Wednesday
January 17,2001 |
Volume 100 * I
Issue 84 '
dailyneb.com
Since 1901
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spiritual tmlhs of a simple,
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In Opinion/4
A Civil War movie
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week
lnArts/5
Crime increases linked to high gas prices
BY JILL CONNER
A big portion of Lincoln's 5.1 percent jump in
crime rates comes from an unexpected source, said
Lincoln Police ChiefTom Casady.
The 71.3 percent increase in larceny from self
service gas stations was among the largest increases in
the 2000 Crime Statistics released Iltesday by the
Lincoln Police Department
“People driving around without paying for their
gas is what is driving our crime rate up,” Casady said.
He said he speculated the large increase was
because of the rising gas prices and also because of an
increasing number of gas stations.
Another problem could have been the unseason
ably warm weather, he said.
“We had a very mild winter last year in January,
February and March,” Casady said.
Usually gas theft falls off decisively in the winter
months, he said.
An answer to the problem might be requiring cus
tomers to prepay for gas even though many cus
tomers don’t appreciate the inconvenience, Casady ,
said.
Gas stations on West O Street and Comhusker
Highway have been hit hardest, he said.
Casady said self-serve gas station thefts were not
die only surprise in the crime statistics.
"I was probably most pleased to see that robberies
did not continue their up trend,” he said of the 12.4
percent decrease in robberies.
Casady said he was worried after robberies
seemed to be rising steadily in die past few years.
Although robberies have decreased, the overall
rate of burglaries increased 43 percent
This year, while the rate of residential burglaries
rose 9.4 percent the rate of commercial burglaries fell
7.6 percent
A robbery involves the use of violence, while bur
glary involves only entering a building. Larceny
involving theft of personal property rose 6.4 percent
Another significant increase occurred with rapes
reported to the Lincoln Police Department
The rate of reported rapes rose 25 percent from 80
to 100 cases.
“ The number we’ve had in the past year is not out
of line with the numbers we’ve had in the year 2000,”
Casady said. “Last year the number seemed unusual
ly low.”
Christine Clancy, a dispatcher for the University
Police Department and Rape Aggression Defense
class teacher said there has not been a rape reported
on campus for about a year.
Clancy speculated the increase in rapes might be
because more women are reporting them.
“They don’t associate (rape) with such a (negative)
stigma,” she said.
Casady disagreed, saying there is no way of know
ing if more rapes are being reported.
Other significant rate changes occurred in the
murder category.
Hie number of murders in 1999 was nine, while
there were only three in 2000.
OCrime Detail
1999 2000 Change
Murder 9 3 -66.7% (-6)
Rape 80 100 25% (20)
Robbery 161 141 -12.4% (-20)
Burglary 1,835 1,914 4.3% (79)
Larceny ,
Sgas) 561 961 71.3% (400)
The Lincoln Police Department released 2000
crime statistics on Tuesday. Police officials
attribute a spike in crime to gasoline drive-offs.
Source: Lincoln Police Department
Man LonowsJa/DN
SKATE PAM:
Patrick Ferguson
olliesoffalow
wall, making
use of his week
off from school
to seek fun on
the university
campus. He and
others skate on
campus because
they say the
only other place
to skate that has
what they want
costs $6 per
hour.
Nate Wagner/DN
Bill could
cut cell use
BY GWEN TIETGEN
The debate over whether Nebraskans chatting on
cell phones is a real cause of car accidents could final
ly bfe settled if one legislative bill passes.
The Transportation and Telecommunications
Committee on TUesday heard the bill, LB43, which
would cite cellular phone use on motor vehicle acci
dent reports.
The bill was introduced by Sen. David Landis of
Lincoln in conjunction with another bill, LB 42, also
introduced by Landis.
LB43 would note on an accident report if a cellu
lar phone was in the car or in use during an accident,
said Laurel Marsh, a legislative aide for Landis.
The information collected from the accident
report notations would determine if cellular phones
are a continuing factor in accidents, Marsh said
The other bill, LB42, would cite the operator with
partial fault in an accident if a cellular phone was in
use. The bill is similar to one the Legislature killed last
year.
In the LB42 committee hearing, senators ques
tioned whether legislation was needed to add this
information to accident reports and decided to hold
the bill in the committee for further review.
Several wireless telephone companies want other
distractions, such as loud music playing in the car or
application of makeup while driving, to be noted on
accident reports, not just cellular phone citations,
said Sen. Curt Bromm ofWahoo, who is also chair
man of the committee.
Former NU defense coach
admits to drunken driving
■ Charlie McBride's probation includes a fine
and attending alcohol education classes in
accordance with a first-time offense.
BY JU. CONNER
Retirement may not be all that former Assistant
Husker Football Coach Charlie McBride expected
it to be.
McBride, 61, who worked as the NU defensive
coordinator and retired after 23 years in January
2000, pled guilty Tuesday to
tne cnarge oi driving under
the influence he received Dec.
15.
McBride and his attorney,
.Michael J. Hansen, requested
probation for McBride, who is
taking alcohol education
classes.
McBride’s probation
requires mai ne pay a une,
attend alcohol education McBride
classes and attend six
Alcoholics Anonymous meet
ings.
McBride's probation term started Tuesday and
ends in January 2002.
His driver’s license was revoked for 60 days as
part of his sentencing, and he must abstain from
drinking alcohol during his probation.
A third aspect of the probation prohibits him
from going to bars or any place that makes its main
profit from the sale of alcohol.
Hansen said McBride’s year-long probation
was a normal sentence for a first offense.
k __
“It is disheartening when any
member of the community,
especially a role model, gets picked
up for DUI."
Simera Reynolds
Mothers Against Drunk Driving executive director
McBride could not be reached for comment.
McBride was stopped shortly after 1 a.m. in
December for running a red light.
According to the Lincoln Police Department,
his blood-alcohol level was .125, or .025 above the
legal limit
McBride was cited for driving under the influ
ence of alcohol and taken to Cornhusker Place
Detox.
Simera Reynolds, executive director for the
state chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving,
said she hoped the community learned from
McBride’s error.
“It is disheartening when any member of the
community, especially a role model, gets picked
up for DUI,” Reynolds said. “It just goes to show
that alcohol is a pervasive factor in drinking and
driving.”
Reynolds said the best answer to the problem
of drinking and driving is rinding a designated
driver.
Reynolds said the Lincoln Police Department
made 222 drunken driving arrests during the
month of December.
"The community can’t turn their head and say
this isn’t a problem,” Reynolds said.
New ag head ready to go
■The new vice chancellorfor
IANR is already impressed with
UNL's reputation.
BYJILLZEMAN
Despite leaving sunny New
Mexico for Nebraska’s unpre
dictable weather, UNL’s newest
administrator said he’s happy to
be in Lincoln.
John Owens, the new vice
chancellor for the Institute of
Agriculture and Natural
Resources, had a chilly welcome
in December when he moved to
Nebraska during a near blizzard.
Owens left New Mexico State
University in Las Cruces, where
he served as executive vice pres
ident and chief academic officer
since 1977, to become the insti
tute’s top leader.
What drew Owens to the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
he said, was the positive attitude
of the faculty members and stu
J_x.
UV/1UO.
"The people are unbeliev
ably friendly,” he said.
Owens said he was
impressed with the reputation
of the institute, as well as the
research conducted there.
“East Campus is an absolute
treasure for the state,” he said.
UNL’s academic and athletic
reputations put it ahead of other
institutions in the nation, he
said.
“No matter what the local
.1
newspaper has said lately, the
University of Nebraska is an
academic powerhouse/' he said.
“I see the institute in such
good shape that there’s nothing
I need to come in and fix.” he
said.
The local newspaper Owens
referred to was the Omaha
World-Herald, and its recent
series, "UNL: Confronting
Mediocrity,” which charges the
university is simply so-so.
Owens received his bache
lor’s degree in biology from West
Texas State University, which is
now West Texas A&M in Canyon.
He went on to receive his
master’s degree in entomology
from Texas Tech University in
Lubbock and his doctorate, also
in entomology, from Iowa State
University in Ames.
Owens also served as a pro
fessor of entomology at Iowa
State and Texas Tech.
uwens replaced irv
Oihtvedt, who retired in June.
Associate Vice Chancellor Edna
McBreen served as interim vice
chancellor during the hunt for a
new leader.
McBreen, who was a candi
date for the position, said she
was impressed with Owens
because of his commitment to
the students.
An upper-level administra
tor who wants to work directly
with students is just what the
university needs, McBreen said.
“I’m just thrilled he's here,”
she said.
ndienagner/UN
John Owens, vice chancellor for the
Institute of Agriculture and Natural
Resources is welcomed by faculty, staff
and administrators from various UNL
departments. Owens recently arrived
in Lincoln from New Mexico State
University to take over the vice chan
cellor position.
Owens is taking over as vice
chancellor at a point when the
institute is in the public eye.
The 20/20 report, which out
lines goals for the university in
the next 20 years, focuses on.
IANR as an integral part of UNL’s
future.
With the spotlight on Owens
and the institute, McBreen said
she was confident he’d do a
good job.
“There aren’t any easy (tran
sitions), but we're talking about
a guy who knows what he’s
doing," she said.