South
Nebraska man who posed as high schooler and committed sex crimes is described as 'predator of the worst kind'
A Nebraska man who committed sex crimes while posing as a student at two Lincoln high schools has now been sentenced to 85 to 120 years in prison as a prosecutor labeled him a “predator of the worst kind.”
Zachary Scheich, a 27-year-old who posed as a 17-year-old student named Zak Hess, won’t be eligible for parole for more than 40 years and is also required to register as a sex offender as part of his punishment, according to KOLN. He was arrested in July 2023 after attending around 54 days of classes at Northwest High School and Southeast High School, officials said at the time.
Scheich pleaded no contest to multiple counts of sexual assault and other charges, with Deputy County Attorney Amber Scholte saying this week at a sentencing hearing that his behavior made him a “predator of the worst kind, the kind that preys on children.”
“He targeted, groomed and lured them via social media,” Scholte said. “He did so under the guise of being their peer, their friend, and in some cases, their boyfriend. And he did so for his own sexual purpose and gratification.”
NEBRASKA SUSPECT, 26, CHARGED WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT AFTER POSING AS HIGH SCHOOLER, POLICE SAY
The crimes Scheich was charged with happened off school grounds, but prosecutors say he sexually assaulted multiple children and cost the school district over $6,000 after creating fake documents and a lengthy backstory to disguise himself as a high school student, KOLN reports.
“They knew not to speak with an adult male on social media. They knew not to meet an adult male by themselves, they knew how to defend themselves against that kind of danger,” Judge Ideus told Scheich during his sentencing Wednesday. “They did not know how to protect themselves against you. Because again, they thought you were their peer. Their friend. And because you gained their trust.”
The Lincoln Police Department previously said their investigation began in June 2023 when Lincoln Public Schools discovered that someone was impersonating a student named Zak Hess.
“Hess reported to be 17 years old and initially enrolled at Northwest High School during the first semester and transferred to Southeast High School during the second semester, all during the 2022-2023 school year,” police said at the time. “It was later determined that he had graduated from Lincoln Public Schools in 2015.”
NEBRASKA 5-YEAR-OLD DIES IN HOT SUV AFTER BEING LEFT ALONE FOR ‘EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME’: POLICE
An investigation revealed that the suspect was actually 26 years old. At 5’4″ and 120 pounds, police said he blended in with the teenage students.
“Continuing investigation led to the discovery of multiple contacts with juvenile students by Scheich under the false name of Hess,” the Lincoln Police Department added. “This generated information sufficient for an arrest warrant.”
Angela Navarro, 23, also was arrested and accused of posing as a “Danielle Hess,” the mother of Zak, to help Scheich get enrolled in Lincoln Public Schools, KOLN reports.
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She has pleaded not guilty to a criminal impersonation charge.
Fox News’ Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report.
Dallas, TX
Seattle Storm rally past the Dallas Wings after blowing big lead
Skylar Diggins-Smith scored 21 points, including two free throws with 17.1 seconds left that gave Seattle the lead for good, and the Storm rallied from a 21-point deficit to beat the Dallas Wings 83-81 on Friday night.
Jewell Loyd had 15 points and six assists for the Storm (23-14). Nneka Ogwumike scored 12 points, and Gabby Williams had 10 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Seattle’s Ezi Magbegor suffered an injury to her left eye in the second quarter. She scored six points and grabbed three rebounds in 12 minutes.
Teaira McCowan scored a season-high 23 points for Dallas (9-29) and grabbed 15 rebounds. Satou Sabally added 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Arike Ogunbowale scored 13 of her 15 points in the final 11 minutes.
Ogunbowale capped a 9-2 spurt when she hit a step-back 3-pointer that made it 81-all with 34 seconds to play. Diggins-Smith was fouled and made two free throws 17 seconds later to give the Storm the lead for good.
Ogunbowale missed a running floater in the lane in the closing seconds but grabbed her own offensive rebound. She ran beyond the 3-point line and casually pump-faked as Diggins-Smith flew by on the contest and missed a wide-open potential winning shot as time expired.
Jaelyn Brown made a short basket that capped a 16-4 run to open the second quarter, helping Dallas its biggest lead of the game at 44-23 with 4:22 left until halftime.
Seattle scored 34 points in the third quarter, including a 28-2 run in a span of about 6 1/2 minutes that gave the Storm a 69-56 lead with 1:45 remaining in the period.
Miami, FL
The Tape Don’t Lie: Joe Schad on Miami Dolphins lose to Buffalo Bills; Tua concussed
Miami Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel on Tua Tagovailoa
Miami Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel on Tua Tagovailoa
MIAMI GARDENS — What matters most now is Tua Tagovailoa’s health.
Tua has had at least three concussions in the last three Miami Dolphins seasons and his status is a question that cannot be answered at the moment.
There was also an important football game played Thursday night, however.
And the Dolphins came up very short on the field at Hard Rock Stadium.
The final score was 31-10 Buffalo, a 12th loss to the Bills in 13 games.
Dolphins routed by Bills and Tua Tagovailoa leaves with concussion
Beyond even the Tua injury, there are reasons to be concerned here.
Some good moments, yes, for De’Von Achane, Jonnu Smith, Jordyn Brooks and Chop Robinson.
But overall, a colossal disappointment. Let’s talk about what we saw on the field, upon further review.
Many coaches believe “The Tape Don’t Lie,” and that list includes coach Mike McDaniel.
“The game tape survives time,” McDaniel says.
Here are some things we noticed from Thursday’s film:
Too many pressures allowed by offensive line
The Dolphins offensive line made big strides in 2023, but Thursday was a step back.
According to Pro Football Focus, Miami allowed 16 pressures, including 7 by right tackle Austin Jackson.
Von Miller went around Jackson for a fourth-and-goal sack of Skylar Thompson.
Other pressure totals included: Kendall Lamm and Lester Cotton, with two apiece.
On the awful Pick Six interception by Tua Tagovailoa that made the score 31-10 – on an attempted throw-away – Lamm and Cotton were unable to slow pressure from Tua’s left side.
Dolphins quarterbacks have been sacked five times in the first two weeks.
On one sack on Thursday, Robert Jones was overpowered by Ed Oliver.
On the bright side, PFF has Liam Eichenberg and Aaron Brewer graded as Miami’s third and fourth best offensive players through two games.
Terron Armstead and De’Von Achane are first and second.
Miami needs DL to step it up; LB play encouraging
Dolphins linebackers Jordyn Brooks and David Long have not been perfect.
But there is a lot to be encouraged about when it comes to Miami’s duo.
They are both fast and physical and play with a chip on their shoulder.
What Miami needs is defensive linemen, especially in the wake of Christian Wilkins’ departure, to do more.
Benito Jones, Brandon Pili, Emmanuel Ogbah, Zach Sieler, Calais Campbell and Da’Shawn Hand have all graded between 44.9 and 67.8 via PFF, with Campbell and Hand grading best.
Will the Dolphins consider promoting NT Naquan Jones and/or DL Jonathan Harris from the practice squad prior to a game at Seattle? It seems something worth monitoring.
Tua’s struggles vs. Bills continue
With so much focus, understandably, on Tua’s health, it would be easy to overlook what was a poor performance, again, against the Bills.
There were three interceptions. The first one could be partially pinned on Grant DuBose. The second one appeared to be a miscommunication with Robbie Anderson.
And the third was was the dagger.
Tua was unable to get the ball out of bounds on an attempted throw-away.
Pick Six. Game.
Against the Jets in his career, Tua is 5-0 with a 97.8 passer rating.
Against the Patriots, Tua is 6-0 with a 92.2 passer rating.
But against the Bills, Tua is 1-7 with a 74.1 passer rating.
Yes, people of Buffalo, the Bills have owned Tua and the Dolphins.
De’Von Achane is a legitimate future star
You wouldn’t know Achane came into the game with an ankle injury.
On day in which Miami struggled to get the ball to stars Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, Achane showed why he is Miami’s future star on offense.
Achane really can do it all.
He can make something from nothing. He can break a tackle. He takes great angles.
He can catch. He can out-run you. He makes good decisions.
Achane may very well end up leading the Dolphins running backs in touches and total yards.
He is the perfect weapon for Mike McDaniel’s offense.
Here’s a crazy stat: The Dolphins have 23 completions on 23 targets to Achane and Jaylen Waddle.
The Dolphins have 25 completions on 50 targets to all other players.
This & That
Chop Robinson had some good moments and according to PFF, only 24 snaps, he had 2 pressures, 2 hurries, 2 tackles and 2 run stops… Safety Jordan Poyer does not appear to have the foot speed he once did and opposing offenses have been attacking that… The Dolphins must be hoping that cornerback Jalen Ramsey has now shaken rust after a couple of so-so performances to open this season… Kader Kohou has a PFF coverage grade of 30.6 through two games. They say Kohou has allowed six catches on eight targets… The shovel pass to Jonnu Smith is a weapon worth considering at least once in every game… Jaylen Wright looked good in his rookie debut, just as we’d seen this summer. That combination of Achane and Wright could really be something in future years… The Dolphins kept Skylar Thompson over Mike White because they like his athleticism, arm strength and potential. It is also true that Thompson’s passer rating of 63.5 in 8 games is 11th among Dolphins quarterbacks since 2012 with at least two games played, behind: White, Tua, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Tannehill, Brock Osweiler, Teddy Bridgewater, Matt Moore, David Fales, Jay Cutler, and Jacoby Brissett. Thompson’s passer rating is ahead of Josh Rosen, who in six games had a passer rating of 52.0.
Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe’s free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Hawks Still Owe Player $70 Million
De’Andre Hunter is coming off his fifth season in the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks.
The former Virginia star finished the year with averages of 15.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per contest while shooting 45.9% from the field and 38.5% from the three-point range in 57 games.
Hunter is an intriguing player who is only 26, so it’s possible he could still improve over the next few seasons.
Next year, he will be paid $21.7 million, and he still has nearly $70 million left on his contract over the next three seasons.
There have been a lot of rumors about the Hawks looking to trade Hunter over the previous two seasons.
Via Evan Sidery on June 26: “With the Hawks preparing to select Zaccharie Risacher, De’Andre Hunter is being shopped to interested teams.
Hunter, the No. 4 pick from the 2019 draft, has three years remaining on his current deal.
Atlanta will move forward with Jalen Johnson and Risacher on the wing.”
While the rumors were hot during that period of the NBA Draft and free agency, Hunter appears to be heading into his sixth season with the Hawks.
On the other hand, he could end up being a player that gets discussed at the 2025 trade deadline.
Hunter was the fourth pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
His career averages are 14.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per contest while shooting 44.7% from the field and 36.3% from the three-point range in 263 regular season games.
He helped the Hawks reach the Eastern Conference finals in 2021.
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