LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Nebraska voters could get the chance this year to increase lawmaker salaries and expand legislative term limits, but both proposals could face long odds in a presidential election that will draw a big turnout. Supporters say the proposals are needed to ensure legislators are paid enough so that more Nebraskans can afford to serve, and to ensure the Legislature has experienced lawmakers. If approved by lawmakers, both proposals would appear on the November ballot.
Month: March 2012
GOP Senatorial Candidate Fischer Outlines Energy Plan
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Reducing America’s dependency on foreign oil and expanding nuclear and coal power are among GOP U.S. Senate candidate Deb Fischer’s goals in an energy plan she unveiled this week. Fischer, a state lawmaker from Valentine, says she would also encourage domestic oil production and further develop alternative energy, like wind and solar power. Fischer says “career politicians in Washington … have failed to put together a serious plan to lower energy costs.” The result, she says, is soaring energy costs that are hurting families and small businesses. Fischer is among five Republicans seeking the Senate seat now held by Sen. Ben Nelson, a Democrat. The others are state Attorney General Jon Bruning, state Treasurer Don Stenberg, investment adviser Pat Flynn and truck driver Spencer Zimmerman.
Knights Valiant Effort Falls Short; Season Ends in Loss to WNCC
The North Platte Community College Knights men’s basketball team saw their season come to an end with a 58-54 loss to Western Nebraska in the quarterfinals of the Region IX tournament in Scottsbluff last night. After beating Northwest College in the first round, the Knights took the tournament’s host and top seed down to the wire. In a game that featured seven ties and eight lead changes, the Knights tied the score at 54 with two minutes to play on a Ben Wilson layup, but went scoreless the rest of the way as the Cougars made four of six free throws for the winning margin. Nick Tomsick’s 32 points led the Knights in defeat. Tomsick had 19 of those points in the second half as he propelled the Knights’ comeback from an eight-point deficit. The Knights conclude their season with an 18-14 record.
Search Begins For New Nebrasketball Head Coach
The Nebraska associate athletic director who oversees basketball says the search for a new coach to replace the fired Doc Sadler will focus on proven program builders. Marc Boehm said Saturday that he and athletic director Tom Osborne met Friday night to begin their work. Boehm said many of the potential candidates will be coaching teams in the NCAA tournament, so it might take anywhere from a week to a month to bring someone on board. Sadler earned $900,000 a year. Boehm said no salary range has been set for the next coach, but he added that Nebraska would be “very competitive.” The Cornhuskers were 12-18 overall and finished last in their first season in the Big Ten, causing Sadler’s ouster. He was fired on Friday after Nebraska’s season ended in a first-round loss in the Big Ten tournament.
Husker Baseball Blanked By Cal; Aim For Series Split This Afternoon
After putting 12 runs on the board in a win on Saturday, the Nebraska baseball team was unable to find an offensive rhythm on Sunday afternoon in a 4-0 loss to the 21st-ranked California Golden Bears at Hawks Field in Lincoln. The Huskers compiled just three hits on the afternoon as six Cal pitchers combined for the shutout. Tom Lemke worked six and two-thirds innings in his start for the Huskers and was tagged with the hard-luck loss, as he allowed three runs, all earned, on nine hits. The Bears hold a 2-1 advantage in the four game series that concludes today. The Huskers will look for a series split tomorrow when they send Tyler Niederklein to the mound for his first start of the season. Cal will counter with Mike Theofanopolous. First pitch at Hawks Field is set for 7:05.
THE DAILY DISH.. Today’s Entertainment News
DENNIS QUAID’S WIFE FILES FOR DIVORCE: TMZ reports that the divorce petition, filed by Kimberly Buffington-Quaid, states, “The marriage has become insupportable because of discord or conflict of personalities.” She’s asking for spousal support, attorney’s fees and for their community assets to be fairly divided.
BRITNEY SPEARS OFFERED $10 MILLION FOR ‘X FACTOR’? Simon Cowell has reportedly offered Britney Spears $10 million to be a judge on the second season of The X Factor.
POLICE LOOKING FOR GARTH BROOKS TRESPASSER: Police in Oklahoma are looking for a suspected trespasser who may have set a vehicle on fire near the home of Garth Brooks. According to The Boot, authorities saw a man running across Brooks’ property when they responded to a neighbor’s call about the fire.
MARTHA STEWART WELCOMES SECOND GRANDCHILD: Martha’s daughter Alexis has welcomed baby boy Truman via a surrogate. Alexis already has a 1-year-old baby girl, Jude, also born via a surrogate.
JIMMY ELLIS HAS DIED: According to the New York Times, the man behind the song “Disco Inferno” passed away yesterday (March 8th) at the age of 74, from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. Ellis was the lead singer of the 70s funk band, The Trampps.
Lincoln woman convicted for role in meth ring
A 47-year-old Lincoln woman has been convicted for her role in a methamphetamine ring. A news release from the office of U.S. Attorney Deborah Gilg says Regina Leonard was found guilty on Thursday of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of meth. Prosecutors say Leonard was one of a group of people who were buying and selling meth in the Lincoln area from June 2005 to May
2010.
She faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison
when she’s sentenced on June 1.
Woman injured in snowplow accident recieves over $200K from NE
A woman who was injured in a 2009 snowplow
crash in Platte County will receive $227,500 from the state of
Nebraska, under a settlement agreement that requires legislative
approval.
The settlement stems from a lawsuit filed by Jenny Ternus, who
was struck by a state snowplow in January 2009 while driving north
on U.S. Highway 81 near Humphrey.
The lawsuit in Platte County District Court alleged that the
snowplow struck Ternus’ vehicle at the intersection of Highway 81
and Highway 91. The lawsuit says the snowplow driver failed to
maintain a proper lookout and keep control of the state vehicle.
The lawsuit says Ternus suffered from back and arm injuries,
lost wages, and accumulated more than $62,000 in medical bills. Her
car was totaled.
Ternus’ attorney declined to comment.
York Sex Offender gets over 31 years in Federal Prison
A 33-year-old Nebraska sex offender man has been given nearly 32 years in federal prison for a child
pornography conviction.
Joshua Hoover, of York, was sentenced in East St. Louis, Ill., for persuading, inducing and enticing a minor to produce child pornography.
The FBI says Hoover communicated by telephone and the Internet with a 14-year-old girl in Illinois between April 7 and 16, 2011. Agents discovered Hoover had sent the girl nude photos of him and encouraged her to send him nude photos of herself.
In 2009, Hoover was convicted of child enticement by computer in Lancaster County District Court. He served prison time and was required to register as a sex offender.
Omaha teen whose car was fired at gets probation
A 17-year-old who was driving a vehicle that
Omaha police officers shot at more than two dozen times has been
given probation and ordered to undergo substance-abuse treatment.
The girl was sentenced earlier this week in Douglas County Juvenile Court.
The girl admitted to the judge that she possessed drugs on Dec.
20 when she was driving with two other girls.
Police say officers were approaching the vehicle at Standing
Bear Lake when the driver accelerated and aimed the vehicle at the
officers. They fired 25 times but didn’t injure anyone in the
vehicle.
Prosecutors dismissed three other charges against the girl,
including assault on an officer.