May 2015 – Page 29 – North Platte Post Archive

States Help Get Heroin Antidote into Hands of Regular Folks

Posted on May 17, 2015

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Narcan is not just for police and first responders anymore.

New York and a handful of other states are helping to make the life-saving heroin antidote available to regular folks, hoping to increase the odds it will be there when needed in an emergency.

State health officials say New York has trained 10,000 laypeople in the last six months alone, sending them home with a rescue kit containing Narcan and a nasal atomizer used to spray it in an overdose victim’s nose. The training was helped by a law change last year that allowed prescribers to issue general, rather than patient-specific, prescriptions.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says California, Illinois, New Mexico and Washington have similarly changed regulations.

US Gas Prices Rise 22 Cents Per Gallon

Posted on May 17, 2015

CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) — The average national price of a regular gallon of gasoline has jumped 22 cents in the past three weeks to $2.80.

Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said Sunday that higher crude prices caused by a weaker U.S. dollar and strong gasoline demand drove the increase.

However, she says the price was 93 cents lower than a year ago.

The average national price for midgrade was $3.00 and premium was $3.16. Diesel was $2.97.

In a survey of cities in the Lower 48 states, Los Angeles had the highest-priced gasoline at $3.95 a gallon. Baton Rouge, Louisiana, had the lowest at $2.32.

The average price in California was up 53 cents to $3.76 a gallon.

Lundberg says gasoline price hikes will likely slow or stop because of an expected increase in supplies.

2 Marines with Nebraska Ties Die in Nepal Helicopter Crash

Posted on May 17, 2015

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Two U.S. Marines with Nebraska ties were among the six Marines and two Nepalese soldiers killed last week in a helicopter crash in Nepal.

On Sunday, the Defense Department identified all the Marines killed in Tuesday’s crash.

One of the pilots, Capt. Dustin Lukasiewicz, grew up in Wilcox, Nebraska, before joining the Marines.

Lance Cpl. Jacob A. Hug was working as a videographer on board the flight delivering supplies to earthquake victims. Hug is an Arizona native, but several of his family members live in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska.

Nepalese soldiers recovered the bodies of the eight people who died in the helicopter crash on Saturday.

Republicans Criticize Clinton for Not Talking to the Press

Posted on May 17, 2015

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republican presidential hopefuls gathered in Iowa are taking jabs at Democratic candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton for not fielding more questions from the press.

Former business executive Carly Fiorina says that if Clinton is going to run for president, “she is going to have to answer some questions.”

Fiorina spoke at a dinner hosted by the Iowa Republican Party that drew about 1,300 people Saturday. Also chiming in was Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who joked about whether Clinton “ever takes any questions.”

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush took a similar approach earlier in the day, saying he has answered hundreds of questions compared to Clinton, who has taken just a handful.

The former secretary of state is making a second campaign visit to Iowa on Monday.

Storms, Scattered Tornadoes Hit US Midsection; Cause Damage

Posted on May 17, 2015

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A powerful storm system stretching from Texas to Minnesota raked the nation’s midsection Sunday after kicking up damaging tornadoes in Oklahoma and heavy wind and rain elsewhere.

There were no immediate reports of any deaths or injuries.

Tornadoes touched down Saturday in Oklahoma near the towns of Elmer and Tipton, said National Weather Service forecaster Daryl Williams. He says another tornado touched down near Elk City along Interstate 40. Authorities say yet another tornado reportedly touched down late Saturday northeast of Tulsa as storms moved off into neighboring Missouri.

Oklahoma emergency officials say they also received reports of damage Saturday to homes and businesses and significant damage to power lines. Rain and winds were also moving overnight across parts of Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Arkansas and other states.

Earthquakes on Hawaii Volcano Could Signal New Eruption

Posted on May 17, 2015

HONOLULU (AP) — A series of earthquakes and shifting ground on the slopes of Kilauea have scientists wondering what will happen next at one of the world’s most active volcanos.

A lake of lava near the summit of Kilauea on Hawaii’s Big Island had risen to a record-high level after a recent explosion.

But in the past few days, the pool of molten rock began sinking, and the surface of the lava lake fell nearly 500 feet. Meanwhile, a rash of earthquakes rattled the volcano with as many as 20 to 25 quakes per hour.

Volcano scientist Steve Brantley says the lava has been dropping out of sight, and it has to be going somewhere. He says one possibility is that a new lava eruption could break through the surface of the mountain.

Eastern Nebraska Animal Farm to Open to Public

Posted on May 16, 2015May 16, 2015

NICKERSON, Neb. (AP) — A Nickerson farm dedicated to caring for discarded animals will open to the public this weekend.

Admission to The Poor Farm on Sunday is free, but it will accept animal care donations.

The Poor Farm is a nonprofit, no-kill animal sanctuary just north of Fremont. It provides long-term care for disfigured and disabled animals.

Ducks, donkeys and dogs have found a refuge at the farm. So have peacocks, goats, Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs, horses, sheep and other animals and birds.

One of the farm’s permanent residents is a zebu — a southeastern Asian bovine — named Mona who came to the farm 15 years ago. Wary of humans, Mona spends her days at the farm playing with baby goats.

Hall County Sheriff Wants More Money for Serving Civil Papers

Posted on May 16, 2015

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — Hall County Sheriff Jerry Watson is looking to the Nebraska Legislature to ease the expense of serving civil process papers that cost taxpayers in his county at least $10 for every hand delivery.

Watson said the Legislature sets the amount charged to serve papers, and the amount is not keeping up with actual costs.

Watson says that for every paper served in 2012 cost the county $34.55, but the county is only allowed to collect $24. 36. In all, he says, serving papers cost taxpayers nearly $100,000 in 2012.

Watson says the cost has likely only grown.

It’s been years since the Legislature has increased the amount that can be charged to serve papers. Watson believes the amount should be reviewed each year.

Nebraska Hate-Crime Hoaxer Gets 90 Days for Probation Violation

Posted on May 16, 2015

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A woman who faked an anti-gay hate crime has been sentenced to 90 days in jail for violating probation, but she can apply to serve the time on house arrest.

36-year-old Charlie Rogers was sentenced Friday in Lancaster County Court.

She had faced up to a year after acknowledging in March that she violated her probation by not reporting to jail on Jan. 15 to finish her original 90-day jail sentence.

Rogers, a former University of Nebraska-Lincoln basketball player, was convicted of lying to police about being attacked by masked men and having anti-gay slurs carved into her skin.

Prosecutors say Rogers faked the attack because she thought it would inspire change in the treatment of gay people.

Nebraska Attorney General: Officials’ Texts Are Public Record

Posted on May 16, 2015

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office says that public officials’ text messages regarding public business are subject to the state’s open record laws.

But Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert on Friday said she doesn’t yet know whether she’ll comply with the opinion from the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office that said she should produce her text messages.

The newspaper asked the state’s top legal office in April to clarify the status and public’s access to officials’ texts involving government business. That request came after the city of Omaha denied the newspaper’s request for texts Stothert sent to City Council members and department heads.

Opinions issued by the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office are advisory and not legally binding.