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REGISTRATION RENEWAL
LINCOLN—The days of trudging to Nebraska county treasurers’ offices to renew vehicle registrations are over for anyone with access to a computer. State officials announced on Tuesday that Nebraskans can now renew their vehicle registrations by going to the state Department of Motor Vehicles Web site at . By Nate Jenkins.
CHRISTMAS CRAZE
HASTINGS—For Linda Trausch, decorating for the holidays started as a friendly family competition and morphed into a spectacle for friends and neighbors to enjoy. Trausch started decorating the outside of her home and yard many years ago, competing with a family member who lived just down the road. By Shay Burk.
WATER WOES
LINCOLN—An arbitrator’s decision could reduce by millions of dollars the amount of money Nebraska may eventually have to pay Kansas for overusing Republican River water. Kansas had demanded $72 million from Nebraska for using more than its allotted amount of water in 2005 and 2006 under a three-state compact that dictates use of the river and includes Colorado. By Nate Jenkins.
BUSINESS:
HOME SALES-MIDWESTERN CITIES
KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Existing home sales in the Midwest tumbled 23 percent in November compared with a year ago as accelerated job losses, Wall Street weakness and dwindling consumer confidence forced more people out of the housing market, the National Association of Realtors said Tuesday. The median sale price in the region declined 11 percent to $142,400. By Business Writer David Twiddy. Eds: Note Nebraska mention, interest. For consistency, all figures are non-seasonally adjusted. For AP Hosted members, there is an interactive U.S. map with data for more than 50 metros. Also moving on national financial lines, along with BC-Home Sales Western Cities, BC-Home Sales-Southern Cities, BC-Home Sales-Northeastern Cities.
AP Photo CODZ205, CAPS218. AP Graphic EXISTING HOMES.
SPORTS:
BKC–UMBC-NEBRASKA
LINCOLN—The Nebraska men’s basketball team faced the University of Maryland-Baltimore County in Lincoln.
BKC–DEPAUL-CREIGHTON
LAS VEGAS—Creighton played Fresno State in the championship game of the Las Vegas Classic.
ALSO:
— CLEMSON-CHAMBERS—Clemson reserve defensive back Sadat Chambers was arrested for driving with a suspended license near his home in Chesterfield County.
ALSO GETTING ATTENTION:
— EMBEZZLEMENT CHARGE—A Gering woman has been charged with embezzling from the Scottsbluff business that she worked for.
— ALLIANCE CRASH—Alliance police say an 84-year-old woman who died in a crash was struck by her own car when she stopped to pick up her mail.
— INAUGURATION-BIBLE—President-elect Barack Obama will use the same Bible at his inauguration that Abraham Lincoln used for his swearing in.
— CHILD ABUSE—A Kearney woman has been charged with abusing a 1-year-old that was left in her care.
— OMAHA BUDGET—Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey has cut more than $6 million from the city’s 2009 budget.
— WINTER WEATHER-NEBRASKA—More snow is on the way to parts of southern Nebraska.
— EUSTIS FIRE DEATH—Authorities have identified the man they say died in a house fire in the southwestern part of the state.
The AP, Omaha.
