DETROIT (AP) — Ford Motor Co. is recalling nearly 117,000 vehicles because the bolts in the seat, seat belt or seat belt buckle may fracture.

The recall involves the 2014 F-Series pickup, 2014 E-Series van, 2014-2015 Ford Escape and the 2015 Lincoln MKC SUV. Most of the affected vehicles are in the U.S., but there are 20,681 in Canada and 1,510 in Mexico.

Ford says if the bolt fractures, the seat or the seat belt’s performance could be compromised in a sudden stop or crash.

The company says it’s not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the defect.

Customers will be notified and dealers will replace the affected bolts for free.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A new report says a Nebraska prisoner who overdosed on drugs may have gotten contraband from a visitor more than two weeks before his death.

The report issued this week says 22-year-old Daelan Lamere had a visitor at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution on May 21. The report says a staff member noticed a blue pouch in Lamere’s mouth after the visit, but Lamere appeared to swallow it.

The report says staff members never found contraband on Lamere, but he wasn’t allowed any more visits.

LaMere was found unresponsive in his cell on May 27, and he died at a Lincoln hospital on June 6. A death certificate says he died of an accidental overdose of methamphetamine and Ecstasy.

The Inspector General of Corrections conducted the report.

LEXINGTON, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a Tennessee man was killed in a crash along Interstate 80 in central Nebraska.

The accident was reported around 10:45 p.m. Sunday, about 5 miles (8 kilometers) east of Lexington. The Nebraska State Patrol says an eastbound pickup truck towing another pickup went out of control and crashed when the towed pickup blew a tire.

The patrol identified the dead driver as 52-year-old Derek Sweeney, who lived in Cedar Grove, Tennessee.

TECUMSEH, Neb. (AP) — Officials say an inmate head-butted two staff members at a state prison in southeast Nebraska where two other staffers were attacked the day before.

The Nebraska Correctional Services Department says the latest attack at the Tecumseh prison occurred around 7:30 p.m. Monday, when the staff members were attempting to move the restrained inmate from a cell to another location. The department says the inmate lunged forward to head-butt one of the staffers and head-butted a third staff member who came to their aid.

The department says the injured staffers were taken to a local hospital. One had suffered a broken nose; the other had bruises. The names of the inmates and staffers involved have not been released.

The department says an inmate attacked two other Tecumseh staffers Sunday morning.

The Alzheimer’s Association® is inviting residents of North Platte and surrounding communities to join the fight to end Alzheimer’s by participating in the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s. The Walk will take place on Sunday, September 24,

The Walk will take place on Sunday, September 24, 2017, at Cody Park in North Platte. Registration will open at 12:30 AM and the Walk will begin at 2:00 PM.

Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s participants will complete a walk route and will learn about Alzheimer’s disease, advocacy opportunities, clinical studies enrollment and support programs and services from the Alzheimer’s Association. Walk participants will also join in a meaningful tribute ceremony to honor those affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

Dick Warneke, a North Platte resident and supporter of the Alzheimer’s Association, was inspired to walk in the North Platte Walk to End Alzheimer’s as he watched his wife go through the disease journey. “Many years ago, my pastor took me to my first Alzheimer’s support group in North Platte. From that experience, I learned so much. Having cared for my wife as she faced Alzheimer’s disease, I could see a dire need to find a cure. The Walk to End Alzheimer’s helps with that.”

In addition to walking, participants will enjoy live entertainment, free food from Runza, and interaction with the following event sponsors: Runza, Centennial Park Retirement Village/Sutherland Care Center, Fraternal Order of Eagles, and Husker Radio, among others.

More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, the sixthleading cause of death in the U.S. and the only disease among the top 10 causes that cannot be cured, prevented or even slowed. Additionally, more than 15 million family and friends provide care to people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias in the U.S. In Nebraska alone, there are more than 33,000 people living with the disease and 81,000 caregivers.

Register today. Sign up as a Team Captain, join a team or register to walk as an individual at alz.org/walk. Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s® The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Since 1989, the Alzheimer’s Association mobilized millions of Americans in the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk® ; now the Alzheimer’s Association is continuing to lead the way with Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Together, we can end Alzheimer’s – the nation’s sixth-leading cause of death.

TECUMSEH, Neb. (AP) — Two more staff members have been attacked by prisoners at a state prison in southeast Nebraska.

The Nebraska Correctional Services Department says the two were assaulted early Sunday morning at the Tecumseh prison. One of them suffered what the department described as serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The department didn’t provide details on how the attack occurred or say how many prisoners took part. It did say no weapons were involved.

The staffers’ names haven’t been released.

In recent years the department has reported several incidents of violence at the prison, which sits 62 miles (100 kilometers) south of Omaha. Authorities say two inmates were killed by other prisoners in a March uprising, and two more died during rioting in May 2015.

LEXINGTON, Neb. (AP) — A man suspected of bank robberies in five states has pleaded not guilty to unrelated charges in Nebraska.

Richard Gathercole entered the pleas Monday in Dawson County District Court to two counts of possessing stolen firearms and one of theft or receiving stolen property. A trial starting date of Aug. 12 was set.

Authorities believe Gathercole is the man they call “the AK-47 bandit,” who’s robbed banks in California, Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska and Washington.

Nebraska court documents say Gathercole was arrested June 20 at a gas station near Lexington, Nebraska. A sheriff’s deputy had spotted a pickup truck there that Kansas authorities had reported stolen by a man who’d fired at but missed a state trooper.

 

LEXINGTON, Neb. (AP) — A murder trial remains on hold while waiting for doctors to evaluate the competency of the primary suspect.

Jose Regalado-Mendez is waiting for an evaluation of his mental health at the Lincoln Regional Center.

Regalado-Mendez is charged with first degree murder and use of a firearm to commit a felony in connection with the death of Jose Hernandez.

The remains of Hernandez were found Dec. 12 near a farmhouse north of Lexington.

Prosecutors say they believe Regalado-Mendez shot to Hernandez in October and then hid the body.

A 20-year-old man if facing several felony charges after he allegedly ran from North Platte police on Sunday night.

At around 9:32 p.m., officers received information that Austin Shelly was near the area of Third and Chestnut Streets, and had an active warrant for failure to appear.

As officers arrived in the area, Investigator John Deal says Shelly took off running near the Lincoln County Courthouse at Fourth and Jeffers Streets.

Deal says Shelly eventually gave up and was taken into custody. Officers located a baggie of pills, later identified as Methylphenidate Hydrochloride, near where Shelly had stopped running.

Additionally, officers found brass knuckles in Shelly’s pocket. Deal says brass knuckles are considered a deadly weapon.

In the end, Shelly was transported to the Lincoln County Detention Center and charged with felony possession of a controlled substance, felony carrying of a concealed weapon, felony resisting arrest, felony destruction of evidence and contempt of court.

 

 

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The office of Gov. Pete Ricketts has issued an emergency declaration because of the abnormally dry conditions in Nebraska.

The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency said in a news release Friday that the proclamation activates provisions of the state’s emergency operations plan and lets the agency address unmet needs caused by dry conditions and the resulting wildfires.

Agency assistant director Bryan Tuma says officials are concerned about the need for resources “that will quickly mitigate wildfire outbreaks.”

Under the proclamation, the agency may replenish the state’s inventory of fire retardant material used by aircraft for fire suppression and lets the agency use money from the governor’s emergency fund to handle any wildfires.