A 27-year-old North Platte man is facing charges after he allegedly assaulted a couple.

At around 8:45 p.m., on Wednesday, North Platte Police responded to a domestic disturbance in the 2400 block of East 2nd Street.

Officers arrived, and learned that Kenneth Valentine had allegedly pulled an 18-year-old female into the residence and assaulted her.  Police say Valentine also assaulted a 26-year-old male, who attempted to intervene.

The male advised that he had stepped into the trailer through an open door to intervene with the assault on the female, when Valentine punched him in the face, and again in the back of the head as he attempted to leave the residence, causing injury to his teeth.

According to Officer Rodney Brown, Valentine left the area with the female victim in a jeep prior to officers’ arrival.

The jeep was then observed turning onto Tabor Street from East 4th Street.

Officers made contact with the female driver, who advised that Valentine had fled on foot.  Brown said a 3-month old infant was riding in the back seat of the jeep.

Valentine was eventually located at a residence in the 400 block of South Chestnut and taken into custody.

He was jailed on charges of felony 1st degree assault and child abuse for placing the infant in danger.

 

 

A game of chicken involving a resident and a North Platte police cruiser has landed a North Platte man in jail.

At around 8:00 a.m., on Wednesday, officers with the North Platte Police Department responded to a disturbance in the 2000 block of West 15th Street.

Officers arrived and observed two male subjects in the roadway, one of them holding a shovel.  They then observed a vehicle speed past the men, narrowly missing them.

Officers made contact with the man holding the shovel, who advised that 31-year-old Chauncey Mendoza was attempting to run him over with his vehicle.

The officers then observed the vehicle, a green Toyota Camry, turn around in the 2100 block of West 15th Street and drive toward the male subjects and the officers at a high rate of speed.

Officer Rodney Brown said Mendoza’s vehicle turned away at the last second and narrowly missed the police cruiser, before speeding away to the East.

Officers pursued Mendoza south on Miles Avenue, before he eventually brought his vehicle to a stop at 13th Street and Miles Avenue.

Mendoza was taken into custody and placed under arrest.

He’s been charged with attempted 2nd degree assault, driving under the influence,  willful reckless driving and criminal mischief.

Mendoza was transported to the Lincoln County Detention Center and jailed.

• Today: Sunny, with a high near 62. Breezy, with a northwest wind 9 to 14 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 29 mph.
• Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 24. North northeast wind 7 to 10 mph.
• Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 47. East northeast wind 6 to 13 mph becoming south southeast in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 18 mph.
• Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 27. South southeast wind 13 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 58. Breezy, with a south wind 13 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.
• Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 35.
• Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The chairman of a legislative committee says 162 Nebraska inmates convicted of violent crimes were freed early under a furlough program.

The program was revealed at a hearing Wednesday as the chairman, Sen. Steve Lathrop, questioned Gov. Dave Heineman. Heineman was subpoenaed to testify under oath as part of an investigation into miscalculated prison sentences and other problems.

Lathrop says the program allowed the release of inmates convicted of second-degree murder, manslaughter and other crimes.

Lathrop argues that the re-entry furlough program violated state law, because it was created without public hearings or a waiver signed by the governor. Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning and the Department of Correctional Services both say the regulations in question didn’t have to go through that process and weren’t illegal.

HASTINGS, Neb. — A 30-year-old Nebraska woman whose oldest son is charged with killing his little brother has been sentenced to prison.

On Tuesday in Adams County District Court in Hastings, Amanda Pecor was given 59 to 60 months. She’d been convicted of felony negligent child abuse resulting in injury. Her 31-year-old boyfriend, Matthew Edwards, was given the same sentence last month on the same charge.

Pecor’s 9-year-old son is accused of fatally shooting his 4-year-old brother, Beau, on April 18. Court documents say officials had warned Pecor and Edwards before the shooting to lock up all knives and other sharp items and to have no guns in the house.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Dave Heineman is expected to appear Wednesday before a legislative committee that’s investigating Nebraska’s prison problems.

The committee voted unanimously this month to subpoena the governor to testify under oath. A hearing is set to begin at 9 a.m. at the Capitol.

Lawmakers are expected to question Heineman on what he knew about some prison issues, including inmate sentences that were miscalculated. Hundreds of prisoners were prematurely released.

Senators have also disputed the legality of a home confinement program approved by the state corrections director during a prisoner roundup. Republican Attorney General Jon Bruning denies the program was illegal.

Senators could ask about the handling of Nikko Jenkins, a segregated inmate who begged for a mental health commitment but was instead released and went on to kill four people.

DETROIT (AP) — Chrysler is recalling more than 566,000 SUVs and trucks because malfunctioning fuel heaters can cause fires, or a software glitch can disable the electronic stability control.

The largest of two recalls announced Wednesday covers almost 382,000 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups and Ram 4500 and 5500 chassis cabs from 2010 through 2014.

In trucks with 6.7-Liter Cummins diesel engines, corrosion on a fuel heater terminal could cause overheating, fuel leaks and fires. Chrysler is not aware of any fires or injuries. Dealers will install upgraded terminals and fuel heater housings could be replaced.

The second recall covers more than 184,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango SUVs from 2014. A debris cover over a circuit board can disrupt communications and disable the stability control. Software will be upgraded.

• Today: Sunny, with a high near 71. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon.
• Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 33. South southwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming northwest after midnight.
• Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 61. Breezy, with a northwest wind 9 to 14 mph increasing to 16 to 21 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 29 mph.
• Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 25. North northeast wind 6 to 10 mph.
• Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 49. East northeast wind 7 to 11 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
• Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 28.
• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 58.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A consultant is recommending that Nebraska expand its three prison facilities and add beds to ease overcrowding, at a projected cost of nearly $262 million.

The Department of Correctional Services announced the proposals Tuesday in a news release. Director Mike Kenney says prison officials have tried nearly every alternative to alleviate overcrowding, and adding beds is a last resort.

The consultant recommends the expansion over five years, starting with 450 new beds at the Community Corrections Center in Lincoln.

The second project would add 300 beds at the Community Corrections Center in Omaha. The third project would be a 358-bed Medical/Intake/Food Service expansion between the Lincoln Correctional Center and the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center in Lincoln.

The facilities would cost an estimated more than $31 million annually to operate.

 

• Justin Julius Tracy, 41, Wellfleet NE and Kaylee Rhae McCollam, 41, Culbertson NE

 

• William Eric Reed, 23, North Platte and Bobbi Jo Nicole Hartman, 24, North Platte

 

• Ryan Curtis Ball, 30, North Platte and Autumn Chanell Alberts,28, North Platte

 

• Nathan John Zwickl, 23, North Platte and Samantha Marie Kramer, 21, North Platte

 

• Saul Baca Escamilla, 28, Wallace NE and Mayle Amaya, 23, Wallace