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DEVELOPING: CENSUS-NEBRASKA COUNTIES, BKC–NIT-BOWLING GREEN-CREIGHTON,
ADDS: XGR–DEATH PENALTY, UNINSURED NEBRASKANS, VERASUN-VALERO
XGR–DEATH PENALTY
LINCOLN—Disagreements between key lawmakers are blocking a bill to change Nebraska’s method of execution to lethal injection. The bill (LB36) from Speaker Mike Flood of Norfolk failed to advance in the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. It got just four votes from the eight members. The bill wasn’t killed, but, for now, it won’t move to the whole body. By Anna Jo Bratton.
With:
— XGR–TAX BREAKS—A handful of business tax breaks granted by Nebraska state government probably won’t go away anytime soon.
CENSUS-NEBRASKA COUNTIES, HFR
OMAHA—The U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday released new population estimates by county, revealing some milestones and a handful of surprises. By Jean Ortiz. Eds: HOLD FOR RELEASE UNTIL 11:01 p.m. CDT. THIS STORY MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST OR POSTED ONLINE BEFORE 11:01 p.m. CDT.
UNINSURED NEBRASKANS
LINCOLN—Nearly 30 percent of Nebraskans under age 65 had no health insurance at some point over the years 2007 and 2008, according to a new report. And separate statistics also released on Wednesday show a sharp increase in Nebraska businesses with workers or their family members on Medicaid. By Nate Jenkins.
BUSINESS:
VERASUN-VALERO
SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Traditional refiner Valero Energy Corp. will acquire seven ethanol plants and one development site from VeraSun Energy Corp. after a successful auction bid of $477 million. VeraSun, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October, will seek the Delaware court’s approval of the bid at a hearing planned for Wednesday. The sale is expected to close in April. By Energy Writer Dirk Lammers. Eds: Also moving on national lines.
SPORTS:
BKC–NIT-BOWLING GREEN-CREIGHTON
OMAHA—Creighton, coming off the disappointment of being left out of the NCAA tournament, opens the NIT against Bowling Green. The Bluejays were regular-season co-champions of the Missouri Valley Conference. The Falcons won the Mid-American Conference regular-season title. The winner plays Kentucky on Monday. Eds: Game starts 7:05 p.m.
AP Photos by Nati Harnik.
ALSO GETTING ATTENTION:
— AIRPORT BOARDINGS—U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska says he backs the elimination of the minimum number of boardings required for a small airport to receive a million federal dollars.
— EX-DEPUTY CHARGE—A former sheriff’s deputy and police officer has been charged in an arrest warrant with first-degree sexual assault.
— GRASS FIRE-TICKET—Authorities have ticketed a man for starting a campfire believed to be the cause of a grass fire near Shelton that injured several firefighters.
— FLU-SCHOOL—An Omaha parochial school closed for a day by a bout of the flu has reopened.
— UNCLE ACCUSED—A 42-year-old man from Rogers is due in Platte County District Court later this month to face three charges of sexually assaulting his 12-year-old niece.
— SEX OFFENDER ACCUSED—A convicted sex offender from Beatrice has been accused of another sex assault.
— INMATE DEATH—A Harlan County grand jury has cleared law enforcement of criminal wrongdoing in the death of an inmate at the county jail in Alma in south central Nebraska.
— RECYCLING CENTER FIRE—No injuries are reported in a fire at a paper recycling center in Omaha.
— POACHER PUNISHED—A 34-year-old North Platte man has been fined almost $5,500 for widespread poaching the last two years.
— GOLDEN SPIKE TOWER—The Golden Spike Tower and Visitors Center in North Platte has a new interim director—its third director in less than a year.
— NEW TAXES—Two more cities are joining the list of Nebraska municipalities that charge local sales and use taxes of 1.5 percent.
— KOSHER SLAUGHTERHOUSE-TRIAL—A federal judge has denied a kosher slaughterhouse and its former manager’s request to move their trial out of Iowa because of pretrial publicity. Eds: Note Nebraska mention.
The AP, Omaha.
