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DEVELOPING: DEATH SENTENCE-ELLIS, XGR–ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION,
ADDS: SUPCO–WATER WOES, NEWLYWED SHOOTING, RED-FACED LINCOLN, TRANSPORTATION-EARNS WRAP
DEATH SENTENCE-ELLIS
OMAHA—An Omaha man convicted of killing a 12-year-old girl has been sentenced to death. He’s the first person to receive the penalty since the Nebraska Supreme Court banned the electric chair as a method of execution. On Friday, a three-judge panel handed the death sentence to 55-year-old Roy Ellis. Last April, Ellis was found guilty of first-degree murder for killing Amber Harris. There were aggravating circumstances in the crime, which made Ellis eligible for the death penalty. By Anna Jo Bratton.
AP Photos NENH101-102.
SUPCO–WATER WOES
LINCOLN—A Nebraska Supreme Court ruling leaves water officials with little more than hope as they try to comply with a three-state compact. In a ruling released Friday, the Nebraska Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision that special property taxing authority approved by the state Legislature in 2007 is unconstitutional. It means residents of southwest Nebraska won’t be paying more property taxes to help increase Republican River flows. By Nate Jenkins.
With:
— SUPCO–NOT-SO-SPEEDY TRIAL—The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled that an Omaha man can still be tried for the 2003 stabbing death of his wife despite the lengthy delays in his case.
XGR–ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
LINCOLN—The public outrage over illegal immigrants has some Nebraska lawmakers taking aim at the businesses that hire them. A legislative hearing was scheduled on bills that might make it harder for companies to get tax breaks if they hired illegal immigrants. By Nate Jenkins.
AP Photos
NEWLYWED SHOOTING
LINCOLN—A 21-year-old newlywed turned himself in to Lincoln police hours before prosecutors plan to charge him with manslaughter in the shooting death of his wife. The Lancaster County Attorney’s office filed an affidavit supporting the charge against Joshua Beasley Friday morning. Beasley was scheduled to be arraigned Friday afternoon.
RED-FACED LINCOLN
LINCOLN—Some Lincoln leaders are unhappy about the national spotlight shining on an old city list of stimulus projects. A $77 million Lincoln wish list was compiled at the behest of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and added to the group’s list suggested for funding by the stimulus bills.
BUSINESS:
TRANSPORTATION-EARNS WRAP
NEW YORK—Sliding demand and stiffer competition for customers promise to make 2009 another tough year for the nation’s freight carriers. Trucking companies and railroads have already faced more than a year of challenging times and expect more difficulty ahead. By Transportation Writer Samantha Bomkamp. Eds: Note Nebraska mention. Also moving on national lines.
ALSO:
— CATTLE INVENTORIES—Nebraska’s cattle inventory heading into 2009 posted a decrease from previous years.
ALSO GETTING ATTENTION:
— CAPTIVE GIRLFRIEND—A Bayard man accused of holding his girlfriend against her will at his home for more than a week is set to be arraigned on kidnapping and other charges.
— CASH RETURN—An Omaha man is touting the virtues of some Omaha drivers who saved him from a loss of thousands of dollars.
— WOMAN ASSAULTED—A 22-year-old Lincoln woman has pleaded no contest to first-degree assault in a group attack on the driver of a car involved in a fender bender last April.
— ASHLAND STABBING—A man suspected of killing another man at an apartment complex in Ashland is now charged with first-degree murder.
— COCAINE BUST—Authorities say two people from New Jersey have been arrested after the Nebraska State Patrol discovered over 4 pounds of cocaine in their car during a stop on Interstate 80 in central Nebraska.
— ALLIANCE SUPERINTENDENT—Four finalists have been chosen for superintendent of schools in Alliance.
— ANTI-BIRD RADAR—Offutt Air Force Base will be getting a new radar system to help pilots avoid birds and the threat they pose to aircraft over the Omaha area. Eds: Also moved on national and state financial lines.
— MERIDIAN-STIMULUS—One of the projects that might benefit from a federal stimulus package is the conversion of the aging Meridian Bridge in Yankton into a recreational trail.
— NPPD POLLUTION—The Environmental Protection Agency believes the Nebraska Public Power District violated the clean air act with improvements it made to one of its coal-fired power plants in central Nebraska in the 1990s.
— POWER SATISFACTION—Omaha Public Power District ranks highest in its region for satisfying business customers.
— PERU STATE PRESIDENT—An Iowa educator is expected to become the next president of Peru State College in Nebraska.
The AP, Omaha.
