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Lancaster County Authorities Find Gift-Wrapped Marijuana in Vehicle Trunk

POT-BUSTLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska authorities say they seized more than 11 pounds of gift-wrapped marijuana from the trunk of a car in Lincoln.

Lancaster County sheriff’s deputies arrested 27-year-old Garrett Scott Brasel of Cambria, Ill., on Wednesday. Brasel had been sitting in the Honda outside a convenience store just off of Interstate 80.

Authorities say Brasel gave them permission to search the car after they received a tip during another traffic stop a few minutes earlier.

Deputies say they tore open two gift-wrapped boxes and found 34 heat-sealed packages of marijuana.

Brasel was jailed on suspicion of possessing marijuana with intent to deliver and possession of a controlled substance. Online court records did not list an attorney for Brasel.

Columbus Woman Dies After Vehicle Plunges Into Creek

Butler-County-SheriffABIE, Neb. (AP) — A 50-year-old Columbus woman has died after her vehicle crashed through a bridge guardrail and plunged into a creek near Abie.

Mary Ostry was driving about a half-mile east of the Butler County village when she lost control of her vehicle. The eastbound vehicle landed in Skull Creek.

The Butler County sheriff’s office says slick road conditions and alcohol contributed to the crash, which was reported around 9 p.m. Saturday. The sheriff’s office says Ostry, who was wearing a seat belt, was trapped inside the vehicle.

Rescue units from multiple communities responded to the accident, which was investigated by the sheriff’s office and Nebraska State Patrol.

Nebraska Law Enforcement Concerned About Mental Illness

police-lights-redGRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — Law enforcement and mental health officials in central Nebraska say the problem of people with mental health issues isn’t getting any better.

Grand Island Police Chief Steve Lamken said people get health care treatment if they can afford it, but many others haven’t problems that aren’t addressed.

Lamken says a large number of homeless people in the city suffer from some level of mental illness or chemical dependency.

Lamken says that since he became police chief 10 years ago, the number of homeless people in Grand Island has steadily grown.

Lamken says Nebraska’s associations of police chiefs, sheriffs and county attorneys have put together a working group to try to address the issue.

2 Men Arrested After Lincoln’s First Homicide of 2015

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Police have arrested two Lincoln men in connection with the city’s first homicide of 2015.

Authorities say 21-year-old Brandon Ray Benson was arrested Sunday and charged with first-degree murder and use of a firearm to commit a felony. Twenty-year-old Joseph L. Bratt was arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting in a first-degree murder.

Both men were booked into jail around 11:30 a.m.

Police say officers were called to a residence shortly after 3 a.m. Sunday, and that one person was pronounced dead at the scene. A second person was injured, but details about the person’s condition were not immediately available.

An incident report says police found bullet holes in the front of the house and in the front door.

Offutt’s Old Runways Stokes Fears That 55th Wind Could Leave

offutt-air-force-baseBELLEVUE, Neb. (AP) — Offutt Air Force Base’s single runway is crumbling.

The runway’s poor condition has some community leaders fearing the 55th Mission Support Group could leave Bellevue. The runway has endured summer storms and blizzards for 74 years as well as the pounding of takeoff and landings.

Leaders worry that without rebuilding the runway at a cost of up to $125 million, the base risks losing the Air Force’s largest air wing and its 5,500 military and civilian employees.

Losing the 55th Wing would cost the Omaha area four times as many jobs as ConAgra Foods’ decision to move its headquarters to Chicago and cut its workforce.

Man Killed in Omaha Shooting

crimeOMAHA, Nebraska (AP) — Omaha police are investigating a shooting that left one man fatally wounded.

Omaha police announced Saturday that they responded to shots fired at about 10:40 a.m. When officers arrived on the scene they found a man suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.

The victim was taken to Creighton Medical Center where he died from his wounds. He will not be publicly identified until his family can be notified.

Police said that a homicide investigation is on-going.

Police Say Edible Marijuana Gaining Popularity in Omaha

pot-browniesOMAHA, Nebraska (AP) — Omaha police say edible forms of marijuana are becoming more common in the area.

Marijuana-infused foods are becoming more popular. Sgt. Dave Bianchi says Nebraskans may have started making these products after seeing similar items in Colorado, which legalized recreational marijuana in 2012 and began allowing retail sales in 2014.

The edibles are made by extracting the high-inducing THC from marijuana and putting it into a wax, butter or oil to use while cooking. Bianchi said these products are popular with high school and college students.

But in Nebraska, putting THC into another form makes it a controlled substance and a felony, punishable by prison. An Omaha man was recently arrested for making and selling THC candies.

Authorities Discover Body Near Busy Intersection in Omaha

omaha-policeOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say they have discovered a body near a busy intersection in Omaha.

Omaha police say the body was found Friday morning near the southwest corner of 72nd and Blondo streets. Additional information was not released.

The Omaha World-Herald reports (https://bit.ly/1OkIrVJ ) an officer at the scene said the death did not appear to be suspicious.

The body was found when temperatures in the area were in the mid-20s.

3 Killed in Colorado Planned Parenthood Clinic Shooting

crime-scene-police-shootColorado Springs, COLORADO (AP)–Police say three people are dead after a shooting at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs.

Those who died Friday include two civilians and one police officer from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.

The university is about 10 minutes away from the clinic and officials say the fallen officer responded to help city police with the shooting.

Mayor John Suthers says the community “mourns the loss of a very brave police officer.”

Nine other people are hospitalized and police say there are in good condition.

Woman Died After Collision on Icy Crete Bridge, Officer Says

fatal-crashCRETE, Neb. (AP) — A 37-year-old woman has been killed in a collision on an icy bridge in the southeast Nebraska town of Crete.

The collision occurred Thursday. Crete police officer Brian Stork said Jenna Balen, of Dorchester, was headed west on state Highway 33 when her pickup collided with an eastbound pickup.

Balen was killed, and the other driver was not seriously injured. He was identified as 66-year-old George Buhr, also of Dorchester.

Stork says the icy road conditions played a part in the accident.

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