LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Plattsmouth Middle School has been awarded $114,000 in federal money to open a before- and after-school program.

The Nebraska Department of Education says seven other schools have also been given federal grants to continue their community learning centers, which are designed to improve learning and foster family and community engagement in schools. Combined, they’ll get about $325,000.

Those schools include Cozad Elementary School, Chadron Primary School, Lexington Middle School and four Lincoln schools: Belmont Elementary, Brownell Elementary, Prescott Elementary and Culler Middle School.

 

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Cameras are being installed along the Platte River to capture changes in the river basin.
The 45 digital cameras are being installed this spring at fixed locations. The cameras will snap one photo each hour of daylight for the duration of the project. They’ll capture how natural and man-made events affect the river’s flow.
The goal is to create a time-lapse series of the Platte. Organizers say it’ll help people understand how the river impacts agriculture, recreation, wildlife and communities.
The team overseeing the project has not yet decided how long the project will last, but they say they hope it will continue for a few decades.
The Platte River basin stretches across parts of Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming.

 

(Alma, Neb.)- The Nebraska State Patrol Troop D Headquarters- North Platte is investigating the death of Harlan County Chief Deputy Sheriff Kevin Einspahr, 56, Alma.

Chief Deputy Einspahr died Friday morning, May 4, of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

No other details are available at this time.

 

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – The Nebraska State Patrol and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office say nearly 5,400 pounds of medication was collected statewide on Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.
The federal Drug Enforcement Administration says this past Saturday’s event gave people a chance to help prevent pill abuse and theft by getting rid of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted medications.
Federal authorities say that since 2000, more than half of the nation’s poisoning death victims between the ages of 15 to 19 have overdosed on prescription drugs.

 

SIDNEY, Neb. (AP) – A Wisconsin man has been sentenced to four to six years in a Nebraska prison on a drug charge.
37-year-old Willie Vaughn of Eau Claire, Wisconsin was sentenced on Wednesday for possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.
Vaughn and 41-year-old Jesse Reese were arrested in February after troopers found over three pounds of marijuana in their car during a traffic stop on Interstate 80 in western Nebraska.
Reese, of New Richmond, Wisconsin, awaits trial on three charges.

 

(Kearney, Neb.)- Two people are in jail following a Nebraska State Patrol investigation involving the forced prostitution of a 14-year old female.
The arrests follow a weeklong investigation in which investigators with the Nebraska State Patrol were provided information of a Craig’s List personal ad offering female companionship in the Kearney area. On Thursday, April 26, a 35-year old Upland woman was arrested at a Kearney motel, after she offered an undercover officer the services of a 14- year-old female.
A search warrant was served on April 26, at the Upland home of the 35-year old woman, where investigators recovered computers and other electronic devices. The continuing investigation led to the arrest of a male suspect in Omaha.
The 35-year-old female is being held in the Buffalo County Jail on a charge of conspiracy to commit sexual assault of a child and child pornography. Her name is being withheld to protect the identity of the 14-year-old child victim.
28-year-old Alexander C. Rahe, of Omaha was arrested, May 2, without incident at his residence in Omaha. He is being held in the Buffalo County Jail on a charge of 1st degree sexual assault of a child. The investigation remains ongoing.

 

ELM CREEK, Neb. (AP) – A Nebraska teenager is recovering after he shot his own foot while trying to shoot a raccoon that was attacking his dog.
18-year-old Devin Stall, of Elm Creek, was wounded Monday night. The Buffalo County sheriff’s office says he heard a raccoon attacking his dog and shot the animal with .22 rifle.
The sheriff’s office says the raccoon was wounded with the first shot and Stall put his foot on the animal to hold it down. When he fired again, he accidentally shot himself in the right foot.
Stall was treated at a Kearney hospital and released.

 

 

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) – Authorities hope dental and surgical records may identify human remains found along the South Platte River in western Nebraska.
The remains were found April 20. Lincoln County Sheriff Jerome Kramer says a second search of the area turned up the lower portion of a jaw, which gives investigators a full dental record.
Kramer believes the remains had been along the river since at least October. He says forensic experts have said identifying the body through anything other than dental records would be difficult.
The sheriff says there were metallic wires in the sternum, which probably indicates a past surgery. He says foul play is not considered a factor, and Lincoln County doesn’t have any open missing person cases.

 

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Gov. Dave Heineman is emphasizing education in a series of public events and using his position to draw attention to high-achieving Nebraska students.
The governor plans to recognize high school seniors Thursday who earned top scores on their ACT exams. Earlier in the week, he honored middle-school students who have advanced to a national math competition. And last month, he called a press conference to congratulate the regional winners of a science bowl competition.
Heineman has traveled to schools in Lincoln and Fairbury this week, and is expected to visit Millard West High School in Omaha on Thursday. In several speeches to student groups, he has stressed the importance of earning a two- or four-year college degree.

 

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Nebraska has issued an importation order for livestock entering the state from New Mexico after a confirmed case of a viral disease in a horse.
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture issued the order on Tuesday.
The order follows a recent case in New Mexico of a viral disease, vesicular stomatitis, which resembles foot-and-mouth disease. It’s characterized by fever and blisters. The disease primarily affects horses, cattle, hogs and occasionally sheep and goats.
Officials say producers who are moving livestock into Nebraska need to contact the state veterinarian’s office to learn about specific requirements.