The Lexington Police Department is searching for a man who allegedly fired shots at police and a woman.

Chief of Police, Tracy Wolf, said in a news release that a felony warrant has been issued for 25-year-old Jose Gabriel Covarrubias.

Wolf said officers responded to a disturbance in the 500 block of Oregon Trail, in Lexington, at around 12:45 a.m., on July 30.

Officers had received information that a male subject inside the residence was armed with a firearm.

As police arrived, they observed Covarrubias fire a handgun at a female who was running from the house.

According to Wolf, Covarrubias then opened fire on officers, penetrating the side of one patrol unit and striking a nearby residence.  Wolf said one officer returned fire before Covarrubias was able to escape.

A young child was treated at Lexington Regional Health Center for a minor injury from an apparent ricochet.

Wolf said the warrant for Covarrubias’ arrest includes charges of two counts of use of a weapon to commit a felony, possession of  a firearm by a convicted felon and two counts of attempted first degree murder.

Covarrubias is 6’1″, weighs 180 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes.

If you have any information on his whereabouts, do not make contact with him and notify local law enforcement immediately.

The Lexington Police Department was assisted by the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident remains under investigation.

 

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Campus sexual assault victims are joining senators on Capitol Hill in announcing legislation designed to make colleges more accountable to rape victims.

The effort was led by two Democratic senators, Claire McCaskill and Kirsten Gillibrand, but the legislation has bipartisan support. It would require campuses to designate a confidential adviser for victims and to develop an agreement with local law enforcement over how such cases are handled.

The action on Capitol Hill further escalates the dialogue in Washington on an issue long handled locally. A White House task force on campus sexual assault earlier this year recommended a series of actions schools should take, and the Education Department took the unprecedented step of releasing the names of schools facing federal investigation for the way they handle sexual abuse allegations.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska is requesting federal disaster aid to help individuals and businesses recover from the June tornadoes.

The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency says Gov. Dave Heineman submitted a request this week to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

If approved, the SBA would make low-interest loans available to five northeastern Nebraska counties that were hit by severe storms, tornadoes and flooding. Residents in Cedar, Cuming, Dixon, Stanton and Wayne counties could qualify.

The request comes after the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that it was rejecting Nebraska’s request for individual federal disaster assistance. The level of private insurance coverage in the area was a factor, because federal disaster aid can’t duplicate insurance proceeds or assistance from other sources.

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — More than 1,000 school administrators and education leaders will attend an education conference in Kearney this week.

Administrators’ Days begins Wednesday and wraps up on Friday and is sponsored by the Nebraska Council of School Administrators.

Among the speakers at the conference will be Nebraska Education Commissioner Matt Blomstedt, who will address the group Wednesday morning with a presentation titled, “Systems to Support Every Student, Every Day.”

Nebraska Department of Education staff also will provide information on numerous topics and issues during breakout sessions throughout the Wednesday portion of the conference.

DETROIT (AP) — The four-door Mini Cooper Countryman was the only one of 12 cars to earn a top rating of “good” in new frontal crash tests.

The Nissan Leaf, Nissan Juke, Fiat 500L and Mazda5 wagon fared the worst in tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The frontal test, introduced in 2012, replicates what happens when 25 percent of a car’s front end strikes a rigid object at 40 miles per hour.

The Chevrolet Volt, Ford C-Max, Mitsubishi Lancer, Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ all got the second-highest rating of “acceptable.” The Hyundai Veloster and Scion xB got “moderate” ratings.

The Volt was the only car in the group to earn the institute’s “Top Safety Pick Plus” rating, because it has an optional front crash-prevention system.

• Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 81. East southeast wind 5 to 7 mph.
• Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west after midnight.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. West northwest wind 3 to 8 mph.
• Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. North wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm in the evening.
• Friday: Sunny, with a high near 87. North northwest wind 3 to 7 mph.
• Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 58.
• Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Some Nebraskans are calling for a criminal investigation of the Department of Correctional Services after internal emails showed officials knew sentences were being calculated incorrectly for hundreds of prisoners and didn’t correct the problem.

The Omaha World-Herald reported earlier this week on emails that show corrections officials disregarding a Nebraska Supreme Court ruling last year on mandatory minimum sentences.

Omaha attorney James Martin Davis says the internal emails make it clear the sentences were calculated incorrectly on purpose. That could make it a criminal matter.

Gov. Dave Heineman says a thorough review will be completed by a Lincoln law firm to determine what happened inside the corrections department.

And a legislative committee that was created to investigate a separate case plans to widen its probe to include the sentencing errors.

MINATARE, Neb. (AP) — Three men have been arrested in western Nebraska after gunshots were reported at a home.

Minatare police say the men were arrested Monday night on suspicion of disturbing the peace. At least two men were injured.

The shooting stemmed from a dispute between two groups. Police Chief Robert Regester says more arrests were likely as the investigation continues.

The injured men were taken to a hospital and later released.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska anti-gambling group has filed a lawsuit to keep off the November ballot a measure that would allow betting on previously recorded horse races shown on machines that resemble casino slots.

Gambling with the Good Life said Tuesday that it filed the lawsuit on Monday. Executive director Pat Loontjer (LOONT’-jur) says the measure violates the Nebraska Constitution’s provision against asking voters to answer two questions in just one vote.

The group’s attorney, Steve Grasz (grawz), says the filing asked the Nebraska Supreme Court to bar the secretary of state from putting what would be Amendment 1 on the statewide ballot.

If approved by voters, the constitutional amendment would clear the way for the video terminals at licensed tracks in Omaha, Lincoln, Hastings, Grand Island and Columbus.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities in Nebraska and Pennsylvania have been seeking a man suspected of posing as a doctor and bilking hotels.

Nebraska court records say 40-year-old Jeffrey Cochran is charged in an arrest warrant with theft. Pennsylvania court records show two felony theft charges. Neither record lists an attorney for Cochran.

A court affidavit says Cochran, of Scottville, Michigan, checked into a Lincoln hotel in December, saying he was a doctor on business at a local hospital and that the hospital would be paying for his lodging. Police say he checked out 47 days later, leaving a bill of nearly $3,200.

Pennsylvania records say he ran up a bill of more than $16,000 while staying for a couple of weeks at a hotel in Farmington.