-Daily
COVERING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA SINCE 1901 VOL. 94 NO. 29
Probe begins after man dies in custody
By >—i Own
Senior Editor
The Nebraska State Patrol continued Sun
day to investigate the weekend death of a
Lincoln man who had a seizure during a struggle
with UNL and Lincoln police.
Francisco Renteria’s family demanded Sun
day that state patrol officers put aside any
prejudice they may have against Hispanics
while investigating the incident.
“This is something that should not go unno
ticed,” said Carlos Monzon, a lawyer repre
senting Renteria’s family.
Renteria, 30, died Saturday afternoon at
Lincoln General Hospital after a struggle with
police Friday night.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Police Of
ficer Charlotte Veskrna, a 2 1/2-year veteran of
the department, was the first officer to make
contact with Renteria, UNL Police Chief Ken
Cauble told the Daily Nebraskan.
At least four Lincoln police officers, who
were not named as of Sunday, responded to
help Veskrna.
Officials with the state patrol, the indepen
dent agency investigating the incident, would
not discuss the case Sunday.
Authorities gave the following account of
the incident:
Renteria was walking near 24th and
Holdrege streets Friday night when Veskma
mistakenly identified him as a man being sought
for violating a protection order.
Veskma approached Renteria about 10 p.m.
and then called for assistance. Renteria, whom
witnesses said was unable to speak English,
resisted arrest initially.
At least four officers were needed to subdue
Renteria and get him into a police cruiser.
Witnesses said police officers kicked
Renteria in the groin and repeatedly hit him
with their fists.
Once in the cruiser, Renteria had a seizure,
and medical units were called. Renteria’s vital
signs stopped after he was put in the ambu
lance.
He was taken to Lincoln General Hospital
and died in a coma about 2 p.m. Saturday, said
John Colborn, chief deputy attorney for
Lancaster County.
Colborn said hospital tests indicated that
bleeding had taken place on Renteria’s brain.
An autopsy is scheduled for today. How
ever, the lawyer for Renteria’s family said
Sunday he would try to have the autopsy post
poned so an independent pathologist could be
present.
See INVESTIGATION on 3
Stoney’s performance
could tighten race,
UNL professor says
■y Chad Loruz
Staff Reporter
A televised debate Sunday between Sen.
Bob Kerrey and Jan Stoney probably will give
Stoney, the Republican challenger, a slight
boost in the polls, a UNL political science
professor said.
Robert Sittig said Stoney held her own
during the debate, which was more than he
expected. He said Stoney proved she was up to
speed on tne issues, uespue
doubts of some Nebraskans.
Sittig said that with
Stoncy trailing in the polls,
she had more to gain and
less to lose than Kerrey.
She would at least gain ex
posure by appearing with
Kerrey, he said.
The debate, which was
the first between Kerrey and
Stoney, was televised at 5 Stoney
p.m. Sunday on KMTV. Anchorwoman Loretta
Carroll and political reporter Joe Jordan, both
of KMTV, served as moderators for the one
hour debate. The moderators raised questions
occasionally, but the two candidates initiated
most of the discussion.
Sittig said Stoney’s performance helped her
recover from “slips and mistakes” made early
in her campaign. The debate helped the former
chief operating officer of US West prove she
could handle politics, he said.
But Sittig said that Kerrey didn’t perform
poorly either. Kerrey was aggressive in the
beginning of the debate, dominating the dis
cussion and throwing many questions at Stoney.
Stoney said that Kerrey didn’t represent the
values of Nebraskans.
“If you voted in Washington the way you
talk in Nebraska, I wouldn’t be here tonight,”
Stoney said.
She said Kerrey had supported Clinton’s
health care plan, which she said would take
away Nebraska jobs. She said Kerrey didn’t
support spending reductions, but instead sup
ported increased taxes, such as his proposed
gas tax and a tax on smaU businesses.
Kerrey said that his views onheafth care
reform had changed in the last four years and
that he had supported cuts in government
spending. He said the tax increases he had
proposed were necessary and were put to good
use.
Stoney also criticized
Kerrey for “threatening se
nior citizens” by proposing
cuts in social security.
Kerrey’s plan, known as
“means testing,” would
deny social security funds
to retirees earning more
than $100,000 a year
^-»tnrougn conunuea invesi
Kerrey ments.
The two candidates took the debate to a
personal level by focusing on their records.
Stoney said Kerrey’s record was one of
continual support for President Clinton, de
spite the president’s low popularity among
Nebraskans.
Kerrey said that he was accountable for his
record, but that Stoney passed the blame for her
mistakes to others.
In closing remarks, Kerrey said he wanted
to be “in striking distance” of balancing the
budget during the next six years in the Senate.
He promised more of the same representation
for Nebraska.
Stoney said Nebraska didn’t want more of
the same, but did want a senator that would
honestly represent Nebraska values.
Sittig said Stoney’s performance might have
earned her a percentage point or two of the
public approval.
“It tightened the race a tiny bit,” Sittig said.
Opposing views
[Abortion]
* Kus 4
Children!
- Travts Haylng/DN
Cherub Schmidt and Robert J. High, both off Lincoln, show their
oppoelng views In front off Planned Parenthood, 224S O St. Hundreds
off anti abortion protestors lined 0 Street from Sth Street to 70th
Street on Sunday afternoon as part off "The Chain off Life."
Regents discuss enrollment drop, engineering college
Smith to review
task force plan,
report to board
By Brian Sharp
Senior Reporter
The NU Board of Regents will de
cide — possibly by the year’s end —
whether a separate college of engineer
ing should be established at UNO.
Regent Chairman Charles Wilson
of Lincoln said Friday that the board,
not the University of Nebraska presi
dent or the engineering task force, would
decide whether a separate engineering
college should be established at the
University of Nebraska at Omaha.
NU President Dennis Smith said he
expected to present a recommendation
to the board by December.
Smith, in clarifying the role of the
engineering task force, told the regents
cm Friday that he expected the members
to submit their report to him by mid
November. The group is developing a
strategic plan forimplcmcntingthcscp
arate college, iftheboard decides one is
needed.
The task force report will be used
See ENGINEERING on 3
Regents Meeting
■ NU President Dennis Smith
clarified the steps left in resolv
ing the engineering debate. The
task force should return its re
port by mid-November, Smith
said. Smith would make recom
mendations to the board about
creating a separate engineer
ing college at UNO by Decem
ber. But the Board of Regents
would make the final decision
on a new college.
Chancellor says
better recruiting
would help UNL
By Brian thwp
Senior Reporter
UNL Chancellor Graham Spanier
blames a downturn in enrollment on
one thing — money.
The number of students attending
the University ofNcbraska-Lincoln has
declined 2.5 percent, or 606 students,
since the fall 1993 semester. Last fall,
UNL had 24,695 students; this fall.
UNL has 24,089 students.
“We don’t have the resource to do a
fiill-court press (in recruiting),” Spanicr
saidat the Uni vcrsity ofNebraska Board
of Regents meeting on Friday. “We are
clearly behind. Compared to the top
institutions that are increasingly pick
ing our pocket —our (recruiting) bud
get is at less than half.”
Snanier said that in the past, UNL
had had to rely heavily on reputation
and visibility to recruit top students.
UNL went after top students only after
thestudcntscontactedtheunivcrsily.he
said.
See ENROLLMENT on 3