Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 59. Breezy, with a south wind 9 to 14 mph increasing to 16 to 21 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 29 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 31. South southeast wind 8 to 13 mph becoming west after midnight.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. West wind 8 to 11 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: A slight chance of rain before midnight, then a slight chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32. South southwest wind 6 to 11 mph becoming west 12 to 17 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 48. Breezy, with a west northwest wind 17 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph.
(AP) — A series of new projects will nearly triple Nebraska’s wind energy capacity by the end of 2015.
Nebraska currently has the capacity to generate 459 megawatts from wind power. John Hansen, the co-chair of the sixth annual Nebraska Wind Conference, told an audience on Wednesday that the state will add 750 megawatts over the next two years.
When the projects are done, Nebraska will join the ranks of neighboring states Iowa, Kansas, Wyoming and Colorado, which have all surpassed the 1,000-megawatt mark.
Gov. Dave Heineman told conference attendees that more work needs to be done to develop Nebraska’s wind power. Heineman says wind farms produce local property tax revenue and encourage economic development in rural and urban areas.
(AP) — The Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry has released a survey that says most of its members want cuts to the state income tax.
The autumn survey was conducted at the group’s annual legislative forums in 30 communities throughout Nebraska. The events were attended by nearly 1,200 Nebraskans, including business owners, executives, community leaders and 35 state senators.
The survey says nearly 82 percent of respondents were in favor of lowering Nebraska’s top income tax rate, the 16th highest in the country. The survey says almost 82 percent responded that Nebraska’s maximum corporate tax rate should be more competitive.
The survey was released as the Legislature’s Tax Modernization Committee looks at possible reforms to debate next year.
April Crowley: Fugitive from Justice-Lancaster County (x2)
Excitement and alarm struck the village of Sutherland Thursday when a Lincoln man fled from the Nebraska State Patrol and into the city limits.
According to a statement from the Nebraska State Patrol, a trooper initiated a traffic stop on a 2002 Saturn at around 4:00 p.m.
When the trooper approached the vehicle, the driver, 31-year-old Dustin Lankster, fled and a chase ensued.
Lankster drove into Sutherland, through a fence and eventually abandoned the vehicle in a parking lot before fleeing on foot. The Patrol says 31-year-old April Crowley and a five-year-old child were found in the vehicle.
After and extensive search, Lankster was located in the backyard of a residence and taken into custody at around 5:45 p.m.
Lankster was transported to Great Plains Regional Medical Center for observation, as authorities believe he was under the influence of drugs. He will be jailed upon his release.
Crowley was arrested on active warrants out of Lancaster County. She is being held at the Lincoln County Detention Center.
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services took custody of the child.
An emergency Code Red alert was issued for Sutherland residents, informing them of the situation, and asking them to stay inside and lock their doors.
Code Red is an emergency alert system used by law enforcement and other emergency personnel to alert the public of dangerous events.
Authorities have ruled the shooting death of a Kearney woman a homicide.
The Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office says 58-year-old Nancy Peterson’s death was not a random act, and preliminary evidence suggests she knew her assailant.
Peterson’s body was found Thursday morning near her home southwest of Kearney. She was shot, but additional information has not been released.
A neighbor reportedly called 911 at around 7:30 a.m., and told authorities the body was outside of the residence.
Authorities have ordered an autopsy on Peterson. The incident remains under investigation by law enforcement agencies, including the Kearney Police Department and the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office.
(AP) — A package of tax proposals is taking shape as Nebraska lawmakers prepare for a new session next year.
The Legislature’s Tax Modernization Committee came to some agreement on Tuesday on measures to seriously consider when the Legislature reconvenes.
The tentative package could include about $90 million in tax relief options over two years. It could be paid for by taxing some services.
Other ideas include indexing the state’s income tax brackets to account for inflation and adjusting Social Security thresholds for income tax purposes. Lawmakers are looking at creating a refundable energy tax credit. They also might try to exempt agricultural equipment repairs and replacements from the state sale tax.
(AP) — The state Department of Roads says 11 people were killed in traffic crashes last month in Nebraska.
The numbers released Thursday show nine crashes in October that had at least one fatality. Six vehicle occupants were not wearing seat belts. One death occurred on an interstate, five happened on state highways, and five took place on local roads.
The department says one of the fatalities was a pedestrian. Eight of the deaths were in rural locations, and five of the people killed were age 24 or younger.
According to the data, 176 people have died in Nebraska traffic crashes so far this year. In 2012, there were 183 fatalities.
(AP) — Next time you go for a checkup, don’t be surprised if your doctor gets on your case about your weight.
The medical profession has issued new guidelines for fighting the nation’s obesity epidemic, and they urge physicians to be a lot more aggressive about helping patients drop those extra pounds.
Doctors should calculate your body mass index, a weight-to-height ratio. And if you need to lose weight, they should come up with a plan and send you for counseling.
The guidelines were released this week by a group of medical organizations that include the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology and the Obesity Society.
A 25-year-old North Platte man has been charged with multiple thefts in North Platte.
On October 30th, officers with the North Platte Police Department responded to Century Link, 1120 East 7th, after receiving a report that a large roll of fiber optic cable had been stolen from the business.
Officers learned that the suspects had cut through a chain-link fence to gain access to the cable. The business valued the cable at $7,000 and the damage to the fence at $150.
Then, on November 6th, officers responded to Municipal Light and Water, 615 North Tabor, on the report of copper wire being stolen. Again, a fence had been cut to gain access to the material.
During the investigation, a local salvage yard contacted Municipal Light and Water to report that 25-year-old Seth Jackson was currently at their location attempting to sell a small amount of copper. However, before police could arrive, Jackson fled the scene.
At around 1:00 a.m. on November 14th, officers made contact with Jackson in a car near his residence.
Following further investigation, officers determined there was probable cause to charge Jackson with both the Century Link theft and the Municipal Light and Water theft.
In addition to the two felony theft charges, Jackson was also charged with 2nd degree criminal trespassing and criminal mischief.
Jackson was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.
A Hershey man has been jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center on numerous felony charges following a traffic stop in North Platte.
At around 2:40 p.m. on Wednesday, a North Platte Police officer witnessed 30-year-old Sean Odean driving a vehicle westbound on West 4th Street in North Platte. The officer was able to confirm that Odean had an active Lincoln County warrant for failure to appear.
The officer initiated a traffic stop and made contact with Odean, who was also found to be driving on a suspended license.
As Odean was being placed under arrest, he attempted to discard a small baggie which contained a white substance that field tested positive for methamphetamine. A further search of the vehicle revealed additional drug paraphernalia, a small amount of marijuana and Promethazine Codeine cough syrup.
Additionally, Odean’s vehicle matched the description of a vehicle suspected in a September 11th burglary from 1010 Locust Street in Sutherland. Lincoln County Deputies responded to the location of the traffic stop and found electronic devices in the vehicle that were consistent with items taken during the Sutherland burglary.
Odean was transported to the Lincoln County Detention Center, where Sheriff’s investigators questioned him about the burglary. Eventually, Odean admitted to committing the crime.
Odean has been charged with burglary, possession of controlled substances (meth and codeine), possession of marijuana-less than one ounce and driving under suspension.
