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Boy Says He Sang Gospel Song, Abductor Freed Him

Willie Myrick
Willie Myrick

(AP) — A 9-year-old Atlanta boy who police say was abducted for a short time from his driveway is being praised by community leaders for his calm as he sang the gospel song “Every Praise” until the man released him.

Willie Myrick recounted the story at a recent gathering in his honor. He says as he sang, the man drove around and was cursing before eventually letting him go unharmed last month.

Grammy Award-winning gospel singer Hezekiah Walker, who performed the song, traveled to Atlanta to meet the boy.

Walker says he believes God spoke through him to save the boy’s life.

Police have a sketch of the suspect and are searching for him.

More details on what the boy told police about what happened on March 31 weren’t available.

Police: 2 Beaten to Death in Houston Nursing Home

police-lights-red(AP) — A resident of a Houston nursing home is accused of beating two of his roommates to death with the armrest of his wheelchair.

Police spokesman Victor Senties said a 56-year-old resident will be charged with capital murder in the deaths of two other men, ages 77 and 51.

Senties said it’s not clear what provoked the Tuesday night attack, but that the three men did not get along. A fourth roommate was asleep.

Irma Chavez, the daughter of 77-year-old Antonio Acosta, said her father had complained about the accused attacker repeatedly, including earlier on Tuesday.

She said the nursing home told her she could move her father to a different facility.

An employee at the nursing home declined to comment Wednesday.

New Policy Guides Use of Pinnacle Bank Arena Suite

pinnacle-bank-arena(AP) — A new policy developed by the mayor’s staff will guide use and rental of the city’s suite at the Pinnacle Bank Arena, which opened last fall.

The city will use the suite to promote economic development, honor community heroes and provide opportunities for nonprofit groups that serve the poor.

The city also will rent the suite to individuals or groups and use the money to help pay costs arising from when it’s used without charge by other groups.

The new policy says “broad usage of the suite is encouraged, and it will not be primarily for government officials.”

Neb. Banking Director to Retire in May

John Munn
John Munn

(AP) — Nebraska’s Director of Banking and Finance, John Munn, has announced his retirement, and Gov. Dave Heineman has named deputy director Ray Pont as the agency’s acting director.

The 66-year-old Munn is responsible for the supervision of state-chartered financial institutions, registered and licensed financial entities including mortgage banking, delayed-deposit service companies and Nebraska’s securities industry.

Munn was appointed in 2005 by then-Gov. Mike Johanns. His last day will be May 2.

The governor’s office says that under Munn’s leadership, the assets of state-chartered banks the department supervises have more than doubled, from $16 billion to $35 billion.

Rape Charges Added in Missouri Girl’s Death

Hailey Owens
Hailey Owens

(AP) — A southwest Missouri youth football coach accused of kidnapping and killing a 10-year-old girl is now facing rape and sodomy charges.

Greene County prosecutors added the new charges against 46-year-old Craig Michael Wood of Springfield on Monday. Court documents indicate the additional charges in the February death of Hailey Owens stem from newly available autopsy results.

Hailey was abducted while walking home from her best friend’s house, just two blocks from her own home. Neighbors reported watching in horror and unsuccessfully giving chase as Hailey was pulled into a pickup truck that sped away.

She was found dead hours later in the basement of Wood’s home.

Wood is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Thursday. His public defender says he plans to ask for a delay because of the new charges.

 

Man Seeks to Hide ‘Murder’ Tattoo Before Trial

Jeffrey Chapman
Jeffrey Chapman

(AP) — A Kansas man charged with first-degree murder is afraid the tattooed mirror-image letters spelling out the word “murder” across his neck might prejudice a jury, so he is asking for a professional tattoo artist to remove or cover it up.

Prosecutors say they aren’t opposed to Jeffrey Chapman covering his tattoo, but Barton County’s sheriff says he’s against transporting Chapman to a licensed tattoo facility — the only places tattoo artists are allowed to practice under Kansas law.

Chapman’s trial is scheduled to start Monday in the November 2011 killing of Damon Galliart, whose body was found by hunters in a roadside ditch southwest of Great Bend.

Chapman’s attorney says in a motion the tattoo would be extremely prejudicial if seen by a jury.

Lincoln Man Faces Charges in Wife’s Death

Kent Burklund
Kent Burklund

(AP) — A Lincoln man has been accused of killing his wife.

Forty-one-year-old Kent Burklund was arrested Monday and booked at the Lancaster County Jail on charges of second-degree murder and use of a weapon to commit a felony. Court records do not list an attorney.

Burklund’s wife, Bettina, was found dead inside the couple’s home Monday. The 41-year-old woman had a knife by her side, but authorities have not said how she died.

Kent Burklund was found later at a nearby lake. He was taken into custody without incident.

An autopsy was conducted Tuesday, but preliminary results have not been released.

Driver Dies in Omaha Crash

omaha-police(AP) — Authorities say the driver of a sport utility vehicle has died in a central Omaha crash.

Omaha police say officers and medics were dispatched to the crash scene a little after 1 a.m. Tuesday. Officers say the SUV apparently was speeding south on 72nd Street when it went out of control and left the roadway. It ran through two parking lots and struck a tree and light pole.

The driver, 19-year-old David J. Korff, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say he had been alone in the vehicle.

Nebraska Woman Sentenced in Fatal Crash Case

Amanda Heiman
Amanda Heiman

(AP)–A former waitress has been sentenced to two years of probation and possibly a month in jail for serving alcohol to a teenager who later died in a car wreck.

Twenty-one-year-old Amanda Heiman, of Fremont, was sentenced Tuesday for a felony charge of procuring alcohol for a minor resulting in death.

Prosecutors say Heiman served alcohol to 18-year-old Jacob Dickmeyer, of Valley, and another underage friend in December 2012. Prosecutors say Heiman knew the men weren’t legally old enough to drink.

Dickmeyer died later that night when the car he was driving rolled. His passenger was injured.

Heiman was ordered to serve two years of probation and complete 80 hours of community service. She was also ordered to spend 30 days in jail but may be eligible for house arrest.

Lincoln Police Say Man Caused Burns on Baby Girl

Reid Alden
Reid Alden

(AP) — Lincoln police have accused a man of causing extensive burns on his baby daughter.

Police say 20-year-old Reid Alden turned himself in Tuesday as part of an agreement. He has been booked into the Lancaster County Jail on suspicion of felony child abuse.

Alden called police on April 16 and reported that his 6-week-old daughter had burns to her skin following a bath.

The infant was taken to the hospital. Officer Katie Flood says she has burns over 60 percent of her body, and X-rays show healing rib fractures.

Court records do not list an attorney for Alden.

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