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3 Kansas Hospital Patients Die of Ice Cream-Related Illness

Medical-ChartDALLAS (AP) — Officials at a Wichita, Kansas, hospital say five people who fell ill with listeriosis after consuming a Blue Bell ice cream product became sick while patients in their hospital. Three of the people died.

A spokeswoman for Via Christi St. Francis Hospital in Wichita says five patients became ill with listeriosis during their hospitalizations for unrelated causes between December 2013 and January 2015.

Spokeswoman Maria Loving says hospital officials were unaware that some items produced on one of the 25 production lines at Blue Bell’s Central Texas creamery had been contaminated with listeria bacteria. She said all Blue Bell Creameries products were immediately removed from all Via Christi Health facilities in Kansas and Oklahoma once the potential contamination was discovered.

Police: No Injuries After Bus Overturned in Western Iowa

bus-accidentTREYNOR, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say no injuries were reported when a school bus carrying about 20 children overturned on a rural road in western Iowa.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office says the rollover occurred around 2:30 p.m. Friday near the intersection of 290th Street and Delta Road northwest of Treynor, Iowa. Officials estimate as many as 20 children were on board at the time of incident, but that no one was hurt and all passengers made it safely off the bus.

No further information has been released.

Lawsuit Against Nebraska Lake Association, Family Revived

ne-supreme-courtOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Supreme Court has revived a paralyzed man’s lawsuit against a northeast Nebraska private lake community association and a family who invited him to the lake, where he was injured.

Cole Hodson was paralyzed from the chest down on July 26, 2010, after diving into Willers Cove lake near Pilger, hitting an unexpected shallow area and breaking his neck. He was 18 at the time.

On Friday, the Nebraska Supreme Court upheld the dismissal of the lawsuit against a couple who formerly owned the lake, saying they could not have reasonably foreseen any injury to Hudson. However, the high court said the lower court was wrong to dismiss the case against Willers Cove Owners Association and the family who invited Hodson to the lake.

Lincoln Frat Suspended During Hazing Investigation

UNLLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — University of Nebraska-Lincoln officials are investigating a hazing allegation against a fraternity.

Sigma Lamda Beta is under temporary suspension while officials look into a report about hazing last semester during an event at the frat’s off-campus chapter house.

A university police report says the complaint did not allege specific acts, individuals involved or physical harm.

Ricardo Cortez is executive director of the Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity, and he says the international office also is investigating the allegation.

Man Sues Over Lincoln Arena Policy That Hampers Leafleting

pinnacle-bank-arenaLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A man who’d been ticketed for trespassing while handing out religious leaflets outside Lincoln’s Pinnacle Bank Arena has filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city.

Larry Ball says in a lawsuit filed Thursday that arena policies violate his free speech rights. The lawsuit names the mayor, the police chief and the arena operator, SMG.

Ball was arrested and cited last week for trespassing during the girls state basketball tournament. A year ago he was arrested and cited outside the state boys basketball tournament.

City Attorney Jeff Kirkpatrick told the newspaper that the city worked with SMG to craft a policy that would allow for First Amendment demonstrations. But Ball says there shouldn’t be any limits on a public sidewalk.

Norfolk Police Arrest Man Caught Peeping into Home

norfolk-policeNORFOLK, Neb. (AP) — Norfolk police have arrested a 29-year-old man they say had been peeping through a window of a woman’s home.

The woman called police early Wednesday after seeing the man looking into her living room window while taking her dog outside.

When officers arrived, they say they approached the man from Norfolk, who ran away. Officers caught up to the man and took him into custody.

The 29-year-old was arrested for criminal trespass, disturbing the peace and obstructing a police officer. He was taken to the Norfolk city jail and later transferred to the Madison County jail.

Omaha State Senator Briefly Hospitalized After Collapsing

Sen. Sara Howard
Sen. Sara Howard

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A state senator from Omaha was briefly hospitalized after collapsing at the Nebraska Capitol.

Sen. Sara Howard was taken to a Lincoln hospital after losing consciousness from an apparent seizure in her office around 1:30 p.m. Thursday. Howard was examined and released.

Her mother, former state Sen. Gwen Howard, says a CT scan showed no problems, but her daughter will undergo additional tests on Friday. Gwen Howard says her daughter has never had a seizure before.

The 33-year-old Howard was elected to the Legislature in 2012. She succeeded her mother, who left office due to term limits.

Omaha Man Gets Probation in Federal Contracting Fraud Case

department-of-veterans-affairsDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A judge has sentenced a Nebraska businessman to two years of probation for fraudulently landing $25 million in federal contracts intended for companies owned by disabled veterans.

Ram Hingorani, of Omaha, must forfeit $3.3 million seized from business and personal bank accounts but he’ll pay no additional restitution.

Federal prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Stephanie Rose to impose a two-year prison sentence.

Hingorani’s companies won 45 contracts to perform construction work for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Des Moines and Omaha and at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. They were awarded bids for government projects under a program to encourage contracts for veterans injured during service.

Hingorani is not a veteran. He falsely claimed that an associate who was service-disabled was in charge of a company Hingorani controlled.

‘Star Wars Episode VIII’ Snags a May 2017 Release Date

disney-star-warsSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — “Star Wars: Episode VIII” will blast into theaters on May 26, 2017, Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger announced at a shareholder meeting Thursday.

Rian Johnson, known for the innovative time travel film “Looper,” is confirmed to write and direct. “Episode VIII” will take place after the events of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” which opens Dec. 18.

Iger also announced that the first in a series of big-screen “Star Wars” stand-alone films is titled “Rogue One.” Gareth Edwards (“Godzilla”) will direct off of a script from Chris Weitz (“About a Boy”).

Felicity Jones, who earned an Oscar nomination for her performance in “The Theory of Everything,” is set to star in “Rogue One,” which will shoot in London this summer for Dec. 16, 2016, release.

Omaha Police Looking for Those Tearing Up Parks Using ATVs

omaha-policeOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police are looking for vandals who have torn up turf in city parks across Omaha.

The vandals appear to be using all-terrain vehicles to tear up the turf. Officials have found ruts, tire tracks and churned-up mud at city parks, soccer fields and even a remote-controlled airplane field.

Police say damage has been reported at Hawk Field and Standing Bear Lake in northwest Omaha, Zorinsky Lake soccer fields in southwest Omaha and Walnut Grove Park in Millard.

Police ticketed two juveniles in the northwest Omaha vandalism, but have not made any arrests or issued tickets for the vandalism at Zorinsky Lake or Walnut Grove Park.

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