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Presbyterians Approve Gay Marriage in Church Constitution

gaymarriageNEW YORK (AP) — The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has recognized gay marriage for all of its congregations.

The denomination will expand its definition of marriage in the church constitution to say that marriage is a “commitment between two people.”

The top Presbyterian legislative body endorsed the new wording last year. But amending the constitution required approval from the majority of regional bodies, or presbyteries. The key “yes” vote came Tuesday night from the Presbytery of the Palisades in New Jersey.

The amendment caps decades of church debate over same-sex relationships. The denomination has about 1.8 million members and 10,000 congregations.

Church leaders acknowledged theological differences over marriage within the church and are asking for mutual respect as those disagreements play out. The new definition allows local clergy or congregations to opt out of hosting gay weddings.

5 People Being Monitored for Ebola at Nebraska Hospital

nebraska-medical-centerOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska hospital monitoring five American aid workers who were exposed to Ebola in Sierra Leone says they were all doing well Tuesday.

Nebraska Medical Center spokesman Taylor Wilson says none of the people being monitored in Omaha was displaying symptoms of Ebola of Tuesday.

One person remained in the hospital’s biocontainment unit Tuesday as a precaution. That person developed some symptoms Sunday night, but then improved Monday.

Wilson says that person will leave the isolation unit Thursday if they remain free of symptoms and return to a less restrictive location on the hospital campus where the others are staying.

The aid workers were evacuated from Sierra Leone after one of their colleagues contracted the deadly virus.

Rollover Crash Kills Falls City Man

fatal-accidentVERDON, Neb. (AP) — A 37-year-old Falls City man has been killed in a rollover accident near Verdon in southeast Nebraska.

The Richardson County Sheriff’s Office says William Lester was headed south on Nebraska Highway 67 late Saturday night or early Sunday morning when he lost control of his pickup when he didn’t stop at the intersection with U.S. Highway 73.

The pickup ran into a ditch and then back onto the roadway before rolling several times, ejecting Lester. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The accident is being investigated.

Cops: Woman on Meth Kills Husband She Mistakes for Intruder

crime-scene-police-shootKNOX DALE, Pa. (AP) — Police say a Pennsylvania woman high from smoking methamphetamine has fatally shot her husband after mistaking him for an intruder.

Police say 31-year-old Trista Zickefoose shot her 40-year-old husband, Greg, on Sunday night at their duplex apartment in Knox Township, about 80 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

Authorities say that the couple had argued after smoking the drug together and that Trista Zickefoose later heard a noise that she believed was from an intruder. Police say she grabbed a 9 mm pistol she kept under her pillow and fired a warning shot.

Police say her husband tried to take the gun away from her, but she shot him in the chest. She remains jailed Tuesday on a charge of criminal homicide.

Court records don’t list an attorney for her.

Omaha School Board Approves Plan to Create Career Academy

omaha-psOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A school board has approved a plan to convert Benson High School in Omaha into a career academy, which is a new twist on the traditional vocational schools.

The $1.8 million proposal to convert the school into Omaha Public Schools’ only career-oriented high school was unanimously approved Monday.

Career academies emphasize job training and give students multiple pathways to earn college credit or industry certifications. Benson students would study business and entrepreneurship; health professions; or construction and design.

Students will also learn how to obtain a job straight out of high school, or how to pursue a higher education degree.

Benson officials say that they need $1.8 million and a six-year commitment from the Omaha Public Schools’ school board to get the career academies going. The cost of the academy includes teacher training, eight new staff hires and other start-up costs.

Aspirin Users with Common Gene May Get Less Colon Cancer

Medical-ChartCHICAGO (AP) — Researchers have identified common genetic traits that may explain how aspirin can help protect against colon cancer.

It’s too soon to recommend aspirin for colon cancer prevention and the needed genetic tests aren’t available outside of research. But they might be someday if future studies confirm the results.

Aspirin users were less likely than nonusers to get colon or rectal cancer if they had genetic traits found in about 90 percent of the participants. Cancer patients were less likely to have the beneficial traits, and less likely to be frequent aspirin users.

The results were published in Tuesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association.

Frequent aspirin use can cause intestinal bleeding so it’s not generally recommended for cancer prevention.

School Bus Hits, Seriously Injures 7-Year-Old in Idaho

school-busNAMPA, Idaho (AP) — Idaho police say a 7-year-old boy is hospitalized with serious injuries after he was hit by a school bus while crossing a street on his walk to school.

Nampa Police Sgt. Joe Ramirez says the first-grader was in an unmarked crosswalk when he was hit by the bus Tuesday morning. He was walking to school with an older brother.

The 7-year-old’s aunt, Rashell Okrakel, tells Boise television station KTVB that the bus stopped for the older boy but then began moving, hitting the younger child. Okrakel says the impact threw the boy several feet and knocked him unconscious.

Ramirez says the collision is under investigation, and the 75-year-old bus driver has not been charged.

Nebraska School for the Blind Will Celebrate 140 Years

nebraska-school-for-the-bliNEBRASKA CITY, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska City school for the visually impaired is set to celebrate its 140th anniversary.

The Nebraska Center for the Education of Children who are Blind or Visually Impaired will celebrate by holding an open house Sunday to showcase its facilities.

The center works with school districts to assess the needs of students, which can include daily living skills, learning Braille, learning how to use the Internet and job exploration. The school serves about 800 students, ages 5 to 21, from across the state.

Students may stay at the school for a day, a week or longer depending on their individual programs. The center, which is open year-round, also works with younger children to assess their needs before they enter school.

Ex-Ag Chief Yeutter Pledges $2.5M Toward Trade Institute

Clayton Yeutter
Clayton Yeutter

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A former U.S. trade representative and agriculture secretary has pledged $2.5 million toward establishment of a new international trade and finance institute at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The university announced Monday that Clayton Yeutter’s outright gift and commitment will be used for what will be called the Clayton K. Yeutter Institute of International Trade and Finance. The plan awaits a vote by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.

Yeutter, who lives in Potomac, Maryland, was born in 1930 in Eustis, Nebraska, and has served four U.S. presidents in a career spanning several decades. He earned all of his degrees at the University of Nebraska, beginning with a bachelor’s in 1952.

6 Flee from Fire That Destroys Northeast Nebraska Home

stanton-county-sheriffHOSKINS, Neb. (AP) — Six people in a family have escaped safely from flames that destroyed their rural home in northeast Nebraska’s Stanton County.

County Sheriff Mike Unger says firefighters were dispatched around 1:30 a.m. Monday to the three-story house on Nebraska Highway 35 near Hoskins. Crews from Hoskins, Norfolk, Stanton and Winside were called in to help.

The couple and their four children were home when the fire started, but they fled to safety. The home and an outbuilding were destroyed.

The fire cause is being investigated.

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