GERING, Neb. (AP) — A trial has been scheduled to begin next month for a 27-year-old man accused in the death of a 2-year-old Gering girl in 2008.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin Aug. 11 for the trial of Dustin Chauncey. He’s pleaded not guilty to intentional child abuse resulting in the death of Juliette Geurts in July 2008.
Chauncey was the boyfriend at the time of the girl’s mother, Charyse Geurts. Charges against her have been dismissed because of the statute of limitations.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — More and more people have been buying new license plates that proclaim that Nebraska is “The Beef State.”
The Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles began printing the special slogan plates last month after 500 people applied for them, exceeding the threshold for production to begin.
Betty Johnson is administrator of the driver and vehicle records division for the DMV, and she says that as of Thursday morning, 118 more of the plates had been sold. The plates cost $70 beyond the price for a normal plate, and the $70 must be paid each year with the licensing renewal.
The Nebraska Cattlemen had pushed to return the slogan to state plates, celebrating an industry that officials say contributes billions of dollars to the state economy.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Supreme Court has upheld the denial of a death row inmate’s efforts to have his conviction overturned.
Jeffrey Hessler was convicted in 2004 of kidnapping, raping and killing 15-year-old newspaper carrier Heather Guerrero the year before. His conviction and death sentence were upheld on direct appeal in 2007.
Friday’s ruling is the second time Hessler has had a motion for post-conviction relief denied. Inmates typically file post-conviction relief motions after they have exhausted all other appeals.
This time, Hessler issued a myriad of claims, including that he was too mentally ill at the time of the crime to know right from wrong.
On Friday, the Nebraska Supreme Court agreed with a lower court judge’s ruling that Hessler’s claims had already been addressed or should have been appealed earlier.
North Platte Police have arrested a 20-year-old North Platte man for his involvement in an attempted theft from Walmart.
Officers responded to the report of two male shoplifters at Walmart, on July 15.
Upon arrival, officers learned that two male subjects had filled a shopping cart with merchandise and attempted to leave the store without paying.
When asked for a receipt by an employee, the suspects allegedly fled on foot.
Police say the value of the merchandise was over $500.
Investigators viewed video surveillance and were able to identify the suspects as 21-year-old Kevin Mendonca and 20-year-old Harley Smith.
Mendonca was contacted and jailed on a charge of felony theft on July 22.
Smith was contacted on July 24 and placed under arrest. He was also charged with felony theft.
Both were processed and released from the Lincoln County Detention Center.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska state treasurer is reminding Nebraska businesses and organizations of the Nov. 1 deadline for remitting unclaimed property to the state.
Treasurer Don Stenberg says businesses and organizations must also submit unclaimed property reports by Nov. 1. A reporting form is available on the Treasurer’s website at www.treasurer.org.
The annual report covers the fiscal year that ended June 30. Reports this year can be submitted on CD or through UPExchange, a free web application for creating and submitting the reports.
State law requires a business or organization to file a report with the Unclaimed Property Division if the total value of the unclaimed property is greater than $10.
Examples of unclaimed property include health claim payments, dividends, life insurance proceeds, stocks, safety deposit boxes and unused gift certificates.
A North Platte man is facing a felony domestic assault charge after he allegedly beat up his girlfriend.
At around 3:30 p.m., on July 23, officers with the North Platte Police Department responded to the report of domestic violence at a residence in the 2300 block of East Philip.
A 26-year-old female alleged that her boyfriend, 29-year-old Chad Williams, became angry following an argument in their vehicle.
According to Officer Rodney Brown, the woman told police that Williams hit her while they were in the vehicle, then continued to assault her in front of the residence by hitting her, grabbing her by the hair, pinning her down on the ground and kicking her.
Officers investigated and determined that there was probable cause to arrest Williams for 3rd degree domestic assault. Due to prior domestic assault convictions, the charge was enhanced to a felony.
Williams was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The second trial for Scottsbluff man whose 2012 convictions on first-degree sexual assault of a child and four counts of felony child abuse were overturned by the Nebraska Supreme Court will be held in late August.
Eric Rocha, who is 36, was convicted in February 2012 by a jury and sentenced to 40 years to life.
Investigators say a young girl was sexually assaulted for two years and her brothers, ages 3, 5 and 10, were choked and often beaten.
Rocha’s convictions were thrown out last week because his trial attorney hadn’t sought to have separate trials on the sex abuse and child abuse charges.
An exact date hasn’t been set but Scotts Bluff County District Court Judge Leo Dobrovolny says the trial will take four days.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — President Barack Obama has signed a disaster declaration for Nebraska, ordering federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding from June 14 to June 21.
Federal funding also is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations in a dozen counties including Cedar, Cuming, Dakota, Dixon, Franklin, Furnas, Harlan, Kearney, Phelps, Stanton, Thurston, and Wayne. The federal money may be used for emergency work and for repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms and flooding.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency says additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.
NEW YORK (AP) — The government is reporting an increase in teen U.S. girls getting a controversial cervical cancer vaccine — but it’s not much of a bump.
Last year’s rise follows a couple of years when the HPV vaccination rate was flat.
For girls ages 13 to 17, the rate is now up to about 38 percent from 33 percent.
The CDC on Thursday reported the latest rates for the vaccine that protects against human papillomavirus, or HPV. The sexually transmitted bug can cause cervical cancer, genital warts and other illnesses.
The vaccine has been available since 2006.
