Nebraska

“The Gospel message? What is that?”

That’s the question a man named Patrick asked Jay Dess – the founder and chairman of 9th Inning Ministry in Omaha, Neb. Dess approached the hard-nosed man seven years ago about using his property across from Rosenblatt Stadium to hand out free, ice cold water with the Gospel message to College World Series patrons.

Dess knew that residents around the stadium often fetched a hefty fee for the use of their property and he was prepared to pay for the premium spot, within reason. So, he made his pitch, handed Patrick a bottle of water and Patrick told him to come back because he wanted to think about it. more >>

Nebraska’s governor signed two landmark bills Tuesday that put unprecedented restrictions on abortions performed in the state.

The laws are the first of their kind in the United States and the most restrictive in terms of defining the circumstances when an abortion is legal.

Republican Gov. Dave Heineman signed both bills on Tuesday – the same day the state legislature approved LB 1103, the bill that bans abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy based on the belief that the fetus can feel pain. The other piece of legislation, LB 594, was approved Monday by a 44-5 vote and requires women who seek an abortion in Nebraska to first be screened for mental health and other problems that might develop after the procedure. more >>

A Nebraska legislative committee, with the backing of a statewide pro-life group, has advanced a new version of a bill that had earlier been touted incorrectly by some media outlets as a compromise between pro-life groups and legislators who back cloning for research.

The Judiciary Committee had passed a version of LB 606 earlier this month to ban cloning for reproductive purposes.

Pro-life advocates, however, had expressed concerns over at least four sections in the measure, with Nebraska Right to Life arguing that the wording would have allowed scientists to freely clone and kill human embryos for research purposes. more >>

A teenage gunman carried his rifle into a Nebraska mall Wednesday afternoon, firing what police officials said appeared to be random shots. He killed nine people, including himself, and injured five others.

Police identified the gunman as 19-year-old Robert A. Hawkins of Bellvue, Neb. Hawkins had left behind a suicide note saying how sorry he was for everything and that now he would be famous, said Debora Maruca-Kovac, whose family had taken Hawkins in.

"He had said how much he loved his family and all his friends and how he was sorry he was a burden to everybody and his whole life he was a piece of (expletive) and now he'll be famous," Maruca-Kovac said, describing the note, according to The Associated Press. "I was fearful that he was going to try to commit suicide but I had no idea that he would involve so many other families." more >>

Less than a week after a Nebraska state senator filed a lawsuit against God, a one-page document marked "Special Appearance" mysteriously appeared at the Douglas County Courthouse in Omaha, a local CBS affiliate reported Wednesday.

"It was on the counter in legal filing yesterday,” Gordon Rieber in the Clerk of the District Court's office told Omaha’s Action 3 News. “No one saw it come in. She (an employee) turned her back and there it was."

In the paper, “God” says the suit by Sen. Ernie Chambers (D-Omaha) should be thrown out because there was “[n]o proper and sufficient service of summons” by a deputy. more >>

Prominent gay-rights organizations in Omaha, Neb., have spoken out, condemning statements that encourage gay students to respond to bullying with violence.

"Any web site statements that suggest violence as an option in responding to injustice against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are absolutely inappropriate, unconscionable and beyond the pale," according to a joint statement on Thursday by Citizens For Equal Protection of Nebraska (CFEP); the Omaha Chapter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG); and Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).

The joint statement was in response to concerns over recent messages that have appeared on several websites owned by Brian Wyant, coordinator at the Rainbow Outreach Metro Omaha GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender) Center. The messages, which have been removed as of Wednesday, justified violent retribution as far as killing classmates who bully gay and lesbian students and also offered students the option of starting a "Jesus is Gay Club" at their schools and to suing on the basis of discrimination if the club is disallowed. more >>