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2 people killed, 2 injured in Madison County crash

madison-county-sheriffNORFOLK, Neb. (AP) — Two people have been killed and two injured in the rollover crash of a vehicle in northeast Nebraska.

The crash occurred early Sunday morning on U.S. Highway 81, about two miles south of Norfolk. The Madison County Sheriff’s Office says the vehicle was speeding when it crashed, ejecting all four occupants. None was wearing a seat belt.

The two people pronounced dead at the scene were identified as 18-year-old Dasavor Rodrigues and 17-year-old Shawn Falk. Both of them lived in Norfolk. The two injured people were identified as 18-year-old Schauntel Niehoff and 18-year-old Dru McMahon. They were taken to hospitals for treatment of serious injuries.

Norfolk man dies after he was pinned in water under skid loader

ambulance-lightsBATTLE CREEK, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a Norfolk man died after he was pinned under a skid loader in an offshoot of the Elkhorn River.

Emergency workers were sent to the scene at Kelly’s Country Club west of Norfolk around 12:45 p.m. Friday. The Madison County Sheriff’s Department says 89-year-old Vince Kirby was working with the skid loader when it went into the water, pinning Kirby under it. He was rescued from beneath the machine and taken to a Norfolk hospital.

Madison County Attorney Joe Smith says Kirby died later at the hospital.

New programs aim to ease jail population in Lancaster County

jailLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Lancaster County is planning to implement two supervision programs for nonviolent offenders in order to ease the jail population.

County commissioners approved the programs Thursday. The county jail has been nearly filled up since June, prompting officials to find alternative programs so as to avoid spending more to house inmates in neighboring county jails.

The first program, starting this month, is aimed at young adults ages 18 to 25 who are arrested for drug distribution like marijuana or prescription pills. The offenders would be supervised in the existing drug court program.

The second program, still under development, will be aimed at people with multiple convictions for driving drunk. Enrolled offenders will take Breathalyzer tests twice daily, receive random drug tests and potentially wear monitors testing their sweat for alcohol.

Officer’s cruiser struck pedestrian in crosswalk, police say

lincoln-policeLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Police say a woman was hospitalized after she was struck by an officer’s patrol vehicle in a Lincoln crosswalk.

The woman was hit just after 9 p.m. Friday. An accident report says Officer Patrick Wingfield was headed north before turning left to head west on Normal Boulevard. The report says Wingfield reported that he saw the woman in the north-south crosswalk too late to swerve. He was on his way to a call but was not using his flashing lights or siren.

Police say low visibility and the woman’s black clothes may have been contributed to the accident.

No citations have been issued. A police spokeswoman says the accident will be reviewed by the department’s safety committee to determine whether Wingfield should be disciplined.

What to do when pulled over: A new chapter for driver’s ed?

police-lights-redRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Deadly encounters between police officers and motorists have lawmakers across the country thinking driver’s education should require students to be taught what to do in a traffic stop.

Legislators in North Carolina and at least three other states are considering bills this year designed to teach new drivers how to interact appropriately with police. Another bill in Virginia awaits the governor’s signature.

Illinois passed a similar law recently. Its updated “Rules of the Road” publication could provide a model about proper driver behavior. A spokesman for the Illinois driver’s license agency says it’s all about using common sense and not being confrontational.

The North Carolina bill has more than 35 sponsors, black and white, from both parties. The proposed curriculum would be developed in consultation with law enforcement groups.

Man convicted in hit-and-run death of co-worker

Orling Carrasco-Zelaya
Orling Carrasco-Zelaya

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 27-year-old Honduran man has been convicted of the hit-and-run death of a pedestrian in west Omaha.

Orling Carrasco-Zelaya was found guilty Friday of motor vehicle homicide and leaving the scene of a deadly accident following a five-day trial.

Carrasco-Zelaya, who was in the country illegally, drove drunk and hit and fatally wounded 34-year-old Margarito Nava-Luna on April 17. Police say the two were co-workers and had been drinking at a west Omaha bar before Nava-Luna was hit. Police, who stopped Carrasco-Zelaya shortly after Nava-Luna was hit, said Carrasco-Zelaya’s blood alcohol content measured nearly three times the legal limit to drive.

Carrasco-Zelaya faces up to 70 years in prison when he is sentenced in May.

Nebraska Supreme Court denies appeal in Norfolk murder case

Leodan Alarcon-Chavez
Leodan Alarcon-Chavez

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Supreme Court has denied the post-conviction appeal of a Norfolk man sentenced to life in prison for the stabbing death of his ex-girlfriend.

Leodan Alarcon-Chavez was convicted of first-degree murder, use of a weapon to commit a felony and tampering with a witness in the March 2010 death of 30-year-old Maria Villareal.

Prosecutors say Alarcon-Chavez stabbed Villareal in her apartment while he was awaiting trial for allegedly threatening to kill her several months earlier.

On Friday, the state’s high court agreed with a lower court’s finding that denied Alarcon-Chavez’s arguments that his trial lawyer was ineffective.

Douglas County grand jurors: Officers should have cameras

Image from pixabay.com
Image from pixabay.com

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Douglas County grand jury is recommending all law enforcement officers be equipped with body cameras.

The grand jurors issued the recommendation Thursday after reviewing the deaths of seven people who died while in the presence of police.

The 16 grand jurors opted not to issue any indictments in connection with the deaths but offered the camera recommendation after reviewing some cases where there was video and others without video.

Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine says having video “makes everybody’s job easier.”

Omaha police have more than 100 body cameras and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and other city police use cameras, but not all officers have them.

Nebraska councilman fined after profiting from contracts

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Google Maps

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Sutton city councilman has been fined $2,000 after a construction company he owns did work on several city projects.

The Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission said Friday that Sutton City Councilman Jeff Schelkopf erred in not making sure three contracts between his company and the city had public discussion and action at city council meetings.

Schelkopf’s company, Quality Builders, built a concession stand at the city’s baseball field complex, repaired a city building’s roof and fixed a community center door. In all, the city of Sutton paid Quality Builders more than $100,000 for the projects.

Schelkopf did file disclosure reports noting he owned the business and says he did not intend to break the law. He has agreed to pay the fine.

Grand jury clears York officers involved in shooting death

officer-involved-shootingYORK, Neb. (AP) — A grand jury has cleared officers involved in the shooting death of a 53-year-old York man during a confrontation as a hospital.

The grand jury found no criminal conduct in the Dec. 10 shooting death of Timothy Case at York General Hospital.

Police have said officers were called to the hospital because Case was threatening staff and an emergency room doctor with a knife. Police say that when Officers Roger Wolfe Jr. and Christopher Jespen arrived, Case refused orders to drop his knife. Authorities say Case was shot once as he advanced on Wolfe while holding the knife.

State law requires a grand jury investigation any time a person is killed in custody or while being arrested.

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