KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — University of Nebraska at Kearney students have raised more than $4,500 for earthquake relief in Nepal.

Seven students who are members of the Nepalese Student Association at Kearney led a fundraising effort last week that ended in a Friday candlelight vigil.

Graduate student Anjana Prasain says about $4,700 has been raised so far and that total is expected to grow.

She calls the response “totally amazing.”

The money will go toward helping rural areas hit hard by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Nepal on April 25, killing more than 7,000 people.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska farmers and business owners could get a property tax break under a bill moving through the Legislature.

Lawmakers gave first-round approval Monday to an exemption for personal business property. The bill would apply to farm equipment such as irrigation pivots, pumps and motors, and machines used in a factory.

The measure by Sen. Mike Gloor of Grand Island would allow owners to exempt the first $10,000 worth of property, for an average tax savings of $162. The bill would cost the state $19.6 million a year.

Lawmakers advanced the bill on a 29-0 vote. Some senators argued that the Legislature hasn’t done enough, and has taken a “whack-a-mole” approach to reducing taxes when the focus should be on broad-based reductions.

The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District’s board of directors passed a motion to permit the use of alcohol on District lakes associated with the Supply Canal.

According to Nebraska law, the consumption of alcohol on any property owned by the state or a governmental subdivision is prohibited unless authorized by the governing bodies having jurisdiction over such property.

The board had decided at its March meeting to look into the issue further in response to confusion among visitors to Johnson Lake about rules concerning the consumption of alcohol at the lake.  Alcohol consumption is allowed — subject to a number of regulations — in the campgrounds at Johnson Lake operated by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC), but was prohibited on the water.

In a 10-0 vote during Monday’s monthly meeting (two directors were absent), the board authorized the consumption of alcohol on all of Central’s Supply Canal lakes, including Johnson, Jeffrey and Midway lakes as well as Elwood Reservoir.  The action does not apply to Lake McConaughy where alcohol is prohibited.

Alcohol use on Central’s lakes remains subject to state laws that regulate the possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages, particularly with regard to operating a watercraft while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Central staff solicited comments from the public before today’s decision.  Public input overwhelmingly favored removal of the prohibition of alcohol on District lakes.

Didn’t have time to take that introductory accounting class you wanted this semester? No problem. It and many others will be available through Mid-Plains Community College in the coming weeks.

Numerous courses will be provided online or through distance learning in addition to those offered in a classroom setting. Registration can be done by calling 535-3774.

The upcoming classes include:

 

• ACCT 1025: Bookkeeping for Business – 3 credit hours, offered online May 18-July 10. The introductory course provides students with a basic knowledge of accounting terms, concepts and procedures. It includes the accounting cycle for a service business, accounting for cash and payroll and the accounting cycle for a merchandising business. The course is not designed to be a transfer course for business majors.

 

• ACCT 1200: Introductory Accounting I – 3 credit hours, offered online May 18-July 10. This course is designed to provide introductory knowledge of accounting principles, concepts and practices. Included topics are balance sheets, income statements, statement of owner’s equity, statement of cash flows, worksheets, journals, ledgers, accruals, adjusting and closing entries, internal controls, inventories, fixed and intangible assets, liabilities, equity and financial statement analysis. This course provides a foundation for more advanced work in the fields of accounting and business.

 

• BIOS 1100: Basic Anatomy and Physiology – 3 credit hour, non-lab course offered in North Platte, Ogallala, Broken Bow and Valentine via distance learning. It will be May 11-June 18 in North Platte, Broken Bow and Ogallala and May 11-June 11 in Valentine. The course is a basic study of the human body systems and their respective functions. It’s designed for medical office students and those needing a beginning course in the subject.

 

• BIOS 1110: Microbiology – 4 credit hours, offered via distance learning in North Platte, Broken Bow and Ogallala. It will be provided June 1- July 9 in Broken Bow and May 11-June 18 in all other locations. This course is an introductory study of the morphology, physiology, growth and reproduction of microorganisms – with emphasis on bacteria. The prerequisite is BIOS 1010 and CHEM 1050 or 1090, or one year of high school chemistry within the last three years, or permission of the instructor. The fee is $30. The class is accompanied by labs in North Platte and Broken Bow.

 

• BIOS 1400: Introduction to Nutrition – 3 credit hours, offered via distance learning at North Platte, McCook, Broken Bow and Valentine from May 11-June 4. The course examines the principles of nutritional science with regard to the functions of various nutrients in the human body and the special nutrient requirements of individuals, based on age, sex, occupation and health. It is recommended for pre-nursing, physical education and family and consumer science emphases.

 

• BIOS 2260: Human Anatomy and Physiology II – 4 credit hours, offered in Broken Bow only fromJune 1-July 9 and accompanied by a lab. The course is a continued study of the physiological processes of the human body. Areas emphasized will be the endocrine, cardiovascular, lymphatic, respiratory, digestive, excretory and reproductive systems. The prerequisite is BIOS 2250 or permission of the instructor. The fee is $15.

 

• BSAD 1020: Introduction to Business – 3 credit hours, offered online May 18-June 25 and in Thedford to Thedford High School students only from May 11-August 21. The course is an introductory study and overview of the role of business in society as well as a discussion of the various disciplines of business- including an overview of business organization, management, marketing, human resource management and finance. It also involves a study and discussion of various strategies for success of specific public and private firms as well as small businesses. Business vocabulary used to understand, analyze and interpret business news and information is examined.

 

• BSAD 1100: Personal Finance – 3 credit hours, offered online May 18-June 26. The course offers a practical approach to managing personal finances that includes financial record keeping and personal federal income tax, major consumer purchases and financing, investment fundamentals and other financial topics of interest. The course may not transfer toward general education or degree requirements at some four-year colleges.

 

• BSAD 2250 Business Communications – 3 credit hours, offered online May 18-July 10. This course focuses on an introduction to the basic styles of communication in the business world. The overall objective of the course is to familiarize students with the principles of written and oral communication needed for business. The focus will be on how to effectively write business messages (routine, bad-news, goodwill, persuasive, etc.) and business reports. Attention will also be given to how to effectively communicate orally and deliver a formal presentation in the business work environment. Correct use of language is emphasized. This course is a Writing Intensive course. The prerequisite is an appropriate score on a placement test, completion of ENGL 0990 and/or READ 0920 with a “C” or higher or completion of OFFT 1070 with a “C” or higher.

 

• OFFT 1150: Input Keyboard Technology I – 3 credit hours, offered online May 18-June 11. The course is an introduction to touch keyboarding using the alphabetic and figure symbol keys on a standard computer keyboard. Students will prepare basic documents such as business letters, memos, tables and basic reports formatting and will be introduced to a popular word processing software application. The fee is $10.

 

• OFFT 2500: Medical Terminology – 3 credit hours, offered online May 18 through July 10. This course is designed to equip students with a usable vocabulary unique to the medical profession. Students will be able to define and use terms relating to structure of the human body – the skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular, lymphatic, respiratory, digestive, urinary, nervous, eye, ear, integumentary, endocrine and reproductive systems in addition to diagnostic and imaging procedures and general medical terminology.

 

• CSCE 1566: QuickBooks – 3 credit hours, offered online May 18-July 10. This course provides an introduction to QuickBooks Pro. Topics include creating a chart of accounts, recording transactions with customers and vendors, recording payrolls, using time tracking, estimates and progress billing, preparing financial statements and other supporting reports.

 

• CSCE 1644: MS Office Excel – 1.5 credit hours, offered online May 18-June 11. The course is designed to provide the fundamental skills and concepts of using the Excel spreadsheet software in a hands-on environment. Students will benefit from the step-by-step approach emphasized in the course. The fee is $5.

 

• ENGL 0990: College Prep Writing – 3 credit hours, offered online May 18-June 26. College Prep Writing is a review of grammar and sentence writing skills including usage of words, parts of speech, parts of a sentence, agreement of subject and verb, punctuation of sentences, vocabulary development and paragraph development. This course strengthens English proficiency before attempting college composition. It does not satisfy the general education requirement for an associate degree and cannot be used as an elective. This course is not designed to transfer to a four-year college. This course can act as a prerequisite for ENGL 1010. Students achieving a writing COMPASS score between 39 and 73 or equivalent scores on the ACT or SAT or who have passed ENGL

0980 with a “C” or higher are placed in this class. The prerequisite: is a minimum COMPASS, ACT or SAT score or completion of ENGL 0980 with a “C” or higher.

 

• ENGL 1010: Expository Writing I – 3 credit hours, offered online May 11-July 2. Expository Writing I is designed to develop writing skills. Students write short papers and essays based upon their personal experience and/or assigned papers. The course emphasizes the clear written expression of ideas and the importance of organization, word choice, logic and sentence construction. The process of planning, writing, revising, researching, documenting and editing essays for a particular audience is also emphasized. Students must have achieved a 74 on the COMPASS writing exam or the equivalent on the ACT or SAT or have passed ENGL 0990 with a “C” or higher. Students also must have achieved an 80 on the COMPASS reading exam or the equivalent on the ACT or SAT or have passed READ 0920 with a “C” or higher. The prerequisite is minimum COMPASS reading and writing scores or the equivalent as outlined above.

 

• GDVC 2990: Digital Photography on Location – 3 credit hours, offered in McCook only June 1-12. Students will develop DSLR camera skills as they learn camera functions and use software for basic file management and photo retouching. Lighting will be discussed as students take photos outdoors as well as in a studio setting. The aesthetics of photography will be studied and put into practice as students take photos to fulfill assigned objectives.

 

• HIST 2010: American History I to 1877 – 3 credit hours, offered in North Platte only May 18-June 5. The class is a survey of American history from the pre-colonial era through the period of the Reconstruction. Emphasis is placed on the political, economic, cultural, social, religious and institutional development of the nation. The course will include colonial development, the American Revolution, constitutional evolution and the establishment of a new republic, Jacksonian democracy, the market revolution and reform movements, slavery, westward expansion, the War with Mexico, sectionalism, the Civil War and social problems in the growth of the American nation.

 

• INFO 1000: Introduction to Information Technology, 3 credit hours, offered online May 18-July 2. This course provides an overview of information technology. Concepts covered include: the history of data processing, computer hardware, computer software, problem-solving techniques, business use of computers, social aspects and careers. The fee is $10.

 

• INFO 1260: Customer Support/Help Desk – 3 credit hours, offered via distance learning at North Platte and McCook from May 18-July 2. This course includes valuable information and everyday solutions for addressing the attitudes, behaviors and relationships between customers and the support team. The prerequisite is 24 hours of completed INFO courses or permission of the instructor. The fee is $10.

 

• MATH 0090: Math For Health Occupations – 2 credit hours, offered in Ogallala only from May 11-June 4. This course is a review of the four fundamental operations on fractions and decimals, Roman numerals, ratio and proportion, percentages and the metric, English, apothecary and household systems of measurement. This course does not satisfy the general education requirement for the associate degree and cannot be used as an elective. It is also not designed to transfer to a four-year college.

 

• MATH 1200: Elements of Statistics – 3 credit hour, offered in McCook only from May 18-June 4. Frequency distributions, elementary probability theory, measures of dispersion and central tendency, normal distributions, confidence intervals, hypotheses testing, regression and correlation will be studied. The prerequisite is completion of MATH 1010 or MATH 1150, with at least a “C” or adequate level on the math placement exam, or permission of instructor.

 

• NURA 1100: Nursing Assistant – 4 credit hours, offered via distance learning at McCook, North Platte and Mullen. The dates are: May 19-July 2 in McCook, May 18-June 10 in North Platte, June 1-15 in North Platte and May 21-June 19 in Mullen. This course will provide training for a non-licensed individual to provide safe, effective and caring services to patients, residents and clients in a variety of healthcare settings. Upon successful completion of the course, students will receive a certificate of completion from MPCC and qualify for placement on the State of Nebraska Nurse Aide Registry. People must be at least 16 to take this course. The fee is $5.

 

• NURA 1360: Medication Aide – 3 credit hours, offered in Ogallala only June 4-July 30. The content of this course will meet the 40-hour training requirement by the Nebraska State Department of Health and Human Services, Credentialing Division for childcare providers, staff members of schools and those providing medications in a recipient’s home, ICF-MR or AL facility. Individuals must be at least 18 years of age to take the course. The prerequisite is NURA 1100 or permission from the course coordinator.

 

• READ 0920: College Prep Reading – 3 credit hours, offered via distance learning through McCook and North Platte from May 18-June 4.  This reading skills course is designed to improve vocabulary, reading rate, comprehension and study skills needed to be successful in college. This course does not satisfy the general education requirement for an associate degree and cannot be used as an elective. It is not designed to transfer to a four-year college. This course can act as a prerequisite for ENGL 1010. Students achieving a reading COMPASS score between 0 and 79 or equivalent scores on the ACT or SAT are placed in this class. Students scoring below 25 are also strongly encouraged to join ABE classes.

 

• UPHR 1670: Couch Reconstruction and Upholstering – 2 credit hours, offered in North Platte onlyMay 26-June 8. The course covers frame and spring repair, pad replacement and the recovering of large projects. There’s a $35 fee.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska is edging toward becoming the first conservative state in decades to repeal its death penalty.

Capital punishment opponents are optimistic following an initial vote in the Legislature to repeal the law but acknowledge they still face a challenge as opponents scramble to block the change.

A coalition of Democrats and Republicans has formed behind the repeal effort.

Democrats note racial disparities of who is sentenced to death and the possibility of executing an innocent person, while Republicans see the issue as a fiscal matter, noting no one has been executed I the state since 1997.

Republican Sen. Colby Coash said the death penalty wastes tax dollars and gives victims’ families the wrong impression that killers will be executed.

Another vote on the issue could come this week.