councilbluffs man wounded in … city university of new york. ... the new position. ann mausbach is...

2B • FRIDAY, MAY 30, 2014 OMAHA WORLD-HERALDMIDLANDS

Britt and Davis saidthe two got out of a vandown the street fromthe Avalos home andwere gone for severalminutes. Davis cameback first. Then Britt re-turned. One of the wom-en said he was breathinghard, wearing glovesand had a handkerchiefcovering his face.

Davis repeatedlymade comments impli-cating Britt. “Cuz wentcrazy,” he said, accord-ing to the women.

Pankonin said therewas ample evidence thatBritt “participated in thevery heinous murder ofthe Avalos family.”

She noted that Britthad a history, datingback to his teens, ofviolent acts. A sexualassault of an underagegirl. A domestic assault.An assault he committedwhile in jail.

“It’s clear you are avery violent person,”Pankonin said.

Contact the writer:

402-444-1275, todd.cooper@owh.com

Britt: Judge notes hishistory of violenceContinued from Page 1

ference, the stationery he usedand the utilities in the people’soffice,” Powers said.

The university’s previouspresident, J.B. Milliken, left inApril to become chancellor atthe City University of New York.His base salary when he left wasabout $421,000, more than fourtimes what the governor earns.

Nebraska statutes say that apublic official or public employ-ee shouldn’t use — or autho-rize use — of state personnel,resources, property or funds forpersonal financial gain. The lawmakes an exception for any usethat’s incidental.

Outside of specific laws, thereare still general ethical ques-tions raised by this situation,said Hana Callaghan, directorof governmental ethics at theMarkkula Center for AppliedEthics at Santa Clara University.

The biggest question is wheth-er there was an abuse of theoffice while the governor waspursuing this job and using stateresources to do it.

“You start with a generalpremise that a public officialhas a duty of loyalty, and thatincludes a duty to put the publicinterest above his own and avoidthe appearance of impropriety,”Callaghan said. “In this scenario,it could be said there is the ap-pearance of a potential conflict.”

Heineman said at the Wednes-day press conference that hewas making his application pub-lic in the interest of transparen-cy. The term-limited governorleaves office in January.

Contact the writer: kate.perry@owh.com402-444-3185, twitter.com/katehowardperry

Ethics:Heineman’s bidraises questionsContinued from Page 1

Faculty members fearlosing a role in selectingchancellors and deanson university’s campuses

BY JULIE ANDERSON

WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

A number of University ofNebraska faculty members areobjecting to proposed changesto the University of NebraskaBoard of Regents’ bylaws thatthey say would reduce their in-volvement in selecting adminis-trators on individual campuses.

Ken Nickerson, the Universi-ty of Nebraska-Lincoln FacultySenate’s new president, said

members are not targeting theprocess being used to select anew NU president.

Their objections go to theprocess that would be used toselect chancellors, vice chan-cellors and deans on individualcampuses.

They plan to ask the regentsduring their meeting today totable the matter until Octoberand to separate the processesused to select the presidentfrom that used to choose cam-pus administrators.

“We would like to work withthem,” Nickerson said, “andpart of that is participation inthe selection of the administra-tors on the campuses.”

According to current bylaws,the elected heads of faculty and

student governments provide

lists of faculty and students for

administrators to choose from

when creating advisory com-

mittees to select candidates for

campus administrative posts.

The proposed changes

appear to eliminate that

provision, and one that would

allow the advisory committee

to assist in reviewing applica-

tions. Nickerson said the UNL

Faculty Senate only recently

learned of the proposal.

The new Faculty Senate pres-

idents on all four campuses will

meet for the first time today.

Contact the writer:

402-444-1223, julie.anderson@owh.com

NU facultyfightsaltering regentsbylaws

WORLD-HERALD NEWS SERVICE

COUNCIL BLUFFS — Severaladministrators in the CouncilBluffs Community Schools areplaying musical chairs this sum-mer. The school board approvedseveral administrative appoint-ments Tuesday for the 2014-15school year.

Jerri Larson will move frombeing principal of Walnut GroveElementary School, which isclosing, to become assistantprincipal at Kirn Middle School.She replaces Melanie Shellberg,who is retiring after 33 years.Larson’s salary will be $99,780 inthe new position.

Ann Mausbach is leaving asthe district’s assistant superin-tendent for curriculum and in-struction to become an associateprofessor at Creighton Univer-

sity. Replacing her will be CoreyVorthmann, currently directorof secondary education. He willmake $121,000 annually.

Replacing Vorthmann isKerry Newman, an instruction-al coach at Abraham LincolnHigh School. Her salary will be$112,000.

Bloomer Elementary SchoolPrincipal Doreen Knuth willbecome principal of CarterLake Elementary School afterPrincipal Bill Huggett retired toreturn to the classroom. Knuth’ssalary will be $98,540.

At Lewis & Clark Elemen-tary, Amy Glime will replacePrincipal Casey Moran, who willtake over for Knuth at Bloom-er. Glime will earn a salary of$75,411, while Moran will earn$81,920 annually.

Council Bluffs districtshuffles administrators

BY MIKE BROWNLEE

WORLD-HERALD NEWS SERVICE

COUNCIL BLUFFS — ACouncil Bluffs man was arrest-ed after a standoff Tuesday.

The Southern Iowa FugitiveTask Force tried to serve an ar-rest warrant on a man who livesat 2126 Sixth Ave. about 11 a.m.,according to the Council BluffsPolice Department.

The man, Daniel E. Hannan,39, was uncooperative when thetask force arrived, Bluffs PoliceLt. Dan Flores said.

During initial contact, atask force member fired a shotand Hannan retreated into thehouse, according to a PoliceDepartment press release.

The police negotiation unitand other agencies were called.

About 12:15 p.m., officers en-tered the residence and arrestedthe man after a brief conver-sation. He was taken out of thehouse and attended to by Coun-cil Bluffs Rescue personnel,then taken to a hospital wherehe was treated for a gunshotwound to his upper right arm.

According to a Police Depart-ment press release, Hannan wasshot by a task force memberwho is part of the U.S. MarshalsService for the Southern Dis-trict of Iowa.

The Council Bluffs PoliceDepartment is investigating theshooting.

Before the man’s arrest, acrying woman was escortedaway from the house. Floressaid the woman had not beenheld against her will.

COUNCIL BLUFFS

Man wounded instandoff is arrested

DES MOINES (AP) — Awoman has filed a lawsuitagainst an Iowa skydivingcompany and pilot followingthe death of her husband, whofell to his death from a plane.

Attorneys for CindyKidrowski, of Brooklyn, Iowa,filed the lawsuit Tuesday inPoweshiek County, accordingto the Des Moines Register.

The suit follows the Aug.16 death of Wayne Kidrowski,56, who was a passenger on asmall aircraft owned by Brook-lyn-based Skydive Iowa, flyingfrom Brooklyn to Grinnell.

Cindy Kidrowski is seekingdamages for “loss of spousalsupport” as well as a loss ofenjoyment of life and “pre-impact terror.” The suit alsocalls for punitive damages topunish the plaintiffs for negli-gent or reckless behavior.

Plaintiffs named in the suitare Skydive Iowa; companyowner Bruce Kennedy; and

pilot Andrew Arthur. Kennedydeclined to comment, and Ar-thur could not be reached.

Wayne Kidrowski was toldto wear a parachute, though hehad no intention of skydiving,when he went up in the Cessna206 plane, the lawsuit says.

The parachute deployedduring the flight when theplane was at more than 1,000feet. A door on the plane’sright side had been removed,and a “roll-up” style doorwasn’t being used, leaving thespace open. The wind caughtthe material of the deployedparachute and pulled Kidrow-ski from the aircraft.

“Wayne Kidrowski wouldnot have been pulled from theaircraft and killed if he had notbeen required to wear a para-chute,” the lawsuit states.

Kidrowski had two daugh-ters and two grandchildren.He worked at a grain storageoperation in Brooklyn.

Iowaskydive companysued inman’s fatal fall

WORLD-HERALD NEWS SERVICE

DENISON, Iowa — Afterserving just three months ofa 10-year prison sentence fortheft, former Denison FireChief Michael Todd McKin-non had his sentence and finesuspended and was releasedlast week on three years ofprobation.

McKinnon, 43, was chargedwith theft in December 2011after an investigation identi-fied nearly $96,000 in question-able Fire Department spendingfrom 2005 to 2010.

He pleaded guilty and wassentenced in March 2013.

McKinnon lost an appeal of hissentence in January.

McKinnon served as Deni-son’s first paid fire chief fromJan. 18, 1999, to Jan. 3, 2010.He resigned to move to NewMexico to teach fire scienceat San Juan College in Farm-ington.

He resigned there lastMarch after being sentenced,according to an article in aFarmington newspaper.

McKinnon still must payrestitution of $10,265.53 to theCity of Denison and $8,467.21to the Crawford County EMSAssociation.

Ex-fire chief in prison fortheft freedonprobation

COUNCIL BLUFFS — The murder trialof James Cain Harris has been delayed.

Harris, 36, of Council Bluffs, facesfirst-degree murder charges in the 2003stabbing of Nelson Alvarez-Hernandez.His jury trial was set to begin Wednesdaybut was delayed until June 24, said JonJacobmeier of the Pottawattamie CountyAttorney’s Office.

Alvarez-Hernandez died after a fighton July 31, 2003, outside a home at 1613S. 13th St.

The case went cold until late last year,when authorities were able to tie Thom-as J. Sanchez, 47, of La Vista to the caseusing a DNA profile.

Police arrested Sanchez in January andHarris in March. Sanchez is scheduled togo to trial on July 8.—World-Herald News Service

Murder trial in2003casedelayeduntil June

IOWA

Ex-city attorneymust payrestitution in overbilling caseINDIANOLA — A formerIndianola city attorney has beenordered to pay the city $35,333in restitution after being foundguilty of fraudulently overbillingthe city.The restitution order comesafter John Hoyman wassentenced in February to 10years in prison for the fraudulentbilling.Hoyman was arrested inMay 2013 after a state auditdiscovered that Hoyman had putnames of fake clients on billsthat he was submitting to thecity. The audit said Hoyman filednearly $91,000 in overbillings tothe city during a six-year period.Hoyman acknowledged usingfake names from the phonebook on his invoices, but said henever got any money he didn’tdeserve from the city.Hoyman is appealing. — AP

Woman’s driving lessontakes wrong turn into pondDES MOINES — Authoritiessay a woman who was getting adriving lesson accidentally droveher minivan into a Des Moinespond.Crews from the Des MoinesFire Department found thepartially submerged minivan ina pond at Water Works Park onThursday.The driver and a passengerescaped without injury. Officialssaid the passenger was teachingthe woman how to drive. — AP

Worker who left assistedliving residents pleads guiltyMASON CITY — Sentencingfor a Rudd woman accusedof abandoning assisted livingcenter residents has been setfor July after she pleaded guiltyto several charges in the case.Debra Jean Ihrig, 54, pleadedguilty Wednesday in Cerro GordoCounty District Court to threecounts: neglect or abandonmentof a dependent person, wantonneglect of a dependent adult andthird-degree theft.In exchange for her plea, 13other counts were dropped.Authorities said Ihrig left 15residents alone on April 5 atCounty Meadow Place AssistedLiving. She was the only staffperson on duty. Her sentencingis set for July 7. — AP

Jefferson casino plan drawshundreds to 5-hour hearingJEFFERSON — A plan to build a$40 million casino in the GreenCounty city of Jefferson drewhundreds of people to a publichearing before the Iowa Racingand Gaming Commission.About 500 people attended thefive-hour hearing Thursday, andmost of the 70 speakers favoredthe proposal. They pointed to theestimated 325 jobs the casinowould bring to the western Iowacommunity.The commission is expectedto vote on the plan June 12 inBurlington.Plans call for a casino resortwith restaurants, a conferencecenter and a hotel in Jefferson,a city of about 4,200 people.— AP

Man faces prison, fine withplea to bankruptcy fraudCEDAR RAPIDS — A Montourman faces up to five years inprison when he is sentencedlater this year for bankruptcyfraud.The U.S. Attorney’s Office forthe Northern District of Iowa saidJay Freese, 51, pleaded guiltyand was convicted Wednesday ofhiding assets from his creditors.Freese had filed for bankruptcyprotection in September 2009and was required to disclose allof his assets. Freese admittedWednesday that he kept a skidloader and a tractor he hadclaimed to have sold.Freese also faces a fine of upto $250,000. — AP

Man charged with stealingspecialized wheelchairsCEDAR RAPIDS — Policehave arrested a Cedar Rapidsman suspected of stealingwheelchairs from an organizationthat holds sports and recreationactivities for those withdisabilities.Rick Allen Smith, 39, ischarged with felony theft andcriminal mischief.Police said officers searchedSmith’s house and foundstolen property, including thewheelchairs. Investigators saidmost of the chairs had beenchopped up and destroyed.The arrest comes afterSportability of Iowa reportedits trailer, packed with a dozenspecialized wheelchairs worth$36,000 to $60,000, was stolenin December from the parking lotof Stoney Point YMCA in CedarRapids. — AP

Iowaworkers arrestedon identity fraud suspicionWEVER — Authorities insoutheast Iowa have arrested 12workers at the construction siteof a fertilizer plant on suspicionof identity fraud.The Lee County Sheriff’sOffice and U.S. Immigrationand Customs Enforcement sayofficers arrested the employeesThursday as they traveled onbuses to a safety meeting for theIowa Fertilizer Company.Sheriff Jim Sholl said 12individuals on the buses didnot have proper documentation.Authorities say the arrests weremade following an anonymoustip.Records show that theIowa Fertilizer Company isa subsidiary of OrascomConstruction Industries. It isbuilding a $1.8 billion fertilizerplant near Wever that’s expectedto be completed in 2015. Amessage for Orascom was notimmediately returned Thursdaynight. — AP

Former Newton doctor gets5 years on drug chargesDES MOINES — A formerNewton doctor has beensentenced to five years in federalprison for carelessly prescribingcontrolled substances toaddicted patients.Lafayette Twyner Jr. receivedthe sentence Thursday. He wasalso ordered to three yearsof home confinement after hefinishes his prison sentence.Twyner, 65, pleaded guilty inFebruary to felony charges ofhealth care fraud and illegallydistributing a prescription drugresulting in death. A plea dealdropped more than 100 othercharges.Twyner’s clinic was raidedin 2011 after authoritiesinvestigated claims that he wasprescribing large quantities pfpainkillers without taking basicprecautions. Since then, he hassurrendered his federal drug-prescribing permit and his statemedical license. — AP

Boil order lifted for Tiffin; tapwater deemed safe to useTIFFIN — A boil order hasbeen lifted for the eastern Iowacommunity of Tiffin.City Administrator MichonJackson canceled the orderThursday afternoon. It meansresidents can return to drinkingand using their tap water.The three-day boil order tookeffect Wednesday, as officialsreplaced a defective mixerin a new water tower. Theannouncement Thursday meansthe order was lifted ahead ofschedule. — AP

METROAREA

Bluffs church to hold benefitfor member with cancerA church will hold a benefitSaturday for member JessicaGreer of Council Bluffs, who isreceiving treatment for cancer.The supper and raffles will runfrom 4 to 7 p.m. at GethsemanePresbyterian Church, 224Wallace Ave.Visitors will have anopportunity to buy tickets forthemed baskets that will beraffled off, said Paula Woods,one of the organizers. A meal ofhamburgers and hot dogs willbe served, and activities will beoffered for children.Greer’s cancer was discoveredin November 2012 and hasspread, Woods said.Proceeds will go to Greerand her husband, Rob, whorecently celebrated their 10thwedding anniversary, to helpcover medical costs and otherexpenses.—World-Herald News Service

Council Bluffs approvesnew Fire Department chiefCouncil Bluffs made somehistory Thursday.At age 37, Justin Jamesbecame the youngest fire chiefin city history, according to CityCouncilwoman Lynne Branigan.“I did some research, andyou’re the youngest to be swornin,” she told James during aspecial council meeting at whichall five members approved MayorMatt Walsh’s selection of Jamesfor the Fire Department’s topposition.“You bestowed upon me thegreatest honor a fireman couldever have,” James said.James takes over the firechief’s position on a permanentbasis from Alan Byers, whoretired last year.—World-Herald News Service

@OWHCrimeWant to stay on top of thelatest public safety news asit breaks? Follow The World-Herald’s crime reporting teamon Twitter, at @OWHCrime. Whileyou’re there, don’t forget tofollow our public safety reporters@OWHmaggie, @KevinColeOWHand @eclarridge.

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