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Supreme Court rejects challenge to military death penalty

supreme-courtWASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court won’t hear a challenge to the death penalty for members of the military.

The justices on Monday rejected an appeal from the former soldier who was sentenced to death for killing two fellow soldiers and injuring 14 others in an attack in Kuwait in 2003.

The appeal from Hasan Akbar focused on whether the way in which the armed forces impose a death sentence complies with recent Supreme Court rulings.

Akbar is being held at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was convicted of killing Army Capt. Christopher S. Seifert and Air Force Maj. Gregory L. Stone in Kuwait during the early days of the Iraq war.

The military hasn’t carried out an execution since 1961.

Carbon monoxide detector policy hard to enforce in Lincoln

carbon-monoxideLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Lincoln officials say many landlords aren’t aware of a carbon monoxide detector requirement the city adopted a year ago.

The policy makes carbon monoxide detectors mandatory in any building with three of more units and an attached garage, fireplace or gas stove.

Eighty-year-old Dale Moyer died last month after accidentally leaving his car running in the garage of his building. Fire Inspector Mike Wright says Moyer’s death isn’t an isolated incident.

Wright is the only inspector responsible for all apartments in the city. He says enforcing the code is difficult since there are thousands of units and only eight fire inspectors.

Wright says buildings are only inspected if the city gets a complaint or the building is sold to a new owner.

Prosecutors say former doctor killed to avenge firing

Anthony Garcia
Anthony Garcia

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Prosecutors opened the first-degree murder trial against a former doctor by arguing he committed four Omaha killings to avenge his firing from Creighton University Medical Center.

The prosecutors outlined their case Monday against Anthony Garcia, who is charged with stabbing to death the 11-year-old son of two medical doctors and the family’s housekeeper in 2008 and then killing another Omaha doctor and his wife in 2013. They say the killings were motivated by Garcia’s long-simmering rage from being fired from the medical school’s residency program in 2001.

Deputy County Attorney Brenda Beadle argued, “”This is a case about revenge.”

Garcia’s attorney responded that prosecutors lack witnesses or physical evidence and that their case would fall apart when all the evidence is presented.

Friends help Nebraska woman celebrate her 110th birthday

good-newsOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Friends and neighbors help the woman who may be Nebraska’s oldest resident celebrate her 110th birthday.

Thelma Sutcliffe was born in Omaha in 1906 when Teddy Roosevelt was president.

The secret to her longevity is a combination of good luck in surviving breast cancer twice, good genes and smart choices like never smoking.

Sutcliffe has outlived her husband by 45 years and never had children. Her closest relatives, a nephew and his wife ages 89 and 92, attended Saturday’s party.

E.A. Kral with the Nebraska Health Care Association Sutcliff is likely the oldest Nebraskan.

90-year-old driver killed trying to make U-turn on I-80

fatal-accidentLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A fatal crash involving a semitrailer and car has left an elderly driver dead.

The crash happened around 1:30 p.m. Friday on Interstate 80 between Omaha and Lincoln, killing 90-year-old Lloyd Mickle of Lincoln.

The Nebraska State Patrol says Mickle was driving the car and attempted to make a U-turn in the crossover from the center lane. The patrol says Mickle’s car was then was struck by the semi driving in the left lane.

Jury in Anthony Garcia murder trial empaneled

jury-boxOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A jury has been empaneled in the case of former doctor Anthony Garcia, accused of killing four people with ties to an Omaha medical school.

Garcia is accused in the March 2008 slayings of 11-year-old Thomas Hunter and his family’s housekeeper, Shirlee Sherman, as well as the May 2013 killings of Dr. Roger Brumback and his wife. The boy was the son of Dr. William Hunter, who worked with Roger Brumback at the Creighton University School of Medicine’s pathology department. Prosecutors say Garcia was seeking revenge against the doctors over their firing him from the pathology residency program in 2001.

It took five days to whittle down a jury pool of more than 100 to six men and six women. The four alternates consist of three men and one woman.

6 Omaha Central cheerleaders kneel for Friday night anthem

hemp-flagOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Six Omaha Central High cheerleaders followed in the footsteps of three University of Nebraska football players and other athletes across the country who have silently knelt during the national anthem.

The girls said they took a knee to protest racial injustice and recent police shootings.

The girls say they made the decision to kneel shortly before the game, which pitted Central against Lincoln High. Football players were not on the field during the anthem.

Said junior Taichelle Butler, “We don’t hate America. We want America to be greater.”

Omaha teen accused of tossing newborn from window charged

gavel-and-scaleOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities in Nebraska say a teen accused of tossing a baby she had secretly delivered out of her second-story bedroom window has been charged as an adult with felony child abuse resulting in death.

Omaha police say the 16-year-old girl was booked Saturday. The Associated Press generally doesn’t name juveniles charged with crimes.

Officers were called to the apartment shortly after 4 a.m. Friday, where they found a woman administering CPR to the infant. The baby and 16-year-old were taken to a hospital, where the baby was pronounced dead.

Investigators say the teen was alone in her bedroom when she went into labor and gave birth to the premature baby. Police say she then threw the infant out the window and told her mother.

Police expect autopsy results next week.

Lawsuit seeks class-action status over 2014 sewer backups

lawsuit-settlementLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lincoln attorney has filed a lawsuit against the city over 2014 sewer backups that damaged hundreds of homes.

Attorney Vince Powers filed the lawsuit on behalf of his client, Susan Dermer. On Friday, Power amended the lawsuit seeking class-action status.

The lawsuit says Dermer suffered more than $10,000 in damages for cleaning and restoration of her basement. The suit says the city failed to have a sewer system that would accommodate heavy rainfall, among other problems.

The city says the storm was responsible for the backups, not city negligence.

Even so, it set up a $1 million cleanup fund, limiting property owners to $5,000 per property. Those who participated agreed not to sue the city.

Former Omaha teacher pleads guilty in student sex case

Brian Robeson
Brian Robeson

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former Omaha teacher accused of having a sexual relationship with a former student of his is scheduled to be sentenced next month for sex assault.

Online court records say 36-year-old Brian Robeson made a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a minor. Prosecutors had lowered the charge and dropped another in exchange for Robeson’s plea. His sentencing is set for Oct. 11.

Robeson was a math teacher at Davis Middle School. Authorities say the relationship began when the girl was 13.

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