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DEVELOPING: NEBRASKA SENIORS,
ADDS: HORSE SLAUGHTER, FARM FORECAST, NATURAL GAS-BLACK HILLS
HORSE SLAUGHTER
RUSHVILLE—At dusk, after all the fancy horses had been auctioned, Doug Barnes settled into a seat at the sale barn and got down to business. Three, four, five or more horses ambled into the ring at a time. The auctioneer stopped making sales pitches. He looked straight ahead at the familiar visitor from Fort Collins, Colo., waiting for him to tip his hand. Barnes didn’t disappoint. By Nate Jenkins.
AP Photos NENJ101, NENH104, NENJ103, NENJ102.
FARM FORECAST
LINCOLN—The USDA’s latest farm income forecast suggests Nebraska’s agricultural businesses will do well in 2008, but the state’s farmers are likely to do much better than the ranchers and feedlot operators. But farmers aren’t finishing the year worry-free because falling commodity prices raise new concerns about next year’s profits. Eds: Moving on state news and financial lines.
NATURAL GAS-BLACK HILLS
LAWRENCE, Kan.—The slowing economy will likely mean that hikes in natural gas prices will not be as steep as some economists had forecast, according to an official with Black Hills Energy. Ivan Vancas, Black Hills’ vice president of Kansas and Colorado gas operations, said Tuesday that increases of 10 percent to 15 percent higher over a year ago were more likely than what had been expected. Eds: NOTE Nebraska mention. Moving on state news and financial lines.
BUSINESS:
— BEHLEN HURTING—Behlen Manufacturing officials say they’re committed to retaining employees as the slumping economy bogs down sales for the Columbus-based company.
— LINDSAY LAYOFFS—Officials with an irrigation equipment manufacturer won’t comment on what the state says was a layoff of about 100 workers at a plant in the Platte County city of Lindsay.
— POSTVILLE-AID REQUEST—The Postville City Council has declared the city a humanitarian and economic disaster area and is seeking state disaster assistance because of the closing of the Agriprocessors Inc. kosher meatpacking plant. Eds: NOTE Nebraska mention. Moving on state news and financial lines.
— SLAUGHTERHOUSE-CEO ARRAIGNMENT—The former CEO of an embattled kosher slaughterhouse in Postville has pleaded not guilty to federal immigration charges. Sholom Rubashkin, the former head of Agriprocessors Inc., entered his plea on Wednesday during an arraignment in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids. Eds: NOTE Nebraska mention. Moving on state news and financial lines.
SPORTS:
NEBRASKA SENIORS
LINCOLN—The 21 seniors who will play their final game at Memorial Stadium on Friday will leave Nebraska with the hope that the program is in better shape than they found it. Twelve of them are fifth-year seniors, including five who signed with Bill Callahan after making their initial pledges to come to Nebraska in 2003 when Frank Solich was head coach and Bo Pelini the defensive coordinator. By Sports Writer Eric Olson.
With:
— FBC–NEBRASKA SENIORS-LIST
ALSO GETTING ATTENTION:
— SEX TEXTS—A preliminary hearing is set for Dec. 11 for a North Platte elementary school janitor accused of sending pornographic images to his 15-year-old daughter’s cell phone.
— OMAHA SHOOTINGS—A court appearance is scheduled for three teenagers accused in a shooting spree in Omaha that left two people dead and another wounded earlier this month.
— BARN ARSON—Gage County authorities have arrested two juveniles on suspicion of starting a fire that destroyed a barn near Beatrice.
— KMART ROBBERY—Kearney police say 4 people have been arrested in an armed robbery at a Kmart last weekend that netted over $30,000.
— GAS PRICES—Travelers can add one more thing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving holiday.
— SOIL SAMPLING—Nebraska farmers are being encouraged to get soil samples that can help cut down on fertilizer costs.
— ENERGY PLAN—Nebraskans wanting to weigh in on the state’s new energy plan have until Monday to submit their best ideas.
— TURKEY TIPS—Food safety experts say Thanksgiving chefs should be careful to make sure their turkey and stuffing is fully cooked.
— MALL SHOOTING-ANNIVERSARY—A remembrance ceremony is being planned to honor the victims of a shooting spree at Von Maur in Omaha that left nine dead, including the shooter.
— REPUBLICAN LEADER—Lincoln Attorney Mark Fahleson will likely be the next chairman of the Nebraska Republican Party. By Anna Jo Bratton.
— RECORD VOTE—Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale says a record number of voters cast ballots in the state on Nov. 4.
The AP, Omaha.
