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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 27, 2001)
Disease fears bring new bill to table DISEASE from page 1 “If we ever get (these dis eases) in our country, they’re going to have a profound impact on agriculture,” he said. In today's mobile industries, he said, many animals are bom, raised and slaughtered in differ ent areas. The constant move ment makes it easier for pathogens to shift from animal to animal he said. The bill Wehrbein said, gives the agricultural department the tools it needs to put a lid on pos sible epidemics. Sen. Ron Raikes of Lincoln said he was surprised to learn the state didn’t have an emergency plan in the books already. Currently, lawmakers need to acknowledge a crisis situation and allocate funds to a relief effort before experts can begin sorting out the problem, Dierks said. Dierks’ bill would improve system’s response time, but, Raikes said, the bill doesn't ensure that the state creates the most efficient plan. “In my view, die language is way too permissive," he said. The bill says the Department of Agriculture must create a crisis response plan once resources and personnel become available. Raikes said he wanted to see die bill modified so that prevent ing livestock diseases and devel oping emergency plans were its - main focuses. He said the bill should “dear ly state that the number one, highest priority of the Department of Agriculture... is to provide a response to livestock epidemics.” In addition to tossing the emergency response plan up a notch on the priority ladder, Raikes said he also would like to see changes in the way the state runs its herd registry programs. Such programs would help ranchers sell their cattle by assuring buyers that the live stock were dean, he said. Because ranchers would benefit financially from the arrangement, Raikes said, ranch ers should bear some of the financial burden of implement ing the program. Regular taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the tab on a plan that merely boosts beef sales, he said. Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha also wanted to ensure that the public would know what was going on behind dosed bam doors. In the past, Chambers said, uIfwe ever get (these diseases) in our country, they’re going to have a profound impact on agriculture.’’ Sen. Roger Wehrbein * Plattsmouth - - __ other countries have masked discoveries of diseases like mad cow to avoid a public panic that could cripple the beef industry. These cover-ups should not happen in Nebraska because the public deserves to know if a deadly disease is lurking in supermarkets, he said. “These things we are talking about are not made up,” he said. And, Chambers said, he wanted to craft the bill in such a way that “jumpiness” in the political climate doesn't pressure epidemiologists into calling for mass culling of possibly diseased animals In Europe, several countries have begun destroying all ani mals near sites where scientists have found cases of foot-and mouth disease. This diseases poses no threat to humans, Chambers said. In fact, he said, the Masai, a tribe in Kenya, have asked for the dis eased animals so they can nur ture them back to health and use them. And, he said, vaccines are available that could curb the need to kill the animals. Wehrbein said the Netherlands recently began vac cinating animals. But, he said, because die vac cinations blur tests for the pres ence of the disease, the Netherlands had to ban exports of its beef. If the United States began vaccinating animals, he said, it also would have to lock its trade doors. And with die 19% farm poli cy bill built around a foundation of exportation, Wehrbein said, closed doors could butcher the economy. * (Vaccines) are not a silver bullet,” he said. The Associated Press con tributed to this report Police lend hand to soup kitchen POLICE from page 1 serve the food, although some officers were wary about their cooking skills. “I think we talked them into letting us serve first,” he said. Kalkowski joked, ”(the food) would (have been) Beanie Weenie and pop.” This time, Da Vinci’s restau rant donated the pizza, brown ies, salad and soda so the offi cers didn’t have to put on aprons and chef hats. Sarah Tentress, outreach coordinator for the Matt Talbot Kitchen, said because most vol unteers were urged to cook and serve food, she hoped to see the officers eventually take on the challenge. Tentress said she also hoped the officers would make their volunteering monthly because many diners looked forward to seeing die group For Sheila Lovell, 61, a diner at the kitchen, seeing the offi cers volunteering was surpris ing. Lovell said many times, offi “We wanted to get people to know us a little better. Maybe it would make it easier for us and the students on campus/ Sgt. Larry Kalkowski UNL police cers were only in the neighbor hood around Matt Talbot because of crime or arrests. “It definitely makes a differ ence,” she said. The officers appeared to be having a good time volunteering as they cracked jokes, laughed and chatted with people going through the line. Tentress said that kind of attitude wasn’t unusual when the volunteers were in the kitchen. “Its great for those that want to just come here to talk, have a cup of joe or have a bull ses sion,” she said. Professor awarded for analyzing writings MOULTON from page 1 Some of the volumes are in their second, third or fourth ' printing - something that is unusual for bocks of their kind, Moulton said. But die populari ty of the Lewis and Clark story has made the scholarly publica tions attractive to a variety of readers. “For this type of book, that's quite remarkable," he said. Residents of die Great Plains are often drawn to die expedi tion because it traces their own local history and because of die drama of the story, Moulton said. Works by Ambrose and doc umentary director Ken Burns also have popularized the explorers, he said. Attention on Lewis and Clark will increase in 2004, the expedition's bicentennial that will be marked with town cele brations and adventurous sorts who will embark on the same trail as the two explorers did. Moulton said the popularity of the two would expand beyond those who were in the path of the expedition. People from the east coast would likely become interested as well. This month, Moulton is doing speaking stints in Monticello and Charlottesville, Va., hoping to pique the inter ests of die residents there. Moulton admits he didn’t start the project out of a love or obsession for Lewis and Clark. The University of Nebraska decided to work on a compre hensive collection in the 1970s. Moulton, who was working on editing the papers of a Cherokee Indian chief in Oklahoma, was drawn to the job because of his interest in historical editing. TWenty years later, Moulton said he had succumbed to the drama of Lewis and Clark, too. "I knew it was a great story. I didn’t realize how great," he said. “I've just come to love it" Research funding backed by 100 university leaders THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — More than 100 university presidents have asked President Bush to maintain federal rules that per mit funding for limited embry onic stem cell research. In a letter sent Monday, 112 university leaders called discov ery of such cells "one of the most promising biomedical developments in years.” They said the research holds promise toward finding cures for Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, cancer, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease and spinal cord injuries. At issue are stem cells, the building blocks for all human tissue. They can be derived from aborted fetuses, fertility clinics’ discarded embryos or from adults. All types are under intense study, but embryonic stem cells have generated the most scientific excitement because they appear to be the most flexible. Many anti-abortion groups oppose such research, and Bush has signaled he may block fed eral money from financing it. He wants scientists to focus only on adult stem cells. Privately financed scientists have culled stem cells from embryos donated by parents, a process that destroys the embryo, and multiplied those cells in laboratories. Now the National Institutes of Health plan to pay for embryonic stem cell research using only those lab-grown cell lines since NIH scientists can’t touch additional embryos. An NIH committee will meet in late April to begin eval uating three applications by researchers seeking the first federal funds to work with embryonic stem cells. The earli est that any money could be allocated is Oct 30. The university presidents wrote Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, who is evaluating the NIH plans for Bush. As gov ernor of Wisconsin, Thompson congratulated state scientists for stem-cell research. The signatories to the letter were joined by the American Council on Education, the Association of American Universities and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges. Last week, 95 members of Congress, mostly Democrats, urged Bush and Thompson to keep the current guidelines for embryonic stem cell research in (dace. The group was led by Rep. - Jim McDermott, D-Wash. UH... HEY... IlfcE nEASE > RECYCLE Yo*z tm.'i msmA/we! t&MCS, ZECiCLE' Keusr JjiiIjaSabmiSiI Police could find caller who IManked residence halb University Police could possibly find a prank caller who disturbed residence halls Saturday night. Assistant Police Chief Myio Bushing said around 2:20 p.m., calls were made to sever al rooms in Sandoz Hall. The caller was described as a male with a scratchy voice, Bushing said. Bushing said the name on the caller ID box came up as private, but the caller insisted each time, "I’m sick, and you don't recognize my voice." University police officers did activate *57 on the phones which showed a successful trace, he said. Officers also put a nui sance- phone-call request through to Alltel Communications, which would also trace the calls, he said. Bushing said eight calls were reported in a short peri od after the first call. Student issued citations after flask is found in car One student was issued two citations early Sunday morning after he wove in and out of lanes without using; a turn signal. Around 1:30 a.m., an offi cer stopped David Koesters, a UNL junior, around 16th and Y ' streets, Bushing said. Koesters’ eyes were blood shot and the officer could smell alcohol coming from the vehicle, he said. Koesters said he drank a few beers earlier in the evening. % After the officer performed field sobriety tests and a pre blood alcohol test, he took Koesters to Cornhusker Place Detox where his blood alcohol level was .129, .29 above the legal limit, Bushing said. Because officers found a silver flask full of alcohol in the car, Koesters was given a DWI and open container cita tion. Police continue search for suspects after robbery A robbery Monday evening near U.S. Bank on South 13*“ street left police with no sus pects. Two women said they were walking across the bank park ing lot around 11 p.m. when a man grabbed one of the women from behind, Lincoln Police Officer Katherine Finnell said. Finnell said the man asked for money from the woman he grabbed, but she didn’t have any, so her friend gave him $66. The man then fled on foot, Finnell said. The two women reported the man as a black male, in his late 20’s, about five-foot-nine inches tall and wearing dark clothing, she said. Five juveniles arrested after chase with stolen car Five youth in a stolen vehi cle initiated a 30 mile chase Monday. Lincoln Police Captain David Beggs said around 3 p.m., Officer Pratt noticed a Ford Bronco II at NW 12th and Adams streets that was previ ously listed as a stolen vehicle from the 29th block of NW 9th Street Beggs said the officer pur sued the Bronco ih the area of the airport and the Air Park neighborhood. The driver then headed south on Hwy 34, before he turned east on 1-80, he said. Officers were then called off the chase when the five in the Bronco left their patrol area, and the Nebraska State Patrol took over, he said. Terry Teuber, spokes woman for the Nebraska State Patrol said the officers eventu ally stopped the Bronco near Gretna by laying road spikes across their path. Teuber said the spikes deflate tires slowly so the vehi i de eventually comes to a safe stop. The five juveniles were arrested and are currently being held at the Lancaster County jail for questioning Beggs said. Compiled fay Jill Conner ....1 The Daily Nebraskan Their stories: up hill both ways STOO 70 $2,100 L^U *74-720* / .ASSIST / JWEOICAI [^iarch NU Career Services presents... education • Recruitment \ March 29, 2001 Nebraska Union 8 am - 5 pm For More Information: www.unl.edu/careers/ees/erd.htvn