Announcement of baby's gender earns man a ticket

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A western Nebraska man is in trouble after using an explosive rifle target to announce the gender of his baby.

The Omaha World-Herald reports that Jon Sterkel and his wife, Ashley, thought the target would be a fun way to announce they are expecting a boy in June.

When Sterkel shot the target Saturday on rural land outside Scottsbluff, blue chalk powder packed around the rifle target erupted. Several people called police with concerns about the explosion.

Sterkel called the Scotts Bluff County Sheriff’s Office to explain after he heard a news report on the explosion.

In return, Sterkel received a misdemeanor ticket for using the exploding target without a permit.