LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A federal trial is under way in Lincoln over a challenge to changes made in Nebraska’s sex offender laws in 2009

Three dozen sex offenders claim the state went too far. The case before U.S. Senior District Judge Richard Kopf, which began Monday, is expected to last two weeksIf the state wins, convicted sex offenders would be forced to disclose to law enforcement the online names they use and sites where they’ve posted comments. They would also be banned from using social networking sites, instant messaging and chat rooms that can be used by minors.

Defense attorneys say the law violates First Amendment rights. Prosecutors say sex offenders can look at websites, so long as they aren’t communicating.

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LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska environmental regulators say a new proposed corridor for the Keystone XL pipeline still crosses areas of fragile, sandy soil, even though it avoids what they defined as the Sandhills.

A report released Tuesday says the 2,000-foot-wide corridor runs through land that could erode, and passes near unconfined aquifers that supply drinking water to residents and livestock. Officials say most of the aquifers lie near the town of Stuart.

Regulators say pipeline developer TransCanada should carefully consider a route that avoids the aquifers, and document what safety precautions the company takes if doing so is not possible.

The pipeline is expected to carry Canadian crude oil through Nebraska on its way to Texas refineries. The report is part of an effort to find a route that avoids environmentally sensitive areas.

COLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Public Power District is asking customers to use less electricity.

High heat and high demand for power to run irrigation equipment have combined to tax NPPD’s transmission system.

NPPC Chief Operating Officer Tom Kent says in a news release issued Tuesday that for 16 of the past 19 days, the customer electrical load has peaked higher than the system load record of 2,671 megawatts sets in 2006.

Kent says the utility has enough power to meet the demand, but the amount of power carried raises NPPD’s concerns about maintaining reliable service. The power demand puts an extra load on transformers, substations and other equipment.

Consequently, NPPD has joined other utilities in Nebraska in asking customers to cut their power consumption.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Operators say the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant is about halfway through several studies, changes and inspections that have been ordered before the plant can resume operation.

A public meeting with Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials in Omaha on Tuesday, plant manager Mike Prospero said a lot of work remains before the Omaha Public Power District presses the NRC for a restart.

Prospero says “that will not happen until we are convinced we can restart safely and operate reliably for a long time in the future.”

Fort Calhoun, which sits about 20 miles north of Omaha, has been offline since April 2011. It was initially shut down for refueling maintenance, but flooding along the Missouri River and safety violations forced it to remain offline.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — An attorney accused of trying to take a dagger into the Lancaster County Courthouse has been acquitted.

William O’Brien was found not guilty after a nonjury trial last week in front of Lancaster County Judge Mary Doyle.

O’Brien, of Omaha, had been charged with a misdemeanor of possessing a dangerous weapon in a city or county facility.

The dagger was found Feb. 8 as security officers passed O’Brien’s briefcase through a courthouse X-ray machine.

The 51-year-old told officers the dagger belonged to his son and that he had forgotten it was in his briefcase.

The local ordinance requires that for a violation to occur, the person must knowingly possess the weapon.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — An advocacy group has filed a complaint against Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman, alleging that the Republican improperly used state resources to promote the candidacy of presidential hopeful Mitt Romney.

The complaint by Common Cause Nebraska, a government watchdog, takes issue with a press release from Heineman’s office about the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on the health care law. The release quoted Heineman as saying it was “more important than ever” to elect Romney, who has vowed to repeal the law if elected.

Heineman defended the decision on Tuesday, saying the health care law and the presidential election were inter-related issues. Heineman says he was making a statement of fact, and responding to press inquiries for his opinion on the ruling.

(Lincoln, Neb.) Gov. Dave Heineman today named Francie C. Riedmann of Omaha to the Nebraska Court of Appeals in the Third Judicial District.

 

Riedmann, 48, is currently practicing law with Gross & Welch, P.C., L.L.O. in Omaha. Her areas of legal practice include insurance disputes, construction law, contract disputes, employment, inverse condemnation, medical malpractice, admiralty law, and products liability, among others.

 

Riedmann has handled over 60 appeals to the Nebraska Supreme Court, Nebraska Court of Appeal, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. She has briefed and argued hundreds of motions in the Nebraska State and Federal Courts.

 

Riedmann has received numerous awards and recognitions for her legal work, including being a fellow for the Nebraska Bar Association and the Litigation Counsel of America. She has earned the American Jurisprudence Award in three areas: Trusts & Estates, Property, and Insurance. Additionally, she is active in many community services and organizations including the Black Student Catholic Scholarship Fund, Friends of the Library for the Gretna Public Library, and Gretna Public Schools Citizens’ Committee.

 

Riedmann earned her Juris Doctor from Creighton University School of Law, and a Bachelor of Science from Kearney State College, now the University of Nebraska -Kearney.

 

The Third Judicial District of the State Court of Appeals includes several counties in northeast Nebraska (Antelope, Boone, Boyd, Burt, Cedar, Cuming, Dakota, Dixon, Dodge, Holt, Knox, Madison, Pierce, Platte, Stanton, Thurston, Washington, Wayne, and Wheeler Counties, in addition to portions of Douglas and Sarpy Counties).

 

The vacancy was created when Gov. Heineman appointed Judge William B. Cassel to serve on the Nebraska Supreme Court, Third Judicial District.

LINCOLN – The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) has honored Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale’s office for an online application regarding tracking of proposed state rules and regulations.

 

NASS presented Gale’s office with the first-ever IDEAS Award. The national award recognizes innovation, dedication, excellence and achievement in service in state member programming, as well as significant contributions to the mission of NASS.

 

Gale’s office was honored for its creation of a state tracking and email notification system for proposed rules and regulations. NASS said this cross-agency application has yielded significant results in government economy through operational time savings in many areas.

 

“My office has brought the legal process of creating, amending and repealing regulations into the 21^stcentury,” Gale said.

 

“In a process that can be very lengthy, following up on every proposal manually could be challenging,” he said. “Now, the three agency administrators involved in the regulation adoption process have a tool that will accomplish this for the public.”

 

The online application was developed in partnership with Nebraska.gov, the state’s official website.