OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha woman has pleaded not guilty to embezzling nearly $9,000 from a church where she worked.

32-year-old Michaela LeColst is charged with a felony count of theft by deception. Police say she stole the money between September 2013 and February 2014 while working in the business office at Lifegate Church.

Executive senior pastor Mike Ballard says LeColst was fired July 2. He didn’t say why she was fired or how long she worked at the church. Ballard says church employees examined payroll records after she was fired and discovered that money was missing.

LeColst and her attorney declined to comment when contacted by the newspaper. She faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The closure of Lincoln Airport’s main runway has forced larger planes that usually use it to use the airport’s other, smaller runway.

That’s resulted in louder planes flying relatively low across south Lincoln and downtown.

The smaller runway points in a different direction than the main runway, which closed in July for the construction work. The larger planes had stayed well west most of Lincoln to use the main runway.

Airport Executive Director David Haring said he’s received several calls from people wondering about the noisier planes. Haring says the pavement work should finish in two or three weeks, which will result in planes being able to use the main runway.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A man charged with fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend in Nebraska has been accused of attacking his attorney while in court.

The murder trial of Robert Grant was placed on hold Tuesday after he allegedly lunged and punched assistant public defender Doug Johnson in the head. A second public defender was knocked over in the scuffle.

Several officers entered the courtroom to subdue Grant. The court is now in recess until Wednesday morning.

Grant is also accused of punching a deputy in the head three times during a court appearance Monday.

Prosecutors say Grant stabbed 43-year-old Trudy McKee more than 40 times at an apartment last year. He has pleaded not guilty.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 92-year-old Omaha woman whose chair collapsed under her at a polling place in 2012 will receive $25,000 as part of a settlement.

The Douglas County Board approved the settlement Tuesday. The City Council will not review the settlement because the amount is less than $35,000.

Kathryn Johnson was at the pavilion of the Steve Hogan Golf Course to vote in the 2012 general election when she tried to sit down on a chair and it collapsed.

She later sued the county, the city of Omaha and Hogan’s Junior Golf Heroes Foundation. She claimed treatment for her injuries cost nearly $10,000.

The county and the golf foundation each will pay $10,000. The city will pay $5,000.

FREMONT, Neb. (AP) — A man accused of kidnapping a woman and leading police on a car chase that ended in west Omaha has been released from a hospital.

The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office says 32-year-old Terence Dean, of Omaha, is in custody. Additional information was not released.

Dean is accused of leading authorities on a high speed chase on Oct. 20 that began in Scribner, northwest of Omaha. Officers used spikes and eventually boxed in the car. Dean was sent to a hospital for minor injuries.

Dean faces several charges, including kidnapping, third-degree assault and flight to avoid arrest. He is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 25. Online records do not list an attorney.

ASHLAND, Neb. (AP) — Authorities are trying to find out who left threatening notes on the doors of seven churches in the Ashland area in eastern Nebraska.

The messages quote a Spanish anarchist and say, “The only church that illuminates is a burning church.”

Ashland Police Chief Joe Baudler says the notes were posted sometime between Oct. 11 and 12. He declined to say more about how authorities were responding to the threats, citing an active investigation.

A pastor at Word of Hope Lutheran, one of the targeted churches, says church activity hasn’t declined. The Rev. Wilson Metz says he doesn’t know anyone who is overly concerned about the threat.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former Nebraska day care employee has pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing child pornography.

Thirty-five-year-old James Klinkner took a deal with prosecutors on Monday. He pleaded guilty to two counts each of possession and distribution of child pornography. Twenty-nine other counts of possession were dismissed.

The former La Petite Academy worker was arrested after police in Bellevue received a tip from someone in Germany who said they received pornography from Klinkner.

Authorities say Klinkner had two child porn images on his computer and he had emailed them 31 times. They say the victims are not from Omaha.

Klinkner will be sentenced in January.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP)–Creighton University will soon begin offering health benefits to legally married same-sex spouses of its employees despite the objections of the local Catholic archbishop.

Creighton President Rev. Timothy Lannon announced the change Monday. He said 21 of the 28 Jesuit universities already offer similar benefits.

The Omaha World-Herald first reported the policy change Monday morning.

Lannon says Creighton continues to support the Catholic Church’s teaching about marriage.

But Lannon says the university is taking this step to meet the needs of its employees and remain competitive with other universities that already offer similar benefits.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — One of Warren Buffett’s key assistants is taking on a new role at Berkshire Hathaway as CEO of the conglomerate’s Pampered Chef subsidiary.

Berkshire said Monday 30-year-old Tracy Britt Cool will become Pampered Chef’s chief executive next month and work with Doris Christopher, who founded the Addison, Illinois, company that sells kitchen gear through direct sales.

Buffett said Cool is an ideal candidate for the job because of her work with other Berkshire subsidiaries over the past five years. Cool serves as chairwoman of four Berkshire subsidiaries.

Cool has already been working since last December as an adviser to Christopher, who will remain Pampered Chef’s chairwoman.

Berkshire is based in Omaha, Nebraska, and owns more than 80 subsidiaries in a variety of industries, including insurance, utilities, railroads, retail and manufacturing.

 

FREMONT, Neb. (AP) — A Fremont man has been sentenced to five years in prison for trying to distribute methamphetamine.

U.S. Attorney Deborah R. Gilg says 27-year-old Rodrigo Delacruz was sentenced Monday on possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. He faces four years of supervised release when he completes his prison term.

Delacruz was found in May with more than 10 grams of methamphetamine when he made contact with Fremont police at a gas station. Police say he also had a scale, drug paraphernalia and more than $1,700 in his coat.

Delacruz later told police he used and sold methamphetamine in the past.