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Nebraska Board to Discuss Management Plan for Pheasants

pheasantTEKAMAH, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission plans to discuss a management plan for pheasants when it meets Thursday in Tekamah (teh-KAYE’-muh).

Staffers will present a draft of what’s being called the Nebraska Mega Plan. Among its goals are increasing the number of pheasants in the state and increasing hunter access to land where pheasants can be found.

The commission agenda also includes a public hearing on changes regarding the removal of meat from elk carcasses before they’re taken to check stations.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at Pheasant Bonanza Hunt Club and Kennel north of Tekamah.

Feds Indict Omaha Woman Accused of Selling Worthless Vouchers

dept.-of-justiceOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Federal authorities have indicted an Omaha woman accused of selling thousands of worthless airline vouchers.

Patricia Urbanovsky was charged Thursday in U.S. District Court in Omaha on nine counts of money laundering and 16 counts of wire fraud. Her attorney, Steven Lefler, said Friday he hadn’t talked to Urbanovsky yet and couldn’t comment. She’s already facing state charges of theft by deception.

The 30-year-old Urbanovsky is the owner of Creative Creations in Omaha. Authorities say she ran a scheme through her business to sell discounted airline travel vouchers, which turned out to be worthless. Authorities say the company purchased the vouchers for airline flights at a reduced rate and resold them to the public. But hundreds of customers discovered their vouchers wouldn’t be honored because the company had overbooked flights.

Omaha Attorney Disbarred for Account Violations, False Documents

ne-supreme-courtLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha attorney accused of trust account violations and falsifying documents has been disbarred.

The Nebraska Supreme Court ordered the disbarment of Patricia Geringer on Friday after she voluntarily surrendered her law license in January.

The formal charges against Geringer consisted of three counts alleging that she violated her oath of office as an attorney.

The record says Geringer first filed a response to the charge in December in which she denied the allegations, and a referee was appointed on Dec. 15. A little more than three weeks later, Geringer filed to voluntarily surrender her license.

On Friday, the high court found that Geringer freely, knowingly and voluntarily admitted that she does not contest the allegations against her.

Omaha Woman to Stand Trial in Case of Child Found Frozen to Death

Chelsey Cook
Chelsey Cook

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha woman who prosecutors say let a 4-year-old in her care freeze to death will be tried in district court.

Douglas County District Judge Greg Schatz ruled that there was sufficient evidence to send the case to trial during a preliminary hearing Thursday afternoon.

Prosecutor Molly Keane said Chelsey Cook committed child abuse resulting in death last month because she didn’t seek medical attention when 4-year-old Alicia Morrow was cold and barely breathing in the hours before she died.

Cook’s attorney, J. William Gallup, said Cook had fed and clothed the girl, took her to school and doctor’s appointments and cared for her like her own child.

Autopsy results say Alicia died Jan. 3 of hypothermia.

Nebraska Authorities Seize $2.4M in Suspected Drug Money

lancaster-county-sheriffLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Eastern Nebraska authorities say they seized $2.4 million in suspected drug money from a semitrailer after a traffic stop along Interstate 80.

The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office says deputies pulled over the semitrailer a few miles west of Lincoln around 10:30 a.m. Thursday. The office says the deputies became suspicious of the driver and his passenger and then were denied permission to search the truck. A drug dog taken to the scene alerted deputies to the odor of drugs, so the big rig was searched.

The Sheriff’s Office says heat-sealed and banded cash that smelled of marijuana was inside several pieces of luggage that were found.

The two people were arrested on suspicion of violating drug laws. Online court records don’t show that they’ve been formally charged yet.

Nebraska Woman Who Fell Through Ceiling Gets 5 Years in Prison

Kristina Frerichs
Kristina Frerichs

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A woman who authorities say was arrested by deputies after falling through the ceiling of an adjoining Lincoln duplex unit has been sentenced to five years in prison on drug-related charges.

36-year-old Kristina Frerichs was also sentenced Thursday to two years of post-release supervision for drug possession and theft by receiving stolen property.

Deputies say they saw Frerichs through a window at her residence in December but couldn’t find her when the duplex owners let them in. Authorities say residents on the other side of the duplex soon reported that someone had fallen from the attic through the ceiling of their living room. Frerichs was found hiding at the bottom of a nearby staircase.

According to court records, Frerichs had been sought on warrants stemming from drug possession convictions.

Federally Protected Bats Alter Lincoln Brewery’s Cave Plans

northern-long-eared-batLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Owners of a brewery that’s being built around a cave in Lincoln have altered plans after finding federally protected bats in the tunnels.

Blue Blood Brewing still intends to offer tours and hold events inside Robbers Cave, but that a section will be off-limits because of the northern long-eared bat’s presence.

The company is building a 12,000-square-foot brewery, restaurant and taproom around the cave. With its April opening approaching, owner Brian Podwinski sought an expert to visit the 500 feet of tunnels.

Cliff Lemen, the retired bat biologist who visited the cave in January, said the cave had been closed for years, but apparently not tight enough to keep the bats out.

The bats were named a federally threatened species last year.

Man Gets 3 Years for Strangulation Conviction in Nebraska

jailBEATRICE, Neb. (AP) — A 52-year-old Beatrice man convicted of strangulation has been given three years in prison.

Leon Williams was sentenced Wednesday in Gage County District Court. Williams had pleaded no contest to the charge. Prosecutors dropped a charge of domestic assault in exchange for Williams’ plea.

A court document says his fiancée told an officer on Nov. 2 that Williams had been drinking when he forced her down on a bed and put his hands on her face and neck. She grabbed a hammer in an attempt to get free, and he released her to grab it and throw it in a corner of the bedroom.

Nebraska Woman Pleads Not Guilty to Child Pornography, Abuse Charges

gavel-and-scaleWAYNE, Neb. (AP) — A 32-year-old Wayne woman has pleaded not guilty to child abuse and child pornography charges.

The woman entered her pleas Wednesday in Wayne County District Court. Her trial is scheduled to begin April 11.

She was arrested in December. Nebraska State Patrol investigators allege the woman “traded or provided to another visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct with a child.” The child is 3 or 4 years old.

To protect the child’s privacy, The Associated Press is not using the woman’s name.

UNL Students Plead No Contest in Alcohol Death Case

farmhouse-fraternityLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — University of Nebraska-Lincoln fraternity members accused in the alcohol death of another member have pleaded no contest to lesser offenses.

According to court records, 20-year-old Thomas Trueblood, 23-year Ross Reynolds and 23-year-old Cory Foland each pleaded no contest Wednesday to misdemeanor alcohol procurement charges.

Eighteen-year-old Clayton Real was found dead at the FarmHouse Fraternity house in 2014. Affidavits show he died of acute alcohol intoxication. Affidavits in the case say fraternity members threw a party the night before and provided alcohol to underage attendees, including Real.

The three men were initially charged in 2014 with felony counts of procuring alcohol for a minor resulting in death. They each face up to a year in jail. Their sentencing hearing is set for April 25.

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