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Fremont Police: 8-Year-Old Girl’s Death Not Suspicious

fremont-policeFREMONT, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say the death of an 8-year-old girl who was injured before being involved in a Fremont collision does not appear to be suspicious.

The Fremont Police Department said in a news release Thursday that officers were dispatched a little after 7:15 p.m. Wednesday to handle a report of a vehicle collision. The officers were told after they arrived that someone involved already had been taken to Fremont Health Medical Center.

The officers learned at the hospital that Eva Imus had died. Police say the girl sustained a head injury in an accident at a Fremont residence prior to the traffic accident.

An autopsy has been planned and the case remains under investigation, but police say Eva’s death appears accidental.

Omaha Metro Area Getting Closer to Population of 1 Million

omahaOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area is edging closer to having a population of 1 million after eclipsing 900,000 people for the first time last year.

U.S. Census Bureau data places the metro area’s population at an estimated 904,421 people. The Omaha metro area includes Douglas, Sarpy, Cass, Washington and Saunders counties in Nebraska; and Pottawattamie, Mills and Harrison counties in Iowa.

David Drozd of the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Center for Public Affairs Research and chamber of commerce officials say there are benefits to hitting the one million mark. According to them, some larger businesses and high-end retailers will only consider locating to cities with more than a million residents.

According to Drozd, Omaha, which is the 60th-largest metro in the United States, should reach 1 million by 2023.

Huskers Renew Rivalry with Texas

husker baseballLincoln – This weekend the Nebraska baseball team (18-7, 3-0 Big Ten) will host the No. 16 Texas Longhorns (17-8, 5-1 Big 12) at Hawks Field for the first time since 2011, when both teams were still members of the Big 12 Conference. This weekend’s series, which opens on Friday night at 6:35 p.m., will mark the second series between the two teams since the Huskers left for the Big Ten Conference following the 2011 season, as the Huskers made a trip to Austin for a three-game series in 2013.

During the 15 years from 1997 to 2011 that both teams were in the Big 12, the Huskers and Longhorns were league’s top two teams, combining to win 10 (Texas – 7, Nebraska – 3) regular-season titles and eight tournament titles (four each).  The teams also combined for 10 appearances at the College World Series.

Two of Nebraska’s home series with Texas rank among the top five in conference series attendances at Hawks Field – the 2005 series ranks third with an attendance of 22,595 and the 2007 series ranks fourth at 21,898.

Both teams enter the series playing good baseball, as the Huskers are 9-1 over their past 10 games, while the Longhorns have posted a 8-2 record. The Huskers are in the backend of a 16-game homestand and have posted a 11-1 record over the first 12 games of the stretch.

The Longhorns are just 5-5 away from Austin this season. In two road series the Longhorns are 4-4, as they went 2-2 at both Rice and Stanford. UT’s other two road games were midweek contests in the state of Texas, including a win at Texas State and a loss at UT Arlington.

Senior Chance Sinclair will get the ball for the Huskers on Friday night and will look to win his third straight start following wins over Florida Gulf Coast and Michigan. The third-team preseason All-American has gone at least 6.0 innings in each of his last three starts and has 10 strikeouts to two walks. The Longhorns are scheduled to counter with senior Parker French, who started against the Huskers on Friday night two years ago in Austin. The 6-2 Dripping Springs, Texas, native enters Friday with a 2-1 record and a 1.69 ERA in six starts. As a sophomore in 2012, French earned the win after allowing two runs on eight hits and one walk with six strikeouts over 6.1 innings in a 8-2 Texas victory.

Senior Kyle Kubat will climb the hill on Saturday and will be in search of 20th career victory. Kubat is coming off a win over Michigan where he struck out a career-high nine batters and is now 4-0 on the year with a 1.60 ERA. UT is scheduled to start sophomore Kacy Clemens, son of seven-time Cy Young award winner Roger Clemens. The 6-2 right hander is 2-1 on the year with a 4.68 ERA in six appearances, including five starts. Over 25.0 innings, Clemens has struck out 11, but walked 13. Clemens started 63 games at first base last season as a freshman and didn’t make an appearance on the mound.

Sunday’s pitching matchup is scheduled to be Nebraska’s Derek Burkamper against Texas’ Chad Hollingsworth. Burkamper is 3-1 on the year and the sophomore has gone at least 5.0 innings in each of his five starts this season. Hollingsworth is also 3-1 on the year with a 2.97 ERA in five starts, with 12 strikeouts to eight walks in 30.1 innings. Hollingsworth earned the win in the second game between the Huskers and Longhorns in 2013, as he got the last out of the top of the ninth before the Longhorns posted a walk-off win in the bottom of the frame.

Friday, March 27 (6:35 p.m.)

Probable Starters: RHP Sinclair (3-3) vs. RHP French (2-1)

TV: NET

Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: BTN Plus

Radio: Husker Sports Network

Saturday, March 28 (2:05 p.m.)

Probable Starters: LHP Kubat (4-0) vs. Clemens (2-1)

TV: BTN

Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: BTN2Go

Radio: Husker Sports Network

Sunday, March 29 (12:05 p.m.)

Probable Starters: RHP Burkamper (3-1) vs. Hollingsworth (3-1)

TV: None

Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: BTN Plus

Radio: Husker Sports Network

Nebraska Senators Delay Vote to Repeal Prairie Dog Law

prairie-dogLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers have postponed a vote on bill that would prevent counties from killing black-tailed prairie dogs when residents complain about the animals on their property.

Lawmakers adjourned for the week on Thursday without taking action. Sen. Al Davis, a rancher from Hyannis, is trying to kill the measure.

The 2012 law gives counties the power to adopt management programs to keep them from spreading.

Advocates say the animals are an important native species and the current law infringes on private property rights. Opponents say counties have the right to intervene because prairie dogs ravage ranchland by digging holes that can injure cattle and damage equipment.

Sen. Galen Hadley, the speaker of the Legislature, says debate on the bill will continue early next week.

5 People Watched for Ebola in Nebraska Still Healthy

nebraska-medical-centerOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The American aid workers brought to Nebraska who were exposed to Ebola in Sierra Leone continue to show no symptoms of the deadly virus.

Nebraska Medical Center spokesman Taylor Wilson said Thursday that all five of the individuals who were brought to Omaha earlier this month for monitoring continue to do well.

Wilson said local health officials will determine when the individuals can be released from monitoring. Ebola has a 21-day incubation period.

The health care workers were exposed to Ebola in Sierra Leone when one of their colleagues became ill with the deadly virus. They are all staying on the Nebraska Medical Center’s campus while they are being monitored.

The Omaha hospital treated three patients with Ebola last fall in its specialized biocontainment unit.

Scottsbluff Man Convicted of Beating Girlfriend’s 3-Year-Old

Cody Olbricht
Cody Olbricht

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP) — A 25-year-old Scottsbluff man has been convicted of beating his girlfriend’s 3-year-old daughter.

Court records say Cody Olbricht was found guilty on Wednesday of intentional child abuse resulting in serious injury. Sentencing is scheduled for May 1.

Records say the girl was hospitalized in September after her grandmother noticed the girl had a fever and was lethargic and vomiting. Doctors determined the girl had several injuries, including a lacerated liver and a brain contusion. A court document says Scottsbluff police inspected the home and found little food in the refrigerator. Police say clothes and bedding in the girl’s room were stained with urine and stank.

The girl’s mother, 25-year-old Cassandra Miller, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of negligent child abuse. Her trial is scheduled to begin July 6.

31-Year-Old Shows Up in Nebraska Court Nearly 12 Years Late

odd-newsCOLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — A 31-year-old man finally has faced the music in court for possessing alcohol when he was a 19-year-old.

John Stokes was stopped for speeding Tuesday night and held because a bench warrant was issued in August 2003 after Stokes missed a court date. He was 19 on July 5, 2003, when he was given two liquor citations.

On Wednesday Judge Frank Skorupa asked Stokes, “Did you think we’d forget about you?” Stokes, who was appearing via a video link from the Platte County jail, told the judge he was unaware of the missed court date more than 11 years ago.

Skorupa fined Stokes a total of $400 after prosecutors dropped one of the liquor charges and Stokes pleaded guilty.

Chambers Faces Growing Criticism Over ISIS Comment

ernie-chambersLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A well-known Nebraska senator is facing more criticism for comparing police to a terrorist group, and one lawmaker is calling for his resignation.

The backlash continued Thursday against Sen. Ernie Chambers following comments he made in a hearing.

Chambers said “my ISIS is the police” because they’re licensed to kill and pose a threat to his Omaha neighborhood. He said if he carried a gun, he would use it as protection against police and would want to shoot first and ask questions later.

Freshman Sen. David Schnoor of Scribner called on Chambers to resign. Many senators condemned the comments, but some defended his free-speech rights.

Chambers says he’s used to criticism and won’t resign. He accused lawmakers of showing a “mob mentality” but seeking his help when they need it.

Judge Weighs Fate of Man Who Tried to Shoot Up Lincoln Classroom in 1992

judgeshipLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A judge is deciding what to do about a 66-year-old man who in 1992 tried to shoot up a college classroom in Lincoln but his rifle jammed.

A psychiatrist told Judge Paul Merritt Jr. at a review hearing on Wednesday that Arthur McElroy is still mentally ill but also so afflicted with physical ills that he doesn’t pose a threat to anyone. McElroy was charged and tried for attempted second-degree murder, but a judge ruled that McElroy was insane and not responsible for his actions.

McElroy’s attorney says that if Merritt doesn’t release McElroy outright, the judge should have him placed in a nursing home. But prosecutors say McElroy is still mentally ill and dangerous.

Merritt says he’ll make his ruling next month.

Police: Omaha Woman Raped After Meeting Man on Dating App

police-lights-redOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha police say a woman reported that she was gang-raped after a man she met on a smartphone dating app showed up to their date with his friends.

Police say the 22-year-old woman met the man on Tinder and invited him to her apartment on March 14. They say the man arrived at her residence with several other men and they all sexually assaulted her.

No arrests have been announced as of Wednesday.

An Omaha police spokesman said the incident is an important safety reminder for people who use online dating websites. He urges those who use the sites to meet people in a public place and recommends they tell a friend or relative the location of the meeting.

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