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Omaha Shop Owner Hopes for Arrest in Burglary

burglarOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A game repair shop owner in Omaha whose store was burglarized says he hopes security cameras will lead to the arrest of a suspect.

David Mitchell said his cameras show a man ransacking his small business early Saturday. The suspect smashed the store’s glass to get inside.

The man was unable to open the cash register, but he took about $2,000 worth of gadgets like iPhones and an iPad. Mitchell says the suspect, who was not wearing gloves, dropped a stolen iPod after the store alarm went off. He hopes the gadget’s fingerprints will help in the investigation.

Data: More Passengers at Lincoln Airport in 2013

lincoln-airportLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Officials say a jump in passengers at Lincoln Airport in 2013 is the first increase in nearly a decade.

Officials say as of Nov. 30, the airport had more than 260,300 passengers. That’s a five percent increase over the first 11 months of 2012. The airport is on schedule to have its highest count of passengers since at least 2010.

he airport hit an all-time high of more than 550,000 passengers in 1999. It has been gradually decreasing since then, though there was an increase in 2004.

John Wood, executive director for the Lincoln Airport Authority, says the increase is due a more narrow fare gap between Lincoln and Omaha’s airport, as well as fewer daily departures from Omaha.

Omaha Police: Naked Man Attacked 2 Officers

omahapopoOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha authorities say a man found naked on a street has been accused of attacking two officers.

The Omaha Police Department says 20-year-old Travis Kitkowski was arrested shortly after midnight Sunday. Officers had been responding to a radio call about a naked man chasing someone.

Officers spotted a naked Kitkowski and tried to engage him in conversation, but he did not respond. He is accused of then suddenly attacking officers. One officer suffered a concussion and another officer sustained a hand injury after Kitkowski allegedly bit him.

Numerous officers were needed to restrain Kitkowski. He and the injured officers were taken to a local hospital.

Police say Kitkowski will be charged once he is released from the hospital.

Former Beatrice Mayoral Candidate Files Lawsuit

lawsuit-settlementBEATRICE, Neb. (AP) — A former Beatrice mayoral candidate is suing the city and its current mayor, claiming he was harassed and intimidated for his 2010 campaign.

Ron Hasley filed the complaint in U.S. District Court Tuesday. He says city officials retaliated against him for running a campaign that was critical of Mayor Dennis Schuster.

Hasley was defeated in the election and Schuster won re-election.

The lawsuit seeks damages for emotional harm, humiliation and inconvenience stemming from income lost on a property that was condemned. Hasley says city inspectors condemned the property in retaliation.

The newspaper says Shuster and other city officials declined to comment.

Grand Island Woman, 90, Goes to YMCA 3 Times a Week

ymcaGRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — A Grand Island woman says she’s staying active at 90 by going to her local YMCA three times a week.

Doris Wetzel celebrated her birthday Friday at the YMCA in Grand Island. She says the venue was perfect for the event because she’s been coming there for so many years.

Wetzel suffered a hip injury several years ago and uses a walker to move around. But she still goes to the pool several times a week to keep her body and mind sharp. Wetzel says she attributes her good health to regular exercise.

Robyn Dibbern, an aquatics teacher, says Wetzel is one of the YMCA’s oldest members. She added that senior citizens are using the facility more because they like the camaraderie.

Authorities ID Man Found Dead in Omaha Home

omaha-policeOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities have identified a man found dead on a couch inside an Omaha home.

The Omaha Police Department says 29-year-old Tristan E. Harper was found unresponsive Friday morning in the Benson neighborhood.

Officers had been responding to a report of a shooting a little before 5 a.m. Friday. Homicide investigators found bullet casings at the scene and holes in a nearby home.

Homicide detectives are investigating. No arrests have been reported.

ACLU of Nebraska Sues Lincoln Police for Records

aclu-nebLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska is suing Lincoln’s police chief in an attempt to get records related to an alleged rape nearly 10 years ago.

The lawsuit was filed Monday in Lancaster County District Court by the Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic at Yale Law School and the ACLU of Nebraska.

The lawsuit claims Lincoln police are violating the state’s public records law by refusing to turn over documents from an alleged rape in 2004. A reporter at Slate Magazine requested the records.

Police released a brief public incident report, but said additional information would be investigatory and thus is excluded from public record. Police spokeswoman Katie Flood said Friday their position remains the same.

Nebraska Man Convicted of Selling Misbranded Meat

dept.-of-justiceOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska man has been convicted of selling misbranded meat to the Omaha public school system.

U.S. Attorney Deborah R. Gilg said in a news release Friday that 63-year-old Paul Rosberg, of Wausa (WAH’-sah), was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment. He also received one year of supervised release and was fined more than $8,000.

Prosecutors say Rosberg supplied about 2,650 pounds of ground beef to the Omaha public school system in October 2011. Rosberg, as owner of Nebraska Finest Meats in Randolph, told officials that the meat was federally inspected.

Officials say the meat was not federally inspected. Federal agents later intercepted all the meat before it was served to students.

Court Halts Appeal in Neb. Workers’ Comp Case

ne-supreme-courtLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Supreme Court has halted an appeal involving a co-op employee who suffered a traumatic brain injury when he fell off a truck’s flatbed.

The court dismissed an appeal by the Aurora Cooperative in a ruling Friday, and sent the case back to a workers’ compensation court.

John Jacobitz of Milligan was injured in August 2010 while cleaning up after a customer appreciation supper. Court records say Jacobitz dropped off a grill in a company shed and was riding back to the event location when he fell off.

A judge ruled that Jacobitz was acting within the scope of his duties when the accident occurred, but had not yet determined his benefits. The high court ruled that the co-op filed its appeal too early.

Referee: Former Neb. Lawmaker Should Keep Her Law License

Brenda-CouncilLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A court-appointed referee says former Nebraska state Sen. Brenda Council should keep her law license even though she used campaign money to gamble at casinos.

Fremont attorney Thomas Thomsen recommends that the Nebraska Supreme Court suspend Council’s license for one year and place her on probation for another two.

Council was sentenced to three years of probation and fined $500 earlier this year after pleading guilty to a federal wire fraud charge. She also was fined $500 after pleading guilty to two state misdemeanor charges related to her use of campaign money. The former Omaha lawmaker lost her 2012 re-election bid to state Sen. Ernie Chambers.

Thomsen says Council has repaid all of the money taken from her campaign election fund and is undergoing treatment for a gambling addiction.

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