A 24-year-old Hastings woman has been sentenced to federal prison.

United States Attorney Deborah Gilg says that Amber Modlin was sentenced to 26 months in federal prison for her failure to register as a sex offender.

Modlin was required to register as a sex offender due to her conviction in January of 2008 of attempted rape and gross sexual imposition on a victim under 13.

On October 31, 2012, the Adams County Sheriff received information that Modlin was in Nebraska.  Modlin did not register her change of address with the District of Nebraska as required by regulations in the Sex Offender Notification Registration Act.

The case was investigated by the United States Marshal’s Service and the Adams County Sheriff’s Department.

A 31-year-old Scottsbluff man has been given 240 days in jail in a painkillers fraud case.

Kevin Haley had pleaded no contest to a charge of intentionally violating narcotics law. Prosecutors had lowered the charge in exchange for Haley’s plea.

An arrest affidavit says Haley had used different birthdates and names in obtaining prescription pain relievers and had lied to health care providers to obtain the prescriptions.

A monthly economic survey index for nine Midwest and Plains states dropped last month but continues to suggest improving economic growth for the region.

The Mid-America Business Conditions index hit 56.8 in April, compared with 58.2 in March.

The confidence index rose to 59.9 last month from 58.2 in March.

Creighton University economics professor Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says the supply managers surveyed “expect the upturn in housing to remain an important ingredient of the economic expansion.”

The survey uses a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth while a score below 50 suggests decline for that factor.

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