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Census: Asians remain fastest-growing racial group in US

us-census-bureauWASHINGTON (AP) — The Census Bureau says Asians remain the fastest-growing racial group in the United States. And the nation’s white population is showing the slowest growth.

The Asian population in the U.S. grew at 3.4 percent between July 2014 and 2015, with international migration responsible for the majority of the growth. There are now 21 million Asians in the United States, with Hawaii as the nation’s only majority-Asian state.

The white population in the U.S., including those who chose white along with another race when asked by the census, grew only one-half of 1 percent between 2014 and 2015.

Those who say they are white alone grew at an even smaller rate. They only showed an increase of one-tenth of 1 percent.

US giving $48 million to help Western farms handle drought

dry_landBRIGHTON, Colo. (AP) — The Obama administration is announcing $48 million in grants to help farmers and ranchers in the West conserve water and energy amid drought and climate change.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is scheduled to discuss the plan Thursday in Colorado. The Agriculture Department says the effort will include 76 projects in at least 11 states.

The department says the program will include improving irrigation systems.

The grants will come from both the Agriculture and Interior departments.

5 injured in firetruck-SUV collision, Omaha authorities say

OMAHA-FIRE-AND-RESCUE-BADGEOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Five people have been injured in a downtown Omaha collision between a firetruck and a sport utility vehicle.

Authorities say the lights were flashing and siren blaring on the northbound firetruck around 10:35 a.m. Wednesday as firefighters responded to an emergency call. But their truck collided with an eastbound SUV at an intersection and ended up crashing into the side of an art gallery building.

Four firefighters and the SUV driver, 40-year-old Jason Sauvain, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, were taken to Creighton University Medical Center for treatment of what turned out to be minor injuries. No one in the building was injured.

Woman hospitalized after tubing accident in western Nebraska

bridgeport-state-rec-areaBRIDGEPORT, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a 21-year-old woman has been hospitalized after a tubing accident in the Nebraska Panhandle.

The accident occurred around 1:10 p.m. Wednesday at Bridgeport State Recreation Area in Morrill County. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission says the woman was tubing on one of the lakes when her tube struck a shoreline.

She was taken to a hospital in Morrill and then flown to a Scottsbluff hospital.

Her name hasn’t been released.

North Platte Weather-June 23

forecast graphic june 23 2016Today
Partly sunny, with a high near 86. Southeast wind 5 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Tonight
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 10pm and 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. Southeast wind 7 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Friday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. South southeast wind 6 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Friday Night
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. South southeast wind 6 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Saturday
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Breezy, with a west northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north 15 to 20 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 29 mph.
Saturday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 58.
Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 90.
Sunday Night
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly clear, with a low around 63.
Monday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90.
Monday Night
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 63.
Tuesday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 84.
Tuesday Night
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63.
Wednesday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 80.

Turbine malfunction takes Nebraska nuke plant offline

fort-calhoun-dryFORT CALHOUN, Neb. (AP) — Omaha’s public power utility says its nuclear power plant in eastern Nebraska has been temporarily taken offline for a minor malfunction.

Omaha Public Power District says in a written release that the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station north of Omaha was taken offline Tuesday morning when a turbine tripped.

The utility says the system responded as designed by automatically shutting down the reactor without incident. The utility says the plant is safe and there were no injuries.

Operators are analyzing the cause of the situation, focusing on the speed and power controls of the turbine. Crews are working to resolve the issue and restore the unit to service.

The utility announced earlier this month that it would close the nuclear power plant by the end of the year.

Officials believe they’ve captured alligator that killed boy

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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Florida wildlife officials believe they’ve captured the alligator that dragged a 2-year-old Nebraska boy into the Seven Seas Lagoon at Walt Disney World.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a news release Wednesday that it has suspended alligator trapping activities in the area. The release says officials have based their conclusions on expert analyses and observations by staff with extensive experience in investigating fatal alligator bites. A total of six alligators were removed.

Authorities say an alligator pulled Lane Graves into the water June 14, despite the frantic efforts of his father. Lane’s body was recovered the next day. An autopsy showed the boy died from drowning and traumatic injuries.

The beach at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa is across a lake from the Magic Kingdom.

Bellevue city administrator cited for dental office incident

city-of-bellevueBELLEVUE, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say an eastern Nebraska city administrator has been ticketed for misdemeanor counts following a disturbance at a local dental office.

Bellevue City Administrator Dan Berlowitz was cited Tuesday afternoon following the disturbance that morning at Allen Smith Dental in Bellevue, where Berlowitz’s wife used to work.

A police report says Berlowitz poked a dentist in the chest and then pushed the dentist’s shoulder. Berlowitz was later cited on suspicion of trespassing, disturbing the peace and third-degree assault, all misdemeanors.

Berlowitz did not immediately return a phone message left at his office Wednesday.

Wounded deputy gets $1,500 to help with health insurance

deuel-county-sheriffCHAPPELL, Neb. (AP) — A Deuel County sheriff’s deputy who lost his family health insurance after he was shot four times while serving arrest warrants will get $1,500 from the county.

Mike Hutchinson was injured Dec. 3 while trying to arrest a suspect in Big Springs. He’s left a hospital and has been recovering.

He lost his group plan coverage May 31 after the county’s new third-party provider determined that he wasn’t working the required number of hours. Officials say coverage rules aren’t set by the county.

The county commissioners voted Tuesday for Hutchinson’s one-time stipend. Hutchinson says he’ll use the money to obtain coverage through the Affordable Care Act.

Officials say his medical bills from the shooting have been covered by workers’ compensation insurance.

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