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5 of Beatrice 6 Testify in Lawsuit Trial

lawsuit-settlement(AP) — Five of the six people wrongly convicted and imprisoned for the 1985 slaying of a Beatrice woman have testified in court about the struggles they endured in prison for a crime they didn’t commit.

Debra Shelden, James Dean, Kathleen Gonzalez, Ada JoAnn Taylor and Thomas Winslow all testified Thursday and Friday in federal court as part of their lawsuits against Gage County and various law enforcement officials. The sixth, Joseph White, died in 2011 in a work-related accident.

Later Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Kopf dismissed the case against Gage County and other defendants, but said the case could go forward against Deputy Burdette Searcey, part-time Deputy Wayne Price and the estate of then-Sheriff Jerry DeWitt, all parties involved in the investigation.

19-Year-Old Man Killed in Eastern Neb. Crash

fatal-accident(AP) — A teenager has died in one-vehicle crash just east of Winnebago in northeastern Nebraska.

The Nebraska State Patrol says the crash happened Friday, killing 19-year-old Bryson Bearskin of Winnebago.

Investigators say Bearskin was driving a minivan when it left a county road and rolled. Authorities say Bearskin was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the van.

No one else was in the van at the time of the crash.

Doane College Opens 4th Campus in Omaha

doane-college(AP) — Doane College has opened its fourth campus in Omaha, and classes began on the Omaha campus this week.

The campus is located in a building just off of 144th and F streets in southwest Omaha. The intent is to expand Doane’s School of Graduate and Professional Studies into the Omaha metro area.

Doane College is the first private liberal arts and sciences college in Nebraska, getting its start in 1872. Doane has campuses in Crete, Lincoln, Grand Island and Omaha.

Neb. Bills Would Require Voter ID in Some Cases

vote(AP) — Nebraskans could register to vote online and would have to present a photo ID in certain situations under a pair of bills that will have a public hearing next week.

Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha introduced the bills on behalf of Secretary of State John Gale.

One bill would allow Nebraskans to register to vote or update their voting information online.

The second bill would require a government document with a photo, such as a driver’s license, in certain situations.

Gale says three areas have a high potential for voter fraud, including when voters provide notice to the post office of a change of address but do not return their confirmation card.

Police: Utah Officer Kills 4 Family Members, Self

crime-scene(AP) — Authorities say a 34-year-old Utah police officer fatally shot his wife, mother-in-law and two young children before taking his own life.

Spanish Fork police say they went to Joshua Boren’s house about 11 p.m. Thursday after he didn’t show up to his night shift at the Lindon Police Department.

That’s when they found Boren’s 55-year-old mother-in-law Marie King dead in a bedroom, and Joshua Boren’s immediately family dead in the bedroom next door.

The victims were identified as 32-year-old Kelly Boren, 7-year-old Joshua “Jaden” Boren and 5-year-old Haley Boren.

Spanish Fork Lt. Matthew Johnson says the couple had been experiencing marital problems in the past few months, but co-workers say Boren appeared upbeat and didn’t show signs of distress before the killings.

Officials say they didn’t find a suicide note.

Neb. Officials: Driver Hit Road Worker, Took Off

lancaster-county-sheriff(AP) — Authorities are looking for a driver whose vehicle hit a road worker on Interstate 80 near Lincoln.

Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner says the road worker was hit Friday morning as he put up a traffic barrier near the Waverly exit. He was taken to a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Witnesses say the driver took off after the accident.

Authorities are investigating whether the driver realized a person had been hit. But Wagner says the driver must know some sort of accident took place, since the crash knocked parts of the vehicle off and caused damage to its right front end.

Investigators are looking for a dark blue Toyota with a Nebraska license plate.

UNL Economic Forecast Signals Growth This Summer

UNL(AP) — The latest monthly economic forecast report from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s department of economics improved from the previous month, and an economist who oversees the report says it could indicate strong economic growth for Nebraska this summer.

The Leading Economic Indicator, produced by UNL economics department faculty and students, increased by more than three-quarters of a percent in December from November.

Economist Eric Thompson, director of UNL’s Bureau of Business Research, says the increase “suggests that economic growth in Nebraska may accelerate during the summer of 2014.”

The indicator is a composite of six components used to predict future economic growth: Single-family building permits, airline passenger counts, unemployment claims, manufacturing hours, the value of the U.S. dollar and business expectations as reported in a survey of Nebraska businesses.

NSP Special Enforcement to Focus on Seat Belts in Lincoln Area

NSPIn an effort to reduce serious injury and fatality crashes, troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol Headquarters Troop-Lincoln will conduct an extended special enforcement effort designed to increase seat belt usage.

“There are several counties within Headquarters Troop in which we are seeing a high rate of serious injury and even fatal crashes involving unrestrained drivers,” said Captain Lance Rogers, Commander Headquarters Troop-Lincoln. “Through this extended enforcement effort, we hope to raise awareness and increase voluntary compliance with all traffic safety laws.”

The special enforcement which will run from January through March, will involve high visibility patrols in Gage, Saline and Otoe counties. A $6,600 grant from the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety (NOHS) will help to provide funding for overtime hours utilized by troopers during the enforcement.

Captain Rogers said, “We need your help to save lives. Always wear your seat belt and never drive impaired or distracted.”

Kerry: No Rush to Decide on Keystone XL Pipeline

john-kerry(AP) — Secretary of State John Kerry says he won’t be pushed into making a decision on the long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline, despite pressure from Canada and other pipeline supporters for quick action.

At a joint appearance Friday with Canada’s foreign affairs minister, Kerry said he has not received a crucial environmental report on the $7 billion pipeline, which would carry oil from western Canada to refineries in Texas.

Kerry said “a lot of questions” have been raised on the 1,700-mile pipeline proposed by Calgary-based TransCanada. He said the questions require answers.

Kerry said he “can promise our friends in Canada that all the appropriate effort is being put into trying to get this done effectively and rapidly.”

The State Department has jurisdiction over the pipeline because it crosses an international border.

Nebraska Man Guilty of Abusing Maine Relative

Clarence Cote
Clarence Cote

(AP) — A Nebraska man has been convicted of sexually abusing an 8-year-old relative in Maine nearly a quarter century ago.

Clarence Cote of Nemaha, Neb., was found guilty Friday of two sexual assault counts.

He testified Thursday in Penobscot County court he did not abuse the now 31-year-old woman when he lived in Lincoln, Maine in 1990. He said the pair had a good relationship and even kept in touch when he moved out of state.

Cote’s lawyer says he will appeal. He had questioned why the state took so long to prosecute when it knew of the allegations in 1994. He said the state had lost key evidence.

Prosecutors say they had trouble finding Cote after he moved to Nebraska.

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