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Nebraska Snakes to Be on Display at Workshops

unl-extensionGRETNA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska snakes will be displayed and discussed during workshops July 19 and 20 at the Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium in eastern Nebraska.

The workshops are scheduled to run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

Dennis Ferraro is a University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension educator, and he will display 29 species of snakes found in Nebraska and answer questions.

Admission is free. The Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium sits south of Gretna in Schramm Park State Recreation Area. Call the aquarium at 402-332-3901 for more information.

Injured Omaha Officer Released from Hospital

omaha-policeOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Omaha police officer who was stabbed by a man at a convenience store last week has been released from the hospital.

The Omaha Police Department says 51-year-old Sophia Jordan is recovering at home. She is a 15-year veteran.

Jordan was injured Thursday while responding to a report that a man who has been banned from the store was trying to get fuel.

Jordan was attacked as she got out of her police car.

Twenty-nine-year-old Gary Jackson, of Omaha, was arrested. He is charged with assaulting an officer with a weapon. Jackson remained in jail Sunday in lieu of $500,000 bond.

Pilger Recovery Expected to Cost Tens of Millions

pilger-tornado-2LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska officials are still tallying the cost of the tornadoes that destroyed most of the town of Pilger, but it’s expected to climb into the tens of millions.

The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency will send teams to the northeast Nebraska community this week to assess damage to roads, bridges and public buildings, such as the school and local fire department. Last week, teams started to tally the cost of private property damage not covered by insurance.

The June 16 tornado damaged 75 percent to 80 percent of Pilger, a town with a population of about 350.

The Nebraska National Guard has left town, but a spokeswoman for Gov. Dave Heineman says the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency and five other state agencies are still providing assistance to the area.

Nebraska Authorities Identify Homicide Victim

state-patrol-logoBEAVER CROSSING, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska authorities have identified the 34-year-old man found dead near Beaver Crossing last week.

The Nebraska State Patrol says the combination of fingerprint records and tips from the public helped identify Hai Sinh Nguyen of Lincoln.

His body was found on the bank of the Big Blue River in Seward County Wednesday. An autopsy confirmed that Nguyen did not die of natural causes, and his death is being investigated as a homicide.

Authorities are asking anyone with information about Nguyen’s death to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-422-1494.

Woman Critically Hurt in Fall from Lincoln Hotel Window

lincoln-policeLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — An 18-year-old woman is facing life-threatening injuries after falling from a sixth-floor window of a Nebraska hotel.

Lincoln Police Capt. Martin Fehringer said the fall happened early Sunday morning at the Embassy Suites in downtown Lincoln.

The woman landed on a second-floor balcony roughly 40 feet below the window she fell out of.

Fehringer says he doesn’t know what caused the fall. The woman, who is from Texas, remained in critical condition Sunday morning.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the woman had been in Lincoln to attend last week’s Thespian Festival for high school students on the nearby University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus.

Flooding Causes Damage to Farms in Several States

floodzoneSIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Area farmers are dealing with damage to their crops and fences after all the rain that fell in June.

Farmers in northwest Iowa, southeast South Dakota and northeast Nebraska face significant work ahead because of the flooding on the Big Sioux, Rock and other rivers.

The flooding and heavy rains could also have a lasting effect on their crops because fertilizer may have been washed away and standing water in fields could have killed some plants.

Janna Whitlock says her pasture in Union County, S.D., was underwater, and three lawn mowers, a snow blower and some other equipment in a shed was damaged.

Farmer Jack Kruse says he knows he faces weeks of fence repair ahead.

Appeals Court Orders Neb. Authorities to Return $48,100

federal-court-of-appealsLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A federal appeals court has ordered Nebraska authorities to return $48,100 cash they seized from a man driving across the state in 2009.

The U.S. Court of Appeals decision on Friday overturned an earlier lower court’s ruling.

Nebraska authorities agree that John Nelson obtained the money legally, but they said he planned to use the cash to buy drugs.

The appeals court says authorities didn’t have evidence that showed Nelson planned to use the money for drugs.

Testimony showed that Nelson disliked banks and wanted to keep his money in cash instead of deposit it. He was driving from Denver to his parents’ home near Milwaukee when he was stopped.

Severe Weather Possible in Iowa, Eastern Nebraska

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Forecasters warn that strong storms and possibly tornadoes are possible in Iowa and eastern Nebraska Sunday evening.

The National Weather Service says there is a moderate risk of severe weather in Iowa and eastern Nebraska.

Forecasters say the main threat Sunday night will be strong winds, but large hail and even tornadoes are possible.

Plus, some areas may receive heavy rain, so flash flooding may be a concern.

severe weather june 29

UNL Expected to Get Faster, More Reliable Internet

UNLLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Internet service at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will soon become faster and more reliable.

The university is preparing for the largest upgrade of the campus’ computer network in a decade.

The university is working to double Internet connectivity and reliability for all computer users on its network. The fastest speeds will be available for researchers, who require enormous amounts of bandwidth.

UNL network manager Jim Hlava says a $1.5 million upgrade will provide internet speeds twice as fast as currently available. It also will reduce the chances of an Internet outage.

In addition, UNL has received a nearly $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to expand its bandwidth to match top research universities across the country.

Omaha Man Charged in Fatal Crash Pleads Not Guilty

fatal-motorcycle-crashOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha man accused of causing a fatal crash while driving the wrong way on Interstate 480 has pleaded not guilty to felony charges.

Victor Perez is charged with motor vehicle homicide while drunk and leaving the scene of an accident. A judge on Friday set his bail at $250,000.

Police say the 24-year-old Perez was driving the SUV that struck Mickey Riesberg, who was riding a motorcycle. Riesberg was pronounced dead at Nebraska Medical Center.

Perez was arrested shortly after the crash after he pulled into the Ameristar Casino grounds in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Prosecutors say his blood alcohol level was 0.191 at the time of his arrest, more than twice the legal limit to drive.

A preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 1.

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