One juvenile is in custody, and the other is on the run after they allegedly broke into a North Platte home and assaulted a man with a shovel.

At around 6:30 p.m., on November 22, officers with the North Platte Police Department responded to the report of an assault involving weapons in the 1900 block of West 1st Street.

Upon arrival, an 18-year-old male told officers that he and a friend had been watching TV, when two masked males forced their way in through a locked back door.  The victim stated that one of the suspects brandished a handgun, and demanded money.

The victim alleged that, when he failed to produce any money, one of the suspects began striking him in the head with a square-nosed shovel.  The victim said he recognized the assailant a 16-year-old male acquaintance.

Following a fight between the victim and the assailants, police say everyone left the residence, except the homeowner, who had been locked in the bathroom with his 2-year-old son during the incident.

An officer soon located the 16-year-old juvenile suspect at a residence in the 2000 block of West 2nd Street, and placed him under arrest.

He was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center on charges of felony 2nd degree assault, burglary, attempted robbery and us of a weapon to commit a felony.

Officer Rodney Brown said investigators believe they know the identity of the other juvenile suspect, but have been unable to locate him.

The Post is not naming the juveniles, pending the filing of formal charges by the Lincoln County Attorney’s Office.

 

• Jason Corey Hunter, 29, North Platte and Michelle Christian Robinson, 32, North Platte

 

• Christopher Speranza, 55, North Platte and Ginger Gail Barnard, 38, North Platte

 

• Jesse Levi Bertholf, 32, North Platte and Kassandra Marie Douglas, 31, North Platte

 

• Gerald Allen Foley, 53, Imperial NE and Ember DeAnn Machado, 44, Imperial NE

 

• Matthew Todd Fetty, 48, Arnold NE and Pepper Lynne Werner. 47, Arnold NE

 

• Cole Dean Mason, 22, North Platte and Samantha Jo Rathbun, 21, North Platte

• Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 42. Breezy, with a north northwest wind 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph.
• Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 18. Northwest wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
• Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 49. West southwest wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
• Tuesday Nigh: tMostly cloudy, with a low around 25. Northwest wind 11 to 13 mph.
• Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 42. Northwest wind 6 to 11 mph becoming east northeast in the afternoon.
• Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 18.
• Thanksgiving Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 44.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s public high-school graduation rate increased slightly this year, but came up just shy of the 90 percent goal set by state officials.

The Department of Education announced Friday that 89.7 percent of high school seniors graduated in 2014. Last year, 88.5 percent of seniors graduated.

School officials say this year’s rate is a record high, and it has steadily improved since 2011.

The graduation target was developed by the Nebraska P-16 Initiative, a coalition of 27 business, education and government groups. State officials say 65 Nebraska schools graduated 100 percent of their seniors in four years, and 69 districts graduated all students within six years.

NEW YORK (AP) — “Mockingjay, Part 1” didn’t catch fire like the last installment of “The Hunger Games,” but it still set the highest opening of the year with $123 million at the weekend box office.

According to studio estimates Sunday, Lionsgate’s “Mockingjay” opened well below the $158 million debut of last year’s “Hunger Games: Catching Fire.” But the decision to split the final book in Suzanne Collins’ dystopian trilogy into two films clearly paid off. “Mockingjay” did even better overseas, where it made $152 million.

The Disney animated adventure “Big Hero 6” moved into second place with $20. 1 million. Christopher Nolan’s space epic “Interstellar” came in third with $15.1 million.

Last week’s top film, the long-in-coming sequel “Dumb and Dumber To,” slid all the way to fourth place with $13.8 million.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Researchers say environmental regulations have slowed the growth of large hog farms and helped some smaller ones survive.

Two agricultural economists at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln looked at how environmental regulations have shaped the industry in the top ten hog producing states.

A number of federal and state laws allow small hog farms with fewer than 2,500 animals to be except from rules that require manure storage plans and permits.

Also, zoning restrictions won’t allow large hog farms in many locations where small hog farms can operate.

The researchers say the number of small hog farms has declined 61 percent between 1976 and 2005, but without those kind of rules the decline would have been greater.

The number of large hog farms jumped 95 percent over the same period.

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP) — A young zebra has died at a western Nebraska zoo because of an accident during castration.

Riverside Discovery Center in Scottsbluff says a catastrophic accident happened.

The zebra, named Olaf, was born earlier this year. He was getting ready to undergo the routine procedure of castration when the accident happened.

Zoo officials didn’t provide details of the accident. Zoo Executive Director Anne James says the staff is overwhelmed with grief because of the animal’s death.

The zebra’s parents still live at the zoo.

UPDATE (11/23 7:00pm)

Kearney Police Department Statement:

Evan Swenson (AKA: Evan Swinson), was taken into custody early this morning in Broken Bow, Nebraska in connection with yesterday’s shooting in Kearney. He was arrested on a Buffalo County warrant for 2nd Degree Attempted Murder and Use of a Firearm to commit a Felony. 

The investigation is continuing and further details will be released at a later time.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The suspect in an early morning Kearney shooting is on the lam, and police are asking for the public’s help in locating him.

At around 4:22 a.m., on Saturday, officers with the Kearney Police Department responded to the report of a male subject laying on a bridge.

Police made contact with the man, and discovered that he was suffering from two gunshot wounds.

The victim was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, before being transported via helicopter to an Omaha hospital.

Police say a felony arrest warrant for attempted 2nd degree murder and use of a weapon to commit a felony has been issued for 24-year old Evan Swenson.

Swenson is 5’10”, weighs 130 pounds, has brown hair and hazel eyes.

Police believe he may be accompanied by 22-year-old Ashley Dominguez.

Authorities say both subjects should be considered armed and dangerous.

If you have any information on the case, or think you may have seen the suspects, contact the Kearney Police Department at 308-237-2104.

 

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — Police in central Nebraska are investigating the shooting of a man who is now being treated for his injuries at an Omaha hospital.

The shooting happened around 4:40 a.m. Saturday in south Kearney. Police report that officers were called to the area by people suspicious of a person walking in the area. Once there, officers found a man who had been shot twice.

Kearney Police Capt. Mike Kirkwood says the man was taken to a Kearney hospital and was later flown to an Omaha hospital.

Police say they are looking for a 25-year-old man who knows the victim and was staying at a south Kearney hotel.