LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Board of Education voted Friday to oppose legislative bills that would authorize charter schools and provide vouchers for students to attend private schools in certain cases.
The board voted 7-1 to oppose those bills. Only board member Pat McPherson, of Omaha, supported the bills.
The first bill would authorize charter schools in districts with low-performing public schools. Several board members questioned the constitutionality of that proposal, noting it would create a separate commission to oversee charter schools.
The other measure would provide vouchers for students to attend private schools if their local schools are among the lowest-performing statewide.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Pete Ricketts’ income and property tax package is drawing praise from Nebraska’s business community, but leading farm groups say it doesn’t do enough to address their concerns about rising property taxes.
Farm groups say they support the governor’s proposal to change how agricultural land is valued, but they’re disappointed the package doesn’t offer more to landowners.
Business groups note that state government can only directly control sales and income tax rates. Local governments impose property taxes.
The property tax plan would switch from a system that relies on sale prices to one that focuses on how much income a parcel could potentially earn. If it were in place this year, the bill would have reduced the combined taxable value of Nebraska’s agricultural land by 2 percent.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraskans filing their tax returns this tax season again have the chance to contribute to a wildlife and habitat conservation fund.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission says the optional donation appears on Line 42 of the state’s 2016 income tax forms. Kristal Stoner, the commission’s wildlife diversity program manager, says the checkoff is one of the main sources of funding used to conserve more than 95 percent of nongame wildlife species.
The Game and Parks Commission says donations can also be made without filing tax forms, via the website NebraskaWildlifeFund.org. Contributions can also be sent to the Wildlife Conservation Fund, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370.
GERING, Neb. (AP) — A Scottsbluff man has pleaded not guilty to charges in connection to the stabbing death of a Scottsbluff woman on Dec. 31.
The trial for 64-year-old Lucio Munoz was set Friday for May.
Munoz was arrested last month in Bradley, Illinois, after he was charged on suspicion of first-degree murder in an arrest warrant.
The body of 48-year-old Melissa May was found the morning of Jan. 3 after officers went to check on her welfare. Authorities say they believe Munoz used a knife to kill May on Dec. 31.
Munoz is being held at the Scotts Bluff County jail on a $2 million bond.
AMHERST, Neb. (AP) — Officials in central Nebraska say two people have died in a rollover crash near Amherst.
The Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office says the crash happened just before 3 a.m. Saturday on a gravel road northwest of Amherst. Amherst is about 20 miles northwest of Kearney.
Investigators say a large pickup driven by a 23-year-old Amherst man and carrying five other adults left the road, entered the west ditch and rolled.
Authorities say a 21-year-old Bassett woman and a 29-year-old Kearney man died at the scene. The four others were taken to a Kearney hospital. None of their names have yet been released pending notification of family members.
Authorities say an seven-month-old North Platte girl has died following a two-vehicle crash in logan county.
According to the Nebraska State Patrol, the crash happened on Friday morning when 30-year-old Matthew Plunk, of North Platte, was traveling eastbound on US Highway 92 and collided with a deer. Officials say the collision caused Plunk to lose control of his vehicle and veer into the westbound lane.
At the same time, 26-year-old Allison Rosentrater, of Arnold, was traveling westbound and collided with Plunk’s vehicle.
Troopers say Plunk had two passengers in his vehicle, 30-year-old Stacy Shannon, also of North Platte, and their daughter, Isabella Plunk.
As a result of the collision, Isabella was ejected from the vehicle. Officials say it does appear that she was in a car seat.
Isabella was transported by helicopter to Great Plains Health, where she died.
Matthew Plunk and Shannon were both transported to Great Plains Health with unknown injuries. Rosentrater was treated at a Callaway hospital and released.
A 28-year-old North Platte woman who police have been searching for since a December knife attack has been arrested.
On December 23, 2016, officers responded to the Emergency Room at Great Plains Health where a 20-year-old female victim was being treated for a possible stab wound.
Officers arrived and found that the woman had a large laceration to her scalp and forehead area, which was several inches long and required numerous staples.
The victim told officers that she had been at the Knights Inn Motel, 501 Halligan Drive, when she had been assaulted.
Officers responded to the motel and located the room where the alleged assault had occurred. Investigator John Deal says blood evidence was found inside of the room.
Several witnesses in the room were interviewed, and it was determined that Victoria Arriola owed the victim money and had been invited to the room by the victim.
Deal says Arriola and a male subject arrived and a confrontation took place, at which time Arriola reportedly produced a large fixed-blade knife and slashed the victim across the head. Arriola and the male then left the scene.
According to Deal, statements made by witnesses made it obvious that the disagreement revolved around the distribution of methamphetamine.
Officers searched for Arriola but were unable to locate her and a warrant for her arrest was issued.
On February 2, an officer saw a vehicle with no license plates driving in the 700 block of West Ninth Street and conducted a traffic stop.
The officer made contact with the male driver, Steven Perez, and a female passenger identified as Arriola.
Arriola was taken into custody and jailed on charges of 1st-degree assault and use of a weapon to commit a felony.
Perez was jailed for felony driving under suspension. Deal says his license was suspended for 15 years.
A knife was recovered during the course of the investigation but Deal says investigators have not confirmed that it was the knife used in the attack.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers are considering making public records requests more expensive for non-residents.
The Legislature’s Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee heard a bill Thursday from Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue. It would allow state and local government agencies to charge out-of-state requesters the salary of officials who compile records.
Blood says the bill should dissuade companies that file large public records requests and then sell the information they receive. She says it shouldn’t affect ordinary citizens requesting documents. Fees also wouldn’t apply to media outlets.
Several cities and schools boards say they’ve lost money and staff time to extensive requests from a private company in Florida that compiles and sells local government purchasing information.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers still aren’t any closer to passing a proposal meant to balance the state’s finances during the five months left in the current budget cycle.
The Legislature adjourned for the day Thursday without voting on the bill.
Several lawmakers argued with Gov. Pete Ricketts’ decision to allocate less money than budgeted to agencies earlier in the fiscal year. Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln says the budget lawmakers approve is meant to be followed.
The budget bill would impose across-the board cuts, make withdrawals from cash funds and take back unspent money from departments.
Senators could vote Friday on an amendment to send the measure back to Legislature’s Appropriations Committee to reconsider cuts.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Board of Education voted Friday to oppose legislative bills that would authorize charter schools and provide vouchers for students to attend private schools in certain cases.
