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DEVELOPING:
ADDS: PSC-Mill Creek, Missouri River Lawsuit, Missouri River Lawsuit-Reax
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
LINCOLN—A Nebraska lawmaker threw a political grenade Tuesday into a compromise bill designed to deter illegal immigration. Freshman Sen. Charlie Janssen of Fremont has proposed amending the bill to overturn a state law that lets some children of illegal immigrants pay the lower, in-state college tuition rate. By Anna Jo Bratton.
AP Photos by Nati Harnik.
STATE GAMES
LINCOLN—How many state employees does it take to assemble a Sony PlayStation? Five, apparently. Nebraska State Auditor Mike Foley is questioning why employees of the state Library Commission spent time last year videotaping themselves assembling and playing with the device—on state time—and then posting the video on YouTube. He’s also questioning why that game, along with another game and accessories—$447 worth—were bought at all last year. By Nate Jenkins.
MISSOURI RIVER LAWSUIT
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.—The battle over access to Missouri River water took a new twist Tuesday as Missouri sued the federal government to halt the planned diversion of river water to northwestern North Dakota. The lawsuit comes after the U.S. Department of Interior signed off on a $17.5 million water treatment plan last month for the Northwest Area Water Supply project. The project first was authorized by Congress more than two decades ago but is still a long way from completion. By David A. Lieb.
With:
— MISSOURI RIVER LAWSUIT-REAX
BISMARCK, N.D.—A project to pipe Missouri River water to cities in northwestern North Dakota will not divert enough water to harm the state of Missouri, North Dakota officials say. A federal lawsuit filed by Missouri over the Northwest Area Water Supply project is “unfortunate,” said Don Canton, a spokesman for North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven. By Blake Nicholson.
BUSINESS:
PSC-MILL CREEK
HELENA, Mont.—The Montana Public Service Commission this week will begin evaluating NorthWestern Energy’s plan to build and operate a $206 million natural gas-fired generator east of Anaconda. The hearing on the Mill Creek facility will begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday and is expected to last three days.
SPORTS:
BKC–TEXAS A&M-NEBRASKA
LINCOLN—Nebraska and Texas A&M—two teams in the middle of the Big 12 pack—face off in Lincoln Tuesday night. Game time 8:30 p.m.
AP Photos.
BKC–CREIGHTON-MISSOURI ST.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.—Creighton goes on the road to face Missouri State in a Missouri Valley Conference game.
ALSO:
— BOYS TOWN-BETTIS—Former NFL running back Jerome “The Bus” Bettis will be the keynote speaker at the annual Boys Town Booster Banquet. Eds: Moved on state news and sports lines.
ALSO GETTING ATTENTION:
— COCAINE SENTENCE—A Phoenix man has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for driving a car on Interstate 80 in Nebraska with roughly 50 pounds of cocaine inside.
— LIBRARY RALLY—The Lincoln Library Board has recommended closing two branches despite a rally organized by some elementary school students.
— EVICTIONS INVESTIGATION—Owners of a South Sioux City apartment complex have settled with four Somali immigrants who had alleged discrimination in their evictions.
— FOSTER REPORT—A study of Nebraska children who have been in foster care for an extended time shows a mixed bag.
— KING KONG EMBEZZLEMENT—A 33-year-old Lincoln man who embezzled nearly $10,000 from King Kong restaurant has been sentenced to 18 to 30 months in prison.
— OBIT-POLLOCK—Jack Pollock, who had covered and guided Keith County as the local newspaper publisher for years, has died at age 77.
— SOCIAL SECURITY THEFT—A 61-year-old man has been sentenced to five months in prison and ordered to pay back more than $71,000 to the federal government.
— FIRE DEATH CONVICTION—An Omaha woman has been found guilty for her role in the death of her disabled daughter, who died last year after being trapped inside her mother’s burning house.
— TWEEDY PLEA—A Nebraska man pleaded guilty but mentally ill for a shooting death in Yankton last spring.
— FATAL CHARGE—A Hastings College student accused in the traffic death of another man will stand trial on manslaughter and drunken driving charges.
— CHILD NEGLECT—A 26-year-old man has been fined $250 for leaving a 3-year-old alone in an apartment with food cooking on the stove.
— SEXUAL ASSAULT—A North Platte man has pleaded no contest to sexually assaulting a 14-year old girl.
— TRIBE EMBEZZLEMENT—The former executive director of the Omaha Tribal Housing Authority has been given probation and ordered to repay restitution of $23,000 to the tribe.
— PRESIDENTIAL THREAT—Court documents say that an Omaha man accused of threatening to shoot President Barack Obama won’t be prosecuted if the man gets psychiatric treatment.
— TAPING CASE—A judge has fined a Lincoln day care provider $250 for feeding a child beans and taping her mouth shut.
— HEINEMAN-STIMULUS—Gov. Dave Heineman says the state’s budget is in better shape than many others. But he says that doesn’t mean Nebraska should turn down federal stimulus money so other states can have more.
— BEEF AMBASSADOR—The Nebraska Cattlewomen will again host the Nebraska Beef Ambassador Contest this spring in Kearney.
— CRITTER CONTROL—Having trouble with a curious or hungry raccoon? Need a way to keep vermin out of your house?
The AP, Omaha.
