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Man accused of attacking pregnant girlfriend takes plea deal

Charles Campsey III
Charles Campsey III

FULLERTON, Neb. (AP) — A Chapman man accused of trying to kill his pregnant girlfriend has taken a plea deal.

Court records say Charles Campsey III pleaded no contest to a felony assault charge Tuesday in Nance County District Court in Fullerton. Prosecutors dropped charges of attempted murder and five other crimes in exchange for his plea. His sentencing is set for June 13.

Court records say the woman reported that an intoxicated Campsey attacked her with a pitchfork last August while they were at a campground. She says she evaded the pitchfork, but he also threw beer cans at her and punched, kicked and dragged her until she became unconscious. She says she regained consciousness in a hole in the ground, where, she says, Campsey said he was going to bury her.

Nebraska takes custody of dead baby’s 1-year-old sister

child-abuseLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — State authorities have taken emergency custody of an infant whose 5-week-old sister was found dead in a Lincoln motel room.

An investigator wrote in a motion for temporary custody of the 1-year-old that the baby was pronounced dead Thursday at the Knights Inn after medics arrived. The parents told police that the child had fallen off a motel bed and then later was dropped by her father onto a bed. The parents say the tiny girl appeared to be OK, so they didn’t take her to a doctor.

The investigator says marijuana and suspected drug paraphernalia were found in the motel room. The girls, their parents and a family dog had been living in the motel for several weeks.

The baby’s parents haven’t been charged in the case.

Man serving life in prison resentenced in fatal Omaha theft

Johnny Ray

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A judge has resentenced a man who was spending life in prison after being convicted of a fatal robbery in Omaha about 25 years ago.

Douglas County District Judge Mark Ashford resentenced 43-year-old Johnny Ray on Monday to a term that will make him eligible for parole by the time he’s 55 and for automatic release at age 69.

The sentence was prompted by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that says judges must have the ability to sentence juveniles to something other than an automatic life term. Ray was 17 when he fired shots that killed 21-year-old Matthew Mallory.

Raymond Martin, the other man convicted in the incident, will continue is sentence of life in prison because he was 18 at the time of the crime.

Mom charged with child abuse for letting son, 11, drive golf cart

BALD HEAD ISLAND, N.C. (AP) — A woman says she was arrested, charged with child abuse and detained for hours for letting her 11-year-old son drive a golf cart during a family vacation on a North Carolina beach resort island.

Julie Mall said her son asked to drive the cart two blocks back to their rented cottage on Bald Head Island on July 26. Mall says a police golf cart pulled them over and an officer accused her of being drunk, which she denies. She says more officers showed up and she was arrested. Video shows a screaming Mall on the ground being handcuffed by an officer with a knee on her back.

The charges were later dismissed.

Village manager Chris McCall says it will be reviewing public safety policies and procedures.

Police arrest 3rd suspect in Omaha homicide

Ashley Bordeaux
Ashley Bordeaux

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A third suspect has been arrested in connection with the death of an 18-year-old in northeast Omaha.

Omaha police said in a statement that 22-year-old Ashley Bordeaux was arrested Sunday on suspicion of first-degree murder and use of a weapon to commit a felony.

She’s the third person to be arrested in the death of 18-year-old Gustavo Soto, who was found shot to death Monday in a vacant lot.

Eighteen-year-old Karina Rodriguez-Lopez and a teenage boy have been charged with first-degree murder in the case. The boy is also charged with owning a gun unlawfully and use of a weapon to commit a felony.

The Associated Press generally doesn’t name juveniles charged with a crime.

It wasn’t immediately clear if Bordeaux had an attorney who could comment on her behalf.

Police ID officer who fatally shot a man in northwest Omaha

omaha-policeOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha police have identified the officer who fatally shot a 31-year-old man seven times on Friday.

Police say the officer who shot Joshua Beebee in northwest Omaha on Friday was Kenneth Rowe. Rowe is a 19-year veteran of the police force.

Police say officers chased Beebee through an open field and Rowe drove his cruiser through the field to cut off Beebee’s path.

As Rowe was getting out of his car, Beebee charged toward him with a knife in his hand.

Rowe will remain on leave while incident is investigated.

Jewel Lykens told the Omaha World-Herald that she believes her brother was carrying a knife because he was scared for himself, not because he wanted to harm anyone.

Groups backing medical marijuana will delay petition effort

Medical-Marijuana-leafLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska groups pushing for approval of medical marijuana in the state have decided to delay a petition drive to put the question on the ballot because of the time and expense required.

Shelley Gillen, whose son has epileptic seizures that might be helped by the drug, says backers are looking at the possibility of a petition drive to force a 2018 vote.

A bill to allow medical marijuana failed this spring thanks to opposition from the Governor and Attorney General.

State Sen. Tommy Garrett of Bellevue sponsored the bill. He says it would have cost $700,000 to nearly $1 million to pay for the petition drive and advertising.

Garrett says he will continue trying to pass a bill if he is re-elected.

Ex-Megadeth drummer Nick Menza collapses on stage, dies

nick menza
Former Megadeth drummer Nick Menza

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A family spokesman says Nick Menza, former drummer for influential metal band Megadeth, died after collapsing on stage during a performance of his progressive jazz trio in Southern California.

J. Marshall Craig says Menza’s latest band OHM was three songs into a set at a Los Angeles-area club Saturday night when the drummer collapsed. Friends and audience members rendered aid while paramedics were called.

Craig says the 51-year-old died at the club of a suspected heart attack.

Menza was Megadeth’s longest-serving drummer, performing on five records over nine years, including 1990’s thrash metal landmark, “Rust In Peace.”

After leaving Megadeth in 1998, Menza pursued an interest in jazz and became an accomplished woodworker.

He is survived by his parents and two sons.

Omaha woman fined $100 for grill on balcony that sparked fire

fireOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha woman has been fined $100 in what a city attorney believes is the first time a person has been prosecuted for violated a city fire code forbidding grills on apartment balconies.

51-year-old Jan Wilson was sentenced Friday for a city fire code violation. She could had been sentenced to up six months in jail and fined up to $500.

Prosecutor Tom Mumgaard says it’s the first time he could recall the city enforcing its ban.

Officials say Wilson’s charcoal grill sparked a two-alarm blaze at the Maple Ridge Apartments on April 12 that caused the building’s roof to partially collapse and displaced 23 people. No injuries were reported.

Officials say the fire caused an estimated $225,000 in damage.

Omaha woman killed in single-vehicle crash

fatal-accidentOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 28-year-old woman has died from her injuries in a crash in midtown Omaha.

Police say Johnetta Lowery, of Omaha, was westbound on Bedford Avenue at 55th Street when she lost control, hit a retaining wall and hit a tree in a yard. Police say Lowery was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the vehicle.

Lowery was taken to Nebraska Medicine, where she later died.

Police say speed and alcohol are being investigated as factors in the crash.

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