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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 1994)
Sports ■ Huskers net victory over Kansas State, page 7 Arts and Entertainment ■ Maya Angelou comes to Pershing tonight, page 9 PAGE 2: Kidnapping jeopardizes peace Regent cai By PaPra Jut—n Senior Reporter Keith Vrbicky has spent about $35,000 more than his opponent in the 3rd District race for the NU Board of Regents, according to a re port released this week. The regent candidates' campaign finance statements, released in a report by the State Accountability and Disclosure Commission, show Vrbicky has spent about $46,000 on his campaign, while his opponent. Chuck Hassebrook of Walthill. has spent about $11,500. Vrbicky, who is from Norfolk, has raised Federal investigators onto case By Brian Sharp Senior Reporter In two separate developments Wednesday, a judge named a special prosecutor and the US. Justice Department initiated a federal investi gation into the death of Francisco Renteria. U.S. Attorney Tom Monaghan was unavail able for comment Wednesday night, but a memo from his office confirmed the Justice Department's planned investigation. While emphasizing confidence in other probes into the case, Monaghan stated in the memo that “public confidence would best be served” by the federal investigation. Renteria, 29. was mistaken by police as a man wanted for a protection order. He died Oct. 1 while in police custody. Monday, State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha wrote Monaghan a letter describing the events surrounding the death. In the letter, Chambers said police kicked Renteria in the legs and genitals, grabbed his hair, kneed him in the ribs when he was down and “placed a knee on (his) neck, grabbed h^ head and twisted it to one side.” Meanwhile. District Court Judge Donald Endacott selected Lincoln attorney Robert F. Bartle as special prosecutor in the case. Bartle, who has been a partner with the See RENTERIA on 6 UNL Police investigate rape report From Staff Report* UNL police began an investigation on Wednesday after a woman reported that she was forcibly raped in Schramm Residence Hall in late August or early September. The woman is a University of Ncbraska Lincoln freshman. The Daily Nebraskan does not publish names of sexual assault victims. Police became aware of the alleged first degree sexual assault when the student con tacted them on a disturbance call late Tuesday evening. The 18-year-old student told police that an unidentified man confronted her on Monday at 7:30 p.m. outside the Harpcr-Schramm Smith food service building. The student said the man threatened her and told her to leave the area. It was unknown on Wednesday whether the unidentified man was a suspect in the sexual assault investigation. The student told police and residence hall officials that she thought she was safe in her See ASSAULT on 6 _ npaign spending varies widely about $47,000 for his campaign from busi nesses and individual contributors, including himself, the report showed. Vrbicky also re ceived a $10,000 loan for the campaign from FirsTier Bank in Norfolk. Hassebrook, however, raised about $29,500, mostly from individual contributors. He was one of those contributors, the report showed. The report showed a wide range of cam paign expenditures among candidates in all four races. The eight regent candidates have spent be tween $5,000 and $46,000 during the cam paign, the report showed. Vrbicky has spent more than any other candidate. r .... Candidates in the 4th District race were the next biggest spenders in the campaign. Drew Miller of Papillion has spent about $39,700. He has raised about $40,000 from individual contributors and businesses. He has contributed about $1,000 to his campaign. Miller’s opponent, incumbent Nancy Hoch of Nebraska City, has spent about $32,000. Like Vrbicky, she has raised about $47,000 from businesses and individual contributors. Hoch contributed about $1,000 to her cam paign. She also has received a $25,000 loan for the campaign from the Otoe County Bank and Trust Company in Nebraska City. Candidates in the 8th District, Richard Berkshire and incumbent Rosemary Skrupa, both have spent about $20,000 on their cam paigns, the report showed. Berkshire, an Omaha lawyer, has spent about $20,000 during the campaign. He has raised about $21,000, mostly from individual contributors. Berkshire has lent $3,000 to the campaign, the report showed. Robert Berkshire also lent $5,000 to the campaign. Skrupa, also of Omaha, has spent about $16,000 on her campaign. She has raised about $20,000. The report showed that Skrupa was See FINANCE on 8 Jay CaMaroa/DN Ends Chambers, state senater and write-in candidate ter gevemer, speaks In fltkraslra Ihden Wednesday. Chambers tells audience to think, speak out Write-in candidate says people should question authority By Matthaw Walt» Senior Reporter In his own words, Ernie Chambers is not a role model. But the ficiy 56-year-old state senator from Omaha did have a lesson to teach the more than 70 students and faculty Wednes day at the Nebraska Union. “Think, observe and listen.” Chambers, who was a guest speaker for the African-American and African studies program at the University of Nebraska-Lin coln, said each individual needed to form an opinion of what was right and wrong. Armed with those opinions, he said, in dividuals need to speak out. Chambers, a write-in candidate for governor, said people should question Gov. Ben Nelson and his Republican challenger Gene Spence. No one has asked questions during this race, he said. “What happens in this society is people are distracted by the form and miss the sub stance,” Chambers said. “People get side tracked into the inconsequential and miss the substance.” Knowledge is supposed to be power, he said, but people need to question authority for that power to be realized. Chambers said he used his knowledge in his role as a public servant. “What we should be concerned with, in public life, is helping those who can't help themselves,” he said. However, Chambers said, people of color, especially black people, need more knowl edge than white people do. “If you are white, you don’t have to graduate (from college),” he said. “AH you white kids are wasting your time here.” Racism is a flawed idea, Chambers said, because all people come from the same place: Africa. “If they said, ‘Well, why don’t you go back where you came from,' I have to take all of y’all with me," he said. Chambers said the mind ruled over mat ter always. “The power of the mind and the power of words are all overlooked in this society,” he said. “You all have the power to change this state.” “Don’t think about supporting politi cians, think about being the politicians,” Chambers said. Outlining his position on several issues. Chambers said his bid for governor was started by those oflended by Gov. Nelson and Attorney General Don Stcnbcrg's ac tions in the Sept. 2 execution of Harold La m on t Otey. On abortion. Chambers said he sup ported the rights of women to do what they want with their bodies. He said, however, people have criticized his position on abor tion because of his position on the death penalty. Chambers said he was opposed to the state thinking it could kill in any situation. He said if abortions were mandated by law, he would be opposed to them. With the death penalty, Chambers said his opposition ran true through all cases, including the recent overturning of con victed murderer John Joubert’s death sen tence. Chambers said Joubert's crimes, kidnap ping and murdering two Bellevue boys in 1983, were horrible. However, he said, the state did not have the right to kill. “I don't believe in the death penalty for See CHAMBERS on 7
