Ex-Omaha weatherman accused of targeting health director

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A former Omaha TV weatherman and spokesman for a former mayor has taken a plea deal months after being accused of emailing death threats to a local health department director over her handling of the coronavirus outbreak.

Ronald Penzkowski, 57, pleaded no contest Friday to two misdemeanor counts of third-degree assault, the Omaha World-Herald reported Monday. He initially had been charged with a felony county of making terroristic threats.

Penzkowski was arrested March 31 after investigators said he sent several emails to Dr. Adi Pour, director of the Douglas County Health Department. The emails threatening to “lynch” Pour and slit her throat and cited Pour’s public health measures and recommendations for residents to stay home to help slow the spread of the virus, investigators said.

Authorities said Penzkowski tried to disguise the origin of the emails, but a forensics team was able to trace them to Penzkowski and a cellphone he owned.

Penzkowski served director of communications for former Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle a decade ago. Before that, he worked as a meteorologist at two different Omaha television stations under the name Ron Gerard.