OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A federal appeals panel has upheld the conviction of Lincoln man serving life in federal prison for deali

ng drugs.

Javier Garcia-Hernandez, who has at least six aliases, was sentenced last year for dealing methamphetamine.

There is no parole under federal sentencing guidelines.

Federal prosecutors were able to determine that the 43-year-old Garcia-Hernandez had three prior felony drug convictions from Iowa, South Dakota and Texas, all under different names.

Garcia-Hernandez argued on appeal that evidence seized during a search of his home should have been suppressed, that some testimony should have been excluded at trial, and that there was insufficient evidence to convict him.

A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected those arguments in an opinion issued Tuesday.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska officials say they’re preparing to implement a state-based insurance exchange if the U.S. Supreme Court upholds President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul.

Republican Sen. Rich Pahls of Omaha says he expects little to change in Nebraska if the high court rejects the law. But a ruling in favor of the law will set up a debate over who controls the mandatory health exchanges, designed as one-stop sites where people in each state can buy health insurance.

Nebraska does not yet have a law setting up a state exchange. But the Department of Insurance has been working on one.

Still, Democratic Sen. Jeremy Nordquist of Omaha says the state hasn’t moved quickly enough. He says officials should hold public hearings to determine how the state should proceed.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — University of Nebraska-Lincoln officials say an assistant professor who went missing in his native China has returned to the United States.

The university announced in a statement Tuesday that Weixing Li was detained for two weeks in China’s Henan Province, about 400 miles southwest of Beijing.

Li told university officials he had borrowed a vehicle from a friend to drive to late father’s hometown, so he could clean his grave. But the friend who loaned him the vehicle had borrowed it from another person Li did not know. Li was stopped at a checkpoint on June 6, and Chinese authorities found pharmaceuticals in the trunk that require a special license.

Li says authorities eventually cleared him of wrongdoing, but then focused on his background. They released him on June 20.

 

(NORTH PLATTE)    In the mid-1980s, Dr. Gordy Klatt, a Tacoma colorectal surgeon, wanted to enhance the income of his local American Cancer Society office and to show support for all of his patients who had battled cancer. He decided to personally raise money for the fight by doing something he enjoyed – running marathons.

 

Dr. Klatt spent a grueling 24 hours circling the track, running more than 83 miles. While circling the track those 24 hours, Dr. Klatt thought about how others could take part in his mission to fight cancer. He envisioned a 24-hour team relay event that could raise more money to fight cancer.

 

The vision turned into Relay For Life with over 5,200 events in the United States and has raised more than $4.5 billion to save lives.  For 28 years, Relay For Life has provided inspiration and hope for millions of cancer survivors and caregivers.

 

This year above all, Dr. Klatt holds a special place in all of our hearts.  In Spring 2012, Dr. Klatt, the founder of the Relay for Life, was diagnosed with stomach cancer, proving that cancer does not discriminate. 

 

Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in the community a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease.

 

At Relay for Life of Lincoln County teams of people camp out at Adam Middle School and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length. Relayers do not have to walk all night, but each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event.

 

Because it’s a Relay, you’re not required to be there the entire time…but it’s so much fun, you’ll probably find it hard to leave!

 

To form a team of 2 or more people, for this year’s annual Relay for Life of Lincoln County, to be held Saturday, August 4^th atAdams Middle School, log on to www.relayforlife.org/lincolncone.  Friends, families, co-workers…even stranger can come together to help celebrate, remember and fight back against cancer.

 

For more information on ways to get involved in “the Relay” from volunteering, forming a team, hosting a fundraiser or a sponsorship contact Kirsten Parker at (308) 539-3546.

RAYMOND, Neb. (AP) — A motorist driving past a home near Raymond noticed a barn fire and awoke residents of an adjacent home, allowing them to flee and call fire crews.

Local media reports a motorist driving along Highway 79 early Monday spotted flames shooting up from the barn and awoke the residents.

The barn was destroyed but Raymond fire crews were able to save the house.

Raymond Fire Chief Greg Hall says crews set up between the barn and the home to ensure the fire didn’t spread. It helped that there was little wind.

Cars, a camper and other items in the barn were badly damaged or destroyed.

It’s unclear how the fire started.

Raymond is about 15 miles north of Lincoln.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 40-year-old Lincoln man has been given 10 years in federal prison for receiving and distributing child pornography.

Prosecutors say Daniel Savage was sentenced on Monday. He must serve seven years of supervised release when he leaves prison.

Prosecutors say Savage already was serving supervised release stemming from a 2004 drug conviction. He was given three years in prison for that violation, which will run after his pornography sentence.

Authorities say Savage came to their attention in June last year during a file-sharing investigation by the Lincoln Police Department. Investigators say they later found more than 42 video files and 136 image files of child pornography on Savage’s computer equipment.

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — A Kansas woman has been arrested after a fatal accident on Interstate 80 near Grand Island.

The Hall County Sheriff’s Office says 34-year-old Kathy Teichmeier, of Almena, Kan., was taken into custody after Monday’s accident, which occurred around 3:50 p.m.

Officials say Teichmeier was driving east when she tried to make a U-turn. The sheriff’s office says Teichmeier’s vehicle clipped the rear wheel of a motorcycle as she turned left, and another motorcycle rammed into Teichmeier’s car.

The second motorcyclist died later at a hospital. The first motorcyclist managed to avoid crashing. Their names haven’t been released.

Teichmeier and four of her passengers were taken to a hospital for treatment, then released.

Teichmeier was arrested on suspicion of vehicular homicide. Hall County records say Teichmeier remained in custody on Tuesday.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Some Lincoln residents are complaining about the city’s policy of rarely mowing large parts of its parks.

Local media reports that workers began mowing less in 35 parks in 2004. The move was primarily to save money but also for environmental reasons, such as reducing pesticide use and increasing stream bank stabilization.

Last year, 29 parks were added to the so-called long-grass areas. They’re mowed three times a year rather than every two weeks.

Parks and Rec Director Lynn Johnson says the money saved helps keep neighborhood pools open.

But residents such as Charli Alexander says parts of Trendwood Park, where she walks twice a day, include areas with “a lot of big, ugly obnoxious weeds.”

Some residents have begun mowing parts of nearby parks themselves.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Democrat Bob Kerrey says if he’s elected to the U.S. Senate he’ll support immigration reforms combining leading Republican and Democratic proposals.

Kerrey said Monday both parties should tone down their political rhetoric and look for ways to compromise. Otherwise, he says nothing will be accomplished.

Kerrey says he thinks Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, Democratic President Barack Obama and Republican U.S. Senator Marco Rubio all have good ideas.

Kerrey says he generally supports the reform plan Romney outlined last week.

Kerrey, the former U.S. Senator, faces Republican state Sen. Deb Fischer in November’s general election.

During the primary, Fischer advocated for a tough approach. She says the country needs to secure its borders, enforce existing laws and avoid offering any rewards to illegal immigrants, such as amnesty.