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Nebraska Man Who Drove Through Backyard Makes Plea Deal

gavel-moreNELIGH, Neb. (AP) — A man whose vehicle injured four children when it ran through their backyard campsite in northeast Nebraska has made a plea deal.

43-year-old Stephen Barrington, of Oakdale, on Wednesday pleaded guilty to four counts of misdemeanor assault and one count of driving under the influence. Prosecutors dropped two other charges in return for Barrington’s pleas. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 3 in Antelope County Court in Neligh.

Antelope County Sheriff Bob Moore has said Barrington drove his sport utility vehicle through his home’s backyard, hitting a tent with five children near it. Four of the children were treated at a hospital. Moore said Barrington was arguing with his wife before the accident.

Son, 41, Accused of Killing Dad in Omaha Suburb

hand_cuffPAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — A 41-year-old man has been convicted of shooting to death his father at the family home in Gretna, on the southwest side of Omaha.

Steven Braesch was found guilty Thursday in Sarpy County District Court of first-degree murder, a weapons charge and three counts of negligent child abuse. Investigators say Braesch shot his dad, 69-year-old William Braesch, five times within the clear view of three children under the age of 7. They are the slain man’s granddaughters.

Defense attorneys didn’t deny that Steven Braesch shot his father. They argued that it was manslaughter because it occurred during a heated argument. They also argued that Steve Braesch’s mental health problems contributed to his mental state.

Steven Braesch faces a life term when he’s sentenced on Oct. 6.

Nebraskan Dies After SUV Speeds Out of Car Wash

columbus-policeCOLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — An 83-year-old woman has died after her vehicle accelerated out of a truck stop carwash and struck the side of a ditch in Columbus.

The accident occurred around 8:40 a.m. Tuesday at the Sapp Bros. truck stop.

Police say Donna Wyman, of Silver Creek, was going through the carwash in her sport utility vehicle but failed to stop at its final step. Her vehicle accelerated out of the carwash, crashed through a fence and struck the ditch side.

Police Capt. Charles Sherer says crash investigators will be checking for any mechanical failure and whether Wyman suffered a medical problem that led to the crash.

Platte County Attorney Carl Hart says there was no indication that Wyman had any medical issues.

Indictment Alleges Mail Carrier Stashed Deliveries

uspsCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The government says an Ohio mail carrier stashed thousands of pieces of undelivered mail at his home over 18 months.

The U.S. Postal Service began investigating last year after residents along the route in Columbus reported that DVDs had not arrived as expected.

Charles Moore has been charged with destroying or delaying mail.

Investigators found 13,000 pieces of mail on top of Moore’s freezer, in closets, in a bedroom and in the basement when they searched his home in July 2013.

Moore resigned from his job in October after being suspended. Court records don’t list an attorney. He faces five years in prison if convicted.

Air Show Returns to Offutt Air Force Base

offutt-afbOFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. (AP) — Offutt Air Force Base will host an air show this weekend after federal budget problems forced the cancellation of last year’s event.

The free event on Saturday and Sunday will feature both the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels and the F-22 Raptor aerial demonstration teams along with several other flying teams.

The public will have a chance to visit Offutt Air Force Base and learn more about the base on the southeast side of the Omaha area. Gates open at 9 a.m. and flying begins around noon.

A free shuttle bus will be offered from various locations around Bellevue, including the former Southroads mall and Bellevue East and West high schools.

More details of the air show and all the aircraft that will be on display are available online at www.offuttairshow.com .

Bodies in Omaha Home Were Those of Mom, Teen Son

crime-sceneOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Autopsies have been ordered on the bodies of a woman and her 18-year-old son found at their west Omaha home.

Douglas County sheriff’s deputies identified the two as Cooper Flanagan and his mother, 54-year-old Maureen Flanagan. Deputies sent to check on the Flanagans’ welfare Wednesday morning found her body in the home’s basement and his in a car in the garage.

Chief Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy Thomas Wheeler says it doesn’t appear to be a double homicide but would not say whether investigators suspect the deaths resulted from a murder-suicide. Lt. Mark Gentile says no suspects are being sought.

Gentile says the two hadn’t been seen since July 9 and that investigators think the mom and son had been dead for two days.

SC Man Charged with Hugging Child to Death

police-lights-red

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina sheriff says a 26-year-old man has been charged with involuntary manslaughter more than a year after he hugged a 14-month-old child so tightly that the boy stopped breathing and died.

A news release from Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell says Robert Kemp was taken into custody Tuesday and released on $10,000 bond Wednesday. Kemp is described as a family friend.

After the hug on June 27, 2013, someone in the home noticed the child was unconscious in his crib and unsuccessfully tried to resuscitate him.

The sheriff’s release didn’t say why it took a year to bring charges or give additional information on why Kemp was charged.

A spokeswoman for the sheriff did not respond to an email or phone message.

If convicted, Kemp faces up to five years in prison.

Former Omaha Officer Agrees to Plea Deal

James Kinsella
James Kinsella

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former Omaha police officer facing criminal charges in connection to a controversial arrest last year has agreed to a plea deal.

James Kinsella entered a no contest plea Wednesday on two misdemeanor counts of obstructing governmental operations. Other charges, including evidence tampering and theft by unlawful taking, were dropped.

Four Omaha police officers were fired after a March 2013 arrest involving three brothers. A neighbor recorded the arrest, and the footage was posted online. One officer was later allowed to return to work.

The 33-year-old Kinsella was accused of illegally confiscating a cellphone memory card and throwing it away. He and another former officer were charged in the case.

Sentencing is scheduled on Aug. 28.

Authorities Investigate 2 Deaths at Omaha Home

douglas-county-sheriffOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities are investigating the deaths of two people whose bodies were found at a home in Omaha.

Douglas County Sheriff Deputy Thomas Wheeler says they discovered the bodies of a woman and teenage boy Wednesday morning at a townhouse in the west side of the city.

Authorities say officers were sent to the house following a request for a wellness check.

Wheeler did not release additional information. He says it doesn’t appear like the community is in danger, but he did not elaborate.

California Hiker with Broken Legs Ate Bugs to Survive

sierra-nevada-mountainsFRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A hiker who was stranded for six days with a broken leg in California’s Sierra Nevada says he survived by eating crickets and moths and melting ice for water.

Gregg Hein said Wednesday while recovering at a Fresno hospital that he was a couple days into a solo hike when a large rock crushed his right leg above the ankle. The 33-year-old Clovis man’s first thought was treating his dangling leg and protruding bone to boost his chances of making it out alive.

Hein says he used hiking gear to secure his leg and then scooted to a flat clearing with a good vantage point to wait for rescuers. A helicopter crew eventually spotted him.

Hein says his high-risk days of hiking alone are behind him.

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