May 22, 2012

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FBI identifies bodies found at Lake Manawa, Iowa

May 22, 2012 By

Charlotte Shilling

The FBI identified the two bodies found in a wooded area near Lake Manawa Sunday evening as 41 year old Charlotte Schilling of Plattsmouth and her 10 year old son, Owen.

The two were last seen on May 10th when Schilling picked up her son from a school in Bellevue. Security video shows them visiting a convenience store near Lake Manawa that day as well as a Kohl’s Department Store in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

The following day, Schillings vehicle was found parked at Lake Manawa. Her cell phone and wallet were located inside.

Authorities have not released a cause of death but are not looking for suspects. The investigation continues.

Owen Schilling

Owen Schilling

Filed Under: Featured Stories, News

Nebraska families encourage to save now for college later (AUDIO)

May 22, 2012 By

Treasurer Don Stenberg answers a question as David Cota with 1st National Bank looks on

State officials hope to encourage more Nebraskans to invest in their children’s future; or their grandchildren, nieces, nephews, even a friend to help them pay for college.

The state offers four college savings plans through the Nebraska Educational Savings Trust, but only about 12% of the Nebraska families eligible participate.

“I was very pleased to oversee the development of Nebraska’s College Savings Plan during my years as State Treasurer,” said Gov. Dave Heineman stated during a news conference at the Capitol office. “I am thrilled to see Nebraskans taking advantage of this opportunity. Education is a top priority for our state, and college savings plans are important to help students and families plan for the future.”

The governor has issued a proclamation declaring May 29th “529 College Savings Day” in Nebraska. That somewhat awkward tag stems from the United States Internal Revenue Code, Section 529, which offers both federal and state tax breaks to those investing toward a college education.

While saving for college has long been a priority for parents and grandparents and for the students themselves, never has saving for college been more critical,” Stenberg noted, stating that college tuition keeps rising each year.

More than 52,000 families in Nebraska and more than 180,000 nationwide are saving for their children’s higher education through NEST. Still, Stenberg says many more can participate.

The Nebraska Educational Savings Trust (NEST) is made up of four savings plans – the NEST Direct College Savings Plan, the NEST Advisor College Savings Plan, the TD Ameritrade 529 College Savings Plan, and the State Farm College Savings Plan. First National Bank of Omaha is the program manager, and the State Treasurer is the program trustee. All investments are approved by the Nebraska Investment Council.

Senior Managing Director of First National Bank, David Cota, says the assets in the four plans totals $2.7 billion. The NEST Direct plan is the most popular of the plans, with total assets of $1.2 billion. Another plan is offered that is FDIC insured up to $250,000. The average college savings account is $14,000.

State officials stated the plans are attractive, because they offer tax advantages and are professionally managed.

Click here for more information on 529 college savings plans.

AUDIO: Gov. Heineman hosts news conference, promoting college savings plans [10 min.]

Filed Under: Education, News Tagged With:

Nebraska senator reflects on the USDA’s 150 years (AUDIO)

May 22, 2012 By

A current United States Senator and former Agriculture Secretary looks back on 150 years of the United States Department of Agriculture.

Sen. Mike Johanns served as Agriculture Secretary in the Bush Administration for three years, beginning in 2005. He says President Lincoln had a vision for what agriculture could do for the United States.

“It was not accidental that in the Secretary’s office at the USDA I had a bust of President Lincoln,” Johanns says. “I had so much admiration for what he had done, not only as a president, but very specifically, relative to the USDA.”

Johanns says the USDA has stuck to its original goal of promoting the best for agriculture: sponsoring research, conducting research and promoting best practices down on the farm.

The Homestead National Monument of America in Beatrice commemorated the signing of the Homestead Act, Morrill Act and creation of the USDA 150 years ago on Sunday.

Homestead National Monument of America and the community of Beatrice will also be the host of the 2012 Chautauqua of the Nebraska Humanities Council through Friday.

AUDIO: Brent Martin reports [:40]

Filed Under: Agriculture, News

Corps predicts Missouri River flows to be below normal for 2012

May 22, 2012 By

Flooding Missouri River at Sioux City in June of 2011

After record run-off and flooding on the Missouri River last year, it appears river flows this year will be below-normal.

Jody Farhat is chief of the Missouri River Basin Water Management Office for the U-S Army Corps of Engineers in Omaha.

Farhat says their predictions will be welcome news to those who had flood damage last year.

“Our run-off forecast for the 2012 calendar year above Sioux City, Iowa, is 21.6-million acre feet which is 87% of normal,” Farhat says. “This is based on the lack of Plains snowpack, the lower-than-average mountain snowpack and the unusually warm and dry conditions we’ve had so far this year.”

Farhat says the Corps will be able to maintain normal flows on the river until at least July first.

“We’re currently providing full-service navigation flow support,” she says. “If the total system storage falls below 57-million acre feet on July first, flow support will be reduced for the second half of the navigation season.”

Farhat says some normal signs of life are also returning to the river, including two types of endangered birds.

“To date, 51 piping plover nests have been located, with the highest number of nests on Lewis & Clark Lake and on the river reach below Gavins Point Dam,” she says. “Very few nests have been found on the new habitat that was created below Gavins Point Dam due to last year’s flood. The first interior least tern was spotted in the basin this week but no least tern nests have been found.”

Last year’s flooding of the Missouri River in eastern Nebraska, western Iowa and northwest Missouri caused hundreds of millions of dollars damage to homes, businesses, farmland and infrastructure. The high water lasted months.

Filed Under: Accidents & Disasters, Agriculture, Environment & Conservation, Featured Stories, Military, News, Recreation & Entertainment, Transportation, Weather

Nebraska family expresses relief after arrest in Schlender shooting death

May 21, 2012 By

A Nebraska family expresses relief and a desire for justice as Mississippi authorities report they have arrested a suspect in the shooting death of a Raymond, Nebraska man.

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety reports 28-year-old James Willie has been arrested in connection with the death of 74-year-old Thomas Schlender, a retired Lincoln Electric System employee. Willie is also a suspect in the shooting death of 48-year-old Lori Carswell of Hernando, MS, also shot to death at the side of an interstate in northern Mississippi.

The department reports the break in the case came after a woman reported she had been raped in Tunica, located in northern Mississippi. Police arrested Willie and discovered a gun that matched the weapon used to kill both Schlender and Carswell.

Matt Anderson, Schlender’s son-in-law, said the family has been in contact with Mississippi authorities. Anderson said the family has gone through a range of emotions since learning of the arrest and has conveyed to authorities in Mississippi that they simply want justice applied in the case.

Authorities found Schlender shot to death in his pick-up on a deserted stretch of I-55 in northern Mississippi in the early morning hours of May 8th. He had been traveling from Raymond to Pensacola, FL to pick up one of his grandsons from college. Three nights later, Carswell was found dead of similar means.

Authorities first suspected someone who had been impersonating a police officer in the killings. They dropped the theory upon the arrest of Willie. They believe robbery is the likely motive in the shootings.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Featured Stories, News
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