UPDATE

North Platte Police say Brandon DeCent has been located thanks to a tip of his whereabouts received by a family member.

Officer Rodney Brown said Brandon will be placed back in the Nebraska Youth Center.

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North Platte Police are looking for a runaway 12-year-old North Platte boy.

According to NPPD Public Information Officer, Rodney Brown, the department’s school resource officer at North Platte High School received a missing person complaint from school staff and staff at the Nebraska Youth Center.

They reported that a resident of the Youth Center, Brandon DeCent, had walked away from school shortly after 2:00 p.m. and did not return.  Brandon  receives his schooling through the T.I.E.S. program at NPHS.

Brandon was last seen walking in the 1000 block of West 2nd Street.  Brown said they believe Brandon is still in the North Platte area.

Brandon is 5’7” with blue eyes and brown hair.  He was last seen wearing a dark gray T-shirt and skinny jeans.

According to a family member, Brandon’s coat, backpack and other personal belongings were left at the school.

Brown said because this is not an abduction and therefore does not qualify for an Amber Alert.

If you have any information on Brandon’s whereabouts, please contact the NPPD at 308-535-6789 or report your tip anonymously to the Lincoln County Crimestoppers at 308-534-8400.

(AP) — At least four people have been treated at a hospital after a pileup on ice-slickened Interstate 80 in western Nebraska.

The Nebraska State Patrol says the accidents were reported about 2:25 a.m. Wednesday near Maxwell. The patrol says a westbound semitrailer jackknifed on a patch of black ice, blocking traffic. Another semitrailer, a car and a pickup towing a trailer soon piled into the jackknifed truck.

The patrol says four people were taken to Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte for injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

The interstate was closed for about 2½ hours as wreckers cleared the roadway. Traffic was diverted to U.S. Highway 30.

Black ice appears black because the ice is transparent enough to let the pavement color show through.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A state lawmaker who quit the American Legislative Exchange Council says the conservative group is pushing cookie-cutter bills in Nebraska.

State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln said Wednesday that the national group hasn’t gained much traction. But Conrad, a Democrat, says she has seen a number of measures written by ALEC and introduced by Republican lawmakers in the officially nonpartisan Legislature.

Most of the bills have died in committee, including a voter identification measure. The group Bold Nebraska says ALEC also advocated for the Keystone XL pipeline, which some Nebraska landowners oppose.

ALEC describes itself as a free-market, small-government think tank that works with state lawmakers.

Conrad spoke about the group during a media conference call organized by Americans United for Change, a liberal advocacy group.

 

GORDON, Neb. (AP) — New owners are opening a new slaughterhouse operation inside a former kosher beef slaughterhouse in northwest Nebraska.

Open Range Beef is launching its operation at the former Local Pride plant in Gordon.

The Local Pride operation closed because of legal and financial problems tied to its sister facility in eastern Iowa. Shortly after an immigration raid at the Agriprocessors slaughterhouse in Postville, Iowa, the Gordon plant closed in September 2008. Agriprocessors, which owned both plants, declared bankruptcy. Sholom Rubashkin, a top executive at the Iowa plant, was sentenced to 27 years for financial fraud.

The city of Gordon acquired the Nebraska plant and in June sold it to Open Range Beef, a company registered in Bellevue.

(AP) — If a dog’s bark or tail doesn’t convey an understandable message, check the animal’s eyes, ears, nose or the tilt of its head for clues. A veterinarian says it’s important that humans get the right message if they want to communicate well with their pets.

Dr. Gary Weitzman is president of the San Diego Humane Society and he says his new book called “How to Speak Dog” will help people understand their dogs.

Jerry Ericksen of Los Angeles has a 90-pound blind boxer named Buster. They communicate in a language they made up themselves. At the dog park, Ericksen calls Buster and keeps clapping so Buster can follow the sound and find him.

If Buster starts to walk into something, Ericksen will yell stop and the dog will change direction.

The North Platte Police Department has issued a warning to citizens about a phone scam currently underway in the area.

According to NPPD Public Information Officer, Rodney Brown, police have received multiple reports of the scam this morning, and they are concerned it will continue throughout the day.

Brown said complainants have reported receiving a text message, which is supposedly from Wells Fargo, advising them that their debit card has expired and asking them to respond with personal information to reinstate the card.

In many cases, the victims do not even have an account with Wells Fargo.

Brown reminds citizens to never give vital information via phone, text or email.

Brown said there is no need to report the scam to law enforcement, as they are aware of the situation and are actively investigating it.

A North Platte man is facing a felony charge after he was caught red-handed attempting to break into a residence.

According to North Platte Police Department Public Information Officer, Rodney Brown, officers responded to the report of a male subject attempting to break into a home in the 200 block of East 10th at around 4:50 a.m. on Wednesday.

An officer arrived on scene and observed the suspect, 19-year-old Lukas Camacho, attempting to break through a sliding glass door at the rear of the residence.

When Camacho spotted the officer, he attempted to flee by ramming his body through a privacy fence.

The officer was able to place Camacho in custody without further incident, however, while officers were escorting him from the backyard, he kicked open a gate and broke the latch.

Camacho continued to struggle with officers as they attempted to secure him in the patrol car.

Eventually, Camacho was secured and transported to the Lincoln County Detention Center.  He’s been charged with felony attempted burglary, and misdemeanor charges of criminal mischief, resisting arrest, disturbing the peace and minor in possession.

Brown said the homeowner was very shaken by the incident.