(AP) — A man charged with child abuse in the death of a 2-year-old Gering girl is getting new representation.

A judge on Friday approved Dustin Chauncey’s request to be represented by the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy. He was previously represented by the county public defender’s office.

Scotts Bluff County District Judge Leo Dobrovolny granted the request after Jim Mowbray with the commission agreed to take on the case.

Chauncey has pleaded not guilty to a charge of intentional child abuse resulting in the death of Juliette Geurts in July 2008. He was the boyfriend of the girl’s mother. His trial has been pushed back multiple times.

(AP) — A legislative panel will consider a bill this year that would make college loans for graduate degrees tax-deductible in Nebraska.

Sen. Paul Schumacher introduced a measure Friday that would allow taxpayers to deduct the principal paid on loans used to obtain a graduate degree. The deduction would only apply for the first 10 years after a resident had earned the degree.

Schumacher says he proposed the bill after talking with a young woman who grew up in Nebraska, earned a law degree out-of-state, and returned with about $100,000 in student debt.

He argues that a similar deduction was given to Nebraska’s state-sponsored college savings plan, but that plan assumes that parents and grandparents have enough money to save ahead of time.

January is National Radon Action Month and the West Central District Health Department is urging residents to get their homes tested.

Radon is a naturally occurring invisible gas that is released into the air from uranium deep in the soil.  The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services has identified radon emissions in Nebraska as the third highest in the United States because of the high level of uranium in the soil.

Radon can pose serious health risks to you and your family.  You can’t see, smell or taste it, but radon could be present at dangerous level in your home.

Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among non-smokers in America and leads to about 20,000 deaths each year.

The only way to know if your home has dangerous radon levels is to have it tested.

West Central District Health Department has free radon testing kits available to be picked up at their office, 111 North Dewey Street in North Platte.

For more information on radon testing and mitigation, contact the WCDHD at (308) 696-1201 ext. 261, or visit their website, www.wcdhd.org.

Flu season is here and more and more people across the country are getting sick. The American Red Cross urges people to get vaccinated now and offers tips everyone can follow to help prevent the spread of the flu.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report for the week of December 29 to January 4 shows 35 states are seeing widespread flu activity, up from 25 a week earlier. These states include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Most other regions are also reporting a number of residents sick with influenza.

STEPS TO PREVENT THE FLU

The most important step someone can take is to get a flu vaccine. The CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone six months of age and older. Other steps people can take to help prevent the spread of the flu virus:

1. Stay home if sick. 
2. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
3. Cover the nose and mouth with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing, and throw the tissue away after use. If that’s not possible, cough or sneeze into the elbow, not the hands. People with the flu can spread it to others about six feet away through coughs and sneezes.
4. Wash hands often, especially after coughing or sneezing. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand-rub.
5. Avoid touching the eyes, nose or mouth.

“If someone has the flu they should avoid contact with others as much as possible,” said Tina Labellarte, Region CEO. “Everyone should also disinfect surfaces used commonly such as door knobs, switches, phones, computers and remote controls.”

The common signs of influenza are high fever, severe body aches, headache, being extremely tired, sore throat, cough, runny or stuffy nose, and vomiting and/or diarrhea (more common in children). If someone thinks they have the flu, their health-care provider should be consulted. Someone should seek medical care immediately if they develop any of the following symptoms:

• Fast breathing, trouble breathing or bluish skin color.
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen (adults).
• Confusion or sudden dizziness.
• Not drinking enough fluids, not being able to eat, or severe or persistent vomiting.
• Flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with fever and worse cough.
  • Children – not waking up, being so irritable that the child does not want to be held or not interacting. Fever with a rash. No tears when crying or significantly fewer wet diapers than normal.

More information about influenza and how to help stop the spread of the flu virus is available on www.redcross.org.

The Nebraska Judicial Branch wants to warn the public about a computer virus that is being delivered via email falsely claiming to be about a court case. The Judicial Branch has learned that the email references an upcoming court case; however, the email is a scam. Opening any attachment or clicking on any link in the message may trigger a malicious program designed to infect the recipient’s computer.

The email is not from the courts nor is it about a court case.

If you receive an email with a subject line such as “Hearing of your case in Court” or “Notice to Appear in Court,” it is recommended that individuals:

• ·         Do not open any attachments, click on any links, or unsubscribe. Doing so may install the malware/virus onto your computer.
• ·         Delete the email.

The email appears to be coming from a variety of random sources. The body of the email may read something like the following example:

From: Notice to Appear

Subject: Hearing of your case in Court NR#6976

Notice to Appear,

Hereby you are notified that you have been scheduled to appear for your hearing that will take place in the court of Washington, January 9, 2014 at 10:00 am. Please bring all documents and witnesses relating to this case with you to Court on your hearing date.

The copy of the court notice is attached to this letter.
Please, read it thoroughly.

Note: If you do not attend the hearing the judge may hear the case in your absence.

Yours truly,

Alison Smith
Clerk to the Court

As of Friday morning, January 10, the driver and passenger of a vehicle that led troopers on a Thursday pursuit near Alliance have not been located.

Just after 7:00 a.m., (MDT), Thursday, January 9, a trooper attempted a traffic stop on a black four door vehicle for speeding on Highway 385 on the west side of Alliance. The vehicle failed to stop and a pursuit ensued. The vehicle traveled east of Alliance on Highway 2, before leaving the roadway and entering a pasture.  The vehicle continued heading through pastureland in a northeasterly direction.

Troopers, with assistance from the Box Butte County Sheriff’s Office, attempted to follow the fleeing car’s tracks through the pasture but lost site of the vehicle.  A Box Butte County Deputy did spot the vehicle hidden in a tree row, but as the Deputy approached the vehicle took off again continuing in a northeasterly direction through pastureland.

Assistance in the search was provided from the air was by a private pilot who was able to spot the vehicle in rugged terrain approximately 16 miles northeast of Alliance.  The plane was forced to return to refuel and visual contact with the vehicle was lost around 10:40 a.m. (MDT).

Around 12:45 p.m., a second private plane located the vehicle continuing to travel north in the Sandhills approximately 20 miles northeast of Alliance.  At that time, the vehicle was observed to become disabled and the two occupants, a male and a female, left the vehicle traveling on foot in a northerly direction.

The Nebraska State Patrol Aviation Division Helicopter then took over the aerial search, until 7:00 p.m. (MDT), when the search was suspended due to darkness.

The vehicle, a 1998 black Subaru, was located abandoned in a ravine just south of the Niobrara River in Sheridan County.  Evidence located in the vehicle led troopers to believe the driver to be, Ryan Riddle, 30, Greeley, Colorado. Riddle is a white male, 6’1” tall, 170 lbs., with brown hair and blue eyes.  Riddle is wanted on numerous active misdemeanor warrants out of Colorado. A female passenger has not been identified.

The Nebraska State Patrol will continue its investigation. Citizens in the area are asked to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity or individuals to 911.

The city manager of McCook in southwest Nebraska has announced his resignation and intention to take a job near his family’s farm home in central Missouri.

J. Jeff Hancock disclosed Wednesday that his last day of work in McCook would be Feb. 7 and that he’d do everything possible “to assist in the transition.” Hancock was named McCook’s city manager in October 2011.

Hancock says there’s a farm near Camdenton, Mo., that’s been owned by his mother’s family since the 1830s. He says he applied to fill the position of city administrator in Camdenton after the current administrator announced her retirement.

The McCook City Council’s plans for the transition could be announced at its next meeting, Jan. 20.

A North Platte man is facing a felony charged after he purchased a handgun through Facebook.

According to North Platte Police, a citizen contacted an officer on Thursday advising they were on a Facebook page, Nebraska Gun Exchange, where people sell and trade guns.

The citizen told the officer that an individual named Ted Daniels had posted on the page requesting to buy a handgun and a .22 caliber rifle.  The citizen had a handgun to sell and asked the officer what he needed to do to sell it.  The officer told him that the purchaser had to have a handgun permit and be at least 21-years-old.

The officer ran a records check and discovered that Daniels is a convicted felon.

Investigators set up a controlled buy under police surveillance.

A short time later, Daniels arrived, purchased the gun and was promptly placed under arrest.  According to Investigator John Deal, officers then obtained a search warrant for Daniels’ home in the 3300 block of West E. Street.  Deal said two rifles were located in the residence.

Daniels was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center on a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

 

A North Platte woman was jailed on a felony theft charge after she was accused of running a credit card scheme at the Cedar Bowl in North Platte.

According to Investigator John Deal, North Platte Police started an investigation at the Cedar Bowl in regards to some suspicious credit card transactions.

Management at the Cedar Bowl told police that they were getting disputes from credit card companies advising that their customers were refuting charges made at the business.  The refuted transactions took place over a period of months and totaled around $1,500.

The business suspected that an employee, Alana Vieyra, was swiping her own credit cards at the business then refuting the charges with the credit card company.

Deal said, following an investigation, officers determined that there was probable cause to arrest Vieyra for felony theft by deception.

She was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.

 

• Today: Scattered snow showers, mainly before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 43. Northwest wind 8 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
• Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 19. West northwest wind 9 to 13 mph.
• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 52. West northwest wind 9 to 14 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
• Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. South southwest wind 9 to 11 mph becoming west northwest after midnight.
• Sunday: A slight chance of sprinkles after 9am. Partly sunny, with a high near 49. Breezy, with a west northwest wind 13 to 18 mph increasing to 19 to 24 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 33 mph.
• Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 23.