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95-year-old died in hospital after crash, authorities say

Saunders-County-SheriffLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a 95-year-old woman injured in a Saunders County collision has died.

The crash occurred Sunday on Nebraska Highway 79 near Morse Bluff. The Saunders County Sheriff’s Department says 69-year-old Charlene Mason, of Omaha, was driving east on a county road and didn’t stop at its intersection with the highway. The department says Mason’s vehicle then was struck by a southbound pickup driven by 22-year-old Austin Hines, of rural Morse Bluff.

Both drivers and Mason’s passenger, Lorraine Stapleton, were hospitalized. The department says Stapleton died Wednesday at a hospital.

17-year-old boy accused of fatal Lincoln shooting

crime-scene-police-shootLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 17-year-old boy has been accused of shooting to death a Lincoln man and wounding another.

Lincoln police said Wednesday that the boy will be charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, robbery and other crimes. Investigators say he fatally shot 32-year-old Christopher Coleman and left 21-year-old Jerry Griffis Jr. paralyzed from his wounds on April 18. The Associated Press generally doesn’t name juveniles accused of crimes.

The boy has been in the custody of juvenile authorities on unrelated robbery charges. Three other people have been charged in connection with the robbery and shootings.

Bellevue-area forest opens $2M raptor exhibit

commons.wikimedia.org
commons.wikimedia.org

BELLEVUE, Neb. (AP) — A forest near Bellevue has opened a $2 million exhibit containing 13 species of raptors.

Fontenelle Forest held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the exhibit on Tuesday afternoon.

The forest’s director of education Elizabeth Chalen says the Raptor Woodland Refuge gives the public the opportunity to learn about raptors, conservation efforts and the birds’ roles in the ecosystem. The exhibit holds species such as turkey vultures, ferruginous hawks and great horned owls.

Fontenelle Forest’s Raptor Recovery team rescues sick and injured raptors and rehabilitates them before releasing them back into the wild. Chalen says the team treats about 500 raptors each year.

The exhibit was mostly funded through grants, foundations and individual donors.

Nebraska woman gets probation for Medicaid fraud

medicaidHARTINGTON, Neb. (AP) — A 61-year-old northeast Nebraska woman who pleaded guilty to Medicaid fraud has paid nearly $8,500 in restitution.

Court records say Esther Larsen, of Hartington, entered the plea Monday in Cedar County District Court to one count of fraudulently obtaining payment on behalf of a recipient of medical assistance. She was ordered to pay the restitution and serve six months of probation.

State authorities say Larsen worked as a personal care aide for three Hartington-area agencies that provided in-home care services to Medicaid recipients. An investigation found that from January 2013 to September 2014, Larsen filed claims for payment that had overlapping times and billed for services she never provided.

Man gets 20 days in jail for breaking Lincoln officer’s thumb

Joseph Tyrey
Joseph Tyrey

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A man who pleaded no contest to an April 2015 assault that broke a Lincoln police officer’s thumb has been sentenced to 20 days in jail.

52-year-old Joseph Tyrey was sentenced Tuesday in Lancaster County District Court.

Tyrey had originally been charged with felony assault on an officer, but that count was lowered to a misdemeanor in exchange for his plea.

Prosecutors say an officer was checking on Tyrey’s welfare at the request of a relative when the assault occurred.

Judge Darla Ideus said Tyrey’s lack of criminal history kept her from handing down a longer sentence.

Authorities: Nebraska traffic stop yields 3 pounds of meth

METHOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Eastern Nebraska authorities have arrested four people following a traffic stop they say led to the discovery about three pounds of methamphetamine in a car on Interstate 80.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Department says a car carrying the four was stopped around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday on the interstate in south Omaha.

The department says a deputy became suspicious after speaking with vehicle’s occupants. Officials say a search yielded three pounds of meth in a rear storage compartment.

Four people from Illinois were arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and failure to affix a drug tax stamp.

Police say Omaha teen playing with gun shoots, kills self

accidental-shootingOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say a teen playing with a gun in a north Omaha neighborhood has accidentally shot and killed himself.

Omaha police say the accident happened around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. Police say they do not suspect foul play in the teen’s death.

The teen’s identity has not yet been released.

Police have not released any other details of the shooting. Investigators were interviewing witnesses on Wednesday afternoon.

The investigation into the death continues.

Pokemon players distracted K-9 on search, Lincoln police say

lincoln-policeLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Officers say some people playing “Pokemon Go” accidentally interfered with a search for a mysterious man who’d fled from a Lincoln convenience store where a clerk was killed last week.

The incident occurred around 2 a.m. Wednesday. Police say a store security guard noticed the man, who was dressed in camouflage clothing, wearing a hood, gloves, sunglasses and a bandanna over his face. The guard asked the man to remove his bandanna, but he ran off instead.

Sgt. Randy Clark said officers reported later than a police dog taken to the scene to track the man got distracted by the scents of some people engrossed in the popular new smartphone game nearby.

Police say they don’t think the man sought is connected to the slaying of store employee Robert Hanna.

Omaha council rejects new rules on historic structures

omahaOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The City Council has rejected a proposal that would have let the council block demolition of historically significant Omaha buildings.

The proposed ordinance rejected Tuesday would have required a new review process before a demolition permit would have been issued for buildings identified as potentially historic.

The proposal was designed to preserve Omaha’s architectural history. Council member Chris Jerram said his proposal arose from residents concerns about recent demolitions of older houses in their neighborhoods.

Opponents said the proposal would have discouraged development by creating more red tape.

Lincoln man sentenced to 3 years for having child porn

dept.-of-justiceLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 29-year-old Lincoln man has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for possession of child pornography.

U.S. Attorney Deborah Gilg says Alex Paul Garden was sentenced Tuesday in Lincoln’ federal court. Upon his release, Garden will serve five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

Authorities say a tip led them to Garden, and a search of his computer turned up images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

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