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XGR–TEACHER PAY
LINCOLN—A plan to boost the pay of high-performing teachers in Nebraska hit a wall of opposition Wednesday, jeopardizing a measure that supporters say is needed to turn around the state’s dim reputation of having low teacher pay. Following three hours of debate, Sen. Ken Haar of Malcolm said opponents clearly were trying to kill it with a filibuster and that he didn’t know when it might return to the Legislature for a vote, but was confident it would. Legislative scheduling of bills Wednesday forced lawmakers to move on to other measures, and Haar said amendments were planned. By Nate Jenkins.
BUSINESS:
IMMIGRATION ARRESTS-NEBRASKA
OMAHA—Seventeen people were in federal custody Wednesday as part of an ongoing investigation of a Fremont meatpacking plant by immigration officials, authorities said. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Greg Palmore said the 17 were arrested Tuesday at Fremont Beef Company for immigration violations. By Timberly Ross. Eds: Moved on state news and financial lines.
NEBRASKA UNEMPLOYMENT
LINCOLN—Nebraska’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.6 percent in January, still less than half the national rate of 9.7 percent, state officials said in a report issued Wednesday. The state said the preliminary December rate of 4.7 percent reported on Jan. 22 has been revised to 4.6 percent. Eds: Moved late for PMs. Moved on state news and financial lines.
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY-EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
OMAHA—Warren Buffett brought home less pay than Berkshire Hathaway’s chief financial officer again last year, but the company is paying more to protect the billionaire these days. Buffett, chairman and chief executive of the Omaha, Neb.-based company, received $519,490 total compensation in 2009, an increase of 6 percent, according the proxy statement mailed to shareholders this week. The reason Buffett’s compensation grew is Berkshire spent $28,781 more on his security. By Business Writer Josh Funk. Eds: Also moving on national lines.
SPORTS:
BKW–BIG 12 TOURNAMENT
LINCOLN—Protecting its perfect record isn’t Nebraska’s primary goal as it heads into the Big 12 tournament. The way coach Connie Yori figures it, the Cornhuskers need one win to assure themselves a No. 1 seed for the NCAA tournament. The rest of the field is a strong one, filled with ranked teams. By Eric Olson.
B12-NEBRASKA-MISSOURI
KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Making fast-paced Missouri play Nebraska’s brand of basketball was all it took to create a major upset in the Big 12 tournament. The 12th-seeded Huskers, who had lost twice already to the fifth-seeded Tigers, played perhaps their best game of the season and shocked Missouri with an early 16-1 spree en route to a 75-60 victory in the opening round on Wednesday. By Sports Writer Doug Tucker.
AP Photos MOOW113, MOOW118, MOOW121.
T25-RESILIENT AGGIES
COLLEGE STATION, Texas—Last December, Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon watched Derrick Roland writhing on the court with a broken leg—a gruesome injury that cost the team their top defender and second-leading scorer. Texas A&M lost two of its first three Big 12 games afterward, but bounced back to win 10 of its last 13 to earn a first-round bye in the Big 12 tournament. By Sports Writer Kristie Rieken.
ALSO:
— BBC–NEBRASKA-KEARNEY-NEBRASKA—Tyler Niederklein and four relievers combined to limit the University of Nebraska at Kearney to four hits and Kyle Bubak drove in three runs to lead Nebraska to an 8-1 victory over the Lopers on Wednesday.
ALSO GETTING ATTENTION:
— PLATTE FLOODING—Sarpy County authorities were cautioning residents in an area known as Vencil’s Island to about the rising threat of the Platte River.
— NORFOLK STABBING—A Norfolk man has been arrested in the stabbing death of a 30-year-old woman.
— JOBLESS AID-NELSON—U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson was the lone Democrat to vote against a sweeping measure that includes an extension of unemployment benefits.
— VALENTINE SLAYING—Authorities are investigating the slaying of a 34-year-old woman in north-central Nebraska.
— SHOOTING DEATH—A young Omaha man has been found guilty of killing an 18-year-old high school student during a 2008 clash between gangs.
— ICY WATER RESCUE—Residents of a southwest Omaha neighborhood are being hailed as heroes after they helped rescue four people from an icy pond.
— STUDENT KILLED—The Lee County coroner says a 19-year-old member of the Chadron State College football team in Nebraska has been killed in a highway accident in Auburn that seriously injured a teammate.
The AP, Omaha.
