SHITS
Closer then expected
Without Megan Korver, the Nebraska volleyball
team got a tough match from Kansas. But in the
end, the Huskers still got to celebrate. PAGE 10
m
Phantom revival
First Plymouth Congregational Church plans a
showing Friday of the silent film “The Phantom of
die Opera” accompanied by an organist PAGE 12
53.
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VOL. 98, _COVERING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN SINCE 1901 NO. 44
Warrant turns up
fake ID materials
By Josh Funk
Senior staff writer
Using evidence from an undercover
investigation, the Lancaster County
Attorney plans to charge a UNL student
with making fake IDs later this week.
The move will trigger an investiga
tion of UNL’s Alpha Tau Omega
Fraternity, a UNL administrator said,
where the fake IDs were said to be sold.
Fraternity President Paul Blecha said
the fraternity was not involved, and he
had not had any contact with the suspect
since the search.
“This has nothing to do with any
other member of the house,” Blecha
said.
Police served the search warrant
Thursday night at the student’s home on
4he 400 block of Mormon Trail, and
seized a computer, scanner and lamina
tor they say were used to manufacture
ID cards, Capt David Beggs said
But police had not cited nor arrested
anyone as of Sunday night. They have
presented their evidence to Lancaster
County Attorney Gary Lacey, who will
decide what to charge the student with.
Lacey could charge the student with
a class four felony alter considering the
evidence.
Police say the student specialized in
making IDs frolh states other than
Nebraska.
The cards were sold at the Alpha
Tau Omega Fraternity where the stu
dent was a member, UNL Police Chief
Ken Cauble said.
No other members of the house
have been implicated in the initial inves
tigation.
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
James Griesen said he would charge the
student for violations of the student
code of conduct after he is charged in
court
“I will look carefully into the
involvement of the house,” Griesen
said. *.
Lacey is expected to file charges in
the case late this week after reviewing
the evidence.
MATT MILLER/DIN
PATRICK FISHER, a senior chemical engineering major and a member of Innocents Society, cheers for the
Huskers while wearing a blue bandanna to protest Initiative 413, Hebraska’s proposed tax lid amendment.
Fisher, like many fans, partially wore blue for the “Blue to MU” protest, while also donning the traditional
Hpsfcer red, ASUM President Sara Russell, who organized Blue to MU, estimated 100 to 120 students wore blue,
inking the 8,000-seat student sections of Memorial Stadium leek like a bad bruise, She said she appreciated
students’ effort, but said, “I wished It had been more successful.”
Athletic directors present need for facility funding
ByIevaAugstums
Staff writer
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
athletic boosters may have to pay
higher ticket prices if appropriate
fund-raising strategies are not devel
oped by the Athletic Department,
officials said Friday.
That is one idea the Athletic
Department is considering to help pay
for projects to improve its fields and
buildings over the next six years.
The NU Board of Regents listened
Friday to Athletic Department budget
presentations from UNL, the
University of Nebraska at Omaha and
the University of Nebraska at
Kearney.
Total revenue and expenditures
for UNUs Athletic Department totaled
$36.4 million for the 1997-98 fiscal
year. UNO’s revenue and expendi
tures totaled $4.5 million, while
UNK’s totaled $2.6 million.
UNL Chancellor James Moeser
said the budgets are average and
equally comparable to other peer
institutions.
All three campus representatives
also discussed funding concerns for
facility maintenance and academic
scholarships.
Bill Byrne, athletic director at
UNL, said the university collects
more revenue than most comparable
athletic teams at similar institutions.
The University of North Carolina has
the lowest revenue, $27 million. Ohio
Shite has the highest, $58 million, he
said.
“We are no different than the rest
of the campus. The need for funding is
apparent,” Byrne said. “We just don’t
get any state tax dollars.”
Most other aitercollegiate athletic
departments are funded through the
students or the institution itself,
Byrne said.
“We get zero percent student fees,
zero percent institutional funding,” he
said. “That’s nothing.”
The athletic departments at the
University of Nebraska’s three cam
puses are concerned about funding for
facility improvements.
About 75 percent of the UNL
Athletic Department’s roofs are
Please see REGENTS on 6
DN File Photo
THE OCTOBER BUZZARD one year ago
downed trees and power lines, crippling
homes across Lincoln. Electricity and
phone lines were out, leaving thousands
without heat, health or happiness for up
to a week.
A year later, storm cleanup continues
By JosrfFuNK
Senior staff writer
Across campus and Lincoln the reminders are
there: fallen branches, fewer trees and many stumps
- and everyone has a story to tell about the October
blizzard of 1997.
The effects of the storm that bushwhacked the
capital city last fall are all too evident.
And looking back, those involved in cleaning up
after Mother Nature last fall said they learned some
valuable lessons.
“Wfe had to find a way to break down the walls
of bureaucracy and find a way to work together,”
said LtrCrov. Kim Robak, who was acting governor
during the storm.
Ctae year ago today, the sharp cracks ofbreaking
branches rang out across the capital city signaling
the arrival of the worst snowstorm in recent memory.
That quiet Saturday night of Oct. 25, more than
a foot ofheavy, wet snow fell to the ground, bringing
the still-leafy branches with it
As the branches and in some cases whole trees
fell, they knocked out power and phone lines leaving
55,000 homes and businesses in the dark.
•But initially nobody realized the scope of dam
age caused by what Gov. Ben Nelson dubbed the
“October surprise.”
“We didn’t understand how widespread it was,”
said Bob Hoppe, spokesman for Lincoln’s Aliant
Communications phone company.
During die cleanup, the state incurred more than
$48 million in damages and expenses, and the city
spent around $3 million.
Lincoln Electric System estimated its costs at
$4.3 million; Aliant set its costs at $1.6 million.
The Federal Emergency Management
Administration reimbursed the city, state and public
electric company for three-fourths of their storm
expenses.
Both power and phone crews ran into problems
working around dawned trees and power lines.
On campus, landscaping and electric crews
worked to clear tree limbs and downed electrical
wires while classes were canceled for two days.
The university had never on record been closed
for two days in a row before.
“It was just not safe for the first few days,” City
Campus Landscaping Manager Kirby Baird said.
• The utilities started repairing the damage by
reconnecting main lines, but many houses were
without power because individual lines had fallen.
It took eight days to restore power to the entire
city as LES crews worked around the clock, and
Aliant crews worked 16-hour days.
LES also imported 348 workers from around
the region to supplement its own staff of328.
To respond to the storm, communication and
cooperation were important. *
“Working together was the key to recovery,”
Lincoln Mayor Mike Johanns said.
Tree workers went out into the neighborhoods
followed by power crews and then phone crews, cre
ating “super crews.”
Tree crews and citizens collected die downed
limbs and took them to drop-off points where drum
chippers ran 24 hours a day to make wood chips.
Approximately 6,000 city-owned, 10,000 uni
versity-owned and numerous privately owned trees
have been removed since the storm.
And it’s not done yet.
' Baird said more trees still must be pruned and
removed.
But fast action and good teamwork helped min
imize problems.
Please see STORM on 7
, Read the Daily Nebraskan on the World Wide Web at http://www.unl.edu/DailyNeb