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DEVELOPING: ON THE TRAIL, ALTERNATIVE ENERGY-WINDFALL
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY-WINDFALL
BLOOMFIELD—With the national economy in free fall, Bloomfield reaped the benefits of a wind energy boom. It also experienced what other towns may see in the future as Nebraska continues to harness its strong prairie winds.
STIMULUS-TRANSIT JOBS
WASHINGTON—Washington is paying hundreds of millions of dollars to build new, cleaner-burning buses, but don’t scour the want ads looking for a burst of job openings soon at major manufacturers or suppliers. The bus money, like many other programs in the $787 billion stimulus plan, is having the less glamorous and harder-to-quantify effect of keeping workers employed, providing a slight buffer from the recession to some in the auto industry. By Matt Apuzzo. Eds: Note Nebraska mention.
AP Photos WXSC404, WXSC403, WXSC402, WXSC401.
PREDATION PLAN
SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Two endangered birds that nest on the Missouri River system will get some extra protection under a predator control plan written by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It spells out the use of mesh cages, fencing, hazing and lethal or nonlethal removal of predators to save nests and chicks produced by least terns and piping plovers during their brief summer stay. By Wayne Ortman. Eds: Note Nebraska interest.
ON THE TRAIL
FREMONT—Somewhere 12 years ago—perhaps crossing the vast Nebraska countryside—Danny Van Fleet began to hear his calling. Back then, the Cambridge, Ill., man was taking part in a re-enactment of the Mormon Trail ride, closely following the route members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints used in search of a new home, ending up in what became Salt Lake City, Utah. By Tracy Buffington of the Fremont Tribune. Eds: A Nebraskaland Feature.
ALSO GETTING ATTENTION:
— OPEN ACCESS—More than 14,300 acres of land has been enrolled in the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s new Open Fields and Waters pilot program.
— BIG BRAWL—Lincoln police say it took more than 20 officers to break up a brawl at a fundraiser that ended with three arrests.
— RECIPE CHALLENGE—Nebraska pork producers and dry bean growers are sponsoring the New Pork & Beans Recipe Challenge, with entries due July 15.
The AP, Omaha.
