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Texas man arrested after heroin seized in Nebraska

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska State Patrol says a Texas man has been arrested after an undercover investigator found 11 pounds of heroin on him, including some strapped to his torso.

The patrol says the investigator was at the bus station near downtown Omaha when he saw a man wearing a jacket at 6 a.m. Monday, while temperatures were in the 70s.

The patrol says the man agreed to a search of his bag and backpack, which turned up two clear-wrapped packages of drugs. The patrol says eight more packages wrapped in a band around his torso were found. The estimated street value of the heroin is $250,000.

Investigators say the 25-year-old man from El Paso, Texas, was headed to Iowa City. He’s charged with possession of 140 grams or more of heroin and having no drug tax stamp. He remains in the Douglas County jail.

Dump truck driver killed in crash with train in Nebraska

ASHLAND, Neb. (AP) — State officials say one person has died in the collision of a dump truck and a train near Mahoney State Park in eastern Nebraska.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office tells the Lincoln Journal Star that the crash happened just before 8 a.m. Tuesday, near Interstate 80 and the Platte River. Sheriff William Brueggemann says 57-year-old Shawn Sandrin, of Lincoln, who was driving the dump truck, died at the scene.

Investigators say Sandrin failed to yield at the railroad crossing and was hit by a westbound BNSF train traveling 50 mph. Officials say the train had been using its whistle and applied its emergency brakes before the collision at the crossing, which has signs but not crossing arms.

Officials are still investigating the crash.

High winds cause damage to Nebraska sports complex

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — High winds from a weekend thunderstorm have caused extensive damage to a Lincoln sports complex.
The winds on Sunday burst the bubble-shaped dome that covered a playing field and tennis courts at the Abbott Sports Complex. They also bent fences around the complex’s soccer fields and peeled off part of the roof from the building that houses basketball and volleyball courts.

The Lincoln Airport reported winds gusting to 49 mph at 1 a.m. Sunday. Northern parts of Lancaster County were included in a severe thunderstorm warning at the time.

Dan Lesoing of the Lincoln Sports Foundation says the damage to the dome is unrepairable. He says the damage to the roof of the separate building can be repaired in two or three weeks.

3 nominees sent to Gov. Ricketts for Nebraska judgeship

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Three finalists have been sent to Gov. Pete Ricketts for an open seat on the district court judicial bench in eastern Nebraska.

The nominees are Denise J. Kracl, of Schuyler; Christina M. Marroquin, of Seward; and Jason D. Mielak, of Columbus. The governor’s office said Monday it received the names from the Judicial Nominating District, 5th Judicial District.

The 5th Judicial District consists of Boone, Butler, Colfax, Hamilton, Merrick, Nance, Platte, Polk, Saunders, Seward and York counties.

The judge who is chosen will be located in either Wahoo or Schuyler. The vacancy was created with the retirement of Judge Mary C. Gilbride.

Troopers seize 52 pounds of marijuana in traffic stop near Aurora

JULY 2, 2018 (GRAND ISLAND, NEB.)  — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) have arrested two men and seized 52 pounds of marijuana during a traffic stop on Interstate 80.

The stop occurred at approximately 1:45 p.m. Sunday near Aurora, when a trooper observed an eastbound 2018 Jeep speeding near mile marker 329. During the traffic stop, the trooper became suspicious of criminal activity and conducted a search of the vehicle.

The search revealed marijuana inside two large boxes in the rear of the vehicle. Additional packages of marijuana were found hidden in the tire compartment. The total weight of the marijuana seized was 52 pounds. The estimated street value is $156,000.

The driver, Fahiem Faiyaz, 23, and passenger, Ameer Ghafoori, 21, both of California, were arrested for possession of marijuana – more than one pound, possession with intent to deliver, and no Drug Tax stamp. Both men were lodged in Hamilton County Jail.

Police: Mental health investigations in Lincoln increasing

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Lincoln police are struggling to respond to more mental health calls as mental health services are at or near capacity, according to police officials.

Lincoln police Chief Jeff Bliemeister told The Lincoln Journal Star that officers responded to more than 3,500 mental health calls last year. He said the department has seen a nearly 10 percent increase through May when compared with the same period last year.

While mental health calls make up about 2.5 percent of calls, they tend to take longer, said Officer Luke Bonkiewicz.

“With mental health calls, there’s much more gray area,” he said. “There’s also the challenge of taking a long-term view of assisting mental health consumers.”

Calls often involve creating a rapport with an individual, calling treatment facilities and considering placement options, Bonkiewicz said. Officers want to help everyone, but resources sometimes aren’t available, he said.

Bliemeister recently told the City Council at a budget meeting that an officer had to transport a person going through a mental health crisis nearly 100 miles west to the nearest hospital that had an opening. Bryan West’s 66-bed mental health unit was full, as were the 16 beds at the Crisis Center.

“While these levels of demand for mental health services are not always overwhelmed, they are increasingly at or near the capacity,” he said.

Bonkiewicz said the Lincoln Police Department has spent the past few decades improving their response to mental health calls. Officers are trained how to respond to mental health calls and are encouraged to perform a threat assessment and de-escalate a situation, he said. Officers are also encouraged to work with community mental health resources.

Winnebago Tribe takes over troubled hospital on reservation

WINNEBAGO, Neb. (AP) — The Winnebago Tribe has taken over the management of a troubled hospital on its Native American reservation in northeastern Nebraska.

The Sioux City Journal reports that the Tribal Council officially took over management of the embattled hospital from Indian Health Services on Sunday. It will be renamed Twelve Clans Unity Hospital.

Tribal Councilwoman Victoria Kitcheyan says this will be a new beginning for the hospital.

The hospital will now be run by the same group that oversees all the tribes health clinics and other services.

The change comes more than two years after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services terminated the hospital’s Medicare contract after the Indian Health Service and hospital officials failed to correct serious quality-of-care deficiencies the agency had found.

Omaha Crips gang member sentenced for racketeering conspiracy

WASHINGTON – A violent member of the Omaha, Nebraska area Crips Gang was sentenced today to seven years in prison at the federal courthouse in Omaha, following his Feb. 22 jury trial conviction for participating in a racketeering conspiracy involving acts of violence, including attempted murder and assaults, witness tampering, and drug distribution.

Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Joseph P. Kelly for the District of Nebraska made the announcement.

Jerell Haynie aka “Bootie,” 35, of Omaha, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon, who also ordered him to serve a three year term of supervised release following his prison sentence.

According to evidence presented at trial, from 2008 to 2016, Haynie conspired to conduct and participate in the affairs of the Omaha-area chapter of the Crips, known as the “40th Avenue and 44th Avenue Crips,” through a pattern of racketeering activity.  As a long-standing gang member, Haynie engaged in cocaine trafficking and personally committed acts of violence for the gang in furtherance of the racketeering conspiracy.  The evidence presented at trial revealed that Haynie attempted to kill a fellow Crips member suspected of cooperating with the police by shooting a gun at him multiple times.  According to trial evidence, in another incident of violence, Haynie and other gang members participated in a shooting in which they attempted to kill a police informant who made controlled drug purchases from Crips members.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Omaha Police Department are investigating the case.  Trial Attorney John S. Han of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Molsen of the District of Nebraska are prosecuting the case.

Girl hurt when struck by baseball at College Home Run Derby

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A 12-year-old girl is hospitalized after being struck by a baseball at the College Home Run Derby over the weekend.

The girl was in critical condition Monday at the Nebraska Medical Center after being injured during Sunday’s event.

Ashlyn Lutz of Lincoln was injured around 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Initially, she was treated by workers at TD Ameritrade Park before paramedics arrived.

Six of college baseball’s top hitters competed in the event.

Motorcyclist dies in crash after fleeing from police

JULY 1, 2018 (LINCOLN, NEB.)  — A motorcycle rider was killed in a crash following a short pursuit on Interstate 80 and Highway 6 late Saturday evening.

The pursuit began just after 11:00 p.m. when a trooper observed an eastbound Honda sport bike motorcycle traveling at 110 miles per hour and splitting traffic on Interstate 80 near mile marker 404 in Lincoln, where the speed limit is 65 miles per hour. The trooper attempted to stop the motorcycle, but the rider refused to stop and fled.

The motorcycle exited I-80 at the Waverly exit, at mile marker 409, and continued eastbound on Highway 6. After traveling through Waverly in excess of 80 miles per hour, the motorcycle continued to flee eastbound into Cass County, reaching speeds of more than 120 miles per hour.

When the motorcycle was nearing Greenwood, the rider lost control and crashed. The trooper arrived on scene and began performing CPR and administering other medical aid to the rider, Jeremiah Cummings 40, of Lincoln. Cummings was later pronounced deceased.

The pursuit lasted approximately seven minutes. NSP requested an outside agency, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, to investigate the crash.

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