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State-regional
Editor's Pick
Papillion dog, who loved pears and a select few, euthanized after tough life
Marjie Ducey
Omaha World-Herald
Nicholas Grueber drove nearly 11 hours from Michigan last weekend, hoping for one last chance to adopt his best friend before he was euthanized.
His name was Rembrandt, Remi for short. The 5-year-old chow mix loved pears and was a sweetheart to the very few he trusted in his tumultuous life.
“I came here to do anything I could to try to save him or just to be here to be with him in his final moments,†Grueber said. “I just love Remi.â€
Although he had to move to Michigan and away from Remi, Nicholas
Grueber said there was a special bond between the two of them. “He
was like my son,†he said.
NICHOLAS GRUEBER, courtesy photo
So did Jack Aronofsky, who spent many weekends working with Remi. He was there with him at the end Monday. “He’s a little bit more at peace tonight. He was struggling.â€
Born a stray, Remi had been adopted four times and returned, and had bit people along the way, so Town and Country Animal Rescue in Papillion made the difficult decision to end his life. He’s one of just a few in the past several years.
It crushed the two men, both of whom had worked or volunteered at Town and Country, that their efforts to save the dog and offer him a home were denied. But Town and Country staff and its board felt Remi was too dangerous to live in society.
“Unfortunately, as our responsibility is to our community and staff and animals, we have to make sure we do the responsible thing,†board President Bethany Clark said. “Most people with small children don’t want this dog next to them.â€
Life in a kennel was becoming increasingly more difficult for
Remi. He became harder to handle and had to be sedated by a
veterinarian when he needed care.
NICHOLAS GRUEBER, courtesy photo
The decision caused an outcry among those who had read Grueber’s petition to save Remi on . Around 700 people signed the document and the news spread through the rescue community. But it wasn’t enough to sway the minds of the staff and board at Town and Country, who had consulted with several experts.
A broken water pipe and numerous calls of protest to Town and Country created a chaotic weekend, Clark said. Some volunteers left, including Aronofsky.
Town and Country felt compelled to issue a statement explaining its actions on its Facebook page. Clark said she hopes people don’t forget the many things they do every day to save animals and find them good homes.
She stands behind what she calls a “devastating†decision.
The last year of his life in the kennel, one of barking dogs and cement floors and boredom, had been affecting Remi more deeply. He became harder to handle and had to be sedated by a veterinarian when he needed care.
Remi was having a hard time interacting with other dogs, had little contact with humans and was exhibiting continuously anxious behaviors in his kennel that were harder for him to self-regulate. Town and Country tried to find a better placement, but no organizations would take him because of his aggressive behavior.
“Obviously all these people with good intentions and good hearts were trying to rescue this dog,†Clark said. “Nothing was mentioned about bites or professionals trying to improve his life and change his outcome. We’re literally in rescue. I understand the compassion and want to rescue, but unfortunately the full information was not put out to the public.â€
Nicholas Grueber and his husband, James Holmes, spent several
hours with Remi on Monday. “He’s just such a sweet boy with the
people he allows to get near him,†Grueber said before Remi’s
death.
ARWEN NICOLO ORTIZ, courtesy photo
So Remi on Monday night became another statistic. Each year, according to the ASPCA, about 2.7 million animals are euthanized (1.2 million dogs and 1.4 million cats).
Steven Elonich, vice president of public relations and marketing at the Nebraska Humane Society, said making hard decisions like the one with Remi is part of the reality of animal shelters and rescues.
NHS has a committee dedicated to making decisions about an animal’s future. They consider the health of the animal, its quality of life and whether it’s able to go back into the public.
“It’s a really tough decision,†he said.
NHS, which is operating at capacity, has a 90% save rate so far in 2024.
Aronofsky, who says he’s brokenhearted but not bitter, said he’s trying now to figure out how rescues can prevent the next Remi. Things like being more proactive to a dog’s needs and providing more comfortable kennels and better enrichment.
“Don’t take it out on Town and Country. Sometimes you have to make decisions that aren’t a fan favorite of the public,†he said.
Grueber said he understands but still struggles with the outcome.
Nicholas Grueber said he and others at Town and Country were
determined to give Remi the best last day possible. He got a walk,
drank from a puddle and ate cat poop, he said.
ARWEN NICOLO ORTIZ, courtesy photo
“It’s just so hard. He was such a sweet boy with the people he allowed to get near him,†Grueber said. “I dreamt of giving Remi a home and to be able to give him all the comforts he wasn’t able to have in life.â€
He, Aronofsky and other staff members were grateful to have those final hours Monday. That Remi, who never had a permanent home of his own, felt loved. Grueber peeled the pears he brought his buddy, just how Remi liked them.
Man cited for deadly collision; Lincoln facing 1st hard freeze; Lincoln Southeast game canceled
AT A GLANCE
Briefs package
South Lincoln kitchen fire started by
air fryer causes significant damage
A kitchen fire Tuesday that damaged a south Lincoln home is believed to have been caused by a malfunctioning air fryer, Lincoln Fire and Rescue spokesperson MJ Lierman said.
Crews responded to a residence near 56th Street and Elkcrest Drive at about 5:35 p.m., Lierman said.
Once the fire started, the occupants called 911 and left the home. The fire was contained in the kitchen, and LFR was able to quickly extinguish it.
Lierman said the damage caused by the fire is estimated at $75,000.
There were no injuries reported.
—ÌýAlex Vargas
Omaha police seek information after
pedestrian struck, killed downtown
Omaha police are searching for the driver of a vehicle suspected of hitting and killing a pedestrian and then fleeing from the crash north of downtown Tuesday night.
At 7:34 p.m., police went to the intersection of Abbott and Riverfront drives and found the injured man, according to a press release. Medics took the man to the Nebraska Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The man has not been identified.
Police don’t have any details on the vehicle alleged to have hit the man or its driver.
Police request anyone with information to contact the OPD Traffic Unit at 402-444-5626 or Omaha Crime Stoppers anonymously at 402-444-STOP. People can also submit tips online at or on the P3 Tips mobile app.
The hit-and-run marks the second time this month a vehicle has allegedly struck and killed a pedestrian and then fled from the scene.
On Oct. 1, 89-year-old Walter Tighe died after he was struck by what police said was a Chevrolet Silverado. Tighe was crossing the Center Street intersection at the 34th Street intersection when he was hit.
The driver of the Silverado, , was arrested in Lincoln in connection with Tighe’s death. He has been charged with leaving the scene of a personal injury crash resulting in death.
—ÌýOmaha World-Herald
Crime-courts
Editor's Pick
US Attorney's Office names district election officers to handle Election Day complaints
Lori Pilger
Two assistant United States Attorneys in Nebraska have been appointed district election officers, responsible for overseeing the district’s handling of Election Day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff and election fraud, in consultation with the Justice Department.
United States Attorney Susan Lehr said Christopher Ferretti and Shereece Dendy-Sanders will lead the efforts in Nebraska in connection with the Justice Department’s longstanding, nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming Nov. 5 general election.
"Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election," Lehr said. "Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence."
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.
It also contains protections for voters so they can vote free from interference, including intimidation or and other acts to prevent or discourage them from voting or voting.
* Ferretti and Dendy-Sanders will be on duty in Nebraska while the polls are open and can be reached by the public at 402-661-3700.
* The FBI also will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 402-493-8688.
* Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws also can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division at or by phone at 800-253-3931.
"Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice," Lehr said.
She advised calling 911 immediately to report cases of violence or intimidation. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency, Lehr said.
Man cited for deadly collision; Lincoln facing 1st hard freeze; Lincoln Southeast game canceled
Elections
AlertTop Story
Ballard focused on growth; Derner says he represents change in District 21 race
Chris Dunker
Property taxes remain a top concern for homeowners in northwest Lincoln and northern Lancaster County, according to the two candidates vying to represent those areas in the Legislature as the District 21 state senator.
Incumbent Sen. Beau Ballard and challenger Seth Derner said they offer voters a choice in how to pursue a solution at the statehouse should they be elected in the Nov. 5 general election.
Ballard won the May primary with 54.2% of the vote over Derner, who received 30% of the support in the three-way race. A second challenger, Bryan Paseka, a Democrat, received 15.4% of the votes.
As a small-business owner and former legislative staffer, Ballard said he believes the Legislature can ease the burden of taxpayers by shifting more of the cost of funding public schools to the state.
In 2023, Ballard joined a majority of lawmakers in creating the Education Future Fund, which provides public schools with funding for each student, in theory allowing local school districts to lower their property tax levy.
Ballard, 30, said that program was a good first step and pledged to do more.
“The folks I talk to say they have no problem paying for good schools, good roads, but it’s that 15-25% increase year after year that is problematic,†Ballard said. “If we can take those increases into account and look at taking that off the property taxpayers, it’s going to help."
Derner, a 49-year-old former teacher who started an education technology company in Lincoln, said the conversation with voters about property taxes has shifted following a special session of the Legislature this summer.
Voters have recognized raising other taxes to reduce property taxes "doesn’t accomplish much,†Derner said, adding they understand the need for high-quality schools and roads.
Derner said he would work with other senators to consider broader ideas, including how to bring new revenue into the state to reduce property taxes in order to “bend the curve back in the other direction.â€
“I think the majority of people are reasonable,†Derner said. “They want us to find efficiencies in spending and target tax relief for the people doing the working and (who) live in the state.â€
Abortion also a difference
Nebraska voters are going to have their say this fall on whether or not to enshrine the existing law that bans abortions after about 12 weeks into the state constitution (Initiative 434).
Or, alternatively, Nebraska voters could create a constitutional right that would allow women to seek an abortion until fetal viability (Initiative 439).
Ballard voted in support of a bill (LB626) that would have banned abortion after about six weeks that fell one vote short of breaking a filibuster in 2023.
He later joined other Republicans in the officially nonpartisan Legislature in voting for another bill (LB574) banning certain medical procedures for transgender youth that was used as a vehicle to make the current 12-week abortion ban the law.
Ballard said he continues to support that law and will vote for Initiative 434: "I think that's where most Nebraskans are."
"When I explain the vote we took, people do have some understanding on that issue," he added. "Nebraskans are going to decide."
Derner, who has criticized Ballard for supporting a ban, said the majority of voters he's spoken with understand abortion is not a "black and white" issue.
Rather, they understand the nuances involved in a difficult and personal decision, and they agree that the state should not impose overly rigid restrictions.
"I think I'm where a lot of people are," he said. "There are some people who are pretty adamant about their positions, but I think the vast majority of people are pretty reasonable.
"We need to trust people to make decisions because they are going to make the decisions that are best for their family," Derner added.
Ballard focused on growth
A lifelong resident of District 21, Ballard grew up in Raymond and attended Parkview Christian High School before leaving the state to pursue a degree in business finance and political science from Colorado Christian University.
After returning home, he earned a master of business administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, opened two businesses including Butterfly Bakery in the Haymarket, and went to work as a staff member for then-Sen. Mike Hilgers, who represented the district at the time.
Ballard was later appointed by then-Gov. Pete Ricketts, in partnership with incoming Gov. Jim Pillen, to fill the vacancy left by Hilgers' election as attorney general, and said since then he has focused on policies that would lure young people to Nebraska and keep them here.
In his first two years, Ballard sponsored legislation to study construction of the East Beltway in Lincoln, as well as to create a turnback tax to fund a downtown convention center in the Capital City.
Both of those bills have drawn support from Lincoln's bipartisan delegation in the state Legislature, he said, allowing Ballard to work across the aisle on issues that matter locally as well as to the state.
If elected to a full-term in the Legislature, Ballard said he would continue to focus on what he described as a growth agenda, which includes making child care more affordable, expanding housing options and boosting the workforce.
Beau Ballard, 2024 candidate for Legislature, District 21
COURTESY PHOTO
Those are issues that are important in both the rural and urban parts of the district, said Ballard, who lives in Lincoln with his wife, Katie.
“When I talk to my peers, they are of that age where they are relocating and starting families,†he said. “It’s everything from taxes to recreational opportunities, the cost of living, vibrant urban areas and also good schools.â€
Ballard said he believes those goals can be accomplished by what he calls "good conservative public policy," including low taxes, less government regulation and prioritizing resources for growth.
"It's actually tackling the issues we hear about going door-to-door," he said.
Derner says representation matters
A native of Wheeler County, Derner grew up on a ranch before obtaining a degree in agricultural science from UNL. Upon graduating, he taught ag and shop class at Elgin High School for four years before moving out of the state for a time.
Then, Derner moved back to Lincoln, where he started Vivayic, an educational technology company, with his wife, Carrie. Vivayic recently celebrated its 18th year of business.
"We've grown a lot the last few years and we've got folks we can turn over responsibilities to," Derner said. "I was in a spot where I had more time andÌý— I know this sounds cornyÌý— was looking for ways to give back."
In addition to helping start the Neighbors United Methodist Church and a local farmers market in his Fallbrook neighborhood, Derner said he was looking for other causes or political candidates to support, ultimately landing on seeking office himself.
Seth Derner, 2024 candidate for Nebraska Legislature, District
21
COURTESY PHOTO
Derner, a registered Democrat, said he has the skill set needed for the unicameral system's emphasis on nonpartisan consensus-building and unique problem-solving that can move the state forward while representing the people of District 21.
"I'm not the smartest person in the room, but I will ask questions and I'm not afraid of ideas," he said. "We don't have to throw Hail Marys all the time; let's get first downs."
Younger voters have expressed the need for more affordable child care options, as well as affordable housing, he said, which are issues he would tackle if elected, while older voters in the district shared stories about access to health care.
Businesses have communicated a need for qualified employees to grow or stay in Nebraska, which Derner said plays into his support for high-quality education in the state.
But, Derner said he's running to present voters of District 21 with a clear choice for how to proceed.
"If you're frustrated with the culture or frustrated with the direction of things, this is a chance to change those things and have someone who is only interested in representing the people of District 21," Derner said.
Change in political landscape
The redrawing of the Legislature’s political boundaries in 2021 resulted in District 21 receding from northwest Lincoln and growing to encompass more of rural Lancaster County.
In addition to the Highlands, Arnold Heights and Fallbrook neighborhoods in northwest Lincoln, the district stretches farther east, occupying all of northern Lancaster County, including Waverly.
The changing boundaries shifted the political landscape somewhat, bringing more Republican voters into the district.
In October 2020, which saw record turnout across the state, a little more than 40% of voters in District 21 were registered Republicans, while 33% were registered Democrats.
By the midterm election in November 2022, a little less than 45% of voters in District 21 were registered Republicans, while the share of Democrats had shrunk to just under 30%.
As of Oct. 1, about 45.3% of voters in District 1 are Republicans compared to 28.4% of the electorate who are registered Democrats. About 24% are registered nonpartisan in the district.
There are a total of 25,755 registered voters in District 21, which is about 500 fewer than at this time in the race four years ago.
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Daily Minute: Man cited for deadly collision; Lincoln facing 1st hard freeze; Lincoln Southeast game canceled
Daily Minute: Man cited for deadly collision; Lincoln facing 1st hard freeze; Lincoln Southeast game canceled
Explaining Election Day: Some states run their elections differently than the rest of the country