LYNCH, Neb. (AP) — Authorities are investigating the deaths of two people whose bodies were found in their northern Nebraska home.
57-year-old Brenda Wickersham and her husband, 65-year-old Darold Wickersham, were shot to death in their home in Lynch. Authorities suspect a murder-suicide occurred Thursday.
Boyd County Attorney Tom Herzog says no other information will be released until autopsy results have been obtained.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former assistant principal accused of having sex with a 15-year-old student has pleaded no contest in Omaha.
Douglas County District Court records say 46-year-old Matthew Fedde entered the pleas Monday to two felony counts of attempted sexual assault of a child. Prosecutors had lowered the charges in exchange for Fedde’s pleas. His sentencing is set for Dec. 21.
Investigators say Fedde had multiple sexual encounters with the student on the grounds of Millard South High School last school year. Fedde was arrested after the girl’s parents found references to a sexual relationship with Fedde in her diary.
BELLEVUE, Neb. (AP) — The purchaser of a Powerball ticket in Bellevue has only a few weeks left to claim his or her $1 million prize.
The Nebraska Lottery says the ticket sold at a Kwik Shop on Capehart Road matched the first five numbers drawn April 18 : 9, 10, 12, 17 and 23. But it didn’t match the Powerball number of 9.
The prize must be claimed on or before the Oct. 15 expiration date. Prizes of $20,000 or more must be claimed in person at the Nebraska Lottery headquarters in Lincoln.
MCCOOL JUNCTION, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a man died after becoming trapped under his overturned all-terrain vehicle in eastern Nebraska.
The accident occurred Friday evening, about 1½ miles (3 kilometers) south of Interstate 80 in eastern York County. The York County Sheriff’s Department says Eugene Weise was heading east on a county road when he lost control of the ATV as he turned south. He became trapped under the ATV in the middle of the intersection.
The department says Weise was taken to a York hospital and then flown to a Lincoln hospital, where he died.
The 57-year-old Weise lived in McCool Junction.
NEBRASKA CITY, Neb. (AP) — The annual AppleJack Festival kicks off next week in southeastern Nebraska, ushering in another fall season in the state.
It’s the 50th year of the festival in Nebraska City. The festival begins Friday with a street carnival, antiques and quilt shows and a food court. Saturday will bring in a 5K race, pancake breakfast, arts and crafts fairs, parade and apple picking. The festival wraps up Sept. 23.
Between 60,000 and 80,000 people are expected to descend on the city of nearly 7,300 for the festival.
Nebraska City is the apple capital of the state, with its many orchards attracting day-trippers. It’s also the home of Arbor Day and Arbor Lodge State Historical Park.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has set up a public “exchange area” outside its northwest Omaha headquarters to make public interactions safer.
The marked area in the front parking lot of the building is intended to be a neutral location to conduct e-commerce transactions, child custody exchanges and other types of lawful transactions.
The area has video cameras recording all transactions. But Sheriff Tim Dunning says it’s still important to use good judgment when meeting others in the exchange area. He recommends conduct meetings in daylight hours, bringing a friend or relative when meeting strangers, and having a cellphone readily available to call 911 if necessary. He also says the public should be aware of recent or ongoing scams and should conduct transactions with cash when possible, not personal checks.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A term limit push could be coming to Omaha following a Republican-connected effort to place limits on Lincoln’s mayor, according to the leader of the Nebraska Democratic Party.
Efforts are underway to place a term limit on the Lincoln mayoral office after Democratic Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler announced that he plans to seek a fourth term. The push is being led by the Political Renewal Association, which is backed by J.L. Spray, a Republican National Committeeman.
“We don’t think anybody should be able to serve a lifetime in public office,” said Matt Innis, spokesman for the association. “The Founding Fathers, when setting up everything, never intended for people to become kings or emperors.”
Organizers have gathered more than 4,300 valid signatures, enough to put the Lincoln term limit issue on the November ballot, said the Lancaster County Election Commissioner’s Office.
It would only be fair to apply the term limit to both cities, said Jane Kleeb, chairwoman of the Nebraska Democratic Party.
But Republican Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, who may run for a third term, said term limits should be placed on an office in general, not aimed at an individual.
“What Jane Kleeb is trying to do is directed at me,” Stothert said. “It’s because I’m a Republican, and that’s unfortunate.”
But Kleeb countered that the Democratic party wouldn’t stand by as efforts move forward to limit the Lincoln mayor’s term.
“You can’t put term limits on a mayor in Lincoln because you can’t beat him and then expect that the (Nebraska Democratic) party is just going to sit there and say ‘oh well,'” Kleeb said.
The state GOP isn’t behind the Lincoln petition, said Kenny Zoeller, executive director of the Nebraska Republican Party. The party does support the concept of term limits, he said.
Nebraska’s governor and members of the state Legislature are limited to two, four-year terms.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Police in Lincoln are warning residents of a scam on an online classified ads site that seeks to steal money from people looking to rent homes.
The Lincoln Journal Star reports in two cases, victims found listings on Craigslist that advertised homes for rent. The victims were told that to secure the homes, they needed to wire money, and then keys would be sent via FedEx delivery.
Officer Angela Sands says one woman wired $650 on Wednesday to rent a home and learned she had been scammed when she called the number on a rental sign outside the home.
On Thursday, another woman wired $1,300 for a deposit and became suspicious after a man posing as the landlord requested another $2,600 to cover the first and last months of rent.AP) — Police in Lincoln are warning residents of a scam on an online classified ads site that seeks to steal money from people looking to rent homes.
The Lincoln Journal Star reports in two cases, victims found listings on Craigslist that advertised homes for rent. The victims were told that to secure the homes, they needed to wire money, and then keys would be sent via FedEx delivery.
Officer Angela Sands says one woman wired $650 on Wednesday to rent a home and learned she had been scammed when she called the number on a rental sign outside the home.
On Thursday, another woman wired $1,300 for a deposit and became suspicious after a man posing as the landlord requested another $2,600 to cover the first and last months of rent.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A former Lincoln postal worker caught with stolen mail has been sentenced to nine months in federal prison and ordered to pay nearly $3,700 in restitution.
The Lincoln Journal Star reports that 45-year-old Domonic Harris was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty in February of illegal transactions with an access device. Federal prosecutors dismissed two other counts in exchange for Harris’ plea.
Prosecutors say that six weeks in early 2017, Harris worked for the U.S. Postal Service and was found to have filled out cards changing people’s mailing addresses in order to steal credit card information. Investigators say Harris obtained at least 12 credit cards in victims’ names and charged about $6,000 on them.
Harris was ordered to report to prison on Dec. 5.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha police have released the name of an officer who was shot during a traffic stop.
Deputy Chief Scott Gray says the shooting happened about 4 p.m. Tuesday in northeast Omaha near Miller Park. Fortune was among three officers conducting the traffic stop when a passenger in the vehicle fled on foot, shooting at officers. Officers returned fired, wounding the passenger.
Police do not believe Fortune’s or the passenger’s wounds are life-threatening. They were taken to Nebraska Medical Center.
Police have not identified the passenger or the driver, who was arrested.
