OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha man spent his Father’s Day weekend organizing a blood drive in memory of his infant son.
Timothy Seretta organized a blood drive event Saturday for his son, Henry. Seretta says the 7-month-old died in November after he was diagnosed with leukemia.
Seretta said blood transfusions Henry received while at the hospital helped keep the boy alive for several days longer.
Seretta says the best Father’s Day present for him is helping someone else’s child.
DUNCAN, Neb. (AP) — Officials say no one was injured when a train traveling through Nebraska struck an empty car parked on the tracks.
The Union Pacific train hit an unoccupied car early Sunday near Duncan. The car got stuck to the train and traveled with it for about a half mile. The car then hit a bridge and burst into flames.
The train was traveling from Oakland, California, to Chicago.
Company spokesman Mark Davis said the fire damaged two rail cars with containers and damaged the bridge. The train crew was not hurt.
Davis says the tracks and line in the area would be closed through early Monday to repair the bridge.
Additional information about the owner of the car is not available.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha campaign that began as a way to show support for police officers is now raising thousands of dollars for causes championed by Officer Kerrie Orozco, who was shot and killed in the line of duty last month.
The Support Blue campaign, being run through the First Responders Foundation, launched in March in the wake of negative public sentiment following a number of highly publicized police-involved shootings around the country.
After Orozco’s death on May 20, the campaign began printing up T-shirts to help her causes, like youth sports. Omaha police are manning a booth this month at the NCAA Men’s College World Series, where they sold $22,000 in T-shirts in the first week of the series.
In all, the campaign has sold more than $40,000 in T-shirts.
COLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — A 22-year-old Columbus man accused of seriously injuring the 4-month-old daughter of his live-in girlfriend will stand trial on a felony child abuse charge.
22-year-old Francisco Villatoro is set to be arraigned June 26 in Platte County District Court.
Villatoro was arrested last month after calling 911 to report that the baby was choking. The infant was taken to Columbus Community Hospital and then transferred to Omaha Children’s Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha.
Doctors say the infant suffered a head injury. Police say it happened as Villatoro was caring for the child while his girlfriend was at work.
He has pleaded not guilty.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Supreme Court had upheld the first-degree murder conviction of a former Omaha gang member.
The high court on Friday upheld the conviction last year of Marcus “Cricket” Escamilla for the 2013 shooting death of Kenneth Gunia outside of a downtown Omaha apartment. Escamilla was sentenced to life plus five years for a weapons count.
Escamilla appealed, claiming that there was a lack of evidence of premeditation to sustain his conviction for first-degree murder.
But the Nebraska Supreme in a unanimous ruling disagreed, finding no merit in Escamilla’s arguments.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 25-year veteran with the Nebraska State Patrol is suing the agency and its new leader, accusing Col. Brad Rice of torpedoing his career over a long-held grudge.
Trooper Todd Steckelberg, of Elkhorn, is seeking damages for lost wages and damage to his reputation. He says Rice still holds a grudge over a complaint Steckelberg filed against him years ago.
Steckelberg says Rice recently kept him from being transferred to the governor’s protection detail, even though he was the most qualified candidate.
Rice came under fire after Gov. Pete Ricketts nominated him earlier this year to lead the agency. Rice served on an interview panel that denied several promotions to a female sergeant, who successfully sued for gender discrimination.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha police have identified a man they say died following a report of an assault in eastern Omaha.
Police say officers were called to 24th and Harney streets shortly after 4 a.m. Saturday to investigate an assault. When they arrived they found 54-year-old Timothy Rasmussen, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police say the man had no apparent wounds, and investigators do not yet know the cause of death.
No suspects have been named.
The Omaha Police Department’s homicide unit is investigating the death.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha’s mayor has proposed annexing 17 areas in Douglas County, boosting the city population by nearly 14,000 and adding millions in taxes to the city’s revenue streams.
Mayor Jean Stothert (STAH’-thurt) announced her plan on Friday. It will go the city planning board and then the City Council for approval. The final council vote could occur by the end of July or in early August.
The 17 unincorporated areas in the western part of the Douglas County include two business/commercial areas. Her proposal says tax rates for all but two of the areas would decrease, and that the annexation would provide the city with $70 million a year in property, sales and wheel tax revenue.
Property owners in the 17 areas will be mailed notices about the mayor’s proposal.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A state senator has told police that he was injured in an attack inside an Omaha bar restroom.
Aides say Sen. Burke Harr, of Omaha, suffered two broken bones in his left leg and had surgery on Thursday.
A police report says Harr told investigators that someone hit him in the leg Wednesday night and left before he could see who did it. Security at Blatt Beer & Table found him and called for medical help.
The bar near TD Ameritrade Park is a popular hangout during the College World Series.
Bar managers tell police that they don’t know of any witnesses to the attack. Police have reported no arrests.
Police Lt. Darci Tierney told Omaha television KETV that she couldn’t “think of anything that would lead up to this.”
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Three Omaha men have been sent to federal prison for operating what prosecutors say was a Ponzi scheme that cost victims $4 million.
Jonathan Arrington, Michael Kratville and Michael Welke were sentenced on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Omaha. All three were convicted of wire fraud.
Arrington was given five years, Kratville was given four years and Welke three years.
Prosecutors say the three operated two companies guaranteeing large returns and low risk to investors in commodities and foreign currencies when the companies actually were hiding their losses. Authorities said the men used more than $700,000 to pay themselves and use toward golf club memberships, travel and dining.
Prosecutors say the scheme ran from 2005 through 2008.
