(AP) - Nebraska's top election official says turnout for the primary topped 25 percent, and the percentage will grow once all provisional ballots are counted.
Secretary of State John Gale said Wednesday he was pleasantly surprised by the number of registered voters who showed up at the polls.
Preliminary figures show 24 counties had at least 35 percent turnout. Boone County had the highest, with nearly 60 percent of registered voters casting a ballot.
Gale predicted a very high turnout for the November general election, which will include the presidential contest and a nationally watched U.S. Senate race between Democrat Bob Kerrey and Republican Deb Fischer.
Lincoln Man sentenced for Home-invasion rape
5.17.12
(AP) - A Lincoln man convicted of raping a woman during a home invasion in April 2009 has been sentenced to 80 to 140 years in prison.
The Lincoln Journal Star says 32-year-old Armon Dixon was sentenced for sexual assault, robbery and a weapons charge on Wednesday in Lancaster County District Court.
He was convicted in February of pushing his way into an apartment in Lincoln, pulling a gun on the woman and assaulting her while her son was in a room down the hall.
The sentence is in addition to a 70- to 120-year term he's already serving for robbing a Lincoln convenience store and raping a clerk in March 2009.
State GOP rallies around Fischer
5.17.12
(AP) - Nebraska Republicans are rallying around Valentine state Sen. Deb Fischer, the winner of a tough U.S. Senate primary race for a seat targeted by national party leaders.
Fischer won endorsements Wednesday from Gov. Dave Heineman as well as her two top primary opponents, Attorney General Jon Bruning and State Treasurer Don Stenberg. Fischer will square off in November against Democratic candidate Bob Kerrey, a former U.S. Senator and Nebraska governor.
Fischer emphasized her rural roots and legislative experience during a press conference at the state party headquarters in Lincoln. The 61-year-old has served 8 years in the Legislature.
Kerrey has touted his experience and ability to work across party lines. The 68-year-old is barnstorming the state Wednesday with stops in Omaha, South Sioux City, Lincoln, Grand Island and Scottsbluff.
McCook man agrees to plea deal in October standoff
5.17.12
(AP) - A McCook man has agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors related to his role in an October standoff.
The McCook Gazette reports 58-year-old Raymond Miley agreed to withdraw his insanity plea and plead no contest to attempted assault of an officer.
Prosecutors dropped another felony charge against Miley as part of the deal.
Miley had tried to plead not guilty by reason of insanity in December. But a psychiatrist from the Lincoln Regional Center determined that Miley was competent to stand trial.
Police surrounded Miley's house on Oct. 13 after he allegedly fired once on officers who were attempting to check on his welfare. No one was hit. An ensuing standoff lasted about eight hours before Miley gave up.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 2.
Both incumbents defeated in Buffalo County Board races
5.16.12
(NRG)- The Buffalo County Board of Supervisors will have two new board members after a pair of incumbents were defeated in Republican primaries Tuesday. Elm Creek resident Dennis Reiter handily defeated current Board Chair Dick Pierce and challenger Charles Day in District 4. Reiter received 68 percent of the vote, Pierce got 20 percent and Day 12 percent. Buss Biehl will be the new District 2 board member after getting 41 percent of the vote with Craig Wietjes second with 32 percent of the count and incumbent Hoss Dannehl third with 27 percent of the vote. In both races, there were no Democrats.
In the 37th District legislative race, incumbent Galen Hadley received around 50 percent of the vote with Joe Woodward second with 35.5 percent and Mike McShea third with 14.5 percent. Both Hadley and Woodward advance to the November general election.
Village of Shelton voters approved a sales tax vote by a 55-45 percent margin.
AP Declares Fischer winner in GOP Senate Primary
5.16.12
(AP) - Nebraska state Sen. Deb Fischer has won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, setting the stage for a high-stakes November election against former Democratic Sen. Bob Kerrey.
The 53-year-old Fischer overcame low name familiarity and being outspent by two competitors to win the nomination in Tuesday's election.
She was backed by 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and former presidential candidate Herman Cain.
The race has drawn national attention because a GOP win would push Republicans closer to a Senate majority.
Nebraska is a solidly Republican state, but Democrats think they have a shot of winning with Kerrey, a former senator, governor and presidential candidate. Kerrey easily won the Democratic nomination.
The general election winner will replace Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson, who isn't seeking a third term.
Kerrey Easily wins Democratic Senate primary
5.16.12
(AP)- Bob Kerrey has easily won the Democratic nomination for his old job representing Nebraska in the U.S. Senate.
Democrats are counting on Kerrey to help them retain a seat viewed as one of the Republicans' best opportunities for a pickup, which would push them closer to a Senate majority. The seat is being vacated by Democrat Ben Nelson, who succeeded Kerrey 12 years ago but isn't seeking a third term.
The primary victory Tuesday by the former senator, governor and presidential candidate pushes Kerrey into a fall campaign where he will likely be considered the underdog in conservative Nebraska. However, he has raised more than $1.2 million since entering the race in February.
Political unknowns Larry Marvin, Steven Lustgarten and Sherman Yates lost to Kerrey in Tuesday's Democratic primary.
Romney wins Nebraska Presidential Primary
5.16.12
(AP) - Mitt Romney is adding another victory to his win column.
Nebraska Republicans, as expected, have made clear their preference for the GOP nomination by choosing Romney in Tuesday's presidential primary.
The vote amounts to a beauty contest. The state's 32 delegates to the Republican National Convention later this year will be determined at the state convention on July 14.
Smith wins Third District GOP House race
5.16.12
(AP) - U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith has won the Republican nomination for Nebraska's 3rd Congressional District, defeating little known candidate Bob Lingenfelter.
Lingenfelter raised no money for the race. Smith enters the general election with more than $500,000 cash on hand.
Smith is seeking his fourth term in Congress. Smith won the 2010 general election with 70 percent of the vote.
In the November general election, Smith faces Democrat Mark Sullivan, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Small Plane crashes near Elm Creek
5.15.12
(NRG)- An area man was treated for what were apparently minor injuries after a small plane he was flying experienced engine problems near Elm Creek Monday afternoon. The man apparently took the plane down near a minimum maintenance road just west of Elm Creek near the Buffalo-Dawson county line around 3:30 p.m. and suffered an injury to his leg.
KPS Board hears facilities update from Superintendent
5.15.12
(NRG)- Superintendent Dr. Brian Maher told the Kearney Public Schools' Board of Education at Monday night's meeting that the district's future facility needs to be addressed at a couple of levels. He points out the first is from an instructional standpoint and the second part of the equation centers on growing enrollment that's starting to work its way into the middle schools and the Senior High. He says conversations on meeting those needs will begin soon and the community will be involved in those discussions. District voters approved a bond issue in 2009 that concentrated on addressing the growing student population at the elementary level. Maher says the Board will take no immediate action at this time, but it would be difficult to meet those growing instructional and enrollment concerns without another bond issue. In other action, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Carol Renner provided an update on the district's Strategic Plan. The revised Internet Use and Safety Policy was given final approval. The board also formally approved the hiring of Jeff Ganz as an Assistant Principal at the Senior High and Chelsea Feusner as the Buffalo Hills principal and district Special Education Coordinator.
Nebraska Corn Planting nearly complete
5.15.12
(AP) - Nebraska farmers are almost done with planting the corn crop and are making good process on finishing the soybeans.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says in Monday's weekly report that 91 percent of the corn has been planted. The average is 76 percent. Fifty-seven percent of the corn has emerged, which is double the average.
The report says 60 percent of the soybean crop is now in the ground, well ahead of the average of 28 percent.
The USDA says farmers made significant process last week with cool and dry weather. Temperatures averaged 3 degree below normal across the state. Highs ranged from the upper 80s, with lows in the upper 20s in the Panhandle. There was little or no precipitation.
Lincoln Council approves Fairness Ordinance
5.15.12
(AP) - The Lincoln City Council has voted in favor of a measure that protects gay and transgendered people from discrimination.
The Lincoln Journal Star reports that council members approved the measure with 5-0 vote. The newspaper says council members Adam Hornung and John Camp abstained from voting, citing different legal opinions on the city's authority to pass such a measure.
At least 200 people showed up for a May 7 public hearing on the proposal, which supporters have labeled the fairness amendment. Ninety-nine people signed up to speak.
The measure legally protects people from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations in Lincoln based on gender identity or sexual orientation.
BPI laying off more after Pink Slime controversy
5.15.12
(AP) - The maker of the beef product dubbed "pink slime" by critics says it's laying off 86 employees from its South Dakota corporate office, and company officials are blaming what it calls a "campaign of misinformation."
Beef Products Inc. food-quality director Craig Letch told The Associated Press on Monday that the company initiated this second round of layoffs in response to intense negative publicity about its lean, finely textured beef.
The company and outside food-safety experts insist that the product is safe, and BPI has won public support from governors in four states where its plants operate.
The company announced earlier this month it was closing its three plants in Kansas, Texas and Iowa, resulting in 650 lost jobs.
A plant in Nebraska will remain open but at reduced capacity.
USDA to collect info from Nebraska farmers
5.15.12
(AP) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture will be fanning out across Nebraska next month to collect crop information on this year's harvest.
The USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service will spend the first two weeks of June surveying thousands of Nebraska farmers to peg the number of acres, what crops have been planted and are in storage.
The agriculture survey is done online, by mail or by phone. The area survey involves randomly selected tracts of land and interviews with farmers and ranchers.
Dan Groskurth is director of the NASS Nebraska Field Office. He says the information is a critical part of several national reports, including the annual acreage report and a quarterly grain stocks report to be released on June 29.
Auditor says State Health Insurance costs are high
5.15.12
(AP) - An audit has found that Nebraska's state employee health insurance program is one of the country's most expensive, costing taxpayers and workers nearly $12,000 more per employee than the national average.
State Auditor Mike Foley said Monday that the plan was designed inefficiently and suffers from high administrative costs. He said poor monitoring and control have contributed to more than $1.1 million in questionable or unallowable expenses, such as claims from people who were not eligible.
The audit found the annual cost of insurance was more than $27,000 per employee in 2011, compared to the national average of about $15,500.
The state health insurance program covers 29,000 state employees and dependents. The state pays 79 percent of the premium costs, while employees cover 21 percent.
State Fair selling tickets online
5.14.12
(AP) - Gate admission and other tickets are available online from the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island.
Among the current offerings are tickets to motor sports and draft horse events. People also can buy preferred parking online.
Tickets can be obtained by going to StateFair.org and clicking on "Buy Tickets Online."
This year's fair runs Aug. 24-Sept. 3.
State Rabies cases increasing
5.14.12
(AP) - Rabies cases are on the rise so far this year in Nebraska.
State epidemiologist Tom Safranek told KRVN-AM that the numbers of reports is on pace to top rabies cases from each of the past two years.
There have been 21 cases reported so far in 2012. There were 53 reports in 2010 and 35 in 2011.
Safranek says he expects the state could see close to 90 cases, the number reported in 2009.
He's urging the public to use caution when encountering bats, skunks and foxes and to avoid domestic animals that are behaving erratically.
Some State Senators want to Re-visit Lethal Injection Protocol
5.14.12
(AP) - Some key state lawmakers say questions about Nebraska's supply of one of its lethal injection drugs should prompt the state to reconsider its execution protocol.
Omaha Sen. Brad Ashford told the Lincoln Journal Star that if there are problems with Nebraska's method of execution, then lawmakers are obligated to re-examine it.
Ashford chairs the Judiciary Committee, which considers measures related to the courts.
Omaha Sen. Scott Lautenbaugh, another committee member, agrees. He told the newspaper he'd be willing to take another look at the protocol approved in 2010, after the state changed its method of execution from electrocution.
Nebraska was twice obtained supplies of the drug sodium thiopental. The first batch was ruled to have been illegally imported, and questions are mounting about the importation about the second batch.
Nebraskans can get grants for watershed improvements
5.11.12
(AP) - Property owners have until June 15 to apply for financial assistance in improving their land in one of four impaired Nebraska watersheds.
The money comes from a national program that's managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Landowners will be able to invest in conservation practices that will help provide cleaner water for their neighbors and communities.
The conservation service will provide money and expertise to landowners who opt for conservation practices such as cover crops, filter strips, terraces and other erosion controls.
The four watersheds are Cottonwood Creek in Saunders County; Holmes Creek/Conestoga Reservoir in Seward and Lancaster counties; Upper Cub Creek in Jefferson County; and Big Indian Creek in Gage County.
National Shooting Event set for Grand Island
5.7.12
(AP) - The 2012 National 4-H Shooting Sports
Invitational Match will be held in June at the Heartland Public
Shooting Park and Heartland Events Center in Grand Island.
Youths 14 to 18 years old from across the nation will compete in
one of nine disciplines. There will be 27 events.
More than 450 young people from 30 states competed in the
three-day competition held last year in San Antonio.
The Grand Island event is scheduled for June 17-22. It is free
and open to the public.
More information is available online at http://4h.unl.edu/ntlshootingsportsinvitational.
The 2013 also will be held in Grand Island.
Nebraska Free Fishing Day is May 19th
5.7.12
(AP) - The state will open several of its parks
and recreations areas to the public for free later this month.
Free Fishing and Park Entry Day has been set for May 19. The
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission says no fishing or park entry
permits will be required on that day, but all other fee
requirements, laws and regulations will be in effect.
The state sites participating are Alexandria State Recreation
Area, Fort Robinson State Park, Fremont Lakes State Recreation
Area, Louisville State Recreation Area and Mahoney State Park. Also
participating are Platte River and Ponca state parks and Two Rivers
and Victoria Springs state recreation areas.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will host fishing clinics
at those sites. Fishing gear will be available for children.
Talk of the Town Interview with KPS Dr. Brian Maher
11.15.11
KGFW 1340 Talk of the Town with Steve Altmaier. Kearney Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Brian Maher talks about the emotions of closing two elementary schools.
