Nebraska
Nebraska woman accused of using daughter to deliver narcotics
YORK COUNTY, Neb. (KOLN) — A York County woman faces several felony charges after using her daughter to sell Xanax and morphine, according to authorities.
Deputies arrested 36-year-old Shantell Perkins on Thursday. She has since been charged with possession of a controlled substance, using a minor to distribute a controlled substance and child abuse.
The sheriff’s office assigned a DHHS intake to a deputy on May 1. A teen told her therapist that her mother had been forcing her to deliver drugs for several years, and the authorities were alerted.
Perkins lived with the girl and two other children at a Benedict home, all three children have since been removed from her custody. Each child was forensically interviewed regarding the allegation earlier this month.
The children told deputies that Perkins regularly took pills — ranging between prescription hydrocodone, oxycontin, morphine and Xanax — an arrest affidavit shows. They’d commonly come home to find her unconscious, but she would later explain to them that she’d merely suffered a seizure, deputies said.
One child told police they begged Perkins not to take the pills while home alone, fearing “they might find her dead,” authorities wrote. A records check for calls for service at Perkin’s address showed authorities had been called to the home multiple times since 2022.
The teen described arguments with her mother often turning physical — getting whipped with a belt or a coat hanger or sometimes being backed into a wall. Deputies think the other two children may have suffered similar abuse, and they wrote that Perkins would often accuse her children of stealing her pills.
In the meantime, Perkins had been using the teen to deliver Xanax, morphine and other unidentified pills to multiple people over the years, according to the affidavit.
The deliveries began sometime in 2018 when the family lived in South Dakota, deputies said. The teen said she never got any money for the transactions, thinking the drugs had been paid for in advance.
According to court records, the girl delivered pills on at least 50 occasions between two communities in South Dakota, then in Benedict, York and Seward.
Authorities think Perkins would persuade the girl with promises of gifts for making the deliveries, and other times she’d threaten to ground the teen if she disobeyed.
Jail records show Perkins’ bond was set at 10% of $50,000. Her first court hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
If you or someone you know is struggling with opioid or substance abuse, The National Drug Hotline and SAMHSA provide 24/7 resources to battle addiction.
The National Drugs Hotline can be contacted at 844-289-0879, and SAMHSA is available at 1-800-662-4357. More information on battling opioid abuse in Nebraska can be found at this link.
Click here to subscribe to our 10/11 NOW daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.
Copyright 2025 KOLN. All rights reserved.
Nebraska
Nebraska State Patrol troopers find 242 pounds of cocaine during commercial truck inspection
LEXINGTON, Neb. (KOLN) – Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested one person after finding more than 240 pounds of cocaine during a commercial vehicle inspection.
On Tuesday afternoon, an NSP Carrier Enforcement trooper conducted a commercial vehicle inspection on a semi tractor/trailer driven by Arwinderjit Singh, 30, of California, near mile marker 254 on Interstate 80.
During the inspection, the trooper became suspicious of criminal activity. An NSP K-9 detected the odor of a controlled substance inside the cab of the semi, troopers said.
After searching the cab, troopers located 242 pounds of cocaine concealed underneath the sleeper bed, NSP said.

Singh was arrested on suspicion of possession of cocaine, possession with intent to deliver, possession of an open alcohol container, no drug tax stamp and displaying a fictitious license plate.
Singh was lodged in Dawson County Jail, and his bond was set at 10% of $2 million. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 12.
Click here to subscribe to our 10/11 NOW daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.
Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
Nebraska
Athlete of the Week: Creighton Prep boys wrestling’s Zaiyahn Ornelas
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Creighton Prep senior Zaiyahn Ornelas won his fourth consecutive Nebraska state wrestling title on Saturday.
According to NSAA records, he joins 39 other wrestlers in state history to accomplish the feat.
“It’s a great feeling,” Ornelas said. “It’s a feeling everybody wants.”
Ornelas won three Class C state titles at Wilber-Clatonia at 106, 113 and 120 pounds before transferring to Creighton Prep for his senior season, where he competed in Class A at 126 pounds.
“Three state titles there and then just thought I could bump up my competition,” Ornelas said.
“Zaiyahn is one of the cleanest technicians I’ve ever seen. That’s a huge testament to his coaching staff at Wilber,” Fisher added.
Ornelas was one of four Creighton Prep wrestlers to win state titles this season, helping lead the Jr. Jays to the Class A team title. Teammates said his presence in the practice room raised their level of competition.
“I could never slack off just because my competition in the state was easy. I always had to come in this room and get better or else I was going to get beat,” said sophomore Cruzer Dominguez, a two-time Class A state champion at 106 and 120 pounds.
Sophomore Kameron Green, the Class A 144-pound state champion this year, also credited Ornelas for aiding in his development.
“Zaiyahn being a training partner has helped me in tremendous ways,” he said. “When he wrestles, he’s not the nicest or shyest kid, but he’s tenacious and tough.”
Junior JT Smith, a two-time state champion at 175 and 190 pounds, said the achievement carries weight for the entire team.
“It’s something really special to have a teammate that’s a four-time state champion,” he said. “That’s something everyone wants to be.”
Fisher said Ornelas’s attitude set the tone from the start.
“He has so many skills and then coming into our room, he’s extremely coachable. Every time he came in here he was humble, ready to work, wanting to get better and that’s why he is as good as he is,” Fisher said.
Ornelas signed to wrestle at the University of Nebraska in November. He said the move to Creighton Prep delivered what he was looking for.
“This is the reason why I came here. I went out to explore, to find the best, and this is the territory that I found. If it wasn’t for these guys — the push — I would have not been there,” Ornelas said.
“It’s hard to believe. That’s kind of what I wanted since the beginning, freshman year,” he said.
—
Watch breaking news unfold on our livestream. Download the First Alert 6 streaming app to your TV or find us in your favorite streaming platform.
Copyright 2026 WOWT. All rights reserved.
Nebraska
Nebraska Chamber taps former state senator to lead during leadership transition
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – The Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry has selected a former state senator and longtime board member to lead the chamber while it searches for a new president and CEO.
Board of Directors Chair Pat Keenan said Thursday that Matt Williams of Gothenburg agreed to serve as interim president.
ALSO READ: Nebraska Chamber president and CEO resigns after less than a year
“The Board is grateful to Matt for stepping into this role during a very active and productive time for the Nebraska Chamber,” Keenan said. “He has steady leadership, strong relationships and trust from his many years of advocacy for economic development, and decades of experience working with the legislature and state government on tax policy and economic development incentives.”
Williams represented District 36 in the Nebraska Legislature from 2015 to 2023.
The chamber said Williams has had a lifelong career in banking and serves as chairman of Flatwater Bank. He previously served as chair of the Nebraska Bankers Association and the American Bankers Association.
His long involvement with the chamber includes membership on the Board of Directors; he currently serves as director for District 6. In 2025, he was named to the Nebraska Business Hall of Fame.
“The Nebraska Chamber is on rock-solid footing, with the clear vision of the Board, and talented and hard-working staff hitting its stride in legislative policy and advocacy, technology, manufacturing, leadership-development, fund-raising and membership. The success of cutting-edge initiatives like 6 Regions, One Nebraska, the launch of the Go Big Future series, and the strong member engagement across the state demonstrate the success and strength of this organization. I’m excited to lend my support in whatever way I can for the Chamber. I know how strong businesses and communities make for a stronger Nebraska, and I’m glad to be part of that.”
Click here to subscribe to our 10/11 NOW daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.
Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
-
World2 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts2 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Montana1 week ago2026 MHSA Montana Wrestling State Championship Brackets And Results – FloWrestling
-
Louisiana5 days agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Denver, CO2 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Technology7 days agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Technology7 days agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making
-
Politics7 days agoOpenAI didn’t contact police despite employees flagging mass shooter’s concerning chatbot interactions: REPORT