LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – A Nebraska couple has marked the end of the U.S. military’s ban on gay service by tying the knot. The Lincoln Journal Star reports that 48-year-old Gregory Smith, a full-time member of the Nebraska Army National Guard, married 39-year-old John Burns on Tuesday in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The wedding occurred just hours after the military ended its so-called “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. The couple had originally planned to marry next spring, but Smith told family members he wanted to marry on the first day he could serve openly as a gay man in the military. Burns told the newspaper that if the ban had not been lifted, he and Smith probably would not have married until Smith finished his military service.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Lincoln police have captured a man suspected in the stabbing of two other men, one fatally. Police say 36-year-old Angelo Pedrosa was arrested at 11:15 a.m. Tuesday at a motel in southwest Lincoln. The arrest warrant listed assault and a weapons charge. The county attorney’s office is reviewing the case to determine whether Pedrosa will face a homicide charge. Online court records don’t list his attorney’s name. Police say the two men were stabbed at a Lincoln home a little before 2 p.m. Monday. They were identified as 29-year-old Peter Hardy, who died later at a Lincoln hospital. The other was identified as 36-year-old Donnie Rodgers, who remains in serious condition.

MINDEN, Neb. (AP) – Three people who pleaded no contest to lesser charges in the death of a 4-year-old Minden boy are going to prison. Dustin Scoville, Sharon Turnell and her husband, Charles, were charged in the December 2009 death of Landon Payne. He was Sharon Turnell’s nephew, and lived with couple.
The Hastings Tribune says Scoville and Sharon Turnell were sentenced on Tuesday to 49-50 years in prison for attempted child abuse resulting in death. Charles Turnell was sentenced to 19-20 years in prison for attempted child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury. A fourth person, Katie Payne, pleaded no contest to intentional child abuse without injury and is awaiting sentencing.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – State authorities have confirmed that four Nebraska listeria cases have been linked to an outbreak connected to Colorado-grown cantaloupe. Another possible case is being investigated. A news release from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services says all four of the Nebraskans are elderly and all have been or are currently hospitalized. Douglas County has two of the cases. The others are from Gage and Hitchcock counties. Four people have died in the outbreak: one in Colorado and Oklahoma, two in New Mexico. Federal authorities say the outbreak has spread to 10 states and at least 35 people, including the four in Nebraska. The illnesses have been traced to fruit from Jensen Farms in Holly, Colo. The company has recalled its Rocky Ford-brand cantaloupes.

ELK CREEK, Neb. (AP) – Exploratory drilling in southeast Nebraska shows that other rare elements are lurking near a deposit of a valuable and rare heat-resistant element called niobium.  Canadian firm Quantum Rare Earth Developments released the latest test results Tuesday. This summer’s test results will help determine whether Quantum will build a mine near Elk Creek to retrieve niobium and these other rare elements from more than 500 feet underground. The U.S. currently imports nearly all the niobium that’s used in this country to harden steel and make it more heat-resistant for industrial uses. Some of the other rare earth elements that have been found at the site are used in cell phones, wind turbines, hybrid car batteries and other applications.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne and his wife are being honored by Lutheran Family Services for the example they have set with their lives. The group plans to honor Tom and Nancy Osborne at a dinner Tuesday evening. The Osbornes are being recognized for their commitment to their faith and their humble service to young people in Nebraska and beyond. Tom and Nancy Osborne founded the Teammates mentoring program in 1991 while he was still Nebraska’s head football coach to provide support for school-aged youth. Osborne coached the Huskers for 25 years and won 255 games and three national titles. Osborne also represented western Nebraska in Congress for three terms in between retiring as coach and returning as athletic director.

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP) – A man charged in a fatal shooting in Scottsbluff want to suppress information in the case. Daniel Morgan is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Dominic Marquez on May 13. The Scottsbluff Star Herald says Morgan’s attorney, Jerry Soucie, told a judge on Monday that statements Morgan made should be suppressed. Soucie questioned the lawfulness of Morgan’s arrest in Torrington, Wyo., about two hours after the shooting. Torrington police Officer Eric Sharp testified Morgan was arrested after he identified himself to officers and said he was armed. Sharp says Morgan was illegally carrying a gun. He also says Scottsbluff police requested that Morgan be detained. The judge told attorneys to submit briefs within two weeks. He will then make a ruling and schedule the case for trial.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Businesses and organizations in Nebraska have been awarded more than $1 million in grants through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A release from the USDA says most of that money went to Knox County as part of a $750,000 loan program to help the business and community recover from Missouri River flooding. So far, five businesses have been identified as likely recipients of low-interest loans. More than $250,000 went to Nebraska through the USDA’s Rural Business Enterprise Grant Program. That money was distributed to four organizations to promote business development. Recipients include the University of Nebraska, the Panhandle Area Development District in Gering, the Center for Rural Affairs in Lyons and the Potter Historical Foundation.

ALLIANCE, Neb. (AP) – An Alliance City Council member has announced he’s resigning after 15 years in office. KNEB-AM reports Dan Kusek submitted his resignation Thursday, citing family and work issues. His last day on the council will be Sept. 30, the last day of Alliance’s 2011 fiscal year. The four remaining council members will select a replacement to fill out the 14 months left on Kusek’s term.