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House Speaker Boehner: ‘All Children Ought to Be Vaccinated’

John Boehner

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker John Boehner says all children ought to be vaccinated.

Boehner made the comment in response to a question Tuesday about whether there’s a role for Congress on vaccines.

His response: “I don’t know that we need another law but I do believe that all children ought to be vaccinated.”

Other politicians have been less clear on the question amid a measles outbreak in the U.S.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said parents should have some choice in the matter, a comment his office later clarified by saying that with a disease like measles there’s no question kids should be vaccinated.

Doctors say all children should be vaccinated but there is an anti-vaccine movement among some parents.

House to Vote Next Week on Keystone Pipeline

house-of-representativesWASHINGTON (AP) — House Republican leaders say the House will vote next week on legislation to construct the Keystone XL pipeline and send it to President Barack Obama. Obama has threatened a veto.

Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters on Tuesday that the House will consider the Senate-passed bill, which also included provisions stating that climate change is not a hoax.

The House passed a version of the bill last month. The Senate voted 62-36 last week to build the $8 billion project that would connect with existing pipelines to carry more than 800,000 barrels of crude oil a day to refineries along the Texas Gulf coast. That vote was short of 67 votes needed to override a presidential veto.

Girls Held in Brother’s Shooting Could Get Lesser Charges

gavel-and-scaleLAKE CITY, Fla. (AP) — Prosecutors in the case of two young North Florida sisters accused in fatal shooting of their 16-year-old brother say they’re considering dropping charges against the youngest girl and greatly reducing charges against the other.

Third Circuit State Attorney Jeff Siegmeister said Tuesday he’ll make a final decision after a Thursday court hearing.

The Jan. 5 shooting resulted in the arrests of a 15-year-old girl and her 11-year-old sister on second-degree murder charges.

Documents show the elder girl suffered years of abuse, including being locked in her bedroom for days with only a blanket and a bucket to use the bathroom. Siegmeister says those details and the girls’ ages are being considered in any charges.

The Associated Press is not naming members of the family because of the girls’ ages and because of abuse allegations.

Thurston County Sets Vote on $5.9 Million Bond Measure for New Jail

jailPENDER, Neb. (AP) — If voters approve, Thurston County will build a 34-bed jail to replace the old jail that’s housed prisoners in the courthouse basement since the 1920’s.

The Board of Supervisors decided last week to place a $5.9 million bond measure on the April 14 ballot.

Officials say the old, 25-bed jail doesn’t meet modern standards for inmate care and security. The replacement would be built in Pender.

Supervisor Leonard Peters says Thurston County has letters of commitment from Burt, Cuming, Dixon, Stanton and Wayne counties to house inmates in a new Thurston County Jail.

Nebraska Medical Center Caring 7 Sets of Twins

UNMCOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Medical Center is caring for seven sets of twins this week, which officials say is a record for the Omaha hospital.

Of the 14 babies, nine are boys and five are girls.

All but one set of twins were born in Omaha. Two boys were born in Wichita and transferred to the Nebraska Medical Center.

Hospital officials say the smallest of the babies was born at 27 weeks in November, and weighed only about 1.5 pounds. Her sister weighed about 2.5 pounds at birth.

The hospital says the other six sets of twins were delivered this year. It says all of the babies are doing well.

Victim of Icy Nebraska Highway Crash Identified as West Point Woman

Saunder CountyWAHOO, Neb. (AP) — Saunders County officials have released the name of a 62-year-old woman who was fatally injured in a head-on collision on an icy highway in eastern Nebraska.

The Saunders County Sheriff’s Office identified her as Kathleen Schulzkump, of West Point.

She and Wesley Schulzkump were traveling east on Nebraska Highway 92 between Wahoo and Yutan when their vehicle rammed into a westbound sport utility vehicle a little before 1 p.m. Sunday. She was pronounced dead at Saunders Medical Center in Wahoo.

Wesley Schulzkump also was taken to the hospital. The SUV driver, Tony Grabowski, of Wahoo, was treated for minor injuries.

The Sheriff’s Office cited the icy roadway and blowing snow as factors in the accident.

Court Denies Bond for Woman Accused in Fatal Omaha Shooting

Janessa Arias
Janessa Arias

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 20-year-old woman arrested in connection to a fatal Omaha shooting has been denied bond.

Janessa Arias appeared for an initial court hearing Monday in which she was denied bond. She was arrested Saturday on a first-degree murder charge in last week’s shooting death of 46-year-old Ray Patterson at a north-central Omaha park.

At the hearing, prosecutors said Arias was at a fast-food restaurant with Patterson when she called her boyfriend about robbing the man. They say the boyfriend told Arias to take Patterson to a park, where the boyfriend could rob him.

Police responded to a report of gunshots in the area and found Patterson with gunshot wounds. He died Wednesday at the Nebraska Medical Center.

Online court records do not list an attorney for Arias.

Police: Man Found Dead in Snow in Downtown Lincoln

lincoln-policeLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say they have found a man dead in the snow in downtown Lincoln.

Officer Katie Flood says officers responded to a report Monday morning that an unresponsive man was lying in the snow near The Kennard House, a historic Lincoln building. She said he was transported to a local hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.

Flood says investigation is ongoing, but police don’t suspect foul play.

The man’s name and other details have not yet been released.

Man Arrested After Trying to Sell Pot to Off-Duty Officer

odd-newsBUTTE, Mont. (AP) — Know your customer.

That guidance might have helped a Butte man who was arrested over the weekend after reportedly offering to sell marijuana to an off-duty police officer.

Butte-Silver Bow Sheriff Ed Lester says 32-year-old Leroy Hopke approached the officer and his wife as they left a store on Friday night. The officer declined the sale and called on-duty police officers from his vehicle.

Police arrived and arrested Hopke on suspicion of possession of dangerous drugs after finding 11.7 grams of marijuana in his possession.

Lester said Hopke was undone by an “unfortunate marketing situation.”

Suge Knight’s Bail Revoked After Police Cite Flight Risk

jailLOS ANGELES (AP) — Former rap music mogul Marion “Suge” Knight, founder of one of the genre’s leading labels, had his $2 million bail revoked in Los Angeles after his arrest in running down and killing a man.

Los Angeles County sheriff’s spokeswoman Nicole Nishida says detectives asked a bail commissioner Monday to keep the Death Row Records founder behind bars because he is a possible flight risk. Authorities also cited Knight’s history of violent crimes and the possibility he would intimidate witnesses.

Police allege Knight, who started the music label that helped solidify West Coast rap, killed a man and injured another by hitting them with his pickup truck Thursday.

Attorney James Blatt says Knight accidentally ran over the men as he tried to escape a vicious attack.

Knight is scheduled to appear in court in Compton Tuesday.

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