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Lincoln Council May Alter Donation Hut Law

donation-hut(AP) — Possible changes contemplated for Lincoln’s ordinance that bans some clothing donation huts may not persuade a company to drop its lawsuit over the ordinance.

The changes would mandate disclosure on how donated items would be used and whether any of the proceeds would profit some company. The ordinance passed almost a year ago — but not yet enforced — requires that at least 80 percent of the proceeds be used for charitable purposes.

Linc-Drop, which contracts with the March of Dimes to collect clothing, sued the city in July. Linc-Drop says the ordinance violates its First Amendment rights.

Linc-Drop attorneys have said the proposed changes still violate the company’s rights and that the lawsuit would not be dropped.

Omaha Man Arrested After Wife Jumps from Vehicle

omaha-police(AP) — Omaha police arrested a 37-year-old man on suspicion of drunken driving after his wife jumped out of their vehicle during an argument.

Police say the incident happened around 2 a.m. Sunday on Interstate 80 near 13th Street.

The man told police he and his wife had been arguing before she jumped out of the vehicle. The man and another driver stopped to help.

The woman was taken to an Omaha hospital for treatment, but her condition wasn’t immediately available Sunday.

Police say the man had a blood alcohol level of 0.13. That’s well above the legal limit of 0.08. He was also charged with having drug paraphernalia and an open container of alcohol.

Police Find 2 Missing Lincoln Teens in Florida

Racheal-Bates-and-Samantha-Zuerlein

(AP) — Two missing 16-year-old Nebraska girls have been found in Florida.

Racheal Bates and Samantha Zuerlein were found Sunday morning sleeping in a 1997 Lincoln Continental on the streets of Titusville, Fla.

They were last seen on March 15.

Lincoln Police Capt. David Beggs says the girls are physically OK, but Titusville police are holding them until their parents can make arrangements to pick them up. And their mental health is being evaluated.

Teresa Zuerlein says it was a huge relief to learn Sunday that her daughter is OK. Zuerlein says she’s surprised the girls made it all the way to Florida and kept on the move.

Few Omaha Gay Rights Complaints Filed

omaha(AP) — Two years after the city of Omaha adopted an ordinance aimed at protecting the workplace rights of gay and transgender employees, only a handful of complaints have been filed with the city’s Human Rights and Relationship Department.

City officials say they have not received many calls from business owners looking for help or clarification about the law, and they’re not aware of any lawsuits tied to the ordinance.

The Omaha City Council narrowly approved the ordinance in March 2012 that bans employers, job-training programs, labor groups and other organizations from discriminating based on a person’s sexual orientation. The measure included exemptions for religious organizations.

Lincoln Resident, Home Association Clash Over Car

judgeship(AP) — A Lincoln resident and his homeowners association are duking it out in court over whether the man can park his car in his driveway, or whether he has to pull it into his garage.

The fight began when the Bishop Square homeowners association attempted to have Matt Catlett’s BMW towed from his own driveway in 2012. The homeowners association says its covenant requires residents in the Lincoln development to park their cars inside their garages, and that Catlett had been warned to do so.

A judge this week issued a Solomon-like ruling on the spat, saying the covenant bars Bishop Square residents from routinely parking in the driveway. But she also prohibited the association from towing any vehicles parked in residents’ private drives.

Man Won’t Face Death Penalty in Fatal Neb. Shooting

raymond-frank-gonzales
Raymond Frank Gonzales

(AP) — A man charged in connection with the death of a South Sioux City woman in northeast Nebraska will not face the death penalty.

Prosecutors in February had filed documents indicating they would seek the death penalty for 22-year-old Raymond Frank Gonzalez. He is accused of shooting 28-year-old Bonnie Baker to death. She was found Dec. 15 in a mobile home park.

Prosecutors rescinded the death penalty request. They would not discuss what prompted the change with reporters.

Gonzales has denied shooting Baker. Two others also face charges.

Gonzales’ trial is set to begin July 15 in Dakota County District Court. He faces a life sentence if convicted of first-degree murder.

Authorities ID Neb. Grain Worker Killed in Accident

midwest-farmers-coop(AP) — Authorities have identified a grain elevator worker killed in a southeast Nebraska anhydrous ammonia explosion.

Johnson County Attorney Julie Smith says 63-year-old John Bennett, of Greenwood, was killed in the Thursday night blast at the Tecumseh branch of the Midwest Farmer’s Co-Op.

A 911 call reported the explosion around 6 p.m. Thursday. Rescue crews took Bennett and another worker to a local hospital, where Bennett later died.

Two others, including a sheriff’s deputy, were treated for non-life threatening injuries or exposure to anhydrous ammonia.

Anhydrous ammonia is used by farmers as fertilizer. The colorless gas can burn the eyes, throat and damage lung tissue at high exposures.

Columbus Woman Pleads Guilty in Stabbing Death

kimberly henderson(AP) — A Nebraska woman has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the stabbing death of a man.

Attorney General Jon Bruning said in a news release Friday that 32-year-old Kimberly Henderson, of Columbus, entered the plea in connection to the death last May of 51-year-old Steven Jorgensen, also from Columbus. Authorities say he was stabbed to death during a home robbery.

Henderson is one of three people facing charges in the case. Twenty-seven-year-old Quentin Critser, of Lincoln, entered the same guilty plea in December and agreed to testify against his co-defendants. Thirty-one-year-old Eric Henry, of Columbus, is still scheduled to stand trial in April. He has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other charges.

Pinnacle Bank Arena Lost Money in the First 6 Months

pinnacle-bank-arena(AP) — New numbers show Lincoln’s new Pinnacle Bank Arena in the red in its first year.

The arena was nearly $172,000 in the red at the end of January, just more than five months after opening.

City leaders are hopeful they can make up the loss. They say revenues were limited during three months in which the arena was monopolized by Nebraska men’s and women’s basketball games. Those games bring in much less money than big-ticket concert events.

Steve Hubka, city finance director, says the city still expects to break even by the end of the year.

Iowa Teen Dies at Neb. Hospital After Crash

fatal-accident(AP) — A Glenwood teenager has died after losing control of his pickup in southwest Iowa.

Authorities say 17-year-old Tanner Porter died Thursday night after the 8:15 p.m. crash on a county road.

The Iowa State Patrol says the teen, who was wearing a seat belt, was flown to Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, where he died.

Investigators say Porter was southbound when he lost control of the pickup truck, veered off the road and rolled several times, hitting a power pole.

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