each mountain lion, lynx, bobcat or river otter;
— $500 for each wild turkey;
“We are very pleased that the voices of Nebraska sportsmen and sportswomen were heard with the passing of LB 1008,” said Scott Smathers, executive director of the Nebraska Sportsmen’s Foundation. “This adds a meaningful tool and substantial punishment to the toolbox – in conjunction with the efforts of conservation officers and Wildlife Crimestoppers – that sends the message to prosecutors and judges that Nebraska sportsmen and sportswomen will not tolerate poaching on any level.”
Call Nebraska Wildlife Crimestoppers at 1-800-742-7627 to report game law violations.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A series of events to honor Nebraska veterans who died are being planned in early June.
The events are designed to offer families the opportunity to honor the memory of their loved ones who died in the military.
Jim Meier with the Nebraska Chapter of Honor and Remember says he hopes Nebraskans will help pay tribute to fallen veterans.
The events will take place from June 5 to June 9 and culminate with a tribute to fallen heroes at the Omaha Stormchasers game on June 9.
Nebraska will host part of a 6,000-mile cross country run that starts in California and finishes in Virginia 121 days later.
Fifteen people were transported to area hospitals following a crash that involved approximately 20 vehicles on Interstate 80. The crash impacted both eastbound and westbound lanes and caused the closure of I-80 between Aurora and Henderson for more than two hours.
Eight people were transported to the hospital in Aurora, six were taken to the hospital in York, and one person was transported by helicopter to Bryan Health West Hospital in Lincoln.
The crash happened at approximately 5:15 p.m. Sunday, April 29, as high winds kicked up dust from nearby fields and caused zero-visibility conditions.
I-80 was reopened to both directions of traffic just before 8:00 p.m. Deputies from the Hall, Hamilton, and York County Sheriff’s Offices, as well as multiple rescue crews assisted in the response and traffic control.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — This year’s Free Fishing and Park Entry Day in Nebraska is set for May 19.
That’s the day people may enjoy a Saturday of fishing or state park activities without the need to obtain fishing or park entry permits.
The special day is held yearly on the Saturday preceding Memorial Day weekend. Anglers must observe all fishing regulations, and camping, lodging and all other user fees still apply at state park areas.
Visit www.OutdoorNebraska.org and check the online calendar for more details.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has scheduled classroom courses at locations across the state on boating safety.
Nebraska law requires any motorboat or personal watercraft operator born after Dec. 31, 1985, to complete a safety course and have a course certificate. People must be at least 14 to drive motorboats and personal watercraft in Nebraska.
A schedule is available at www.boatsafenebraska.org, in the boater education section.
Update 4.28.18 7:30am
At 4:40 PM on 04/27/18, officers were called to the area of Lakeview and Sweetwood on the report of a man shooting a gun in the direction of another person.
The suspect was found to have three outstanding warrants for his arrest in Lincoln County. All the warrants were related to controlled substance violations. Officers located the suspect outside his home near Alpha and Madison. The man retreated into his home and the officers secured the area. Believing the man was armed, police negotiated with the suspect for several hours. Negotiations deteriorated and at 1:50 AM, officers entered the residence and took the suspect into custody.
No one was injured and the 35-year-old suspect has been taken to Great Plains Health for evaluation. A search of the residence is being conducted and the investigation is ongoing. Charges are pending.
There was a soccer game in progress at NPHS and only as a precaution, the teams were removed from the field and the students sheltered in place inside of the school. The incident did not involve the school and no one at the school was in any danger.
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4/27/18 8:00 pm
Multiple law enforcement agencies are at an active scene at 49 S. Madison.
A party had fired a gun at another location and police had contact with him at this location. He’s fled into the house and they are attempting to contact him at this time.
Police are encouraging people to stay away from the area.
There was a soccer game at NPHS and only as a precaution, the teams were removed from the field and are sheltering in place inside of the school. This does not involve the school and no one at the school is in danger.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — More than 200 drunken driving cases in southeast Nebraska could be affected by a certification issue with some breath tests conducted by law enforcement, according to a county prosecutor.
Certain breath tests are being tossed out as evidence in western Nebraska counties. But a judge hasn’t ruled on the issue in Lancaster County courts yet, according to local attorneys.
“We intend to go forward with the prosecutions and look at each case,” said Lancaster County Attorney Pat Condon.
State regulations require a simulator solution be used to regularly test the accuracy of each breath-test machine’s readings. The solution must come with a certificate of analysis and a signature of the person responsible.
A Gering attorney discovered earlier this month that the person who signed off on the tests never actually conducted them. Many DUI cases depend on evidence from breath tests taken at jail or detox, which differ from the preliminary tests given by police on the street.
Lincoln defense attorney Mark Rappl has been researching the discovery’s local impact. He believes the certification issues could affect cases dating back more than a year.
Condon and his staff instructed law enforcement to seek only blood samples to establish a driver’s blood-alcohol content until further notice.
If local judges decide to toss out the affected tests as evidence, only some DUI cases will be affected. Prosecutors can still convict drivers who display signs of impairment, including failing sobriety tests, smelling of alcohol or driving poorly.
The certification problem would likely affect aggravated DUI cases, according to Condon. Aggravated DUI cases have stricter penalties and often rely on the level of alcohol in someone’s body.
Rappl said the only thing about drunken driving “that makes it a crime is the number.”
