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Park’s BioBlitz provides chance to find lots of critters

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SHUBERT, Neb. (AP) — The state Game and Parks Commission has scheduled a citizen science opportunity at Indian Cave State Park in southeast Nebraska.

People will be paired with experts to find and identify as many species as possible during the BioBlitz, Sept. 9-10.

It’s a free event for people of all ages. There also will be guided tours and stories about the park’s petroglyphs and ghost town and a presentation Sept. 9 on weather and safety measures to take while outdoors.

A park entry permit is required. Contact Adam Jones at adam.jones@nebraska.gov for more information or call the park at 402-883-2575.

The park sits along the Missouri River, east of Shubert in Richardson County.

Omaha-area officials confirm year’s first West Nile case

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha-area health officials have confirmed Douglas County’s first human case this year of West Nile virus.

The Douglas County Health Department says the infected person is a woman under 40. Officials say she was not hospitalized and is recovering.

State health officials say it’s the ninth human case confirmed in Nebraska so far this year.

Experts say most people who are infected have no symptoms or experience only mild, flu-like symptoms. The most vulnerable people are those who are at least 50 or have weakened immune systems.

The virus is transmitted to humans through mosquitoes, which acquire the virus by feeding on infected birds.

Nebraska reported 95 human cases of West Nile virus last year, including one death.

Toxic algae health alerts issued for Nebraska lakes

SPRAGUE, Neb. (AP) — State officials have issued health alerts for lakes in southeastern and northeastern Nebraska because of toxic algae blooms.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said Friday that testing of Bluestem Lake west of Sprague and Willow Creek Lake near Pierce detected toxin produced by blue-green algal blooms.

Visitors to the lakes should avoid full body contact activities such as swimming, wading, skiing and jet skiing. Non-contact activities such as boating, fishing and camping should be safe. People are urged to keep pets out of the water and not allow them to drink lake water.

Skin exposed to the toxin can develop rashes and blisters. Ingesting the toxin can cause headaches, nausea and muscular pain.

The department says health alerts also continue for Pawnee Lake and Swan Creek Lake.

Nebraska attorney disbarred for mishandling client funds

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Supreme Court has disbarred a Nebraska City attorney who admitted to misusing client funds to cover office expenses.

The court issued its decision Friday for Richard H. Hoch. According to the court’s findings, Hoch voluntarily surrendered his law license in March after the court’s Counsel for Discipline sent him a notice about an overdraft on his trust account.

The court says Hoch waived his right to formally contest the charge and agreed to be disbarred.

Grand Island police say motorcyclist killed in collision

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a motorcyclist has been killed in a collision at an intersection in northwest Grand Island.

The accident occurred around noon Thursday. Witnesses reported that the southbound motorcyclist accelerated to beat a traffic signal that turned red as he entered the intersection. Police say the motorcycle then collided with a northbound car that was turning west.

Police say the motorcyclist, 46-year-old James O’Brien, of Loup City, died around 7:10 p.m. Thursday at a hospital. Police say the helmet O’Brien had been wearing didn’t meet federal safety standards.

The car driver has been identified as 25-year-old Raymond Schmidt, of York. Police say he received minor injuries when his air bag deployed.

State fines psychiatrist over relationship with patient

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska regulators have fined a psychiatrist $10,000, citing his intimate relationship with a patient who had moved into his Omaha home.

Dr. Leandro Anit Jr. waived his right to a disciplinary hearing. A 30-day suspension of his license began last week. A phone message unit for Anit was full Friday when an Associated Press reporter called, seeking comment.

Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services documents say Anit began treating the woman in December 2015 while he was working in Lincoln. She’d moved into his Omaha home by September 2016. The documents say an investigation into Anit’s prescribing of methadone uncovered the living arrangements.

The documents say Anit acknowledged that he and the woman were having an intimate relationship.

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Woman accused of overbilling Medicaid for services

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a woman who provided house care and other aid for an ailing man overbilled Medicaid for services she never provided.

55-year-old Debra Dukes is charged with two counts of fraud to obtain assistance of more than $500. Court records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for her.

An arrest affidavit says investigators found she was paid more than $8,700 for 1,400 hours of aid that actually overlapped times the man was in a medical treatment facility. The affidavit says that under a service provider agreement she signed, she couldn’t bill Medicaid while her client was in such a facility.

Woman arrested in fatal hit-and-run in Grand Island

Robin Nehls

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — Police say they’ve arrested a woman who’s come forward to say she was driving the vehicle that hit and killed a man in Grand Island.

Twenty-eight-year-old Justin Foster died soon after he was struck early Monday morning. Police say 48-year-old Robin Nehls, of Grand Island, was arrested Thursday.

She’s facing a felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in death. Hall County Jail records say she remained in custody Friday. Court records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for her.

California man sentenced to Nebraska prison for engine scam

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A California man has been sentenced to prison in Nebraska for scamming a car restoration shop out of thousands of dollars.

Court records say 60-year-old Steven Shaull, of Anaheim, California, was given two years at his sentencing Wednesday in Lincoln. He was credited with 254 days already served. He’d pleaded no contest to a felony theft charge after prosecutors lowered it.

A Lincoln company, Restore a Muscle Car, had reported to authorities that after it found Shaull’s online post offering the engine, he agreed to sell the 426-cubic-inch engine for $11,500.

But a Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles investigator says Shaull made several empty promises to ship the engine or refund the money the company paid.

Police ID man killed in crash of semi, pickup in Fremont

FREMONT, Neb. (AP) — Fremont police in eastern Nebraska have identified a man killed in the crash of a semitrailer and pickup truck that occurred in the northeastern section of town near a Wal-Mart.

Police say in a written statement that the 11 a.m. Thursday crash on Highway 30 killed 63-year-old Stanley Von Seggern of Fremont.

Investigators say Von Seggern was driving pickup and pulled out onto Highway 30 in front of the semitrailer, leading to the collision.

Von Seggern was pronounced dead at the scene. The 68-year-old semi driver from North Bend was not injured.

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