(AP) — A Kearney manufacturer is beginning work on a $40 million expansion that could result in new jobs.

Baldwin Filters held a ceremonial groundbreaking Wednesday to kick off construction of a 400,000-square-foot expansion.

Construction is set to begin in July on the new distribution center. It will replace a 110,000-square-foot center, which Baldwin has outgrown.

Vice President of Operations Dan Schulte says the company has been renting 250,000 square feet of storage space in Kearney.

The new center will more than double the number of loading docks and include a more sophisticated management system.

Company officials say the expansion will lead to more jobs, but they couldn’t say how many.

Baldwin employs nearly 1,000 people in Kearney and also has plants in Gothenburg and Yankton, S.D.

Out with the old and in with the new.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln West Central Research and Extension Center in North Platte is replacing an old dairy barn.

In it’s place will be a new entomology building.  Officials say the structure will be 75 by 40 feet and will be used by researchers studying insects that cause damage to crops.

The dairy barn was being used for storage, but has been deemed unsafe for use.

The cost of the project is about $375,000 and is scheduled to be complete by 2015.

Levels on water bodies fluctuate constantly. Nebraska boaters should be aware that rising and falling levels can create hazards.

Many water bodies are flood-control structures where levels rise during heavy rains and wash potential hazards into new areas. Other bodies are used for irrigation and experience draw-downs during the summer, creating and exposing additional hazards.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission offers boaters the following tips:

— Plan an upstream trip when navigating a river. If you have problems, such as engine failure, use the current to drift back to your starting point.

— Never assume there are no hazards. Operators always must be looking for submerged obstacles.

— Operate at a speed that gives you maximum control of your vessel.

— Be alert and avoid distractions.

— Avoid drinking alcohol or riding on the bow.

— Always use caution, especially on waters unfamiliar to you.

— Be sure to have all the required safety equipment on board (read the 2013 Boating Guide athttps://outdoornebraska.ne.gov/boating/pdfs/boatguide.pdf)

Recent heavy rains have swollen the Missouri River, submerging jetties, breakwaters and wing dikes and creating hazards to boaters. These obstacles may not be marked by buoys.

“Striking these submerged obstacles not only can severely damage a boat, but also could cause a boat to become swamped and dump operators and passengers into the river,” said Herb Angell, Nebraska’s boating law administrator.

Angell suggests boaters take a Nebraska boating safety course. Visit BoatSafeNebraska.org for more information.

COURTESY OF THE NORTH PLATTE POLICE DEPARTMENT

(AP) — Supporters of the bankrupt Great Platte River Road Archway tourist attraction in Kearney have made a pitch for county cash.

Archway supporter Tom Henning told the Buffalo County Supervisors on Tuesday that the board’s support is “going to be key with making this thing work.” The board took no action on the proposal.

The archway backers are asking the county and the city of Kearney for $200,000 a year each in support for three years for a total of $1.2 million. The archway backers also are seeking $140,000 in pledges and donations from individuals and nongovernmental groups.

The archway filed bankruptcy in March. The archway’s filing says it owes more than $20 million to bondholders and other debtors.