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Peace Corps Announces 32 Percent Increase in Applications

peace-corpsANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — The Peace Corps says it’s received the highest number of applications in 40 years.

Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet is scheduled to announce Wednesday that applications to join the international service organization increased 32 percent over the last fiscal year. The 23,000 applications received represent the highest number since 1975.

The numbers come more than a year after the Peace Corps announced plans to simplify and shorten the sign-up process and diversify its applicant pool.

Hessler-Radelet is expected to make the announcement at the University of Michigan.

Then-U.S. Sen. John F. Kennedy came to the Ann Arbor school in 1960, weeks before being elected president. He challenged students to give two years of their lives and serve the developing world — a call that led to creating the Peace Corps.

Government Sues Nebraska Beef Plant Over Settlement

dept.-of-justiceOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department is suing a Nebraska beef production plant it says is refusing to honor a settlement agreement over discriminatory hiring practices because it didn’t like the government’s news release announcing the settlement.

Nebraska Beef, of Omaha, had agreed in August to the settlement after the government sued, saying the plant had discriminated against immigrants authorized to work in the U.S. Under the settlement, Nebraska Beef denied any wrongdoing, but agreed to pay a $200,000 penalty, as well as compensate affected workers who present valid claims for back pay. The beef plant also promised to update hiring practices to avoid discrimination.

The Justice Department on Tuesday said Nebraska Beef has refused to pay and says it won’t abide by any of the terms of the settlement.

Lincoln Police Say Bishop’s Stolen Cross Not Yet Recovered

lincoln-policeLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Police say a cross stolen from the home of the Lincoln Catholic Diocese bishop has not been recovered yet.

Police spokeswoman Katie Flood said Tuesday that no suspect has been arrested either. Police have said someone pried open a door and broke a window at the home on Saturday afternoon. Bishop James Conley told officers that only a pectoral cross was missing. He has asked Catholics to pray for the burglar and pray for the cross’s return.

Diocese spokesman JD Flynn says the cross is irreplaceable because it was a 2011 gift from Pope Benedict XVI.

Police: Nebraska Man Injured in Flash Fire Dies

allen-neALLEN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a 70-year-old man has died from the injuries he suffered during a flash fire in northeast Nebraska.

According to a press release from the Dixon County Sheriff’s Office, Gerald Koch died Sunday in the village of Allen. The victim’s wife, 69-year-old Carol Koch, was seriously injured and taken to a hospital.

Police say the fire broke out Thursday afternoon at a new restaurant owned by the couple’s son when it was being prepared for opening.

2 Firefighters Killed, 2 Hurt in Kansas City

fireKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City Fire Department official says two firefighters were killed and two were injured when a burning building collapsed.

Fire Department Battalion Chief James Garrett tells the Kansas City Star (https://bit.ly/1jtHduK ) crews were dispatched to a building on the northeast side of town around 7:30 p.m. Monday. He says firefighters found the building that includes apartments heavily damaged, and they evacuated people from inside.

Garrett says firefighters were clearing an area with a partially collapsed roof when the structure collapsed further, injuring four of them. He tells the newspaper two firefighters have died. The firefighters were not immediately identified.

Crews continue to battle the fire.

High Waves Hamper Search for Man in Nebraska Reservoir

calamus reservoirBURWELL, Neb. (AP) — High waves have hampered the search for a man reported missing after a boat sank into Calamus (KAL’-uh-muhs) Reservoir in central Nebraska.

Authorities say 38-year-old Wesley Sell, of Arcadia, was in a boat with three other people fishing near the Virginia Smith Dam on Sunday afternoon when the boat took on water and sank. The three other people were rescued by other anglers.

The Garfield County attorney’s office says Monday’s search effort “had to be limited to land patrols around the perimeter of the lake, due to high winds and extremely rough waves. Additional efforts will resume as weather permits.”

The reservoir sits about seven miles northwest of Burwell.

Report: Playboy to End Publishing Fully Nude Female Photos

playboy-bunnyNEW YORK (AP) — A new report says Playboy will no longer publish photos of nude women as part of a redesign effort.

Executives for the magazine company tell The New York Times that the change will take place in March 2016.

The paper reported Monday that the print edition of Playboy will still feature women in provocative poses, but they will no longer be fully nude.

Playboy editor Cory Jones contacted founder and current editor in chief Hugh Hefner recently about dropping nude photos from the print edition and he agreed.

The Times reported that playboy’s print circulation, once measured in millions, is now about 800,000, according to Alliance for Audited Media.

The represents a major shift for the magazine, which broke new ground when Hefner created it and featured Marilyn Monroe on its debut cover in 1953.

Omaha Police ID Suspect in Saturday’s Fatal Shooting

Michael A. Nolt
Michael A. Nolt

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An arrest warrant has been issued for an Indiana man police say is responsible for two deaths in Omaha over the weekend.

Omaha Police said Monday that they are looking for 53-year-old Michael A. Nolt of Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

Nolt is a suspect in the shooting deaths of 26-year-old Malquan King and 23-year-old Arelius Hassell early Saturday. A 25-year-old woman was also wounded.

Police say Nolt knew the three victims, but they didn’t discuss a motive for the shootings.

Nolt is a white man who is 5-foot-11-inches tall and weighs 160 pounds. He has gray hair and hazel eyes, and he wears eyeglasses.

Lincoln Law Enforcement Works to Prevent Targeted Violence

lincoln-police-cruiserLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Law enforcement in Lincoln is teaming up with mental health providers and University of Nebraska officials in an effort to prevent targeted violence.

The Lincoln Threat Advisory Team was started about five years ago. Officials and law enforcement on the team practice threat assessment, working to be proactive and recognize warning signs of violence.

In one case, University of Nebraska-Lincoln psychologist Mario Scalora says officials worked so that a student who voiced thoughts about hurting others get help. Scalora said the student was close to acting on the thoughts, and that it “could have gone very, very badly.”

Lincoln Police Capt. Jon Sundermeier says most of the cases handled by the advisory team involve domestic violence.

Man Died When Motorcycle Crashed in Grand Island, Police Say

fatal-motorcycle-crashGRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a 32-year-old man has died after his motorcycle crashed in Grand Island.

The accident happened around 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Police say Russell Kelley, of St. Paul, lost control of his motorcycle and crashed into a light pole and a parked truck.

Police say Kelley may have been drinking alcohol before the accident.

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