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Neb. Police Seize 80 Pounds of Pot in Traffic Stop

POT-BUST(AP) — Authorities have seized about 80 pounds of marijuana during a traffic stop in eastern Nebraska.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office says 27-year-old Somvilay Vilaysak was stopped Wednesday during a traffic stop on Interstate 80 near 96th Street.

Authorities say Vilaysak consented to a search of the Honda Civic he had been driving from California to New York. Deputies with the department’s K-9 unit searched the trunk and found about 80 pounds of marijuana in garbage bags and a duffel bag.

Vilaysak was arrested. He faces charges of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and no tax stamp. Court records do not list an attorney.

Neb. Drug Task Force Loses Federal Funding

nebraska-crime-commission(AP) — A Nebraska official says the Southeast Area Drug Enforcement Task Force lost its federal funding because the task force didn’t arrest any top operators in the sale of illegal drugs.

The task force ceased operating last month because it wouldn’t be getting the $100,000 grant it requested.

The federal funds are funneled through the Nebraska Crime Commission.

Commission grants administrator Lisa Stamm says the grants review committee noted that the task force just focused on street-level buys, “and the feds are looking at more mid- to upper-level buys.”

Stamm says that for the last couple years, the commission has focused on high-level drug operators, not street-level dealers.

Lincoln Cemetery Bans Flower Pots, Benches

cemetery-flowers(AP) — Unauthorized flower pots and graveside benches have been banned from an old Lincoln cemetery that’s being tidied up after 144 years.

More than 350 warning flags were set by urns, pots and benches at Calvary Cemetery this week, telling visitors that the items were to be moved by Nov. 11.

Father Thomas MacLean has been given the task of cleaning up the Catholic graveyard, which sits about 2 ½ miles east of downtown Lincoln.

MacLean says the items set on or near the graves have never been permitted, but “they’ve been tolerated in the past.”

He acknowledges that removing the items may be hard on relatives and friends of the deceased.

34-Year-Old Douglas County Inmate Dies

douglas-county-sheriff(AP) — Douglas County authorities say a 34-year-old inmate has died.

The Corrections Department says Amanda Solko, of Omaha, was pronounced dead at an Omaha hospital after being found unresponsive in her one-person cell around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Solko had been jailed since Oct. 1, pending $50,000 bail. She was accused of driving while her license was revoked.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is investigating. Nebraska law also requires a grand jury investigation whenever someone dies in custody or while being arrested.

Plan for Omaha Airport Includes 8 More Gates

airplane(AP) — The 20-year master plan for Omaha’s Eppley Airfield includes eight new gates, major alterations and renovations in the terminal and another parking garage.

The plan approved Tuesday by the airport authority board will be submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration. The projects would be paid for by FAA grants, airport revenue, bonds and new passenger and customer facility charges.

The FAA allows a passenger charge of up to $4.50 each.

Eppley’s director of planning and engineering, David Roth, says the first phase of the plan would begin when the airport hits 4.8 million passengers. He says that could be many years from now. The airport is handling about 4 million passengers a year now.

Neb. Appeals Court Upholds Sex Assault Conviction

ne-court-of-appeals(AP) — A split Nebraska Court of Appeals panel has upheld the child sexual assault conviction of an Omaha man who objected to a court reporter’s covert efforts to correct a faulty trial transcript.

Charles Kays was sentenced in 2011 to up to 20 years in prison for sexually abusing a young girl.

On appeal, Kays’ attorney noted mistakes with the official trial transcript — including that 13 jurors instead of 12 deliberated the case. The court reporter corrected the mistakes, printed a new version and shredded the original — without the approval of a judge, as required by law.

On Tuesday, two appeals court judges ruled that the corrected transcript was accurate.

But in a dissenting opinion, Judge John Irwin said the accuracy of the corrected transcript could not be verified.

Former Neb. State Senator, Bob Kremer, Dies at 77

bob-kremer(AP) — Former Nebraska state Sen. Bob Kremer has died at age 77.

Kremer, of Aurora, died on Tuesday of an apparent heart attack.

Kremer served in the Legislature from 1999 to 2007. He grew up on a family farm south of Aurora, and spent his life as a cattle feeder.

His son, Mark Kremer, says the former lawmaker enjoyed working with people and was involved with several agriculture groups, including the Corn Growers Association, Nebraska Farm Bureau and Nebraska Cattlemen. Kremer says his father was also deeply religious, and looked for ways to encourage others.

A visitation is scheduled Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at Pleasant View Bible Church in Aurora. A celebration of life will be held at the church at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

GOP Senator Says Deal in Hand to Avoid Default

congress(AP) — A Republican senator says she understands Senate leaders have reached an agreement to avoid a Treasury default and reopen the government after a 16-day partial shutdown.

Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire made her comments Wednesday as she walked into a meeting of Senate Republicans in leader Mitch McConnell’s office.

Ayotte said the leaders would make a formal announcement.

The government would reopen through Jan. 15 and Treasury would be allowed to increase the nation’s borrowing authority through Feb. 7.

2 Charged in Florida After Bullied Girl’s Suicide

bully(AP) — It was a cold-hearted online post that a Florida sheriff says hastened the arrest of two girls, aged 12 and 14, in the bullying-suicide case of Rebecca Sedwick.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd repeated the older girl’s Facebook comment almost word for word at a news conference Tuesday.

“‘Yes, I bullied Rebecca and she killed herself but I don’t give a …’ and you can add the last word yourself,” Judd said.

Authorities say Rebecca was tormented online and at school by as many as 15 girls before she climbed a tower at an abandoned concrete plant and hurled herself to her death. But the sheriff says the two girls arrested were primarily the ones who bullied Rebecca. They have been charged with stalking and released to their parents.

Neb. Twins Test Positive for Meth

Saint-Elizabeth-Regional-Medical(AP) — A pair of premature twins has been brought to a Lincoln hospital after testing positive for methamphetamine.

Division of Children and Family Services specialist Julie Zegers says the newborn boys were taken to Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center’s Newborn Intensive Care Unit on Sunday due to medical complications.

Lancaster County Juvenile Court Judge Reggie Ryder issued an order Tuesday that gave the state temporary custody of the boys and their 3-year-old sister. Ryder said he found facts that placed the children at risk of harm at their home.

The boys’ urine tested positive for meth. Their mother’s urine also tested positive for the drug.

The twins were born 11 weeks prematurely in Falls City. They weighed 2 pounds when they were tested.

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