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Southeastern Nebraska homeowners awake to sewer backups

oh-thats-nastyLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Several homeowners in Waverly say they’re cleaning up thick sludge and sewage from their basements in the wake of this week’s heavy rainfall.

The sewage backup that hit homeowners near 143rd Street and Amberly Road in the southeastern Nebraska town followed severe storms Thursday morning.

The homeowners say construction crews working nearby built a small dam in order to prevent rain water and mud from affecting area homes, but it didn’t work. The homeowners are now asking who is going to pay to clean up the mess.

Some homeowners say they’ve been talking with the construction company about covering the cleanup costs.

Power outage sparks fire at Nebraska ethanol plant

fireWOOD RIVER, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a power outage caused a fire at a central Nebraska ethanol plant.

Crews responded to the fire around 5:40 a.m. Thursday at the Green Plains plant in Wood River.

Wood River Fire Chief Todd King says the fire was contained to the dryer, but crews needed to be present when the hatches were opened to extinguish the fire. Fifteen minutes after they left, they were summoned back because the fire had rekindled.

King says the fire did considerable damage to the dryer, but no one was hurt.

1 dead in Omaha shooting; responding ambulance hits pickup

ambulance-lightsOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a man was killed in a shooting in Omaha, and an ambulance crashed into a pickup on its way to the scene.

Omaha police responded to the shooting shortly before 6 p.m. on Thursday. The unidentified victim was taken to the hospital, where he later died.

Authorities say the ambulance was crossing through a red light with its lights and sirens activated when it struck a 1998 Ford F-150 pickup. The pickup driver, 62-year-old Robert D. Hollis of Omaha, was ejected, and the pickup hit a street light. Hollis was not wearing a seat belt.

Authorities say Hollis was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening head injuries. Ambulance driver Anthony Brummet and passenger Justin Cooley of the Omaha Fire Department were not injured.

The Latest: 5 police officers killed, 7 wounded in ambush during protests

city-of-dallasDALLAS (AP) — The Latest on the shooting of police officers in Dallas (all times local):

8:55

Police Chief David Brown says a suspect in the overnight attack that killed five police officers, wounded seven others and wounded two civilians said he was upset over the recent police shootings of black men and wanted to kill white people.

Brown said at a news conference Friday that the suspect made the comments before he was killed by an explosive used by police.

He says his department and their families are grieving and that the divisiveness between police and the public must stop.

Authorities say snipers opened fire on police officers during a peaceful protest in downtown Dallas Thursday night over the recent fatal shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota.

Authorities say three other suspects were arrested.

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7:25 a.m.

A man wrongly identified by Dallas police as a suspect in a sniper attack on police says he turned himself in and was quickly released.

The Dallas Police Department put out a photo on its Twitter account late Thursday of a man wearing a camouflage shirt and holding a rifle with the message: “This is one of our suspects. Please help us find him!” The tweet remained on the account early Friday morning.

The man in the photo, Mark Hughes, tells Dallas TV station KTVT that he “flagged down a police officer” immediately after finding out he was a suspect. He says police lied during a 30-minute interrogation, telling him they had video of him shooting.

Videos posted online show Hughes walking around peacefully during the shooting and later turning over his gun to a police officer.

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7:15 a.m.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit officials say three DART police officers wounded by snipers during a protest are expected to recover.

Thursday night’s shootings left four Dallas police officers and one DART officer dead, plus seven other officers wounded. The demonstration was to protest two fatal police shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota earlier this week.

A DART statement Friday identified the agency’s three wounded personnel as 44-year-old Officer Omar Cannon, 32-year-old Officer Misty McBride and 39-year-old Officer Jesus Retana. DART spokesman Morgan Lyons did not release details of the injuries, but said all three should recover.

Officer Brent Thompson was the first DART officer killed in the line of duty since the transit agency formed a police department in 1989. Thompson was 43 and had worked as a DART officer since 2009.

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Online:

http://www.dart.org/

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7:05 a.m.

Mayor Mike Rawlings says a total of 12 police officers and two civilians were shot during a protest march in downtown Dallas.

Rawlings said Friday that he does not believe that any of the wounded victims have life-threatening injuries.

He says five officers were killed and seven more were injured when snipers opened fire during protests over two recent fatal police shootings of black men.

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6:40 a.m.

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings says the suspect involved in an overnight standoff with police died after officers used explosives to “blast him out.”

Rawlings said Friday that he was not sure how the suspect died or what weapons were found on him.

He says police have swept the area where the standoff took place and found no explosives.

Snipers opened fire on police officers in the heart of Dallas Thursday evening, killing five officers and injuring six others during protests over two recent fatal police shootings of black men.

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6 a.m.

People gathered in small groups on Dallas’ tense, police-filled streets before dawn early Friday struggled to fathom the still-unsettled situation.

Resident Jalisa Jackson says: “I think the biggest thing that we’ve had something like this is when JFK died,” evoking the November 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy on the city’s streets. She calls it “surreal.”

Police said at least four suspects were involved in the killings of five police officers just hours before. The suspects were not immediately identified.

Downtown, officers crouched beside vehicles, SWAT team armored vehicles arrived and a helicopter hovered overhead.

Eleven Dallas officers were shot Thursday night during a peaceful protest over this week’s fatal police shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota in what the city’s police chief characterized as a sniper attack.

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5:45 a.m.

Dallas police say no explosives have been found in extensive sweeps of downtown areas following the fatal shooting of five police officers and the wounding of six others by snipers.

Security was tight Friday morning with numerous streets closed to vehicle traffic in the main downtown Dallas business district hours after Thursday night’s attacks.

The gunfire happened during protests over this week’s fatal police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota of two black men. Police have detained at least three people in the investigation of the Dallas shootings.

Police said a fourth suspect was engaged in a standoff with authorities and had made threats about bombs.

Maj. Max Geron (GAYR’-uhn) tweeted before dawn Friday that primary and secondary sweeps for explosives were complete and no explosives were found.

The gunfire claimed the lives of four Dallas police officers and one Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer. DART serves Dallas and a dozen other North Texas cities. The transit agency operates buses and the state’s largest municipal rail system.

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5:20 a.m.

A memorial group says the slaying of five police officers in Dallas in an attack blamed on snipers was the deadliest day in U.S. law enforcement history since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Four Dallas police officers and one Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer were fatally shot Thursday night. The gunfire happened during protests over this week’s fatal police shootings of two black men, in Louisiana and Minnesota.

Six other officers were wounded in the Dallas attacks.

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, which monitors the deaths of officers, reports 72 officers were killed as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. The group labels that attack as the deadliest day in U.S. law enforcement history.

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Online:

http://www.nleomf.org/facts/enforcement/deadliest.html

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4:30 a.m.

President Barack Obama says America is “horrified” over the shootings of police officers in Dallas and there’s no possible justification for the attacks.

Obama is speaking from Warsaw, Poland, where he’s meeting with leaders of the European Union and attending a NATO summit.

Obama says justice will be done and he’s asking all Americans to pray for the fallen officers and their families. He also says the nation should express its gratitude to those serving in law enforcement.

Snipers opened fire on police officers in the heart of Dallas Thursday evening, killing five officers and injuring six others during protests over two recent fatal police shootings of black men.

Obama said earlier there was no contradiction between supporting law enforcement and making certain biases in the justice system are rooted out.

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2:30 a.m.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit has identified its officer who was fatally shot when snipers opened fire during a downtown Dallas protest.

DART said early Friday morning that 43-year-old officer Brent Thompson was killed in the Thursday night shootings. He’d joined the DART Police Department in 2009.

DART says he’s the first officer killed in the line of duty since the agency formed a police department in 1989. The statement says “our hearts are broken.”

DART says the other three DART police officers shot during the protest are expected to recover from their injuries.

Also killed during the shootings were four Dallas police officers.

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2:10 a.m.

Police say a fifth officer has died after snipers opened fire on police at a rally in Dallas. Six other officers were injured.

The gunfire broke out Thursday night while hundreds of people were gathered to protest fatal police shootings this week in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and suburban St. Paul, Minnesota.

Dallas Police Chief David Brown said Three people are in custody and a fourth suspect was exchanging gunfire with authorities in a parking garage downtown early Friday.

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2 a.m.

A family member says a protester who was shot when snipers opened fire on police at a rally in Dallas was shielding her sons when she was injured.

A sister of 37-year-old Shetamia Taylor says Taylor was at the protests Thursday night with her four sons, ages 12 to 17. Theresa Williams says that when the shooting began, Taylor threw herself over her sons. She was undergoing surgery early Friday after being shot in the right calf.

Police say four police officers were killed and seven injured in the shootings. The shootings happened at a protest over recent fatal police shootings of black men.

Williams says two of Taylor’s sons became separated from their mother in the chaotic aftermath. She says they’re now stuck behind a police barricade at a hotel near a parking garage where police exchanged gunfire with a suspect.

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1:40 a.m.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says he’s cutting short an out-of-state trip to go to Dallas after four police officers were killed and seven others injured when snipers opened fire during protests.

Abbott said in a release early Friday morning that he would be heading directly to Dallas. The shootings happened Thursday night in downtown Dallas.

Abbott also says he’s spoken with Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings to express his condolences and offer any assistance the city needs.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said in a statement that “our thoughts and prayers go out to these officers and their families, and to those who have been injured.” He said his office is in close contact with local authorities and will be offering to provide whatever support they can to help victims and bring the “perpetrators to justice.”

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1:15 a.m.

Dallas police say a person of interest whose picture had been circulated has turned himself in.

Police earlier had circulated a picture of a man in a camouflage T-shirt who carrying a long gun.

Police had no update on whether that person was indeed a suspect. However, Police Chief David Brown said authorities had three people in custody. One is a woman and two are people who were in a car stopped on a road.

A man who identified himself as the brother of the man whose photo was circulated says his brother was not one of the shooters. He told television station KTVT that once the shootings had started, his brother had turned the gun over to a police officer.

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12:50 a.m.

Dallas Police Chief David Brown says three people are in custody after snipers opened fire on police officers during protests and says a fourth person is exchanging gunfire with officers.

Brown said at an early Friday morning news conference that authorities are negotiating with a suspect in a downtown parking garage who has been exchanging gunfire with officials.

The chief says the suspect is not cooperating and has told negotiators he intends to hurt more law enforcement officials.

The shooting attack killed four officers and injured seven others. It came amid protests over two recent fatal police shootings of black men.

Brown says authorities are not certain all suspects have been located.

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12:30 a.m.

Dallas police say they are questioning two occupants of a vehicle after an officer saw a person throw a bag into the back of the vehicle and speed off.

Police said late Thursday night that an officer spotted someone carrying a camouflage bag and quickly walking down the street. The person then threw the bag into the back of a black Mercedes and sped off at a high rate of speed.

Police say officers followed the vehicle southbound on Interstate 35 to a point south of Dallas where they performed a traffic stop. Police then began questioning both occupants of the vehicle.

Television footage showed many police cars surrounding a vehicle stopped on Interstate 35.

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11:35 p.m.

Dallas police say a suspect in shooting of officers at Dallas protests is in custody and a person of interest has surrendered.

Dallas police say four officers have died after at least two snipers opened fire during protests downtown Thursday night. Seven other officers were wounded.

Police Chief David O. Brown said snipers shot from “elevated positions” during a protest over two recent fatal police shootings.

The gunfire broke out around 8:45 p.m. Thursday. Live TV video showed protesters marching along a street in downtown when the shots erupted and the crowd scattered, seeking cover.

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10:45 p.m.

The Dallas police chief says it appears two snipers shot 10 police officers during protests, and three of the officers are dead.

Police Chief David O. Brown said in a statement that three of the officers who were injured are in critical condition Thursday night. He says the snipers shot from “elevated positions” during a protest over two recent fatal police shootings.

The gunfire broke out around 8:45 p.m. Thursday. Live TV video showed protesters marching along a street in downtown when the shots erupted and the crowd scattered, seeking cover.

Lincoln man accused of stealing more than $75K from employer

James Ryan
James Ryan

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 30-year-old accused of stealing between $75,000 and $98,000 from his employer has turned himself in to Lincoln police.

James Ryan has been arrested on suspicion of felony theft. He turned himself in on Wednesday.

Ryan had worked as the corporation’s project manager for the owners of Sun Tan City. Investigators say he made purchases on a corporate credit card over the past three years that were outside of what was allowed.

Police say the investigation started after someone reviewed Ryan’s expense reports and noticed suspicious purchases.

Ryan remained jailed Wednesday afternoon and could not be reached for comment.

Iowa man charged in SUV assault on 2 men in Nebraska

Ruben Vela
Ruben Vela

SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. (AP) — A Sioux City, Iowa, man has pleaded not guilty to assaulting two men with his sport utility vehicle in Nebraska, causing one man to lose part of his left leg.

47-year-old Ruben Vela entered the plea Thursday at his arraignment in Dakota County District Court. He’s been charged with first- and second-degree assault, failure to stop at the scene of an injury accident and two counts of criminal mischief.

Prosecutors say Vela argued with other men on June 6 at a South Sioux City hotel. Authorities say he then drove his SUV into a parked car, forcing it against a hotel wall and pinning two men standing behind the car. One of the men had to have his lower left leg amputated.

Council Bluffs woman arrested, accused of beating husband with snow globe

council-bluffs-policeCOUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A Council Bluffs woman has been arrested after police say she viciously beat her husband with a snow globe.

Officers responded to a report of a disturbance around 5:30 a.m. Thursday. When they arrived, they found 29-year-old Christopher Evens bloodied and bruised.

Police say he and his wife, 35-year-old Jennifer Evens, had been arguing when she picked up as snow globe and began bashing him on the head with it. Police say she didn’t stop, even after breaking the globe on her husband’s face, causing cuts to the left side of his body. He was treated at an Omaha, Nebraska, hospital.

Jennifer Evans was being held at the Pottawattamie County Jail on $5,000 bond on Thursday and could not be reached for comment.

Fremont residents urged to boil water following power outage

boiling-waterFREMONT, Neb. (AP) — Fremont officials are suggesting that residents boil their tap water or use bottled water until further notice.

City utilities manager Brian Newton said the notice follows a series of thunderstorms and lightning strikes late Wednesday and early Thursday that knocked out power to emergency backup generators to the water treatment facility. The power outage caused a brief loss of pressure, which could have led to contamination.

Newton says water test results are expected Friday, and he’s hoping they’ll show the water to be safe for consumption. The Fremont State Recreation Area is included, as the area uses city water.

Lincoln store clerk dies after being shot during a robbery

crime-scene-police-shootLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Lincoln police are investigating the fatal shooting of a convenience store clerk during an early morning robbery.

The robbery was reported around 1:30 a.m. Thursday at a Kwik Shop near 14th and Adams streets in Lincoln.

Officers arrived at the store about two miles north of downtown within a minute of getting the call.

A bystander who arrived at the store just after the robbery was provided first aid to the wounded clerk. Officers took over and started perfoming CPR but the clerk died roughly ten minutes later.

Police searched the area around the store, but no arrests had been made as of Thursday morning.

Lincoln Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister says it has been at least 10 years since someone was killed during a convenience store robbery

Opera Omaha music director took $113K from his mother

handcuffsOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An employee of a performing arts group in Omaha has pleaded no contest to abuse of a vulnerable adult for taking about $113,000 from his mother, who suffers from dementia.

Attorneys for 53-year-old John C. Gawf Jr. said the money was used to fuel the defendant’s gambling addiction.

General director Roger Weitz says Gawf is the resident music director at Opera Omaha but declined to comment further. Opera Omaha spokeswoman Katie Broman says the organization didn’t know about the charge before Wednesday.

Officials say Gawf took money from Thelma Gawf from May 2015 to January 2016. He gave bank documents to the investigator and said he had been using the stolen money to gamble.

Gawf didn’t respond to the newspaper’s call seeking comment.

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