ROANOKE, Va. (AP) — The Obama administration is unveiling a 2014 drug control policy with a focus on promoting drug treatment programs, as well as stemming heroin use and prescription painkillers abuse.
The White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy’s acting director Michael Botticelli outlined the administration’s blueprint for limiting drug abuse Wednesday at a drug treatment facility in Roanoke, Virginia.
Botticelli said the policy will continue to push for expanded health interventions and “smart on crime” alternatives proven to reduce drug use.
The strategy also calls for an enhanced focus on preventing overdoses from opioids, which include heroin and prescription painkillers. In March, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder called the increase in heroin-related deaths an urgent health crisis and said first responders should carry Narcan, an overdose reversal drug, with them.
Each and every Wednesday, you can find the North Platte Noon Rotary Club congregating for their weekly meeting at the Quality Inn and Suites Sandhills Convention Center.
This Wednesday’s meeting was extremely special to Rotarians from all across Central Nebraska, as they welcomed Rotary International President, Gary C.K. Huang, of Taiwan.
Making Huang’s visit to North Platte even more special, was the fact that this is the first visit of his Presidency.
A Rotarian since 1976, Huang has served in numerous capacities in the organization. He has been instrumental in the development of membership throughout Asia. He is the first Taiwanese President in the club’s 109 year history.
Huang is an adviser for Wah Lee Corp. and the Bank of Panhsin. He is also the director of Federal Corporation and Sunty Development Company Ltd.
The theme Huang chose for the year is “Light Up Rotary,” saying he was inspired by the teachings of Chinese philosopher Confucius, who said, “It is better to light a single candle than to sit and curse the darkness.”
“Light Up Rotary is our theme, but it is more than a theme,” Huang said. “It is how we think in Rotary, how we feel, how we work.”
Huang added, “It is how we make a difference-every day, in every club, every district and every country where we serve.”
Huang has also set an ambitious agenda for his Presidency, leading an international effort to grow Rotary membership by 50,000, and spread membership across Russia and China. He said he seeks to increase membership to a total of 1.3 million members worldwide.
“The Rotary way is the Confucius way,” Huang said. “The Rotary way is to light the candle. I light one, you light one and 1.2 million Rotarians light one. Together, we light up the world.
In true Husker fashion, the Noon Rotary club made sure that Huang would never forget his visit to Nebraska, by presenting him and his wife with a Husker t-shirt and a framed photograph of the Husker basketball team. He was also presented with a key to the City of North Platte by Mayor Dwight Livingston.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — How often do your favorite TV outlets all carry the same show at the same time — and in prime time, without ads?
Tune in to just about any channel on Sept. 5 at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific to see for yourself. Dozens of broadcast and cable networks will again donate a simultaneous hour of commercial-free airtime to carry the fundraiser “Stand Up to Cancer.”
Participants will include ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, HBO, Showtime, Lifetime, ESPNews and many others. A Canadian broadcast is being added this year.
Gwyneth Paltrow and Joel Gallen are returning to produce the telecast for a second time and other stars from TV, film and music will encourage and accept donations from the public. The money raised supports cross-disciplinary research toward new cancer treatments.
BROKEN BOW, Neb. (AP) — A 51-year-old Broken Bow woman no longer faces charges in the death of a 20-month-old boy.
Online court records say the charges against Diane Hill were dismissed last week at the request of Custer County prosecutors, who didn’t explain their reasons. The charges could be refiled, however.
Hill and her daughter, 24-year-old Brittney Pryce, were charged after the Nov. 22, 2013, death of Noah Pryce. Investigators say the boy died of a head injury suffered while in the care of Pryce and her mother.
The boy was a ward of the state, and Brittney Pryce and her husband were his guardians.
Brittney Pryce is still charged and is scheduled for a hearing on July 24.
Today: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Southeast wind 6 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Tonight: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 60. East southeast wind 11 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. South southeast wind 11 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. East southeast wind 5 to 13 mph.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 91. East wind 7 to 15 mph becoming north northeast in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 21 mph.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the wheat harvest is well underway in southern Nebraska.
The USDA says that as of Sunday, 13 percent of the state’s crop had been harvested, half the average of 26 percent by the date. The crop was rated 49 percent good or excellent.
Corn was rated at 72 percent good or excellent. Eight percent of the corn had begun silking, compared with the average of 14 percent by the date.
Topsoil moisture supplies were rated 3 percent very short, 20 percent short, 72 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were rated 8 percent very short, 21 percent short, 68 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus.
The 23-year-old woman who escaped from the Hitchcock County jail earlier today has been captured.
Hitchcock County Sheriff D. Bryan Leggott says Jessica Cole was located and arrested in the basement of a home less than a block away from the jail just before 7:30 p.m. Tuesday evening.
Cole, who was being held on pending felony drug charges, now faces an additional charge of felony escape.
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Hitchcock County officials are asking for the public’s help in locating a woman who escaped from jail.
According to a news release, 23-year-old Jessica Cole escaped between 2:45 p.m. and 2:55 p.m., on Tuesday.
Cole was in the jail’s exercise yard when she escaped. Officials say she may have been cut when when she scaled the wall and razor wire, and therefore may seek medical attention.
Cole is 5’2″ tall and weighs 125 pounds. She has green eyes and long brown hair.
Anyone with information should contact their local law enforcement agency or the Hitchcock County Sheriff at (308) 334-5444.
A Colorado man is being housed in the Lincoln County Detention Center after he was arrested on multiple warrants in North Platte.
At around 8:10 a.m., on July 8, officers with the North Platte Police Department responded to a residence in the 600 block of East 2nd Street, after receiving a report of two suspicious males entering a 5th wheel behind a residence.
Officers made contact with two male subjects and a female subject.
One of the men, 23-year-old Robert Pinson, of Colorado Springs, CO, was found to have multiple warrants in Nebraska.
Pinson was wanted in Dawson County on warrants for no operator’s license, two counts of leaving the scene of a property damage accident, two counts of possession of marijuana, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and theft. He was also wanted in Gosper County for driving under suspension and possession of marijuana, and in Buffalo County for theft.
According to Officer Rodney Brown, Pinson was also on probation with a search and seizure clause in place. Officers searched Pinson and found a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Pinson was jailed on the warrants, and cited for possession of marijuana.
Brown said the other subjects weren’t cited or because Pinson had permission to be at the residence.
ROANOKE, Va. (AP) — The Obama administration is unveiling a 2014 drug control policy with a focus on promoting drug treatment programs, as well as stemming heroin use and prescription painkillers abuse.
