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Heavy Rain Flood Some Low-Lying Omaha Streets

rain-heavyOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for parts of Nebraska and Iowa along the Missouri River, and storms that dumped nearly 7 inches of rain on parts of Omaha haven’t helped.

The National Weather Service says 6.83 inches of rain fell at the Millard Airport in Omaha from Friday night to about 7 a.m. Saturday — and more could be on the way.

The storms flooded low-lying Omaha streets and forced a College World Series game between Mississippi and Virginia to be postponed.

The weather service says there is a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms for the area on Sunday and a 50 percent chance on Monday.

Nebraska Man Killed in Floodwaters

floodzoneBELLEVUE, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say they have recovered the body of a 29-year-old Bellevue man swept away by floodwaters after he drove into a rain-swollen ditch during a storm.

Authorities say the body of David Farr was found about 9:30 a.m. Saturday near a drainage ditch just south of Highway 370.

Police were called to the area Friday night as heavy rain fell by witnesses who said Farr drove into the ditch. The witnesses said Farr was able to get out of the car, but was pulled underwater and didn’t resurface.

Firefighters were unable to enter the water because the current was too strong.

Officials: Nebraska Deputy Staged Shooting

richardson-county-sheriffHUMBOLDT, Neb. (AP) — Investigators looking into the shooting earlier this month of a Richardson County Sheriff’s deputy have determined that the deputy staged the shooting and lied about being ambushed by an unknown assailant.

Richardson County Deputy Sheriff Joshua Nincehelser was fired and arrested Friday. He is charged with felony criminal mischief, false reporting and several other counts.

On June 9, Nebraska law enforcement agencies launched a frantic search after Nincehelser reported he had been shot in the arm by a driver he had pulled over. Nincehelser said the driver fired several shots, hitting Nincehelser’s patrol car, too.

Now, investigators say Nincehelser has acknowledged he shot himself, then fired several shots into his patrol car.

Lincoln Garbage Collection Company Says it’s Being Targeted by Others

odd-newsLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A new garbage-collecting business in Lincoln says it’s being hurt by underhanded tactics of other long-established garbage companies that resent the new competition.

The new company, Trash Taxi, is crying foul over some of the tactics. Owner Dana Houser says they include cards and notices sent to customers accusing Trash Taxi of providing lousy service and implying that customers have complaints with the Better Business Bureau, even though the bureau lists zero complaints.

Houser says a few competitors have refused to sign for certified letters canceling service after customers signed up with Trash Taxi.

Donna Garden, assistant director for Lincoln’s Public Works and Utilities Department, says the city has no power to intervene.

Nebraska Man Sentenced for Killing Child

dept.-of-justiceOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A northeastern Nebraska man has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for causing the death of his girlfriend’s 14-month-old son.

The U.S. Attorney for Nebraska says 22-year-old Mark Grant, of Winnebago, was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court in Omaha after being convicted of one count of child abuse causing death.

Court documents say Grant was caring for Julius Harlan on Sept. 10 when the boy suffered severe brain injuries and died the next day at an Omaha hospital.

Investigators say Grant was the only person with the child when the boy received the injuries and that Grant told different stories about the circumstance behind the boy’s injuries.

Authorities Find Dead Man in Elkhorn River

norfolk-policeNORFOLK, Neb. (AP) — Authorities are investigating the death of a man found in the Elkhorn River in northeast Nebraska.

Norfolk police and fire personnel responded Friday morning to a report about a body in the river. Authorities retrieved the body and identified it as belonging to 52-year-old Jeffrey L. Planer, also of Norfolk.

Authorities say they have identified the area where Planer entered the water. The circumstances surrounding his death are still under investigation.

The Madison County Coroner has ordered an autopsy to be conducted Saturday.

Lincoln Fire Chief Denies Challenge on Pickup Use

Lincoln Fire DptLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Lincoln’s fire chief says he’s denied a union challenge on the use of a pickup truck for medical calls.

The Lincoln Firefighters Association filed a grievance last month against Lincoln Fire and Rescue Chief John Huff’s order that medical calls to the city’s busiest station be answered in a pickup truck instead of a fire engine. The group says the order endangers firefighters and violates the collective bargaining agreement.

Huff says the May 12 order for crews at Station 1 was more efficient and saves money. He also says his order doesn’t overstep his contractual bounds.

Union leaders have until June 26 to decide whether to proceed to arbitration.

No Space Available in Lincoln Community Gardens

Lincoln-NELINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Officials say 100 families are on a waiting list to grow some of their own food in Lincoln.

Around 250 families are already growing tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, beets and other fruits and vegetables at one of the 11 sites operated by the Community Crops Gardens program. The sites include private vacant lots, church land and this year at Peter Pan Park. The 13,000-square-foot space is the largest site so far and the first owned by the city.

Program manager Ben McShane-Jewell says there are always more people who want to garden than land available.

He says gardeners in the program grew more than 14 tons of food last year.

Driver Dies in West Omaha Accident

fatal-accidentOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 34-year-old man has been killed in a traffic accident in west Omaha.

Omaha police say the accident occurred a little before 1:30 a.m. Friday in the eastbound lanes of West Dodge Road near 183rd Street. Witnesses told officers the car was speeding when it ran off the roadway and struck a metal sign. The driver was partially ejected and was pulled from the burning vehicle by witnesses.

The driver was alone in his car. He was identified as Stephen Pache, of Omaha.

Trial Begins Over Nebraska Killer’s Drawings

john-joubertOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Trial is set to begin Friday in Lincoln on a lawsuit by the author of a book about an executed Nebraska child killer to try to force the state prison system to release the condemned man’s disturbing drawings.

Mark Pettit, a former investigative reporter, says the drawings of John Joubert depict Joubert’s fantasies to kill more children. Joubert was executed in the state’s electric chair in 1996 for killing two young boys in the Bellevue area in the 1980s.

Pettit is the author of “A Need to Kill: The True-Crime Account of John Joubert, Nebraska’s Most Notorious Serial Child Killer.”

Pettit’s lawsuit seeks to force the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services to release the drawings, which has refused to do so citing confidentiality laws.

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