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Group Asks Police to Investigate Threats as Hate Crime

cairOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Islamic Center of Omaha has again been targeted — this time in a threatening email — and a Muslim civil rights group is asking officials to investigate the matter as a hate crime.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations has asked the FBI and local police to treat the email as a hate crime. The email, sent the day after Tuesday’s deadly attacks in Brussels, reads, “Your so-called peaceful religion just killed more innocent people. We think it is now time to fight back starting with you. Believe it. See you in hell.”

Mohammed Rasheed, a spokesman for the Omaha center, said he and other center members are concerned about the threat.

The center has been the target of vandalism in the last year.

4 Accused of Counterfeiting, Passing Fake Bills in Scottsbluff

scottsbluff-policeSCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP) — Police have arrested four people on suspicion of counterfeiting and passing fake bills in western Nebraska.

25-year-old Crystal Hernandez and 27-year-old Andrew Nuss were arrested Thursday. Both have been charged with forgery. Nuss is also charged possession of a forgery device.

Two other men have been arrested in the case, but have not yet been formally charged.

Police say Nuss and another man used counterfeit $20 bills to buy merchandise at a Scottsbluff store earlier this year. Police say they later returned the items for cash.

Police obtained a search warrant for a home where Nuss was staying. Police say Hernandez was a resident in the home and arrested after police searched it.

 

Central Nebraska Church Uses Helicopter to Drop Easter Eggs

easter-eggsKEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — It was raining eggs at a central Nebraska church this Easter weekend.

Grace Fellowship Church’s annual Easter egg hunt Saturday didn’t include the Easter bunny. But it did include a helicopter dropping 3,000 candy-filled eggs from 50 to 100 feet up in the air on the Kearney church’s lawn.

The egg drop was in addition to the 22,000 eggs already hidden on the ground.

The Rev. Mitch Ivey says the entire congregation pitched in to help make the event happen, from filling 25,000 plastic eggs with candy to having a local dentist cover the cost of the helicopter.

Church secretary Katie Adams says the egg drop went off without a hitch Saturday afternoon. About 3,000 children and parents showed up for the event.

Kearney Camp Offers Opportunity to Learn About Cyber Security Jobs

cyber-securityKEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — Students can learn about computer programming and career options in cyber security at a camp in Kearney this June.

The event for middle and high school students will focus on science and engineering topics, and give students a chance to get hands-on experience.

Attendees will receive a Raspberry Pi computer as part of the camp’s registration that they can use to learn coding, browse the Internet or play games.

The Young Nebraska Scientists CyberCamp will be held at the University of Nebraska at Kearney from June 13-15.

The camp will cost $200 for students who stay on campus or $150 for commuters. Applications are due by May 1.

More information is available online at http://bit.ly/1q4I5cZ .

Sasse to Deliver University Lecture on US Constitution

Sen. Ben Sasse
Sen. Ben Sasse

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse will lecture on the U.S. Constitution later this month at the University of Nebraska College of Law.

His address is scheduled to begin at noon Thursday in the Hamann Auditorium at the College of Law, 1875 N. 42nd St. It is free and open to the public, but seating will be limited. People may obtain two tickets per person at the law school’s reception desk beginning at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Sasse has a doctorate in American history from Yale.

Students Encouraged to Attend Nebraska Range Camp

4hLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Students ages 14 through 18 who want to learn about conservation, ecology, animal science, and wildlife are urged to attend the 53rd Nebraska Youth Range Camp.

The camp is scheduled to run June 6-10 at the Nebraska State 4-H Camp in Halsey.

Camp director Shelly Kelly with the Sandhills Task Force says rangelands cover nearly 50 percent of Nebraska and the state’s youth need education to become effective leaders in resource management.

Registration costs $325, but students will pay no more than $100, with sponsor organizations picking up the rest.

The camp application form can be found at the Nebraska Society for Range Management website at www.nesrm.org or by sending an email to [email protected].

Applications need to be submitted by May 27.

Nebraska’s February Jobless Rate Remains Unchanged at 3 Percent

unemploymentbennyLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A new report says Nebraska’s preliminary unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3 percent in February.

The Nebraska Labor Department said in the report issued Friday that the rate matched January’s revised rate and was two-tenths of a point higher than the 2.8 percent reported for February 2015.

The new Nebraska rate remained well below the preliminary national unemployment rate of 4.9 percent in February. The U.S. Labor Department says Nebraska’s and Colorado’s rate was three-tenths of a point higher than the 2.7 percent for New Hampshire and South Dakota and a tenth of a point higher than North Dakota’s 2.9 percent.

Chadron State Student Accused of Selling Pot from Dorm Room

CSCCHADRON, Neb. (AP) — A Chadron State student has been accused of selling marijuana, operating out of a dorm room.

Authorities say 19-year-old Dominique Smith is charged with possession for sale and related crimes. Dawes County Jail records say Smith remained in custody Friday, pending $10,000 bail. Online court records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for Smith.

Chadron Police Chief Tom Lordino says in a news release that officers found marijuana, marijuana-filled cigarettes and drug paraphernalia in Smith’s room on the second floor of Kent Hall.

Nebraska Man Acquitted of Sex Assault Charge

Gage Soto
Gage Soto

GERING, Neb. (AP) — The second of two western Nebraska men accused of plying teenage girls with liquor to have sex with them has been acquitted of sexual assault.

Court records say 23-year-old Gage Soto, of Gering, was found not guilty Tuesday of sexual assault of an incompetent person but was convicted of eight counts of procuring alcohol for a minor. Soto’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 28.

Soto and Joseph Moore were arrested after a 17-year-old girl and a 16-year-old girl told police that they’d been assaulted in May after becoming intoxicated at a Gering party. Both men said the sex was consensual.

Last month the 23-year-old Moore also was acquitted of the assault charge and convicted of procuring alcohol.

North Platte Weather-Easter Weekend

forecast graphic march 25 2016Today
Partly sunny, with a high near 53. South southwest wind 8 to 13 mph.
Tonight
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. West northwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Saturday
Partly sunny, with a high near 42. North northwest wind 15 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
Saturday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 18. North northwest wind 8 to 13 mph becoming light and variable.
Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 59. Light west wind increasing to 6 to 11 mph in the morning.
Sunday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 26.
Monday
Sunny, with a high near 67.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 37.
Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 72.
Tuesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 38.
Wednesday
A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 54. Breezy.
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