A 21-year-old Fremont man has pleaded no contest to assaulting officers and spitting on one.

Sentencing is scheduled Nov. 26 for Eric Armenta, of Fremont.

Armenta entered the pleas on Monday to two counts of assault on an officer and one count each of terroristic threats and assault with a bodily fluid against an officer.

Dodge County Attorney Oliver Glass says the charges stem from a fight July 8 at a downtown Fremont business. Dodge County sheriff’s deputies and Fremont police officers responded.

Glass says Armenta kicked a door that struck an officer, breaking one of the officer’s hands. Glass says bit one deputy and spit in the face of another.

Glass also says Armenta threatened to harm jailers and their families.

Southeast Nebraska Community College has signed an agreement with Baker University that will help Southeast students transfer to the school in Kansas.

Southeast and Baker recently signed an articulation agreement that will make it easier for students to transfer credits from Southeast to Baker once they complete their associate’s degree.

Southeast has campuses in Lincoln, Milford and Beatrice. Baker is in Baldwin City, Kan.

Baker vice president Mark Beandre says this agreement will make it easier for Nebraska students to consider attending Baker.

Gov. Dave Heineman has submitted a high-deductible health savings option for approval by the federal government.

Heineman on Monday notified U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius of the “Nebraska option,” saying it will allow Nebraska residents a more affordable choice.

He noted that the federal government hasn’t supplied critical information, including regulations outlining the process that states are expected to comply.

Heineman says the “Nebraska option” would be the minimal coverage plan out of hundreds of health insurance plans that Nebraska residents can choose.

Under the federal health care overall, each state is to select a benefit package as a benchmark for all health insurance plans sold in the state, starting in 2014. States that don’t set their own benchmarks will have them set by the federal government.

Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Bob Kerrey criticized Republican opponent Deb Fischer for “sloganeering” without specifics during their final debate, while Fischer argued that Kerrey’s proposals were unrealistic.

The Nebraska candidates tangled Monday during their final debate before the election.

Kerrey said Fischer’s support for massive federal cuts might win her political points, but he argued it would hurt veterans, seniors and the military while increasing unemployment.

Fischer defended her proposal, and said Kerrey’s pledge for a constitutional amendment to make congress nonpartisan would be difficult to achieve.

Polls have shown Fischer, a rancher and state senator, leading Kerrey, a former governor and U.S. senator who moved back to Nebraska to run for Senate.

The debate was hosted by NET News in Lincoln.

Three high school students face trespassing and animal cruelty charges after bringing a 6-foot emu from Iowa and locking in Gretna High School.

A janitor found the emu when he entered the school’s commons area earlier this month. Sarpy County Sheriff’s deputies rounded up the bird and took it to a veterinarian to have a cut on its neck stitched. The emu now belongs to a Gretna company that puts on wildlife shows for parties and schools.

Lt. Mark Trapp says one of the students went to Iowa to buy the bird for $30. The three students originally planned to release it onto the school’s football field on Sept. 19. They instead put the bird in the school when they found it unlocked.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission says a free evening of archery is scheduled at the Families on Target program at the Lincoln Archery Range.

Archery equipment and Game and Parks instructors will be available.

The event takes place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 10. The Lincoln Archery Range is situated at 44th and Superior streets in Lincoln.

Click Here For Registration. 

An Omaha woman figured out a way to use a fashionable scarf to help prevent theft.

Angela Lee designed a scarf with hidden pockets, so women can carry their valuables without tipping off would-be pickpockets. The scarf also converts into a clutch purse.

Security consultant Tony Infantino says the scarf should deter theft because it doesn’t look like something designed to carry valuables.

Lee says she is working to get the scarves distributed nationwide, but they are available online at www.sholdit.com .

The University of Nebraska Medical Center is hosting a free science event that will focus on sports medicine.

The “Science Café” event is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Slowdown, an entertainment venue in Omaha. The scheduled speaker is Rusty McKune, sports medicine program coordinator for the Nebraska Medical Center, the university’s hospital partner.

McKune will talk about sports medicine and a new state concussion law that affects athletes 19 years old and younger.

McKune has spent the majority of his career working in athletic training rooms of high schools, colleges, and professional athletic organizations. He also served as president of the Nebraska State Athletic Trainers Association.

The talk will also be streamed live to Chadron State College.

Nebraska farmers and ranchers are trying to figure out what help they can expect from the federal government after Congress failed to extend the farm bill.

Many people involved in agriculture expect Congress to pass some kind of farm bill during the lame-duck session after the elections.

Several key programs in the bill expire at the end of the year. University of Nebraska-Lincoln farm policy expert Brad Lubben says it’s unlikely lawmakers would want to let the law expire because some programs, such as support for dairies, would revert to 1949 law and the provisions would be costly.

Even though the federal fiscal year ends Sept. 30, most federal programs and jobs tied to the farm bill will continue as before.

Authorities say more than $1,300 worth of popcorn has been stolen from a Cub Scout pack in southeast Nebraska.

A leader of Waverly Cub Scout Pack 76 discovered Wednesday that the flavored popcorn was missing from a garage at Waverly United Methodist Church in Waverly.

It’s believed the popcorn was stolen between 6 p.m. Monday and 7 p.m. Wednesday.

The Cub Scouts sell the popcorn as a fundraiser.