LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — University of Nebraska students have expressed mixed feelings to the announcement that a beloved Lincoln fast-food chain will leave the student union next month.

Runza has served the university’s student union for a decade and has deep roots in the state, with its first restaurant opening in Lincoln in 1949.

The university chose out-of-state vendors to take its place in the student union, Runza spokeswoman Becky Perrett told the Omaha World-Herald. The company wanted to stay but had been outbid, she said.

Two new restaurants are lined up to replace Runza, said Charlie Francis, director of the Nebraska Union. He declined to offer specifics because the restaurants haven’t finalized agreements, which is expected to occur in the next several weeks.

Runza has made contributions to the university and its foundation in the past, said Runza Restaurants President Donald Everett Jr. in a letter.

“We received no credit in the bidding process for a sizable contribution to the new College of Business building, for our continuing support of the University Foundation, or the multi-million dollar sponsorships of Husker Athletics,” Everett said.

The university doesn’t consider contributions in an effort to be fair to all vendors submitting proposals, Francis said.

The unidentified restaurants will open by late summer, he said.

Student Robert Keck, 26, said he’s sad to see Runza leave campus.

“Replacing a business that was grown in Nebraska is a mistake,” Keck said. “I think we should support some of the businesses, especially Runza, that were started here.”

Student Kathryn Zielny, 21, was impartial to the decision.

“I’m not from Nebraska, so I’m indifferent,” Zielny said. “I’ll be happy with whatever comes as long as they have fries.”

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature Jim Scheer is trying to get lawmakers to compromise on a property tax reduction bill in the session’s final days.

Scheer invited five key senators to meet in his office Saturday in a last-ditch effort to find something that can win approval. Monday is the last day for bills to receive first-round approval and still have a chance of passing this year.

Senators remain sharply divided over several bills touted as ways to address the issue.

Scheer’s announcement drew criticism from some lawmakers who say his group wasn’t diverse enough. All five are Republicans, and all but one are from rural communities.

Scheer says he didn’t intend to exclude others but wants to keep the group size manageable. He says he’s open to others participating.

One man has been arrested following the discovery of an improvised explosive device in a residence in Stratton.

Investigators with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP), with assistance from NSP Troop D Field Services, the NSP Police Service Dog Division, NSP Hazardous Device Technicians, and the Hitchcock County Sheriff’s Office, made the discovery while executing a search warrant on a residence at 105 Howard St. in Stratton.

The resident, Fredrick A. Hamilton, 51, is involved in a legal dispute with the village of Stratton. It was reported to NSP that Hamilton has made threats to inflict physical harm or death toward one of the village officials. Investigators had also received information that one of the threats included mention of an improvised explosive device.

Upon executing the search warrant, NSP discovered an improvised explosive device that was consistent with the information given to investigators. The NSP Bomb Squad rendered the device safe.

Hamilton was arrested for possession of a destructive device and threatening to use explosives. He was lodged in Hitchcock County Jail.

Update (4.5.18, 4:00 pm)

Statement from Investigator John Deal:

On 4/4/18 NPPD requested assistance from the public in identifying the suspect in these robberies.  Pictures of the suspect and vehicle used were released to the media and posted to social media.  Within just a few hours the Lincoln County Crimestoppers hotline received several valid tips about the suspect and vehicle.

Officers were told the vehicle and suspect, Cory Tabbee, would be at a residence in the 1800 block of East 2nd street.  Officers located the vehicle there and interviewed the owner of it who will not be named as they have not been charged with any crime.  The owner allowed officers to search the vehicle and indicated that Corey Tabbee lived at the residence and has used their vehicle in the past.

Cory was not on scene and officers were granted a search warrant for the residence.  In Cory’s room officers located clothing, a bandana, and boots that appear to match what the suspect wore during the robberies.  Inside of the pickup they located a package of cigarettes that matches what kind the suspect received in the Kwik Stop robbery.

On the morning of 4/4/18 officers again went to the residence and this time located Cory who was arrested without incident.  The knife or cash were not recovered.  It is believed that Cory was alone when the robberies took place.  Corey was incarcerated for 2 counts of robbery and use of a weapon to commit a felony.

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Update fron NP Police (4.5.18, 11:06 am)

According to Investigator John Deal, Cory Tabbee was arrested at his residence in the 1800 block of West 2nd Street. More information is expected to be released later.
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Update from NP Police (4.5.18, 10:55am)

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The North Platte Police Department is investigating multiple armed robberies and is asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspect.

Between 4:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m.,  on April 2, 2018, the NPPD investigated two armed robberies that occurred approximately 30 minutes apart.

In the first incident, a male dressed in all black clothing with a black bandana covering his face entered the Kwik Stop at 1420 Rodeo Rd. The suspect brandished a large kitchen knife at the clerk and demanded the cash from the register. The suspect removed cash from the drawer and left.

In the second incident, a suspect matching the same description entered Penny’s Diner and brandished a large kitchen knife at the clerk. The suspect again removed cash from the drawer and left. The suspect also entered the Kwik Stop at 9th and Jeffers but did not commit a robbery although it is believed those were his intentions.

Witnesses describe the suspect as Hispanic or Native American and being approximately 6 feet tall with an average build. It was further reported the suspect may have a scar on his nose. A maroon pickup is also believed to be involved in these incidents and it is unknown if the suspect was working alone or if there were others in the vehicle.

This suspect is considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached.

If you have information about these incidents please call NPPD or utilize the Lincoln County Crimestoppers program.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska state officials have requested an execution warrant for the state’s longest-serving death-row inmate.

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson asked the state Supreme Court on Tuesday to grant an execution warrant for Carey Dean Moore, who was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1979 shooting deaths of two Omaha cab drivers.

Nebraska hasn’t executed an inmate since 1997 when inmate Robert Williams was electrocuted for killing three women. The state has since adopted a lethal injection protocol.

The court motion says Moore has no pending appeals or stays of execution in state or federal courts. Moore has had several execution dates set, most recently in 2007 and 2011, but courts have stayed them.

An execution warrant triggers a 60-day window for state officials to carry out the execution and allows them to set a date. It’s not clear when or if the Supreme Court would issue it.

State officials notified Moore in January of the drugs they intend to use.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Lawmakers have advanced a measure that would regulate Nebraska’s bottle clubs.

Sen. Theresa Thibodeau of Omaha said Tuesday the changes would require bottle clubs to receive liquor licenses, though they could still remain open until 5 a.m. Bottle clubs offer nude entertainment and allow customers to bring their own alcohol.

The measure has been attached to an omnibus liquor regulation bill. An effort to connect it to sex-trafficking legislation failed last week.

Thibodeau and Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks were both criticized on a sign outside a Waverly strip club for backing the legislation. They say repeated attempts to intimidate them have not affected their decisions.

Lawmakers passed over the measure without a vote after roughly three hours of debate, as they’ve done with other bills facing a legislative filibuster.

Sen. Jim Smith, of Papillion, the bill’s sponsor, now has to show support from a 33-vote supermajority of senators before the speaker of the Legislature will return it to the agenda. The bill has to win first-round approval by Friday to have a shot at passing in the final days of this year’s session.

“I would not continue this fight if I did not think there was a path” to overcoming the filibuster, Smith said after the debate.

In a statement, Ricketts said lawmakers should work together on a tax-cut package.

“It is unacceptable for senators to fail to deliver property tax relief for the second year in a row,” he said, citing a stalled effort from the 2017 session.

Smith touted the legislation as the only realistic option to address property and income taxes in this year’s session.

Even so, the bill opened a sharp divide among lawmakers, including some who have pitched their own plans to lower property taxes. None have passed.

“This is one of the most ridiculous pieces of legislation that I’ve ever seen,” said Sen. Steve Erdman, of Bayard, a fellow Republican who is pushing for a much more aggressive statewide property tax ballot measure — an approach Ricketts opposes.

One measure by Sen. Tom Briese of Albion would ease pressure on property taxes by increasing the state sales and cigarette taxes and eliminating more than two dozen sales tax exemptions. Another bill would guarantee a minimum amount of state aid for Nebraska’s public K-12 schools, the main driver of property taxes.

The governor’s proposal would offer income tax credits to reimburse a portion of the property taxes paid by agricultural landowners and homeowners. Commercial property wouldn’t see any new benefits, but the bill would lower Nebraska’s top corporate income tax rate and pump $5 million a year into job training programs.

Homeowners would get a tax credit equal to 1 percent of their total property taxes in 2018, capped at $25. Agricultural landowners would get a credit totaling 2 percent of their property tax bill, with no cap. The credits would increase over time, but opponents said they wouldn’t keep pace with inflation.

Sen. Curt Friesen, a farmer from Henderson, said the bill doesn’t provide a substantial amount of benefits and fails to address the core problem of state financing for schools, which forces districts to compensate with local property taxes.

Others raised concerns that the bill would create long-term budget problems for the state. Supporters haven’t specified how they’ll pay for the tax package after the first year.

“It places us in a situation where we’re not able to respond to urgent needs,” said Sen. Kate Bolz, of Lincoln, a member of the budget-crafting Appropriations Committee.

The latest version of the proposal would cover the first-year cost by drawing approximately $40 million from the cash reserve, a fund intended for emergencies and one-time expenses. Lawmakers have repeatedly tapped it the last few years to balance the state budget and invest in projects such as road construction.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new report says there are more doctors in Nebraska than there were 10 years ago, but 13 counties still don’t have a primary care physician.

The Status of the Healthcare Workforce report issued Wednesday says data from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the state show the number of doctors has risen 11 percent.

The report says nearly a fifth of physicians in Nebraska are more than 60 years old and likely to retire in the near future. It also says 18 of 93 Nebraska counties have no pharmacist.

The report recommended more state support for programs and educational initiatives that provide incentives for health care professionals to practice in rural communities.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Petitions are now ready for a ballot measure that would let voters decide whether to expand Medicaid coverage to an estimated 90,000 low-income people in Nebraska.

The Insure the Good Life campaign announced Monday that the Nebraska secretary of state’s office has finalized language for the ballot petition.

The campaign needs to gather approximately 85,000 signatures by July 6 to place the measure on the November general-election ballot. Organizers say they’re seeking volunteers to help gather signatures.

Nebraska is seeking to join 32 other states and the District of Columbia in expanding Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act. Idaho, Montana, and Utah are currently in the midst of similar ballot initiatives, and Maine passed one last year.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The University of Nebraska at Omaha will be hosting a 48-hour cybersecurity “hackathon.”

Participants will form teams to create and pitch proposals about enhancing the cybersecurity of physical systems to a panel of judges, including military officials from U.S. Strategic Command.

Teams will compete for $15,000 in prizes and the opportunity to pursue their plan with mentorship from MD5, a technology accelerator program launched by the Department of Defense and several universities.

The event will also take place at the University of Colorado in Boulder. About 100 people are expected to attend at the two campuses Friday through Sunday.

“We hope to have a variety of individuals,” said Robin Gandhi, an associate professor of cybersecurity at the University of Nebraska who’s helping coordinate the hackathon. “Even if you don’t have experience in the topic, you can bring a fresh perspective.”

Private-sector workers with an interest in technology are invited to participate, along with people with backgrounds in finance, engineering and computer science, Gandhi said.

Cybersecurity of physical systems is a growing field now that computers have linked up systems originally designed to stand alone, according to Gandhi. He said companies and military installations face issues with networks vulnerable to hacking. Such a network could be a mobile app that controls a home’s lights, burglar alarms and kitchen appliances, though companies and military groups face these problems on a larger scale.

John Pyrovolakis is founder and director of the UNO-based Innovation Accelerator Foundation. He hopes the hackathon draws enough interest and funding to turn it into an annual event, which could persuade students to pursue post-college careers with the military.