Bill to bolster cancer benefits for Nebraska firefighters fails on floor as clock ticks down on session

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By John Grinvalds

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    Nebraska (KETV) — Nebraska lawmakers opened the week facing mounting pressure to move legislation as the session enters its final stretch.

“A lot to do, not a lot of time,” Speaker of the Legislature Sen. John Arch said Monday, as senators leaped from one extended debate to another.

Arch warned his colleagues that there would be many late nights this week.

“I’ll do my part to facilitate us addressing as many of the remaining bills as we can and to facilitate a smooth landing for this session,” Arch said. “But please keep in mind, it’s not only up to me as to how the remaining two weeks of our session plays out.”

Sen. Dave Wordekemper’s priority bill, which would make Nebraska firefighters diagnosed with cancer automatically eligible for workers’ compensation benefits, swallowed up all debate time in the morning.

“Firefighters are getting cancer rates in their 30s and dying in their 40s,” Wordekemper said. “And right now, that diagnosis is taking firefighters from their families just as surely as any fire ever could.”

Wordekemper said right now, firefighters must prove their cancer is linked to their work, often requiring legal representation and expert medical testimony. Wordekemper said that process creates unnecessary barriers for those seeking benefits.

During debate, supporters of LB400 discussed the importance of the bill in light of the wildfires raging across the state. Opponents said that was disingenuous.

“We’re going to talk today about the fires to get sympathy for the paid firefighters on this end of the state who are really looking for this benefit,” Sen. Mike Jacobson said. “And then we’re going to take the volunteers out in the end. And I can tell you they’re tired of being used in that way for being taken for granted, being used as a pawn to move this forward.”

Opponents also raised concerns about the scope and cost of the proposal, saying it would impose serious unfunded mandates on local governments.

“It’s whether or not this is a responsible mandate for this body to make for those property taxpayer dollars to be used for,” said Sen. Tanya Storer. “That’s the question.”

The measure fell one vote short of overcoming a filibuster.

In the afternoon, lawmakers took up another priority bill with bipartisan backing from Sen. Wendy DeBoer. Her proposal would eliminate a sunset date for a low-income childcare subsidy program.

“If you don’t have a safe place for your child to go, you can’t work,” DeBoer said.

DeBoer’s bill came up during budget debate, but now it’s standing alone.

Debate will continue into Monday evening.

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Human remains found in Utah mountains bring up mixed emotions for families of missing people

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By Shelby Lofton

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    SPRINGVILLE, Utah (KSL) — The discovery of human remains in the mountains above Springville over the weekend is stirring a mix of hope and anxiety for families of missing people across Utah.

The Utah County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that human bones were found in a remote, rugged area above Springville after a horseback rider came across them Saturday. Investigators believe the remains had been there for some time.

Sheriff’s officials said they would return to the scene on Monday to complete evidence collection. The remains will be sent to the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner. Officials said they do not have updates on the investigation at this time.

The location where the remains were found has no cell service and is difficult to access, investigators said. Authorities have not released additional details about the exact location.

Utah maintains a cold case database through the Department of Public Safety that includes hundreds of unsolved homicides, missing persons cases and unidentified human remains. Local law enforcement agencies are responsible for adding and updating information in the database as investigations continue.

The database includes images and descriptions of unidentified remains, such as sketches, photographs of clothing and footwear, estimated age ranges, and the dates on which the remains were found. A public tip hotline is also available for anyone with information related to cases.

As of Monday, there were no recently logged unidentified remains from Utah County in the state database.

Brock Best, executive director of Utah Homicide Survivors, an organization that provides legal and therapy resources for families of homicide victims, said discoveries like this often bring complicated emotions.

“For some families, getting that call can help them take the next steps and provide some closure,” Best said. “For others, it can be deeply retraumatizing.”

Best said families coping with missing loved ones often live in a state of uncertainty, making moments like this particularly difficult.

“They have to go through all of those emotions again, not only, ‘Gosh, we were so sad when our loved ones were missing,'” he said. “Now to find out that they have been out in the elements alone and have been taken from us in an unnatural way, it’s got to be incredibly difficult.”

Utah Homicide Survivors has not received any calls connected to the remains found in Utah County, Best said, but the organization is closely monitoring developments.

Authorities said updates will be released if new information becomes available. While the remains have not been identified, the discovery has reignited conversations about missing person and cold cases across the state.

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Massive sphere art exhibit in Salt Lake City draws attention to Great Salt Lake

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By Andrew Adams

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    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (KSL) — A three-story-tall, spherical public art installation took shape recently at Memory Grove Park. It was set up with the goal of building curiosity and improving education about the environmental issues surrounding the Great Salt Lake.

“A symphony of disappearing sounds for the Great Salt Lake” launched Thursday near the south end of the park, located at 300 N. Canyon Road.

Salt Lake City Arts Council executive director Felicia Baca said the artwork of Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson features a dynamic light display during nightly 30-minute shows. It also plays a musical composition from UK-based producer Koreless, which combines over 150 field recordings of creatures that depend on the Great Salt Lake for their health.

“It’s our city’s namesake,” Baca said of the Great Salt Lake during an interview with KSL on Monday. “It’s about our ability to live healthily in our city. So many things depend on the Great Salt Lake. It’s one of the biggest bird flyways in the Northern Hemisphere. Our ski season is dependent on it. Our ability to breathe clean air is dependent on the Great Salt Lake.”

Baca said the exhibit was part of the broader public art project, “Wake the Great Salt Lake,” which is supported by the arts council, the Salt Lake City Mayor’s Office and the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge.

“The Salt Lake City Arts Council is a recipient of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge, so we got a $1 million grant to do temporary public art on a local challenge, and so the Great Salt Lake, of course, was that challenge for us,” Baca said.

The exhibit’s public reception

The exhibit was already generating its share of curiosity at the park.

Cody Peterson said he had “no idea” what it was when he first saw it last week.

“(I was) super curious because you don’t see something in the park like that every day,” Peterson said.

Ryan Eldredge quipped that the exhibit reminded him of something else entirely.

“I was like, ‘Well, (it) looks like we have a mini Vegas up here,'” Eldredge said.

A QR code at the site of the exhibit allows visitors to learn more.

Catherine McVey said she appreciated the message behind the art installation.

“The Great Salt Lake needs a lot of publicity because it’s disappearing,” she said. “So many things depend on the Great Salt Lake.”

Eldredge said he liked the art exhibit as a conversation starter.

“I think conversation has to be brought up, and it’s in a nonconfrontational setting way to do it, which I like,” he said.

The nightly 9 p.m. shows were scheduled to continue through April 4.

Baca said attendance was free and open to the public, but she recommended registering ahead of time.

She said the goal was to inspire interest and action on the issues that affect the Great Salt Lake.

“We hope that it just brings that education and awareness about the decline of the Great Salt Lake,” Baca said. “We know that sometimes science or data doesn’t really reach people in the way that art can to help kind of change hearts and minds.”

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MomEconomy app aims to help moms barter goods and services instead of cash

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By Rachel Fabbi

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    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (KSL) — Raising a child can cost more than $300,000 by the time they turn 18. A Utah nonprofit is hoping a new app can help lighten that financial load — while also combating parent isolation.

Momivate, a nonprofit focused on supporting mothers, is developing a new app called MomEconomy, designed to let moms barter goods and services with one another instead of spending cash.

“It’s a way for moms to trade what they already have — their skills, time, or extra items — without dipping into their savings,” said Amanda Ballash, with Momivate.

The concept builds on Momivate’s existing mission of helping moms “find their village.”

Through the app, parents will be able to exchange things like child care, meal prep, tutoring, or other everyday services, no money required.

For Alisha Hemmert, that sense of community came at a critical time. After the birth of her second child, she struggled with postpartum depression. Shortly after, her husband was diagnosed with brain cancer.

“I felt really alone and like I didn’t know who to turn to for help,” Hemmert said. “I really wish I had that village everybody talks about.”

Four years later, Hemmert says her husband is doing well, all things considered, and she has found support through Momivate. The organization is best known for its “revolving closet” program, which allows moms to trade outgrown children’s clothing for free.

“Moms can bring clothes their children have outgrown and trade them for clothes other mothers have brought,” said Regan Barnes, the founder of Momivate. “Children grow really fast, and this helps take some of the pressure off.”

The MomEconomy app takes that idea further, expanding the exchange beyond clothes to services and resources.

A group of four Brigham Young University students is helping bring the app to life, coding it as part of their capstone project.

“Out of all the projects available, MomEconomy stood out to me,” said BYU student Jacquelyn Guernsey. “It just sounded the most fulfilling to work on.”

The students have spent hundreds of hours developing the app, which is expected to enter beta testing within the next few weeks. Momivate hopes to roll it out statewide later this year — with plans to expand beyond Utah.

Because, organizers say, moms give so much of themselves every day.

“Somebody needs to be there to serve them,” Barnes said. “And that’s what Momivate is.”

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Royals fan proposes to girlfriend outside Kauffman Stadium before Opening Day game

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By Eric Graves

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) — The Kansas City Royals are hoping to end their season with a championship ring.

On Monday, one Royals fan started the season with a ring of their own.

“It’s been a long, nervous day,” said Steven Mitchell.

Mitchell drove in from Omaha with his girlfriend, Amy Hasenjager, and her parents for Opening Day.

It’s a tradition for the Hasenjager family to be at Opening Day for their beloved Kansas City Royals.

“We were just here for Opening Day with my parents, and we come almost every year,” Hasenjager said.

But Mitchell had his own surprise.

“Well, he popped the question about a half hour ago, right before we were going to walk into the K,” Hasenjager said.

In a total surprise for Hasenjager, Mitchell got down on one knee.

“We were taking a regular photo and then he turned and he was like, ‘Just wait a second,'” she said. “And then he got down on one knee and, I don’t know, I was so shocked. I kind of blacked out a little bit.”

Mitchell knew right in front of Kauffman Stadium would be the perfect spot.

“I thought this was a really special day,” Mitchell said. “It might throw her off, she’s not going to be expecting it. We’re just here for baseball!”

Hasenjager did not expect it, and now she can’t stop smiling.

“She was not excited to take photos to start, but I think she’s going to be excited to take any photo she wants today,” Mitchell said.

Sporting sunglasses that said “Just Engaged” and a matching sash to go with her new engagement ring, the future Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell headed into the home opener.

“Go Royals!” the happy couple said.

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Man admits to ‘mercy killing’ of wife and will now spend decades behind bars

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By KCCI staff

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    ADEL, Iowa (KCCI) — A Perry man will likely spend the remainder of his life behind bars after pleading guilty to the death of his wife last year.

Richard James Hoesing, 76, pleaded guilty Friday to second-degree murder in the killing of his wife, Jean Hoesing. A judge sentenced him to 50 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of 35 years before he is eligible for parole. He was also ordered to pay $150,000 to his wife’s estate.

The case began in March 2025, when Perry police were dispatched to a home in the 2600 block of Lucinda Street. According to investigators, Hoesing called authorities himself and reported that he had killed his wife.

When officers arrived, they found Jean Hoesing dead inside the residence with her throat cut.

Court documents state Hoesing told police he killed his wife to “put her out of her misery,” citing her struggles with multiple sclerosis and bipolar disorder. Authorities initially charged him with first-degree murder.

The plea agreement reduced the charge to second-degree murder, avoiding a potential life sentence without parole. However, with the length of the sentence and Hoesing’s age, the conviction effectively ensures he will spend the rest of his life in prison.

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Man accused of setting multiple grass fires in Oklahoma says he ‘misses being a firefighter’

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By Jason Burger, Abigail Ogle

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    CUSTER CITY, Oklahoma (KOCO) — A former Custer City firefighter has been arrested and accused of intentionally setting nearly a dozen grass fires in Dewey and Custer counties, burning more than 400 acres of land.

Court documents show that the suspect, 32-year-old Skyler Terrell, allegedly told authorities he thought fighting these fires could help him get his job back. Terrell reportedly told them he is obsessed with fire.

Terrell was seen by Thomas firefighters at five different fire locations near the town of Putnam on the same day, according to court documents.

The first two fires he admitted to setting occurred on the same day in mid-February. One of KOCO’s storm chasers caught one of those fires on camera on Feb. 24.

According to court documents, firefighters reported that Terrell was the one to call them in, and he was first at the scene as firefighters showed up and even helped put them out. Fire investigators learned that the spots where Terrell helped put out the fires were where the fires originated.

Terrell admitted to setting all eight fires, saying he “misses being a firefighter.”

A probable cause affidavit says that Terrell was stopped by Oklahoma Highway Patrol on Feb. 24, but he was released and left the area.

In early March, agents with the State Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry met with Terrell. Court documents said he was seen at suspicious fires on Feb. 18, 24 and 27.

Officials said they noticed he called a family member, who works for the Custer City Fire Department, to notify them of all the fires.

“Skyler admitted…that he did set these fires with a cigarette lighter because he thought it could help him get back on the fire department if they saw him at the fires trying to put them out when they arrived,” court documents said.

Those fires burned more than 400 acres, according to court documents.

Terrell is facing eight counts of arson and establishing a pattern of crimes.

This isn’t Terrell’s first time getting in trouble with the law. He was also arrested in 2018 as part of a child predator sting in Canadian County.

He pleaded guilty to charges that he communicated with whom he thought was a 14-year-old girl but was actually an investigator posing as a teenager. He was sentenced to 117 days in jail and 160 hours of community service for that charge.

Now, Terrell faces nearly 70 years in prison if found guilty of all his new charges.

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Doctor, nurses, staff, arrested in patient abuse, kidnapping conspiracy case

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By Allison Wise

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    FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas (KHBS) — Former Northwest Arkansas psychiatrist Brian Hyatt, who has previously been accused of Medicaid fraud, was arrested again over the weekend.

According to jail records, 53-year-old Hyatt was booked into the Washington County Detention Center on March 28 and is on a federal hold.

A grand jury indictment shows multiple employees and associates with the Northwest Arkansas behavioral health unit have been accused of conspiring to abuse patients, unlawfully detain them and fraudulently bill government and private insurance programs, according to court documents.

The indictment, filed March 11 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, names Brian Hyatt, Devon Talbert, Lindsey Hess, Miranda Newburn, Georgette Rice, Robert Green, Owen Benjamin and Collyn Harlan as defendants.

Prosecutors allege the defendants participated in a conspiracy from about February 2018 through May 2022 at the Northwest Medical Center’s behavioral health unit in Springdale.

According to the indictment, Hyatt owned a psychiatric services clinic, oversaw care at the facility and worked with others, including nurses and staff, to carry out the alleged scheme.

The grand jury alleged that the group conspired “to confine, inveigle, decoy, kidnap, abduct, and hold” patients for financial gain, using threats and chemical restraints to control patients.

Prosecutors say the purpose of the conspiracy was to obtain money from Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers by keeping patients longer than medically necessary and billing for services not provided.

The indictment claims staff ignored patient rights and professional obligations, including requirements to report abuse, and instead used coercion and punishment to prevent them from leaving the facility.

According to court documents, defendants allegedly administered medications such as Haldol, Ativan, Thorazine and Zyprexa without medical necessity and for staff convenience or discipline.

The indictment further alleges that employees falsified or altered medical records to justify treatment decisions and obscure patients’ true conditions.

In some cases, patients were placed on involuntary holds without proper legal procedures, denied access to phones, or threatened with extended confinement, according to the indictment.

In addition to conspiracy to commit kidnapping, the indictment includes a separate count alleging conspiracy to unlawfully dispense controlled substances, specifically involving medications containing lorazepam.

Federal prosecutors allege the defendants prescribed and administered controlled substances outside the scope of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.

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Baptist Health-Fort Smith to end pregnancy, childbirth, & NICU services

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By Adam Roberts, DMM, Brett Rains

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    FORT SMITH, Arkansas (KHBS) — Baptist Health-Fort Smith will shut down its services for pregnancy, childbirth, and NICU in less than a month, according to an email sent by an executive to employees on Monday.

The email, obtained by 40/29 News, said that the obstetrics program at Baptist Health-Fort Smith is no longer sustainable.

Those services are set to end on April 28, 2026.

Doug Weeks, executive vice president of strategy and innovation, wrote in the email that the Baptist Health board is proud of the role the medical center has played in caring for mothers and newborns, but that they must focus resources in the areas of greatest ongoing community need.

Over the past five years, deliveries at Baptist Health-Fort Smith dropped form 92 a month to 20 a month, according to a spokesperson.

The teams will contact expectant mothers to make arrangements.

Hospital changes

Last week, a hospital spokesperson told 40/29’s Abner Sosa that Baptist Health-Fort Smith wouldn’t close, but warned of “operational changes” over the next 12 to 18 months.

CEO Troy Wells wrote in a statement that hospitals across the country are facing rising costs and workforce shortages.

Fort Smith Mayor George McGill issued a statement saying the reduction of health care services at the hospital would have a devastating impact on people who live in western Arkansas, especially people who can’t afford to travel.

Health care workers

Last week, 40/29’s Brett Rains spoke with registered nurse Loralee Hamman, who has worked at the hospital for 26 years and spent nearly all of her career in labor and delivery.

“We have an uncertain future,” Hamman said. “I haven’t had to look for a job in 26 years. I’ve been only there. That’s where my whole heart has been.”

The email from Weeks said that, when possible, Baptist Health would prioritize the 40 impacted workers for placement elsewhere in the company.

Weeks recommended they call the human resources department with concerns.

“I’m going to have to find somewhere to go,” Hamman said. “And whenever you find the kind of nurse you want to be, you typically aren’t happy being another kind of nurse.”

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Novo Nordisk to cut 400 jobs at Bloomington facility

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By WRTV Staff

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    BLOOMINGTON, Indiana (WRTV) — Novo Nordisk will eliminate about 400 positions at its Bloomington facility in early May, the company announced.

The pharmaceutical company will retain approximately 1,400 employees at the site following the workforce reduction.

The company said it remains committed to the Bloomington location as part of its U.S. manufacturing network.

Novo Nordisk manufactures diabetes and obesity medications including Ozempic and Wegovy.

The company said it will provide severance, outplacement assistance and transition support to affected workers.

“We are deeply grateful to every impacted colleague and are committed to treating them with respect and dignity through this process,” the company said.

Novo Nordisk said it continues to invest in the Bloomington site despite the layoffs.

The company did not specify which positions would be eliminated or provide a timeline beyond early May.

Full company statement:

“Novo Nordisk remains committed to Site Bloomington, where we will continue to employ approximately 1,400 people following a workforce reduction of approximately 400 positions at the beginning of May.

Despite this difficult decision, Novo Nordisk continues to invest in Site Bloomington as a critical part of our U.S. manufacturing network and our commitment to the people who depend on our medicines.

We are deeply grateful to every impacted colleague and are committed to treating them with respect and dignity through this process, including severance, outplacement assistance, and transition support.

Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions! If you can, please copy USMediaRelations@NovoNordisk.com“

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