LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – A 25-year-old Nebraskan with a long
criminal record is going to federal prison for almost 22 years.
The Lincoln Journal Star reports that Carlos Ponce on
Thursday was given 262 months for possessing methamphetamine with
intent to distribute it. Lincoln police say Ponce had about an
ounce of meth near one of his feet when he was arrested in July
2010.
Ponce has a criminal history that dates back to when Ponce was
barely a teenager, making him a career criminal under federal
sentencing guidelines.
Ponce asked for some leniency on Thursday, calling himself young
enough to be rehabilitated.
But U.S. District Judge Richard Kopf disagreed, saying
“the trajectory that we see here is one that suggests that the
public needs to be protected from him.”
Category: News
NE Bankruptcy filings trending downward
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Nebraska bankruptcy filings have dropped
nearly 13 percent in the first half of 2011, compared with the
first six months of last year.
The national drop is about 8 percent.
Bankruptcy trustee Joe Badami told the Lincoln
Journal Star that his caseload has dropped by about 20 cases a
month, but he can’t explain the decline.
Samuel Gerdano is executive director of the
American Bankruptcy Institute. He says the drop reflects the
continued efforts of consumers to cut debt.
Creighton economist Ernie Goss suggests that strong
growth in farm income and farm-related industries has boosted the
Nebraska economy, resulting in fewer bankruptcies.
47 year old Omaha man arrested for Armed Robbery
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Police have arrested a 47-year-old man
suspected of robbing a bank branch at a supermarket in west Omaha.
The robbery occurred late Monday afternoon at a U.S. Bank
branch. The robber handed over a note demanding money and left with
an undisclosed amount of cash. It’s unclear whether he was armed.
Police have identified the suspect as Gregory Brady, of Omaha.
A Douglas County jailer said Brady remained in custody on
Friday. Online court records don’t yet list the case.
Maywood Soldier Dies in Afghanistan
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – The Nebraska Army National Guard says a soldier has died in a “non-combat” related injury in Afghanistan. The guard on Thursday says 28-year-old Sgt. Omar Jones, of
Maywood, died on July 18 at a base at Balkh Province. His death is under investigation by the Department of the Army. No details about his death were released. Jones was an electrician assigned to the 623rd Engineer Company in Wahoo. The guard says Jones was born in Jackson, Miss., and enlisted in the Army in 2001. After his active tour duty, he joined the Nebraska National Guard in 2005. Jones is survived by his wife, Ava, and two children.
Heat Wave Altering Travel, Warping Train Tracks
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The intense heat wave enveloping much of the country is snarling transportation in some areas by causing metal railroad rails and asphalt roads to expand and buckle. Omaha-based Union Pacific Railroad says the heat has forced it to slow its trains in heat-affected areas by 10 to 20 mph. Company spokesman Mark Davis said Wednesday that extreme heat can cause metal rails to expand and kink at weak spots. The triple-digit temperatures have had a similar effect on some asphalt roads, bridges and sidewalks.
Town of Crawford Requests Extended Police Coverage
CHADRON, Neb. (AP) – The Dawes County commissioners have been asked to consider extending policing coverage to the town of Crawford. County Sheriff Karl Dailey and some Crawford residents submitted a proposal at the commission meeting on Wednesday. Crawford Mayor Terry Haugen says he’s backing the plan and will work with Dailey to prepare a workable contract. The proposal calls for three deputies to be hired to watch over Crawford and report to Dailey. The town has no force now and is paying Hemingford for police coverage. Dailey says it would be more cost-effective if there were deputies in Crawford who could respond to incidents in the western
part of the county rather than dispatching deputies from Chadron.’
Parents Cited for Child Neglect in Fremont House Fire
FREMONT, Neb. (AP) – Authorities have cited the parents of three children who were pulled from a burning mobile home in Fremont. The Fremont Tribune says Thursday that Dodge County Sheriff
Steve Hespen says the parents were cited for child neglect. It appears they weren’t home of the time of the fire. The newspaper didn’t identify the parents. A telephone call to the sheriff by The Associated Press was not returned Thursday afternoon. State fire officials have determined that a child playing with a lighter caused the fire that destroyed the mobile home. A woman who
was passing by and spotted the smoke rescued the children Monday evening.
Ponca Tribe Receives US Department of Energy Grant
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) – The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska will get $108,000 in grants to study its long-term energy options. The funding is among $6.3 million in grants announced Thursday by the U.S. Department of Energy. The money will be handed out over the next two years and help tribes carry out 31 projects. The Ponca grant will help the tribe develop a strategic energy plan and identify possible clean energy sources.
Legion Tournament Baseball in North Platte, Hershey This Weekend
Legion baseball state tournament action comes to Lincoln County this weekend, with competition in the Class A Senior National Division Tournament in North Platte and the Class C Junior Tournament in Hershey. The North Platte First Nationals were the runners-up in the Area A-7 tournament in Kearney last weekend. They will host teams from Ralston, Millard North, Millard South, Omaha Westside, Lincoln Northeast, Grand Island and Scottsbluff. The winner will play the champion from the American Division Tournament for the right to go to Regionals. At Centennial Park in Hershey, the Hershey-Sutherland junior squad will host teams from Crofton, West Point, Elkhorn Mount Michael, Elmwood-Murdock, Palmer, Sutton, and Overton. Tournament play opens on Saturday.
Davis Federally Indicted on Child Porn Charges
A North Platte man was federally indicted on child pornography charges Tuesday. Daniel Clifford Davis is charged with two counts of possession of child pornography. The 58 year-old was arrested on October 19th, 2010 at his home and initially charged with eight counts of child pornography, to which he pleaded not guilty in Lincoln County District Court on December 13th.