LEXINGTON – A second suspect in a Lexington robbery has turned himself him. Two Lexington men are suspects in an alleged armed robbery in a rural Lexington home on May 29. The victims identified Walter Rojas-Argueta as the suspect. Rojas-Argueta was arrested on May 31 and identified his accomplice as 16 year old Luis Alfredo Rodriguez. Rodriguez turned himself in Wednesday and will be charged with burglary and two counts of first degree false imprisonment. Rojas-Argueta has been charged with two counts of robbery, use of a firearm to commit a felony, and two counts of false imprisonment.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) – For the first time in nearly a month,
a section of U.S. Highway 30 east of North Platte is open.
A stretch of the highway reopened Wednesday morning
after being closed since May 26 by flooding on the North Platte
River. A breach in a levee along the river let water flow down a
creek and across the highway.
Crews had to repair the levee, then fix the highway before it
could open.
Travelers can now use the highway east of North Platte to
Maxell, a distance of about 17 miles.

BELLEVUE, Neb. (AP) – A 45-year-old Bellevue man has been given
60-to-90 years in prison for stabbing to death his roommate.
Darrell White had been convicted in March of second-degree
murder and use of a weapon. Prosecutors say White stabbed
45-year-old Todd Berg after a drunken dispute in White’s apartment
in Bellevue on Sept. 21 last year.
Court records say White was given 50-to-70 years for the murder
conviction, 10-to-20 years for the weapons conviction. Records say
the sentences are to be served consecutively.
White plans to appeal.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Union Pacific and the nation’s other major
freight railroads are defending their business and pricing
practices at a Washington D.C. hearing.
The Surface Transportation Board began a two-day hearing on
railroad competition Wednesday to consider whether new regulations
are needed.
UP CEO Jim Young planned to tell the board that if new
regulations are imposed on railroads, the industry will reduce its
spending on track and equipment that helps fuel the economy. And
jobs will be cut.
Mining, utility, industrial and agricultural companies have
complained that freight railroads charge excessive shipping rates
when customers have no other shipping option.
Oxbow Mining even filed a federal lawsuit this month against UP
and Burlington Northern Santa Fe accusing the railroads of
conspiring to raise prices. Both railroads have denied any
wrongdoing.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A Republican financial analyst says he will
challenge U.S. Representative Lee Terry in the 2012 primary
election.
On Wednesday, Brett Lindstrom of Omaha announced his candidacy
for Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District.
Lindstrom cites what he calls a “lack of political courage to
meaningfully address the very real problems our nation faces” for
his decision to challenge Terry, a seven-term incumbent.
The 30-year-old Lindstrom was born in Lincoln and raised in
Omaha. He was a walk-on, backup quarterback for the Huskers from
1999-2003.

The National Weather Service forecast for river levels along the North Platte River at North Platte have again been adjusted. Tuesday, it was forecasted that the river might reach the benchmark level of 7.8 feet by 7am this morning. However, this morning’s reading measures the river at 7.68 feet, and the latest forecast indicates that the river will be at 7.7 feet by 1pm Wednesday afternoon. While being accurate within 0.2 feet, the difference is significant because river flows along the North Platte at Cody Park are believed to bring major flooding to the park at the 7.8 foot mark. With little rain in the upcoming forecast, the North Platte is currently projected to match a record high 7.7 feet this afternoon before falling steadily to 7.5 feet by Friday June 24.

NORTH PLATTE – 27 year old Tyler Keup was scheduled for a re-sentencing appearance in Lincoln County District Court Tuesday, but that appearance will be postponed until June 28. Convicted of second degree murder in the death of Maricela Martinez in 2000, Keup’s conviction was changed to manslaughter earlier this month after it was ruled that premeditated murder was not adequately proven during his original trial.

NORTH PLATTE – Destination Development International CEO Roger Brooks held a presentation Tuesday to address community branding in North Platte. Brooks suggested “Bring it to Life” as a community slogan. He says that North Platte needs something to be known for that can set the city apart from other tourist destinations. Brooks said that the city has many “static attractions,” but lacks more engaging activities. He also cautioned that North Platte’s downtown is “too quiet.”

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Two companies are teaming up to build a
wind farm that would be among the largest in Nebraska.
The Lincoln Journal Star said Tuesday that Way Wind LLC of
Madison, Wis., and Nordex USA of Frankfurt, Germany, want to put 48
turbines on up to 8,000 acres near Winside in Wayne County in
northeast Nebraska.
The combined output would be 120 megawatts, or enough power for
nearly 47,000 homes. Currently, the state’s two largest wind farms
produce 81 megawatts of power. Last year, a Chicago company
proposed a 200-megawatt wind farm, but no construction date has
been set.
Wes Slaymaker, a partner in Way Wind, says the Wayne County
project is expected to cost around $250 million. He hopes it will
be operational by the end of 2013.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The National Weather Service says at least
one powerful tornado ripped through central Nebraska on Monday
night, destroying a home but sparing rural residents.
The service in Hastings says the EF3 tornado hit a rural area
just north of Amhearst, flattening a home.
Meteorologist Ryan Pfannkuch says the family who
lived in the home was vacationing in Florida at the time.
The service has photos of another weaker tornado near Elm Creek.
No injuries have been reported from Monday night’s storms that
raked much of the eastern half of Nebraska.
Pfannkuch says other tornadoes are likely to be confirmed by
teams out in the field studying the damage.
To the east, teams are investigating whether a tornado hit
Fremont, but said no confirmation had been made by Tuesday
afternoon.