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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 12, 1999)
Senators hold ceremony to remember Schellpeper Late senator’s dedication to agriculture honored By Jessica Fargen Senior staff writer Some remember the late Sen. Stan Schellpeper as the man who used to ride around the county fair on a gun can anu hand out free fair tickets to chil dren. Others will remember the Stanton senator as the man who ruled the General Affairs Committee with Schellpeper an even hand or argued tough issues on the Legislature’s floor such as legalizing concealed weapons and stiffening liquor laws. “He was a good farmer who worked all day on civic projects and all night on the tractor,” Speaker Doug Kristensen of Minden said. The habitually clamorous floor of Nebraska’s Legislature stood silent Friday afternoon as about 25 family members of the late Schellpeper were escorted into the chambers for a trib ute to the senator. With three knocks of the gavel, Kristensen opened the tribute to Schellpeper, who died of a heart attack April 4 on the farm which he grew up on 11 miles north of Stanton. During the afternoon ceremony, senators praised Schellpeper for the 12 years he spent as a senator and for his commitment to his family and agriculture. Schellpeper, who was a farmer and a livestock feeder, left behind his wife, Faye, three children and eight grandchildren. Bellevue Sen. Paul Hartnett shared his memories of years spent sitting next to Schellpeper on the Revenue Committee. Many after noons were spent sharing views on the law, as well as life in Nebraska. “Stan always used to remind me that the No. 1 industry in the state is agriculture,” Hartnett said. In his 65 years, Schellpeper gave back to his rural community holding posts such as secretary-manager of the Stanton County Fair Board, presi dent of the State Fair Board and pres ident of the Nebraska Rural Electric Association. As General Affairs Committee Chairman, Schellpeper was diplo matic and attempted to include all members in decision making, Hartnett said. Schellpeper’s kind, fair and caring character was behind his success as chairman for the last eight years, Sen. Cap Dierks of Ewing said. ' “He was a gentleman,” Dierks said. “He was also a very gentle man.” Dierks also reminded senators of Schellpeper’s pride of the unicameral system, and belief in the effectiveness tt He was a good farmer who worked all day on civic projects and all night on the tractor” Doug Kristensen SENATE SPEAKER of a nonpartisan legislature. Hebron Sen. George Coordsen, who joined the Legislature the same year as Schellpeper, read a resolution that senators passed Friday, which extended condolences to Schellpeper’s family and praised the senator for his work and dedication. Schellpeper represented District 18, which includes Stanton, Pierce and Cedar counties, as well as parts of Wayne, Dixon and Knox counties. The Legislature recessed Thursday to allow senators to attend Schellpeper’s funeral at the Stanton High School gymnasium. Whether it was senators, his fam ily or the citizens of Nebraska, those present Friday will remember Schellpeper as a man to look up to and a man to be honored. Said Hartnett: “He always took care of people.” Lincoln man suspected of murder ■ Kenneth Choma, 20, is expected to be charged with the death of a man whom he shot in the groin. By Josh Funk Senior staff writer A Lincoln man is expected to be charged with murder today after the man he shot during a dispute died last week. David Higgins, 42, died in the hospital Thursday morning with injuries from a gunshot wound to the groin. Higgins had been in critical condition all week following the Monday afternoon incident. The gunshot hit Higgins’ femoral artery, which contributed to the com plications that caused his death. Kenneth Choma, 20, was charged Wednesday with first-degree assault and the use of a firearm to commit a felony for the shooting, but prosecu tors are expected to upgrade the charges today. Choma’s bond was initially set at 10 percent of $750,000, though it could be modified. Police were called to Choma’s apartment on the 300 block of South 25th Street at 2:10 p.m. on Monday because of reports of gunshots, according to court documents. On arrival, police found Higgins on the front porch covered with blood from the shot. Higgins was taken to BryanLGH Medical Center West, and police arrested Choma inside his apartment. When Choma was arrested, police said he had blood on his hands, shirt, pants and left shoe. Police said Higgins was at Choma’s apartment that day because of an ongoing dispute. Higgins was shot while the two were struggling over a gun. Choma’s girlfriend told police that he had admitted shooting Higgins. One day before the shooting, police had contacted Choma for threatening his girlfriend’s mother with a handgun, police said. His girlfriend told police she had taken her 15-month-old son to a neighbor’s house and returned home, where her boyfriend grabbed her by the hair, pushed her to the ground and kicked her in the back of the head. When the girlfriend’s mother, who shares the same address as Higgins, arrived and left with the 15 month-old boy, Choma threatened her with the gun. That was part of the reason Higgins went to Choma’s apartment Monday afternoon. RHA officers, senators take oath; commissioner urges rule change ■ Jadd Stevens, the new RHA president, hopes to get to know the senate. By Bernard Vogelsang Staff writer RHA President Shane Perkins said Sunday night he won’t forget the 1998- 1999 Senate for a long time. Perkins thanked the Residence Hall Association senators for their work this season, just before the 1999- 2000 executive officers and senators were inaugurated. After Harper Hall President Joe Scharfbtllig hadproposed toelesetbe 29th senate, the new RHA president, Jadd Stevens, took the oath of office. Stevens, a junior English and biology major, said he will focus in the next four weeks on getting to know the new senators. After the meeting, he said he also wants the new senators to get familiar with each other. “That’s important because they need to work together,” he said. Stevens will get help on the exec utive board from new Vice President Liz Ormsby, a freshman piano perfor mance major. Aja Bowling, a freshman bio chemistry major, will serve as secre tary. Jason Ball, a junior management information systems major, is the acwfeoassara After the inauguration of the new senators, Election Commissioner Kristy Jacobberger showed about 5,000 ballots that were not used dur ing the RHA election on March 30. Jacobbeiger encouraged the new senate to change the rule stating that on election day one ballot must be supplied for every student who lives in the residence halls. The senate approved this rule in February after Abel and Sandoz Halls had run out of ballots in last year’s election. Jacobberger said it leads to a waste of paper and money. She said RHA could have saved $70 of the $130 that was spent on paper. “Residence halls can use this -twoacy in abetter ^ Nationalist author wins seat as governor of Tokyo TOKYO (AP) - An author known for hawkish, nationalist views emerged as the victor of Tokyo’s closely watched gubernatorial election Sunday, beating out the candidate backed by Japan’s governing party. Elections were also held Sunday for heads of 11 other prefectural (state) governments, including the gubernator ial ballot for Japan’s second-largest city, Osaka. Much of the nationwide attention on the Tokyo race focused on the winner of the contest, Shintaro Ishihara, a vocal opponent of the U.S. military presence in Japan and author of the 1989 book “The Japan That Can Say No.” As his rivals conceded defeat, Ishihara said Tokyo voters had chosen him because he offered strong leader ship. “The people have waited for a strong and clear message,” Ishihara told supporters in a victory speech. The outspoken author’s victory was a setback for Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which had strongly backed for ir^1- = mer senior U.N. official Yasushi Akashi as its official candidate. Ishihara’s campaign was boosted by the tremendous name recognition he enjoys in Japan. He is a winner of the country’s most prestigious literary prize and is die elder brother of one of Japan’s most beloved actors, the late Yujiro Ishihara. Tokyo election officials said that with more than 97 percent of the votes counted, Ishihara, 66, had about double the ballots of his nearest rival and had secured more than 25 percent of the vote, the minimum required to win the governorship. Although the head of Tokyo’s municipal government has little influ ence over national policy, the governor’s race has been widely viewed as an important political barometer for the entire nation. The elections have also been seen as a gauge of the popularity of Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi’s ruling Liberal Democrats, whose candidate, Akashi, appeared to place an embarrassing fourth in the ballot ATTENTION: EVERYONE CONCERNED ABOUT PEOPLE OF COLOR OPEN FORUMS The Chancellor’s of Color will host two open forums: 1) Monday, April 19, 1999, Union 2) Monday, April 19, 1999, Union An important goal of the campus life for people of color at UNL. These forums are for the university commu nity to converse with the Chancellor administrators about issues that you find pertinent. Your input will help improve our campus. Si Week All events will be Affairs, 1237 R Street Monday, 12th 4:00pm How to Use Scholarships and Financial Aid for Study Abroad TUasday, 13th 2:00pm Travel Workshop (hostels, discount airfare, rail passes, backpacking) 4:00pm Semester in Besancon, France Spring 20001 An Informational Meeting Wednesday, 14th 4:00pm Deutsch in Deutschland-Berlin, Germany. An Informational Meeting Thursday, 15th 4:00pm Work Abroad Workshop The Ins and Outs of Working in a Foreign Comity For more information, contact: International Affairs 1237 R Street 472-5358 or visit our website at: www.iaffairs.unl.edu UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES CELEBRATE NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK APRIL 12-16, 1999 londay, April 12, 12:00 2nd floor, Love Library Instruction Room. Speaker Jim McKee, “History of the University Libraries” Wednesday, April 14 8 am to Midnight Fines Amnesty Day All Week Long Register to win one of several exciting “READ” . posters - drawings on Friday, April 16 at 3 pm