MINDEN, Neb. (AP) — A Kearney man accused of starting a fire at a Minden pharmacy in March has waived his preliminary hearing and will stand trial on an arson charge.
34-year-old Aaron Stones was bound over for trial on Thursday. Stones is charged with one count of second-degree arson, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
His cash bail also was reduced from $25,000 to $20,000.
Nebraska State Fire Marshal Martin Neilan says evidence at the scene indicated fires had been started near the building’s front windows and rear doors. He says chemicals used to ignite the flames were identified.
Authorities say they soon found Stones with the same chemical powder covering his body.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Pete Ricketts is once again defending the death penalty, arguing that Nebraska officials have used it more judiciously than states such as Texas.
Ricketts said in a news conference Friday that capital punishment serves as an important tool for prosecutors.
His comments came one day after lawmakers gave first-round approval to a bill that would end capital punishment. Ricketts has promised to veto the measure, which still has to advance through two more votes in the Legislature.
Nebraska hasn’t carried out an execution since 1997, and currently has 11 men sitting on death row. Texas executed 10 inmates in 2014 and six others so far this year, according to that state’s Department of Criminal Justice.
Nebraska currently lacks one of the legally required drugs for executions.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Weather experts say Nebraska and Iowa experienced a near-record dry March this year.
Regional and national climatologists and meteorologists announced their findings Thursday. They said the state had its second-driest March on record, while Iowa had its third-driest March, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Central Nebraska experienced its driest March in 121 years of record-keeping.
Weather experts say dry conditions have contributed to a brisk fire season, a slow start to tornado season and lower headwaters for the Platte and Missouri rivers. However, the National Weather Service expects the two states to get rain this month.
The National Drought Mitigation Center, housed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, reports that nearly 38 percent of the continental United States is in drought.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s beleaguered Department of Health and Human Services will publish public performance reports for its services to help residents apply for Medicaid and food stamps.
Gov. Pete Ricketts’ office and new DHHS CEO Courtney Phillips announced Friday that metrics such as payment accuracy, wait times and application processing for ACCESS Nebraska will be updated monthly on the department’s website.
ACCESS Nebraska processes applications and renewals for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps, and Medicaid, but has been criticized for delays and errors. A lawsuit in August alleged that more than 30 percent of applications for SNAP benefits were not processed in the regulated 30-day time frame.
Ricketts says the reports show some progress and are an effort to be transparent about changes he and Phillips have committed to making.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The winners of this year’s Personal Finance Challenge will receive thousands of dollars in college savings accounts, thanks to the Nebraska Educational Savings Trust and the Nebraska Council on Economic Education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Fifteen teams from Nebraska high schools are expected to compete in Lincoln, Omaha, and Kearney on Saturday for the college savings accounts and a chance to represent the state at the National Personal Finance Challenge competition May 22 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Each member of the first-place team in Nebraska will receive a $2,000 NEST savings account. Each member of the second-place team will receive a $1,000 savings account, and each member of the third-place team will receive a $500 college savings account. The total winnings amount to $14,000.
MCCOOK, Neb. (AP) — A McCook man has been sent to a state psychiatric hospital for evaluation after being found not responsible by reason of insanity for an attack on his teenage half sister.
27-year-old Nile Larington also was found not responsible on charges of false imprisonment and intentional child abuse. Judge David Urbom said in his ruling after an April 6 hearing that Larington was a danger to himself and others.
Larington was charged after 15-year-old Emma Larington reported on Dec. 4 that her half brother had choked her in her apartment bedroom. Emma Larington says he put her in a duffel bag and carried her to his nearby apartment while she was unconscious and then tried to choke her again as she fought him off.
A 17-year-old North Platte boy, and a 19-year-old man, are facing felony charges after a North Platte home was burglarized.
At around 2:00 p.m., on April 15, officers with the North Platte Police Department responded to the report of a burglary in the 2300 block ow West 2nd Street.
The homeowner told police that they had left the residence for a few hours, and returned to find that someone had entered their home.
The victim alleged that some electronics and a purse had been taken, and said they suspected a spare key had been used to enter the home. They also said they believed that a 17-year-old male they knew was responsible.
Following further investigation, officers determined that there was probable cause to arrest the teen and charge him with felony burglary.
At around 10:45 p.m. that evening, officers located the boy at Casey’s, 520 Rodeo Road, and took him into custody.
He was transported to the Lincoln County Detention Center and jailed.
As officers investigated, they determined that 19-year-old Destin Hansen had driven the boy to the home, and was aware that he planned to burglarize it.
As a result, Hansen was arrested on April 16, and jailed on a charge of felony burglary.
Officer Rodney Brown said the investigation into the case in ongoing.
Today: Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 1pm. High near 60. East wind 13 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Tonight: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 47. East northeast wind 7 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Saturday: A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 68. East wind 6 to 8 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Saturday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. South wind 7 to 17 mph becoming north northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph. Sunday: A slight chance of showers before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 57. Breezy, with a north northwest wind 24 to 28 mph, with gusts as high as 37 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 30. Blustery. Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 57. Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 29.
Ryan Purdy, MPCC president; Sara Morris, biology instructor; Aaron McLean, chemistry instructor; Taylor Bourge; Velvet Nuzum-Neth and Jody Tomanek, area vice-president of academic affairs and NPCC pose for a picture during an Honors Convocation on Thursday at NPCC. Nuzum-Neth and Bourge each received a scholarship from the Mid-Plains Education Association.
Outstanding students, faculty and staff were recognized Thursday during the seventh annual Honors Convocation at North Platte Community College.
Ryan Purdy, Mid-Plains Community College president, Jody Tomanek, area vice-president of academic affairs and NPCC, and Andy Long, area vice president of student affairs and McCook Community College, were among the officials who spoke at the event.
Almost 250 students received scholarships. Those included two scholarships based on academics and presented on behalf of the Mid-Plains Education Association, which is made up of NPCC faculty.
MPEA members raise money for the scholarships every year by hosting 50/50 drawings at home basketball and volleyball games. The recipients of the scholarships this year were Velvet Nuzum-Neth and Taylor Bourge.
A new scholarship was given out this year. It was the Joe and Dorothy Conger Single Mom Scholarship administered through the Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation. The recipient was Danielle Schiel. Both Schiel and the Congers are from North Platte.
The recognitions included:
Athletic Awards:
Female Academic Athlete of the Year – Kylie Wroot and Taylor King
Male Academic Athlete of the Year – Luke Pittle
Academic Athletic Team of the Year – Women’s Volleyball Team with a team GPA of 3.4
Residence Life Awards:
Student Resident Assistants – Dakota Rice, Sara Villalobos, Sara Runia, Shannon Lieber, Joshua Mercer-Detty and Brandon Gasseling
Student Organizations:
NPCC Student Senate
Phi Theta Kappa
Phi Beta Lambda
Nebraska State Student Nurses’ Association/ Licensed Practical Nurse Association of Nebraska
Student Ambassadors
VP Leadership Class
Outstanding Student Division Awards:
Business and Technology – Erin Mitchell
Health Occupations – Trevor Blake
Mathematics and Science – Marco Pascolo
Humanities, Human Services and SocialSciences – Kylie Wroot
Applied Technologies – Kelly Cole
All College Awards:
NPCC Scholar Athlete Award – Marco Pascolo
NPCC Professional Achievement in Student Support Award – Veronica Wolf
NPCC Faculty Achievement in Student Success Award – Lana Albrecht – Watson
Student Organization of the Year – NSSNA and LPNAN
NPCC Spirit Awards – Pat Abels, Pam Burks, Nils Koch, Andrew Parish, Amy Taft, Ivan Rosfeld, Jeffery Donnally, Katrina Wright, Ben Sinclair, Samantha Young, Tanner Bauer and the Knights Softball Team
Vice President of Student Services of the Year Award – Shannon Lieber
Area Vice President for Instruction Award – Kaylin Hinton
