NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) – A woman accused of stealing more than $30,000 from a North Platte daycare has been sentenced to probation and some jail time.

Lincoln County District Court records say 44-year-old Michelle Seidler was given five years of probation at her sentencing Monday and 90 days in jail. She was credited with 47 days already served. The judge ordered Seidler to make restitution payments of $250 a month throughout her probation.

She’d pleaded no contest in March to a felony theft charge.

Police say she was named director of Kids Academy in August 2016. Police received reports of theft in April last year. An affidavit in support of her arrest says she overbilled the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services more than $10,000 for daycare fees and diverted more than $30,000 from Kids Academy for her personal use.

LINCOLN, Neb. – Kick off the summer enjoying the outdoors with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission at a Becoming an Outdoors-Family Camp. The camp will be held June 21-23 at Bridgeport State Recreation Area and Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area.

This program is provided to families who are new to camping and the outdoors. With the expert guidance of instructors, families will learn how to fish, camp, kayak, and cook outdoors in a relaxed and safe environment

All food will be provided, as well as fishing, kayaking and shooting equipment. Participants will bring their own tent and camping supplies. Some loaner tents will be available.

Download the registration form at outdoornebraska.gov/bof/. Call Christy Christiansen at 402-471-5547 for more information.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will be hosting a family fishing event on Friday, June 7 at Birdwood Lake Wildlife Management Area from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Look for the Game and Parks colorful fishing trailer.

Family fishing nights are a Nebraska Game and Parks program designed to help make family fishing adventures possible and rewarding. The events are free and loaner fishing equipment, bait and staff will be on hand to assist those of all ages learn the basics of this fun and relaxing activity. Everyone is invited regardless of age or skill. Those 16 years and older wanting to fish will need a valid fishing license.

Birdwood is the first Interstate-80 lake west of North Platte. To get to the lake, take Walker Road west then go north on Homestead Road.

LINCOLN, Neb. – Hunters may begin applying for 2019 big game draw permits June 10. Residents and nonresidents may apply for one deer permit, residents may apply for one elk permit, and residents and eligible landowners may apply for one antelope permit.

The application period begins at 1 p.m. Central Time (CT) on June 10. Paper applications must be received by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission by 5 p.m. CT – or by 11:59 p.m. for online applications – on June 28.

Only a nonrefundable application fee is due at the time of application. Drawing results will be available by July 5. Successful applicants will have until July 19 to complete the purchase of their awarded permits. Awarded but unpaid permits will result in applicants losing preference or bonus points and forfeiting the permit. Any forfeited draw permits, as well as unsold draw permits and buy-unit permits, will be sold over the counter on a first-come basis beginning Aug. 5.

Applicants who supply valid email addresses will be notified when the draw is complete. Applicants not providing valid email addresses will be responsible for monitoring their status online at OutdoorNebraska.org.

Applications may be made at OutdoorNebraska.org, via application form, or in person at a Game and Parks permitting office. Details regarding drawings and permits may be found in the 2019 Big Game Guide, which is available at outdoornebraska.gov/guides/ or wherever permits are sold. Drawing statistics from previous years may be found at outdoornebraska.gov/drawresults/.

Draw units are established to provide equal opportunity to obtain permits in those units. They are determined by the overall demand on a unit’s permits. Residents get preference over nonresidents when these permits are drawn.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Universities in Nebraska and Iowa are seeing an uptick in humanities courses in some medical schools.

WASHINGTON — Eagle Communications Inc. has been selected by the National ESOP Association as the winner of the 2019 Total Communications, More Than 250 Employees, Annual Award for Communications Excellence. The Total Communications award recognizes overall excellence in efforts to educate the public and employee owners about a company’s ESOP and ownership culture.

Eagle was also selected as the runner-up winner for two other awards: Videos and the Employee Ownership Marketing category.

The Videos award distinguishes excellence in the use of original, printed materials to explain or promote the company’s ESOP to employee owners, customers, or the community. Eagle’s final nomination, in Employee Ownership Marketing, recognizes excellence in advertising and marketing the benefits of employee ownership to customers, the community, and the public.

Individually, Andrea Clinkscales was recognized as a finalist for National “Employee Owner of the Year.” She was recipient of the Heart of America “Employee Owner of the Year” Award in 2018.

“The great educational curriculum for employee owners includes ESOP 101 content, information discussed on weekly bulletin videos, a weekly revenue call, an ESOP Facebook group, eight educational videos, and a pre-retirement seminar. A leadership program is a great development opportunity for employee owners looking to take a greater role. The company also engages in local Chamber of Commerce events to share about the company and employee ownership,” commented the AACE judges.

The AACE awards are sponsored each year by the Association to recognize the outstanding communications and educational programs of its members. The awards are presented each May at the Association’s National Conference in Washington, DC to companies who have excelled in communicating the ESOP and its meaning to the company’s employees.

 

AACE Award winners are chosen by a panel of five judges made up of both management and non-management employee owners, each of whom has demonstrated active experience and interest in the field of ESOP’s and employee ownership communications.

Gary Shorman, CEO of Eagle Communications, is Chairman of the National ESOP Association.

“The National Conference brings together some of the best employee owned companies in the country,” he said. “For us to be represented as award winners shows the passion of our Eagle team for providing great customer service and “no excuses” employee ownership in the communities we serve”

*Eagle Communications is the parent company of North Platte Post

 

IMPERIAL, Neb. (AP) – Authorities say a man died after becoming pinned under a tractor in southwest Nebraska.

The Chase County Sheriff’s Office says first responders from Imperial were dispatched around 10:30 a.m. Saturday. They found the man had already died.

His name and details about how the accident occurred haven’t been released.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A new report says a May survey of business supply managers suggests economic growth will slow over the next three to six months in nine Midwest and Plains states.

The report issued Monday says the Mid-America Business Conditions Index dropped to 54.3 last month from 55.9 in April. The figure was 58.2 in March.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says tariffs and flooding have harmed several states.

The survey results are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth. A score below that suggests decline.

The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.