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5 People Monitored for Ebola in Nebraska Remain Healthy

nebraska-medical-centerOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — All five American aid workers who are being monitored at a Nebraska hospital for Ebola exposure remain healthy.

Nebraska Medical Center spokesman Taylor Wilson said Thursday that one of the workers, who had been transferred to the hospital’s biocontainment unit on Sunday, has been released from the isolation unit.

Wilson said that person displayed some symptoms Sunday evening, but the symptoms cleared up Monday and all Ebola tests were negative.

All of the 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.

Their colleague with Ebola is being treated at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.

Coroner: Rat Raised to Feed Family’s Snake Fatally Bit Baby

odd-newsCARLISLE, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say a rat being raised to feed a Pennsylvania family’s pet snakes ended up biting a 6-month-old boy, killing him.

Cumberland County Coroner Charlie Hall said Thursday that the baby died from meningitis and myocarditis transmitted through the bite.

The family lives in Dillsburg. The coroner didn’t identify the boy or his family.

Hall says the child was treated at a hospital emergency room Dec. 30 for a fever and a rash. Two days later, the lethargic and feverish child was brought back and died in the emergency room.

Lab studies later revealed the baby had rat-bite fever. Hall says police and county caseworkers are investigating.

Nebraska Fracking Water Disposal Opponents Cannot Testify

oil-rigLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission will not allow residents who live more than a half-mile radius from a proposed disposal site for a Sioux City injection well to testify at a public hearing.

About two dozen people and corporations qualify as interested parties, and will be allowed to testify before the three-member commission on March 24. Oil and Gas Director Bill Sydow said the commission is merely following the rules by blocking some people from testifying.

Terex Energy Corp. has an application before the commission to convert an unused oil well into an injection well to dispose of saltwater left over from hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking.

Opponents are concerned about the effects a spill could have on ground and surface water, as well as increased traffic on roads to the site that are near schools.

Man Gets 25-40 Years for Sex Assault of Nebraska Girl, 13

sex-offendersDORCHESTER, Neb. (AP) — A man convicted of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old Nebraska girl has been sentenced to 25 to 40 years in prison.

35-year-old Raymundo Cruz was sentenced Wednesday. He must serve about 27 ½ years before he’s discharged and deported to Mexico. He’s already served nearly two years.

Cruz was convicted of first-degree sexual assault in November. The girl testified she was outside a fast-food restaurant in July 2013 when Cruz, who she said she knew from her church choir, grabbed her and put her in the backseat of his car. She says Cruz drove her to a lake near Crete, where she says he forced himself on her.

Cruz’s attorney said Wednesday that it was an isolated incident and requested a 20-year mandatory minimum sentence.

Nebraska Bill Would Trade Local Gun Rules for State Law

gun-ownershipLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska gun-safety activists say a proposal to eliminate city and county firearm ordinances in favor of statewide regulations would benefit the national gun lobby more than residents.

Senators heard testimony Thursday on a bill that would impose statewide uniformity for gun and ammunition ownership, eliminating what gun-rights lobbyists call a confusing patchwork of local ordinances.

Sen. Laura Ebke of Crete says her bill would still allow communities to regulate where a firearm could be discharged.

Opponents say the bill slashes the ability of community leaders to protect citizens with their own gun ownership rules. The bill would allow for an individual or organization “adversely affected” by a local ordinance to sue the city or county that created it.

Lincoln Man Sentenced for Trying to Sell Stolen Copper

jailLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lincoln man has been sentenced to six to nine years in prison for trying to sell copper stolen from a construction site.

25-year-old Joey Delaney was sentenced Thursday after pleading to burglary and theft charges. Court records show Delaney was on probation for a previous burglary conviction when he was arrested July 18.

Authorities say they found Delaney and two others at Alter Metal Recycling in Lincoln trying to sell 65 spools of electrical wire stolen from a storage container at a construction site. The copper weighed 991 pounds.

In December 2013, a judge gave Delaney three years of probation and up to 180 days in jail. Delaney requested intensive supervised probation on the new charges, but instead got up to nine years.

Wilson’s Upset Sparks Huskers in Session I

Austin Wilson
Austin Wilson

St. Louis, Mo. – Junior Austin Wilson (165) knocked off No. 2 seed Michael Moreno of Iowa State and five other Huskers posted wins in Session I of the NCAA Championships at the Scottrade Center on Thursday.

Wilson, making his third NCAA Championships appearance, raced out to an early 5-0 advantage over Moreno after scoring near fall points in the first period. He notched a 7-5 decision over the Cyclone to pick up his 17th win of the season.

Top-seeded Robert Kokesh (174) opened his tournament with a 9-0 major decision over Michigan’s Taylor Massa to improve to 34-0 this season. Kokesh, a two-time All-American, will face Purdue’s Chad Welch in the second round tonight.

Three-time All-American James Green (157) also picked up bonus points along with No. 9 seed Anthony Abidin (141) and 16th-seeded TJ Dudley (184). Abidin and Dudley each shut out their opponents for major decisions. Green notched a 13-4 major decision over Markus Scheidel of Columbia.

Sophomore Aaron Studebaker posted a 3-1 decision over West Virginia’s Jake Smith at 197 pounds. Tim Lambert (125), Eric Montoya (133) and Collin Jensen (HWT) also wrestled for the Huskers, but each of them fell to top-10 opponents in the opening round.

As a team, Nebraska is tied for fifth with 10 points after the first session. Ohio State leads the team competition with 13.5 points, while Penn State is second with 11.5 points.

Session II starts tonight at 6 p.m. (CT). ESPNU will televise the championship bracket matches and ESPN3 will stream all bouts.

NCAA Championships
March 19-21, 2015
Scottrade Center
St. Louis, Mo.

125 pounds
First Round: #2 Nahshon Garrett (CORN) by dec. over Tim Lambert (NEB), 10-6

133 pounds
First Round: #6 Earl Hall (ISU) by dec. over Eric Montoya (NEB), 7-4

141 pounds
First Round: #9 Anthony Abidin (NEB) by major dec. over Nick Lawrence (PUR), 8-0

157 pounds
First Round: #4 James Green (NEB) by major dec. over Markus Scheidel (COL), 13-4

165 pounds
First Round: Austin Wilson (NEB) by dec. over #2 Michael Moreno (ISU), 7-5

174 pounds
First Round: #1 Robert Kokesh (NEB) by major dec. over Taylor Massa (MICH), 9-0

184 pounds
First Round: #16 TJ Dudley (NEB) by major dec. over Ophir Bernstein (BRO), 9-0

197 pounds
First Round: #15 Aaron Studebaker (NEB) by dec. over Jake Smith (WVU), 3-1

Heavyweight
First Round: #6 Adam Coon (MICH) by pin over Collin Jensen (NEB), 4:29

NP Man Accused of Starting NP Wildfire with Firework

Aaron Clark (File Image)
Aaron Clark (File Image)

A 26-year-old North Platte man is facing a felony arson charge after he allegedly lit a firework that sparked a wildfire in North Platte on March 16.

According to the North Platte Police Department, since the time of the fire, police have received information from several individuals saying that the fire was started by a firework that had been lit in the area. Several witnesses were reportedly contacted by police.

Following an investigation, police determined that Aaron Clark and several other people had been having a picnic in the 1600 block of East 16th Street (Cody Park).

Police say witnesses stated that Clark lit an artillery shell without a tube to entertain the group.

Because Clark did not use a tube, the artillery shell failed to launch into the air and exploded on the ground.

Authorities say this caused several small fires to start in the area.

Clark and the group were unable to put the fires out, according to police, and left the area.

The fire then grew, burning 110 acres before emergency personnel were able to bring it under control.

Police made contact with Clark and cited him for 3rd degree arson, a class IV felony.

No further arrests are expected.

RELATED CONTENT:

https://www.northplattepost.com/2015/03/17/coordinated-effort-saves-homes-prevents-injuries-in-north-platte-wildfire/

Lincoln Teacher Accused of Enticing 14-Year-Old Student Into Sex

Jackson Hedrick
Jackson Hedrick

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A first-year Lincoln middle school teacher has been accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old student.

Police say 22-year-old Jackson Hedrick was arrested Tuesday evening and charged Thursday with first-degree sexual assault of a minor and enticing by electronic device. His bond has been set at $20,000.

Lincoln Public Schools Superintendent Steve Joel says school officials learned of Hedrick’s alleged relationship with a student on Monday.

Hedrick is a social studies teacher at Irving Middle School. He has been placed on administrative leave pending further investigation.

Huskers Host Michigan to Open Big Ten Play

husker baseballAfter playing 20 non-conference games to start the season, the Nebraska baseball team (14-6, 0-0 Big Ten)   is set to open Big Ten Conference play this weekend when they host the Michigan Wolverines (11-8, 0-0 Big Ten) for a three-game series at Hawks Field.

Friday’s series opener is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., Saturday’s game is set for 2:05 p.m. and the series concludes on Sunday at 11:05 a.m.

The Huskers and Wolverines have played 15 games all-time and the Huskers hold a 8-7 advantage in the series. 11 of the 15 games have come since 2012 when the Huskers joined the Big Ten Conference, and during that time frame the Huskers are 7-4 against the Wolverines, including a 2-0 record at the Big Ten Tournament.

This weekend’s match comes right in the middle of Nebraska’s 16-game home stand and the Huskers enter Friday a perfect 7-0 at Hawks Field this year. The Wolverines have played all 19 of their games away from Ann Arbor, as they won’t play their first home game until Tuesday, March 24, against Bowling Green. The Wolverines are 4-4 in true road games this year, with 11 of their 19 games played at neutral sites.

Senior Chance Sinclair is scheduled to start for the Huskers on Friday night and he will face sophomore lefty Brett Adcock. Last season, Sinclair pitched the second game of NU series at Michigan and gave up just one unearned run over 7.1 innings in a 3-1 win. Adcock saw 1.0 inning of relief in the series finale, giving up two runs on two hits, while striking out two.

Senior Kyle Kubat is set to start on Sunday and will look to improve to 4-0 all-time against the Wolverines. The 6-1 Kubat started each of Nebraska’s two wins over Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament, including a career-high 8.2 inning outing last season in Omaha. Michigan is set to counter with freshman right hander Ryan Nutof. A native of South Elgin, Ill., Nutof is 1-1 on the year in five starts with a 2.67 ERA over 27.0 innings of work. Nutof has given up 15 hits and walked 15, while striking out 19.

Sophomore Derek Burkamper will start on Sunday for the Huskers, it will be his sixth career start and his first during league play. Burkamper has gone at least 6.0 innings in each of his last three starts and will be looking for his second straight win. The Wolverines have yet to announce a starter for Sunday.

Friday, March 21 (6:35 p.m.)

Probable Starters: RHP Sinclair (2-3) vs. LHP Adcock (2-2)

TV: None

Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: HuskersNSide

Radio: Husker Sports Network

Wednesday, March 22 (2:05 p.m.)

Probable Starters: LHP Kubat (3-0) vs. RHP Nutof (1-1)

TV: None

Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: HuskersNSide

Radio: Husker Sports Network

Sunday, March 23 (11:05 a.m.)

Probable Starters: RHP Burkamper (2-1) vs. TBA

TV: None

Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: HuskersNSide

Radio: Husker Sports Network

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