We had a conversation with Brandon McCook who is working to bring a venue that will provide for BMX racing, R/C races and much more. Have a listen! If you’d like to support this great cause, here’s some ways you can help:

GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/308BMX

Buy a t-shirt to support the cause: www.booster.com/308bmxtrackinnorthplatte

Felony child abuse charges have been filed against a North Platte couple following a month-long investigation.

On Sunday, May 29, an officer with the North Platte Police Department responded to Great Plains Health on the report of possible child abuse.

Hospital staff reported that a minor child was found to have a laceration on the top of her head and bruises on her face and buttocks.

The officer then met with the child’s mother, 28-year-old Sharon Smith, regarding the allegations made by hospital staff.

According to officer Jeremiah Johnson, as the officer continued his investigation, Smith grabbed the child, ran out the door and left in a vehicle.  Johnson says GPH security attempted to stop her but was unsuccessful.

Officers made a traffic stop on the vehicle near the intersection of West Hahn Avenue and South Ash Street.

The child was placed in emergency protective custody and returned to the hospital for treatment.  Officers then went to the Smith residence and removed another minor child from the home Smith shared with her husband Thomas.

On June 30, Johnson says NPPD completed its investigation and placed Thomas and Sharon under arrest.

They were jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center on a charge of felony child abuse.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Members of a group that was formed to address violence and panhandling in Whiteclay say they’re trying to fix the problems but need more time.

The group released a statement Thursday asking for the public’s patience. Members joined forces after Gov. Pete Ricketts encouraged local residents to seek a solution to the issues in the village next to South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Whiteclay’s four beer stores sold the equivalent of 3.5 million cans of beer last year despite having only a dozen full-time residents. Critics blame the town for high rates of alcoholism and fetal alcohol syndrome within the Oglala Sioux Tribe.

Whiteclay grocer Lance Moss says members are discussing how to deal with health and safety issues, law enforcement, abandoned buildings and people loitering in the street.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s corrections director says state officials failed to correct the prison terms of 15 inmates after discovering in 2014 that hundreds of sentences had been miscalculated.

Scott Frakes acknowledged Thursday that corrections staffers didn’t calculate new sentences even after learning they were inaccurate. He says he doesn’t know why the sentences weren’t adjusted, but the staffers responsible were from a previous administration and no longer work for the department.

One of the inmates, Sean McGlaughlin, was rearrested on Wednesday. Another inmate, Aaron Finney, was discharged from parole too early.

Frakes says 10 of the inmates are still incarcerated in Nebraska’s prison system and will have their sentences adjusted, one is in federal custody, one is in a California prison and one was deported to Mexico.

SIDNEY, Neb. (AP) — A judge has overturned a Nebraska commission’s decision to let a Colorado company use a well north of Mitchell to dispose of salty groundwater and chemical-laden fracking wastewater that result from oil and gas exploration and production.

Judge Derek Weimer said in a ruling released Tuesday that the Nebraska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission had exceeded its authority in April 2015 when it approved a request by Terex Energy Corp., of Broomfield, Colorado.

A petition for the judge’s review was filed by neighboring landowners Jane Grove and Hughson Flying A Ranch Inc. In court documents they say there’s no Nebraska statute that allows the commission to authorize disposal of the wastewater from other states. The judge agreed.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The University of Nebraska’s medical school is seeking 25 people for a study of a medication derived from marijuana.

The University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha says the study will investigate the use of cannabidiol in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who also will take anti-epileptic drugs.

Cannabidiol is extracted from the marijuana plant — Cannabis sativa — and is distinct from the component that makes people high. The study medication is called Epidiolex. It’s described as a plant-based pharmaceutical formulation of pure cannabidiol and contains only trace amounts of the psychoactive component.

The study is authorized under a legislative bill approved in 2015.

The Nebraska State Patrol conducted surprise commercial vehicle inspections today, Wednesday, June 29, in North Platte. The surprise inspections target commercial vehicles that might not travel outside the city or pass through weigh stations as part of their regular routes.

During the special enforcement effort, the Metropolitan Aggressive and Prevention Selective (MAPS) Teams conducted 60 inspections, discovered 125 violations, and took 16 vehicles out of service (not allowed to continue on the road). Vehicles are placed out of service for a variety of reasons relating to bad brakes or tires, or other problems that pose immediate safety risks. In addition, four drivers were taken out of service (not allowed to continue driving) for No Commercial Driver’s License CDL (2), and Log Book Violation (2). Officers issued a total of $2,050 in fines.

“The MAPS Team ensures truck operators who rarely leave the city limits are maintaining their vehicles and abiding by safety regulations,” said Colonel Bradley Rice, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “While most truck owners and operators share our concern for safety, we know some think they can ignore safety standards as long as they avoid the weigh stations. The MAPS Team extends our reach into cities and towns across the state.”

This was the sixth MAPS Team event of 2016. Inspections have also been conducted in Lincoln, Sarpy County, Omaha, Grand Island and Kearney this year. Surprise inspections are planned from spring through fall in cities and towns across Nebraska.

The MAPS Team is funded largely by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Troopers check for compliance with federal safety regulations and enforce laws pertaining to weight, size, registration, dyed fuels, and permits associated with commercial vehicles. The MAPS Team was implemented in 1998 and consists of troopers from the Nebraska State Patrol Carrier Enforcement Division. On average, 20-24 troopers work each MAPS event.

One of the constants in society is that some people find joy in the senseless act of destroying other people’s property.

The North Platte Police Department says they have investigated numerous cases of vandalism in recent days, and they want the public’s help in identifying the suspect or suspects.

According to Investigator John Deal, NPPD received eight complaints of vehicle windows being shot out, two reports of windows being shot out of businesses and residences and three reports of mailboxes being damaged.

Deal said they believe the cases involving windows being shot out occurred during the early morning hours of June 27.  He said the crimes were committed all over town, which leads investigators to believe that the suspects are traveling in a vehicle.

He said, in each case, the victims woke up to discover the damage and did not see or hear anything. Investigators believe that all of these cases are related, but they have not developed any suspects.

In another case, Deal said the department investigated three reports of mailboxes being damaged with a baseball bat or similar object in the South Willow Street, Walker and State Farm Road area.  These crimes occurred in the early morning hours of June 28.

Again, Deal says no suspects have been developed and it’s unclear if the mailbox cases are related to the BB gun cases.

Deal is asking citizens to report any suspicious vehicles or persons, regardless of what time it is.

Anyone with information can report it to police anonymously through Crimestoppers at 1-800-933-TIPS.