Nebraska officials are reacting to the shooting of an Omaha police officer. Officer Steven Murcek was shot yesterday morning at the Quik Trip near 120th Street and West Dodge Road and taken to a hospital for treatment. The suspect, 36-year-old Shedrick Mills, was later arrested at the McDonald's near 114th and Dodge. Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer and Mayor John Ewing have spoken with Murcek, who is believed to be in good condition. Governor Jim Pillen says his thoughts are with him and his family and with every Nebraska peace officer, sheriff's deputy and state trooper. Congressman Don Bacon says he is glad the suspect is in custody.
Senator Chuck Grassley says there is no record of Des Moines Public Schools using E-Verify in the employment of its former Superintendent. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Ian Roberts on September 26th for his alleged criminal background. Officials have since questioned how Roberts was hired and why the Department of Homeland Security's E-Verify tool wasn't used to cross-reference federal records for work authorization. Senator Grassley now argues that using the program would have prevented Roberts' employment, although E-Verify is not a mandatory service in the state. Des Moines Public Schools announced on October 3rd that it is suing JG Consulting, which is the firm that helped hire Roberts.
Greene County Attorney Thomas Laehn is running for the U.S. Senate to replace Joni Ernst. Laehn is currently serving as the first Libertarian elected to office in the state of Iowa and plans to continue representing the party in his new campaign bid. Laehn says he is specifically running against the two-party system "to take power away from the two major parties and to restore it to the people. "He plans to hold a public campaign launch party on October 11th at 10:30 a.m. at the State Historical Building in Des Moines.
Bud bugs are found in a state office building in Lincoln. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said two bed bugs were detected last week in the Nebraska State Office Building in Centennial Mall. Employees working in the impacted areas were allowed to work from home while exterminators treated the workspaces.
The Douglas County Election Commission is reminding voters about ballot drop box locations for the City of Valley's recall election. Valley voters will take part in a November 4th election to determine if they will recall the mayor and city council president from office. Ballots will be mailed out October 14th, and they can be dropped off at the Douglas County Election Commission, Douglas County Engineer's Office, or the Bess Johnson Elkhorn Branch Library.