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Month: December 2015

Judge Dismisses Discrimination Lawsuit Against Nebraska Plant

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judgeshipLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A judge has dismissed a federal discrimination lawsuit filed by a former employee at a Lincoln pharmaceutical plant.

Joel Padin was a former director of operations at the Novartis plant in Lincoln.

U.S. District Judge John Gerrard on Wednesday granted Novartis Consumer Health Inc.’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit in which Padin accused the company of discrimination, creating a hostile work environment and retaliation.

The judge said in his order that Padin, who is of Puerto Rican heritage, failed to produce sufficient evidence to prove his claims.

Padin alleges that a site controller relayed employee complaints about him speaking Spanish, and also asked him why he was hiring so many Puerto Ricans. Novartis denied the allegation.

Omaha Police Identify Man Found Dead as 51-Year-Old

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omaha-policeOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say a person found dead in northeast Omaha was a 51-year-old man.

Omaha police identified the man Sunday at James E. Bailey. Bailey was found Saturday around 11:30 a.m. at 27th and Wirt streets.

The death has been ruled suspicious and the police department’s homicide unit is investigating. Police say Bailey’s next of kin has been notified.

Utility Reminds Nebraskans to Monitor Carbon Monoxide Levels

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carbon-monoxideLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraskans are being reminded about the importance of monitoring carbon monoxide levels in their homes during the winter.

North Western Energy recommends purchasing a carbon monoxide detector with backup battery power to help keep everyone in the home safe.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless gas that can be deadly if it’s allowed to build up inside a home or office.

The utility also recommends having gas furnaces inspected annually to detect any problems early.

Top 10 Nebraska News Stories of 2015

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apThe top 10 Nebraska stories of 2015, as voted by Associated Press newspaper and broadcast members:

1. DEATH PENALTY: Nebraska lawmakers abolish the state’s death penalty in a landmark vote with support from conservatives who came to oppose the punishment for religious, practical or financial reasons. The vote galvanizes death penalty supporters who launch a successful ballot drive to place the issue on next year’s general election ballot.

2. KEYSTONE XL: President Barack Obama rejects a presidential permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, a project that would have cut through Nebraska on its way to Texas Gulf Coast refineries.

3. GAY MARRIAGE-NEBRASKA: A federal judge strikes down Nebraska’s ban on gay marriage and civil unions as unconstitutional in March, prompting the state to appeal. But the ban — one of the most restrictive in the nation — is ultimately overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court’s finding in June that same-sex couples have a right to marry anywhere in the United States.

4. PRISON RIOT: A riot at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution leaves two inmates dead and four others injured and causes widespread damage.

5. OMAHA OFFICER KILLED: Omaha police officer Kerrie Orozco was one day away from going on maternity leave to care for the daughter she had delivered prematurely three months earlier when she is shot and killed in May.

6. HUSKER FOOTBALL: Nebraska goes 5-7 in Mike Riley’s first regular season as head football coach, the Cornhuskers’ first losing season since Bill Callahan’s 2007 team had the same record.

7. CONAGRA CHANGES: ConAgra Foods announces plans to move its headquarters to Chicago from Omaha, eliminate 1,500 office jobs and unload roughly two-thirds of the company by selling a division that makes store-brand food and spinning off its frozen potatoes business.

8. FRACKING WATER DISPOSAL: State regulators approve a disposal well that will let a Colorado energy company discard oil and natural gas wastewater underground in northwest Nebraska. The decision prompts state lawmakers to re-examine the state’s oil and natural gas regulations, which critics say are too lax.

9. FUEL TAX: Nebraska motorists will pay higher taxes at the gas pump to cover road and bridge repairs under a law passed over Gov. Pete Ricketts’ objections.

10. BIRD FLU: The bird flu sweeps through farms in the Midwest in the spring, and roughly 48 million birds either die from the virus or are euthanized to prevent its spread. Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska lose the most birds.

Adams County Courthouse Getting Security Upgrades

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ne-supreme-court-gavelHASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — The Adams County Courthouse in Hastings will be more secure when it opens for the new year.

Officials restricted access to the courthouse’s south entrance. Visitors who enter the building when it opens Jan. 4 also will have to walk through an X-ray machine and metal detector monitored by security guards. One guard will be armed and the other won’t.

Adams County Supervisor Scott Thomsen says officials studied the issue for more than two years before making the security upgrades. They follow enhanced security implemented recently at the city building.

The county paid about $40,000 for the X-ray machine and $5,000 for the metal detector. The annual cost of the security guards will be about $100,000.

Supervisors awarded additional money for cameras and security doors.

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Volunteers Hope Milkweed Seeding Will Aid Monarch Recovery

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BEATRICE, Neb. (AP) — Volunteers hope that by spreading seeds, they can help monarch butterflies thrive in the future.

Earlier this month, volunteers spent two day spreading milkweed seeds over 50 acres of brown grass dotted with a few bare trees. They hope that by growing milkweed at the spot owned by the Nebraska Public Power District near Beatrice, they can help reverse an estimated 90 percent decline in monarchs.

Much of the drop is blamed on a lack of habitat.

Tom Weissling, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln associate professor of entomology, notes that Nebraska sits in the monarch flyway for the annual treks between Canada and Mexico. That makes additional habitat especially important in Nebraska.

The milkweed seeding cost about $30,000, which was covered by several groups.

$9 Minimum Wage, Tax Breaks to Go Into Effect in 2016

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minimum-wageLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska residents earning the minimum wage will get a raise to $9 an hour when the new year begins, and farmers, businesses and zoos will get new tax breaks.

Eight state laws passed during this year’s legislative session will go into effect on Friday, as well as the final phase of the minimum wage ballot measure approved by voters in November 2014.

Among the new laws is a property tax exemption aimed at the Woodmen of the World Insurance Society in Omaha and a sales tax break for Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, the Lincoln Children’s Zoo and the Riverside Discovery Center in Scottsbluff.

Farmers and business owners will also be able to claim exemptions on tangible personal property, such as farm equipment and factory machines.

 

Eagle Watching Begins at Nebraska District Hydroplant

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LEXINGTON, Neb. (AP) — The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District will provide opportunities to watch bald eagles again this winter.

The season will begin Saturday at the J-2 Hydroplant facility six miles south of Lexington. The viewing sessions will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through the last weekend in February.

A limited number of binoculars are available at the facility.

The district has been helping people watch eagles at J-2 since 1988 and at Kingsley Dam. The birds feed on fish in the open water below the plants, particularly when rivers and lakes in the area are covered with ice.

New Specialty Nebraska License Plates to Feature Corn

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corn-license-plateLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — State officials are now taking applications for a new Nebraska license plate that prominently features corn.

The specialty license plates will be produced if the state receives at least 500 applications for them with payment.

The Nebraska Corn Growers Association developed the license plates with a large ear of corn in front of a field ready to be harvested.

The trade group’s president Larry Mussack says the license plates show support for Nebraska’s top crop and for farmers.

The specialty license plates cost $70 in addition to the normal licensing fees for a vehicle.

Eugene Francis ‘Gene’ Berglund

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Gene-BerglundEugene Francis ‘Gene’ Berglund, age 76, of North Platte, NE, passed away at home surrounded by his family on Wednesday, December 23, 2015.

Gene was born June 18, 1939, to Carl Gust, Sr. and Marie Katherine Larson Berglund in North Platte where he grew up. Gene graduated from North Platte High School in 1957. He worked at the North Platte Telegraph and was a Marque Boy for the Paramount Fox Theaters.

In 1958, Gene married Ruth Ann Schemp, his high-school sweetheart, and the two lived in North Platte until 1980 when they moved to Longmont, CO. Gene worked for Bassett Carpet in Colorado and returned to North Platte, continuing his trade as an independent carpet installer for Whitaker Furniture, now Erickson Furniture. Beginning his trade as a carpet installer in his early 20s – a time when the carpet seams needed to be hand stitched, he continued his profession with dedication his entire life. Even in retirement, Gene never stopped working. He worked every day that he could and wanted to help his sons, who followed in his footsteps, keeping track of their daily work.

Gene was a family man who was blessed with 57 years of marriage and a beautiful family that he was very proud of. Family was the center of Gene’s life. He loved going to coffee with them over the years every day he could. With a cup of coffee and many stories to tell, Gene never complained and was always there to listen and be supportive of those he loved.

Gene could be seen sitting on his front porch visiting with others, in his garage rebuilding old cars and tending to the flowers in his garden. Gene had a servant’s heart and always put Christ first. He was a true believer and found comfort in knowing where he was going. Gene attended the North Platte Berean Church.

Gene’s smile, kindness and warm heart will be greatly missed and his family will cherish their happy memories forever.

Gene leaves behind his wife, Ruth, of North Platte; children, Jim (Linda) Berglund and Tim (Liz) Berglund, all of North Platte, David (Deborah) Berglund, of Firestone, CO, and Deb Berglund, of San Diego, CA; 17 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Janice Berglund, of North Platte; and numerous nieces, nephews and other loved family members.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Carl Gust, Sr. and Marie Berglund; his brother and sister-in-law, Carl, Jr. and Lois Berglund; and sister and brother-in-law, Elsie and Chuck McKain.

Funeral service will be 2 p.m. Monday, December 28, 2015, at the North Platte Berean Church with George Cheek officiating. Burial will follow in the North Platte Cemetery. Visitation will be 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore which is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may also be shared at odeanchapel.com. Memorials are suggested to Maranatha Bible Camp or the American Diabetes Association.

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