Monday 12.03.07 Morning with Mongo

Hope everyone had a safe weekend.

Over the weekend a grenade was found in the parking lot at Westroads, however the top story in all media outlets, Nebraska has a new football coach. Like nobody knew it was Pelini.

Don’t tell us we don’t know how to prioritize around here. You know your the bottom feeder on the reporter food chain when they send you out to cover the bomb squad.

And congratulations to ESPN for becoming the National Enquirer of sports reporting by announcing Les Miles was going to Michigan right before the SEC Championship game. Nothing like having that thrown back at you 2 hours before kickoff.

Police were called to break up a bar fight at the North Shore Tavern, near 101st and Maple. The found a man who had been in a confrontation with 2 people and one used a pool cue on him. Hint, don’t bump the guy when he is shooting and there is A Benny laying on the end of the table.

Nebraska Human Society Officials are asking State and Local Officials to increase the animal cruelty laws to include some Mexican Rodeo events that seem to be happening around here. Horse Tripping, Steer Tail Pulling being the two cruelest offenses. If they would add Eye poking to the rodeo we could have a 3 Stooges version. Some idiot says he will speak out at the City Council meeting in favor of the rodeo events. Can’t wait to hear this guy, with or without the translator.

And some 700-900 property owners need to lube up and get ready to take another shot in the wallet. FEMA has teamed up with the Papio NRD and redrawn the 100 year flood plain maps for the Papio and it’s tributaries. If you are in the 100 year flood plain and have a federal insured loan, you are required to purchase flood insurance. For a $200,000 house with $100,000 in contents that can run you about $2000 a year. And you thought your taxes were bad.

Ahh but FEMA’s Brian Bowman said you can appeal the map. Just show up with technical data and demonstrate the map is wrong. This feat will only cost you $20,000 to have HDR do a HEC-2 Study.  Commercial property owners will take the hardest hit because the value of their improvements is considerably more. Get ready for a big rent increase at One Pacific Place.

This study comes to you from 2 of the biggest money wasting bureaucracy’s around. We all know how FEMA pisses money away, and the Papio NRD is right behind them. They kicked in one million to the pedestrian bridge that has nothing to do with flood control.

From now until Dec 16th you can don your skates and enjoy the rink at 10th and Harney on the Con-Agra campus. For a $5 donation to Shine the Lights on Hunger you can enjoy the pleasure of skating outdoors and take in the sights of Downtown. This is a great family event that some of us enjoyed over the weekend.

That’s it from me this morning, were still waiting for the B-22a Roster to be posted.

Mongo Torrey

MongoTorrey@hotmail.com

TGIF 9.28.07

There is another shooting death in the Metro. This time it happened in a convenience store on the West end of Carter Lake around 10 p.m. last night. No other details have been released.

A Day Care Director has been suspended pending the outcome of an investigation into the dislocation of a 2 year old’s elbow. The directors lawyer claims it was an accident (Don’t you normally call the parents when a child is hurt in an accident, not send the child home to let the parents figure out they are injured?) however a day care worker had called the parents and said she witnessed the Director dragging the child into the bathroom by it’s arm and slamming the door. We are starting to think the accident was hiring this person, but that’s just us.

Handshake Hal is throwing in the towel after a short 2 week campaign for Senate. He has scheduled a press conference for 9 a.m. this morning.

The Papio NRD is again asking the legislature for bonding authority so they can fleece more tax money to build some more dam’s. This is the same group that gave 1 million to the Bridge to Nowhere project. What that bridge has to do with flood control is beyond me but this group is the biggest bunch of money wasting people you have ever seen. Lets try and keep the purse strings tied shut. Bonding authority would almost give them open season on our checkbooks. Some State Senators are asking the same questions we have , maybe someone will look out for us this time.

3 8th graders were suspended from Lewis and Clark middle school for making threats on a radio show. The threats involved another student they believed to have snitched on the student that was caught with a gun in his backpack. School officials blame peer pressure for the student having the gun however on the audio of the radio show the girls claim he was really mad and it was gang related. Who knows.

This weekend the Huskers take on Iowa State. After last weeks booing session, lets hope tackling drills were a focus at practice this week.

Also River City Round-up continues this weekend at the Qwest Center. The Annual Parade through downtown starts Saturday at 10 a.m.

Back later………………..