Been a while, again

The floodgates have opened, and I'm now backlogged with about 60,000 story ideas -- about 1 percent of which I'll ever write.

One of the unlikely-to-ever-be-written stories: prison visits.

From March 2009 to 2010, 2,948 Nebraska prison inmates had visitors. That means about a third (1,434) of the state's 4,382 inmates didn't get a single visit during those 12 months. Pretty depressing.

The number might appear more extreme than it actually is, though, since many of those inmates were likely released or placed in custody towards the beginning or end of that period, meaning they didn't necessarily actually go a whole year without a visit.

Had the pleasure of talking to a Seward County Sheriff's deputy this week who saved three guys from a fire.

His name: Randy Muhm. Here's a slightly outdated photo:

And here's the story:

Seward deputy saves Utica men from fire (02/25/2010)

Thanks to Deputy Muhm, who more than deserves his moment in the sun.

Industrial Arts Building

So far, I've written a pair of stories about the controversy over what to do with this building:

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln wants to demolish it to make room for its Innovation Campus. The building was part of the former Nebraska State Fairgrounds, and people with an interest in its history are fighting to stop the university from bringing in the bulldozers.

You can read my story about the "Save the Industrial Arts Building" effort here:

Group fighting to save Industrial Arts Building (02/22/2010)

As well as the university's response to the effort, covered in this story:

UNL challenges Industrial Arts Building supporters (02/24/2010)

The university plans to bring its proposal for the building before the NU Board of Regents on March 5.

Been a while

It's been three weeks since my last post. Got a new job, and working on a long-term project about this guy:

His name is Jeremy Herman, and he's an inmate at the Tecumseh State Penitentiary. I'll have more information for you later.

In the meantime, here are a few stories I've written in the past couple weeks.

Cheers, hugs greet reservists' return home (02/14/2010)

About 150 troops who were serving in Iraq returned to Lincoln the day before Valentine's Day, including Sgt. Keith Knoop, who I'll be following up with over the coming months.

98 days, 98 years (02/11/2010)

A Lincoln teacher brings her 98-year-old dad to speak to her students on their 98th day of school. Pretty sweet.

Parents of four children killed in crash, family hopes to adopt (02/06/2010)

The Aldava children were left without their parents after a crash near Hastings. Good thing they have a wonderful aunt and uncle who hope to adopt them.

Haitian orphans

The situation for orphans in Haiti post-earthquake is pretty miserable. Here in Lincoln and around southeast Nebraska, hundreds families have come forward with interest in adopting, but are finding it essentially impossible to do so.

Here's a story I wrote about the issue:

Local families hit Haiti adoption wall

And here's another, the story of what might be the area's only adoption success story since the earthquake:

Haiti orphans come home to Nebraska

Helping Haitians

A group of Lincoln Haitians - including Junior Jacques, who I wrote about before - organized a benefit for the Red Cross's efforts in Haiti. Here's a piece I wrote on the event, as well as a few follow-up links from other things I've covered:

Gathering shows support for those still suffering after quake

Dozens of people gathered at Marz Bar, 1140 O St., for a relief benefit hosted by the Cornhusker Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Other links:

Union College team in Haiti

Ben Larson, former Lincoln seminarian who died in the earthquake

It's Time to Party

Andrew W.K. would be disappointed. Lincoln Police Chief Tom Casady told me last week that us college-age Lincolnites have been partying less and less hard since 2005. Here's the story, which ran on page 1A in today's paper:

Police use landlords in battle against loud parties