March 2014 – Page 19 – North Platte Post Archive

Neb. Lawmakers Approve Bills to Update Neb. Budget

Posted on March 24, 2014March 24, 2014

(AP) — Nebraska lawmakers have approved changes to the state’s two-year budget, including new money for property tax relief.

The $7.8 billion package passed on Monday includes new funding for Nebraska’s property tax credit program, water projects, and state park renovations. It also allocates money for job-training programs and pediatric cancer research.

The bills now head to Gov. Dave Heineman, who can sign or veto them as a whole or use a line-item veto to strike specific spending items.

Heineman and some state senators have complained that the budget doesn’t go far enough to lower taxes. They also have criticized some projects, such as $2.5 million for fountains at the Capitol.

Supporters say the budget provides a responsible balance of state priorities.

NPCC Knights Softball Signs Reanna Crane of Maxwell

Posted on March 24, 2014

North Platte – The North Platte Community College Softball team announced the signing of a National Letter of Intent by Reanna Crane of Maxwell High School.

“I’m excited for the new academic and athletic challenges and opportunities that I’ll be offered,” said Crane. “It’s exciting to further my career in softball and to do it in a place where I’ve grown up playing.”

Crane was joined on her signing day by her Express Club Coach Mark Franzen (back left), her parents Tara Crane and Allen Crane (back middle) and Maxwell’s superintendent and athletic director Mr. Boucher (back right).

“Anna is a very dedicated, smart and athletic young lady,” said Coach Franzen “and will be a huge addition to the NPCC Knights softball program.”

“Anna will bring some depth to our middle infield and speed in our offense,” said head coach Janelle Higgins. “She has been a multi-sport athlete in high school which is always a positive.”

Train Kills Teen Who Pushed Girlfriend from Tracks

Posted on March 24, 2014

(AP) — Witnesses and family members say a Northern California teen pushed his girlfriend away from the path of an oncoming train before he was struck and killed.

The girlfriend, 16-year-old Mickayla Friend, was still grazed and critically injured, though her mother, Sandy, said at a vigil Sunday that she was breathing on her own and walking.

Mickayla and her boyfriend, 16-year-old Mateus Moore, were headed to a store before going to a school dance Friday night in Marysville when they were struck by the Union Pacific freight train.

Sandy Friend said Mickayla told her Mateus pushed her as hard as he could. Witnesses to the train strike said Mateus’ actions prevented Mickayla from being run over as well.

Police are looking into whether the teens were distracted.

Transparency Bill for Neb. County Boards Advances

Posted on March 24, 2014

(AP) — A bill designed to prevent Nebraska county supervisors from making decisions behind closed doors has won first-round approval in the Legislature.

Lawmakers on Monday voted 28-0 on a proposal that would define a quorum as a simple majority of board members. Current state law defines a quorum as a two-thirds majority.

Sen. Russ Karpisek of Wilber says the current law allows four supervisors on a seven-member board to discuss county business in private, without triggering Nebraska’s open meetings law. That majority could then approve measures as a formality during official meetings.

The bill was supported by the Nebraska Association of County Officials, Media of Nebraska Inc., and the Nebraska Press Association.

2 Killed in Neb. Rollover Accident

Posted on March 24, 2014

(AP) — Nebraska authorities are investigating a rollover crash that killed two people over the weekend.

47-year-old Tami Wagner and her passenger, 49-year-old Lisle “Raymond” McGinty were both killed in the crash on Sunday afternoon.

The Pawnee County Sheriff’s office is investigating the accident that was discovered by another driver on a rural road southeast of Lewiston.

Both the victims were from Burchard. Neither was wearing a seatbelt, and they were both thrown from Wagner’s 2007 Pontiac when it rolled over.

Study Links Breast Cancer Gene to Rare Uterine Tumors

Posted on March 24, 2014March 24, 2014

(AP)–A study suggests that women with a faulty breast cancer gene might have a greater chance of developing rare but deadly uterine tumors despite having their ovaries removed to lower their main cancer risks.

Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York say four cases of aggressive uterine cancers were found in about 300 women years after they had preventive surgery to remove their ovaries. That rate is 26 times greater than expected.

The problem was only seen in women with flawed BRCA1 genes. Doctors say that until more research confirms this link, it is too soon to advise such women to have their uterus removed along with their ovaries, but that it is worth discussing.

The study was reported Monday at a cancer conference in Tampa, Fla.

‘Dry Times’ Art Exhibition Opens at UNL

Posted on March 24, 2014

(AP) — The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Great Plains Art Museum has opened a new exhibit of drought-related artwork by an Omaha artist.

The exhibit, “Dry Times,” will feature the work of ceramic artist Jess Benjamin through May 18. Benjamin will appear at the exhibit’s First Friday reception on April 4, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Benjamin’s work focuses on water usage and drought throughout the Great Plains.

The appearance will coincide with a special event during the Great Plains Symposium, “Drought in the Life, Cultures and Landscapes of the Great Plains,” which will take place from April 1-4 at UNL. It’s hosted by the Center for Great Plains Studies.

Helicopter Use to Count Deer in NW Nebraska

Posted on March 24, 2014

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission says it employed a contracted helicopter to count deer in the rugged high country of the Pine Ridge in northwest corner of the state.

Over five days in early February, Game and Parks staff members surveyed eight areas of the Pine Ridge Management Unit, which encompasses 429 square miles. They counted 862 mule deer — 68 bucks, 477 does and 317 fawns.

The findings will help officials set hunting regulations and other management strategies for mule deer. Biologists suspect the species is struggling in some areas because of disease and other challenges.

The commission says staff members also counted 659 white-tailed deer, 96 elk and 11 bighorn sheep during the flights.

Grand Island Man Gets 7 1/2 Years for Child Porn

Posted on March 24, 2014

(AP) — A 57-year-old Grand Island man has been given 7½ years in federal prison for receiving and distributing child pornography.

James Haugh was convicted in December following a three-day trial in Lincoln’s federal court. He was sentenced last week.

Prosecutors say Haugh received and distributed videos of child pornography on different occasions from Jan. 3, 2009, to Dec. 28, 2012.

Survey: Neb. Farmland Value Rose 5 Pct in Year

Posted on March 24, 2014March 24, 2014

(AP) — A report on preliminary findings say farmland land rose about 5 percent in value over the past year.

The annual Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market survey report says the value rose to nearly $3,200 an acre.

Survey reporters reported gains for all the farmland classes for the period Feb. 1, 2013, to Feb. 1, 2014. The figures are preliminary; a final report will be available this summer.

The preliminary report can be found at https://bit.ly/1hUmaee .