GERING, Neb. (AP) — A 26-year-old Scottsbluff man is accused of forging his father’s name on a check and on a stolen credit card.

Dustin Leonhardt will face four charges at a preliminary hearing on July 23 in Scotts Bluff County District Court. He was arrested on Thursday.

Scotts Bluff County Jail records say Leonhardt remained in custody on Monday. Online court records don’t list his lawyer in the case.

Authorities say Leonhardt cashed one of his father’s retirement checks last month and forged his father’s name on a store credit card during seven separate transactions.

A North Platte man is in jail on a felony domestic assault charge following a disturbance Saturday morning.

At around 1:15 a.m., on June 28, officers with the North Platte Police Department responded to a domestic disturbance in the 1300 block of East 4th Street.

Upon arrival, a 31-year-old female alleged that 30-year-old Jessie Plunk, who was intoxicated, had pushed her and thrown her to the ground multiple times following an argument.

The victim stated that, during the altercation, Plunk prevented her from calling law enforcement by damaging both a cell phone and a land line to the residence.

Officer Rodney Brown said two children, ages 9 and 11, were present during the assault.  At one point, the older child was able to run to a neighbor’s house and call 911.

Following further investigation, officers determined that there was probable cause to arrest Plunk and charge him with felony 3rd degree domestic assault, criminal mischief and two counts of child abuse.

Plunk was transported to the Lincoln County Detention Center and jailed.

Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol Troop E- Scottsbluff took 15 impaired drivers off of the road during a three month long special enforcement effort designed to reduce the potential for serious injury and fatality crashes.

From April through June, the Nebraska State Patrol in conjunction with the Scotts Bluff County Sheriff’s Office conducted 17 vehicle checks and eight high visibility enforcements thanks in part to a $14,250 grant from the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety (NOHS).

“We were able to take several impaired drivers off of the road during these checks,” said Troop E Commander, Captain Mike Gaudreault. “While that may be looked at as a success, real success will be when there are no arrests made, because people are choosing to comply with the law and never drive impaired.”

In addition to the 15 Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) arrests, citations were also written for Open Container (11), Driving Under Suspension (8), and No Operator’s License (11). Troopers also issued 28 restraint citations.

A North Platte woman is facing felony drug charges after she was busted with prescription pills early Saturday morning.

At around 2:10 a.m., on June 28, a North Platte Police officer on patrol noticed a suspicious vehicle parked near the Thrift Center at 4th Street and Sycamore Street.

According to Officer Rodney Brown, the officer observed Jerica Dabney looking inside the passenger vehicle of the vehicle.

As the officer approached Dabney, another female suddenly appeared from inside a nearby dumpster.  Brown said she was apparently attempting to see if there was anything of value in the dumpster.

The officer suspected Dabney was under the influence of something, due to her behavior, and asked to search her person.

As a result of the search, the officer discovered multiple prescription pills for which Dabney did not have a prescription.

Dabney was arrest and charged with possession of a controlled substance-Tylenol 3, possession of a controlled substance-Alprazolam and possession of a legend drug.

She was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.

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This information is not criminal history. All individuals included in this post are presumed innocent of crimes until proven guilty in a court of law. The North Platte Post assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, or completeness, of this information. Any person who believes information provided is not accurate may submit a complaint to admin@northplattepost.com.

• Today: Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Breezy, with a north wind 7 to 12 mph increasing to 16 to 21 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 29 mph.
• Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 53. Breezy, with a northwest wind 15 to 20 mph becoming northwest 7 to 12 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph.
• Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. Northwest wind 9 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
• Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 52. North wind 12 to 17 mph becoming light after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph.
• Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 78. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming east southeast in the afternoon.
• Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 56.

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — The University of Nebraska at Kearney is investing in water bottle filling stations across campus to encourage students to use refillable bottles.

UNK will soon have 12 of the bottle-filling stations across campus, and this fall all students living in dormitories will receive a water bottle when they move in.

The university began installing the bottle-filling stations last year after a group of students visited the University of Colorado’s Boulder campus and noticed them.

UNK’s Jen Kacere says in the first six months after the first bottle-filling stations were installed, the use of disposable plastic water bottles dropped significantly.

The bottle-filling stations cost about $600, and have been paid for with student fees.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Visitors to seven state recreation areas will be allowed to use fireworks on Independence Day.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission says the seven are Branched Oak State Recreation Area near Malcolm, Fort Kearny recreation area near Kearney, Memphis recreation area near Memphis, Fremont recreation area near Fremont, Two Rivers recreation area near Venice, Pawnee recreation area near Emerald and Wagon Train recreation area near Hickman.

On Friday fireworks will be permitted at those areas from 8 a.m. until midnight. Signs at the recreation areas will point the way to designated fireworks sites. Use of fireworks elsewhere in state recreation areas or at other times is prohibited.

Only fireworks approved for sale in Nebraska by the state fire marshal are permitted.

A park entry permit is required for all vehicles.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Architectural work has begun on the new Central Nebraska Veterans Home in Kearney, and state officials say they expect the project to qualify for federal funding.

John Hilgert, the state veterans’ homes director in the Department of Health and Human Services, says it’s prudent to move ahead with the design work as part of the federal grant process. Hilgert says starting the work will demonstrate the project’s readiness to federal officials.

State officials announced in January that they had chosen Wilkins Hinrichs Stober Architects of Kearney to be the lead architect for the new home. The new facility will replace the aging Grand Island Veterans Home.

The Kearney firm is to head up a team of nine specialized consultants that will provide all of the services required for the project.

 

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) — A North Platte physical education teacher who dragged an 8-year-old student by his ankles can keep his job.

The North Platte Public Schools Board decided late Friday not to terminate the contract of Mark Woodhead, a longtime teacher and coach at Jefferson Elementary. The 4-2 vote came at the end of 15 hours of public testimony and deliberation, and was cheered by a large crowd.  Board members Jack Price and Julie Nielsen voted to fire Woodhead.

Witnesses say the third-grader was misbehaving in Woodhead’s physical education class. The student left the class and went to an office. Woodhead followed the boy and dragged him back to a timeout room, a distance of about 90 feet. The child’s guardian testified that the boy suffered rug burns on his back.

Woodhead says he used bad judgment, and never intended to harm the child.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Republican Party is holding its annual convention in Hastings.

The convention is being held this Saturday in the Dawson Building on the campus of Central Community College.

State GOP Chairman J.L. Spray says all Republican federal and statewide candidates are attending, as are several legislative candidates and current office holders.

The convention includes delegates and alternate delegates from around the state who were elected at their local county conventions.