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WHITECLAY-ALCOHOL
LINCOLN—Nebraska lawmakers gave initial approval Monday to a bill that on the surface seeks to address problems that have arisen from heavy alcohol sales near an Indian reservation, but in actuality doesn’t include funding. Legislators advanced a bill that would establish a fund to help pay for an alcohol treatment center or increased law enforcement near Whiteclay. The four stores in the village of 14 people sell approximately 4 million cans of beer annually—most to residents of the dry Pine Ridge reservation that’s within walking distance across the border in South Dakota. The reservation has one of the country’s highest alcoholism-related mortality rates. By Nate Jenkins.
Also:
— WATER TAX—A Nebraska lawmaker from Omaha is trying hard to convince fellow state senators that a sales tax on fees to finance water and sewer projects isn’t just a bad idea for his city.
BUSINESS:
MIDWEST ECONOMY
OMAHA—A survey released Monday of business leaders and supply managers in nine Midwest and Plains states suggests the region’s economy is set to grow in the coming months, but that there are also signs of inflation. The Business Conditions Index for the Mid-America region jumped to 61 in February, up from 54.7 in January and 50.3 in December. By Margery A. Beck.
With:
— MIDWEST ECONOMY-GLANCE
BUFFETT ECONOMY
OMAHA—Billionaire Warren Buffett said Monday the economy is improving but at a very slow rate and consumers are still not spending much, so job growth will remain slow. Buffett appeared on the CNBC cable network for three hours Monday morning—two days after releasing his annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway Inc. shareholders—and he addressed a range of topics, including health care reform and succession at his company. By Business Writer Josh Funk. Eds: Also moved on national lines.
AP Photo NYSW204.
With:
— BUFFETT SUCCESSOR—Billionaire Warren Buffett says once he is gone, Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s managers and board members will make sure the company continues to be run as it has been because they believe it is special.
BUBBA BURGER-NEBRASKA
HASTINGS—A Florida-based company says it is buying the closed Armour-Eckrich meat plant in Hastings and hopes to open for production by midsummer. Eds: Moving on state news and financial lines.
SPORTS:
BIG 12 BYES
OKLAHOMA CITY—Baylor coach Scott Drew can attest to the difficulty of trying to make a run through the Big 12 tournament without the advantage of having the first day off. His Bears put up three surprising upsets to reach the championship game last season, only to run out of gas against a fast-paced Missouri team that benefited from a first-round bye. By Sports Writer Jeff Latzke.
AP Photos OKAA106, TXWAC105, TXDL111.
Also:
— T25-NEBRASKA-GRIFFIN HONOR—Nebraska’s Kelsey Griffin is Big 12 women’s basketball player of the week for the third straight week and fifth time overall this season.
ALSO GETTING ATTENTION:
— UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS-NEBRASKA—About 1,300 Nebraskans would lose their benefits if Congress fails to extend unemployment insurance benefits.
— CHILD PORN SENTENCE—A 29-year-old Lincoln man has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for receiving child pornography.
— $20 MILLION GIFT—A Texas feedlot operator is giving the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s agricultural business programs a $20 million gift to help promote entrepreneurship.AP Photo pursuing.
— BUBBA BURGER-NEBRASKA—A Florida-based hamburger company announced Monday that it will buy the closed Armour-Eckrich meat plant in Hastings, bringing 200 new jobs to the southern Nebraska town.
— HEALTH FUNDING-NEBRASKA—A nationwide report ranks Nebraska 21st among states for money awarded by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for public health initiatives.
— CHANGING RACES—A Democrat who filed to run for Nebraska secretary of state isn’t just changing course, he’s changing races.
The AP, Omaha.
