Listen Live!

Posted: 09/08/10 08:40

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Attendance at the Nebraska State Fair
didn't just beat expectations during its inaugural run in Grand
Island. It also beat attendance at the fair when it was held in
Lincoln two years ago.
Fair officials on Tuesday said 309,400 people came through the
gates during the fair's 11-day run that ended Monday. That's a few
hundred more than attended in 2008.
It was far short of the more than 367,000 who came last year,
but officials say attendance in 2009 was unusually high because it
was the last year Lincoln hosted the event.
Heading into the fair this year, officials said they'd be happy
if 200,000 people were to come.
The fair moved to Grand Island to make way for a research park
the University of Nebraska wants to build on the old fairgrounds in
Lincoln.

Posted: 09/08/10 06:39

The Hastings Fire Department responded to a house on fire in the 1900 block of Bateman. Shortly before noon a neighbor called 911 with a report of smoke coming from the house. When firefighters arrived on scene they found a fire in the kitchen.

The fire department was able to contain the fire before it spread throughout the home. Within a half hour the fire was confirmed out.

The residents were not home at the time of the fire. Three dogs were inside at the time of the fire. Two of the canines had to be given oxygen due to smoke inhalation.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Posted: 09/07/10 11:30

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A Nebraska prison inmate has sued a Lincoln
hospital and a doctor for negligence, saying a glass shard was left
in his right forearm during treatment 14 years ago.
The lawsuit filed by David Dieguez Alfonso names BryanLGH Health
System and a "Dr. John Doe" who was working at the hospital in
1996.
Records indicate that Alfonso was not in prison at the time.
He's there now for sex offender registry violations.
Alfonso says a BryanLGH doctor didn't take X-rays before
stitching up a wound suffered when Alfonso put his arm through a
window.
He says that during prison outpatient surgery last month, "a
large shard of glass" was removed.
Alfonso is seeking at least $14,000.
A hospital spokeswoman said Tuesday that she couldn't
immediately comment.

Posted: 09/07/10 09:05

The chancellor of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has scheduled his annual State of the University address for the third week of classes. Chancellor Harvey Perlman will review good news from the past academic year and outline the challenges and opportunities ahead. Perlman is scheduled to begin his speech at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Lied Center for Performing Arts. The Lied Center sits on the southern edge of the downtown campus. His speech is free and open to the public. It will be broadcast live on the UNL website.

Posted: 09/07/10 09:02

Fifty-four-year-old Larry Williams of Holdrege was sentenced in Buffalo County District Court Friday to 30-to-60 years in prison on five counts of first-degree sexual assault of a Ravenna girl from February 2001 to February 2003 when the girl was 14 and 15 year old. After serving his sentence, Williams will be placed on five years of intensive supervised probation and will have to register as a convicted sex offender. The trial marked the third time Williams was tried with prior trials ending hung juries. Williams’ attorney argued following the sentencing for a new trail but the judge denied the motion.

Posted: 09/08/10 06:49

For the first time since 1999 the University of Nebraska-Kearney has its highest fall enrollment in school history. Enrollment is 1.5 percent over last year’s total at 6,753. It marks the seventh consecutive year of growth in fall enrollment on the UNK campus. In addition to the increase in total enrollment, the number of fist-time freshman increased by 15.2 percent. Along with increase in the number of first-time freshman, the number of freshman in the UNK Honor program increased by 13 percent. Not only are there more students enrolled at UNK this fall, but the students are taking larger class loads.

Posted: 09/07/10 08:43

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) - Nebraskans who wonder about nitrates
in their well water are being invited to have it tested free at
Husker Harvest Days in Grand Island.
A cup of the water is needed for the testing in the Natural
Resources Tent at the Husker Harvest grounds. Testing will be done
Sept. 14-15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CDT and between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
on Sept. 16.
Results will be available about an hour after samples are
dropped off.
Experts say nitrates pose extra danger to infants and pregnant
women and anyone who has a weak immune system. Livestock also are
susceptible to nitrate poisoning.
Nitrate can naturally occur, but it is also a byproduct of
fertilizer and manure.