Local News

Last updated at 3:04 pm on March 9, 2010

STANTON--  Melting snow and rain are creating the potential for flooding across Nebraska.  A flood warning for the Loup River near Genoa remains in effect and Knox County Authorities have announced that a county road is closed from highway 12 to the Missouri River.  A flood advisory has been issued yesterday for the Elkhorn River but was later canceled.  Stanton County Emergency Management Director Sanford Goshorn says an ice jam near Pilger could still create some lowland flooding. Other area’s of the state are also experiencing the potential for flooding.

NORFOLK--  The Nebraska State Patrol is one of the latest victims of the state’s budget problems.  The Omaha World Herald this week reported that the number of uniformed troopers is at a 21 year low.  Here in Norfolk Patrol Captain Brad Rice is also reporting a reduction in man power.  He says  that means they have to be more selective when and where they send out patrols. Rice says that also impacts special enforcement on holidays and when community events are held that cause an increase of traffic. Rice says despite their efforts any way you look at it they have less man power and man power hours to put on the road.

NORFOLK--  The city of  Norfolk could be one of many communities across the nation to become a test market for ultra high speed internet service provided by Google.  City Administrator Al Roder says the city is currently putting together an application to become one of  the test markets. Roder says becoming one of the test markets would have many advantages. A public hearing on the effort will be held during next Monday night’s city council meeting.

LINCOLN (AP)--  Nebraska's six community colleges are resolving their funding dispute, and Metropolitan Community College is dropping its lawsuit against the other colleges. State Senator Greg Adams of York announced the agreement Tuesday afternoon. Omaha-based Metro said in its lawsuit that it has lost more than $10.8 million because of the state's miscalculations and the other colleges' misrepresentations. Adams says all the colleges agreed to cooperate on developing a new funding formula. The new formula would take effect in 2011. During the 2010-2011 school year, Metro will receive $1.8 million total from the other five schools to help it while the new funding formula is written.

LINCOLN (AP)--  Nebraska lawmakers have easily overturned Governor Dave Heineman's first veto of the legislative session. On Tuesday, 38 state senators voted to override Heineman's veto of a bill  that will increase to $1,000 the cost of licenses that liquor manufacturers must have to ship liquor into the state. Thirty votes were needed. The current fee of $200 hasn't been changed in nearly 30 years. Senator Russ Karpisek of Wilber introduced the bill. He says it will increase state revenue by about $500,000 annually. Heineman had said in his veto letter to lawmakers that the increase would place an undue burden on small businesses during a difficult economic period.

LINCOLN (AP)--  Nebraska residents will likely get to decide if the state treasurer's office should be eliminated. The Legislature on Tuesday gave first-round approval to a proposed constitutional amendment that would go before voters in
the November general election. If approved by voters, the office would be eliminated in 2015. Supporters say duties now handled by the office can be done by existing state agencies, saving money. The office acts as the state's banker, receiving and dispersing state money. It also collects and disperses child-support payments, and returns unclaimed property such as uncashed payroll checks. Senator Dennis Utter of Hastings introduced the measure and says the office also isn't needed because it makes no policy decisions.

NORFOLK--  The Norfolk Public School district will receive nearly a million dollars more in state aid in the next fiscal year.  During Monday nights board of education meeting Director of Business Services Vicky Schwartz reported that the district will receive nearly 11 point 5 million dollars in state aid.  Schwartz also told the board that included in the state aid is a big chunk of federal stimulus dollars. The state aid numbers were released by the Nebraska Department of Education on Friday.

NORFOLK--  The Norfolk Public Schools Board of Education has approved 21 separate bids totaling just over one million dollars for the high school renovation project.  Included in the package is everything from drywall to pest control.  The project is part of the districts grade realignment plan that calls for adding 9th grade to the high school next fall.

NEWMAN GROVE--  The Board of Education for the Newman Grove public schools  doesn’t seem to have enough candidates to fill the three seats up for election. As of the filing deadline of March first only  one incumbent , David Fowlkes had filed for re-election.  The other two incumbents Brad Cox and Colleen Albrecht did not file for re-election and no other candidates have filed for the two seats.  Madison County Clerk Nancy Scheer says since Folwkes is the lone candidate he will automatically advance to the November general election.  As for the other two open seats candidates must file a write in affidavit with Scheer’s office no later than October 22nd or 10 days prior to the November 2nd general election.  If no-one files as a write in candidate the remaining board members would then appoint two people to the positions who would then serve until the next general election in 2012.

LINCOLN (AP)--  Nebraska state government's overall revenue fell more than 2 percent below projections in February because of lagging sales and income taxes. The state Department of Revenue said Monday that the state collected $201 million in February. That's $5 million less than the official projection the state budget is based on. Higher-than-expected revenues from corporate income taxes helped keep the state from missing the mark by more. The revenue report comes on the heels of a state board's downward revision of state tax-revenue estimates for this fiscal year, and next. The Legislature will now be forced to make cuts to the current, two-year budget to deal with the revenue shortfall and an increase in state aid to schools.

LINCOLN (AP)--  A report says that, per capita, Nebraska in fiscal 2008 got more federal money tied to census data than most other states.  The report released by the Washington-based Brookings Institution says Nebraska received $3.1 billion, or $1,734 per person, during the fiscal year that ended in September 2008. Per capita, that was the 14th most among states.

WASHINGTON (AP)--  The Justice Department says it's requiring the biggest voting machine company in the country to sell off key assets following a merger. The federal government and nine state attorneys general say the combination of Omaha-based Election Systems & Software and a subsidiary of Diebold Inc. harms competition.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP)--  A Nebraska pet food company is expanding its recall of some products. Nature's Variety of Lincoln said yesterday that the raw, frozen food is being recalled because it could be contaminated with salmonella. The recall includes three-pound packages of chicken medallions, six-pound packages of chicken patties and two-pound packages of chicken chubs.
    
GIBBON, Neb. (AP)--  The Rowe Sanctuary has set up its crane cam so people can use the Web to watch some of the thousands of sandhill cranes resting in Nebraska before continuing north to breeding grounds. The video site can be found on the sanctuary Web site, www.rowesanctuary.org.

NORFOLK--  A Hollywood actor and comedian who has appeared in more than 50 films and guest starred on numerous late night TV shows has been announced as the headliner for this year's Viaero Great American Comedy Festival.  Larry Miller will be the host and headliner for the comedy finals and gala on Saturday June 19th.  Miller began his career as the brown-nosing store manager in "Pretty Woman" in 1990.  He has since gone on to roles in movies such as "The Nutty Professor" and "10 Things I hate about you" and most recently in this year's "Valentine".  On TV, Miller has had roles in Seinfeld, Boston Legal, Desperate Housewives and many others.  A Comedy legend is yet to be named.  Efforts to bring a husband-wife comedy duo to Norfolk to be the 2010 recipients initially looked promising but later fell through because of a conflict.  This year's Comedy Festival will held June 16th thru the 20th.