I was scheduled for the night shift on Saturday with only one assignment for the day. I thought it was going to be an easy shift. Boy, was I wrong.
I was ready for two high school basketball games at Papillion-La Vista South, but when I woke up in the morning I read on Omaha.com that there had been a shooting and fatal fire earlier in the morning.
I had about two bites of breakfast and out the door I went.
Omaha police on the scene of a shooting at the Somerset Court apartments, 2717 N. 73rd St., on Saturday morning (Click on photo read to the story.)
The fire was at pink house at 3915 N. 18th St. While I was taking photos, the victim’s nephew Billy Joe Swiney showed up to see it for himself. He walked around the house telling me about fond memories of his uncle and the house.
“He was a good guy, a kindhearted guy,” Swiney said.
Billy Joe Swiney walks through the house at at 3915 N. 18th St. where his uncle died. (Click on photo read to the story.)
Soon after, I headed to another fire, this one was in a boxcar filled with butter near Fremont.
A firefighter inspect pallets of burning butter Saturday on a Union Pacific boxcar south of Fremont, Neb. (Click on photo read to the story.)
On the way home from the second fire, I heard about a motocycle accident. It was quite a sight: Most of what was left in the street was the front wheel and a shoe.
The front wheel of a motorcycle and a shoe rest in Center Street west of 67th Street after an accident Saturday afternoon. Police closed the westbound lane on Center Street.
All the above happened before 2:30, the time my shift was actually scheduled to start. News doesn’t have shifts, but I do love my job.
I did make it the high school and was treated to a high-energy Papillion-La Vista South vs. Lincoln Southeast girls game.
Lincoln Southeast's Lauren Stricker dribbles away from Papillion-La Vista South's Paige Nekola during the second half. (Click on photo read to the story.)
