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DEVELOPING: BANKERS SURVEY
XGR–UNCERTAIN BUDGET
LINCOLN—Nebraska’s budget has two big blanks this year: money that could come from the federal stimulus package and money that could go to stabilize the state’s retirement fund. The Legislature’s Appropriations Committee has made its recommendation for a two-year, more than $7 billion budget, but “there’s a lot of answers that we need to get yet,” said committee Chairman Lavon Heidemann of Elk Creek. By Anna Jo Bratton.
XGR–EXONERATED INMATES
LINCOLN—Joseph White showed Nebraska lawmakers a picture of his infant son taken 20 years ago, before White was imprisoned for the 1985 rape and murder of a Beatrice woman. Then the father showed them a photo of the boy after White was exonerated and released from prison last year. By Anna Jo Bratton.
AP Photos.
XGR–METRO CC-STATE FUNDING
OMAHA—Metro Community College would lose $23 million in state aid this year if the school is expelled from a state association and a community colleges bill in the Legislature becomes law, the chairman of the Metro board says. Metro, which has seven campuses in the Omaha area, has been squabbling off and on with the state’s five other community college districts over funding for decades. By Eric Olson.
ALSO:
— XGR–ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION—The Legislature’s Judiciary Committee has combined three proposals to curb illegal immigration and advanced the resulting bill to the whole body.
— XGR–DITCH TRAPPING—State lawmakers have advanced a bill to allow animal trapping in roadside ditches.
EDUCATION-STIMULUS
WASHINGTON—Education Secretary Arne Duncan said the economic stimulus plan will help avert thousands of teacher layoffs, and he released the first estimates of where the money will go. Duncan visited a charter school Thursday in New York, where Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said state budget cuts might force layoffs of 14,000 teachers. Nationwide, nearly 600,000 teaching jobs are at risk. By Education Writer Libby Quaid. Eds: Note Nebraska mention. Version also moving on national lines. Charts from the U.S. Department of Education can be found in the documents folder of the Nebraska state-level multimedia site: ftp://ftp.ap.org/statelevel/ne. Username: slmmro. Password: 51Pr0wm.
BUSINESS:
BANKERS SURVEY
OMAHA—A survey of bankers suggests the rural economy continues to falter in the face of national economic woes and widespread job losses The problems are reflected in the February report on a monthly survey of the bank executives in 11 Midwest and Plains states. Eds: Expected by 8:30 a.m. CST.
BANK FEES-JOBLESS BENEFITS
UNDATED—First, Arthur Santa-Maria called Bank of America to ask how to check the balance of his new unemployment benefits debit card. The bank charged him 50 cents. He chose not to complain. That would have cost another 50 cents. By Business Writer Christopher Leonard. Eds: Note Nebraska mention. Moving on national and state news and financial lines.
AP Photos NMSS209, GFX600. AP Graphic UNEMPLOYMENT CARDS.
FERC-EDF-CONSTELLATION
BALTIMORE—U.S. regulators approved on Thursday an offer by French power giant EdF to buy nearly half of U.S.-based Constellation Energy’s nuclear operations for $4.5 billion. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said in a statement that the commission found the deal consistent with the public interest and also approved an option for the sale of up to $2 billion in other non-nuclear assets. By Alex Dominguez. Eds: Note Nebraska mention regarding Berkshire Hathaway.
ALSO:
— BACK PAY RECOVERED—An Omaha-based plumbing parts wholesaler has paid more than $16,000 in penalties and back wages. Eds: Moved on news and financial lines.
SPORTS:
— NEBRASKA TICKETS—Nebraska football season ticket holders will pay $2 more per game in 2009.
ALSO GETTING ATTENTION:
— FATAL SHOOTING—An Omaha man has been ordered to serve to 20 years in prison for a 2007 shooting death in La Vista.
— SEX OFFENDER-ARREST—A convicted sex offender has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting three Beatrice girls.
— JUDGE APPOINTED—A Norfolk attorney will serve as the next district court judge for a seven-county area in northeast Nebraska.
— DOG ATTACK—An Omaha man has been ticketed in connection with a dog attack on his mother.
— JUDGE VACANCY—The deadline for interested people to apply for a western Nebraska district court judgeship passed Thursday, although with no word yet on how many candidates could be vying for the seat.
— OMAHA MAYOR-OBAMA—Omaha’s mayor will join several mayors from around the country at a meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House to discuss the president’s stimulus package.
— EDITORIAL RDP—Excerpts from recent Nebraska daily newspaper editorials on topics of statewide interest.
The AP, Omaha.
