MINDEN, Neb. (AP) — A man has been given probation and a fine for causing collisions that killed another Minden man last year.
Online court records say 37-year-old Jason Fiske was sentenced Thursday to 18 months of probation and fined $1,000. He’d pleaded no contest to misdemeanor vehicular homicide.
Prosecutors say Fiske was driving a pickup on June 8 when he rear-ended a car driven by 62-year-old Neil Jurgens on U.S. Highway 34 in Kearney County. The crash forced Jurgens’ car into oncoming traffic, where it was hit by another pickup. Jurgens was pronounced dead at the scene.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A proposal to balance the state’s finances for the next five months has passed despite opposition in the Nebraska Legislature.
Senators voted 42-3 Monday to send the measure to Gov. Pete Ricketts for approval.
The budget bill would impose across-the-board cuts, make withdrawals from cash funds and take back unspent money from departments. Withdrawals would include about $2 million from the legislative council. Sen. Bon Krist of Omaha says giving up that money would lead to problems down the road with plans to replace the Capitol’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.
Sen. John Stinner of Gering, the Appropriations Committee chairman, says it’s not right to exempt the Legislature from cuts. Nebraska faces a projected revenue shortfall of nearly $900 million.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — After briefly repealing its death penalty only to have it reinstated by voters, Nebraska has resumed an effort to acquire drugs needed to carry out executions for the first time in 20 years. That comes just as judges consider whether to increase death row by two men — Nikko Jenkins and Anthony Garica — who between them killed eight people in Omaha.
Nebraska is among the few states where those facing capital punishment have a remarkably good shot at dying of natural causes. Since 2001, four death row inmates have died of natural causes while awaiting execution.
Of the 10 people currently on Nebraska’s death row, Carey Dean Moore has waited 37 years for his murder convictions in the 1979 shooting deaths of two Omaha cab drivers.
CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) — The average price of a gallon of regular-grade gasoline dropped a nickel nationally during the past three weeks, to $2.31.
Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said Sunday that the decline comes despite a slight rise in crude oil prices.
Gas in Los Angeles was the highest in the continental United States at an average of $2.87 a gallon Friday. The lowest average was in Cleveland, Ohio, at $1.97 a gallon.
The U.S. average diesel price is $2.56, down a penny from three weeks ago.
A 34-year-old North Platte man is in jail after he allegedly shot another man on Sunday morning.
According to Lt. Steve Reeves with the North Platte Police Department, officers responded to the report of a shooting in the parking lot of Nebraskaland National Bank, 121 North Dewey, at around 2:27 a.m., on Sunday.
The party calling 911 reported that her husband, Dustin L. Sauer, had shot a 36-year-old male in the neck.
Reeves says an investigation revealed that Sauer went looking for his wife when she wasn’t at their home.
He eventually found her and the male, as well as another female, in the parking lot of the bank and confronted him. Reeves says a physical disturbance between the two men occurred and, at some point, Sauer produced a large caliber handgun and shot the man in the neck.
The victim was transported to Great Plains Health via ambulance where he was treated for injuries that are believed to be non-life threatening.
Sauer was taken into custody and jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center. He’s been charged with attempted 2nd-degree murder and use of a weapon to commit a felony.
The handgun was recovered at the scene and the investigation is ongoing.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Officials have scheduled three free workshops on pond and lake management.
The workshops are a joint effort by Nebraska Extension, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Topics include managing waters for fisheries, invasive species, common maintenance problems and toxic algae management.
Reservations are required.
The Grand Island workshop will be held March 2 at the Hall County Extension Office. Register by Feb. 27 at http://go.unl.edu/grandislandlake .
The Weeping Water workshop is set for March 7 at the Cass County Extension Office. Register by March 2 at http://go.unl.edu/weepingwaterlake .
The Columbus workshop is scheduled for March 16 at Pinnacle Bank. Register by March 13 at http://go.unl.edu/columbuslake .
Each workshop is set to begin at 6 p.m. Contact Katie Pekarek at [email protected] for more information.
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — A state judicial nominating committee will hold a public hearing in April to receive information on whether to fill a vacant Nebraska judgeship.
The Nebraska Judicial Nominating Commission will meet April 6 at the Hall County Courthouse in Grand Island. The commission will determine whether a vacancy exists in Hall County following the retirement of County Judge Philip Martin Jr.
The meeting is open to the public.
At the hearing, the commission will receive information on the district’s judicial workload statistics and make a recommendation to the Nebraska Legislature as to whether there is a need to fill the vacancy.
A dirt bike accident north of North Platte has claimed the life of a 43-year-old man.
On February 10, at around 5:17 p.m., deputies with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of an accident involving a dirt bike at Hillcrest Estates, north of North Platte.
It was reported that Antony Znaniecki was riding his dirt bike on private property and had an accident.
Chief Deputy Roland Kramer says Znaniecki was found by relatives and was unresponsive. He says relatives made “lifesaving attempts” until North Platte Fire and Rescue arrived on the scene.
Znaniecki was transported by ambulance to Great Plains Heath, where he succumbed to his injuries.
A Lincoln County Accident Reconstructionist arrived on the scene to assist in the investigation. Kramer says it is not believed that drugs or alcohol were involved in the accident.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission wants anglers to check the thickness of the ice before venturing out to catch a few fish this winter.
The commission says at least 4 inches of clear, solid ice is needed to support a person ice fishing. At least 8 inches of ice is needed to support an ATV.
Other recommendations include fishing with another person, wearing a life jacket and telling a family member or friend where you’ll be fishing before venturing out.
The commission also says all ice fishermen should carry an ice pick around their necks and have long rope handy.
MINDEN, Neb. (AP) — A man has been given probation and a fine for causing collisions that killed another Minden man last year.
