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Suspect arrested in stabbing involving Peru State students

Jeffland Neverson
Jeffland Neverson

The Nebraska State Patrol, in conjunction with the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office, have made an arrest in connection with a disturbance and stabbing in Peru over the weekend.

Jeffland R. Neverson, 24, a student at Peru State College was taken into custody without incident around 11:00 a.m., Monday, Sept. 19, at a residence in Peru. Neverson, was lodged in the Nemaha County Jail on a charge of 1st-degree assault and use of a weapon to commit a felony.

His arrest follows a response around 10:15 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 17, by the Nemaha County Sheriff’s office to a report of a disturbance and stabbing near the 1000 block of 5th Street in Peru.

The Nebraska State Patrol was requested to assist with the incident and investigation. Injured in the incident were, Elijah Lavalais-Hawkins, 20, Larry Hodnett, 19, and Anthony Hemingway, 23. All three are students at Peru State College.

Hemingway was treated and released from the Nemaha County Hospital on Sunday, Sept. 18. Hawkins and Hodnett were both transported to the Nemaha County Hospital and then flown with non-life threatening injuries by medical helicopter to Bryan Trauma Center, West Campus.

The investigation into what led to the disturbance and stabbings continues.

Man gets 90-100 years in Omaha serial rapist case

Christopher Ennis
Christopher Ennis

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 30-year-old man accused of being a serial rapist has been given 90 to 100 years in prison.

Christopher Ennis was sentenced Monday in Omaha. He had faced six counts of sexual assault, one count of attempted sexual assault and one count of strangulation until reaching a deal with prosecutors. He pleaded no contest to two counts of sexual assault.

Prosecutors say Ennis attacked as many as seven women over three years as they walked alone. Ennis is accused of grabbing the women from behind and dragging them behind bushes or buildings before assaulting them. Authorities say Ennis choked one of the women until she was unconscious.

Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine has said a plea agreement was reached so the women would not have to testify at trial.

Bellevue man died in Omaha motorcycle crash, police say

fatal-motorcycle-crashOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a Bellevue man has been killed in an Omaha motorcycle crash.

The accident was reported around 6:20 Sunday morning. Omaha police say the speeding eastbound motorcycle failed to negotiate a turn to the south and struck a fence and post. The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police identified the man as 31-year-old Joshua Sheard.

Gun recovered from man shot by officers, Omaha police say

officer-involved-shootingOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha police say they’ve recovered a stolen handgun used by a man who shot at two vehicles and then was shot by officers on the campus of Creighton University.

Police said in a news release Sunday night the 26-year-old man has been hospitalized for several wounds. He was shot a little after 6 a.m. Sunday after officers confronted him on the campus. Police say the man had shot at two occupied vehicles a few blocks away, striking the vehicles but missing the people inside.

Police say the .22-caliber handgun recovered from the man had been reported stolen Jan. 22.

The officers who fired at the man were identified as Austin Taylor, a veteran of two years on the force, and Aaron Anderson, a 12-year veteran.

75 years of Mount Rushmore, a boon for tourism, creativity

national-park-serviceSIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A historian thought gigantic sculptures of significant Western figures might bring more people to the Black Hills of South Dakota and ran it by an artist in 1924.

Sculptor Gutzon Borglum told the historian to think bigger. Three years later, he began carving four presidents’ faces into the granite pinnacles.

October marks 75 years for the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, which is a muse for political cartoonists and makes frequent cameos in movies. It’s also a big draw for tourists, with about 3 million people visiting each year.

To celebrate the milestone, the National Park Service held events during the summer in connection with its own 100th birthday.

Man who built Nebraska trucking firm, backed GOP has died

duane-acklieLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A prominent Nebraska businessman who built Crete Carrier into one of the nation’s largest privately owned trucking companies and played a significant role in the state’s Republican party has died.

Duane Acklie was 84 when he died Saturday. His son-in-law, Tonn Ostergard, who is Crete Carrier’s CEO, said Acklie’s funeral will be held Thursday at First Plymouth Church in Lincoln.

Acklie was a key fundraiser for Republican candidates and served in behind-the-scenes roles in the party. He also led state and national business organizations.

Crete Carrier began in 1966 with six leased trucks hauling dog food from a plant in Crete, Nebraska. Initially, Acklie was a lawyer advising the company’s founder, but he later bought the trucking firm in the early 1970s.

Today, Crete has 5,000 trucks and 13,000 trailers

3 hurt in stabbing involving Peru State College students

nemaha-county-sheriffPERU, Neb. (AP) — Three men were injured in stabbing incident in southeast Nebraska involving Peru State College students.

The Nemaha County Sheriff’s office said the incident happened around 10:15 p.m. Saturday.

Two of the men were transferred to a Lincoln hospital for treatment while the third victim was treated and released.

Authorities didn’t immediately identify the victims or explain what led to the dispute.

Columbus police department puts civilian ride-alongs on hold

columbus-policeCOLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — Columbus police say they no longer plan to offer voluntary ride-alongs for civilians, at least for now.

The police department made the decision in after learning its insurance provider put a suspension on the rides.

Columbus Police Capt. Chuck Sherer says most people interested in riding with an officer are from the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Columbus class, the department’s Citizen’s Police Academy and criminal justice programs through Central Community College.

The department averaged 16 ride-alongs annually in 2014 and 2015, but only eight this year.

Sherer says he has to deny all requests until the suspension is lifted.

Man charged in murder-for-hire scheme wants charge dismissed

Robert Honken
Robert Honken

AURORA, Neb. (AP) — A central Nebraska man accused of hiring someone to kill his wife is asking a judge to dismiss one of the charges against him.

Robert S. Honken is charged with two felony counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. Authorities say he made arrangements with Derrick Shirley of Bradshaw to kill his wife. Both men were arrested Feb. 29.

Authorities say a concerned citizen notified them that Honken had contacted him with a request to kill his wife. During a recorded police call, Honken allegedly said he wanted his wife “out of the way” and admitted he had previously hired another person, Shirley, to do the job.

Honken is seeking to have one of the charges dismissed, saying it constitutes double jeopardy.

Lincoln woman arrested on suspicion of setting car on fire

fireLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities have arrested a Lincoln woman on suspicion of setting a car on fire.

29-year-old Gabrielle Loving is accused of setting fire to a car that she believed belonged to a former boyfriend.

Authorities say the blaze caused about $7,000 in damages.

Loving told police she had nothing to do with fire, but police say her daughter told a school counselor that her mother admitted to the crime and that her clothes smelled like smoke.

According to a police affidavit, Loving’s daughter said her mother told her to put the clothes in a neighbor’s trash can and instructed her about what to say if police asked her about the incident.

Online court records did not list an attorney for Loving in the case.

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