A report from the Nebraska Appleseed Center indicates health-insurance premiums for working families in the state rose 69 percent between 2000 and 2007. The group also says in a new report that health insurance premiums rose more than three times faster than wages from 2000 to 2007. It also reports the cost of health insurance offered by employers is projected to grow at an annual rate of nearly 8 percent. The report says that incomes, meanwhile, are expected to increase a little more than 1 percent annually. Jennifer Carter of Nebraska Appleseed called the figures startling.
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A Yankton man has been sentenced to three consecutive terms of life in prison for the September shooting deaths of three people in their 20s. Ernest Tupper, 58, had pleaded guilty but mentally ill to three counts of first-degree murder. He shot and killed Robert Riibe, Chassidy Bamsey and Brian Van Wagner at a Yankton apartment.
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A 25-year-old Norfolk man will spend at least five years in prison for terrorizing his former girlfriend. According to the Norfolk Daily News, District Judge James Kube sentenced Erich Droescher to consecutive terms totaling 10 to 19 years. During this week's sentencing hearing, Madison County Deputy Attorney Mike Long asked for a significant sentence for Droescher, saying the defendant was not remorseful and saw himself as the victim in the incident.
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The Norfolk City Fire Marshal is reminding residents it is illegal to bring fireworks into Nebraska from neighboring states. Terry Zwiebel says you must have either a distributor's or jobber's license to legally bring fireworks into Nebraska, even if the fireworks could legally be sold and discharged here.
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Nebraska health officials say the number of animals infected with rabies has increased sharply this year. They say 51 animals have tested positive so far, compared with 43 total cases last year and 31 in 2007. Most animals infected this year are skunks.
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The Norfolk Area Relay For Life for 2009 officially wrapped up last night at a dinner party. Organizers announced a total of $180,633 in cash raised for the American Cancer Society. Hundreds of volunteers took part in the May 29th and 30th fundraiser at Johnny Carson Field. The Norfolk event is consistently one of the largest Relays in the Midwest.
