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State auditor wants his rulings to be enforced better

State Auditor Charlie Janssen
State Auditor Charlie Janssen

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — State Auditor Charlie Janssen may ask state lawmakers to find ways to enforce the findings his office makes after review spending by state agencies.

Currently, there is little that Janssen’s office can do besides call attention to bad management practices and questionable spending when it is found.

The latest example came earlier this month several problems were found in an audit of Nebraska Brand Committee. The director resigned, but was then offered a new job at the agency with the same pay.

Janssen says auditors often find the same lingering problems when they return to an agency three or four years after the last audit.

Auditors can ask prosecutors to look into a problem, but most cases don’t rise to that level.

Food deserts still a problem in Nebraska, but no easy fixes

ne-legislature-13LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers are once again looking for ways to ensure residents have easy access to healthy food even though previous efforts to address the problem have failed.

The newest ideas include grant programs and incentives to promote farmers markets, but the senator who is leading the push says he doesn’t see any easy fixes to eliminate food deserts in urban and rural areas.

Sen. Matt Hansen of Lincoln says some of his constituents now have to rely on relatives and friends or public transportation to shop for groceries because they don’t own a car and area grocery stores have closed.

Advocates say the problem affects both urban and rural Nebraska.

Union Pacific urges people not to take pictures near tracks

tracksOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Union Pacific has unveiled a new campaign urging people to stay off railroad tracks when taking selfies and to patiently wait for trains at crossings.

The railroad has put together a series of videos highlighting the dangers of railroad crossings and asking people to remember that their life is worth waiting a few minutes.

Another video reminds people that railroad tracks are never a safe place to take a selfie.

Some of the videos are available online at youtube.com while others will air as paid advertising.

Union Pacific is one of the nation’s largest freight railroads. It hauls freight across 23 Western states.

South Sioux City approves $3.75M renewable fuels power plant

Google Maps
Google Maps

SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. (AP) — South Sioux City officials have given final approval to the sale of a seven-acre tract that will become the future site of a $3.75 million renewable fuels power plant.

The proposed 3-megawatt plant will be built by Kentucky-based Green Star Energy Group and bring 15 jobs to the northeast Nebraska community. The plant will run on wood waste and is projected to provide about 8 percent of the city’s electricity.

Green Star is purchasing the site for the plant, located in South Sioux City’s Roth Industrial Development Park, from South Sioux City’s Community Development Agency for $140,000.

City Administrator Lance Hedquist says construction will likely begin next spring and is slated to be complete by July 1, 2018.

Health officials confirm rabies in Bellevue bat

Rabies Virus
Rabies Virus

BELLEVUE, Neb. (AP) — Health officials in eastern Nebraska have confirmed this year’s first case of rabies in Sarpy and Cass counties.

The Sarpy/Cass Health Department announced Friday that a bat found in Bellevue, south of Omaha, was infected with rabies.

Rabies is a viral disease transmitted through the bite or scratch of an infected animal that affects people. It is almost always fatal if not treated before symptoms appear.

Symptoms in animals include general sickness, swallowing problems and excessive drooling, slow and unusual movement, no apparent fear of humans and aggression.

Nebraska State Fair touts 2M visitors at Grand Island site

state-fair-genericGRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska State Fair has welcomed its 2 millionth visitor since the moving from Lincoln to Grand Island in 2010.

Jeff and Amanda Thober, of Ravenna, and their four children, were given the honor Friday evening of crossing the 2 million visitor mark.

The Thobers were greeted by State Fair officials as they came through the main gate. The honor got them season passes to this year’s fair, concert tickets and carnival passes, a gift certificate for the fair’s gift shop and $100 in cash.

This year’s state fair runs from Aug. 26 through Sept. 5.

Nebraska band goes hi-tech for high-stepping halftime shows

huskers logoLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Cornhusker Marching Band has new instruments to play as they prepare for and perform during this fall’s football season.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln group has leased 320 iPad Mini 4’s for three years.

Music, drills, formations and movements will be available at the touch of their screens.

The software puts sheet music in a format that allows scrolling and playing at the same time, allowing members to mark sections along the way. A metronome and tuner are built-in. The drill software helps improve the musicians’ synchronization by providing individual coordinates for each member.

The Cornhusker band is now in step with Ohio State University, which adopted the iPads in 2014. The University of Oklahoma also uses the technology.

GM recalling about 368,000 vehicles to fix windshield wipers

general-motorsGeneral Motors is recalling nearly 368,000 vehicles to fix a defective part that could prevent the windshield wipers from working.

The problem affects the 2013 models of the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. GM says those vehicles were built with ball joints that could corrode and wear out to render the windshield wipers inoperable.

A report filed with government regulators says a GM manager in Canada spotted the potential safety hazard last December. The auto manufacturer opened an investigation in March and decided to issue a recall earlier this month.

GM says it will cover the repair costs once it determines when it will be able to fix the problem.

Chevrolet Equinox owners can call 1-800-222-1020 and GMC Terrain can call 1-800-462-8782 for further information.

7 apply to become southeast Nebraska district court judge

judgeshipLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Seven people have applied to fill a southeastern Nebraska district judgeship left vacant earlier this year when Judge Jeffrey Funke was appointed to the state Supreme Court.

Those applying for the 2nd Judicial District bench include Julie Bear and Nathan Cox, both of Plattsmouth; Jennifer Huxoll, of Palmyra; David Partsch, of Nebraska City; Paul Payne, of Dodge; Michael Smith, of Springfield; and Margaret Zarbano, of Omaha.

The district consists of Cass, Otoe, and Sarpy counties. The primary place of office is Plattsmouth.

The Judicial Nominating Commission will hold a public hearing at the Cass County Courthouse on Sept. 15, when it will review all the applicants.

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