BEATRICE, Neb. (AP) — A youth center in Beatrice has closed less than two years after opening, lacking steady funding to sustain it.
Dorothy Zimmerman heads the 429 Factory board of directors, and she said that the center “could never get on solid ground financially.”
The youth center opened in August 2010, offering a place for youths to go after school. It had game tables, a basketball court and concessions area, among many features and activities.
Board member Christina Lyons says members were charged $25 to attend during the school year and $10 for the summer.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A new state report says the number of crimes reported in Nebraska grew by 2 percent in 2011.
The Nebraska Crime Commission said in a report Thursday that more than 53,000 crimes were reported statewide last year, up from about 52,000 in 2010.
Commission executive director Michael Behm says the number of violent crimes decreased by 8 percent, despite a 20 percent jump in murder and manslaughter cases. Authorities reported 65 murder and manslaughter cases in 2011, up from 54 the previous year.
The report says the number of forcible rapes reported grew from 627 to 663. Robberies and aggravated assaults both decreased.
Crime in Omaha increased 7 percent, to more than 21,000 offenses last year. Lincoln experienced a 3 percent decrease, to about 11,200 reported cases.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new survey of bankers suggests the economy is slowing down in rural areas of 10 Midwest and Western states because of drought conditions.
The overall economic index dropped into negative territory at 47.9 in June from May’s 56.7. Any score below 50 on the index, which ranges from 1 to 100, suggests contraction in the months ahead.
The survey covers parts of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. It focuses on communities with 1,300 residents, on average.
Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says the drought is hard on farmers, livestock producers and ethanol plants in the region.
The confidence index collapsed to 40.9 in June from May’s strong 58.5. That suggests bankers aren’t confident in the economy over the next six months.
A Photo has been released of the Colorado shooter James Holmes found on The Denver Channel’s Twitter Page,
(UPDATE:) The name of the shooter is James Holmes, 24, of Colorado.
AURORA, Colo. (AP) — A gunman opened fire early Friday at a suburban Denver movie theater on the opening night of the latest Batman movie “The Dark Knight Rises,” killing 12 people and injuring at least 50 others, authorities said.
SOURCE: cfnews13.com
The gunman, who is in custody, stood at the front of the theater and fired into the crowd about 12:30 a.m. MDT at a multiplex theater in a mall in Aurora.
“Witnesses tell us he released some sort of canister. They heard a hissing sound and some gas emerged and the gunman opened fire,” Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates said at a news conference.
Police, ambulances and emergency crews swarmed on the scene after frantic calls started flooding the 911 switchboard, officials said.
Officers came running in and telling people to leave the theater, Salina Jordan told the Denver Post. She said some police were carrying and dragging bodies.
Officers later found the gunman near a car behind the theater.
“A gas mask, rifle, handgun at least one additional weapon (were) found inside,” he said.
The suspect was taken into custody, but no name was released. Oates said there’s no evidence of any other attackers. There was also no immediate word of any motive.
The suspect spoke of “possible explosives in his residence. We are dealing with that potential threat,” Oates said
Police were at the Denver-area apartment and had evacuated other residents of the building. Oates did not say whether any explosives had been found.
He said police also checked for explosives in the parking lot and at the Century 16 theater and secured those areas.
Moviegoers spoke of their terror as violence erupted and people around them fell victim.
Bejamin Fernandez, 30, told the Post that he heard a series of explosions. He said that people ran from the theater and there were gunshots as police shouted “get down!”
Frenandez said he saw people falling, including one young girl.
Jordan told the paper that one girl was struck in cheek, others in stomach including a girl who looked to be around 9-years-old.
Jordan said it sounded like firecrackers until someone ran into Theater 8 yelling “they’re shooting out here!”
Hayden Miller said that he heard several shots.
“Like little explosions going on and shortly after that we heard people screaming,” he told the station.
Hayden said at first he thought it was part of a louder movie next door. But then he saw “people hunched over leaving theater.”
The police chief said 10 victims died at the theater and four at area hospitals.
At least 24 people were being treated at Denver area hospitals.
Eleven people were being treated at the Medical Center of Aurora for gunshots and ranged from minor to critical condition. Two others walked in to be treated for tear gas contamination.
Denver Health had seven victims — one in critical and the rest in fair condition.
The youngest victim reported was a 6-year-old being treated at Children’s Hospital Colorado, where a total of six victims were taken. Their condition wasn’t known.
Two people in critical condition were rushed to nearby Swedish Medical Center, spokeswoman Nicole Williams said.
Aurora is on Denver’s east side and is Colorado’s third-largest city with 327,000 residents. It is home to a large Defense Department satellite intelligence operation at Buckley Air Force Base, as well as The Children’s Hospital, the University of Colorado Hospital and a future Veterans Affairs hospital.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 56-year-old Omaha man has been convicted of using a telephone to make a bomb threat against a railroad yard in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
A news release from the Omaha office of U.S. Attorney Deborah Gilg says Ronald Martell has been sentenced to time served and ordered to pay restitution of more than $25,000 to Union Pacific Railroad.
Prosecutors say Martell called the Pottawattamie County, Iowa, 911 center on Jan. 6 and said he’d placed three bombs in the Union Pacific rail yard. He made a similar threat against the yard in a call on Jan. 14 to the Douglas County 911 center in Omaha.
Prosecutors say some people who worked in the yard were asked to listen to the 911 call recordings, and the workers recognized Martell’s voice.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a south-central Nebraska man is the state’s first reported human case of West Nile virus this season.
The Nebraska Health and Human Services Department says a man in his 70s in Hamilton County was hospitalized and has been released.
Officials urge people to take precautions, including using an insect repellant, wearing long sleeves and pants while outside, especially at dusk and dawn, and draining standing water where mosquitoes can breed.
West Nile virus has flu-like symptoms. Symptoms of the more serious West Nile encephalitis include inflammation of the brain and paralysis. The disease can be fatal.
The North Platte First Nationals seniors and juniors begin play today in their district tournaments. The juniors have the benefit of home-field advantage, and the momentum from having won seven of their last eight regular-season games. They take on Lexington tonight at 8:30 at Bill Wood Field, following the other first round matchup of Kearney and Hastings. If North Platte wins, they’d play Twin Cities on Saturday night. The senior tournament takes place at the classic setting of Hastings’ Duncan Field. The First Nationals seniors have also played well of late, winners of six of their last nine contests. They face Scottsbluff at 5 PM tonight, with Kearney and Hastings facing off in the other first round game. Action continues in the double-elimination tournaments throughout the weekend and into the beginning of next week.
The Colorado Rockies are well out of playoff contention, but they’d like to be able to stay out of the National League West basement. This weekend, they take on the one team that will be battling to avoid that dubious honor with them. The Rockies start a three-game series in San Diego against the Padres tonight. The struggling Rockies are coming off a 2-4 homestand out of the All-Star Break. They’ll send Drew Pomeranz to the mound. The rookie southpaw has mixed memories of his first start at San Diego’s PetCo Park back on May 7 – he hit his first big league homer but had to leave the game early after being hit in the leg with a line drive. He’s 0-2 against the Padres this year, but with an ERA of an even 3.00. ESPN Radio 1410 has all the action tonight. Stay up late on a Friday night for the pregame show at 8:30 and the first pitch at 9:05.
As a junior, Husker running back Rex Burkhead was a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, given annually to the nation’s best running back. This season, he’s one of 52 backs across the nation to make the preseason watch list for the honor. Burkhead rushed for 1,357 yards and scored 17 total touchdowns last season, earning first-team All-Big Ten accolades. He enters his senior season twelfth on the all-time rushing yards list at Nebraska. Burkhead also fits the criteria for the Walker Award off the field. The Walker Award is the only major postseason award that requires all candidates to be in good academic standing and on track to graduate on time. Burkhead fits that bill and then some. He was a first-team academic All-American last season, owns a 3.388 grade point average, and is on target to graduate in December.
