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Storm Damage Forces Some Neb. Polling Places to Move

Secretary of State John Gale
Secretary of State John Gale

(AP) — Some Nebraska voters will have to drive further than normal to cast their ballots in Tuesday’s primary because of damage from this weekend’s storms.

Secretary of State John Gale said Monday that two polling places in Seward County will be relocated because of the damage.

Beaver Crossing voters will have to go to Goehner Fire Hall in Goehner on Tuesday. Cordova voters will have to drive to Utica to vote at the Utica Senior Center.

In Clay County, officials decided to keep Sutton’s polling place at the local Senior Community Center, but they’ll have to set up a generator because Sutton remains without power.

Gale says the 10 inches of snow that fell in western Nebraska isn’t expected to force any polling places to move in Scotts Bluff County.

Nebraska Storm Damage Review Not Complete

Near Sutton, Neb. May 11, 2014 (Courtesy)
Near Sutton, Neb. May 11, 2014 (Courtesy)

(AP) — It’s clear that tornadoes caused significant damage across eastern Nebraska this weekend, but the expert assessment of the storms won’t be complete until at least Tuesday.

The National Weather Service sent crews of storm experts out Monday to look at the damage Sunday’s storms left behind. But the crews weren’t able to survey all the damage.

The weather service and the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency say it is clear Sunday’s storms produced tornadoes, but it won’t be clear how many there were until the damage assessments are done.

NEMA officials say trained spotters identified 12 to 15 likely tornadoes on Sunday as the storms moved across the state.

Authorities ID Neb. Chase Suspect Who Committed Suicide

state-patrolThe Nebraska State Patrol in conjunction with the Thurston County Attorney has identified the suspect involved in a Saturday, May 10, pursuit which ended near Macy in Thurston County.

Eric Michael Johnson, 38, of Elk Point, S.D., was pronounced dead on Saturday. Investigators say Johnson was the driver of a Ford F150 pickup which led authorities on a pursuit which crossed into Nebraska from Iowa, just before 8:00 p.m., and ended at 8:10 pm., just North of Macy near the Highway 75/94 Junction.

The pickup driven by Johnson came to a stop after hitting spike strips set up by law enforcement near the Highway 75/94 Junction. Law enforcement approaching the suspect vehicle found Johnson unresponsive from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.  An autopsy will be conducted. The Nebraska State Patrol continues to investigate the incidents surrounding the pursuit in Nebraska.

Sheriff’s Offices in Thurston County, Nebraska, and Woodbury County, Iowa, along with law enforcement agencies in Walthill, Macy, Winnebago and Sioux City, Iowa were involved in the pursuit.

The pursuit which traveled into Nebraska from Sioux City, Iowa, was the result of an earlier incident in North Sioux City, South Dakota. Questions reference the initial incident should be directed to the North Sioux City, South Dakota Police Department and the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department.

Former Nanny Gets Prison in Omaha Baby’s Death

Sarah Cullen
Sarah Cullen

(AP) — A former nanny convicted of child abuse in the death of a 4-month-old baby in Omaha has been sentenced to 70 years to life in prison.

Douglas County District Judge Mark Ashford issued the sentence Monday for 25-year-old Sarah Cullen. She will be eligible for parole after she serves 35 years.

A jury in March convicted Cullen of intentional child abuse resulting in death. She was accused of causing injuries in late February 2013 that led to the death of Cash Bell.

Investigators say Cullen gave different accounts of how the baby was injured.

First Valentino’s Packed on Last Day of Business

valentinos pizza(AP) — The first Valentino’s restaurant has baked its last pizza and served its last customer in Lincoln.

The restaurant at the 34th and Holdrege was packed Sunday by many longtime customers. It opened in 1957 and has thrived over the years. The company has grown to 35 restaurant locations in four states since changing ownership in 1971.

Assistant manager Mohammad Al-Haidari said he was the first employee to greet a customer on Sunday and that he wanted to be the last employee to say goodbye to the restaurant’s last customer.

Al-Haidari says the restaurant needed to modernize and get away from its 1970s look. A new Valentino’s will be opening next door.

Nebraskans Begin Cleaning Up After Sunday’s Storms

(AP) — Nebraskans are beginning to clean up debris and assess the damage this weekend’s severe thunderstorms and tornadoes left behind.

Sunday’s storms caused damage across much of eastern Nebraska roughly on a line from the Kansas border up through Hastings and Omaha. No serious injuries were reported.

Some of the worst damage was in the towns of Sutton and Cordova.

Sutton Fire Chief Chris Moore says volunteers began cleaning up debris and trees limbs around town at 7 a.m. Monday.

Most of Sutton’s downtown buildings sustained damage, but they were all still standing. Moore says structural experts are evaluating the buildings.

At least three Sutton homes lost their roofs and several others were damaged.

Moore says utility officials estimate that Sutton will be without power for at least two days.

Suspect Shoots Self After Chase Into Nebraska

state-patrol-logo(AP) — A man suspected in a South Dakota shooting has died after being pursued by officers into Nebraska.

Nebraska State Patrol spokeswoman Deb Collins said Sunday that the man shot and killed himself after his pickup was stopped north of Macy on Saturday night. His name hasn’t been released.

South Dakota authorities say a woman was shot about 7:30 p.m. Saturday along Interstate 29 in North Sioux City, South Dakota. The suspect fled north on I-29 and then turned around. He raced south into Iowa and eventually into Nebraska, where he was headed south on U.S. Highway 75, when his pickup was stopped by officers who used stop sticks to puncture the truck’s tires.

The wounded woman is expected to survive her injuries. Her name hasn’t been released.

Anti-Icing Systems Going on 4 I-80 Bridges

i-80(AP) — Work on four Interstate 80 bridges in southeast Nebraska is scheduled to start the week of May 19.

The Nebraska Roads Department says anti-icing systems will be installed on four bridge decks between Seward and Milford.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane during construction and will be maintained with the use of signs, arrow boards and traffic barrels. The project is expected to be completed this fall.

Nebraska ‘Walk at Lunch’ Event Raises $5,000

Nebraska Walk at Lunch Day(AP) — Participants from schools, businesses and other organizations in the “Walk at Lunch Day” event across the state raised $5,000 for state trails.

Hundreds of walkers from 468 schools and businesses across the state participated April 30 in the event, sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska. For every school, business or organization that participated in the event, Blue Cross and Blue Shield donated $20 to the Nebraska Game and Parks Foundation and the Special Olympics.

The $5,000 received by Game and Parks will benefit the trails system at Platte River State Park.

Biodiesel Plant in Southeast Neb. to Be Used

flint-hills-resources(AP) — An idle biodiesel plant in southeast Nebraska will soon be renovated and begin producing the fuel near Beatrice.

Flint Hills Resources is planning to retrofit the plant it bought at auction, so it will produce 50 million gallons of biodiesel and employ 45.

Mayor Dennis Schuster says he’s glad the company decided the plant is viable because it will add a new business to the area.

The plant was built in 2007 for roughly $50 million, but construction setbacks and the rising cost of soybean oil forced Beatrice Biodiesel to file for bankruptcy protection in 2008. It sold at auction in 2011 for $5 million.

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