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DEVELOPING: EXONERATED INMATES-LAWSUIT, NELSON-HEALTH CARE, PIPELINE PENALTY, KOSHER SLAUGHTERHOUSE-TRIAL, FBC–TEXAS TECH-QB QUANDARY
ADDS: MISSOURI-MISTAKES,
EXONERATED INMATES-LAWSUIT
LINCOLN—A lawsuit against Gage County officials who allegedly trampled on the rights of a man who spent time behind bars for crimes he didn’t commit has been allowed to stand by a federal judge. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Warren Urbom declined a request to dismiss many aspects of the lawsuit filed by Joseph White. By Nate Jenkins.
NELSON-HEALTH CARE
OMAHA—U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson praised Maine GOP Sen. Olympia Snowe’s vote to advance a health care reform bill out of the Senate Finance Committee—but the Nebraska Democrat isn’t coming out in favor of the bill. During a Wednesday conference call with reporters, Nelson praised Snowe’s vote a day earlier as “a sign of some bipartisanship that I hope will be expanded as health care moves onto the Senate floor.” By Margery A. Beck.
PIPELINE PENALTY
OMAHA—A pipeline company wants a Nebraska excavating firm to pay for the damage caused when a liquefied natural-gas pipeline leaked more than 70,000 gallons in 2007, and the bill could top $2 million. Mid-America Pipeline LLC filed a federal lawsuit against Wilson Excavating this week. By Business Writer Josh Funk.
KOSHER SLAUGHTERHOUSE-TRIAL
SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Federal prosecutors say a former manager of an Iowa kosher slaughterhouse funneled money through a school and grocery store to avoid suspicions of his bank about outstanding loans. Assistant U.S. Attorney C.J. Williams says in opening statements Wednesday that former Agriprocessors, Inc., manager Sholom Rubashkin ran the day-to-day operations of the plant. Williams says Rubashkin paid personnel and accounting employees at the plant more than three times their salaries off the books to conceal alleged fraud. Eds: Note Nebraska interest.
WITH:
— GORDON SLAUGHTERHOUSE—The city of Gordon is trying to sell the local kosher slaughterhouse that closed because of the financial difficulties of its owner, Agriprocessors, Inc.
BUSINESS:
— TAX EXTENSION DEADLINE—State officials are reminding taxpayers who delayed filing their 2008 Nebraska individual returns that the deadline is fast approaching. Eds: Moved on state news and financial lines.
SPORTS:
FBC–TEXAS TECH-QB QUANDARY
LUBBOCK, Texas—The buzz from Texas Tech players is that backup quarterback Steven Sheffield has the hot hand and should start at No. 15 Nebraska ahead of Taylor Potts, who is coming off a concussion that kept him out last week. Mike Leach says he’ll wait until game time to decide who will start for the Red Raiders in Lincoln on Saturday. By Betsy Blaney.
MISSOURI-MISTAKES
COLUMBIA, Mo.—Gary Pinkel has a simple philosophy about the first thing his team needs to do to win. “Missouri can’t beat Missouri” is a phrase Pinkel has repeated to the media many times this season. Last week’s loss to Nebraska was a perfect illustration. By Harry Plumer.
ALSO:
— STATE TOURNAMENT POSTPONED—The Nebraska high school softball tournament has been pushed back a day because of poor weather.
— NEBRASKA PRACTICE—Nebraska opens men’s basketball practice on Friday afternoon, and the Cornhuskers will make their first public appearance the next day in the Husker Nation Pavilion before the football game against Texas Tech.
— NEBRASKA PREP RATINGS—The Associated Press Nebraska high school football rankings in Classes A through D2.
ALSO GETTING ATTENTION:
— NEB CHOKING CHARGE—A 51-year-old Lexington man is scheduled back in court next month to face charges that he used a T-shirt to choke a woman and force her into having sex with him.
— HALL COUNTY FATAL—Central Nebraska authorities have identified a 74-year-old Grand Island man fatally injured when two pickups collided at a rural Hall County intersection.
— ASSISTED SUICIDE ALLEGED—A 28-year-old Lincoln man arrested on suspicion of helping a friend commit suicide has been charged with second-degree murder.
— NEB. FOSTER CARE—Nebraska officials say that the number of children in foster care continues to decline.
— URBAN FOOD-NEB—A group of University of Nebraska-Lincoln students has received a $10,000 grant to develop an urban food cooperative.
— GRAND ISLAND FLIGHTS—Central Nebraska residents looking for direct flights to the Phoenix area can now get them from the Grand Island airport.
The AP, Omaha.
