GERING, Neb. (AP) — An attorney for a Wyoming teenager convicted of the 2014 strangulation of a Scotts Bluff County jailer will argue in court this week for a new trial, alleging jury misconduct.

Sixteen-year-old Dylan Cardeilhac, of Torrington, Wyoming, was convicted in November of second-degree murder in the Valentine’s Day attack on 24-year-old jailer Amanda Baker. Security video shows Cardeilhac choking Baker after she entered his detention center cell. She died two days later.

On Friday, a hearing will be held in Scotts Bluff County District Court on Cardeilhac’s motion for a new trial. His attorney, Jim Mowbray with the Commission on Public Advocacy, tells Scottsbluff radio station KNEB (https://bit.ly/14zObHH ) that a juror acted out the strangulation, leading another juror to find the teen guilty of a more serious crime.

It’s easier than ever to receive an education from North Platte Community College. That’s because NPCC is increasing the number of night classes it typically offers in an attempt to work around people’s busy lives.

“For the most part, Mid-Plains Community College is about the ‘As’ – accessibility and affordability,” said Chuck Salestrom, area associate vice president of public information and marketing for MPCC. “Classes, both academic transfer and technical, taught at night are a viable option to learning for the love of learning or the completion of a degree or certificate.”

A variety of night classes for academic credit are available. They include those in the accounting, arts, business, chemistry, computer science, education, medical laboratory and information technology fields among many others.

Emergency medical personnel have the chance to learn about patient assessment, airway management and ventilation, instructor training and emergency medical technician skills.

Fire prevention and investigation and Hazmat awareness and operations are some of the things discussed during fire science technology night classes.

Classes for the technical trades are also offered. They include training in refrigeration and air conditioning, automotive preventive maintenance and minor repair, welding and auto body painting and refinishing.

Introduction to coaching, power sculpting and prevention and care of athletic injuries are among the physical education classes featured.

Numerous hobby classes such as furniture upholstering, furniture repair and cabinet making are also available.

Many of the night classes start Jan. 12 and run through April or May. Sessions last approximately three hours. Scholarships and tuition waivers may still be available for those who qualify, and people 62 or older can take advantage of a senior discount.

Registration can be done online at mpcc.edu, or by calling 800-658-4308 ext. 3774.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers have introduced the first bills of this year’s session, including a voter identification measure and an attempt to repeal the state’s motorcycle helmet law.

Those proposals were among 113 that were submitted Thursday, the session’s second day. Each is guaranteed at least a committee hearing, in a Legislature where more than one-third of the members are new.

Lawmakers introduced a series of tax measures, including income tax deductions and a tax credit for owners of farm- and ranchland.

A committee will also review a bill that would change Nebraska to a winner-take-all system when awarding its electoral votes in presidential elections. Nebraska awards three votes by congressional district and two on a statewide basis.

In 2008, President Barack Obama won the electoral vote from Omaha’s second congressional district.

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This information is not a criminal history. Criminal charges are often dropped or reduced. All individuals included in this post are presumed innocent of crimes until proven guilty in a court of law. The North Platte Post assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, or completeness, of this information. Any person who believes information provided is not accurate may submit a complaint to admin@northplattepost.com.

• Today: Patchy blowing snow after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 37. Breezy, with a west southwest wind 10 to 15 mph becoming north northwest 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 33 mph.
• Tonight: Patchy blowing snow before 7pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around -1. Wind chill values as low as -17. Blustery, with a north wind 18 to 23 mph decreasing to 10 to 15 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph.
• Friday: Sunny, with a high near 16. Wind chill values as low as -17. West northwest wind 6 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.
• Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 2. Wind chill values as low as -9. South wind 5 to 9 mph.
• Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 33. South wind 7 to 10 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon.
• Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 9.
• Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 23.

 

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Legislature has kicked off its 2015 session with an expected focus on property taxes and the state’s scandal-plagued prison system.

The session that began Wednesday morning will be the first for 18 new state senators, accounting for more than one-third of the Legislature.

Lawmakers will also elect a new speaker and committee leaders to replace those who left office due to term limits, or who are seeking another committee assignment.

Prison reform will be a top issue because of overcrowding and mismanagement within the Department of Correctional Services, including the early release of hundreds of inmates.

Gov.-elect Pete Ricketts will be sworn into office Thursday. He’s promised to lower property taxes for Nebraska farmers and ranchers, who pay the third-highest property taxes in the United States.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Republican-led Congress appears ready to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline, but no matter what actions are taken in Washington, the entire 1,179-mile project could be delayed until Nebraska signs off on the route.

The routing process remains before the Nebraska Supreme Court, which has given no indication when it will render a decision.

Pipeline opposition leader Jane Kleeb says even if the high court rules in favor of the pipeline, opponents are already working on a federal lawsuit on behalf of Native American tribes to challenge the route’s possible disruption of Indian artifacts.

Pipeline builder TransCanada says it’s already facing billions of dollars in extra costs as the project lags. The company is just as determined to see the pipeline built through Nebraska.

A professional truck driving course is being rolled out at Mid-Plains Community College this month. Classes begin Jan. 12.

“We are so excited to offer this course to meet area workforce development needs,” said Crystal Welch, area operations manager for the MPCC Center for the Enterprise. “This is a blended course with online classroom instruction. It provides flexibility to students who have full-time jobs, but want to explore a new career.”

The intensive eight-week program is designed for people without trucking experience who want to complete commercial driver’s license (CDL) training in as little time as possible.

It prepares students for a career in intrastate and interstate commerce. Training includes driving on city streets and rural roads as well as on two-lane highways and interstate systems.

Students will put in approximately 60 hours of drive time and will test their skills at Central States Safety and Driver Training in Kearney before progressing to the highway.

The curriculum used meets criteria established by the Professional Truck Driver Institute. Instructing the course is Dennis Holtz, who has more than 45 years and over 2 million miles of trucking experience.

He has taught professional truck driver training for three years and is a third party CDL examiner for the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles

“I have driven in just about every kind of weather, including high winds, thunderstorms, tornados and blizzards,” said Holtz. “I have been able to take drivers who have never been in a large tractor-trailer rig and teach them the basics from the ground up.”

To be eligible for the course, students must:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Have a safe driving record
• Have a valid motor vehicle operator’s license
• Be physically qualified according to Department of Transportation regulations
• Go through a drug screening
• Obtain a CDL learners permit by taking a 50-question general knowledge test at a Department of Motor Vehicles office

Acceptance into the program is contingent upon the quality of the driving record and the results of the drug screening and physical.

Successful completion of coursework, driving and testing will result in a nationally-recognized CDL. The cost of the program is $2,995.

Those interested in registering can do so online at www.centerforenterprise.com, or by calling by calling 535-3614.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Legislature has chosen state Sen. Galen Hadley of Kearney as its next speaker.

Lawmakers voted Wednesday to name Hadley as the replacement for former Speaker of the Legislature Greg Adams, of York, who left office due to term limits. State Sen. Colby Coash of Lincoln was also seeking the position.

Hadley was first elected to the Legislature in 2008 and re-elected in 2012. He served as chairman of the tax-focused Revenue Committee, and oversaw a wide-ranging legislative study of Nebraska’s tax system in 2013. He has two years left to serve due to term limits.

Hadley, a Republican, was the mayor of Kearney from 2004 to 2006 and served on the city council. He previously worked as a professor and senior administrator at the University of Nebraska-Kearney.

A 22-year-old North Platte man has been charged with a felony after he allegedly punched his girlfriend.

At around 5:00 p.m., on January 3, officers with the North Platte Police Department responded to the report of a domestic assault in the 1100 block of South Tabor Street.

Upon arrival, a 32-year-old female victim told officers that, following an argument, her boyfriend, Matthew Huss, had punched her in the face.

Following further investigation, officers determined that there was probable cause to arrest Huss, who had fled the scene.

On January 6, an officer observed Huss on foot near the Autumn Park Apartments, 900 Autumn Park Drive, and made contact with him.

Huss was placed under arrest and transported to the Lincoln County Detention Center.

He been charged with 3rd degree domestic assault.  Due to prior convictions for domestic assault, the charge was enhanced to a felony.