LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Health officials say two travel-related cases of Zika virus have been reported in Nebraska.

A statement Thursday from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services says the cases in Douglas and Sarpy counties are the first in the state.

The department says the people infected are women in their 20s who recently traveled to Zika-affected countries. The outbreak has mainly hit Latin America and the Caribbean.

Neither woman was hospitalized.

The virus is mainly transmitted by mosquito. There has been one reported case in the U.S. of sexual transmission.

While most people infected with the virus do not get sick, health officials are investigating whether there is a link between Zika infections in pregnant women and a rare birth defect in which babies are born with abnormally small heads.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — City and county officials are voicing objections to Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts’ property tax plan, which was endorsed by the state’s largest agriculture groups.

Ricketts argued before a legislative committee Thursday that his proposal offers a balanced way to slow the growth of statewide property taxes.

The Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation and Nebraska Cattlemen Association support the plan. But Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler, La Vista Mayor Douglas Kindig and other officials say it would limit their flexibility.

The bill would prevent the combined taxable value of all the state’s agricultural land from growing by more than 3 percent annually. It also would prevent local governments from exceeding several levy and budget limits without voter approval.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A district judge has issued an order to block a Nebraska prison policy that prevented two inmates from marrying.

Lancaster County District Judge Robert Otte on Tuesday found the prison’s argument to be “constitutionally flawed” and ordered prison officials stop enforcing its policy.

According to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, inmates Paul Gillpatrick and Niccole Wetherell had their request to marry denied because corrections officials had been unwilling to transport either of them to the other prison for a wedding ceremony, or allow them to marry via video. Corrections officials argue state law requires married couples to be in the same room for the ceremony.

Otte said the prison policy was based on its own interpretation of a statute about weddings, which isn’t under its direct purview.

North Platte High School’s journalism students earned 12 top awards in the Nebraska Journalism

Education Association (JEA) 2015 winter contest. Editor­in­chief Ethan Darling said he is proud of his team’s dedication to the program. “Going into this, we didn’t really know how well we would compete with the other publications around the state,” Darling said.

The North Platte High School Bulldogger staff earned recognition in nearly every category they competed in winning Superior, Excellent and Honorable Mention ranks.

“I was hoping we would earn an award or two in this contest, but when I saw how well the staff did, I was elated!” journalism adviser Lori Larson said.

Darling said his goal this year has been to inform the public about more pressing issues. “We started tackling real issues that actually affect the student body,” he said. He also said the higher quality publications are a result of the students’ strong work ethic. Larson said the students are well­deserving of their recognition. “These students work just as hard and effectively has professional reporters.”

Darling said he is grateful for the opportunity to work in the journalism program. “It has been one of my most important classes in my entire high school career,” he said.

The journalism staff were allowed to submit work in up to 21 categories for pieces that were completed before December 2015.

Entries from each category were judged by professional journalists, college students in journalism programs, and veteran high school advisers from across the nation.

The NPHS students were honored for their reporting, editorials, and design pieces.