Crime

McCOOK, Neb. — Former Dundy County deputy Charles Thibedeau, 37, was sentenced to prison time for kidnapping and assaulting a Benkelman woman in his police vehicle. On Monday, District Court Judge David Urbom sentenced Thibedeau to 6 to 8 years for kidnapping, one year for the third-degree sexual assault and six months for oppression under the color of office, for a total of nine and half years. A Dundy County jury had found Thibedeau guilty on Jan. 18...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook Police Department is advising area residents to be mindful of paving and asphalt repair scams popular this time of year. Scam artists targeting senior citizens and unsuspecting homeowners and business representatives have posed as paving contractors in recent years. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Plea agreements were reached earlier this month in Red Willow County District Court with a Bartley couple arrested on felony child abuse and drug charges. 54-year-old Kristy J. Kreiling and 51-year-old Michael W. Kreiling each accepted similar plea agreements admitting guilt to a Class 2A felony for attempted possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A McCook man originally facing multiple felonies was sentenced to probation earlier this week in Red Willow County District Court after being convicted on a charge for attempting to possess methamphetamine. The offender, 23-year-old Clifford Stark of 711 East H Street, was originally facing two Class IV felony offenses alleging he was in possession of Alprazolam and Lisdexamfetamine, in addition to a third Class IV felony alleging possession of methamphetamine and an infraction alleging possession of drug paraphernalia.. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- In another week of upsets in professional and college football, the entrants in last week's McCook Gazette Pigskin Picks' contest had a tough time predicting the winners. In fact, the best anyone could do was four misses out of the 20 games...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A Cambridge, Nebraska, man was sentenced to probation in Red Willow County District Court on felony tampering with physical evidence. The offender, 43-year-old David A. Clements, took the plea, admitting guilt to the Class IV felony tampering charge and was sentenced to 30 months probation. ...

INDIANOLA, Neb. -- This week's Crime of the Week is a theft report on file with the Red Willow County Sheriff's Office. During the late evening hours of Friday Aug. 14 or early Morning hours of Saturday Aug. 15, person or persons removed a 4 wheeler ATV from the back of a pickup belonging to Ag Valley Coop in Indianola Nebraska...

McCOOK, Neb. -- One of two men accused of stealing a heifer from a local rancher was sentenced to probation last week in Red Willow County District Court, while a plea agreement was reached with the latter. 21-year-old Brandon M. Deater of 518 W. First Street Apt. ...

INDIANOLA, Neb. -- A traffic stop and the investigations that resulted in three search warrants and the arrests of nine people on drug charges on July 9 in McCook have continued with the arrests on Aug. 3 of two Indianola residents in Indianola. Danny J. Reed, 60 years old, and Candance D. Reed, 53, both of 410 Fourth Street, Lot 4, Indianola, have each been charged with possession of methamphetamine. Both appeared in Red Willow County court on Aug. 6...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A McCook woman was fined and ordered to serve probation on illegal drug and child abuse offenses Monday in Red Willow County District Court. The offender, 25-year-old Courtnie Clements of 1405 West 16th Street, was sentenced to 30 months probation and ordered to pay $400 in fines after being convicted of felony possession of methamphet- amine and misdemeanor child abuse...

RED WILLOW COUNTY, Neb. -- The Red Willow County Sheriff's Department has apprehended 33-year-old Kenneth R. C. Williams and 30-year-old Jordan Alan Weaver recently. Williams had three active warrants for failure to appear to answer to drug charges and was apprehended by the North Platte Police Department on Sunday, Aug. 2, without incident...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Red Willow County Public Defender Ryan Wilcox will appear in court Friday to defend himself against a speeding violation. According to court documents Wilcox was cited for speeding 76 mph in a 65 mph zone in April. He pleaded not guilty to the offense in May and the case was subsequently scheduled for trial at 1 p.m. on July 10 in Red Willow County Court...

TRENTON, Neb. -- Preparations are being made for the possible trial of a Trenton man charged in connection with the murder of 18-year-old Austin Wright of McCook. Online court documents indicate 23-year-old John Raymond Leahy III of Trenton, Nebraska, appeared via phone earlier this month for a hearing in Hitchcock County District Court and was subsequently scheduled for trial on Nov. 20, 2015...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A McCook man is facing three felony charges in Frontier County alleging he assaulted one man, strangled a woman and threatened violence against a total of four people during an altercation in June. Douglas E. Dueland of 905 Sunset is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in the case at 10 a.m. on Aug. 7, 2015, in Frontier County Court...

After an unusually mild and wet spring -- McCook is .9 of an inch ahead of normal precip -- we've moved right into summer-type weather, hitting 96 degrees about 7 p.m. Tuesday. There are alternatives to sweating through the summer or eating peanut butter sandwiches to be able afford paying your electric bill, according to the Nebraska Public Power District...

A convicted rapist accepted what is at least his third plea agreement in Red Willow County since the fall of 2010, each reducing felony sex offender registration violations to misdemeanor offenses.

31-year-old Adam Brunswick of McCook was arrested Tuesday on two counts of first degree sexual assault and electronic child enticement. Police said he solicited sex online from two Lincoln minors, according to a report on klkntv.com.

A McCook man received prison time last week for his role in the 2012 burglary of D&S Hardware.

A plea agreement was reached in Red Willow County District Court last week with a North Platte man facing 30 felony counts of burglary, attempted burglary and theft, stemming from a local crime spree which spanned several years and involved at least four other accomplices.

A McCook man was sentenced to state prison time last week after being convicted of felony drug possession and misdemeanor offenses for resisting arrest, carrying a concealed weapon and disturbing the peace.