Credit Omaha World Herald
Multiple explosions and a fire in an underground concrete electrical vault rocked downtown Omaha and forced the evacuation of a nearby hotel, but no injuries were reported. Authorities say the incident happened Monday night when a power transformer that sits under the sidewalk next to the Doubletree Hotel caught fire. Acting Omaha Fire Battalion Chief Mickey McLaughlin says explosions from the transformer continued after firefighters arrived, producing a large amount of smoke and flames coming from the sidewalk grates over the vault. The hotel was not damaged by the nearby fire. Firefighters had the blaze under control within minutes, and hotel guests were allowed back into their rooms a short time later.
Polls Open For Omaha/Lincoln Primaries kios.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kios.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Credit Omaha World Herald
The Sarpy County Commission is moving forward with legal action to remove County Treasurer Brian Zuger from office. The commission s vote comes after the Nebraska State Auditor released a report that identified numerous issues in the Sarpy County Treasurer s Office that impacted more than 12-point-five-million-dollars in public funds. According to the report, some districts were either overpaid or underpaid in property tax disbursements.
Tags:
Credit Omaha World Herald
A bill that would impose harsher penalties on protesters who loot, riot or commit other crimes has received a chilly reception from a Nebraska legislative committee. Some critics of the bill argued Wednesday that it would infringe on free-speech rights and punish people who gather peacefully. The measure was modeled after a recently passed Tennessee law and was introduced in response to last year’s Black Lives Matter protests in Omaha and Lincoln that led to property damage and one death. It would create felony charges for people who damage or spray-paint the law enforcement property, throw bodily fluids or aim laser pointers at an officer, or knowingly participate in a riot where someone is seriously hurt, among other actions.