A 24-year-old North Platte man accused of firing shots at a man on Friday morning is now facing charges in a separate case and so are two others.

At around 9:20 p.m., on April 2, officers with the North Platte Police Department responded to the report of an assault at Time Saver, 1221 South Dewey Street.

Officers made contact with an 18-year-old male victim and several witnesses.

It was reported that Jerry Kindle and 33-year-old Bryan Kayser had driven into the parking lot of the business to confront the victim.

Kindle was allegedly holding an axe handle, and Kayser allegedly had some sort of small club.

Witnesses say Kindle then struck the victim in the head with the axe handle while Kayser made threats to hit him with his club.

Police say both subjects then left the scene in a vehicle, but witnesses were able to provide a description.

A shot time later, an officer spotted the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop.

According to police, the passenger in the vehicle who matched Kindle’s description, fled on foot and escaped from officers.

Kayser allegedly told police that he did not know Kindle, and denied being involved in any assault.

A search of the vehicle revealed a small club tucked inside a compartment on the driver’s side door.

Kayser was placed under arrest and charged with felony aiding and abetting 2nd degree assault and carrying a concealed weapon.

A short time later, police were called to the Blue Spruce motel, where Kindle had allegedly pistol whipped a man and fired three shots, causing a graze wound to the victim.

As officers began to search for Kindle, they discovered a Facebook post that showed Kindle wearing the same outfit witnesses had described.

He was also holding a handgun in the photo.

Officers then received a tip that Kindle was in a residence in the 400 block of East 12th Street.

They responded to that location and met with Stefani Garcia who indicated that Kindle was not there.

Officers eventually located Kindle inside the residence and took him into custody.  They also recovered the firearm they believed was used in the assault at the Blue Spruce.

Kindle was placed under arrest and charged with attempted 1st degree murder, use of a weapon to commit a felony, possession of a firearm by a felon, 2nd degree assault, and an additional count of use of a weapon to commit a felony for the attack with the axe handle.

Garcia was also placed under arrest and charged with being an accessory to a felony for allowing Kindle to hide in her home, and for lying to officers.

Police say additional people need to be contacted and the case remains under investigation.

RELATED STORY

https://www.northplattepost.com/2015/04/03/updated-police-investigate-shooting-at-north-platte-motel/

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Supporters of a sexual education implementation method are defending Nebraska’s use of the program in the wake of parent criticism.

The Nebraska Department of Education has received a $75,000 grant to develop sexual education programs and policies using the Working to Institutionalize Sex Ed model. WISE is an initiative that focuses on implementing sexual health education through grants and other methods.

Two speakers at a Thursday board of education meeting told department officials that WISE has no place in the state. One of the parents highlighted a controversy at a sexuality conference in Oregon last year that gave materials to participants about alternatives to having sex. She said WISE was a promoter of the conference.

Supporters of the program include the CEO of Methodist Women’s Hospital in Omaha, who argued the initiative helps create a curriculum that educates students about sexuality in a way that promotes health and well-being. Representatives from three school districts benefitting from the grant also attended the board meeting to speak in support of the program.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A study by two University of Nebraska at Kearney professors says the state would see economic benefits if Medicaid coverage was expanded to cover more low-income residents.

The study by economics professor Allan Jenkins and management professor Ron Konecny says Nebraska would avoid at least $1 billion in silent taxes, medical-related bankruptcies, unnecessary state spending and reduced consumer spending power over five years.

The state would receive $2.1 billion in federal funding over five years.

Lawmakers are scheduled to debate a new Medicaid expansion bill on Wednesday. Two previous efforts to pass similar measures have failed, and it’s likely to face resistance again this year.

The report was commissioned by the Nebraska Hospital Association and AARP Nebraska, which support the bill.

CHADRON, Neb. (AP) — Creek water is filling a renovated pond in Chadron State Park.

Chadron radio station KCSR reports that workers on Thursday began diverting water from Chadron Creek. It’s expected that the pond will take up to 20 days to fill.

The pond was drained in fall 2013 for renovation. Workers repaired its outlet structure, removed sediment and lined the pond with impermeable clay.

Officials expect that at full depth of 13 feet, the pond now will be able to hold 10 acre-feet of water instead of the previous 4 acre-feet.

UPDATE 4/3/15 11:00

Jerry Kindle has been taken into custody.

According to North Platte Police, Kindle was arrested at around 10:00 this morning without incident.

The investigation is ongoing, according to police, and charges are pending.

Kindle will be jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.

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North Platte Police are still searching for the suspect in an early morning assault and shooting at a local motel.

At around 1:15 a.m., on April 3, officers with the North Platte Police Department responded to the Blue Spruce Motel, 821 South Dewey Street, on the report of shots fired.

Officers arrived and located a 31-year-old male who had injuries from blunt force trauma and a graze injury from a gunshot.

After speaking with witnesses and the victim, officers learned that the victim had been standing outside of his motel room when he was approached by two or three males.

Authorities say one of the males began striking the victim with the butt of a handgun, then fired three shots.

The suspects then left the scene, but witnesses were able to identify the man who fired the shots as 24-year-old Jerry Kindle.

Kindle is still on the loose and is described as an American Indian male, 6’0″, 165 pounds with black hair.  Police say Kindle has the the word “Let’s” tattooed on his right hand, the word “Ride” on his left hand and “Catch Me If You Can” on his neck.

Witnesses say Kindle was wearing a black leather jacket with white sleeves, dark jeans, a white stocking cap and a black scarf that covered his neck and lower face area.

The handgun used in the altercation has not been recovered, and police say Kindle should be considered armed and dangerous.

Investigators say Kindle and the victim knew each other, so they don’t believe this was a random act.

The victim is expected to survive his injuries.

The other suspects were not identified.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of Kindle, contact law enforcement immediately.  Do not try to apprehend the suspect.

 

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 53. North northwest wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 26. West northwest wind 6 to 11 mph becoming south southwest in the evening.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 69. Breezy, with a south southwest wind 7 to 12 mph increasing to 18 to 23 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 31 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 31. South southwest wind 7 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 74. West southwest wind 6 to 8 mph becoming northeast in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 37.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 66.
Monday Night: A slight chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 60.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska property owners could see their tax bills lowered by a collective $200 million annually under a tentative state budget.

The funding approved this week by the Appropriations Committee would increase the state’s property tax credit fund by $60 million annually over the next two years. The fund is already set to distribute $140 million over that period, reducing what property owners pay on their local tax bills.

The amount advanced by the committee matches what Gov. Pete Ricketts had requested for the two-year state budget.

Sen. Heath Mello of Omaha, the committee chairman, says the budget still includes room for prison reform legislation and other priorities, but nothing has been finalized.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The chief-of-staff for former Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman has been hired as a senior research consultant to the Legislature.

Larry Bare will start in the new job on April 20. The Legislature’s Executive Board announced Thursday that Bare will represent the Legislature in the state’s effort to replace the Nebraska Capitol’s 55-year-old heating and air conditioning systems.

Bare was also a chief of staff to former Gov. Mike Johanns. He recently served as acting director of the Department of Administrative Services under Gov. Pete Ricketts.

Bare will earn $65,000 a year.

Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha, chairman of the Executive Board, says Bare’s knowledge of state government will prove beneficial to the Legislature.

MINDEN, Neb. (AP) — A Kearney man has been charged with arson following a fire that damaged a pharmacy.

According to court records, 34-year-old Aaron Stones was arraigned Thursday in Kearney County Court on one charge of second-degree arson. He was arrested Friday in connection with a structure fire at Pedley Drug Pharmacy in Minden.

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 were identified that were used to ignite the flames.

Authorities say they tracked Stones after controlling the blaze and found him with chemical powder covering his body.

Online court records don’t yet list an attorney for Stones to request comment on his behalf.

Minden is about 15 miles southeast of Kearney.

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a 33-year-old man was found dead after his wrecked truck was spotted under a bridge in south-central Nebraska’s Buffalo County.

The Nebraska State Patrol says the accident is believed to have occurred around 5:30 a.m. Monday, but the pickup wasn’t discovered until around 3:15 a.m. Tuesday.

The patrol says Brysen Kollars, of Kearney, was southbound on 30th Avenue when he lost control of the truck about a half mile north of Nebraska Highway 40. The truck ran into a ditch and then a creek bed before rolling, coming to rest under the bridge, about 3½ miles north-northwest of Kearney.