NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) – Cats adopted from the local animal shelter are soothing inmates at the Lincoln County Jail in North Platte. Some inmates had been volunteering time at the shelter, cleaning cages and floors, walking dogs and giving them baths.
Sheriff Jerome Kramer says he wondered if having a couple of cats at the jail would help inmates pass the time and lower tensions. He says studies show that pets can help relieve stress. The cats have been a hit. Kramer says the inmates eagerly await their turns to take care of the two declawed, neutered males, Nemo and Sarge.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) – A 39-year-old Hershey woman faces trial in November on allegations that she did nothing to stop her husband from sexually assaulting children.
Deanna Fischer has pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of
intentional child abuse. A Lincoln County District Court judge set Nov. 23 for Fischer’s trial date. Her husband, Daniel Fischer, who also was charged, committed suicide in April. He had faced several counts of sexual assaulting children.  According to court documents, five girls ages 7 to 15 reported being assaulted by Daniel Fischer at the couple’s home in Hershey. Authorities say Deanna Fischer photographed some of the assaults and did nothing to stop them.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – A Nebraska state senator wants impose a ban on bath salts, a synthetic drug that has grown popular in other parts of the country. Omaha Sen. Heath Mello says he will introduce a bill when the
Legislature convenes in January to ban the new designer drug before it becomes a larger problem in Nebraska. The drug’s two main ingredients are stimulants that can cause paranoia, hallucinations and sometimes violent behavior. Mello says at least 25 other states have banned bath salts. The drug is typically labeled “not for human consumption,” which allows it to escape federal bans. Mello says the drugs are readily available on the internet, and can be as dangerous as heroin, ecstasy and PCP.

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) – A Canadian company that wants to build a massive pipeline linking Alberta’s oil sands to U.S. refineries says it would include safety measures to prevent a spill like the one that fouled the Yellowstone River last month. TransCanada executives visiting Montana on Tuesday offered that pledge to shore up support for its $7 billion project assailed by environmentalists as too risky. The U.S. State Department plans to release its final analysis of the Keystone XL pipeline this month. Opponents say approval could lead to more spills like the Exxon Mobil pipeline rupture in July that spewed an estimated 1,000 barrels of oil into the Yellowstone.  TransCanada president Alex Pourbaix says the line would be buried at least 25 feet beneath major river crossings to lower the risk of spills.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) – Work has begun to reopen Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park and its recreation area. The area was closed in early June because of potential flooding from the North Platte River. It was feared river floodwaters would spill over into Scout Creek, which runs through the park. On Monday morning, workers began removing berms surrounding Buffalo Bill’s historic mansion, barn and outbuildings. Park superintendent Aric Riggins says he hated turning away people. He estimated the park lost more 20,000 visitors and $25,000-$30,000 in income. Riggins says he’s certain the whole park will be reopened by next week.

HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) – Family members and friends are remembering a 29-year-old Marine from Nebraska who was killed in Afghanistan earlier this month. The funeral for Sgt. Joshua Robinson will be held Tuesday in Hastings. The Hastings Tribune reports that Robinson’s body arrived in Hastings Sunday, and more than 100 Patriot Guard Riders escorted his body from the Grand Island airport to Hastings. Robinson was killed Aug. 7 while on patrol in Afghanistan.  Robinson’s wife, Rhonda, and two sons, ages 4 and 5, have been living in Bennington, Neb., so they could be close to family. Robinson lived on a farm near Oak, Neb., when he was a child. His mother said Robinson decided to enlist in the Marines in 2003 because of the threat the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks represented to the country.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture says
cooler weather and rain brought some relief for “challenging growing conditions” in Nebraska.
The USDA in its weekly crop report on Monday says below normal temperatures and above normal precipitation eased the stress caused by weeks of hot and humid weather. Storms brought high winds, hail and heavy rain that caused damage to crops and property in isolated locations. Over 3 inches of rain fell during the week in parts of north central and east central Nebraska. Grasshopper numbers remain a concern in western Nebraska. The USDA says 75 percent of the corn crop and 78 percent of the soybeans are in good to excellent shape. The third cutting of alfalfa is at 53 percent, behind the 78 percent average.

Hall County Attorney Mark Young released only a one-paragraph statement saying law enforcement agencies are investigating an apparent murder-suicide that took place in Grand Island Monday morning. However, interviews with people living in the 200 block of North Grace indicate the incident started in that block and likely ended near Highway 30 and Highway 281, where traffic was blocked for several hours Monday morning and into the early afternoon. Young’s written statement said:

“Names of the parties will not be released until the families have been notified. The Hall County Attorney’s Office will have no further comment, because a grand jury may be convened to investigate the incident.”

Nebraska law requires a grand jury investigation whenever someone dies in police custody or while being apprehended.

While Young released almost no information on the circumstances of the murder-suicide, law incident summaries from the Grand Island Police Department showed domestic disturbance being reported at 212 N. Grace Ave. at about 4:57 a.m. and suspicious activity being reported at 211 N. Grace, Apt. 4, at approximately 5:03 a.m.

A friend of Margarita Rodriguez told The Independent Monday afternoon that Margarita was shot and killed by her estranged husband, Antony Rodriguez.

The woman said Antony kicked in the door at 212 N. Grace and shot her in the leg. He then dragged her outside, where Margarita briefly escaped and ran across the street to an apartment building at 211 N. Grace. However, Anthony caught up with her and shot her inside the door of the apartment

Cindy Buettner, who lives at 218 N. Grace, two doors north of the Rodriguez residence, said she arrived home about 6:30 a.m. after getting off work and found the 200 block of Grace blocked off by wooden barricades.

Numerous police cruisers were in the area.

Buettner said police officers told her there had been a domestic disturbance at 212 N. Grace but that “both parties were accounted for.”

Because the barricades stopped her from driving down the street, Buettner said, she parked her car in an adjacent block and walked home. She said she later saw Hall County Attorney Mark Young at 212 N. Grace. Buettner said police crime scene tape also was placed at both 212 N. Grace and 211 N. Grace for part of the day on Monday.

When The Independent went to 212 N. Grace late Monday afternoon, a work crew was at the residence replacing a door.

Kacie Miller, who lives in Apt. 4 at 211 N. Grace, said her fiancé woke at about 5 a.m. to what may have been a banging, then he heard what he thought was moaning and rubbing. She said her fiancé looked outside and saw a person in the stairwell “in bad condition.” Miller said her fiancé could not tell at that point whether the injured person was a man or a woman.

Miller said her fiancé called 911. She said when police officers arrived, they told everyone to stay inside their apartments.

Miller said she had heard that the woman across the street was going through “a bad divorce.” She said she did not know many details because the woman spoke mostly Spanish.

Miller said she had also heard rumors that the woman may have once lived at 211 N. Grace, perhaps even in the apartment where she and her fiancé now live, although she did not know that for a fact.

When asked, Miller said a portion of carpet on the landing and on three steps leading to the downstairs had been removed because of blood stains.

Miller said she never expected something like a fatal shooting to happen in her neighborhood.

Later in the day, law enforcement had Highways 281 and 30 blocked off. Police officer Butch Hurst was asked if the area had been blocked off because of a shooting in that area. He said he could not answer that question, but said blocking off those sections of highway should not cause any immediate concern for the public.

Story courtesy of Harold Reutter, Grand Island Independent

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A Lexington rendering plant faces a federal lawsuit over water sent to the city’s treatment plant.  The lawsuit says STABL Inc., formerly operating as Nebraska
By-Products Inc., exceeded the allowable limits for chemicals in water sent to the treatment plant on dozens of occasions between 2006 and 2010. That contributed to violations at the city plant regarding the amount of pollutants in discharged into Dawson County Drainage Ditch (hash)1, Spring Creek and the Platte River. A message left by The Associated Press for STABL’s owner, Irving, Texas-based Darling International Inc., wasn’t returned. The lawsuit was filed Wednesday on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality. It says STABL could be fined $32,500 to $37,500 for each time it exceeded the chemical limits.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) – A North Platte woman accused of manslaughter in the drug death of her sister won’t be able to attend her sister’s funeral. The funeral for Esther Smith is scheduled for Friday.  Authorities suspect Smith died of a drug overdose. Autopsy results are pending. North Platte station KNOP reports that 40-year-old Elizabeth Crawford asked a Lincoln County judge on Thursday to let her out of jail to attend the service. Judge Mike Piccolo refused, citing the gravity of the crime. Crawford remains in custody, pending $250,000 bail. She’s charged with manslaughter and a felony charge of drug possession with intent to deliver. Her attorney, Bob Lindemeier, said Friday that he expected Crawford would plead not guilty.