‘Dead spots’ in communication
give the State Patrol problems
By Michelle Starr
Staffuriter
“Reference 1074, have visual.
Suspect near exit 20 at Kimball, head
ing north. Request assistance.”
Dead air.
“Reference 1074, have visual.
Suspect near exit 20 at Kimball, head
ing north. Request assistance.”
Dead air.
This example is similar to what a
trooper would experience if “dead
spots” in communication occur.
Much like gaps in cellular phone
coverage, the state patrol’s communi
cations system experiences dead spots
that have posed problems for law
enforcement off cers, said Terri Teuber,
press secretary for the State Patrol.
The problem was once again rec
ognized during the past week’s man
hunt of Charles Lannis Moses Jr., 31,
of Nocona, Texas, that ended Tuesday
night in a ranch house in eastern
Wyoming.
Moses is suspected of shooting two
Nebraska State Patrol officers
Saturday and killing Robert Sedlacek,
48, of Paxton, Monday.
Though there is no way of knowing
if better communication could have
saved a man’s life or prevented injury to
two state troopers, Teuber said “it cer
tainly could have aided in the search”
for Moses.
Problems in Whiteclay this past
_
summer also could have been lessened
with better communication, Teuber
said.
The dead spots in communication,
usually caused by terrain, such as val
leys, sometimes continue to make it
impossible for troopers to radio law
enforcement bases, Teuber said.
Dead spots are more prevalent in
the western part of the state because of
the terrain, but they are not isolated to
the area. They are also found in eastern
Nebraska, Teuber said.
Bruce Armstrong, state patrol dis
patcher, said troopers have only a few
options if their communications don’t
go through.
First they may decide to change
frequencies, switch to a different con
trol tower or contact different agencies
in the area.
Teuber said sometimes troopers
had to radio other troopers and have
them contact base. This process was
more time-consuming and difficult -
possibly dangerous - during foot pur
suits.
Dead spots are not the only prob
lem with the communication system;
interference from other radio frequen
cies also concerns law enforcement
officials.
Frequency interruption can make it
difficult to hear needed information,
Teuber said.
The State Patrol’s communication
system was installed in 1956.
W In a field like
law enforcement,
communication
can be a matter
of life or death”
Terri Teuber
State Patrol press secretary
Upgrades have been made throughout
the years, but the system is far from
perfect, Teuber said.
In July, Gov. Mike Johanns
released a statement introducing a
study to examine the State Patrol’s
communications problems and look
for ways to improve the situation.
The ongoing study is using the
northeast part of the state because of
the difficult terrain and problems it
causes in communications.
Chris Peterson, spokesman for
Johanns, said because the study is not
complete, a judgment cannot be made
as to how the system could be
improved or the amount of money it
would take to improve the system.
Teuber said improvements in the sys
tem are vital.
“In a field like law enforcement,
communication can be a matter of life
or death,” Teuber said.
Photographer shares experiences
■ UNL graduate charms
audience with anecdotes
' and pictures at seminar.
By Glenn Connot
Staff writer
Joel Sartore has been working as a
photographer for the National
Geographic Society for 10 years, and
he has more than a few lessons learned
and stories to tell as a result.
On Wednesday afternoon, Sartore,
a free-lance photographer, presented a
seminar on his experiences as a
National Geographic photographer,
conservationist and Nebraska resident
to a packed crowd.
The presentation included slides
with commentary by Sartore and a
short National Geographic Journal
video featuring Sartore’s experience as
a wildlife photographer in Bolivia.
More than 200 people came to
Sartore’s presentation at the Great
Plains Art Collection Gallery in Love
Library, said Linda Ratcliffe of the
Public Relations Center for Great
Plains Studies.
Sartore entertained the crowd with
commentary and dozens of pho
tographs for more than an hour. He
finished by answering questions and
signing books.
Sartore, a Lincoln resident, also
showed slides of Nebraska pho
tographs from his National
Geographic article on Nebraska and
his book, “Nebraska, Under A Big
Red Sky.”
Sartore has covered 14 stories for
National Geographic magazine and
has written or contributed to eight
books.
He has received several awards
and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize
for Photography in 1986.
Sartore grew up in Ralston and
graduated from the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln College of
Journalism and Mass Communication
in 1985.
He became interested in photogra
phy his senior year in high school.
Sartore said he went into photography
because “it didn’t require math or
chemistry, but really because it didn’t
feel like work.”
Sartore has been doing presenta
tions ever since he became a National
Geographic photographer.
He has recently done presentations
on conservationism in Crete, Morrill,
Valentine, Albion and all the Lincoln
Public High Schools.
Sartore’s work will be on display in
the Capitol from Feb. 28 to March 10
and at BryanLGH East on March 18.
Debate centers on involvement
DEBATE from page 1
tainment acts to campus.
Jason Kidd, Duff presidential can
didate, said if the university makes
students feel they belong and are
respected, students will get involved.
Duff’s platform ideas of improv
ing student seating at athletic events
and eliminating UNL’s dry-campus
policy are student concerns that have
not been addressed in previous years’
gZZZZg^yy/////y/y/y//y//yyy/.
ASUN campaigns, Kidd said.
Kidd said the campus community
would be improved if students were
provided opportunities for social
events on campus.
Butterfield mentioned creating
two Web sites: One would be focused
on advising, and the other would help
students sell textbooks to one another
online.
Mello said he views Empower as a
group of individuals with passion to
make a difference.
Many of the students attending
the debate sported election group T
shirts and buttons.
A-Team’s Schafer commended
the students present who had not yet
decided which group they would sup
port.
Mello complimented all groups.
“Hopefully, whether we win or
lose, the campus will be a better place
after the elections,” he said.
Are You Interested In Being A Member
Of The Nebraska Union Board?
The Nebraska Union Board is composed of twelve
University of Nebraska - Lincoln students and two
faculty/staff members. The purpose of the Nebraska
Union Board is to advise the Director of Nebraska
Unions and give recommendations in all decision %
making of the Unions.
I. , -■ t •' N W N Xs r
After an application and interview process, new members will be selected. Board
members terms begin with the annual retreat held each spring.
Applications are available at the ASUN office, City and East Campus Unions, and the
: Culture Center. They are due February 24th.
Kerrey accepts
new position
■ The retiring senator will
start the job next January
when his term ends.
By Michelle Starr
Staff writer
After a year of searching, New
School University has found their man.
Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey was
chosen for the position of president of
the school, said John L. Tishman,
chairman of the board of trustees of
New School University, in a statement.
“The Board ofTrustees is delighted
that our university has attracted a per
son of such high caliber as Senator
Kerrey, whose values, dedication to
education, energy level and passion for
gathering the best minds to solve prob
lems will now benefit our institution,”
Tishman said.
Kerrey will succeed Johnathan
Fanton, who, in September, became the
president of the Mac Arthur Foundation
in Chicago.
Kerrey will begin his new job at the
end of his Senate term in January of
next year.
“I am excited to begin my associa
tion with New School University,”
Kerrey said in a statement.
“I love education. I recognize that
education is the basis of our prosperity
and our ability to govern ourselves, and
I recognize that educators, more that
anyone else, are the true shapers of our
future.”
Kerrey announced Jan. 20 that he
would not run tor re-election lor U.b.
Senate.
“At the end of this term I will leave
elected political life with gratitude for
the chance to serve the people of
Nebraska in the never-ending cause of
making this a more perfect union,”
Kerrey said in the speech announcing
his decision.
Attorney General Don Stenberg,
Secretary of State Scott Moore,
Lincoln dermatologist Eliott Rustad
and Omaha businessman George
Grogan have tossed their hats into the
race for Kerrey’s seat.
Kerrey’s new place of employment
is located in Greenwich Village in New
York City.
It was established as the New
School for Social Research in 1919 and
was later made the New School
University in 1997.
About 7,500 students are enrolled
in degree programs and about 25,000
students in other educational programs.
“What appeals to me about the
New School is its dedication to free
dom: freedom in the consideration of
ideas, freedom in developing and
imparting new knowledge and protect
tion for those whose freedom is threat
ened,” Kerrey said.
Kerrey served as Nebraska’s gover
nor from 1983 to 1987 and is in his sec
ond term as a U.S. senator.
“Among the many constants in
Bob’s life story, one in particular stands
out for me: his ability to inspire those
with whom he works,” said New
School University Chancellor Philip
Scaturro.
Counterfeit funds hit city
By Michelle Starr
Staff writer
Businesses and citizens beware:
Counterfeit money is traveling through
the city.
Within the past month, 16 inci
dents involving counterfeit money,
totaling $1,495 in losses, have been
reported to Lincoln Police,
Investigator Steve Niemeyer said.
The incidents came in two differ
ent spurts, one on Jan. 20 and the other
more recently between Feb. 12 and 13.
The two rounds don’t seem to be
connected, Niemeyer said.
He said it is believed that two peo
ple are involved in the most recent
spurt of counterfeit bills, but it is
unknown if the two are working
together.
The largest single quantity offense
was on Feb. 6 when 53 counterfeit $20
bills, totaling $1,060, were discovered
after a New Year’s celebration at
Immaculate Heart of Mary Church,
2601 P St.
Six days later, two businesses were
hit.
At Village Inn, 111 S. 29th St., an
employee made change around 7:30 or
8 p.m. for two $10 bills that were later
to be found counterfeit.
Around the same time, a man
entered the Gas ’N Shop, 2801 O St.,
and received change for a $20 counter
feit bill.
Sunday, 10 businesses were hit, tor
a total of $305 in losses.
Sinclair, 6001 Cornhusker
Highway, reported losing $40 in two
bills between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Between 11 a.m. and 5’p.m.,
Laundry Land, 1344 N. 27th St.; Super
8 Motel, 2635 W. O St; and Blimpies
Subs and Pasta, 2700 O St., all fell vic
tim, Niemeyer said.
Laundry Land found one $20
counterfeit bill in the register after
hearing reports on the news about fake
money, and Blimpies refiorted $40 in
counterfeit money, Niemeyer said.
Kari Mann, assistant manager of
Super 8 Motel, said the manager dis
covered a counterfeit $5 bill when she
was making the deposit for the bank.
She had noticed it looked different
than other bills.
“Keep an eye out,” Mann said.
“There is a difference in the feel of it
and in the color.”
Around 6 p.m., the suspect tried to
purchase money orders at Hinky
Dinky, 2145 S. 17th St., but instead
asked for two $100 bills in exchange
for $ 10s and $20s, which were fake, !
Niemeyer said.
As the clerk began checking the
bills with a marker, the man left.
The marker, which looks like a yel
low highlighter, is used to check bills;
if the marker turns brown on the bill,
it’s fake.
Employees at Q4Quik, 17th and
Vine streets, discovered at 6 p.m. two
$20 counterfeit bills in the register
after they were alerted by police that
fake money reportedly had been being
used in the area, Niemeyer said.
Lincoln Police Ofc. Katherine
Finnell said around 6:06 p.m. at Russ’s
Market, 1709 Washington St., a man
attempted to get change for one $20
counterfeit bill. The clerk noticed that
when he marked the bill to check for its
authenticity, the bill was fake.
The suspect then left the building.
John Hansen, an employee at
Handy Shop, 1700 L St., said a man
came into the store around the same
time as reported from Russ’s and pur
chased something using a $20 bill,
then got change for two more $20 bills.
Hansen noticed the bills were fake
when one of them didn’t have a water
mark and two of them had the same
serial number, he said.
Hansen, using images from a sur
veillance camera, showed police who
the suspected man was that gave him
the bills.
The description, a black man
approximately 5-foot-10, 160 to 170
pounds with a thin beard and last seen .
wearing a red jacket, is consistent with
the incidents reported Sunday.
The next reported stop was at 7 ;30
p.m., where Kahfedlos, 1425 S 17th '
St., lost $40, Niemeyer said.
He also said Dairy Queen, 1447 N.
27th St., reported ground 10 p.m. that
$60 in counterfeit money was found in '
the bank deposit.
Three businesses were hit in the ,
first round of incidents on Jan. 20.
• t