The North Platte Police Department has issued the following statement in regards to the flood’s impact on the City of North Platte:

As of 11:00 AM the South Platte River water levels were reported at 13.83 Ft. in North Platte and not expected to rise much further. There are some minor issues with storm drains backing up and flooding some streets in North Platte.  Backed up storm sewers have caused road closures at the following locations within North Platte:

McDonald & William

Cedarberry Rd & Spruce

E. Philip between Bicentennial & Welch

William & Carr

William & Union

McDonald Rd. between Phillip and Sunset

Lincoln County Department of Roads officials report some minor flooding east of North Platte in the Hidden Lakes area.  As a result, Hidden Lakes Rd. has been closed from Hadley Dr. to South Shore Drive.

As the water levels crest and begin to subside, the flood waters will dissipate and the roads will be reopened.  City and County crews will continue to monitor flooding in these areas.

There have been no reports of residences being affected by the flood waters as of 12:30 PM.

The Nebraska State Patrol is reminding motorists to use extra caution as harvest season begins.

The patrol says drivers can expect to see an increase in combines, grain carts, tractors and other slow-traveling farm equipment on the roads. The size and dimension of their loads can reduce visibility, so motorists are urged to use caution when following or attempting to pass.

Col. David Sankey, the patrol’s superintendent, says motorists should also keep watch for wildlife that may be traveling because of the increased activity.

Sankey is also encouraging drivers to buckle their seat belts.

(AP) — Federal officials are offering food safety recommendations to Nebraska residents who may be affected by flooding on the South Platte River.

The Department of Agriculture said in a news release Friday that potential power outages could compromise the safety of stored food and increase the risk of foodborne illness.

Tips for keeping food fresh during a power outage include grouping it together in the freezer to keep it cold longer. Residents should also keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.

The agency’s Food Safety and Inspection Service also says an online publication and YouTube video has instructions on keeping frozen and refrigerated food safe. Information will also be available on two Twitter feeds.

Former U.S. Congressman and Husker legend Tom Osborne will be bringing his TeamMates Mentoring message to North Platte on this Wednesday.  He will speak at a special reception at the Quality Inn from 5:00 to 6:00 PM that day.  Anyone interested in mentoring is encouraged to attend this special TeamMates presentation.  Due to time constraints, Dr. Osborne will not be able to sign autographs at this event.  Current mentors from area TeamMates chapters are being urged to attend as well, and to bring a guest along who has an interest in mentoring.

TeamMates is a school-based one-to-one mentoring program for students grades 3-12 founded by Coach Osborne and his wife Nancy in 1991.  It often is referred to as the “One Hour Difference” because mentors are asked to devote one hour per week to make a positive difference in the life of a child.  Today the program serves nearly 6,000 youth in Nebraska, Iowa, and California.

“Now officially retired from his position as University of Nebraska’s Athletic Director, Dr. Osborne is focusing his energy on recruiting more mentors for TeamMates”, said state TeamMates board member Kim Baxter,.  “A whole lot more kids are going to benefit from this program as a result of his efforts and we are thankful he has chosen to come to North Platte to spread this important message.”

Osborne has long been a strong proponent for the importance of mentoring and, while serving in Congress, he led efforts to provide more funding for these programs.

Local TeamMates Coordinator Brandy Buscher expects Osborne’s visit to result in the recruitment of many more mentors for the North Platte chapter as well as those of surrounding communities.  “Between the public reception and numerous presentations that Dr. Osborne will be making for some of our area’s largest employee groups, we know that many will hear his message and respond by stepping up to mentor a child”, she said.  “We have many wonderful young people who have asked to have a mentor and we never seem to have enough to satisfy this need.  It’s not a difficult commitment and it makes such a difference in the lives of these kids.”

If you would like to learn more about TeamMates prior to Dr. Osborne’s visit, you can log on to www.teammates.org.  At this website, you can also apply on-line to be a TeamMates mentor.

(AP) — Nebraska’s preliminary unemployment rate for August remained unchanged from July at 4.2 percent.

The Nebraska Labor Department said in a report released Friday that the August rate was two-tenths of a percentage point higher than the 4 percent in August 2012.

The Nebraska rate continues to come in well under the national rate, which was 7.3 percent for August.

In Omaha, the preliminary unemployment rate dropped to 4.2 percent from 4.6 percent in July, while the rate a year ago was 4.4 percent. Lincoln’s August rate was 3.3 percent, seven-tenths of a point lower than July’s 4 percent and below the 3.4 percent August rate a year ago.

The unemployment rates for Lincoln and Omaha are not seasonally adjusted, so they cannot be directly compared to the state unemployment rate.