LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has received a nearly $12 million federal grant to research challenges connected with rural drug abuse in the Midwest.
The five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health will fund a research initiative called the Rural Drug Addiction Center. Researchers will track 600 rural drug users in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.
Nebraska has seen a drastic jump in its drug overdose rate in recent years. The issue is complicated by a trend among the state’s drug users who are often addicted to a combination of substances. It’s an understudied phenomenon that’s been seen in other Midwestern states.
The program’s leader, Kirk Dombrowski, says current drug addiction treatment focuses on brain chemistry, but understanding social patterns of abuse can lead to new treatments.
KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — A new trial date has been scheduled for a man accused of sexually assaulting a University of Nebraska at Kearney student in Kearney.
The new Buffalo County Court date for 19-year-old Prestin Melroy is July 2. He’s pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor sexual assault without consent. His previously scheduled trial starting dates were Feb. 5, March 5 and May 7.
He’s also a co-defendant in another case. Melroy and 19-year-old Zachary Reikofski have pleaded not guilty to a felony charge: forcible sexual assault. Court records say that alleged crime occurred on the same day as the crime alleged in Melroy’s misdemeanor sex assault case: Nov. 4 last year.
Their next Buffalo County District Court hearing in that case is scheduled for June 13.
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — Grand Island police are investigating a fatal shooting.
The department said Thursday in a news release that officers sent around 9:15 p.m. Wednesday to check a disturbance call in northeast Grand Island found a 32-year-old man suffering from several gunshot wounds. Police say he died around 11:45 p.m. at a local hospital. His name hasn’t been released.
DAYTON, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a Nebraska man twice tried to ram his pickup truck into an Iowa police chief’s patrol car.
Webster County court records say 37-year-old Anthony Spinharney, of Omaha, is charged with attempted murder of a police officer, eluding and interference with official acts. The records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for him.
Webster County Sheriff Jim Stubbs says Dayton Police Chief Nick Dunbar began chasing Spinharney when he speeded into Dayton around 6 p.m. Tuesday. The chase continued into a farm field northeast of town. Stubbs says Spinharney turned his pickup around and drove straight at Dunbar’s police car but missed. Stubbs says Spinharney then circled back and again tried to hit Dunbar’s cruiser.
Stubbs says Spinharney drove into another field after Dunbar fired a shot that struck Spinharney’s pickup.
Spinharney abandoned his truck and soon was arrested.
LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission approved recommendations for 2019 deer, antelope and elk hunting seasons at its meeting April 24 at Ponca State Park.
The most significant approved changes to Commission orders for big game include:
— Addition of a second antlerless whitetail bonus tag in the Loup East and Loup East Season Choice Area units to increase antlerless whitetail harvest due to high densities.
— Split of the Niobrara River elk unit in to East and West, and absorb the Boyd Unit into the Niobrara East Unit.
— Split of the Box Elder Unit antlerless elk season for non-landowner permits.
— Addition of a doe/fawn bonus tag on October landowner antelope permits, also making them Season Choice permits, valid in open seasons with weapons legal for each season.
— Shift of deer permits in Pine Ridge from Any Deer to Any Whitetail in response to public reported and research recorded mule deer deaths over winter and spring.
— New allocation of doe/fawn antelope permits in Dismal Late Unit.
— Expansion of the Frenchman West deer unit boundary and increase in Frenchman Antlerless Only Season Choice, Frenchman West Antlerless Only Season Choice and Frenchman Whitetail unit quotas in response to depredation complaints.
Antelope: Archery – Aug. 20-Dec. 31; Muzzleloader – Sept. 21-Oct. 6; October Firearm – Oct. 12-27; Late Doe/Fawn – Nov. 1-Jan. 31, 2020
Elk: Archery Bull – Sept. 1-Oct. 31; Firearm Bull – Sept. 21-Oct. 31; Early Antlerless – Aug. 15-Oct. 31; Late Antlerless – Dec. 1-Jan. 15, 2020
A public hearing was held for input regarding the listing and delisting of state threatened and endangered species in the Commission’s District 3, which is northeastern Nebraska. Staff made a presentation on the northern river otter, western silvery minnow, plains minnow, flathead chub and the sicklefin chub.
In addition, the Commission approved the acquisition of 74.97 acres in Banner County adjacent to Williams Gap Wildlife Management Area and designated it as an addition to the area.
Conservation Officer Levi Krause was presented the Award of Valor for his “tireless efforts in helping rescue individuals from their homes during Nebraska’s catastrophic flooding of March 2019.” For four days, he operated his airboat to help first responders evacuate 60 people from their homes amid high winds and rising waters. In addition, all Game and Parks staff who assisted in flooding efforts were recognized for going above and beyond the call of duty to keep people safe.
The Commission also heard several staff updates, including the new Take ’em Fishing challenge, which invites anglers to pledge to take a new or lapsed angler fishing for a chance to win prizes. All of the commissioners took the pledge to accept the challenge.
Service awards also were presented to Hunter Education instructors in northeastern Nebraska. Awards for 30 years of service went to: Theresa Pronske, Ervin Pronske, John Ross, James “Mike” Morgan, Robert Watts, Ken Hoppe, Dan Sutherland and Edwin Wellman. Forty-year awards went to Ken Gill and Charlie Mahler.
There also were reports on bighorn sheep and mule deer research, a presentation on the fish, wildlife and park resources in northeast Nebraska, and a report on how the Spalding Dam/Cedar River Fishway is benefitting fish species.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A federal report says an Omaha Police Department helicopter forced to make an emergency landing last week suffered a loss of engine power.
The Omaha World-Herald says a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board didn’t conclude how or why the power loss occurred on April 16. No agency investigators traveled to the scene of the emergency landing. The report says the pilots heard a horn before seeing an indicator that there was a loss of engine power.
The helicopter, Able-1, had just left its base at Omaha North Airport when the emergency happened.
Police say the pilots took immediate action and landed in an open field just northwest of the airport. The aircraft was damaged, but no one was injured.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Gov. Pete Ricketts has vetoed a bill that would let a rural Nebraska county impose a half-cent sales tax to pay off a $28.1 million legal debt to six people wrongfully convicted of murder.
Ricketts said Wednesday he opposes the measure because it would allow the Gage County Board of Supervisors to approve the tax without submitting it to a county-wide vote.
Gage County has already raised its property tax levy to the maximum allowed under state law. Supporters say the sales tax would help spread a burden heavily shouldered by land-rich farmers outside of Beatrice, where the murder took place.
The so-called Beatrice Six were imprisoned for the murder 68-year-old Helen Wilson but exonerated by DNA evidence in 2008.
The bill’s sponsor says he’ll try to override the veto.
LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska’s wildlife seems to have fared well overall in the wake of March’s blizzard and catastrophic flooding.
While some individual animals likely died, some new habitat to benefit wildlife has been created. The full impact of the blizzard and flood, in many cases, won’t be known for some time.
Upland Game – There likely were not many upland gamebird death because of the flooding, which occurred prior to the nesting season, as these birds are mobile and likely fled the rising water. It is too early to determine what nesting impacts there may be on pheasants and quail but brood surveys and whistle counts, in conjunction with the Rural Mail Carrier Survey (RMCS), should provide a better picture on the impact of this winter and floods. The April RMCS appears to indicate that this winter may not have been as hard on pheasants and turkey as initially thought. In addition, biologist still are finding prairie grouse in all their traditional lekking areas, but it appears the peak breeding activity may be slightly behind schedule compared to average years.
Waterfowl – It is too soon to know if the blizzard hurt Canada goose nesting, but the precipitation should provide good nesting conditions through May. Flooding likely didn’t impact waterfowl negatively, but instead created habitat for foraging spring migrators.
Furbearers and Carnivores – Some semi-aquatic furbearers, such as mink, muskrat, beaver and river otters, may have drown or been killed when dens were blocked or destroyed. Beaver dams and lodges likely were blown out by floodwater and debris. The long-term outlook may be good, as surge flooding creates new channels, sloughs, and backwaters that will provide new habitat.
Nongame Birds – In general, floods likely are beneficial to ecosystems and species in the long-term. The March blizzard and flooding produced a tremendous amount of wetland habitat, which would benefit millions of migratory birds. Some birds, especially some early-arriving insectivores likely perished in the blizzard, but most cold-sensitive species do not arrive until the latter part of April.
Big Game – There have been dead deer observed after the blizzard; diet, malnutrition and disease seeming to contribute to the loss. However, good numbers of deer still are being seen in many areas. No losses of bighorn sheep, elk, antelope or turkey have been reported.
Other Wildlife – While individual animals may have been impacted, most species were likely not affected at the population level. For the most part, flowers were not blooming yet, most migrant species were not in Nebraska, and birds were not nesting during the time of increased precipitation. Some benefits include the increase in connectivity of waterways, scouring of invasive vegetation, and aggregation of sandbars.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – A proposal designed to lower property taxes by raising Nebraska’s sales and cigarette taxes appears to be on a collision course in the Legislature, with Gov. Pete Ricketts lobbying hard against it while some lawmakers say it’s a necessary fix.
Ricketts railed against the proposal again on Wednesday, but his protests so far haven’t persuaded members of the Revenue Committee to drop the measure. A public hearing is set for 4 p.m. at the Capitol.
Ricketts says the proposal won’t work as intended, and points to similar attempts in the 1990s to lower property taxes by increasing other taxes and boosting state aid to K-12 schools. Those efforts failed to fix long-term property tax increases.
Ricketts was joined by business leaders who could lose sales tax exemptions under the bill.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers are hitting the brakes of a plan to move vulnerable residents who rely on government-funded care services into a system designed to keep costs low.
Senators advanced a bill Wednesday to delay the transition until July 1, 2021.
State officials have been moving Medicaid recipients to a “managed care” program that provides care services on the state’s behalf.
Managed care organizations receive a set amount of money from the state each month to care for enrollees. They get to keep money they don’t spend, creating an incentive to minimize costs.
The bill by Sen. Lynne Walz, of Fremont, would apply to people in nursing homes and assisted living facilities as well as those who receive home and community-based services.
Walz says the people affected are especially vulnerable.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has received a nearly $12 million federal grant to research challenges connected with rural drug abuse in the Midwest.
