PICKRELL, Neb. (AP) — Authorities have released the name of a man who died after leaping from a moving vehicle near Pickrell in southeast Nebraska.
The Gage County Sheriff’s Office identified him as 33-year-old Jason Meisenhelder, of Beatrice. The incident occurred early Sunday morning on Pickrell Road, about a mile north of Pickrell.
It’s unclear how fast the van was moving when Meisenhelder jumped out the rear door. Authorities say he died later at a Lincoln hospital.
ELMO, Mo. (AP) — A 9-month-old northwestern Missouri boy is dead after his 5-year-old brother playing with a handgun accidentally shot him in the head.
Nodaway County Sheriff Darren White says the baby was pronounced dead at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City just before noon on Monday.
Emergency responders were called to a home in Elmo around 9 a.m. Monday after a 5-year-old found a loaded .22 caliber handgun and apparently was handling it when it fired.
White says the bullet struck the 9-month-old, who was in a playpen.
The sheriff says there is no reason to believe the shooting was anything other than an accident.
Elmo is located 120 miles north of Kansas City, Missouri.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A new behavior modification program is changing the lives of some parents and their children in Lincoln Public Schools.
The program is aimed at students whose behavior problems have disrupted classrooms and made it impossible for the students to learn. The program employs a strict behavioral code, positive reinforcement for good behavior and provides opportunities students can take – or lose — depending on behavior and academic performance.
In May the district signed a three-year contract with Specialized Education Services in Pennsylvania to implement its program, which costs $290,000 for the first year.
Two consultants from Success Schools have worked with the Lincoln students and trained 16 teachers, as well as administrators and therapists.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a motorcyclist has died after colliding with a car in southwest Omaha.
Police say he was pronounced dead soon after arriving at Nebraska Medical Center on Monday afternoon. He was identified as 45-year-old Christopher Reger, of Omaha.
Police say Reger had been driving north on 132nd Street Monday when a southbound car turned east, into his path.
The accident is still being investigated. Police say charges are pending against the car driver.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — More elected officials are urging a Nebraska State Board of Education member to resign after derogatory comments about President Barack Obama appeared on his blog.
Four Omaha Board of Education members on Monday joined the list of those calling on Pat McPherson to step down. The board members said in a statement that “there is no place for racist commentary” in politics.
Others calling for his resignation include Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and Republican U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse.
McPherson’s blog included repeated references to Obama as a “half breed.” McPherson has said he didn’t write the posts and disavowed them before removing them last week.
McPherson did not return calls from the newspaper Monday and said last week he would have no further comment.
GLENDIVE, Mont. (AP) — Ice is hampering crews working to clean up crude oil that spilled in and near the Yellowstone River in eastern Montana over the weekend.
Bridger Pipeline says it’s confident that no more than 1,200 barrels — or 50,000 gallons — of oil leaked during the hour-long breach Saturday about 9 miles upstream from the city of Glendive. A company spokesman says oil has made it into the river, but it’s unclear how much.
The Environmental Protection Agency says an oil sheen has been seen some 60 miles downstream from Glendive.
Booms are being placed in two areas of open water to try and trap oil with another collection site about 30 miles downstream from the spill site.
The EPA’s on-site coordinator says some of the oil is trapped under ice that’s covering the river and locating it could prove difficult.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 31-year-old man is facing several charges after fleeing across Lincoln in a stolen car at speeds over 100 mph.
Nebraska State Patrol spokeswoman Deb Collins says the pursuit began around 12:30 Monday after a stolen Ford Fusion was spotted by the patrol’s helicopter.
When the driver fled, the trooper ended the pursuit because of public safety concerns. The helicopter followed the Ford from above as it drove erratically from south of Lincoln to Interstate 80.
The fleeing driver forced several other vehicles off the road as he crossed Lincoln.
State troopers resumed their pursuit after the driver reached I-80. Then troopers disabled the fleeing vehicle after the driver exited near the Lincoln airport.
The fleeing driver was treated for a minor arm injury before being taken to jail.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Ramps off Interstate 80 at Northwest 48th Street in Lincoln will be closed for two nights this week.
The Nebraska Roads Department says exit ramps in both directions will be closed from 10 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday to 6 a.m. the next day. The closures are needed to set bridge girders.
Northwest 48th Street traffic will be one way and controlled by flaggers.
PICKRELL, Neb. (AP) — Deputies are investigating the death of a man who leaped from a moving vehicle in southeast Nebraska’s Gage County.
The incident occurred early Sunday morning about a mile north of Pickrell. Sheriff Millard Gustafson says the man died later at a hospital.
It’s unclear how fast the van was moving when the man jumped. His name hasn’t been released.
FREMONT, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a 45-year-old man has died after crashing his motorcycle in Fremont.
The accident occurred around 7:15 p.m. Sunday. Police say Jeffrey Gordon, of Fremont, was headed south on North Airport Road when he lost control of his motorcycle. It stuck a curb and rolled, tossing off Gordon.
Police say Gordon was pronounced dead later at Fremont Health Medical Center.
The accident is being investigated.
