Actress-singer Doris Day is 90
Actress Marsha Mason is 71
Singer Wayne Newton is 71
Singer Billy Joe Royal is 71
Singer Tony Orlando is 69
Singer Richard Thompson is 64
Bassist Curtis Stone of Highway 101 is 63
Guitarist Mick Mars of Motley Crue is 57
Actor Alec Baldwin is 55
Actor David Hyde Pierce is 54
Comedian-actor Eddie Murphy is 52
Singer-guitarist Mike Ness of Social Distortion is 51
Singer Sebastian Bach (Skid Row) is 45
Actress Jennie Garth is 41
Actress Cobie Smulders is 31
Singer Leona Lewis is 28
Actress Amanda Bynes is 27
Month: April 2013
Film Critic Roger Ebert’s Cancer Has Returned
Film critic Roger Ebert says he has cancer again and is scaling back his movie reviews while undergoing radiation.
In a blog post, the 70-year-old said he’ll take a “leave of presence.”
The veteran critic has previously battled cancer in his thyroid and salivary glands and lost the ability to speak and eat after surgery.
In a lengthy essay posted late Tuesday, Ebert says the latest cancer was discovered after a “painful fracture” that made it difficult for him to walk. The Pulitzer Prize winner was hospitalized late last year with a hip fracture.
Ebert writes he’s “not going away.” Instead, he’ll write select movie reviews while leaving the rest of the work to a team of writers.
He also plans to spend time writing about his own health challenges.
April 3
1860 — The Pony Express began operations, crossing parts of Nebraska.
1924 — Actor Marlon Brando was born in Omaha.
1944 – Evelyn Sharp of Ord, the first woman to deliver airmail in the United States, died when a P-38 fighter plane she was piloting crashed in Pennsylvania. She was 24.
2008 — An 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by a woman against a Lancaster County District judge who barred the word “rape” in a sexual-assault trial.
NE High School Students Participate in Electric Car Competition
High school teams from across Nebraska that designed their own electric cars will compete this spring for scholarships.
The student-built vehicles will compete in endurance, braking, maneuverability and overall design. More than 50 teams are expected.
The annual Power Drive competition begins this weekend with the Big Red Invitational on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s East Campus.
Three other events will be held in Hastings, Grand Island and West Point during April before the May 4 championships at Werner Park in La Vista.
The contest is sponsored by the state’s two largest utilities, Nebraska Public Power District and Omaha Public Power District.
Stanford Joins Harvard and MIT in Online Education Offer
Stanford University is collaborating with Harvard and MIT on a computer system that allows colleges to offer free online courses.
Stanford already has its own platform for delivering so-called massive open online courses, or MOOCS. But Vice Provost John Mitchell says the school has decided to suspend work on it in favor of the software developed by the two East Coast universities, called edX.
Mitchell says that with the demand for online learning increasing rapidly, it makes sense for academic institutions to team up instead of compete.
Under terms of an agreement announced Wednesday, elements of Stanford’s Class2Go system will be incorporated into edX and some future Stanford courses will be produced with the program.
But unlike other universities that use the edX web site to register students, Stanford plans to retain its own online course portal.
Curtis Man Seriously Injured in Collision with Horse on Hwy 83
A collision between a horse and a car caused serious injuries to a Curtis man on Tuesday morning.
The accident occurred on Highway 83 south of North Platte at around 6:45 a.m.
The Nebraska State Patrol says that Kristopher Huckman was driving a Nissan Altima northbound when he struck a horse that was on the highway.
Huckman was transported by private vehicle to Great Plains Regional Medical Center. Initially, it appeared that an injured left hand and facial lacerations were the only injuries sustained in the accident. However, doctors soon discovered that he had bleeding in his brain.
Huckman was taken by helicopter to a Lincoln hospital for treatment of the head injury.
Huckman was wearing his seat belt at the time of the accident and no updates have been given on his condition.
Authorities say the horse was killed in the collision, and they have no idea how it ended up on the highway.
Anti-Bullying Awareness Campaign to Be Held at the State Capitol
A rally will be held at the Nebraska Capitol this week to raise awareness about bullying.
The statewide Stand for the Silent anti-bullying awareness campaign will kick off on April 5 at the state Capitol. The public is invited to attend to show support for people who have been bullied.
Nebraska Sen. Amanda McGill of Lincoln will speak at the event. She says it’s time for the people of Nebraska to take a stand against bullying because it can lead to self-harm or suicide.
More than 60,000 Nebraska students made a pledge against bullying in 2012.
The rally will start at 8:30 p.m. on the north side of the Capitol.
Rockies Get Win, Go For Series Win Tonight (LISTEN LIVE on ESPN Radio 1410)
The Colorado Rockies have their first win of 2013 and Walt Weiss has the first win of his managerial career. The Rockies doubled up the Brewers 8-4 last night in Milwaukee. Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez each homered for the second straight game, and both were part of a three-run sixth-inning rally that broke a 4-4 tie. The Rockies conclude their series with the Brewers tonight. ESPN Radio 1410 has the action with pregame coverage starting at 6:30 and the first pitch at 7:10.
Huskers Routed at Kansas State
A lethargic effort by the Husker bats led to a 9-1 loss at Kansas State last night. The loss snaps Nebraska’s three-game losing streak. Nebraska was held scoreless until an RBI groundout from Tanner Lubach plated Kash Kalkowski in the fifth. They mustered just five hits on the night. Even a strong offensive effort may not have been enough to overcome a rough night for the Huskers on the mound. Five Husker hurlers combined to allow fourteen hits to the aggressive Wildcat lineup. Tyler King allowed three runs on five hits in the first three innings to take the loss. The defeat drops the Huskers to 11-16 on the season and guarantees a season series loss to K-State, with one meeting remaining later in the season in Lincoln.. The Huskers are back in action this weekend, heading to Iowa to face the Hawkeyes in a three-game set that begins Friday night.
Authorities In Iowa Investigate Allegations of Bullying
Authorities in Iowa are investigating allegations that high school students repeatedly hit one of their classmates in the head with footballs.
The teenager and his grandmother filed a lawsuit last week saying the attack in October at Bedford High School in southwest Iowa resulted in severe brain injuries and permanent disabilities.
Iowa Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Jessica Lown said Tuesday that the agency has launched a criminal investigation. An agent will turn over information to a prosecutor, who will decide whether to file charges.
The lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in Des Moines alleges that school administrators didn’t do enough to protect the boy from repeated bullying.
Bedford Superintendent Joe Drake says student safety is a priority and the school investigates all reports of bullying or harassment.