A North Platte man is in custody after a standoff at a residence at East E Street. At 9:38 a.m. the standoff ended with 51-year-old Wesley Hawkins in custody. A search warrant was obtained and the tactical team used an armored vehicle to deploy a chemical agent into the home. According to Deputy of Police Steve Reeves, officers from the North Platte Police Department were called to the 2400 block of East E St. several times through the early morning hours of Saturday. The North Platte 911 Center received several reports of disturbances at that location throughout the night.   At around 4 ..read more

As the Mississippi Legislature prepares to vote on the state flag, Governor Tate Reeves agrees to sign the bill immediately if one is approved this weekend. Gov. Reeves shared a tweet Saturday morning that the argument over the flag has become “divisive” and that “it’s time to end it.” “The legislature has been deadlocked for days as it considers a new flag,” Reeves wrote. “The argument over the 1894 flag has become as divisive as the flag itself and it’s time to end it. If they send me a bill this weekend, I will sign it.” Gov. Reeves said this moment is an opportunity for a better future for ..read more

German Chancellor Angela Merkel cautioned Saturday that the coronavirus pandemic is far from over, as regional outbreaks gave rise to fears of a second wave. Two of the largest U.S. states reversed course and reinstated some coronavirus restrictions amid a surge in new infections. India reported more than 18,000 new cases, pushing its cumulative total over the half-million mark, the fourth highest globally behind the U.S., Brazil and Russia. Elsewhere, Egypt and Britain said they would ease virus controls, while China and South Korea battled smaller outbreaks in their capitals. Merkel said in ..read more

European Union envoys are close to finalizing a list of countries whose citizens will be allowed to enter Europe again, possibly from late next week, EU diplomats confirmed Saturday. Americans are almost certain to be excluded in the short term due to the number of U.S. coronavirus cases. The envoys were expected to have narrowed down later Saturday the exact criteria for countries to make the list, which include the way the spread of the virus is being managed. Another key condition is whether the country has a ban on citizens from European nations. The number of cases in the United States ha ..read more

A federal judge on Friday ordered the release of children held with their parents in U.S. immigration jails and denounced the Trump administration’s prolonged detention of families during the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee’s order applies to children held for more than 20 days at three family detention centers in Texas and Pennsylvania operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Some have been detained since last year. Citing the recent spread of the virus in two of the three facilities, Gee set a deadline of July 17 for children to either be released with their ..read more

Grand Island Fire Department's station four is relocating from State Street to a new building on North Road. They broke ground this past winter and within a short amount of time, is almost done. The building is expected to be completed by the third or fourth week in July, 2020. They still need to do landscaping, tile work, set doors, put cabinets on the kitchen, among other projects. The new building will be far better than the one they are currently using. It will be bigger, have sprinklers inside, more restrooms, and a few more features built in. Also making this move means the fire departme ..read more

A Nebraska couple were sentenced on Friday for locking their foster child in their basement. United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Charles Neil Parker, 39, and Krista Parker, 36, were sentenced in federal court in Omaha for multiple counts of intentional child abuse. United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Charles Neil Parker and Krista Parker each to 72 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal prison system. After their releases from prison, Charles Neil Parker and Krista Parker will each serve an 18-month term of supervised release. In Septembe ..read more

Bryan Health announced on Friday several revisions to visitor guidelines beginning Monday, June 29. According to officials, visitation hours are now 5 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Patients will continue to be limited to one visitor per day; however, it can be a different individual each day. No routine pet visitation is allowed at this time; only service animals are permitted. Community clergy, requested by patient or family, may visit those specific patients, once per day, in addition to the patient’s support person. A labor doula is allowed to be present during the labor process, in addition to the pat ..read more

Facebook said Friday that it will flag all “newsworthy” posts from politicians that break its rules, including those from President Donald Trump. CEO Mark Zuckerberg had previously refused to take action against Trump posts suggesting that mail-in ballots will lead to voter fraud, saying that people deserved to hear unfiltered statements from political leaders. Twitter, by contrast, slapped a “get the facts” label on them. “The policies we’re implementing today are designed to address the reality of the challenges our country is facing and how they’re showing up across our community,” Zuckerbe ..read more

Travelers are hitting the road in greater numbers as the state continues to move into a new phase of COVID-19 response. Most Nebraska counties are now in Phase III of reopening, as of Monday, June 22. Nebraska State Troopers continue to report an increase in traffic throughout the state, which corresponds with figures reported by the Nebraska Department of Transportation. The latest NDOT stats show that traffic volume increased last week to within 10 percent of the 2016-2018 average, up from 35% below previous years’ average in the week of April 12. “People are traveling more as things open up ..read more