A North Platte man who has been convicted of driving under the influence multiple times, will spend the next four to six years in the Nebraska State Penitentiary.

Lincoln County District Court Judge, Richard Birch, handed down the sentence Monday to 46-year-old Robb Eacker on Monday.

Prosecutors say Eacker had six prior DUIs when he was arrested in July of 2012.

Eacker’s attorney, Russ Jones, called Eacker to the stand prior to sentencing.  Eacker explained that he had changed a lot, stating that he had a young child and fiancé at home, had been attending AA and had stayed clean and sober.

Judge Birch commended Eacker for his efforts, but said his lengthy history of drinking and driving gave him little choice but to sentence him to prison.  Judge Birch also pointed out that Eacker had never sought inpatient treatment to address his problem with addiction.

Birch ordered that Eacker be remanded to the custody of the Nebraska Department of Corrections for no less than four years and not more than six.  Eacker also received one and a half to three years for felony driving under suspension.  The sentences will run concurrently.

 

(AP) — A new report says more than 14,000 Nebraska residents have successfully chosen a health insurance plan out of nearly 43,000 who have applied as part of the federal health care law.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released its newest figures on Monday.

The report says females account for roughly 54 percent of the applicants who have selected a plan, and 46 percent are male. Nearly one-third of the applicants are between 55 and 64 years old. Approximately 18 percent age 25 or younger.

Nebraska is one of 36 states that are relying on the federal website to enroll residents in the health marketplace, which is part of the federal health care law.

A 27-year-old North Platte woman has been charged with a felony stemming from a hit-and-run accident that sent a woman to the hospital.

According to Officer Rodney Brown, North Platte Police responded to the report of a hit-and-run accident in the 700 block of East 9th Street at around 1:30 a.m., on Saturday, January 11.  Witnesses reported seeing a blue 2006 Jeep Commander colliding with two parked vehicles.  They reported that, following the accident, the driver of the suspect vehicle entered another vehicle and fled the scene.

Upon arrival, officers noted that the Jeep Commander had struck a Red 2002 Dodge Ram and a 1983 Chevrolet Suburban.

A 31-year-old female passenger was still in the Jeep, and was transported to Great Plains Regional Medical Center for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

Following further investigation, officers identified the driver as Anita Melton and found probable cause to arrest her.

Melton was located around 1:00 p.m. and placed under arrest.

She was charged with leaving the scene of an injury accident, a Class IIA felony, and jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.

The two people involved in a Thursday, January 9, pursuit near Alliance have been located.

Around 9:15 a.m., (MDT), Sunday, January 12, Ryan Riddle, 30, Greeley, Colo., and Rebecca J. Melzo, 22, Greeley, Colo., were taken into custody at a convenience store in Hay Springs.  After being taken into custody, both Riddle and Melzo were taken to the Chadron Hospital to be examined. The pair was involved in a pursuit and subsequent search that began Thursday morning, after a trooper attempted a traffic stop on a black four door vehicle for speeding on Highway 385 near Alliance.

After leaving the roadway and entering pastureland north and east of Alliance, the vehicle a black 1998 Subaru, driven by Riddle, continued into the rugged terrain for approximately 20 miles before becoming disabled. At that time Riddle and Melzo left the vehicle and took off on foot.

A subsequent search for the pair was called off Thursday evening due to darkness. The pair remained on the loose until they were taken into custodySunday in Hay Springs.

Riddle, was lodged in the Box Butte County Jail on numerous charges.  His female passenger Melzo was not detained.

The family of a Burwell man who authorities say killed himself and his daughter has scheduled a memorial service.

The Garden County attorney has ruled that 31-year-old Christopher Melling used a shotgun to kill his daughter, Aimee Melling, at their home in Burwell. The little girl’s body was buried on Sunday, which would have been her third birthday.

The memorial service for Christopher Melling is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at the VFW in Gibbon.

The bodies were found last Tuesday after officers were sent to the Burwell house to check on the residents. Neighbors had reported their concerns after seeing no activity at the home.

The deaths are believed to have occurred sometime between the night of Jan. 4 and Tuesday morning.

• Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 51. Breezy, with a west wind 9 to 14 mph increasing to 18 to 23 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph.
• Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. Blustery, with a west northwest wind 17 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
• Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 40. Windy, with a north northwest wind 23 to 33 mph, with gusts as high as 44 mph.
• Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 17. Northwest wind 8 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.
• Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 58. West wind 9 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.
• Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 24.

• Robert Logan Zeigler, 41, North Platte and Wendy Sue Johnson, 39, North Platte

 

• Dennis Erwin Ferguson, 72, North Platte and Katherine Kay Boyer, 69, North Platte

 

• Robert Joseph Trujillo, 37, North Platte and Melanie Beth Whitmore, 38, North Platte

(AP) — The airlines serving small markets in Nebraska and Iowa have had a hard time finding enough pilots since new rules took effect last year, so numerous flights have been cancelled.

The cancelled flights create hassles for passengers, and they could make it harder for small airports to qualify for federal subsidies. Airports must serve at least 10,000 passengers a year to qualify for the subsidies.

U.S. Senator Mike Johanns says he thinks the Senate Commerce Committee should hold a hearing on these unintended consequences of the new pilot-qualification rules.

The new rules that took effect in August require co-pilots to log 1,500 flight hours and pass the Air Transport Pilot exam before they can work for commercial airlines. Previously, co-pilots were only required to have 250 hours experience.

(AP) — Registration is now open for Nebraska’s annual Unicameral Youth Legislature program for high school students.

The program is scheduled to run June 8-11. Every year, it gives students the chance to learn firsthand about serving as a Nebraska state senator. Students will discover how the process works by sponsoring bills, conducting committee hearings and debating legislation.

The program includes interaction with Nebraska senators, staff members and lobbyists, using bill topics based on proposals that were considering during the most recent legislative session.

Early-bird registration is available until April 1. Registration and scholarship forms can be obtained from the Legislature’s Unicameral Youth Legislature page and the UNL Big Red Summer Academic Camps website. The registration deadline is May 15.