GERING, Neb. (AP) – A new arraignment date in district court has been set for a Kimball city councilman charged with sexually assaulting a mentally disabled teenage boy.
Forty-eight-year-old Scott Haun was charged in October with first-degree sexual assault on a child more than 12 years of age but less than 16.
A court affidavit says the alleged abuse took place Sept. 3 at the boy’s home in rural Scotts Bluff County.
Haun has denied the allegation.
Haun was to be arraigned Thursday but had asked for a delay. The hearing has been rescheduled for Thursday.
He’s been on the Kimball City Council for a total of 12 years and has said he won’t resign.

 

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – It looks like two can play that game.
Republican-aligned group Crossroads GPS has launched a new television ad that criticizes Democratic U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson as having supported President Barack Obama’s stimulus spending.
Crossroads GPS has spent more than $134,000 to air the ad for two weeks in Omaha and Lincoln. The group is running similar ads targeting Democrats in Missouri, Montana, Massachusetts and Virginia.
But Nelson struck first. He has for weeks appeared in a series of issue ads sponsored by the Democratic Party in which he says three Republican candidates looking to take his Senate seat support cuts to Medicare and Social Security.
The state GOP has filed complaints claiming Nelson has violated federal election law by appearing in the ads.

 

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (North Platte Post)- The NEBRASKAland DAYS Board of Directors has hired David Fudge to serve as the organization’s next Executive Director. Fudge will begin on December 1st. He replaces Doretta Burrows, who resigned in September.
Current NEBRASKAland DAYS President Lance Carlson says Fudge’s experience on the Board was key in the decision to hire him. “David’s extensive knowledge of the Celebration along with his vision for the future of the organization make him a perfect fit. We are happy to have him on board.” “NEBRASKAland DAYS had a fantastic year in 2011, and we’re looking forward to a successful 2012,” says Carlson. “Getting our Executive Director in place was a priority for us.”
“I can’t tell you how honored I am to be involved with the Celebration again,” says Fudge. “I have a deep appreciation for this organization, and understand fully what it means to North Platte. I’m anxious to get to work.”

WASHINGTON (AP) – The State Department is ordering the developer of a pipeline that would carry oil from western Canada to Texas to reroute the project away from environmentally sensitive areas of Nebraska.
That decision could delay a final U.S. decision on the project until after the 2012 election.
The decision will require an environmental review – and that could take at least a year.
TransCanada Corp. is seeking to build the $7 billion pipeline. Part of the 1,700-mile pipeline would pass through Nebraska’s Sandhills region and an aquifer that supplies water to eight states Two senior State Department officials who are familiar with the project described the decision to The Associated Press. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the decision before an official announcement.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) – A judge has dropped a child abuse charge filed against a Hershey woman accused of failing to stop her husband from sexually assaulting children.
Prosecutors asked the judge to drop the charge facing Deanna Fischer. In a court filing, Deputy Lincoln County Attorney Tanya Roberts-Connick says one of the victim’s families is unwilling to cooperate with prosecutors.
Fischer had pleaded not guilty, and a Nov. 23 trial had been scheduled.
Her husband, Daniel Fischer, who was charged with sexually assaulting children, committed suicide in April.
According to court documents, five girls ages 7 to 15 reported being assaulted by Daniel Fischer at the couple’s home. Authorities say Deanna Fischer photographed some of the assaults and did
nothing to stop them.

 

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (North Platte Post)- Skate and Create is one step closer to making their dream of a community skate plaza a reality. Toxic Graphics of North Platte created the sign that sits adjacent to North Platte’s current skate park just behind the Rec Center. It designates the area that Skate and Create organizers Jessica Tanaka and Brandon Raby hope will one day become North Platte’s Premiere Skate Plaza. Create and Skate has already raised $10,000 toward the plaza’s $400,000 price tag. Added to a $30,000 Improvement Fund grant from the Lincoln County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, the group is 10% to their goal. Tanaka says that they are also applying for other grants such as the Peter Kiewit Foundation Grant and that they also welcome community donations. For more information on how to help, contact Brandon Raby at Caravan Skate Shop, downtown N.P., or call the North Platte Rec Center.