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Companies helping water-short city open pool for summer

PLATTSMOUTH, Neb. (AP) — Two local companies are helping an eastern Nebraska city that suffered flood damage to its water facilities and can’t fill the community’s pool.Severe flooding in March damaged the Plattsmouth water treatment and wastewater facilities, forcing the city to impose restrictions: no lawn watering, no washing vehicles in driveways or filling private pools.

Plattsmouth Mayor Paul Lambert said there simply isn’t enough water left to fill Plattsmouth’s popular Twin Rivers Water Park’s pool and other water features. Most of the city’s limited temporary supply of water is coming from the Cass County Rural Water District system.

The two companies that came to the rescue of summer fun for kids and families are Fast Grass sod farm and Liquid Trucking. Fast Grass is donating its well water, which has been tested for safety. Liquid Trucking is hauling it to the water park at a cost that could exceed $30,000 for labor, gasoline and maintenance.

They hope to have the pool filled by May 15, in time for a June 1 opening.

Liquid Trucking owner Roger Schmidt told the Omaha World-Herald that the expense is worth it.

“My kids both grew up in Plattsmouth and went to the pool and went to swim team and learned to swim — that was their summertime fun,” Schmidt said. “We figured the kids of Plattsmouth needed a summer, and we could help out.”

The owner of Fast Grass, Robert Meisinger, said his company and Schmidt’s were uniquely equipped to help their community.

“You’d hate to have that water restriction get in the way of kids swimming in their pool,” Meisinger said.

Both men are asking for donations to defray their expenses.

“If we get less, we’ll take it out of our pockets,” Schmidt said. “And if we get more, we’ll donate the money back to Plattsmouth somehow.”

Police say man killed in shooting on north Omaha street

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say a man has been killed in a shooting on a north Omaha street.

Police said officers were called to the area for a report of a shooting around 5 a.m. Saturday and found a man with a gunshot wound. Police say the man, identified as 24-year-old Tyler Johnson, died at the scene.

No arrests had been reported in the case by midafternoon Saturday, and police were asking the public for any information on the shooting.

Police say man died after mower turned over and pinned him

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Police say a 54-year-old man died after he became trapped under a mower in Lincoln.

Officer Angela Sands says the man already was dead when police and medics arrived at the scene Friday morning.

Sands says it appears the man was mowing near a creek bed when the mower tipped over and pinned him underneath.

His name hasn’t been released yet.

Police identify 2 killed in shooting at Lincoln home

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Lincoln police have identified two people found shot to death in a home during an incident that occurred while five children were in the home.

Police on Friday said 35-year-old Rasha Khaled and 49-year-old Adnan Almansouri were found dead Thursday afternoon.

Capt. Robert Farber says five children — ages 14, 13, 10, 5 and 3 — were in the home when the shooting happened. None of the children were hurt.

No other details of the shooting have been released.

Police: Lincoln man drops gun, shoots self in genitals

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Police say a 32-year-old Nebraska man is recovering after dropping his gun on a sidewalk, causing it to fire and shoot him in the genitals.

The Lincoln Journal Star reports that police believe the man was walking Wednesday night in north Lincoln when a .22-caliber gun dropped out of his pocket, hit the ground and fired.

Police say the man gave conflicting accounts of how the shooting occurred and was cited on suspicion of discharging a firearm in the city and possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person.

Police say the man’s injuries are not life-threatening.

Omaha man sentenced to 90 months for armed robberies

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha man has been sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison for his role in six armed robberies in Lincoln, including one in which he shot a store clerk.

Federal prosecutors for Nebraska say 21-year-old Marcus Remus was sentenced Thursday to 90 months. Prosecutors say he pleaded guilty in January to one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count for discharging a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime.

Prosecutors say Remus and a co-defendant, Shawn Brooks, robbed a bank and five convenience stores in 2016. Brooks fired a gun several times at bank employees during the bank robbery and was sentenced last month to 40 years in federal prison. Prosecutors say Remus shot a gas station clerk in the pair’s final robbery. Remus had faced up to life in prison.

2 bodies found in Lincoln home after report of shooting

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Police responding to a report of a shooting at a Lincoln home have found a man and a woman dead.

Capt. Robert Farber tells the Lincoln Journal Star that five children were in the home when it happened around 5 p.m.

Farber says the investigation was continuing. Police are not yet identifying those dead or their ages.

No other details were immediately available.

Ponca Tribe scores win in fight to keep Iowa casino open

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska has secured another legal win to keep its new casino in western Iowa open, despite the best efforts of the states of Iowa and Nebraska.

The National Indian Gaming Commission ruled Wednesday in the tribe’s favor, saying it has the right to operate the Prairie Flower Casino on land it acquired in Carter Lake, Iowa.

While the casino is technically in Iowa, it lies west of the Missouri River, essentially in the heart of Omaha. The neighboring city of Council Bluffs, Iowa — which already hosts three state-licensed casinos — and the states of Iowa and Nebraska sued to shut the Prairie Flower down.

The lawsuit says the tribe misrepresented its intentions by initially announcing plans for a health center on the Carter Lake lot.

Woman imprisoned for bombing southeast Nebraska liquor store 

April Feighner

FALLS CITY, Neb. (AP) – A woman has been imprisoned for using an explosive to damage a liquor store in southeast Nebraska.

Richardson County District Court records say 39-year-old April Feighner was sentenced Tuesday to just over three years in prison. She’d pleaded no contest to using explosives without a permit and attempted arson. Prosecutors had lowered the charges in return for her pleas. A judge ordered her to pay nearly $6,400 restitution for the damage at the Spirit Shoppe store in Falls City. No injuries reported in the September 2018 blast.

Feighner also was sentenced on a drug possession charge. She’s a Falls City resident.

Authorities say she chose to bomb the store because it was owned by a relative of Falls City Police Chief Duane Armbruster. Court records say she targeted Armbruster as revenge for the arrest of her boyfriend and because, she says, Armbruster harasses people.

Bookkeeper accused of stealing more than $43K from company 

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – A woman who served prison time for theft has been accused of embezzling more than $43,000 from her employer in Lincoln.

Lancaster County Jail records say 53-year-old Cynthia Rung remained in custody Thursday. She’s been charged with felony theft. Court records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for the Lincoln resident.

Police say Rung was working as a bookkeeper when she stole the money from Dynamic Fusion.

Court records also say that in January 2013 Rung was sentenced to 18 to 36 months after pleading guilty to stealing nearly $48,000 from another Lincoln company while working as an accounts receivable clerk. Prison records say she served a little more than 10 months.

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