LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The fate of Nebraska cigar bars is now in the hands of the governor after lawmakers approved a bill to once again allow smoking in the establishments.
Senators passed the bill Friday 45-3 in response to a Nebraska Supreme Court ruling. The court struck down a 2009 law last year that allowed smoking in cigar bars and shops, despite the Nebraska Clean Indoor Air Act.
The measure by Sen. Tyson Larson of O’Neill makes clear that state lawmakers intended to create a legal exemption for those establishments so they could continue to operate.
Gov. Pete Ricketts has five days to sign the bill.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Pete Ricketts says he will conduct a national search for a new director of the Nebraska Department of Roads.
The announcement on Friday follows three searches run by private firms for the leaders of the Departments of Correctional Services, Economic Development and Health and Human Services.
The Greater Omaha Chamber Foundation has hired a search firm. Ted Ford Webb of Ford Webb Associates, Inc. based in Concord, Massachusetts will assist with the search. Donors who contribute to the search process will be disclosed after the conclusion of the search.
Finalists interviewed by the firm will be forwarded to Gov. Ricketts and his chief-of-staff, Matt Miltenberger, for interviews.
GERING, Neb. (AP) — A district court judge has sentenced a Wyoming teenager to at least 60 years in prison for killing a western Nebraska jailer.
Sixteen-year-old Dylan Cardeilhac, of Torrington, Wyoming, was convicted in November of second-degree murder for strangling Scotts Bluff County jailer Amanda Baker in February 2014.
Judge Travis O’Gorman sentenced Cardeilhac on Thursday to 60 years to life in prison. He said that Cardeilhac’s criminal history and his lack of remorse demonstrated that the public needed protection from the teen.
Cardeilhac was sentenced in May to a maximum of 15 years in prison on separate charges of armed robbery and use of a weapon in a convenience store robbery.
His latest sentence on the murder conviction will be served consecutively to his sentence in the robbery case.
Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 50. Northeast wind 3 to 8 mph.
Tonight: A slight chance of rain before 9pm, then a chance of rain and snow between 9pm and midnight, then a slight chance of snow after midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 24. North northeast wind 6 to 9 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. North wind 10 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 11. Wind chill values as low as -1. North northeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 18. North wind 7 to 10 mph.
An Ogallala man is awaiting extradition to California after authorities charged him in connection with the 1978 murder of his wife.
According to Sgt. Jason Hail, with the Butte County Sheriff’s Office (California), Butte county authorities have been conducting an ongoing investigation in the disappearance of Deborah Diane Owens.
Owens was reported missing by her husband, Marvin Gail Owens, now 62, on November 21, 1978.
Hail said Deborah was living with her husband, in Oroville, California, when she was last seen.
To date, no one, including Deborah’s now grown children and other relatives, have seen her.
According to Hail, Marvin Owens has long been suspected of killing Deborah and disposing of her body.
Hail said former Butte County Sheriff, Perry Reniff, has been working on cold case homicides and spearheaded this investigation.
As a result of Reniff’s investigation, the Butte County District Attorney has filed a felony arrest warrant charging Marvin Owens with Deborah’s murder.
Marvin, who has been living in Ogallala, was arrested by the Keith County Sheriff’s Office.
He is currently being held at the Lincoln County Detention Center. Hail said it is unknown when Owens will be extradited to California.
Authorities believe Marvin may also be connected to the disappearance of another woman, Essie Margarette Hiett, who also disappeared in 1978.
A North Platte man is facing a felony charge after he allegedly repeatedly attempted to contact a woman who had an active protection order against him.
According to North Platte Police, an adult female reported that she was receiving letters from Douglas Olson. Police say the woman had an active protection order that restricted Olson from contacting her.
The woman reported that the content of the letters indicated that they were from someone other than Olson, but she told police she believed he was the one writing them because the handwriting appeared to be his.
An officer on patrol observed Olson at the Post Office mailing a letter.
The officer met with a postal inspector, who located a letter that looked like the one Olson had mailed. Authorities say surveillance video also corroborated what the officer saw.
The officer placed his initials on the envelope and the letter was mailed.
Several days later, the victim contacted police to report that she had received another letter from Olson. The officer viewed the envelope and saw his initials.
On February 18, the officer met with Olson and placed him under arrest for violation of a protection order and stalking.
Police say Olson was also arrested for violating the order on January 29. Because of that, the recent charge was enhanced to a felony.
A Big Springs woman, who formerly lived in North Platte, has been charged with a felony after she allegedly stole from her employer.
On January 23, at around 11:15 a.m., an officer from the North Platte Police Department responded to Inland Truck Parts, 3820 South Newberry Road, on the report of an employee theft.
Management alleged that former employee, Ronda Buntain, failed to deposit around $4,800.00, in November of last year.
According to Officer Rodney Brown, a subsequent audit, conducted by Inland Truck Parts, revealed multiple discrepancies beginning in May of last year to present.
The company reported what they believe to be another $6,200.00, which was stolen during that time.
Following further investigation, officers determined that there was probable cause to arrest Buntain, and charge her with felony theft.
On February 18, an NPPD investigator met with Buntain at the Lincoln County Detention Center and placed her under arrest.
Brown said Buntain was booked into jail and posted bond.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture says in a new report that the number of farms and ranches in Nebraska continues to slide.
In an annual report released Thursday the USDA says Nebraska farms fell to 49,100 last year, 500 fewer than the year before. The small farm category, those with annual sales of less than $100,000, fell by 800 farms while larger farms exceeding $100,000 in sales increased by 300.
Land in farms and ranches in Nebraska totaled 45.2 million acres, down 100,000 acres from 2013. The average size of operation, at 921 acres, was up 8 acres from the year earlier.
Nationally, the number of farms fell by 18,000 to 2.1 million. Total land in farms is at 913 million, down from just over 1 billion acres in 2013.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Political watchdog groups are asking Nebraska lawmakers to pass a new campaign disclosure law that would make it harder for candidates to hide spending violations.
The bill presented to a legislative committee Thursday would require candidates and office-holders to submit end-of-year balance reports from their banks to the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission. Current law allows them to self-report, so it’s harder to detect mistakes or fraud.
Sen. Sue Crawford of Bellevue says she introduced the bill to protect the system.
Jack Gould of Common Cause Nebraska says the law would have helped catch former state Sen. Brenda Council of Omaha earlier, before she misspent $63,000 in campaign money at casinos.
Some committee members questioned the wisdom of creating a law based on isolated violations.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A bill that would abolish some of Nebraska’s mandatory minimum sentences will be debated on the floor of the Legislature.
An eight-member legislative committee voted unanimously on Thursday to advance the bill.
The bill headed to the floor would eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for some offenders deemed habitual criminals. It also would remove mandatory minimum sentences for certain mid-level gun and drug crimes.
The bill by Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha has 10 co-sponsors and is one of several pieces of legislation addressing a prison system at more than 159 percent capacity.
The Legislature’s fiscal office says eliminating mandatory minimums could ease prison crowding by allowing inmates to qualify for parole an average of 2.3 years earlier.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The fate of Nebraska cigar bars is now in the hands of the governor after lawmakers approved a bill to once again allow smoking in the establishments.
