A tick bite might make you a vegetarian, or at least make you swear off red meat.

Doctors across the nation are seeing a surge of sudden meat allergies in people bitten by Lone Star ticks, which are found in the Southwest and eastern half of the U.S.

This bizarre problem was only discovered a few years ago but is growing as the ticks spread to more areas. Eating a burger or steak landed some people in the hospital.

The bugs harbor a type of sugar humans don’t have but that is found in red meat. The tick bite conveys the sugar to the bloodstream, and the immune system can go overboard reacting to the foreign substance.

Doctors say the allergy is one more reason to avoid ticks.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska prisons department has suspended some department workers who are facing discipline in the inmate sentencing scandal.

Nebraska Department of Correctional Services director Mike Kenney said in a news release Wednesday that he couldn’t release names or say how many employees were being suspended.

The Omaha World-Herald first reported that internal emails showed officials knew sentences were being calculated incorrectly for hundreds of prisoners and didn’t correct the problem.

Nearly 600 sentences had to be recalculated after the problem was discovered earlier this summer. Most of the sentences that had to be extended were for inmates still in prison, but dozens of prisoners had to be tracked down after being released early.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) — A 36-year-old Omaha man has been given five years in prison after making a plea deal with prosecutors in Lincoln County.

Marcus Thomas was convicted of attempted robbery. He’d pleaded guilty after prosecutors lowered the charge. Thomas was sentenced on Monday in Lincoln County District Court.

Police say Thomas and his wife, 35-year-old Tamara Thomas, robbed a North Platte convenience store on Sept. 14 last year. Tamara Thomas is charged with aiding and abetting a felony. Her next court hearing is scheduled for Sept. 8.

• Today: Isolated showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Calm wind becoming southeast around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
• Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly between 10pm and 5am. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. East southeast wind 3 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
• Friday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 83. South southeast wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
• Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
• Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. South southeast wind 7 to 10 mph.
• Saturday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62.

GERING, Neb. (AP) — A trial has been delayed for a 27-year-old man accused in the death of a 2-year-old Gering girl in 2008.

Jury selection was scheduled to begin this coming Monday for the trial of Dustin Chauncey. But his attorneys requested a delay because of a death in one of their families. The trial now is scheduled to begin Oct. 27.

Chauncey has pleaded not guilty to intentional child abuse resulting in the death of Juliette Geurts in July 2008. Chauncey was the boyfriend at the time of the girl’s mother, Charyse Geurts. Charges against her have been dismissed because of the statute of limitations.

UPDATE 8/7/14 9:30 a.m.

According to the Lexington Police Department, Dulce Frias Prado has been located and returned home safely.

Police thanked the public for their tips and concerns.

Police continue to look for Bryan Vallejo.  If you have any information, contact the Lexington Police Department.

No further details on the circumstances of Prado’s disappearance were released.

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The Lexington Police Department is investigating two runaway/missing juveniles.

Police say Bryan Vallejo and Dulce Frias Prado, aka Vanessa Prado, left their homes on the afternoon of August 3, and have not been seen since.

Police believe the two teens may be together.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of Vallejo and/or Prado, contact the Lexington Police Department at 308-324-2317.

Ages and descriptions of Vallejo and Prado were not given.

A 43-year-old North Platte man, who was accused of sexually assaulting his girlfriend’s daughter, has died after he attempted to hang himself in jail.

According to Officer Rodney Brown, Christopher Taylor died at around 11:15 a.m., on August 5, at Great Plains Health in North Platte.

Taylor was arrested on July 30 and charged with sexual assault of a child, after police met with a female juvenile and her mother, who alleged that Taylor had sexually penetrated the girl on July 29.

At around 8:00 p.m., on July 31, North Platte Police responded to the Lincoln County Detention Center on the report that Taylor had attempted to hang himself.

Taylor was found unconscious and transported to Great Plains Health.

Brown said an autopsy will be performed within the next few days, and the investigation is ongoing.

 

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Supreme Court has agreed to hear a legal challenge to a statewide ballot measure that could allow electronic betting on previously recorded horse races.

Gambling opponents are trying to disqualify the measure from the ballot. Secretary of State John Gale announced last month that he would allow the measure on the November general election ballot. Lawmakers approved the measure earlier this year.

The ballot language would give voters the chance to approve wagering on previously run horse races that are shown on video screens at Nebraska’s five licensed race tracks. It also would require that tax revenue from both live and replayed horse races go toward education, property tax relief and a compulsive gambling treatment program.

The court has scheduled oral arguments for Aug. 27.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Two advocacy groups are suing Nebraska on behalf of a single mother who says she faced repeated delays when renewing her federal food benefits.

The lawsuit alleges that the Department of Health and Human Services failed to process the request in a timely manner, as required by federal law.

It was filed on behalf of Tami Leiting-Hall, a fast food worker in Lincoln, and other Nebraskans who have applied for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program since Jan. 1, 2012.

Nebraska processes SNAP benefits through the ACCESS Nebraska system, which has been criticized in recent years for causing delays and errors. Leiting-Hall is represented by Nebraska Appleseed and the National Center for Law and Economic Justice.

Nebraska DHHS spokesman Russ Reno says the department doesn’t comment on pending lawsuits.

AURORA, Neb. (AP) — A company executive says a better market has led to the reopening of an ethanol plant in south-central Nebraska.

Aventine Renewable Energy Inc. has reopened its Vogelbusch Nebraska Energy LLC plant in Aurora. It’s been sitting idle since 2012.

Aventine President and CEO Mark Beemer told The Grand Island Independent that the reopening was a result of the market. Corn prices have been hovering around $3.50 a bushel, compared with nearly $8 a bushel in August 2012.

Beemer says “we decided to restart it due to the positive ethanol margin environment.”

Pekin, Illinois-based Aventine has plants in Pekin and Dayton in Illinois and has another, larger plant in Aurora.