OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A central Nebraska university being sued by the U.S. Justice Department for banning a therapy dog from student housing is seeking a protective order to prevent what it says is a fishing expedition by government attorneys.

An attorney for UNK says government attorneys are demanding more than 51,000 electronically stored documents regarding any person with a disability that sought any type of accommodation from UNK. The school says that’s overly broad and would cost it nearly $159,000 to produce and review.

The U.S. Justice Department sued the university and the University of Nebraska Board of Regents in November 2011, saying the university unlawfully denied Brittany Hamilton the chance to keep a 4-pound miniature pinscher named Butch in her university-owned apartment a mile off campus to cope with depression and anxiety.

LEMOYNE, Neb. (AP) — A woman has been arrested after a train rammed her car north of Lake McConaughy.

The driver wasn’t in her car but was arrested later on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Keith County Sheriff Jeff Stevens says the train hit the car about 1:30 a.m. Sunday. Stevens says the woman told officers she was traveling northbound when she swerved to miss an animal. Her car left the road and became high-centered on the train tracks.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A new report says Nebraska’s net tax receipts in May came in lower than projected.

The Department of Revenue said Tuesday that net tax receipts for the month totaled $333 million, which is nearly 5 percent below the state’s certified forecast. The forecast said the state would net an estimated $349 million.

According to the report, individual income and sales-and-use tax revenue came in lower than expected. Corporate income and miscellaneous tax revenues were higher than projected.

Net receipts for Nebraska’s current fiscal year are still nearly 2 percent higher than the forecast.

Mid-Plains Community College has released the names of students who qualified for the President’s and Dean’s Lists for the Spring 2014 Term.

The following full-time students completed 12 or more hours in college-level courses and maintained a 3.5-3.89 grade point average to qualify for the Dean’s List:

Amherst – Tanner Taubenheim

Ayr – Kelsey Karr

Benkelman – Shanley Confer, Raquel Ohrman, Joseph Rettele

Brady – Molly Hannon, Megan Polt

Burwell – Julie Timmerman

Callaway – Tanner Cline

Cambridge – Logan Fetters, Robyn Mustion, Amber Schultz

Carmichael, Calif. – Matthew Jordan

Cathlamett, Wash. – Thomas Merz

Chappell – Kody Collins

Cozad – Erick Alvidrez

Culbertson – Tanner Bauer, Karie Funk, Alexandria Hamilton, Savannah Johnson, Gabriel Ware Elbert, Colo. – Heather Lehman

Elwood – Michaela Clark

Gap Mills, W.V. – Christopher Canterbury

Golden, Colo. – Jonathan Mattison

Goodland, Kan. – Joel Linin

Gothenburg – Lacy Holland, Kaytlyn Preitauer, Shay Wear

Herndon, Kan. – Kaelea Stoney

Hershey – Tessa Cumming, Shelby Mustion

Hudson, Colo. – Kyle Woodward

Humphrey – Arthur Wacha

Imperial – Rachel Bischoff, Rosalia Torres

Indianola – Michael Brodd, Brittany Broomfield, Paul Uerling

Julesburg, Colo. – Laura Beckman

Kapolei, Hawaii – Shamberlynn Alop

Kellogg, Idaho – Dakota Rice

Keystone – John Graves, Sandra O’Hayre

Kilgore – Kimberly Rousey-Goodwin

Lakewood, Colo. – Matthew Zarlengo

Las Vegas, Nev. – Derron Davis, Barry Lasseigne

Lexington – Manuel Martinez

Little Rock, Ark. – Vince Booth

Littleton, Colo. – Jason Lighthall

London, England – Liliana Almeida

Lone Tree, Colo. – Shannon Lieber

Longmont, Colo. – Rachel Bashor

Manhattan, Kan. – Francisco Banuelos

Marion, Ind. – Anne Berglund

Maywood – Clay Chittick

McCook – Stephanie Budke, Sierra Bustamante, Brian Calvin, Christian Conroy, Amelia Cooper, Marcus Golden, Nicole Helm, Miranda Holliday, Joseph Kenny, Kendall Lienemann, Caitlyn Mockry, Lucas Post, Tyler Rambali, Tyler Richardson, Jesus Samaniego, Sydney Ulrich

Mission Viejo, Calif. – John Merwin

Montrose, Ill. – Beth Helmink

Mullen – Rawnie Barnes

Nebraska City – Bladen Bales

North Platte – Kaleia Alberts, Laura Alvarez, Walker Baird, Gideon Basson, Shelly Battreall, Shannon Beckius, Isabella Berg, Tina Berglund, Samantha Byrn, Jenifer Dike, Jonathon Dinkel, Elizabeth Dowling, Stephanie Fisher, Charles Halligan, Lori Hazen, Ashley Henkel, Savannah Higdon, Kaela Huntington, Shari Jones, Joy Kadlec, Kasandra Keith, Hunter King, Forrest King, Casandra King, Wendell Matthews, Shelby McClellen, Samuel Miller, Rachel Mullen, Thao Nguyen, Nga T. Nguyen, Stacia Nutter, Michelle Olson, Audri Pelton, Ricky Plank, Kellie Renken, Sarah Riddell, Scott Sperber, Sydney Standage, Derek Thompson, Gregory Vega, Crysta Yenni

Ogallala – Jesse Barnes, Tonya Taylor

Omaha – George Montalvo

Oxford – Ashley Layton

Peyton, Colo. – Cora Buechner

Roseville, Calif. – Stephenie Johnson

San Rafael, N.M. – Julie Gallegos

Stapleton – Courtney Ehlers

Stratton – Jyssica Forch

Sutherland – Dustin Anderson, Kristen Nelson, Ariel Quiroga

Thedford – Ronda Haumann

Thornton, Colo. – Shane Meltz

Udine, Italy – Marco Pascolo

Valentine – Anna Maas, Risa Ramos

Wallace – Jose Arvizo Flores

Wauneta – Iris Almanza

Wellington, Colo. – Alexis Bryant

Westminster, Colo. – Briana Dickerson

Woodbury, Minn. – Xavier Hall

The following full-time students completed 12 or more hours in college-level courses and maintained a 3.9 grade point average to qualify for the President’s list:

Ainsworth – Lesley Holmes

Arvada, Colo. – Chase Cleary

Arvada – Grayson Stroup

Brady – Dakota Terry, Rachael Wardyn

Brule – Michelle Geiger

Colorado Springs, Colo. – Amber Madigan

Crookston – Contressa Vigoren

Culbertson – Jacee Kershaw, Andrea Miller

Dalton – Rachael Ernest

Deception Bay, Queensland – Luke Pittle

Fleming, Colo. – Taylor King

Gothenburg – Angela Buesing, Alec Foster, Lisa Shimmin

Grant – Steve Clint Maaliao, Daphne Maaliao

Hershey – Jacob Bear, Michael Summers

Houma, La. – Patsy McClure

Imperial – Shannon Liewer

Indianola – Justine Jones

Lakewood, Colo. – Nicholas Low

Larkspur, Colo. – Peter Samelson

Maxwell – Alex Gurciullo, Steven Tolle

McCook – Alexander Broadfoot, Kelsey Collicott, Whitni Davis, Kassidy Gillen, Joseph McCarty, Connor Palic, Megan Ruppert, Natalie Sis, Christopher Swasta, Kelsey Woitaszewski

Melba, Idaho – Stephanie Hylton

North Platte – Abigail Bradley, Amy Callendar-Taft, Tyler Calvin, Kaleb Christensen, Sydney Doyle, Jose Estrada, Amy Everhart, Jeremy Farris, Karli Flanders, Casey Fleck, Amariah Gesinski, Joseph Godfrey, Gabrielle Hall, Samuel Harper, Michelle Henry, Dustin Hergenrader, Chandler Hoeft, Hannah Hokanson, Crystal Holes, Kayle Johnson, Austin Klatt, Kody Kramer, Jordyn Lindsey, Gary McCandless, Michael McCrone, Faron Morgan, Matthew Nelson, Jason Parshall, MacKenzie Penner, Rodney Rawson, Patrick Smith, Charles Sprinkle, Rourke Stroup, Hayley Sundstrom, Jocelyn Waker, Kylie Wroot

Ogallala – Shyanne Foster, Megan Martin, Leslie Mendoza, Allen Sipley

Olivehurst, Calif. – Rachel Silva

Omaha – Nicholas Wiemers

Potter – Alyssa Sanders

Ravenna – Emily Deines

Santa Fe, Argentina – Senko Pecarevic

Sutherland – Samantha Staggs

Temecula, Calif. – Stephen Moffatt

Trenton – Travis Jones

Victoria, British Columbia – Gina George

Wellfleet – Jessica Schneider

Westminster, Colo. – Jordan Dickerson

 

A North Platte man is facing several charges after he was found hanging around a local business with a stolen bike and burglary tools.

At around 4:35 a.m., on June 8, an officer with the North Platte Police Department was conducting a security patrol near the River’s Edge Golf Course.

The officer observed a man on a bike, identified as Joshua Richards, emerge from behind a building on the property and detained him.

An investigation revealed that the bike Richards was riding had been stolen.  Additionally, a search of the immediate area turned up a bag of equipment, which included a hammer, several screwdrivers and a flashlight-tools commonly used by a burglar.

As a result, the officer placed Richards under arrest and charged him with possession of stolen property and possession of burglary tools.

A search of Richard’s person revealed drug paraphernalia which field tested positive for methamphetamine.

Richards was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.

 

A North Platte man has been charged with a felony after he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend at a North Platte business.

According to North Platte Police, officers were called to a business in the 1700 block of East 4th Street on the report of a disturbance at around 7:20 p.m., on June 6.

It was reported that 22-year-old Taylor Rivera had entered the business, approached his girlfriend and assaulted her.

Authorities say the woman was choked by Rivera and received other minor injuries before other patrons in the business intervened and stopped the assault.  Rivera then left the business.

A short time later, Rivera was contacted outside his residence and placed under arrest.

He’s been charged with 3rd degree domestic assault and felony strangulation.

Rivera was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.

A North Platte woman wanted on two warrants was busted with more dope.

At around 10:20 a.m., on Sunday, a North Platte Police officer made contact with a vehicle stopped at a business in the 3000 block of South Jeffers.

The officer was aware that the passenger, 27-year-old Toni Allen, had two active warrants for failing to appear in court on controlled substance and shoplifting charges.

Allen was placed under arrest for the two warrants, and a subsequent search revealed suspected methamphetamine and prescription drugs.

Allen was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center on two counts of possession of a controlled substance, as well as the warrants.

• Today: Areas of fog before 11am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 79. Light southwest wind becoming south 6 to 11 mph in the morning.
• Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 54. South southeast wind 9 to 11 mph.
• Wednesday:Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. South wind 6 to 10 mph becoming north in the afternoon.
• Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. North wind 10 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 72. North northeast wind 8 to 11 mph.
• Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 54.
• Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. Breezy.

A 40-year-old North Platte woman will spend the next several years in prison for distributing methamphetamine.

Staci Ponte appeared in Lincoln County District Court on Monday.

In January, North Platte Police responded to the Motel 6 to serve an arrest warrant on Ponte for distributing drugs.

Officers contacted Ponte in the room where she was living, and attempted to take her into custody.

While being taken into custody, Ponte attempted to flush methamphetamine down the toilet.  Police also found two baggies containing meth on Ponte’s person.

Additionally, upon arrival at the jail, officers discovered that Ponte had Valium in her possession.

Prior to sentencing, Lincoln County Attorney, Rebecca Harling, told Judge Donald Rowlands that she had known Ponte for years, and considered her to be a person that has a lot of potential when she has her addiction under control.

“As the coroner, I wondered if I’d pick her up one day,” Harling said.  “In fact, I’m surprised I haven’t had to.”

Harling then asked Judge Rowlands to sentence Ponte to a lengthy prison sentence, where she can get long-term treatment for her methamphetamine addiction.

Ponte’s attorney, Mike Nozicka, said that he could appreciate the state’s position.  He said Ponte has an obvious problem with substance abuse, and pointed out that all the crimes Ponte had committed had drugs as the root cause.

He said Ponte has accepted responsibility for her actions, and has also been receiving treatment for some mental health problems.  Nozicka told the court that Ponte has a five-year-old daughter, and doesn’t want to miss out on time with her.

Before handing down the sentence, Judge Rowlands admonished Ponte for her criminal record which goes back nearly 25 years and agreed that she has an extremely serious addiction to methamphetamine.

He then sentenced her to two to six years in the Women’s Reformatory in York for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to deliver, and one to three years for possession of Valium.  The sentences will be served concurrently.

Ponte was given credit for 158 days already served, and remanded to the custody of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP) — Paddlers will soon have new places to climb in and out of the North Platte River in Scottsbluff.

City officials are preparing to install two canoe ramps along the river this week. One is planned at the end of Fifth Avenue, and the other will be installed at Riverside Park.

Assistant City Manager Nathan Johnson says the park is a good starting point for a canoe excursion. Johnson predicts the gravel ramps will only take a few days to complete.

Scotts Bluff County Tourism gave the city $1,000 in support of the project. Johnson says the ramps are intended to increase tourism in this area and provide another asset that residents can enjoy.