EPA delays ethanol waiver decision

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WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency is putting off a decision on Texas’ request to waive federal requirements for the use of ethanol in gasoline.

A decision had been due Thursday. But EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson said Tuesday the agency needs more time to review more than 15,000 public comments it has received.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry asked the EPA in April to halve the federal requirement for the use of ethanol this year.

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An energy bill passed last year requires 9 billion gallons of ethanol to be blended into gasoline this year. Perry, a Republican, wanted the EPA to drop the requirement to 4.5 billion gallons because the demand for ethanol is raising corn prices for livestock producers.

More than four dozen House Republicans and two dozen GOP senators, including presidential candidate John McCain, had written to EPA in support of the waiver. The state of Connecticut also supported Texas' request.

The agency said it hopes to have a decision in early August.

Time Warner sells franchise in Superior

Time Warner Cable has sold its franchise in Superior as part of a nationwide deal with a start-up cable and Internet company.

Time Warner announced earlier this month that it planned to sell a group of small rural cable systems covering approximately 80,000 subscribers in 25 states to Windjammer Communications.

Ann Shrewsbury, public affairs director for the Time Warner Cable’s Nebraska division, said Superior is the only franchise in Nebraska being sold.

She said Superior was the only Time Warner city in Nebraska not tied to the head office in Lincoln, and “we didn’t see a future for offering additional services there.”