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University of Nebraska looking to revitalize Greek life

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — An ongoing partnership between fraternities, sororities, advisers and university staff has launched at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to find the path toward a national model of Greek life.

The initiative called #GreekVitality launched in April amid a wave of fraternity suspensions resulting from high-profile violations of the university student code of conduct.

Phi Kappa Theta President Benjamin Hintz says that bringing individual Greek houses together and pointing them to a shared goal will help refocus the system on its original mission.

Beta Theta Pi board member Mike Wortman says that frats need to be more deliberate in their recruiting, while upperclassmen and alumni must be aware of how they model appropriate behavior to new members.

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Car crashes into home in Papillion; 2 in house uninjured

PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — Two people in a Papillion home have escaped injury following a car crashing into the house.

The crash happened around 8:15 a.m. Saturday. Police say the car crashed through two fences and came to a stop inside the home at 45th and Raynor street.

Police say the driver of the car likely suffered a seizure, which caused him to lose control of the vehicle.

Two people were in the house at the time, but were upstairs and uninjured.

Police continue to investigate.

Fourth person arrested in shooting death of Omaha man

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A fourth person has been arrested in the July 7 shooting death of an Omaha man.

Omaha police say 37-year-old Jason Rankin was arrested Friday in Iowa on unrelated charges and is being held on a Nebraska warrant charging him with first-degree murder in the death of 40-year-old Billy Allen Walker.

The arrest came two days after another man, 35-year-old Mark Gonzales, was arrested on warrant charging him with accessory to a felony in Walker’s death.

On July 13, a couple was arrested in Texas in the case. Twenty-nine-year-old Adrian Ixta is charged with first-degree murder and weapons counts and 26-year-old Milea Ixta is charged as an accessory.

Grant applications being taken to promote outdoor recreation

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is accepting grant applications for parks, outdoor facilities and other projects promoting outdoor recreation.

The grants are funded by the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a program administered by the National Park Service for outdoor recreation projects.

Eligible projects include ballfields, soccer fields, swimming pools, picnicking facilities, playgrounds, pool renovations, splash pads, park acquisitions and development, and park-related support facilities.

Project sponsors must be a political subdivision, such as cities, county governments or Natural Resource Districts, and the deadline to apply is Oct. 13.

Information and application materials also are available at https://outdoornebraska.gov/lwcf/.

Victory for ‘Dunkirk’ and ‘Girls Trip’ at box office

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s victory for “Dunkirk” at the box office this weekend. Studios on Sunday say the Christopher Nolan World War II epic earned an estimated $50.5 million to top the charts, with $11.7 million of that coming from IMAX screens.

The well-reviewed Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Tiffany Haddish and Jada Pinkett Smith comedy “Girls Trip” also beat expectations, taking second place with $30.4 million. Audiences were 79 percent female and gave the film a coveted A+ CinemaScore.

Not so successful was Luc Besson’s $180 million sci-fi epic “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets,” which earned $17 million from North American theaters over the weekend.

Exposure was limited, however. Besson’s production company EuropaCorp says 90 percent of the budget was already covered by foreign pre-sales, equity financing and tax subsidies.

Average US gas prices rise a penny, reversing 11-week trend

CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) — The average price of a gallon of regular-grade gasoline rose about a penny nationally over the past two weeks, to $2.32.

Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg of the Lundberg Survey said Sunday that the slight increase comes after 11 weeks of decline.

The current price is about 10 cents above where it was a year ago.

Gas in Reno, Nevada, was the most expensive in the contiguous United States at an average of $2.99 a gallon. The cheapest was in Jackson, Mississippi, at $1.97 a gallon.

The U.S. average diesel price is $2.51, the same as it was two weeks ago.

Omaha wastewater project is candidate for federal loan

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha has been invited to apply for a $55 million federal loan to help pay for upgrades to its sewer and wastewater treatment system.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says Omaha’s project was one of 12 nationwide chosen to apply for the loan.

EPA administrator Scott Pruitt says the loan program is designed to help pay for important infrastructure upgrades.

Omaha plans to build a new retention treatment basin to deal with sewer overflows in the Saddle Creek basin. The project would help improve the water quality of the Papillion Creek and Missouri River.

Kites and Castles event set July 29 at Lake McConaughy

OGALLALA, Neb. (AP) — The annual Kites and Castles event is scheduled for Saturday at Lake McConaughy (muh-KAH’-nuh-hay) State Recreation Area in western Nebraska’s Keith County.

The free event will be held in the southeast portion of Martin Bay.

Registration begins at 11 a.m. Sand castle building begins at noon and goes until 4 p.m. Winners will be announced at 5 p.m.

Go online at www.kitesandcastles.com for more information or to pre-register.

Singer dies in crash after performing at county fair

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A country singer who performed at the Thayer County Fair over the weekend has died after a crash at the fairgrounds.

Abby Uecker, who performed under the name Abby Nicole, died early Sunday.

The Nebraska State Patrol says the 25-year-old singer was found around 4:20 a.m. Sunday after an accident on the Thayer County fairgrounds involving a utility vehicle.

Uecker was taken to Thayer County Health Services in Hebron where she died around 5:30 a.m. Sunday.

Uecker performed with her band on Friday and Saturday nights after races at the Thayer County Speedway.

Lincoln County Marriage Licenses

July 21, 2017

  • Desmond Jamar Franklin-Robinson, 25, North Platte and Delilah Alyssa Delso, 25, North Platte

 

  • Christopher Lee Knepp, 28, North Platte and Samantha Jo Tafoya, 22, North Platte

 

  • Dillon John Mortensen, 26, Curtis and Beccah Jo Barnes, 25, Curtis

 

  • Derrick Allen Knolles, 28, North Platte and Suzanne Joy Deardoff, 24, North Platte

 

  • Chad Everett Carder, 46, North Platte and Stacy Christine Rogers, 47, North Platte

 

  • Mitchell Hart Tatman, 33, Stapleton and Amber Lee Webster, 27, Stapleton

 

  • Miguel Angel Sierra Riquelme, 30, North Platte and Sandra Mejia-Quezada, 28, North Platte

 

  • Cory Michael Baker, 26, North Platte and Jewel Marie Kelsey, 19, North Platte
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