The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, March 15, 1996, Page 3, Image 3

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    Cholera shrinking bird population
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are shrinking South-Central Nebraska
wetlands, leading to a significant out
break of deadly avian cholera.
The highly contagious disease is
already hitting hard with migratory
geese populations in the region, ac
cording to Jon Kaufield, project leader
of the Rainwater Basin Wetland Man
agement District for the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Land Management Office in
Kearney.
The bacteria is thriving this year in
the Rainwater Basin because the birds
have fewer wet areas in which to gather.
“Cholera is a disease that thrives on
concentration,” Kauffeld said. “The
vast majority of the Rainwater Basin is
dryerthan it’sever been. Consequently
the birds are extremely concentrated in
the areas that do have water.”
With birds “shoulder to shoulder”
the chance of transmission is height
ened, he said. The closeness of the
birds and the poor water quality from
defecation and splashing can easily
spread the disease.
“In bright, clear water the life of the
cholera bacteria is reduced and it only
lives for a short time period,” he said.
“As the water is dirtied and darkened
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“/ saw 41 eagles at the
Spring Wing Ding in
Clay Center on
Saturday. When you see
that many eagles you
know there’s a lot of
carcasses out there. You
could call them the
cleanup crew. ”
JON KAUFFELD
project leader
the life of the bacteria is lengthened.”
The basin’s wetlands and marshes
cover more than 4,200 square miles in
16 Nebraska counties. Mil lions of geese
and other birds use the basin as a stop
during their annual migration north.
The disease has the potential to be a
significant threat, particularly to snow
geese that have reached record num
bers this year, Kauffeld said.
Fish and wildlife officials have vi
suany tnspecieu areas iromroaus. i ney
report a significant number of car
casses, he said.
Eagles also are an indication of the
disease’s devastation, he said.
“I saw 41 eagles at the Spring Wing
Ding in Clay Center on Saturday,” he
said. “When you see that many eagles
you know there’s a lot of carcasses out
there. You could call them the cleanup
crew.”
Officials won’t know the extent of
the mortality until they finish remov
ing carcasses from area marshes. The
carcasses are burned to isolate the bac
teria, Kauffeld said.
Biologists began picking up dead
birds Tuesday at Mallard Haven north
of Shickley. Next stops arc areas near
Harvard, Edgar, Clay Center and Funk.
“I don’t want to speculate on how
many there arc until we get out there,”
Kauffeld said.
How much the disease progresses
depends on population numbers, he
said.
“With the large numbers of birds in
the area it will progress quickly, killing
many,” he said. “As the geese move on
and thin out, the disease will lessen
and so will the kill.”
Law & Order
i i
which had entered Hooch’s hip and
had come out on the other side of
| his body.
A rocker snanicl is in stable con H°0ch’ 7 (in PeoPlc ycars)’waS
A cocker spaniel is in staple con t0 tjlc veterinarian, where he
diUon after suftering an attack was awaiting surgery Thursday.
Wednesday w. ha bow and arrow Thecrimlwasctesifiedasi-an
Amanda Ullrnan , owner of ^1^ because there was damage
Hooch, was getting the dog some arson’s nronertv Lin
watcr when she heard him whine d0.ne 10 a Pprson s Propeny- ,
and bark. When she found him, he coln P°hce have made no arrests'
had been shot with an arrow, ac
cording to police reports.
Ullrnan removed the arrow, Chad Lorenz
Black educators back
integration in Omaha
OMAHA (AP) — Black educa
tors have declared their support for
integrated education for students in
Omaha Public Schools.
Concerned and Caring Educa
tors, a 100-membcr group of black
administrators and supervisors, is
sued a statement outlining reasons
for continuing the district’s inte
gration plan, which hinges on buses
carrying thousands of black and
white children across town each
school day.
The group’s main reason was to
prepare OPS children to live in a
multicultural society that went be
yond state and national boundaries.
Omaha began integrating its
schools under court t\rder in 1976.
Eight years later, a federal judge
ruled that the district had done ev
erything reasonable to remedy past
discrimination.
The district remains obligated
to operate schools free of discrimi
nation, but some school board mem
bers and others are asking how that
is best done.
Board member Kathleen
McCallister proposed ending man
datory busing for integration last
year. She has since said she wanted
to study integration to sec if it met
student needs.
The Nebraska Taxpayers Asso
ciation, an anti-tax group, and the
citizens group Triple One Parents
Union have said mandatory and
voluntary busing should end so stu
dents can attend neighborhood
schools.
The district is spending $5.5 mil
lion this year to bus 8,324 students
as part of its integration plan.
Roskens keeps moving
OMAHA (AP) - Former University Roskens was named NU president
ofNebraska President Ronald Roskens in 1977 after five years as chancellor
has been named to the Omaha-Dou- of the Omaha campus. He headed the
glas County Public Building Commis- NU system for 13 years, then served as
sion. administrator of the U.S. Agency for
The committee said in a news re- International Development under
lease Thursday that Roskens was ap- President George Bush,
pointed to fill the unexpired term of Roskens has also served as presi
retiring commission chairman Tom dent of Action International Inc., an
Moore. The appointment was made in organization that works with a group
a unanimous vote by the commission, of former heads of state or govern
Roskens’termwillendinJune 1999. nient.
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March 27, 1996
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(27th & Superior)
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