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Neb. Lawmaker Wants Changes to School Breakfasts

Sen. Bill Avery
Sen. Bill Avery

(AP) — More Nebraska students could be eating grab-and-go school breakfasts or breakfasts in the classroom under a new bill in the Legislature.

Sen. Bill Avery of Lincoln introduced legislation on Monday that would create a grant program to help schools expand participation in school breakfast programs.

Avery says 89 percent of schools have a standard breakfast program in place, but only 31 percent of students are using them. Avery wants to more than double that number. He says that children who eat breakfast perform better during the school day.

Avery says the problem with the current program is a lack of outreach to parents, and some students aren’t attracted to traditional breakfasts.

The grants would be funded by corporations in the food industry.

Omaha Toddler Who Cursed in Video Might Live with Teen Mom

NE-Families-Collaborative(AP) — Authorities are recommending an Omaha toddler who was cursed at and encouraged to curse in a video posted online be placed with his 17-year-old mom.

The mother and 2-year-old boy were among four children placed in foster care last week because of concerns about the home where the video was shot and a drive-by shooting that took place in October

The Nebraska Families Collaborative worker who asked for the removal said the 17-year-old’s mother had been in jail since Dec. 17 on weapons charges and known gang members were allowed in the home regularly.

The 17-year-old denies involvement in the video of adults teaching her son to curse.

While the court reviews the situation, none of the minors will move. Another hearing is set for Jan. 29.

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Charter Wants to Purchase TW Cable

charter-communications(AP) — Cable TV operator Charter Communications wants to buy the much larger Time Warner Cable in a cash-and-stock deal that could be worth up to $38 billion.

The company says it is prepared to bring the offer directly to shareholders after determining there is “no genuine intent” from Time Warner Cable’s management to engage in merger talks.

Charter Communications Inc. said Monday that it has made repeated overtures to Time Warner for more than six months. In December, Charter was planning an offer below $135 per share, including $83-per-share in cash. That values Time Warner at up to $38 billion.

Time Warner Cable Inc. did not have an immediate comment.

Time Warner’s stock closed at $132.40 on Monday and is up 1.6 percent to $134.45 in after-hours trading.

Mom Dies After Fire That Killed Husband, Children

fatal-fireLOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles house fire that killed a man and his two children has now claimed the life of the mother.

Fire Capt. Jaime Moore says the woman died at a hospital at about 1:30 p.m. Monday — about nine hours after the blaze at a Sylmar home.

Smoke inhalation is suspected in the death of the woman, her husband, their 12-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son.

Moore says all four had no pulses and weren’t breathing when firefighters pulled them from the metal-sided barn that was built in the 1960s as a residence. The man and children were pronounced dead shortly thereafter.

Moore says the building was certified for residential use but lacked fire alarms and the owner could face criminal charges.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but Moore says arson has been ruled out.

Kansas Slaying Suspect Sentenced in Neb. Chase

Michael-Engstrom(AP) — A man suspected in a Kansas slaying has been sentenced to up to 107 years for robbing a convenience store and leading police on a chase in southeast Nebraska.

Johnson County Attorney Julie Smith says Michael Engstrom was sentenced Monday for last February’s convenience store robbery in Pawnee City and chase.

Engstrom was sentenced to 60 to 75 years for firing at officers during the chase. He was also sentenced to 15 to 20 years for robbery and 8 to 12 years for a weapons charge.

Engstrom faces a murder charge in Kansas and authorities in Topeka are expected to pursue extradition.

Engstrom and his wife are accused of killing 35-year-old Ricky Mitchell and wounding a woman last Feb. 13. Jamie Engstrom is already in Kansas custody.

Southwest Flight Lands at Wrong Mo. Airport

Southwest-Airlines(AP) — A Southwest Airlines flight that was supposed to land at Branson Airport has instead landed at a smaller airport just outside of the southwest Missouri town.

Southwest Airlines said late Sunday in a statement that Flight 4013 was scheduled to go from Chicago’s Midway International Airport to Branson Airport. The flight instead landed nine miles north at Taney County Airport. It is also known as M. Graham Clark Downtown Airport.

Southwest spokesman Brad Hawkins said there were 124 passengers and five crew members on the flight. He also said the landing was “uneventful.”

Tony Molinaro, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman for its central region, says the FAA is investigating the incident.

The flight was scheduled to go from Chicago to Branson, and then on to Dallas.

Survey: US Gas Prices Up 8 Cents Per Gallon

gas-cardIndustry analyst Trilby Lundberg says the average U.S. price of gasoline is up 8 cents a gallon over the past three weeks.

According to the Lundberg Survey released Sunday, the average for a gallon of regular gas is now $3.35. Midgrade averages $3.54, and premium is $3.68.

Of cities surveyed in the Lower 48 states, the lowest price, $2.97 a gallon, was in Albuquerque, N.M.

Long Island, N.Y., had the highest, at $3.67.

Just a penny less was San Diego, with an average of $3.66.

The lowest price in California was in Sacramento, at $3.47.

The average price per gallon in Nebraska is just over $3.00.

Tyson Workers Approve New Contract at Neb. Plant

Tyson(AP) — Workers at the Tyson Fresh Meats plant in Dakota City, Neb., will be getting raises under a new contract they approved.

Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers union approved the deal Saturday. The new five-year contract covers more than 3,500 workers.

Production workers will receive raises of $1.60 per hour over the life of the deal.

Starting pay will increase to between $13.92 and $14.10 per hour.

Top maintenance workers will be paid up to $19.95 an hour.

Tyson’s Bruce Pautsch says the contract will benefit workers and help the company succeed.

Marvin Harrington, president of the union’s Local 222, says the contract improves what workers had before without significant concessions.

Lincoln Leaders Suggest Selling City’s Arena Suite

pinnacle-bank-arena(AP) — Two Lincoln leaders want the city to sell its little-used suite in the new area, but the mayor opposes the idea.

The city has a suite in the new Pinnacle Bank Arena because it owns the facility.

Republican city councilmen Roy Christensen and Jon Camp say the city should sell the suite to raise as much as $55,000 a year.

The arena’s manager Tom Lorenz says it’s important for the city to keep the suite because entertainers sometimes request the use of a suite. Without the city-owned suite, it would be harder for the arena to land those acts.

City officials say they are developing a policy for the use of the suite.

Officials ID 5 Grand Island Men Killed in Iowa Crash

fatal-accident(AP) — Iowa authorities have released more details about the rollover crash that killed five Nebraska men this weekend.

The Iowa State Patrol says speed and alcohol use likely contributed to the crash in Adair County that killed the men from Grand Island, Neb.

All of the men were riding in a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro that veered off Interstate 80 and rolled in a field south of Menlo shortly after 8 p.m. Friday.

The car was driven by 29-year old Alex J. Paz-Lobo. The passengers in his car were 19-year old Erik Rauda, 41-year old Javier Martinez-Martin; 25-year old Denis Juvenal Sorto-Martinez; and 21-year old Jose B. Martinez.

Officials say Martinez-Martin was the only person wearing his seat belt.

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