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Nebraska Man Suspected in Texas Prison Drug Case

methNORFOLK, Neb. (AP) — A 42-year-old northeast Nebraska man is suspected of trying to send drugs to a prisoner at a federal prison in Texas.

Miguel Monzon has been charged with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin.

In court records, a postal inspector says Monzon was seen on Sept. 26 at the Norfolk, Nebraska, post office mailing a parcel to the prison in Beaumont, Texas. Investigators say they found heroin and meth inside the package.

Monzon’s lawyer last week entered a plea of not guilty for him. Monzon already has spent 35 months in a federal prison on an earlier drug conviction.

Hoax Sends SWAT Team to Suburban Omaha Home

sarpy-co.-sheriffPAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — A SWAT team has responded to a suburban Omaha suburb to handle what turned out to be a hoax about a shooting.

Sarpy County officers and Nebraska State Patrol troopers were sent to a house in a neighborhood just north of Wehrspann (WEER’-span) Lake around 1:15 a.m. Monday. They tried unsuccessfully to reach anyone inside, but crisis negotiators finally made contact. The residents had been asleep, and there had been no shooting. Officers left about 4:30 a.m.

Sarpy County deputies say the call was a case of “swatting” on the part of a hoaxer who intended to draw out a SWAT team on unsuspecting people.

Washington School Shooter’s Death Ruled a Suicide

snohomish-county-sheriffMARYSVILLE, Wash. (AP) — Authorities officially released the names and causes of death of one of the victims and the gunman killed during the Washington state high school shooting.

The Snohomish County medical examiner’s office said Monday that 14-year-old Zoe R. Galasso died of a gunshot wound to the head and is a homicide victim.

She was one of two girls who died after 15-year-old Jaylen Fryberg opened fire Friday at Marysville-Pilchuck High School north of Seattle. Three other students remain hospitalized.

The medical examiner says Fryberg died of a gunshot wound to the head and has ruled his death a suicide.

The office hasn’t yet released the official cause of death for 14-year-old Gia Soriano. Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett announced her death Sunday. She also had a head wound.

Workers Union Suing Douglas County Over Plan

douglas-countyOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A county workers union is suing Douglas County to block an outsourcing plan.

Douglas County has looked for ways to decrease the $12 million annual operating subsidy to Douglas County Health Center. County officials are following a consultant’s recommendation to lower costs, which include outsourcing certain tasks.

In September, the County Board awarded a company a $365,000 contract to handle the center’s laundry. The move eliminated seven union jobs.

Other union employees also face losing their jobs, including workers who answer county switchboard calls.

The Employees United Labor Association argues the outsourcing plan is more about undermining the union than saving money. The union wants an injunction and temporary restraining order to halt the layoffs.

Douglas County’s administrator and county board chairwoman declined to comment on active litigation.

Norfolk Man Sentenced for Meth Use Near Child

jailMADISON, Neb. (AP) — A 44-year-old Norfolk man accused of using methamphetamine near his 4-year-old child has been given a year behind bars.

Troy Hoffie lived in the same residence as his child and used meth there. Deputy County attorney Matthew Kieran said in court on Friday that the child tested “17 times above the confirmation level necessary to test positive for methamphetamine.”

Online court records say Hoffie pleaded guilty to misdemeanor negligent child abuse after prosecutors lowered the charge from a felony.

Lincoln Sex Offender Program Gets Some State Money

sex-offendersLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The state will provide money for a Lincoln-based outpatient treatment program that provides treatment to some sex offenders who are trying to avoid reoffending.

The program is known as STOP. It offers a mix of therapy types to help offenders adapt after being in prison or in the state psychiatric hospital in Lincoln. Officials have said that without the program, some patients might have to return to the state hospital or prison because they had been ordered by a state mental health board to participate in the program.

The Lincoln Journal Star reports (https://bit.ly/1zzavyp ) that the temporary state funding totals $166,000 for 10 months and should last through June 30, the end of the fiscal year. Local leaders hope a permanent funding solution will be found by then.

Milsap, Wiseman, Cochran Become Hall of Famers

country-music-hall-of-fameNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Ronnie Milsap, the blind country-soul singer and pianist, joined bluegrass vocalist Mac Wiseman and the late songwriter Hank Cochran as the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday.

During the ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee, 71-year-old Milsap, 89-year-old Wiseman and Suzi Cochran, Hank’s widow, were honored by country artists Vince Gill, Martina McBride and Hunter Hayes with tribute performances at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

Steeped in Appalachian music since childhood, Milsap first started playing with Elvis Presley before becoming a country singer with 40 No. 1 country hits and six Grammy Awards. One of country’s most successful songwriters, Cochran’s standards include “I Fall To Pieces” and “Make The World Go Away,” while Wiseman is considered an elder statesman of bluegrass.

Police: Regretful California Robber Returns Cash

odd-newsEUREKA, Calif. (AP) — Police in Northern California say a man robbed a gas station only to return hours later to give the money back and apologize.

Eureka Police Sgt. Steve Watson said Sunday that 23-year-old Cyle Warren Abbott Jr. told officers he needed cash to leave town for a fresh start, but then realized his mistake.

Watson says Abbott first entered the gas station demanding cash with what the clerk believed was a semi-automatic handgun.

He says the clerk gave Abbott some cash, and Abbott left, also taking two bottles of beer.

Watson says three hours later Abbott returned, giving back most of the cash and saying he was sorry. He says the weapon turned out to be a BB gun, which officers haven’t found.

Abbott was booked into jail on $50,000 bail.

Omaha Police Investigate Death of Man Found in Vehicle

omaha-policeOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — One day after an 18-year-old man was found dead in a vehicle Omaha police say they are investigating the case as a homicide.

Police said Sunday the death of Erik Valencia was classified as a homicide after an autopsy was completed.

Valencia’s body was found Saturday afternoon inside a vehicle that was parked behind apartments near 78th and Miami streets.

No arrests were reported Sunday.

In July, Valencia was present when 19-year-old Joey Merolla died during a game of Russian roulette. Prosecutors say Valencia took the gun used in the game and left the apartment.

Valencia later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of government operations. He was fined $500.

Omaha Science Cafe to Focus on Ebola

CDC Photo
CDC Photo

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The next Omaha Science cafe will provide an overview on the deadly Ebola disease.

The dean of the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health, Dr. Ali Khan, will be the speaker. His presentation is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on Nov. 4 at the Slowdown, 729, N. 14th St.

Khan worked at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for 23 years before retiring as the director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response.

Science Cafes are free educational events sponsored by UNMC and other groups to increase people’s science literacy. They are open to everyone 21 and older.

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