If you’re one of those people who like to travel at night, you may have to make a detour on Interstate 80 at Gothenburg later this month.

The Nebraska Department of Roads announced that westbound I-80 will be closed between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., on July 10 and July 11.

Traffic will be routed off of I-80 at the Gothenburg off ramp, and back onto I-80 using the Gothenburg on ramp.

I-80 Eastbound will be closed between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., on July 11 and July 12.

Again, traffic will be routed off of I-80 at the Gotenburg off ramp and back on at the Gothenburg on ramp.

The closures are for the removal of the bridge over I-80 at the Gothenburg Interchange.

 

A second suspect has been arrested for their involvement in a theft scheme at JC Penney in North Platte.

On June 16, and investigation began in regards to employee theft at the store.

Management reported that they had discovered that three employees had been stealing form the business.

It was determined that the employees had been selling merchandise to each other at heavily discounted prices.  They would then return the merchandise for a full-price refund.  Police say that, between the three employees, several thousand dollars worth of loss to the store was reported.

One of the suspects, Ashleigh Larson, was contacted on June 26, and cited for felony theft by deception.

On June 30, an investigator with the North Platte Police Department met with 21-year-old Justin Bailey, and spoke to him regarding his involvement in the thefts.

Following questioning, Bailey was arrested and charged with felony theft by deception.  He was processed and released at the Lincoln County Detention Center.

Officer Rodney Brown said the investigation into the third suspect in ongoing.

As part of their mission to provide patient-centered care, Great Plains Health (GPH) will now offer room service to all patients.

On Monday, GPH announced the launch of its in-room meal service to all patients during their hospital stay.

Officials say patients will no longer have to wait for set meal times to receive their meals.  Under the new program, patients or their family members can call anytime between 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. to order their desired entrees.  Selections can be made from a restaurant-style menu that features 12 different entree choices per meal.

“The effort is part of our initiative to deliver a consistently positive patient experience at Great Plains Health,” said Krystal Claymore, chief financial officer and head of nutrition services.

“We know that one of the biggest patient satisfiers is quality food,” said Claymore.  “Patients want to be able to choose the foods they like and order it when they’re hungry.  Within dietary restrictions, the At Your Request Room Service program helps us meet that customer service expectation.”

The program is offered in partnership with Sodexo, and the menu features a wide range of options, such as customized omelettes, made-to-order salads, personal pizza and grill items, as well as traditional entrees like chicken and lasagna.  The menu also features selections for patients with dietary restrictions, including those on a liquid diet.

When placing an order, patients speak with a room service operator who helps them decide what to order based on any dietary restrictions they may have.  Meals are delivered to the patient’s bedside within 45 minutes of placing the call.

According to Claymore, visiting friends and family members may also order from the room service menu for a fee.

“It’s a whole new dining experience for our guests at Great Plains Health,” Claymore said.  “Our hope is that they feel pampered and well cared for when they are at our facility.”

 

• Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 78. North northwest wind 10 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
• Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 49. North wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
• Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 80. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the afternoon.
• Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 57. East southeast wind 6 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
• Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 85. South southeast wind 9 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
• Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 63.
• Independence Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 89.

A 74-year-old Kimball woman has been given probation for defrauding the Social Security Administration.

According to a news release form the office of United States Attorney for Nebraska, Deborah Gilg, Lois Powell pleaded guilty to theft of government property.

Prosecutors say, since 1998, Powell defrauded the Social Security Administration by receiving benefits belonging to a deceased friend.

They say Powell had been added as a signor on the friend’s account, and  when the friend passed away, Powell continued to receive checks totaling $177,675.  Powell used the money for her own personal use.

On Monday, the Honroable Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Powell to five years of probation, and ordered her to pay restitution in the amount of $177,675.

The case was investigated by the Office of the Inspector General, Social Security.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Two KPMG LLP auditors have been punished by a Security and Exchange Commission judge who cited their work on the TierOne Bank before it failed.

The SEC filed administrative charges last year against KPMG partner John Aesoph, of Omaha, and senior manager Darren Bennett, of Elkhorn. In her order Friday, administrative law judge Carol Fox Foelak said Aesoph and Bennett knew TierOne’s loan-loss reserves deserved heightened scrutiny and should not have issued a clean audit opinion because of “red flags (that) indicated that management was inept and had an incentive to understate losses.”

Regulators closed TierOne in 2010 and sold its assets.

Aesoph was suspended from working on publicly traded companies for a year and Bennett for six months. Their attorneys say the men are considering appeals.

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for help in identifying vandals who struck the Village of Brady over the weekend.

According to the LCSO, the vandals struck during the evening hours of June 27, or the early morning hours of June 28.

Authorities say the subjects entered the restrooms at Palmer Park and destroyed several sinks and toilets.  Deputies believe they possibly used bats or hammers.

Additionally, unknown subjects smashed several mailboxes in Brady using a bat or similar object.  Deputies say descriptions of the suspects and their vehicle were given to them, but they are unsure if this incident is related to the damage at Palmer Park.

The LCSO is asking the public for help in identifying the suspects in both of these cases.  Contact the LCSO at (308) 535-9599, or give tips anonymously through the Lincoln County Crimestoppers, (308) 534-8400, if you have any information.

 

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Four new Nebraska laws will go into effect on Tuesday.

One law will require Nebraska school districts to publish superintendent employment contracts. Another will increase the state fees for certified copies of marriage certificates and for searches of death certificates.

A third law will officially create a state commission to prepare for Nebraska’s 150th anniversary as a state in 2017. The Nebraska Sesquicentennial Commission will consist of 17 members appointed by the governor. Jeff Searcy, chairman of the Nebraska 150 Sesquicentennial Committee, says the new state commission will work to ensure statewide participation in the celebration.

The fourth establishes a program in the Department of Health and Human Services to help pay for treatment of certain allergies, a blood cell disorder and other ailments.

Most of Nebraska’s new state laws will go into effect on July 18.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Democrat Chuck Hassebrook has chosen Lancaster County Commissioner Jane Raybould as his running mate in the Nebraska governor’s race. Hassebrook announced his pick on Monday at the Capitol. Raybould, who was born and raised in Lincoln, was first elected to the county board of commissioners in 2010.

Raybould serves as vice president for operations at B & R Stores, Inc., an employee-owned grocery store company that includes Russ’s Market, Super Savers, Save Best Foods and Apple Market. Raybould and her husband, Jose Herrero, have two children.

Hassebrook is running against Republican Pete Ricketts in the race to replace Gov. Dave Heineman, who is leaving office due to term limits. Ricketts has selected current Lt. Gov. Lavon Heidemann, a farmer and former state senator, as his running mate.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — American farmers have planted less corn than in any year since 2010 but more soybeans than ever, as expected.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says in its annual Acreage Report released Monday that farmers planted 91.6 million acres of corn. That’s 4 percent less than last year but still the fifth-largest corn crop planted since 1944. Analysts expected some farmers to devote more acreage to soybeans because of a drop in corn prices.

The USDA says farmers planted a record high 84.8 million acres of soybeans, up 11 percent from last year. Record soybean acres have been planted in Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Seventy-six percent of the corn crop is in good to excellent condition, compared with 63 percent last year.