Today: Scattered showers, mainly between 10am and noon. Cloudy, with a high near 65. Southeast wind 9 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Tonight: Isolated showers between 9pm and 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. Southeast wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 74. South southeast wind 5 to 8 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 54. South wind around 8 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 85. South wind 7 to 13 mph.
A 43-year-old North Platte man is being charged with a felony after he allegedly assaulted an 18-year-old female who was holding a baby.
At around 11:45 p.m., on July 14, officers with the North Platte Police Department responded to a disturbance in the 1200 block of South Willow Street.
Upon arrival, an 18-year-old female victim told officers that Matt Nolan had returned home to the residence and was intoxicated.
According to Officer Rodney Brown, the victim stated that, following an argument, Nolan had choked her. He then allegedly followed her outside, where he slapped her across the face, all while she was holding a 1-year-old infant.
Officers determined that there was probable cause to arrest Nolan and charge him with felony strangulation and misdemeanor 3rd degree assault. Because the victim was holding the baby, Nolan was also charged with misdemeanor child abuse.
He was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — An executive for an Indianapolis-based nonprofit educational advocacy group has been named executive director of Nebraska’s Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education.
The commission says Michael Baumgartner will take over leadership of the state agency this coming fall. The three other finalists dropped out of the running, and leaving only Baumgartner. He was interviewed last week.
He’s chief financial officer of Complete College America, a national nonprofit that works with states to increase the number of Americans with career certificates or college degrees.
The Nebraska commission is responsible for developing higher education policy and approving financial aid and building projects.
A North Platte woman has been arrested after she allegedly shoplifted from a local business while a 10-year-old child was with her.
At around 6:30 p.m., on July 14, an officer with the North Platte Police Department responded to Walmart on the report of a shoplifter.
The officer met with an off-duty NPPD officer, who reported seeing the suspect, 55-year-old Pamala Youngs, place food items in plastic shopping bags and leave the store without paying.
Following further investigation, Youngs was placed under arrest and charged with felony shoplifting and, because she had been banned from the store, 2nd degree trespassing.
Additionally, Youngs was charged with misdemeanor child abuse because the child was with her while she committed the crime.
Youngs was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.
If you’re traveling east from North Platte on Interstate 80 tonight, you can expect your trip to take just a bit longer.
According to the Nebraska Department of Roads, the I-80 westbound will be closed at the Gothenburg interchange from 11:00 p.m. tonight through 6:00 a.m., tomorrow morning.
Traffic will be routed off of I-80 at the Gothenburg off ramp, and back on using the Gothenburg on ramp.
The closures are for the removal of the bridge over I-80 at the Gothenburg interchange.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The unseasonably cool weather this week helped several Nebraska cities set record low temperatures.
The National Weather Service says several new records were set across the state Tuesday morning. Cool air lingering in the region is delivering temperatures more common in fall than in July.
Omaha set a new record low of 50 Tuesday morning. The previous record was 51.
North Platte eclipsed a 1973 record low of 48 when its temperature fell to 44 Tuesday morning.
Imperial’s low temperature tied a record at 50.
Forecasters say more record low temperatures are possible Wednesday morning.
In an effort to reduce the potential for serious injury and fatality crashes the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP), in conjunction with the Kearney Police Department and the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, will conduct a special enforcement in an effort to “Drive to Save Lives”, Friday & Saturday, July 18-19, in Kearney.
The special enforcement is planned to coincide with the 27th annual Kearney Cruise Nite. The event held Wednesday-Sunday, July 16-20, draws hundreds of classic car enthusiasts together for four days of fun and festivities.
The special enforcement will include high visibility patrols and DUI checkpoints during the evening and early morning hours of Friday & Saturday, July 18-19.
In 2013, troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol Troop C- Grand Island arrested two drivers for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) and cited 11 juveniles for Minor in Possession of Alcohol (MIP). Six speeding citations were also issued, including one for traveling 100 mph in a 65 mph zone.
“This is a big event and we want everyone to enjoy themselves,” said Captain Chris Kolb, Commander Troop C- Grand Island. “We hope by making ourselves visible and available participants will choose to be safe and voluntarily comply with all traffic safety laws.”
A $9,710 grant from the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety (NOHS) will help pay for overtime hours for troopers and communication specialists during the two nights of special enforcement.
Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. Calm wind becoming southeast 5 to 8 mph in the morning.
Tonight: Isolated showers between 9pm and midnight, then scattered showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. East southeast wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 66. East southeast wind around 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53. Southeast wind 5 to 8 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. South wind 3 to 7 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 56.
Three transients are being charged after they were busted with a stolen vehicle at a Maxwell Lake.
At around 9:50 p.m., on July 12, deputies with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office responded to a disturbance at the Ranchland Convenience Store at the Maxwell Interstate 80 interchange.
Upon arrival, deputies made contact with 58-year-old Melinda Feiler.
Feiler advised that she and her boyfriend, 54-year-old Jimmy Little, were drinking and got into an argument.
She said Little left her at the Maxwell Interstate Lake and left in the car they were riding in with 19-year-old Nathaniel Hart Abernathy-Blackwell.
Meanwhile, another deputy located the vehicle parked back at the lake. As he approached, Abernathy-Blackwell took off running into high weeds and trees.
Deputies contacted Little, who was reportedly extremely intoxicated and uncooperative.
The vehicle, a maroon 2002 Mercury four-door, was registered out of Blackwell, Oklahoma and was reported stolen.
As a result, Little and Feiler were both placed under arrest and charged with possession of stolen property. They were transported to the Lincoln County Detention Center.
Deputies, with the assistance of the Nebraska State Patrol and a LCSO K-9, launched an extensive search for Abernathy-Blackwell, to no avail.
The following morning, a citizen reported that a white 2011 Chevrolet pickup was stolen from the area. Deputies believe Abernathy-Blackwell is responsible, and issued a warrant for his arrest.
The investigation is ongoing and Abernathy-Blackwell remains at large.
Two North Platte brothers are facing multiple charges after they allegedly attacked a man in his home.
At around 2:00 a.m., on July 14, North Platte Police responded to the report of a physical disturbance in the 900 block of North Hayes Avenue.
Upon arrival, officers found 45-year-old Jerry Houchin and his brother, 35-year-old Jeff Houchin, yelling at two females on the deck of the residence.
A 29-year-old male resident told officers that the Houchin brothers showed up at his house and began demanding that he come outside and fight.
When the he refused, the Houchins allegedly tried to force their way into the residence.
Officer Rodney Brown said Jeff’s girlfriend attempted to intervene and stop them from entering, but was unsuccessful.
Brown said the victim claimed the brothers then attacked him by choking him and punching him in the face. Jeff’s girlfriend was also injured in the melee.
Following further investigation, officers determined that there was probable cause to arrest both men and charge them with felony strangulation, 2nd degree criminal trespassing, 3rd degree assault and disturbing the peace.
Jeff was also charged with 3rd degree domestic assault. The charge was enhanced to a felony due to prior domestic assault convictions.
Both were jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.
