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Nebraska Agency Says Dangerous Smoke Levels Could Continue

lancaster-co-health-departmLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Officials say air conditions that prompted a health advisory from the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department could continue into Thursday.

The advisory says the unhealthy smoke levels are caused by agricultural burns in the Flint Hills area of Kansas and areas in Nebraska east of Beatrice.

The advisory says the problem may last through Thursday because of winds from the south and relatively low wind speeds.

The advisory says older adults and children and people with asthma, lung disease or other respiratory conditions or heart disease to stay indoors and avoid strenuous activity.

Man Dies After Pickup Slams Into Nebraska Creek Bank

colfax county sheriffSCHUYLER, Neb. (AP) — Colfax County authorities say a driver has died after his pickup slammed into a creek bank and rolled into the water.

The truck was spotted Tuesday in Shell Creek about a mile west and three miles north of Schuyler. Deputies think the pickup was speeding down a county road when it went airborne across the creek and struck the bank, ejecting the driver.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. His name hasn’t been released.

Nebraska Mom in ‘Mommie Dearest’ Duct Tape Case Gets Probation

gavel-moreNEBRASKA CITY, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska City mother has been given two years of probation and some jail time for having her boyfriend force her two sons to watch the movie “Mommie Dearest.”

Court records say 28-year-old Mary Lucas also was sentenced Tuesday to perform 40 hours of community service and spend four weekends in jail and 10 days more that can be waived by the court. She had pleaded no contest to negligent child abuse.

Authorities say Lucas’ boyfriend at the time duct-taped the unruly 4- and 5-year-old boys to chairs while the movie played as he baby-sat them in August. The movie depicts actress Joan Crawford as a mean mother. Court records say the boyfriend thought Lucas wanted to show the boys that she was not the meanest mother.

Nebraska School Locked Down Until Man Accused of Threats Arrested

webster-county-ne-sheriffBLUE HILL, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say Blue Hill Community School in south-central Nebraska was locked down because a man had threatened to shoot City Council members and schoolchildren.

The lockdown ended after the man was arrested without incident around 10:40 a.m. Monday.

Court records say 47-year-old Michael Head is charged with felony terroristic threats. Records say Head remained in Webster County Jail on Tuesday, pending $500,000 bail. The court records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment on Head’s behalf.

Authorities say Head made the threats at a bar Friday as he expressed his anger about Blue Hill officials taking three dogs from him after declaring them dangerous in 2012. An arrest affidavit says Head threatened to target the children because some kids had lied about being bitten by his dogs.

Nebraska School Superintendent Accused of Assault, Other Crimes

Hall-County-SheriffGRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — A school superintendent has been arrested in south-central Nebraska’s Hall County.

The Hall County Sheriff’s Office says 46-year-old Brian Redinger was arrested Sunday. He’s accused of hitting and choking a woman as they drove in rural Hall County. He faces charges for assault, threats and other crimes.

Online jail records say Redinger remained in custody Tuesday, pending $50,000 bail. Online court records don’t list the name of an attorney who could be contacted to comment on Redinger’s behalf.

Redinger is superintendent of Shelton Public Schools. School board President Russell Muhlback says the district is working with law enforcement officials and the district’s attorney but declined to comment further.

Lincoln Mayor Announces New Police Chief

lincoln-police-cruiserLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The chief deputy in the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office has been named as Lincoln’s new police chief.

Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler announced Monday that 43-year-old Jeffrey Bliemeister will begin his new role in the Lincoln Police Department on April 26, after receiving approval from the City Council.

Bliemeister was chosen among six finalists and will replace Jim Peschong, who retired in February.

Bliemeister has been chief deputy since 2012 and began his career in law enforcement in 1996.

The Lincoln Police Department has about 460 staff members.

Man Shot Near Nebraska Capitol Sentenced to Prison

Tareik Artis
Tareik Artis

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 19-year-old man who was shot near the Capitol in Lincoln has been sentenced to prison after pleading no contest to drug and weapons charges.

A judge Monday sentenced Tareik Artis to 17 to 22 years in prison.

Artis pleaded no contest in March to possession of cocaine and stolen firearm charges in a plea deal with prosecutors.

Authorities say Lancaster County Deputy Jeffrey Moeller and a deputy U.S. marshal shot Artis on Sept. 22 after he pointed a loaded handgun at them. Police say Artis was fleeing from a Lincoln officer after a traffic stop.

US Officials: The More We Learn About Zika, the Scarier It is

mosquitoWASHINGTON (AP) — Top health officials say the more they learn about Zika, the scarier the virus appears and they still need more money to fight the mosquitoes that spread it — and for research into vaccines and treatments.

Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health says he’s “not an alarmist,” but he cites recent discoveries about how destructive Zika appears to be to fetal brains. There also are reports of rare neurologic problems in adults, too.

The Obama administration is using some leftover money from the Ebola fight to pay for Zika research but that’s just a fraction of the $1.9 billion it sought from Congress.

Fauci says the $589 million now available is a “temporary stopgap” and it’s “not enough for us to get the job done.”

Neighbors Settle Dispute Over Rock Bluffs Cemetery Driveway

File Image
File Image

ROCK BLUFFS, Neb. (AP) — A two-year legal battle over a shared driveway in Rock Bluffs has ended after a judge mediated a series of complex arguments between neighbors.

The driveway was the only access route to Rock Bluffs Cemetery after another road was barricaded in 2010. Homeowners Larry and Lauri Cunningham blocked the driveway with a rope in 2014.

In November, a judge ordered Larry Cunningham and neighbor Charla Knapp to mediate their dispute. After two years of legal disputes, the pair filed a consent decree with the court in February.

Cunningham is allowed to put a gate in front of his driveway that can be opened with a code, which he will give to cemetery trustees so they can access the grounds.

Lawyer: Client Will Plead Not Guilty in Nebraska Sex-with-Teen Case

Jamie Bishop
Jamie Bishop
YORK, Neb. (AP) — An attorney says his client will plead not guilty to a charge that she had sex with a teenager at a York facility for troubled children.

Authorities say 37-year-old Jamie Bishop, of Seward, is charged with sexual assault of a minor. Court documents say Bishop and the 15-year-old had sex several times in his room or on the grounds at Epworth Village from January to July last year. The child was born in December, and authorities say DNA tests prove the boy’s paternity.

Her attorney, Chad Wythers (WIH’-thurz), said Monday that Bishop would plead not guilty and said in a news release that “her accuser has a history of manipulating situations for his benefit.”

Epworth Village CEO Margaret Donovan says Bishop no longer works there.

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