Newshound 8/28/2009

- Learning community sets tax levy
- Douglas County's first H1N1 death


More after the jump ...


Learning community sets tax levy
The Douglas-Sarpy County Learning Community will be funded through a new tax levy, set at $5 for houses valued at $100,000. The tax will raise $2.3 million for learning centers, aimed at improving academic achievement. The Learning Community coordinating council set the levy at its Aug. 27 meeting after vigorous debate over how high to set the tax. Council member Ernie Chambers wanted to raise more than five times that amount. Moat council members rejected the proposal, saying they didn't want to raise taxes in a struggling economy, reported the Omaha World-Herald.

Able-1 will stay airborne
The Omaha Police helicopter Able 1 will stay airborne through the rest of the year. Mayor Jim Suttle had planned to ground the helicopter through 2009 to save the city $265,000. Suttle said interim chief Alex Hayes found additional savings within the department to keep Able-1 operational. The unit will reduce part-time hours and delay a scheduled engine overhaul.

South Omaha bank robbed
On Aug. 25, Omaha Police investigated a bank robbery call at the SAC Federal Credit Union at 4704 S. 24th St. Witnesses said two black males entered the bank, brandished firearms and took an undisclosed amount of money. The suspects then fled on foot.

The Nebraska Bankers Association is offering $25,000 to anyone with information leading to an arrest.

Douglas County's first H1N1 death
A 22-year-old Omaha woman died Aug. 26 from complications resulting from the H1N1 virus. The woman also suffered from a genetic muscular disorder, said Adi Pour, director of the Douglas County Heath Department. It is the first death attributed to the H1N1 virus in Douglas County.

Check fraudster jailed
The man behind one of the largest check fraud schemes in Nebraska history was sentenced to 11-19 years in prison. Keevan Dean, known as the “check fairy,” was part of a crime ring that stole nearly $1 billion from banks nationwide, according to the American Bankers Association. Dean denies he was the leader of the group.