United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that 
Mark A. Barraza Saenz, 22, 
of Grand Island was sentenced last week in federal court in 
Lincoln for possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or 
more of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm
 in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime. Senior United States 
District Judge
John M. Gerrard sentenced
Barraza Saenz
 to 72 months’ imprisonment on the drug charge and a consecutive 60 
months’ imprisonment on the firearm charge, for a total sentence of 132 
months.&nbsp; There is no parole in the federal system.
 After his release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of 
supervised release.

On
 October 12, 2021, in the early morning hours, a Merrick County 
Sheriff’s Office deputy observed a silver sedan heading east bound in 
Central City, Nebraska.
 Based on driving infractions, the deputy initiated a traffic stop.&nbsp; Two
 males were in the sedan, including Barraza Saenz in the front passenger
 seat.&nbsp; Barraza Saenz admitted to smoking marijuana approximately an 
hour earlier and consented to the deputy searching
 him.&nbsp; While searching Barraza Saenz, the deputy found two bundles of 
methamphetamine.&nbsp; The deputy then searched the trunk of the sedan and 
found a bag containing methamphetamine. Under the bag was an American 
Tactical M1911 Military .45 caliber semi-automatic
 pistol with the magazine containing one bullet next to it.&nbsp; The 
methamphetamine from Barraza Saenz’s person and the vehicle was 
laboratory tested and confirmed to be approximately 209 grams of 
methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Merrick County Sheriff’s Office.


U.S. Attorney's OfficeUnited States Attorney Steven Russell announced that 
Mark A. Barraza Saenz, 22, 
of Grand Island was sentenced last week in federal court in 
Lincoln for possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or 
more of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm
 in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime. Senior United States 
District Judge
John M. Gerrard sentenced
Barraza Saenz
 to 72 months’ imprisonment on the drug charge and a consecutive 60 
months’ imprisonment on the firearm charge, for a total sentence of 132 
months.&nbsp; There is no parole in the federal system.
 After his release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of 
supervised release.On
 October 12, 2021, in the early morning hours, a Merrick County 
Sheriff’s Office deputy observed a silver sedan heading east bound in 
Central City, Nebraska.
 Based on driving infractions, the deputy initiated a traffic stop.&nbsp; Two
 males were in the sedan, including Barraza Saenz in the front passenger
 seat.&nbsp; Barraza Saenz admitted to smoking marijuana approximately an 
hour earlier and consented to the deputy searching
 him.&nbsp; While searching Barraza Saenz, the deputy found two bundles of 
methamphetamine.&nbsp; The deputy then searched the trunk of the sedan and 
found a bag containing methamphetamine. Under the bag was an American 
Tactical M1911 Military .45 caliber semi-automatic
 pistol with the magazine containing one bullet next to it.&nbsp; The 
methamphetamine from Barraza Saenz’s person and the vehicle was 
laboratory tested and confirmed to be approximately 209 grams of 
methamphetamine.This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Merrick County Sheriff’s Office.

Neb. man sentenced for firearm, drug trafficking crimes

P202300167 08:01 DISTURBANCE : FEMALE REPORTED BEING ERRATIC IN THE EXERCISE ROOM OF ALLIANCE IN AND SUITES / FEMALE WAS ARRESTED FOR DISTURBING THE PEACE Closed - Charges Recommended

P202300168 12:20 FOUND : FOUND WHITE MEN'S BIKE ABANDONED AT THE INDIAN MISSION CHURCH / BIKE WAS TAKEN TO THE WAREHOUSE Inactive - Case Suspended

P202300171 01:56 DEATH : UNATTENDED UNATTENDED DEATH / REPORTED BY FAMILY Closed - Resolved

P202300172 13:28 10-44 : MVA NON INJURY10th Street and Missouri Avenue/ Non-injury motor vehicle accident reported/ Case resolved Closed - Resolved

P202300178 10:42 WARRANT : ARREST 300 E. 14Th Street/ Individual with warrant located/ Warrant for Contempt of Court confirmed and individual arrested Closed - Resolved

P202300179 13:24 THEFT : THEFT Bomgaars/ Individual reported lost property/ Upon returning to store, property failed to be located nor returned/ Case open and investigation Open - Under Investigation

P202300180 14:27 TRAFFIC STOP : Highway 385 and Haven Court/ Traffic Stop/ Driver arrested for Driving Under Suspension/ Marijuana located in vehicle/ Charges recommended Closed - Charges Recommended

P202300181 21:54 THEFT : THEFT $10,000 theft from an elderly male. Suspects have been located and charged. Closed - Charges Recommended

By Alliance Police Department03/12/23P202300167 08:01 DISTURBANCE : FEMALE REPORTED BEING ERRATIC IN THE EXERCISE ROOM OF ALLIANCE IN AND SUITES / FEMALE WAS ARRESTED FOR DISTURBING THE PEACE Closed - Charges RecommendedP202300168 12:20 FOUND : FOUND WHITE MEN'S BIKE ABANDONED AT THE INDIAN MISSION CHURCH / BIKE WAS TAKEN TO THE WAREHOUSE Inactive - Case Suspended03/12/23 Total: 203/14/23P202300171 01:56 DEATH : UNATTENDED UNATTENDED DEATH / REPORTED BY FAMILY Closed - ResolvedP202300172 13:28 10-44 : MVA NON INJURY10th Street and Missouri Avenue/ Non-injury motor vehicle accident reported/ Case resolved Closed - Resolved03/14/23 Total: 203/17/23P202300178 10:42 WARRANT : ARREST 300 E. 14Th Street/ Individual with warrant located/ Warrant for Contempt of Court confirmed and individual arrested Closed - ResolvedP202300179 13:24 THEFT : THEFT Bomgaars/ Individual reported lost property/ Upon returning to store, property failed to be located nor returned/ Case open and investigation Open - Under InvestigationP202300180 14:27 TRAFFIC STOP : Highway 385 and Haven Court/ Traffic Stop/ Driver arrested for Driving Under Suspension/ Marijuana located in vehicle/ Charges recommended Closed - Charges RecommendedP202300181 21:54 THEFT : THEFT $10,000 theft from an elderly male. Suspects have been located and charged. Closed - Charges Recommended03/17/23 Total: 4Total Records: 8

Alliance Police Department: The media report 

By TENA L. COOK, CSC MARKETING COORDINATOR

CHADRON – The Green Team is a new Chadron State College club approved by the Campus Activities Board during the Fall semester.

Tianna Martin of Kearney, Nebraska, is excited about plans for the future.

“Our goal is to bring more sustainable practices to all areas of campus. I wanted to start the club because in my senior year of high school, I started a Green Team with a few of my good friends. It was a lot of fun and we were able to do good things at the school in one year,” said Martin.

Martin is President, Ella Obrien of Chadron is the Secretary, Kayla Reichenberg of Grant, Nebraska, is the Treasurer, and Ashley Burrows of Hay Springs, Nebraska, is the Social Media Coordinator

The club of about 10 members is planning an event for Earth Day on April 22.

“We are looking for more people who are interested in joining,” Martin said.

Chantel Merchen is the staff adviser for the club.

"The Green Team is a great way to get involved on campus while learning about how to live a sustainable lifestyle. I am very excited to see how big this group grows once the word gets out on the great things we plan to do to improve the CSC Campus and Chadron area," Merchen said.

The club meets the first and third Friday of the month from 2 to 3 p.m. in the IDEA Space of the King Library. Contact&nbsp;<a href="mailto:Tianna.martin@eagles.csc.edu" target="_blank">Tianna.martin@eagles.csc.edu</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:cmerchen@csc.edu" target="_blank">cmerchen@csc.edu</a>&nbsp;for details.

By TENA L. COOK, CSC MARKETING COORDINATORCHADRON – The Green Team is a new Chadron State College club approved by the Campus Activities Board during the Fall semester.Tianna Martin of Kearney, Nebraska, is excited about plans for the future.“Our goal is to bring more sustainable practices to all areas of campus. I wanted to start the club because in my senior year of high school, I started a Green Team with a few of my good friends. It was a lot of fun and we were able to do good things at the school in one year,” said Martin.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1680013846360.jpeg" alt="Green Team members pose in Chadron State College's King Library IDEA Space. From left, Emme Sims of Grant, Neb., staff adviser Chantel Merchen, Tianna Martin of Kearney, Neb., Kayla Reichenberg of Grant, Neb, and Ashley Burrows of Hay Springs, Neb. (Photo by Tena L. Cook/Chadron State College)" />
 <figcaption>Green Team members pose in Chadron State College's King Library IDEA Space. From left, Emme Sims of Grant, Neb., staff adviser Chantel Merchen, Tianna Martin of Kearney, Neb., Kayla Reichenberg of Grant, Neb, and Ashley Burrows of Hay Springs, Neb. (Photo by Tena L. Cook/Chadron State College)</figcaption>
 </figure>Martin is President, Ella Obrien of Chadron is the Secretary, Kayla Reichenberg of Grant, Nebraska, is the Treasurer, and Ashley Burrows of Hay Springs, Nebraska, is the Social Media CoordinatorThe club of about 10 members is planning an event for Earth Day on April 22.“We are looking for more people who are interested in joining,” Martin said.Chantel Merchen is the staff adviser for the club."The Green Team is a great way to get involved on campus while learning about how to live a sustainable lifestyle. I am very excited to see how big this group grows once the word gets out on the great things we plan to do to improve the CSC Campus and Chadron area," Merchen said.The club meets the first and third Friday of the month from 2 to 3 p.m. in the IDEA Space of the King Library. Contact&nbsp;<a href="mailto:Tianna.martin@eagles.csc.edu" target="_blank">Tianna.martin@eagles.csc.edu</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:cmerchen@csc.edu" target="_blank">cmerchen@csc.edu</a>&nbsp;for details.

The Green Team is a new Chadron State College club

LINCOLN — On Tuesday,&nbsp;Gov. Jim Pillen,&nbsp;in&nbsp;accordance with a request from&nbsp;the&nbsp;White House, announced that all U.S. and Nebraska&nbsp;flags&nbsp;are&nbsp;to&nbsp;be flown&nbsp;at&nbsp;half staff&nbsp;immediately,&nbsp;to&nbsp;honor&nbsp;the&nbsp;victims&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;deadly shooting&nbsp;in&nbsp;Nashville, Tenn.

Flags&nbsp;are&nbsp;to&nbsp;be flown&nbsp;at&nbsp;half-staff&nbsp;until sunset on Friday. &nbsp;

Office of the GovernorLINCOLN — On Tuesday,&nbsp;Gov. Jim Pillen,&nbsp;in&nbsp;accordance with a request from&nbsp;the&nbsp;White House, announced that all U.S. and Nebraska&nbsp;flags&nbsp;are&nbsp;to&nbsp;be flown&nbsp;at&nbsp;half staff&nbsp;immediately,&nbsp;to&nbsp;honor&nbsp;the&nbsp;victims&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;deadly shooting&nbsp;in&nbsp;Nashville, Tenn.Flags&nbsp;are&nbsp;to&nbsp;be flown&nbsp;at&nbsp;half-staff&nbsp;until sunset on Friday. &nbsp;

Pillen: Flags at half-staff to honor Nashville shooting victims

United States Attorney 
Steven Russell announced that William H. White, 55, and Sarah A. White, 
40, husband and wife, formerly of Roca were sentenced on 
March 21 by the Senior United States District
 Judge John M. Gerrard for Failure to Pay Over Employment Tax that had 
been withheld from employees’ paychecks.&nbsp; William White was sentenced to
 one year and one day imprisonment, to be followed by three years of 
supervised release.&nbsp; Sarah White was sentenced
 to three years of probation and a fine of $10,000.&nbsp; Each was ordered to
 pay $426,047.75 restitution but was credited for payments they had made
 previously totaling that same amount.&nbsp;


William and Sarah White
 owned two businesses that operated in tandem -- B&amp;B Midwest 
Trucking (B&amp;B) and 419, LLC (419).&nbsp; During portions of 2015 to 2018,
 B&amp;B and 419 withheld
federal income taxes and FICA taxes (Social Security and 
Medicare) from employees’ paychecks but failed to account for those 
taxes on time and to pay them over to the Internal Revenue Service.&nbsp; The
 withheld employee payroll taxes totaled $144,220.31
 for B&amp;B, and $281,827.44 for 419.&nbsp; Each business had sufficient 
funds available to pay the payroll taxes when due.&nbsp; William and Sarah 
White were aware of the obligation to account for and pay the payroll 
taxes and were responsible to pay them, but instead
 used the funds withheld from employees’ paychecks to pay other business
 creditors and to pay for personal expenses.&nbsp;&nbsp; The businesses had 
further failed to pay over the employer’s share of payroll taxes to the 
IRS, but the Whites paid those amounts as well
 prior to sentencing. 

“Business owners have a significant duty to collect
 and turn over all IRS withholding taxes,” said Thomas F. Murdock, 
Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, St. Louis Field 
Office. “Those who fail to do so gain an unfair competitive
 advantage.&nbsp; The failure to abide by IRS laws will not be tolerated, and
 those criminals will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service.

U.S. Attorney's OfficeUnited States Attorney 
Steven Russell announced that William H. White, 55, and Sarah A. White, 
40, husband and wife, formerly of Roca were sentenced on 
March 21 by the Senior United States District
 Judge John M. Gerrard for Failure to Pay Over Employment Tax that had 
been withheld from employees’ paychecks.&nbsp; William White was sentenced to
 one year and one day imprisonment, to be followed by three years of 
supervised release.&nbsp; Sarah White was sentenced
 to three years of probation and a fine of $10,000.&nbsp; Each was ordered to
 pay $426,047.75 restitution but was credited for payments they had made
 previously totaling that same amount.&nbsp;
William and Sarah White
 owned two businesses that operated in tandem -- B&amp;B Midwest 
Trucking (B&amp;B) and 419, LLC (419).&nbsp; During portions of 2015 to 2018,
 B&amp;B and 419 withheld
federal income taxes and FICA taxes (Social Security and 
Medicare) from employees’ paychecks but failed to account for those 
taxes on time and to pay them over to the Internal Revenue Service.&nbsp; The
 withheld employee payroll taxes totaled $144,220.31
 for B&amp;B, and $281,827.44 for 419.&nbsp; Each business had sufficient 
funds available to pay the payroll taxes when due.&nbsp; William and Sarah 
White were aware of the obligation to account for and pay the payroll 
taxes and were responsible to pay them, but instead
 used the funds withheld from employees’ paychecks to pay other business
 creditors and to pay for personal expenses.&nbsp;&nbsp; The businesses had 
further failed to pay over the employer’s share of payroll taxes to the 
IRS, but the Whites paid those amounts as well
 prior to sentencing. “Business owners have a significant duty to collect
 and turn over all IRS withholding taxes,” said Thomas F. Murdock, 
Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, St. Louis Field 
Office. “Those who fail to do so gain an unfair competitive
 advantage.&nbsp; The failure to abide by IRS laws will not be tolerated, and
 those criminals will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service.

Couple sentenced for failure to pay withheld payroll taxes

SCOTTSBLUFF — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested a man and located a missing juvenile from Utah following a traffic stop on Interstate 80 in Deuel County.

Sunday, at approximately 3:05 p.m. MT, a trooper observed an eastbound Honda Accord drive on the shoulder of I-80 at mile marker 80, near Chappell. During the traffic stop, the trooper discovered that one of the passengers, a 16-year-old female, had been reported missing from Bountiful, Utah.

The driver, identified as Vicson Duarte Lendos, 29, of Bountiful, Utah, was arrested for child abuse, no injury and lodged in Cheyenne County jail. The investigation is ongoing with cooperation from the Bountiful Police Department. The juvenile was placed in protective custody.

NSPSCOTTSBLUFF — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested a man and located a missing juvenile from Utah following a traffic stop on Interstate 80 in Deuel County.Sunday, at approximately 3:05 p.m. MT, a trooper observed an eastbound Honda Accord drive on the shoulder of I-80 at mile marker 80, near Chappell. During the traffic stop, the trooper discovered that one of the passengers, a 16-year-old female, had been reported missing from Bountiful, Utah.The driver, identified as Vicson Duarte Lendos, 29, of Bountiful, Utah, was arrested for child abuse, no injury and lodged in Cheyenne County jail. The investigation is ongoing with cooperation from the Bountiful Police Department. The juvenile was placed in protective custody.

Troopers locate missing juvenile during I-80 traffic stop

United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Matthew French, 36, of Garland was sentenced on March 24 in Lincoln by Senior United States Senior District Judge John M. Gerrard for two counts of producing child pornography.&nbsp; French was sentenced to 225 months in prison and will also serve 12 years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.&nbsp; After serving his prison sentence, French will be required to register as a sex offender.

This case began when a school intercepted an email intended for one of its minor students that contained sexually explicit language and requested sexual-related information and photos from the minor. An investigation was opened to determine the identity of the sender of the email. Through investigation, French was identified as the sender.

Through the subsequent investigation it was determined that French would meet minors through his small business, introduction from other minors, or through Snapchat. He would initiate a conversation with the minors and eventually would explain an opportunity to them to make money through “odd easy work.” He would then provide the minor the email address for a fictional individual. French explained to his victims that this fictional person wrote sex stories online and that they wanted the minor’s information to write these stories.

Using the fictional email address, French would pose as the third person and send the minor victims a survey with detailed questions about their sexual activities, proclivities, and anatomy. The email indicated the third person would pay the minor for a response to the survey. The email further contained options to make more money by taking certain sexually related photographs.

A search warrant was received for the email address, related-Google drive, and Google photos accounts and for French’s residence and devices. In reviewing this evidence, investigators discovered copious sexually explicit files. Investigators were able to positively identify four minor victims who provided sexually explicit images or videos to French at his request and who were paid by French.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.justice.gov/psc">www.justice.gov/psc</a>.

This case was investigated by the Seward County Sheriff’s Office.

U.S. Attorney's OfficeUnited States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Matthew French, 36, of Garland was sentenced on March 24 in Lincoln by Senior United States Senior District Judge John M. Gerrard for two counts of producing child pornography.&nbsp; French was sentenced to 225 months in prison and will also serve 12 years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.&nbsp; After serving his prison sentence, French will be required to register as a sex offender.This case began when a school intercepted an email intended for one of its minor students that contained sexually explicit language and requested sexual-related information and photos from the minor. An investigation was opened to determine the identity of the sender of the email. Through investigation, French was identified as the sender.Through the subsequent investigation it was determined that French would meet minors through his small business, introduction from other minors, or through Snapchat. He would initiate a conversation with the minors and eventually would explain an opportunity to them to make money through “odd easy work.” He would then provide the minor the email address for a fictional individual. French explained to his victims that this fictional person wrote sex stories online and that they wanted the minor’s information to write these stories.Using the fictional email address, French would pose as the third person and send the minor victims a survey with detailed questions about their sexual activities, proclivities, and anatomy. The email indicated the third person would pay the minor for a response to the survey. The email further contained options to make more money by taking certain sexually related photographs.A search warrant was received for the email address, related-Google drive, and Google photos accounts and for French’s residence and devices. In reviewing this evidence, investigators discovered copious sexually explicit files. Investigators were able to positively identify four minor victims who provided sexually explicit images or videos to French at his request and who were paid by French.This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.justice.gov/psc">www.justice.gov/psc</a>.This case was investigated by the Seward County Sheriff’s Office.

Neb. man sentenced for producing child pornography

Plan on attending Fall River Health Services as we host a free community awareness event focused on cardiovascular risk factors&nbsp;on Wednesday, April 5th, at the Muller Center in Hot Springs&nbsp;starting at 5pm social and the featured&nbsp;Keynote speaker, Dr. Drew Purdy from Monument Heart &amp; Vascular Center, Dr. Purdy will be addressing&nbsp;“ Risk Factors for Heart Disease and Stroke, such as Diabetes, Obesity, Smoking, High Cholesterol, High Blood Pressure and Stress.

To attend, RSVP to&nbsp;Nancy in Rehab by March 31st&nbsp;at 605.745.8920 or via email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:nnilsen@frhssd.org" target="_blank">nnilsen@frhssd.org</a>&nbsp;. FRHS has our community at heart.&nbsp;

By Fall River Health Services<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679942862796.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Plan on attending Fall River Health Services as we host a free community awareness event focused on cardiovascular risk factors&nbsp;on Wednesday, April 5th, at the Muller Center in Hot Springs&nbsp;starting at 5pm social and the featured&nbsp;Keynote speaker, Dr. Drew Purdy from Monument Heart &amp; Vascular Center, Dr. Purdy will be addressing&nbsp;“ Risk Factors for Heart Disease and Stroke, such as Diabetes, Obesity, Smoking, High Cholesterol, High Blood Pressure and Stress.To attend, RSVP to&nbsp;Nancy in Rehab by March 31st&nbsp;at 605.745.8920 or via email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:nnilsen@frhssd.org" target="_blank">nnilsen@frhssd.org</a>&nbsp;. FRHS has our community at heart.&nbsp;

Cardiovascular risks event to be held in Hot Springs, SD 

OGALLALA&nbsp; — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested a Missouri man following a road rage incident Saturday evening during the strong winter storm in western Nebraska.

At approximately 5 p.m. MT, as troopers were performing traffic control at the Interstate 80 interchange at Ogallala, a vehicle stopped near a trooper and reported that another driver had made a threat while traffic was slowly exiting I-80 due to the weather conditions. The victim reported that a semi driver had exited his truck, approached the victim’s vehicle, and threatened the victim with a knife.&nbsp;

Troopers investigated the incident and located the semi driver, identified as Barry Bynum, 67, of St. Clair, Mo. Bynum was arrested for marking terroristic threats, possession of a deadly weapon while committing a felony, and third-degree assault. He was lodged in Keith County jail.

NSPOGALLALA&nbsp; — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested a Missouri man following a road rage incident Saturday evening during the strong winter storm in western Nebraska.At approximately 5 p.m. MT, as troopers were performing traffic control at the Interstate 80 interchange at Ogallala, a vehicle stopped near a trooper and reported that another driver had made a threat while traffic was slowly exiting I-80 due to the weather conditions. The victim reported that a semi driver had exited his truck, approached the victim’s vehicle, and threatened the victim with a knife.&nbsp;Troopers investigated the incident and located the semi driver, identified as Barry Bynum, 67, of St. Clair, Mo. Bynum was arrested for marking terroristic threats, possession of a deadly weapon while committing a felony, and third-degree assault. He was lodged in Keith County jail.

Troopers arrest driver after road rage incident near Ogallala

POST PODCAST: Coffee Talk 3/27/23

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Union Pacific has become the second major freight railroad in the past week to back away from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3f97553f0ec9474784249fa4a17e1169">industry's longstanding push</a>&nbsp;to cut train crews down to one person as lawmakers and regulators increasingly focus on rail safety following last month's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-ohio-evacuations-fires-5d399dc745f51ef746e22828083d8591">fiery derailment</a>&nbsp;in Ohio.

The Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad said in a statement Saturday that it had reached an agreement with the union that represents conductors to drop its proposal to take those workers out of the cabs of locomotives just months after it was pressing to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-business-transportation-cce1888bacfb5b76a57a0b9843e21e82">test out the idea</a>&nbsp;of stationing conductors in trucks in parts of its 23-state network. Norfolk Southern made a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/railroad-safety-norfolk-southern-train-crews-fe588f7adee1eee34d53340dc425a855">similar announcement</a>&nbsp;several days earlier.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-contamination-fears-brockovich-fc68b402096a4f5f8598a657f7e399f8">Feb. 3 derailment</a>&nbsp;of a Norfolk Southern train that forced the evacuation of roughly half the town of East Palestine near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border after officials released and burned toxic chemicals is what sparked the renewed interest in railroad safety. A bipartisan bill that's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-congress-6288cdfb0b4381de4c9bfb05199b8ba6">gaining support in Congress</a>&nbsp;would require railroads to maintain two-person crews and make&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/derailment-ohio-safety-senate-legislation-brown-vance-82c55dc95aca9524d6ae8e6d01336dbe">several other changes</a>&nbsp;designed to reduce the chances of future derailments. And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-norfolk-southern-safety-investigation-2c819f2c469102332d4b1abf4c6e8923">regulators</a>, who are also pushing railroads to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-accidents-transportation-pete-buttigieg-ohio-pennsylvania-f1cd9d79cdd66b1f45d1dcdf1e53ff58">make reforms</a>, were already&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/588d6f7829c4836b9d2feff5c21a5097">considering a rule</a>&nbsp;that would require two-person crews.

The major freight railroads have long argued that technological advances — particularly the automatic braking system they were required to install in recent years — had made it unnecessary to have a second person in every locomotive. And railroad executives had said they believed that moving conductors off of trains would improve their quality of life by giving them more predictable schedules and keeping them from going on the road.

But the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers union and the other rail unions have long refused to agree to reducing the size of train crews because they believe train conductors play a crucial safety role and they want to preserve jobs.

The unions say conductors help monitor track conditions and radio communications while ensuring that engineers remain alert and respond to any emergencies or mechanical problems on the train. In the case of a derailment or collision, conductors are the first ones to respond before any additional help can arrive and they provide emergency responders key details about what a train is hauling.

Union Pacific Executive Vice President Beth Whited said the railroad will now focus on other ways to address&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-business-strikes-df14983a4b7b7623bf68390587beef94">the concerns</a>&nbsp;about demanding schedules that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-strikes-congress-d2ae4d3aecb27f176418518d977e69e1">workers expressed</a>&nbsp;during last fall's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-government-and-politics-207229bcd558b6a6c1d58f3f85e2d804">difficult contract negotiations</a>. The rail industry reached the brink of a strike that could have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-strikes-climate-and-environment-government-politics-92ea7632a29f807ccc0e2658c50d731e">crippled the economy</a>&nbsp;before Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-pete-buttigieg-strikes-congress-c95510555dcd4cdc2d839e61d1195b06">intervened</a>&nbsp;in December and imposed a contract to prevent a walkout.

“We are pleased that Union Pacific is focusing on quality of life for our conductor workforce,” said Jeremy Ferguson, president of SMART-TD.

Railroads have also been under pressure over the past year to improve their service because they were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-omaha-7824a3d4042a757755ea76f55e51f641">struggling to handle</a>&nbsp;all the shipments companies want them to deliver. And the industry has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-aab7d3084a8d17d8d721d2cb750be323">defending its safety record</a>&nbsp;after eliminating nearly one-third of all railroad jobs over the past six years as railroads overhauled their operations. Unions say all those cuts have left workers spread too thin and made it more difficult to keep up with all the inspections and maintenance that are needed.

The railroads maintain that they remain the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinian-territories-ohio-canada-business-accidents-d57651e17b2f9e0163c50298106950a3">safest way</a>&nbsp;to transport hazardous chemicals and all kinds of other cargo across land because nearly every shipment arrives intact, but the East Palestine derailment reinforced just how devastating even one derailment involving dangerous chemicals can be.

By Associated Press<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679928438123.jpeg" alt="This photo taken with a drone shows portions of a Norfolk and Southern freight train that derailed the night before in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 4, 2023. Union Pacific said Saturday, March 25, that the company has backed away from the industry's longstanding push to cut train crews down to one person as lawmakers and regulators increasingly focus on rail safety following last month's fiery derailment in Ohio. Norfolk Southern made a similar announcement several days earlier. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)" />
 <figcaption>This photo taken with a drone shows portions of a Norfolk and Southern freight train that derailed the night before in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 4, 2023. Union Pacific said Saturday, March 25, that the company has backed away from the industry's longstanding push to cut train crews down to one person as lawmakers and regulators increasingly focus on rail safety following last month's fiery derailment in Ohio. Norfolk Southern made a similar announcement several days earlier. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Union Pacific has become the second major freight railroad in the past week to back away from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3f97553f0ec9474784249fa4a17e1169">industry's longstanding push</a>&nbsp;to cut train crews down to one person as lawmakers and regulators increasingly focus on rail safety following last month's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-ohio-evacuations-fires-5d399dc745f51ef746e22828083d8591">fiery derailment</a>&nbsp;in Ohio.The Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad said in a statement Saturday that it had reached an agreement with the union that represents conductors to drop its proposal to take those workers out of the cabs of locomotives just months after it was pressing to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-business-transportation-cce1888bacfb5b76a57a0b9843e21e82">test out the idea</a>&nbsp;of stationing conductors in trucks in parts of its 23-state network. Norfolk Southern made a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/railroad-safety-norfolk-southern-train-crews-fe588f7adee1eee34d53340dc425a855">similar announcement</a>&nbsp;several days earlier.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-contamination-fears-brockovich-fc68b402096a4f5f8598a657f7e399f8">Feb. 3 derailment</a>&nbsp;of a Norfolk Southern train that forced the evacuation of roughly half the town of East Palestine near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border after officials released and burned toxic chemicals is what sparked the renewed interest in railroad safety. A bipartisan bill that's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-congress-6288cdfb0b4381de4c9bfb05199b8ba6">gaining support in Congress</a>&nbsp;would require railroads to maintain two-person crews and make&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/derailment-ohio-safety-senate-legislation-brown-vance-82c55dc95aca9524d6ae8e6d01336dbe">several other changes</a>&nbsp;designed to reduce the chances of future derailments. And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-norfolk-southern-safety-investigation-2c819f2c469102332d4b1abf4c6e8923">regulators</a>, who are also pushing railroads to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-accidents-transportation-pete-buttigieg-ohio-pennsylvania-f1cd9d79cdd66b1f45d1dcdf1e53ff58">make reforms</a>, were already&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/588d6f7829c4836b9d2feff5c21a5097">considering a rule</a>&nbsp;that would require two-person crews.The major freight railroads have long argued that technological advances — particularly the automatic braking system they were required to install in recent years — had made it unnecessary to have a second person in every locomotive. And railroad executives had said they believed that moving conductors off of trains would improve their quality of life by giving them more predictable schedules and keeping them from going on the road.But the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers union and the other rail unions have long refused to agree to reducing the size of train crews because they believe train conductors play a crucial safety role and they want to preserve jobs.The unions say conductors help monitor track conditions and radio communications while ensuring that engineers remain alert and respond to any emergencies or mechanical problems on the train. In the case of a derailment or collision, conductors are the first ones to respond before any additional help can arrive and they provide emergency responders key details about what a train is hauling.Union Pacific Executive Vice President Beth Whited said the railroad will now focus on other ways to address&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-business-strikes-df14983a4b7b7623bf68390587beef94">the concerns</a>&nbsp;about demanding schedules that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-strikes-congress-d2ae4d3aecb27f176418518d977e69e1">workers expressed</a>&nbsp;during last fall's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-government-and-politics-207229bcd558b6a6c1d58f3f85e2d804">difficult contract negotiations</a>. The rail industry reached the brink of a strike that could have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-strikes-climate-and-environment-government-politics-92ea7632a29f807ccc0e2658c50d731e">crippled the economy</a>&nbsp;before Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-pete-buttigieg-strikes-congress-c95510555dcd4cdc2d839e61d1195b06">intervened</a>&nbsp;in December and imposed a contract to prevent a walkout.“We are pleased that Union Pacific is focusing on quality of life for our conductor workforce,” said Jeremy Ferguson, president of SMART-TD.Railroads have also been under pressure over the past year to improve their service because they were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-omaha-7824a3d4042a757755ea76f55e51f641">struggling to handle</a>&nbsp;all the shipments companies want them to deliver. And the industry has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-aab7d3084a8d17d8d721d2cb750be323">defending its safety record</a>&nbsp;after eliminating nearly one-third of all railroad jobs over the past six years as railroads overhauled their operations. Unions say all those cuts have left workers spread too thin and made it more difficult to keep up with all the inspections and maintenance that are needed.The railroads maintain that they remain the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinian-territories-ohio-canada-business-accidents-d57651e17b2f9e0163c50298106950a3">safest way</a>&nbsp;to transport hazardous chemicals and all kinds of other cargo across land because nearly every shipment arrives intact, but the East Palestine derailment reinforced just how devastating even one derailment involving dangerous chemicals can be.

Union Pacific 2nd railroad to drop push for one-person crews

Alliance– Yard and garden waste collection will start on Monday April 3, 2023. Please put yard waste in the containers loose and not in plastic bags. Do not put garbage in your yard waste containers. Sticks should be broken into small pieces and placed in the regular dumpsters and not in yard waste containers. Yard and garden waste containers will be emptied on normal collection days.

Please contact the Alliance Landfill at (308) 762-1907 for more information.

By City of AllianceAlliance– Yard and garden waste collection will start on Monday April 3, 2023. Please put yard waste in the containers loose and not in plastic bags. Do not put garbage in your yard waste containers. Sticks should be broken into small pieces and placed in the regular dumpsters and not in yard waste containers. Yard and garden waste containers will be emptied on normal collection days.Please contact the Alliance Landfill at (308) 762-1907 for more information.

City of Alliance yard, garden waste collection to begin 

By&nbsp;Northwest Nebraska Trails Association

Parker Fisher, a senior at Chadron High School, has constructed the first bench for the Cowboy Trail Connection, the trail that is being developed to link downtown Chadron to the Cowboy Recreation and Nature Trail five miles east of town. With assistance from the Pine Ridge Job Corps, Fisher completed the concrete bench for his Eagle Scout project.

 Joining Fisher for a photo are Scoutmaster Vince Ryan and Northwest Nebraska Trails Association board members George Ledbetter and Justin Haag. The sturdy, low-maintenance design is expected to serve trail users for many generations to come.

By&nbsp;Northwest Nebraska Trails Association<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679874173587.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Parker Fisher, a senior at Chadron High School, has constructed the first bench for the Cowboy Trail Connection, the trail that is being developed to link downtown Chadron to the Cowboy Recreation and Nature Trail five miles east of town. With assistance from the Pine Ridge Job Corps, Fisher completed the concrete bench for his Eagle Scout project.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679874154775.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure> Joining Fisher for a photo are Scoutmaster Vince Ryan and Northwest Nebraska Trails Association board members George Ledbetter and Justin Haag. The sturdy, low-maintenance design is expected to serve trail users for many generations to come.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679874208702.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679874226802.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Chadron High School student constructs first bench on Cowboy Trail Connection 

BEVERAGES OF THE DAMNED: A Wing and a Prayer

OGALLALA — Keith County Communities for Kids will host an Easter egg hunt from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday, April, 1 at the Western Diamond Sports Complex in Ogallala.

OGALLALA — Keith County Communities for Kids will host an Easter egg hunt from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday, April, 1 at the Western Diamond Sports Complex in Ogallala.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679419653805.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

No foolin': Ogallala Easter egg hunt scheduled for April 1

United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Travis J. Nyhoff, 41, of Lincoln was sentenced recently in federal
court in Lincoln.&nbsp; Senior United States 
District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Nyhoff to 10 years in prison 
for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of 
methamphetamine (actual).&nbsp; After serving his sentence,
 Nyhoff will be placed on supervised release for 5 years.&nbsp; There is no 
parole in the federal system.&nbsp;


On
 September 21, 2021, investigators with the Lincoln Police Department 
saw Nyhoff walking on a sidewalk in Lincoln.&nbsp; The investigators 
determined that Nyhoff had warrants for his
 arrest.&nbsp; The investigators contacted Nyhoff at a gas station parking 
lot.&nbsp; Nyhoff was carrying a backpack with a smaller bag clipped to it.&nbsp; 
They arrested Nyhoff pursuant to those warrants and searched his 
person.&nbsp; They found a glass meth pipe with residue
 on his person.&nbsp; During his arrest, he dropped the backpack he was 
carrying.&nbsp; Officers searched the bag attached to the backpack and found 
three baggies containing suspected methamphetamine.&nbsp; Investigators found
 in the backpack a digital scale with suspected
 methamphetamine residue. The suspected methamphetamine was sent to the 
lab for testing.&nbsp; The lab determined that the largest bag contained 
60.23 grams of methamphetamine, of which at least 58 grams was actual 
methamphetamine.&nbsp; The other two bags were confirmed
 to contain methamphetamine and totaled 80.2 grams.

This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force.

U.S. Attorney's OfficeUnited States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Travis J. Nyhoff, 41, of Lincoln was sentenced recently in federal
court in Lincoln.&nbsp; Senior United States 
District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Nyhoff to 10 years in prison 
for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of 
methamphetamine (actual).&nbsp; After serving his sentence,
 Nyhoff will be placed on supervised release for 5 years.&nbsp; There is no 
parole in the federal system.&nbsp;
On
 September 21, 2021, investigators with the Lincoln Police Department 
saw Nyhoff walking on a sidewalk in Lincoln.&nbsp; The investigators 
determined that Nyhoff had warrants for his
 arrest.&nbsp; The investigators contacted Nyhoff at a gas station parking 
lot.&nbsp; Nyhoff was carrying a backpack with a smaller bag clipped to it.&nbsp; 
They arrested Nyhoff pursuant to those warrants and searched his 
person.&nbsp; They found a glass meth pipe with residue
 on his person.&nbsp; During his arrest, he dropped the backpack he was 
carrying.&nbsp; Officers searched the bag attached to the backpack and found 
three baggies containing suspected methamphetamine.&nbsp; Investigators found
 in the backpack a digital scale with suspected
 methamphetamine residue. The suspected methamphetamine was sent to the 
lab for testing.&nbsp; The lab determined that the largest bag contained 
60.23 grams of methamphetamine, of which at least 58 grams was actual 
methamphetamine.&nbsp; The other two bags were confirmed
 to contain methamphetamine and totaled 80.2 grams.This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force.

Lincoln man sentenced to 10 years on federal meth charges 

It’s fair to say that 2022 brought unique weather to all portions of Nebraska. From tornadoes, to
giant hailstones to wildfires and dust storms, our weather has been impactful. The National
Weather Service remains committed to working with leaders from across the state to build
“Weather-Ready” communities.


March 27-31 is Nebraska Severe Weather Awareness Week. We encourage everyone to take
time to review and practice your severe weather plan for your home or office. If you don’t have a
plan, this is a great time to consider developing one and sharing it with others. Preparing an emer-
gency kit with basic supplies such as food, water, blankets and a flashlight can save precious time
when reacting to an actual event. By working together to ensure we are ready for disaster, we can
better prepare our families, friends, and communities for these times.


Although it is not common for severe weather to occur in the winter, Nebraska has had at least one
reported tornado during each month of the year since official records have been kept. The reports
we receive from our partners and the public contribute to keeping our neighbors and fellow Ne-
braskans safe when disaster strikes.


The ground truth provided gives forecasters an idea of what a storm is doing. These reports are
used in research aimed at better understanding how storms work. Your storm reports play a vital
role in keeping others safe, both now and in the years to come.


Tornadoes reported across Nebraska in 2022 were down greatly from the 30-year average of 49.
Only 26 tornadoes occurred in the state last year. April had the most tornadoes with 10, with June
coming in second with 9.


Storm reports are eyewitness reports providing critical in-
formation to meteorologists making warning decisions.
This real time information allows forecasters to have
ground truth of what is actually happening below where
the radar cannot see.


We are grateful to our storm spotters, partners, and local
community members for your continued support and as-
sistance in providing this information.


<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679327835736.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>National Weather ServiceIt’s fair to say that 2022 brought unique weather to all portions of Nebraska. From tornadoes, to
giant hailstones to wildfires and dust storms, our weather has been impactful. The National
Weather Service remains committed to working with leaders from across the state to build
“Weather-Ready” communities.
March 27-31 is Nebraska Severe Weather Awareness Week. We encourage everyone to take
time to review and practice your severe weather plan for your home or office. If you don’t have a
plan, this is a great time to consider developing one and sharing it with others. Preparing an emer-
gency kit with basic supplies such as food, water, blankets and a flashlight can save precious time
when reacting to an actual event. By working together to ensure we are ready for disaster, we can
better prepare our families, friends, and communities for these times.
Your Storm Reports in Action
Although it is not common for severe weather to occur in the winter, Nebraska has had at least one
reported tornado during each month of the year since official records have been kept. The reports
we receive from our partners and the public contribute to keeping our neighbors and fellow Ne-
braskans safe when disaster strikes.
The ground truth provided gives forecasters an idea of what a storm is doing. These reports are
used in research aimed at better understanding how storms work. Your storm reports play a vital
role in keeping others safe, both now and in the years to come.
Tornado Number Trends
Tornadoes reported across Nebraska in 2022 were down greatly from the 30-year average of 49.
Only 26 tornadoes occurred in the state last year. April had the most tornadoes with 10, with June
coming in second with 9.
Storm reports are eyewitness reports providing critical in-
formation to meteorologists making warning decisions.
This real time information allows forecasters to have
ground truth of what is actually happening below where
the radar cannot see.
We are grateful to our storm spotters, partners, and local
community members for your continued support and as-
sistance in providing this information.

Nebraska Severe Weather Awareness Week is March 27-31

United States Attorney 
Steven Russell announced that Jose O. Maes, 38, of Colorado Springs, 
Colorado, was sentenced today in Lincoln by Senior United 
States District Judge John M. Gerrard to 31 years
 in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the 
intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture with a
 prior violent felony conviction. Maes was convicted of the offense in 
November of 2022 after a three-day trial.&nbsp; Following
 the prison term, Maes will serve 15 years on supervised release. There
 is no parole in the federal system.

Testimony and evidence 
presented at trial showed between June of 2020 and February 12, 2021, 
Maes was involved in a methamphetamine distribution organization which 
transported multiple pounds of methamphetamine
 from the Colorado Springs, Colorado, area to the Lincoln and Omaha, 
Nebraska/Council Bluffs, Iowa areas between the latter part of 2020 and 
February 12, 2022.

On February 11, 2022, 
investigators with the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force saw
 Maes meet with two co-conspirators at the Horseshoe Casino in Council 
Bluffs. The three were engaged in what appeared
 to be the transfer of drugs in the casino parking garage.&nbsp; Shortly 
thereafter, an exchange of cash occurred at a nearby gas station.&nbsp; Later
 that evening, the two co-conspirators, driving separate vehicles, were 
stopped on westbound Interstate 80 on their way
 back to Lincoln by the Nebraska State Patrol.&nbsp; Both vehicles were 
searched, and a total of approximately four pounds of methamphetamine, 
numerous fentanyl pills, two handguns and $5,000 in cash were found.

As a result of these 
stops and searches, Iowa investigators were told Maes was believed to 
have returned to the casinos and was likely in possession of 
methamphetamine, cash and a firearm.&nbsp; Around 2:30 a.m. on
 February 12, 2022, an investigator from the Iowa Division of Narcotics 
Enforcement and a Council Bluffs Police Officer found Maes’s car in the 
Harrah’s Casino parking garage.&nbsp; Maes evaded efforts to contact him.&nbsp; 
This resulted in a pursuit involving multiple
 law enforcement agencies which ended approximately 30 miles away in a 
rural area of Pottawattamie County, Iowa.&nbsp; A search of Maes’s car 
resulted in the seizure of ¼ ounce of methamphetamine, a few fentanyl 
pills, a loaded handgun with an extended magazine
 and more than $34,153 in cash.&nbsp; That cash was later forfeited to the 
United States of America by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

This case was 
investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force, the 
Nebraska State Patrol, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the 
Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Iowa Division
 of Intelligence, the Council Bluffs Police Department, the 
Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Department, the Iowa State Patrol, the 
Omaha Police Department, and Federal Bureau of Investigation.

U.S. Attorney's OfficeUnited States Attorney 
Steven Russell announced that Jose O. Maes, 38, of Colorado Springs, 
Colorado, was sentenced today in Lincoln by Senior United 
States District Judge John M. Gerrard to 31 years
 in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the 
intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture with a
 prior violent felony conviction. Maes was convicted of the offense in 
November of 2022 after a three-day trial.&nbsp; Following
 the prison term, Maes will serve 15 years on supervised release. There
 is no parole in the federal system.Testimony and evidence 
presented at trial showed between June of 2020 and February 12, 2021, 
Maes was involved in a methamphetamine distribution organization which 
transported multiple pounds of methamphetamine
 from the Colorado Springs, Colorado, area to the Lincoln and Omaha, 
Nebraska/Council Bluffs, Iowa areas between the latter part of 2020 and 
February 12, 2022.On February 11, 2022, 
investigators with the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force saw
 Maes meet with two co-conspirators at the Horseshoe Casino in Council 
Bluffs. The three were engaged in what appeared
 to be the transfer of drugs in the casino parking garage.&nbsp; Shortly 
thereafter, an exchange of cash occurred at a nearby gas station.&nbsp; Later
 that evening, the two co-conspirators, driving separate vehicles, were 
stopped on westbound Interstate 80 on their way
 back to Lincoln by the Nebraska State Patrol.&nbsp; Both vehicles were 
searched, and a total of approximately four pounds of methamphetamine, 
numerous fentanyl pills, two handguns and $5,000 in cash were found.As a result of these 
stops and searches, Iowa investigators were told Maes was believed to 
have returned to the casinos and was likely in possession of 
methamphetamine, cash and a firearm.&nbsp; Around 2:30 a.m. on
 February 12, 2022, an investigator from the Iowa Division of Narcotics 
Enforcement and a Council Bluffs Police Officer found Maes’s car in the 
Harrah’s Casino parking garage.&nbsp; Maes evaded efforts to contact him.&nbsp; 
This resulted in a pursuit involving multiple
 law enforcement agencies which ended approximately 30 miles away in a 
rural area of Pottawattamie County, Iowa.&nbsp; A search of Maes’s car 
resulted in the seizure of ¼ ounce of methamphetamine, a few fentanyl 
pills, a loaded handgun with an extended magazine
 and more than $34,153 in cash.&nbsp; That cash was later forfeited to the 
United States of America by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).This case was 
investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force, the 
Nebraska State Patrol, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the 
Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Iowa Division
 of Intelligence, the Council Bluffs Police Department, the 
Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Department, the Iowa State Patrol, the 
Omaha Police Department, and Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Colo. man sentenced  for conspiracy to distribute meth

BRULL —&nbsp;Keith County Area Development has announced the launch of the 2023 Mural Project in 
the community of Brule. 

"Art in public places plays an 
important role in preserving our culture, conveying the history of our 
community, and beautifying the place we call home," KCAD said in a social media release. This project 
stems from the “First Impressions” priorities identified during the 2020
 Keith County Community Vision Planning process. It is being pursued 
thanks to generous funding raised during the 2022 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/keithcobiggive/?__cft__[0]=AZUKZTK_zzriDcF0PRSoE5YpjHY74l_qCIvxm_vTLZAKGVeNGJ87ObIes1ovqnZ7hxR8b-G-eJa-13gW_FBQjW97RxJc-QYhgxcoxuLMA19Cu2zNwDz3IfThjbj9z0RHn-z-Mp044ooxgsbLcCP1QIyTLX3ItBf2KfulWr5NdCJ4V0A8D0UH_R5sr9IYGnhlUf4&amp;__tn__=kK*F">Keith County Big Give</a> and a grant from the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KeithCounty/?__cft__[0]=AZUKZTK_zzriDcF0PRSoE5YpjHY74l_qCIvxm_vTLZAKGVeNGJ87ObIes1ovqnZ7hxR8b-G-eJa-13gW_FBQjW97RxJc-QYhgxcoxuLMA19Cu2zNwDz3IfThjbj9z0RHn-z-Mp044ooxgsbLcCP1QIyTLX3ItBf2KfulWr5NdCJ4V0A8D0UH_R5sr9IYGnhlUf4&amp;__tn__=kK*F">Keith County Foundation Fund</a>. This is Keith County Area Development’s second mural project. Mural project information is available on KCAD’s website at <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kcad.org%2Fmural%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR3YwfJHUPcZCRSes7a9OEATyKRxKLBpZdZ7CfXLOk6D1NaaCnle_ONHQs4&amp;h=AT30Aivj05oCKf1OpG5r73jiI4sddDBqklciSsakEQXqWOI66OEB1t1bVbyaQVNf_hvZ5UJod6qD42lKfmrnbmbO7FwZTp1b5jgdlItqyZ06ktGHfUByZWsVRW7_uhwSXJtc0yE&amp;__tn__=-UK*F&amp;c[0]=AT1fENAL-b3NWLCzjrg3WIsKeUpFKyGmqsFSkcdOR0K4z0JK1juQ4lKMnHCZ_fTNTWkl1bCdmPPnFHUO2fWRU34ozVOsbYsarDjY8HAJnpJKd7FQUU46jnYSSHktAIVIW-PpVCIgDQNHHlOWk5w8bH_CPZFL95jmNSD2Vj000kxupAu3YZ27guJRmTjZFRY92tEbMwyw07kS" target="_blank">www.kcad.org/mural</a>. Artist applications may be submitted online or by mail and are due April 30.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679596749811.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BRULL —&nbsp;Keith County Area Development has announced the launch of the 2023 Mural Project in 
the community of Brule. "Art in public places plays an 
important role in preserving our culture, conveying the history of our 
community, and beautifying the place we call home," KCAD said in a social media release. This project 
stems from the “First Impressions” priorities identified during the 2020
 Keith County Community Vision Planning process. It is being pursued 
thanks to generous funding raised during the 2022 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/keithcobiggive/?__cft__[0]=AZUKZTK_zzriDcF0PRSoE5YpjHY74l_qCIvxm_vTLZAKGVeNGJ87ObIes1ovqnZ7hxR8b-G-eJa-13gW_FBQjW97RxJc-QYhgxcoxuLMA19Cu2zNwDz3IfThjbj9z0RHn-z-Mp044ooxgsbLcCP1QIyTLX3ItBf2KfulWr5NdCJ4V0A8D0UH_R5sr9IYGnhlUf4&amp;__tn__=kK*F">Keith County Big Give</a> and a grant from the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KeithCounty/?__cft__[0]=AZUKZTK_zzriDcF0PRSoE5YpjHY74l_qCIvxm_vTLZAKGVeNGJ87ObIes1ovqnZ7hxR8b-G-eJa-13gW_FBQjW97RxJc-QYhgxcoxuLMA19Cu2zNwDz3IfThjbj9z0RHn-z-Mp044ooxgsbLcCP1QIyTLX3ItBf2KfulWr5NdCJ4V0A8D0UH_R5sr9IYGnhlUf4&amp;__tn__=kK*F">Keith County Foundation Fund</a>. This is Keith County Area Development’s second mural project. Mural project information is available on KCAD’s website at <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kcad.org%2Fmural%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR3YwfJHUPcZCRSes7a9OEATyKRxKLBpZdZ7CfXLOk6D1NaaCnle_ONHQs4&amp;h=AT30Aivj05oCKf1OpG5r73jiI4sddDBqklciSsakEQXqWOI66OEB1t1bVbyaQVNf_hvZ5UJod6qD42lKfmrnbmbO7FwZTp1b5jgdlItqyZ06ktGHfUByZWsVRW7_uhwSXJtc0yE&amp;__tn__=-UK*F&amp;c[0]=AT1fENAL-b3NWLCzjrg3WIsKeUpFKyGmqsFSkcdOR0K4z0JK1juQ4lKMnHCZ_fTNTWkl1bCdmPPnFHUO2fWRU34ozVOsbYsarDjY8HAJnpJKd7FQUU46jnYSSHktAIVIW-PpVCIgDQNHHlOWk5w8bH_CPZFL95jmNSD2Vj000kxupAu3YZ27guJRmTjZFRY92tEbMwyw07kS" target="_blank">www.kcad.org/mural</a>. Artist applications may be submitted online or by mail and are due April 30. <div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKeithCountyAreaDevelopment%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0nBcp65mB2vyFeGQkKJp3YECZH8i2Cff1DUkYA1wZ4y88KgDwamgDoV7wVDz9M52ql&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="654" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>

Keith Co. seeking muralists for 2023 Brule art project

By National Weather Service in Cheyenne, WY

A High Wind Warning remains in effect through 3PM this afternoon, for the wind prone areas of southeast Wyoming, including Arlington/Elk Mountain, Bordeaux, the South Laramie Range and Foothills. The newest update now includes Central Laramie County. Wind gusts up to 65 MPH are possible in areas of the High Wind Warning. Use caution if traveling with lightweight or high profile vehicles.

Snow showers will accumulate across portions of the I-25 corridor into the Nebraska Panhandle today and overnight, which has resulted in a Winter Weather Advisory issuance. The areas in SE WY along and east of the I-25 corridor will have an earlier expiration time of 3pm this afternoon where 1-3 inches of snow is forecast to occur. The highest snowfall accumulations are expected in the Nebraska Panhandle where 3-7 inches are anticipated through early Sunday morning. Localized areas over small distances of moderate to heavy snow in persistent snow bands may result in areas of greater than 7 inches.

&nbsp; There are low to moderate probabilities of an additional at least 4 inches of snowfall this evening through Monday afternoon for portions of southeast Wyoming and western Nebraska. This evening and Sunday night are the main two time periods for the most snowfall. For travel details, refer to wyoroad.info (WY) and/or <a href="http://dot.nebraska.gov/?fbclid=IwAR2uyI5fT_EnGn8Z1CrBHCQ8drU4s5iVEqPD92i3u-5dQLEnT5OyNCxUZOU" target="_blank">dot.nebraska.gov</a> (NE)&nbsp; &nbsp;

By National Weather Service in Cheyenne, WY<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679785797830.jpeg" alt="Photo taken near Nebraska, South Dakota border. Photo courtesy: Thomas Schultz" />
 <figcaption>Photo taken near Nebraska, South Dakota border. Photo courtesy: Thomas Schultz</figcaption>
 </figure>A High Wind Warning remains in effect through 3PM this afternoon, for the wind prone areas of southeast Wyoming, including Arlington/Elk Mountain, Bordeaux, the South Laramie Range and Foothills. The newest update now includes Central Laramie County. Wind gusts up to 65 MPH are possible in areas of the High Wind Warning. Use caution if traveling with lightweight or high profile vehicles.Snow showers will accumulate across portions of the I-25 corridor into the Nebraska Panhandle today and overnight, which has resulted in a Winter Weather Advisory issuance. The areas in SE WY along and east of the I-25 corridor will have an earlier expiration time of 3pm this afternoon where 1-3 inches of snow is forecast to occur. The highest snowfall accumulations are expected in the Nebraska Panhandle where 3-7 inches are anticipated through early Sunday morning. Localized areas over small distances of moderate to heavy snow in persistent snow bands may result in areas of greater than 7 inches.&nbsp; There are low to moderate probabilities of an additional at least 4 inches of snowfall this evening through Monday afternoon for portions of southeast Wyoming and western Nebraska. This evening and Sunday night are the main two time periods for the most snowfall. For travel details, refer to wyoroad.info (WY) and/or <a href="http://dot.nebraska.gov/?fbclid=IwAR2uyI5fT_EnGn8Z1CrBHCQ8drU4s5iVEqPD92i3u-5dQLEnT5OyNCxUZOU" target="_blank">dot.nebraska.gov</a> (NE)&nbsp; &nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679785686387.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679785989726.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Winter Weather Advisory, High Wind Warning issued for areas of Panhandle 

-All highways are NOW OPEN in the Panhandle.&nbsp;

By NDOTUpdate&nbsp;3/26/23, 4 p.m.&nbsp;-All highways are NOW OPEN in the Panhandle.&nbsp;

UPDATE: Panhandle road closures 

PHOENIX (AP) — Years ago, skateboarding was branded as a hobby for rebels or stoners in city streets, schoolyards and back alleys. Those days are long gone.

Skateboarding, which has Native Hawaiian roots connected to surfing, no longer is on the fringes. It became an Olympic sport in 2020. There are numerous amateur and professional skateboarding competitions in the U.S. And on Friday, the U.S. Postal Service is issuing stamps that laud the sport — and what Indigenous groups have brought to the skating culture.

Di'Orr Greenwood, 27, an artist born and raised on the Navajo Nation in Arizona whose work is featured on the new stamps, says it's a long way from when she was a kid and people always kicked her out of certain spots just for skating.

“Now it's like being accepted on a global scale," Greenwood said. "There's so many skateboarders I know that are extremely proud of it."

The postal agency ceremoniously unveiled the “Art of the Skateboard" stamps in a Phoenix skate park as a skateboarding competition was going on nearby.

The stamps feature skateboard artists from around the country, including Greenwood and Crystal Worl, who is Tlingit Athabascan. William James Taylor Jr., an artist from Virginia, and Federico "MasPaz" Frum, a Colombian-born muralist in Washington, D.C., round out the quartet of featured artists. Everyone but Taylor was in attendance.

“Over time skateboards themselves have become works of art highlighting artists' creativity, boldness and energy,” William Zollars, of the USPS Board of Governors, told an audience of city officials and supporters. “As an American institution older than the country itself, the Postal Service is always looking for ways to highlight and honor stories and histories that are unique to the United States.”

The stamps underscore the prevalence of skateboarding, especially in Indian Country where the demand for skate parks is growing.

The artists see the stamp as a small canvas, a functional art piece that will be seen across the U.S. and beyond.

“Maybe I'll get a letter in the mail that someone sent me with my stamp on it,” said Worl, 35, who lives in Juneau, Alaska. “I think that’s when it will really hit home with the excitement of that.”

Antonio Alcalá, USPS art director, led the search for artists to paint skate decks for the project. After settling on a final design, each artist received a skateboard from Alcalá to work on. He then photographed the maple skate decks and incorporated them into an illustration of a young person holding up a skateboard for display. The person is seen in muted colors to draw attention to the skate deck.

Alcalá used social media to seek out artists who, besides being talented, were knowledgeable about skateboarding culture. Worl was already on his radar because her brother, Rico, designed the Raven Story stamp in 2021, which honored a central figure in Indigenous stories along the coast in the Pacific Northwest.

The Worl siblings run an online shop called Trickster Company with fashions, home goods and other merchandise with Indigenous and modern twists. For her skate deck, Crystal Worl paid homage to her clan and her love of the water with a Sockeye salmon against a blue and indigo background.

She was careful about choosing what to highlight.

"There are certain designs, patterns and stories that belong to certain clans and you have to have permission even as an Indigenous person to share certain stories or designs,” Worl said.

The only times Navajo culture has been featured in stamps is with rugs or necklaces. Greenwood, who tried out for the U.S. Women’s Olympic skateboarding team, knew immediately she wanted to incorporate her heritage in a modern way. Her nods to the Navajo culture include a turquoise inlay and a depiction of eagle feathers, which are used to give blessings.

“I was born and raised with my great-grandmother, who looked at a stamp kind of like how a young kid would look at an iPhone 13,” Greenwood said. "She entrusted every important news and every important document and everything to a stamp to send it and trust that it got there.”

Skateboarding has become a staple across Indian Country. A skate park opened in August on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-8f521edc0f0d58f44369a3393815b35d">Hopi reservation</a>. Skateboarders on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in eastern Arizona recently got funding for one from pro skateboarder Tony Hawk's nonprofit, The Skatepark Project. Youth-organized competitions take place on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

Dustinn Craig, a White Mountain Apache filmmaker and “lifer” skateboarder in Arizona, has made documentaries and short films on the sport. The 47-year-old remembers how skateboarding was seen as dorky and anti-establishment when he was a kid hiding “a useless wooden toy” in his locker. At the same time, Craig credits skateboarding culture as “my arts and humanities education.”

So he is wary of the mainstream’s embrace, as well as the sometimes clique-ish nature, of today's skateboarding world.

“For those of us who have been in it for a very long time, it’s kind of insulting because I think a lot of the popularity has been due to the proliferation of access to the visuals of the youth culture skateboarding through the internet and social media,” Craig said. “So, I feel like it really sort of trivializes and sort of robs Native youth of authenticity of the older skateboard culture that I was raised on.”

He acknowledges that he may come off as the “grumpy old man” to younger Indigenous skateboarders who are open to collaborating with outsiders.

The four skateboards designed by the artists will eventually be transferred to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, said Jonathan Castillo, USPS spokesperson.

The stamps, which will have a printing of 18 million, will be available at post offices and on the USPS website beginning Friday. For the artists, being part of a project that feels low-tech in this age of social media is exciting.

“It’s like the physical thing is special because you go out of your way to go to the post office, buy the stamps and write something,” Worl said.

By Associated PressPHOENIX (AP) — Years ago, skateboarding was branded as a hobby for rebels or stoners in city streets, schoolyards and back alleys. Those days are long gone.Skateboarding, which has Native Hawaiian roots connected to surfing, no longer is on the fringes. It became an Olympic sport in 2020. There are numerous amateur and professional skateboarding competitions in the U.S. And on Friday, the U.S. Postal Service is issuing stamps that laud the sport — and what Indigenous groups have brought to the skating culture.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679688021147.jpeg" alt="Expert skateboarder Di'Orr Greenwood, an artist born and raised in the Navajo Nation in Arizona and whose work is featured on the new U.S. stamps, rides her skateboard next to her artworks in the Venice Beach neighborhood in Los Angeles Monday, March 20, 2023. On Friday, March 24, the U.S. Postal Service is debuting the "Art of the Skateboard," four stamps that will be the first to pay tribute to skateboarding. The stamps underscore how prevalent skateboarding has become, especially in Indian Country, where the demand for designated skate spots has only grown in recent years. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)" />
 <figcaption>Expert skateboarder Di'Orr Greenwood, an artist born and raised in the Navajo Nation in Arizona and whose work is featured on the new U.S. stamps, rides her skateboard next to her artworks in the Venice Beach neighborhood in Los Angeles Monday, March 20, 2023. On Friday, March 24, the U.S. Postal Service is debuting the "Art of the Skateboard," four stamps that will be the first to pay tribute to skateboarding. The stamps underscore how prevalent skateboarding has become, especially in Indian Country, where the demand for designated skate spots has only grown in recent years. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)</figcaption>
 </figure>Di'Orr Greenwood, 27, an artist born and raised on the Navajo Nation in Arizona whose work is featured on the new stamps, says it's a long way from when she was a kid and people always kicked her out of certain spots just for skating.“Now it's like being accepted on a global scale," Greenwood said. "There's so many skateboarders I know that are extremely proud of it."The postal agency ceremoniously unveiled the “Art of the Skateboard" stamps in a Phoenix skate park as a skateboarding competition was going on nearby.The stamps feature skateboard artists from around the country, including Greenwood and Crystal Worl, who is Tlingit Athabascan. William James Taylor Jr., an artist from Virginia, and Federico "MasPaz" Frum, a Colombian-born muralist in Washington, D.C., round out the quartet of featured artists. Everyone but Taylor was in attendance.“Over time skateboards themselves have become works of art highlighting artists' creativity, boldness and energy,” William Zollars, of the USPS Board of Governors, told an audience of city officials and supporters. “As an American institution older than the country itself, the Postal Service is always looking for ways to highlight and honor stories and histories that are unique to the United States.”The stamps underscore the prevalence of skateboarding, especially in Indian Country where the demand for skate parks is growing.The artists see the stamp as a small canvas, a functional art piece that will be seen across the U.S. and beyond.“Maybe I'll get a letter in the mail that someone sent me with my stamp on it,” said Worl, 35, who lives in Juneau, Alaska. “I think that’s when it will really hit home with the excitement of that.”Antonio Alcalá, USPS art director, led the search for artists to paint skate decks for the project. After settling on a final design, each artist received a skateboard from Alcalá to work on. He then photographed the maple skate decks and incorporated them into an illustration of a young person holding up a skateboard for display. The person is seen in muted colors to draw attention to the skate deck.Alcalá used social media to seek out artists who, besides being talented, were knowledgeable about skateboarding culture. Worl was already on his radar because her brother, Rico, designed the Raven Story stamp in 2021, which honored a central figure in Indigenous stories along the coast in the Pacific Northwest.The Worl siblings run an online shop called Trickster Company with fashions, home goods and other merchandise with Indigenous and modern twists. For her skate deck, Crystal Worl paid homage to her clan and her love of the water with a Sockeye salmon against a blue and indigo background.She was careful about choosing what to highlight."There are certain designs, patterns and stories that belong to certain clans and you have to have permission even as an Indigenous person to share certain stories or designs,” Worl said.The only times Navajo culture has been featured in stamps is with rugs or necklaces. Greenwood, who tried out for the U.S. Women’s Olympic skateboarding team, knew immediately she wanted to incorporate her heritage in a modern way. Her nods to the Navajo culture include a turquoise inlay and a depiction of eagle feathers, which are used to give blessings.“I was born and raised with my great-grandmother, who looked at a stamp kind of like how a young kid would look at an iPhone 13,” Greenwood said. "She entrusted every important news and every important document and everything to a stamp to send it and trust that it got there.”Skateboarding has become a staple across Indian Country. A skate park opened in August on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-8f521edc0f0d58f44369a3393815b35d">Hopi reservation</a>. Skateboarders on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in eastern Arizona recently got funding for one from pro skateboarder Tony Hawk's nonprofit, The Skatepark Project. Youth-organized competitions take place on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.Dustinn Craig, a White Mountain Apache filmmaker and “lifer” skateboarder in Arizona, has made documentaries and short films on the sport. The 47-year-old remembers how skateboarding was seen as dorky and anti-establishment when he was a kid hiding “a useless wooden toy” in his locker. At the same time, Craig credits skateboarding culture as “my arts and humanities education.”So he is wary of the mainstream’s embrace, as well as the sometimes clique-ish nature, of today's skateboarding world.“For those of us who have been in it for a very long time, it’s kind of insulting because I think a lot of the popularity has been due to the proliferation of access to the visuals of the youth culture skateboarding through the internet and social media,” Craig said. “So, I feel like it really sort of trivializes and sort of robs Native youth of authenticity of the older skateboard culture that I was raised on.”He acknowledges that he may come off as the “grumpy old man” to younger Indigenous skateboarders who are open to collaborating with outsiders.The four skateboards designed by the artists will eventually be transferred to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, said Jonathan Castillo, USPS spokesperson.The stamps, which will have a printing of 18 million, will be available at post offices and on the USPS website beginning Friday. For the artists, being part of a project that feels low-tech in this age of social media is exciting.“It’s like the physical thing is special because you go out of your way to go to the post office, buy the stamps and write something,” Worl said.

Indigenous artists help skateboarding earn stamp of approval

United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Daniel Drews, 41, of Lincoln was sentenced today in federal
court in Lincoln.&nbsp; Senior United States 
District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Drews to 10 years in prison for
 possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
 (actual) with a prior serious drug felony
 conviction.&nbsp; Because of Drews’s prior drug trafficking conviction, he 
faced a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence.&nbsp; After serving his sentence,
 Drews will be placed on supervised release for 8 years.&nbsp; There is no 
parole in the federal system.&nbsp;


On
 May 10, 2022, drug investigators were surveilling a residence in 
Lincoln.&nbsp; Investigators saw Drews and two others exit the residence and 
get in the vehicle. Drews got in the
 passenger side of the vehicle.&nbsp; The vehicle departed and officers 
followed.&nbsp; Law enforcement stopped the vehicle for a traffic violation, 
and Drews exited the vehicle and started walking away with a backpack.&nbsp; 
Officers instructed him not to run, but he ran
 and threw the backpack on the ground.&nbsp; Drews was eventually apprehended
 and taken into custody.&nbsp; Officers searched the backpack that he threw 
on the ground and found two bags of marijuana, a gun, and a knife.&nbsp; 
Officers searched his person and found two baggies
 of suspected methamphetamine and $240 in currency.&nbsp; The suspected 
methamphetamine was sent to the lab for testing.&nbsp; The lab confirmed that
 there was at least 22.5 grams of methamphetamine, of which at least 21 
grams was actual methamphetamine.

U.S. Attorney's OfficeUnited States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Daniel Drews, 41, of Lincoln was sentenced today in federal
court in Lincoln.&nbsp; Senior United States 
District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Drews to 10 years in prison for
 possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
 (actual) with a prior serious drug felony
 conviction.&nbsp; Because of Drews’s prior drug trafficking conviction, he 
faced a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence.&nbsp; After serving his sentence,
 Drews will be placed on supervised release for 8 years.&nbsp; There is no 
parole in the federal system.&nbsp;
On
 May 10, 2022, drug investigators were surveilling a residence in 
Lincoln.&nbsp; Investigators saw Drews and two others exit the residence and 
get in the vehicle. Drews got in the
 passenger side of the vehicle.&nbsp; The vehicle departed and officers 
followed.&nbsp; Law enforcement stopped the vehicle for a traffic violation, 
and Drews exited the vehicle and started walking away with a backpack.&nbsp; 
Officers instructed him not to run, but he ran
 and threw the backpack on the ground.&nbsp; Drews was eventually apprehended
 and taken into custody.&nbsp; Officers searched the backpack that he threw 
on the ground and found two bags of marijuana, a gun, and a knife.&nbsp; 
Officers searched his person and found two baggies
 of suspected methamphetamine and $240 in currency.&nbsp; The suspected 
methamphetamine was sent to the lab for testing.&nbsp; The lab confirmed that
 there was at least 22.5 grams of methamphetamine, of which at least 21 
grams was actual methamphetamine.This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force.

Neb. man sentenced to 10 years on federal drug charges

Recently, Senator Fischer and I returned from an oversight visit of the southern border. We heard directly from Border Patrol personnel about the challenges they currently face and the lack of support they’ve received from the Biden administration. This disorder caused by the president’s inaction has made every state, including Nebraska, a border state.

The statistics show that we are living in the worst border crisis on record. More than 1,400 lbs of fentanyl and nearly 10,000 lbs of methamphetamine were seized at the southern border in January.&nbsp;In my last year as Governor, the Nebraska State Patrol confiscated two times as much methamphetamine, three times as much fentanyl, and ten times as much cocaine as just two years prior.

In addition, 156,274 illegal immigrants were apprehended trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border in January 2023 – the highest January total in 22 years. Nearly 6 million illegal immigrants have crossed the border since Joe Biden became President. That’s 3 times the size the entire state of Nebraska in just over 2 years!

Sadly, this administration’s failure to secure our border continues to have tragic consequences in Nebraska and across our country. The leading cause of death for people aged 18-45 in 2020 and 2021 was fentanyl&nbsp;overdoses. A majority of those drugs are coming across our borders. It is a scourge on our country, our states, and our communities.

Most fentanyl is being shipped from the People’s Republic of China to Mexico. There it’s manufactured into pills in illegal labs, and smuggled across our border. The Chinese Communist Party and Mexican cartels have taken advantage of our weak border to surge the flow of fentanyl to the U.S. They have the blood of Americans who have died from these drugs on their hands and they need to be held accountable.

Taryn Lee Griffith was a 24-year-old single mom from Nebraska who died in 2021 of a fentanyl overdose. Taryn took a pill she thought was Percocet. Instead, it was a counterfeit laced with fentanyl and it killed her. It should have never happened,&nbsp;and now her daughters will have to get to know their mom through pictures and stories from family.&nbsp;

Tragically, President Biden’s budget request for 2024 shows that he is not serious about ending this crisis. He’s asked Congress for $535 million for border technology, but that pales in comparison to the $3.9 billion dollars he’s asking for&nbsp;the Department of Homeland Security’s&nbsp;&nbsp;“Climate Resilience Programs.”&nbsp;Think about that – President Biden believes we need seven times the money for climate resilience&nbsp;at Homeland Security&nbsp;than we do for the technology our Border Patrol officers rely on. Those are misplaced priorities at a time when Americans continue to die from fentanyl coming across our border.

The President might not be serious about border security, but my colleagues and I are. When I was governor, I worked with my fellow governors to propose real solutions to the administration. We need to give Border Patrol what they need to fully enforce our laws and stop this influx of deadly drugs. We need to take action.&nbsp;In the U.S. Senate,&nbsp;I stand ready to work with my colleagues and to pass serious solutions to engage this crisis. The lives of Americans and Nebraskans are on the line.&nbsp;

&nbsp; Along with Senator Deb Fischer and the rest of my colleagues in the Nebraska delegation, my team and I are here to serve you.&nbsp;Contact my team and I anytime&nbsp;by phone at 202-224-4224, on my website&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ricketts.senate.gov/" target="_blank">www.ricketts.senate.gov</a>, or via email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:contactricke@ricketts.senate.gov" target="_blank">contactricke@ricketts.senate.gov</a>.&nbsp;I am honored to serve our great state and will continue&nbsp;to&nbsp;work to protect the Good Life from Washington overreach.

By Sen. Pete RickettsRecently, Senator Fischer and I returned from an oversight visit of the southern border. We heard directly from Border Patrol personnel about the challenges they currently face and the lack of support they’ve received from the Biden administration. This disorder caused by the president’s inaction has made every state, including Nebraska, a border state.The statistics show that we are living in the worst border crisis on record. More than 1,400 lbs of fentanyl and nearly 10,000 lbs of methamphetamine were seized at the southern border in January.&nbsp;In my last year as Governor, the Nebraska State Patrol confiscated two times as much methamphetamine, three times as much fentanyl, and ten times as much cocaine as just two years prior.In addition, 156,274 illegal immigrants were apprehended trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border in January 2023 – the highest January total in 22 years. Nearly 6 million illegal immigrants have crossed the border since Joe Biden became President. That’s 3 times the size the entire state of Nebraska in just over 2 years!Sadly, this administration’s failure to secure our border continues to have tragic consequences in Nebraska and across our country. The leading cause of death for people aged 18-45 in 2020 and 2021 was fentanyl&nbsp;overdoses. A majority of those drugs are coming across our borders. It is a scourge on our country, our states, and our communities.Most fentanyl is being shipped from the People’s Republic of China to Mexico. There it’s manufactured into pills in illegal labs, and smuggled across our border. The Chinese Communist Party and Mexican cartels have taken advantage of our weak border to surge the flow of fentanyl to the U.S. They have the blood of Americans who have died from these drugs on their hands and they need to be held accountable.Taryn Lee Griffith was a 24-year-old single mom from Nebraska who died in 2021 of a fentanyl overdose. Taryn took a pill she thought was Percocet. Instead, it was a counterfeit laced with fentanyl and it killed her. It should have never happened,&nbsp;and now her daughters will have to get to know their mom through pictures and stories from family.&nbsp;Tragically, President Biden’s budget request for 2024 shows that he is not serious about ending this crisis. He’s asked Congress for $535 million for border technology, but that pales in comparison to the $3.9 billion dollars he’s asking for&nbsp;the Department of Homeland Security’s&nbsp;&nbsp;“Climate Resilience Programs.”&nbsp;Think about that – President Biden believes we need seven times the money for climate resilience&nbsp;at Homeland Security&nbsp;than we do for the technology our Border Patrol officers rely on. Those are misplaced priorities at a time when Americans continue to die from fentanyl coming across our border.The President might not be serious about border security, but my colleagues and I are. When I was governor, I worked with my fellow governors to propose real solutions to the administration. We need to give Border Patrol what they need to fully enforce our laws and stop this influx of deadly drugs. We need to take action.&nbsp;In the U.S. Senate,&nbsp;I stand ready to work with my colleagues and to pass serious solutions to engage this crisis. The lives of Americans and Nebraskans are on the line.&nbsp;&nbsp; Along with Senator Deb Fischer and the rest of my colleagues in the Nebraska delegation, my team and I are here to serve you.&nbsp;Contact my team and I anytime&nbsp;by phone at 202-224-4224, on my website&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ricketts.senate.gov/" target="_blank">www.ricketts.senate.gov</a>, or via email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:contactricke@ricketts.senate.gov" target="_blank">contactricke@ricketts.senate.gov</a>.&nbsp;I am honored to serve our great state and will continue&nbsp;to&nbsp;work to protect the Good Life from Washington overreach.

Sen. Ricketts: Securing our southern border

CHADRON – Northwest Nebraska tourism industry professionals will have a chance to network with each other during the third annual Treasure Chest of the Northwest April 20, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. at the Dawes County Fairgrounds Event Center. RSVPs to attend the event are due April 6.

Discover Northwest Nebraska has once again teamed up with Chadrad Communications and the Heartland Center's committee for Rural Prosperity in Northwest Nebraska to host the event.

Three tourism awards will be presented to the Frontline Employee of the Year, the Business/Attraction of the Year and the Tourism Volunteer of the Year. Nominations for the awards are open until March 1 at https://discovernwnebraska.com/industry-awards/.

In addition to the awards, attendees will have the opportunity to network and exchange ideas and information with each other and hear from several speakers during the workshop. Topics to be addressed include: "Hospitality: What Is It and Why Is It Important?," "Mutual Promotion &amp; Collaboration," and "Diversified Marketing Strategies." There will also be a recap of the 2022 tourism season and information about the Discover Northwest Nebraska tourism office presented.

A brochure exchange will be offered, and attendees can play Brochure Bingo for a chance to win prizes, and there will be other opportunities to win prizes that evening as well.

Event coordinators, business/attraction managers, owners and employees are invited to enjoy heavy appetizers provided by B&amp;B Catering, networking and informational sessions. Invitations will be mailed out in the coming weeks, but anyone who works in the Dawes &amp; Sioux County tourism industry and wants to attend can do so, regardless of whether or not they receive an invitation. RSVPs are required, however, so interested individuals are asked to contact Discover Northwest Nebraska Director Kerri Rempp by April 6 at director@discovernwnebraska.com, or by calling 308-432-3006.

Tickets are $5 per person, payable at the door to B&amp;B Catering.

By Discover Northwest NebraskaCHADRON – Northwest Nebraska tourism industry professionals will have a chance to network with each other during the third annual Treasure Chest of the Northwest April 20, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. at the Dawes County Fairgrounds Event Center. RSVPs to attend the event are due April 6.Discover Northwest Nebraska has once again teamed up with Chadrad Communications and the Heartland Center's committee for Rural Prosperity in Northwest Nebraska to host the event.Three tourism awards will be presented to the Frontline Employee of the Year, the Business/Attraction of the Year and the Tourism Volunteer of the Year. Nominations for the awards are open until March 1 at https://discovernwnebraska.com/industry-awards/.In addition to the awards, attendees will have the opportunity to network and exchange ideas and information with each other and hear from several speakers during the workshop. Topics to be addressed include: "Hospitality: What Is It and Why Is It Important?," "Mutual Promotion &amp; Collaboration," and "Diversified Marketing Strategies." There will also be a recap of the 2022 tourism season and information about the Discover Northwest Nebraska tourism office presented.A brochure exchange will be offered, and attendees can play Brochure Bingo for a chance to win prizes, and there will be other opportunities to win prizes that evening as well.Event coordinators, business/attraction managers, owners and employees are invited to enjoy heavy appetizers provided by B&amp;B Catering, networking and informational sessions. Invitations will be mailed out in the coming weeks, but anyone who works in the Dawes &amp; Sioux County tourism industry and wants to attend can do so, regardless of whether or not they receive an invitation. RSVPs are required, however, so interested individuals are asked to contact Discover Northwest Nebraska Director Kerri Rempp by April 6 at director@discovernwnebraska.com, or by calling 308-432-3006.Tickets are $5 per person, payable at the door to B&amp;B Catering.