Jean Condon has been named the 2015 Postsecondary Teacher of the Year by the Association for Career and Technical Education of Nebraska.

Condon is a business office technology instructor at Mid-Plains Community College in North Platte and serves as the area division chair for the college’s Business and Technology division.

Condon was selected for the award based on excellence and dedication within the field of career and technical education.

“It is an honor and privilege to receive this award,” said Condon. “I am fortunate to have so many supportive colleagues at Mid-Plains Community College who make this a great place to work and grow professionally.”

Jody Tomanek, area vice-president of academic affairs and North Platte Community College, said Condon is very deserving of the recognition.

Condon has taught numerous courses for MPCC over the years, including management, business, office technology and personal and professional development.

She serves on several of the college’s committees and encourages faculty within her division to be active as well. Condon is also involved with state and national organizations, through which she has had numerous officer positions.

“Jean has a strong presence in the classroom and truly believes in educating students to be successful in their chosen field,” said Tomanek. “Jean is always the first one to think outside the box when it comes to teaching methods or mode of delivery. I can always count on her to do what is best for the student.”

Condon will be presented with the award during a luncheon June 3 at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney.

ACTEN is the professional association for career and technical educators in Nebraska. Established in 1946, ACTEN has some 375 members across Nebraska including teachers, administrators, career counselors, business partners and other professionals who support or advocate for career and technical education.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Less than a week after pushing a broad medical marijuana bill through a first-round vote, Nebraska lawmakers have advanced a second measure to provide faster, federally approved relief.

Senators voted 33-1 Monday to allow a study examining the effectiveness of a cannabis extract in treating epilepsy.

Nebraska would procure the low-potency drug from GW Pharmaceuticals. The United States has authorized the England-based company to provide the drug for rare diseases.

Sen. Sue Crawford of Bellevue says neurologists would monitor the study to determine the number of participants.

Sen. Tommy Garrett of Bellevue, who sponsored a bill to allow medical marijuana, says he supports Crawford’s bill because it would provide immediate access to the drug while the state sets up a medical marijuana program.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Minnesota-based health care insurer says it will offer individual policies on and off the Affordable Care Act marketplaces in Iowa and Nebraska starting later this year.

Medica says it won’t be selling group policies in the two states. The company is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota.

It will start selling policies on Nov. 1 for coverage beginning Jan. 1, using the Midlands Choice network in both states. The network is the same one used by CoOportunity Health, of Des Moines, which has been liquidated.

Update by the Associated Press

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) — A woman has been burned in a fire that destroyed her mobile home in North Platte.

Firefighters and medics were sent to the home around 12:10 p.m. Monday, and they found that a neighbor had pulled the woman from the blazing home. Firefighters were able to keep the flames from spreading to nearby homes, but nearby carports were damaged.

Battalion Chief Jason Trimble says the home is a total loss and says the fire started in a sofa bed.

The woman’s dog was killed.

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A mobile home fire in North Platte has sent one woman to the hospital.

Just before Noon on Monday, the North Platte Fire Department responded to a structure fire in Mobile Manor Mobile Home Park on West 15th Street.

Fire officials say the home became fully engulfed and was destroyed.

They say one woman was transported to the hospital.

The victim’s name was not released, nor were the severity of her injuries.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Scientists have figured out all the steps to make morphine and similar painkillers without growing opium poppies, raising the possibility of home-brewed drugs.

While no one has yet reported making morphine in the laboratory from scratch, concerns are already being raised about potential abuse.

A team led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, genetically engineered yeast to mimic poppy plants, which are grown to provide opium from which morphine is derived. They discovered the last missing step in a long process to make morphine by hacking the DNA of yeast.

Findings were published Monday in Nature Chemical Biology.

It’s difficult for people to make morphine on their own because the process is still inefficient. But UC Berkeley researchers and others are calling for regulations and other restrictions.