NE News & Views

One decade, one million trees - that is the goal of ReTree Nebraska.

The 10-year cooperative initiative will raise public awareness of the value of  trees, reverse the decline of Nebraska's community tree resources and improve the diversity and sustainability of trees statewide, said Scott Josiah, state forester and director of the Nebraska Forest Service at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Re: NE News & Views

Death penalty debate.

The Nebraska Supreme Court might be interested in reconsidering whether using the electric chair to kill condemned killers is unconstitutional.

Death-row inmate Carey Dean Moore might be interested in reconsidering his decision to give up his fight for life.

Those two developments constitute a potentially important, and lengthy, judicial fight.

Moore, 49, had been scheduled to die May 8 in the electric chair. He is the confessed murderer of two Omaha cab drivers. Moore has been on death row for 27 years, and recently told the Supreme Court he wanted no more appeals in his case. He requested that his execution be carried out.

Re: NE News & Views

If you're ever in Melbeta, NE, drop by Al's Cafe for some pie…

QUOTE

Discussion turned to how many pies Ruth has made since 1952.   Three pies per day, 5 days a week, for 55 years.  Plus special occasions.  David, branch manager for Bank of the West in Bridgeport, fetched a calculator from his car.   We settled on a final tally of 45,760 pies.  UNQUOTE

Re: NE News & Views

from Channel 3 Omaha news

Family Accuses Officers of Brutality; Police Respond

Oct 22, 2007 04:18 PM CDT

Omaha, NE - A family is furious, saying they were brutalized by police after they called 9-1-1 for help.
     Late this afternoon, those 9-1-1 tapes were released, showing the family made numerous calls to police asking for help.

     Police say the family turned on them after they heard one of the officers ticketed the 17-year-old the night before.
     That 17-year-old, Dakota Pekas, tells Action 3 News police were excessively rough when they came to his bedroom: “He (the officer) slammed my head in the wall, where the dents are. I blacked out after that.”
     Chief Thomas Warren denies wrongdoing on the part of officers: “There's always two sides. The facts will come out. They'll come out in a court of law.”
    

     His mother says she needed help because Dakota Dekas was having seizures and vomiting in his bedroom.
     Police say his family called 9-1-1 because he was out-of-control. Chief Warren tells us: “The family had called, insisting Dakota Pekas be arrested.”
     One of the two officers knew Dakota–he'd ticketed him for stealing alcohol from a convenience store the night before.
     Dakota's mother, Diane Pekas, says the officer caused the problems: “He escalated the majority of the situation, started freaking out in my son's bedroom.”

     But the police chief has a different version of what happened: “Family members turned on the officers who were present. I might add the officers indicated these individuals might be under the influence of alcohol.”
     Officers put out a “Help an Officer” call, bringing more police to the house.
     At that point the mother describes a “riot. They ran through. Took out their tasers. Sprayed my children in the face with pepper spray.”
     Chief Warren counters: “It was the family members who initiated the physical confrontation with the officers. Of course officers have the right to defend themselves.”     
     Chief Warren says he read the reports and doesn't find that his officers did anything wrong.
     The Pekas family is expected to pursue this legally. 
 

Reported by Kathy Sarantos Niver, kathy@action3news.com">kathy@action3news.com