(AP) — Efforts to delay implementation of changes in the federal flood insurance program have run into roadblocks on both sides of Capitol Hill.
The changes are designed to force higher premiums on properties especially at risk of flooding.
Putting into effect last year’s bipartisan legislation, aimed at placing the flood insurance program on sounder financial footing, is sparking fears of spikes in premiums and plummeting home values.
The top leaders of the House Financial Services Committee say they are standing behind the bill. In the Senate, attempts to call a quick floor vote on legislation to delay the changes appear to face opposition from both Democrats and Republicans.
About 1.1 million — or 1 in 5 homeowners in the program — have received taxpayer-subsidized rates.
One thing is clear to residents of North Platte; thefts from vehicles are on the rise.
According to a statement from the North Platte Police Department (NPPD), thieves are targeting unsecured vehicles throughout the city. However, they say the majority of reports have been concentrated to neighborhoods in the North Central and Northwest parts of town.
Police say the suspects appear to be focusing on quick, easy targets during the early morning hours. Officer Rodney Brown said the thefts have consisted mainly of smaller amounts of cash, mp3 players, wallets and things of that nature.
Two North Platte teenagers, KC Betancud and Logan Reed, who are suspected of committing multiple thefts, were arrested Tuesday. Nonetheless, the Post has received reports of more thefts occuring Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
The NPPD is encouraging all residents to make sure all valuables are removed from vehicles and to make sure vehicles are locked when not in use.
Brown said these are steps that should be taken at all times, not just during periods when thefts appear to be on the rise.
Additionally, Brown is asking anyone who witnesses suspicious activity or persons to contact the police department immediately at 308-535-6789.
Rape charges filed against a 20-year-old North Platte man have been dismissed.
On October 15, 2012, North Platte Police responded to the emergency room at Great Plains Regional Medical Center on the report of a sexual assault.
Upon arrival, a female victim told officers she had been sexually assaulted by Joshua Walsh at a residence on West 9th Street. The victim stated that she had awoken to find Walsh attempting to have sexual intercourse with her.
Through the investigation, a DNA sample was submitted by Walsh, who was 19 at the time, and sent to the Nebraska State Patrol lab for testing. Police said the results of the test indicated the presence of Walsh’s DNA.
Walsh was arrested on August 20th, 2013, and has been held at the Lincoln County Detention Center since that time.
At a status hearing Monday, Walsh’s attorney, Robert Lindemeier, argued that the case should never have been bound over to District Court based on a lack of evidence by prosecutors.
Lindemeier said in court that, “When you do this (practice law) for this long, you get a sense when something stinks, and this case stinks.”
Lindemeier said the DNA evidence was not sufficient and only provided a partial profile of the suspect. He said the results showed that the DNA would be a match for 1 in 10 males, saying that, based on the DNA evidence, there could be 20 potential suspects sitting in the court room.
Lincoln County District Court Judge Donald Rowlands took the case under advisement, and on Tuesday, issued a statement that he was dismissing the case against Walsh without prejudice, meaning the State could re-file charges against Walsh if more evidence is obtained within the next two years.
Following the ruling, Walsh was released from jail.
In a Facebook post, Walsh’s family said they are thankful for the love, prayers and support him and his family received throughout the ordeal.
North Platte Police believe they have put an end to a recent rash of thefts from vehicles, following the arrest of two North Platte teens Tuesday morning.
According Officer Rodney Brown, officers responded to the report of suspicious persons at the the North Platte Community Daycare, 1210 S. Ash, at around 4:45 a.m. Brown said a citizen called police after observing two suspicious male subjects in the area.
A search for the subjects ended near the Platte River Mall, where officers located 18-year-old KC Betancud and 18-year-old Logan Reed.
Officers found the teens in possession of stolen property and prescription drugs linking them to multiple thefts. Brown said officers were able to track the property to prior thefts that took place at 1200 S. Ash, 1100 S. Buffalo, 2100 W. Leota and 1300 S. Carr, as well as thefts in the area of McDonald and William Streets.
Betancud and Reed were charged with five counts of theft by unlawful taking, and one count felony possession of a controlled substance.
Brown said the duo is possibly connected to more thefts from vehicles in North Platte. The investigation is ongoing.
Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. West northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm in the afternoon.
Tonight: A chance of snow and freezing drizzle after 3am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 20. Blustery, with a light and variable wind becoming north 18 to 23 mph in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Thursday: Snow likely, mainly after noon. Cloudy, with a high near 21. Blustery, with a north wind 16 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
Thursday Night: Snow likely, mainly before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 7. Wind chill values as low as -8. North wind 11 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
A crash Monday evening seriously injured a Brady man.
According to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, 45-year-old Dave Pedersen was driving his 2006 Ford F350 southbound on North Brady Road when he lost control at around 8:00 p.m.
Chief Deputy Roland Kramer said Pedersen over-corrected, causing the vehicle to spin and enter a ditch. Pedersen was ejected from the vehicle.
Pedersen was taken to Great Plains Regional Medical Center before being transported by helicopter to Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.
Kramer said Pedersen sustained serious injuries.
Deputies do not believe alcohol was a factor in the crash.
(AP) — Two inmates have sued the state’s corrections director and other officials, saying prison overcrowding has caused the two emotional distress.
Dukhan Mumin and Khalid Muhammad say in the lawsuit that Department of Correctional Services Director Michael Kenney and other officials have failed in their duty by allowing such conditions to exist and not moving to alleviate them.
Department spokeswoman Dawn-Renee Smith declined to comment on the lawsuit.
The men’s lawsuit says that because of overcrowding at the Tecumseh prison they get a fifth of the 50 square feet of living space listed in guidelines by the American Correctional Association.
The two men want $80 million each for punitive damages and what they say is intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The Nebraska State Patrol will join law enforcement agencies across the nation in a Thanksgiving holiday campaign designed to save lives by enforcing seat belt usage.
Beginning Monday, November 25, through Sunday, December 1, troopers and communication specialists will put in extra hours as part of the “Click It or Ticket” enforcement campaign. A more than $20,000 grant from the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety (NOHS), will help to pay for the additional enforcement.
“It really is very simple,” said Colonel David Sankey, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “By wearing your seat belt, every trip, every time, you increase your odds of surviving a crash and through compliance with all traffic safety laws, you help to make the roads safer for everyone.”
During the “Click It or Ticket” enforcement troopers will concentrate on reducing crash causing behaviors such as speeding, following too closely, impaired or distracted driving.
In addition to the added enforcement, Nebraska State Patrol Motorist Assist volunteers in specially marked vans will be available to help stranded motorists along Interstate 80 from Omaha to Kearney.
Motorists are also encouraged to pay special attention to weather and road conditions when preparing for holiday travel by utilizing 511, Nebraska’s Advanced Traveler Information System at < www.511.nebraska.gov >, the 511 Mobile Traveler Site at < https://www.ndortraveler.mobi > or by dialing 511 (800-906-9069) from any landline or cell phone for information.
A North Platte man convicted of writing a plethora of bad checks in Lincoln County will spend the next two to three years in prison.
Lincoln County District Court Judge Richard Birch handed down the sentence to 43-year-old Sean McCarthy on Monday.
Prosecutors say McCarthy wrote bad checks to several North Platte businesses this past summer.
Wills’ attorney, Blaine Gillett, asked for probation and credit for time served because the crimes were property offenses and did not involve violence. He said McCarthy had successfully completed treatment and had a job in Lincoln upon his release from jail.
However, prosecutors made note of McCarthy’s substantial criminal history, which has resulted in four trips to the Nebraska State Penitentiary. Birch agreed and said probation would not be an appropriate sentence in this case.
McCarthy given credit for 227 day already served in jail.
(AP) — Efforts to delay implementation of changes in the federal flood insurance program have run into roadblocks on both sides of Capitol Hill.
