VALENTINE, Neb. (AP) — A wildfire caused by lightning has burned a portion of the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge.
Refuge Fire Management Officer Troy Davis says the fire was confined to an area just west of Highway 83 between Thedford and Valentine on the refuge.
The National Weather Service says lightning started the fire. Winds of up to 63 miles per hour in the area spread the flames.
Several area fire departments were called to the scene along with local ranchers who came to help.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers are wrangling over a measure that would require voters to show a government-issued identification card or registration papers before they could vote.
Fremont Sen. Charlie Janssen told lawmakers Tuesday that his bill seeks to fight the threat of voter fraud, a problem that critics say doesn’t exist.
Janssen says his proposal would reduce fraud and is not restrictive, because registered voters without IDs would still be allowed to vote provisionally. Counties would then verify their identities for their ballots to count.
Critics say the law disproportionately affects poor and young voters. The group Nebraskans for Civic Reform says between 50,000 and 100,000 Nebraskans do not have identification that would qualify as valid.
UPDATE: Lawmakers voted on the measure Wednesday. Lawmakers who backed the measure fell three votes short Wednesday of the support they needed to overcome a legislative filibuster. The failure to end debate essentially squashes the bill for this legislative session. The bill’s sponsor, Fremont Sen. Charlie Janssen, says he will likely bring it back next year.
NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) – The tornadoes that struck near North Platte earlier this month caused at least $2.1 million damage and prompted Lincoln County to declare a disaster. County emergency manager Dan Guenthner says he hopes the county will be able to qualify for disaster aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the March 18 storm.
But before Lincoln County can even apply for disaster aid, it needs to have a minimum of $2.5 million damage. Guenthner says he thinks the damage in Lincoln County will exceed the minimum, but that doesn’t guarantee that FEMA will approve aid.
Four tornadoes touched down around North Platte on March 18. They injured at least four people and damaged farm buildings,
homes, vehicles and railroad cars.
NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) – Authorities say a 20-year-old North Platte man who held paramedics hostage and threatened to kill them has been given five to 12 years in prison.
Carlos Charging Elk had pleaded no contest to two counts of false imprisonment and one weapons charge. In return, prosecutors dropped three counts of terroristic threats. He was sentenced on Monday.
Authorities say Charging Elk lured paramedics to his home with a false 911 call in August. Police say he pulled a knife and held twoparamedics hostage. They captured him when he lost control of his knife. No injuries were reported.
New at Pro Printing and Graphics:
Pro Printing & Graphics is proud to announce they now have a FexEx Authorized Ship Center inside Pro Printing &Graphics. Don’t have the right size box? Our shipping professionals can pack your items for shipping, too! Come see Pro Printing & Graphics for all your FedEx Express and FedEd Ground shipment needs today!
At PRO PRINTING AND GRAPHICS, the customer (that’s you) is our number one priority. Pro Printing & Graphics has been serving Western Nebraska since 1952. A full service printing company, we have a reputation for quality experience, service and products.
With state-of-the-art equipment, the Copy House offers quick service and unique novelty items. With large format laminating to prints and everything in between, the staff at the Copy House is here to help.
We invite you to browse the site and we think you’ll see that we take a great deal of pride in creating quality products for our customers. Thank you for your business!
To find out more about our products and services or to request a quote,
visit the store or email us at judy@proprinting-np.com.
Pro Printing & Graphics
200 East B Street
(308) 532-1111
Hours of operation:
Monday through Friday 8:00am-5:30pm
JESSICA SIMPSON, ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID: Jessica Simpson might be close to giving birth to her first child — but that didn’t stop her from fulfilling her bridesmaid duties for her friend, Lauren Zelman who married actor, Bret Harrison. Jessica’s sister, Ashlee was also a bridesmaid and Ashlee and ex-husband,Pete Wentz’s, son Bronx was the ring bearer.
LOURDES CAUGHT SMOKING: Madonna’s 15-year-old daughter, Lourdes, was caught by paparazzi smoking a cigarette in New York City. It’s not against the law for a 15-year-old to smoke a cigarette. However, the minimum age to purchase a cigarette is 18.
BRENDA SONG IN NEW TV SHOW: Brenda Song is reportedly filming a new NBC pilot called Daddy’s Girls. According to Deadline, the show also stars Christine Woods and will follow a young woman who returns home from overseas to find that her father is dating the “mean girl” from high school.
ON LAST NIGHT’S “DANCING WITH THE STARS”…
FX
1512, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce De Leon sighted Florida.
1794, President George Washington and Congress authorized the creation of the U.S. Navy.
1841, The first steam fire engine was tested in New York City.
1965 “Stop! In The Name Of Love” by the Supremes hits Number One on the pop chart.
1866 Andrew Rankin receives a patent for the urinal.
1860, The device which, officially, is a “covered gimlet screw with a ‘T’ handle,” or corkscrew, was patented this day by M. L. Byrn of New York City. If it weren’t for the invention of the corkscrew, we’d be pulling corks out of wine bottles with our teeth.
1912, First Lady Helen “Nellie” Taft, wife of U.S. President William Howard Taft, and the Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese Ambassador, planted the first two cherry trees in Washington, D.C. The trees are Yoshino cherries, and are still standing several hundred yards west of the John Paul Jones statue at the south end of 17th Street.
1958, Nikita Khrushchev became the Soviet premier in addition to being the First Secretary Of The Communist Party.
1968, Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, dies in a plane crash at age 34.
1971, “Proud Mary” by Ike & Tina Turner, a cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival song, peaks at Number Four on the pop chart.
1971, “What Is Life” by George Harrison peaks at Number 10 on the pop chart.
1973, Marlon Brando refused a Best Actor Oscar for his performance in The Godfather as a gesture of support for Native Americans occupying the site of the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre. When his name was called, the Native American actress Sacheen Littlefeather went to the podium, refused the award, and spoke about Native American rights.
1976, “Dream Weaver” by Gary Wright peaks at Number Two on the pop chart.
1977, Five hundred eighty-two people were killed in the worst disaster in aviation history. A KLM Boeing 747 that was trying to take off crashed into a Pan Am 747 sitting on a runway on Tenerife in the Canary Islands. All 249 people on the KLM plane and 333 of the 394 people aboard the Pan Am jet were killed.
1979, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that police couldn’t stop drivers at random to check licenses and registrations unless there was reason to believe a law had been broken.
1979, Eric Clapton marries Pattie Boyd, the former wife of George Harrison and the inspiration for “Layla.” They later divorce.
1982, “I Love Rock N’ Roll” by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts hits Number One on the pop chart for the second time. It stays there for five weeks.
1985, Billy Dee Williams received a star on the famous Hollywood Walk Of Fame. His place, for those looking to visit, is located between actress Joan Davis and baseball announcer Harry Carey.
1993, “Man On The Moon” by R.E.M. peaks at Number 30 on the pop chart.
1998, the Food And Drug Administration approved the drug Viagra to help impotent men improve their sexual function.
2002, a suicide bomber killed at least 19 people and injured more than 120 when he burst into a hotel dining room in Netanya, Israel, and blew himself up as the Israelis were sitting down to a Seder, the traditional meal celebrating the Jewish holiday of Passover.
2002, Actor-comedian Milton Berle dies at age 93.
2002, Actor Dudley Moore (Foul Play, 10, Arthur) dies at age 66.
2002, President Bush signed landmark legislation designed to limit the role of big money in political campaigns, in a low-key, unannounced Oval Office signing.
2006, Elvis Presley‘s Graceland mansion officially becomes a National Historic Landmark in a ceremony officiated by Interior Secretary Gale Norton.
After time off for spring break, the Nebraska football team returned to the practice field for their fourth of fifteen allotted spring practices. The Huskers practiced in full pads both indoors and outdoors for two total hours. Head coach Bo Pelini acknowledged that the first practice after taking over a week off can often be shaky, but said he didn’t ease up on his players, and on balance he liked what he saw yesterday. I thought we had a good day coming back,” Pelini said. “You always worry about it with a little bit of a lay off and what’s going to happen. We had a good practice; good tempo. I thought the recall of the things we’ve installed was pretty good. I thought it was a good practice for being off for eight, nine, 10 days.” The Huskers will have today off before returning to the practice field on Wednesday afternoon.
