LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — State wildlife officials say a record number of bald eagle nests were documented in Nebraska last year.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission says 159 active bald eagle nests were found in the state in 2016 — the most since the raptor was listed on federal and state endangered species lists. The 2016 number far outpaced the previous record of 118 in 2015 and is a nearly 195 percent increase from the 54 nests recorded in 2007.

The commission’s nongame bird program manager, Joel Jorgensen, says last year’s spike “was a big surprise.”

He says some of the increase is likely attributable to increased survey effort, but the numbers also reflect real increases in the state’s breeding numbers.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has successfully earned reaccreditation.

The endorsement from the Higher Learning Commission reinforces the quality of UNL’s programs and colleges.

Executive Vice Chancellor Donde Plowman says the reaccreditation shows that the university is working to continuously improve itself.

The commission sent a team to UNL’s campus in October to verify that the university met certain criteria.

UNL has to be accredited to receive federal money for student financial aid and research.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Board of Education voted Friday to oppose legislative bills that would authorize charter schools and provide vouchers for students to attend private schools in certain cases.

The board voted 7-1 to oppose those bills. Only board member Pat McPherson, of Omaha, supported the bills.

The first bill would authorize charter schools in districts with low-performing public schools. Several board members questioned the constitutionality of that proposal, noting it would create a separate commission to oversee charter schools.

The other measure would provide vouchers for students to attend private schools if their local schools are among the lowest-performing statewide.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Pete Ricketts’ income and property tax package is drawing praise from Nebraska’s business community, but leading farm groups say it doesn’t do enough to address their concerns about rising property taxes.

Farm groups say they support the governor’s proposal to change how agricultural land is valued, but they’re disappointed the package doesn’t offer more to landowners.

Business groups note that state government can only directly control sales and income tax rates. Local governments impose property taxes.

The property tax plan would switch from a system that relies on sale prices to one that focuses on how much income a parcel could potentially earn. If it were in place this year, the bill would have reduced the combined taxable value of Nebraska’s agricultural land by 2 percent.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraskans filing their tax returns this tax season again have the chance to contribute to a wildlife and habitat conservation fund.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission says the optional donation appears on Line 42 of the state’s 2016 income tax forms. Kristal Stoner, the commission’s wildlife diversity program manager, says the checkoff is one of the main sources of funding used to conserve more than 95 percent of nongame wildlife species.

The Game and Parks Commission says donations can also be made without filing tax forms, via the website NebraskaWildlifeFund.org. Contributions can also be sent to the Wildlife Conservation Fund, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370.

GERING, Neb. (AP) — A Scottsbluff man has pleaded not guilty to charges in connection to the stabbing death of a Scottsbluff woman on Dec. 31.

The trial for 64-year-old Lucio Munoz was set Friday for May.

Munoz was arrested last month in Bradley, Illinois, after he was charged on suspicion of first-degree murder in an arrest warrant.

The body of 48-year-old Melissa May was found the morning of Jan. 3 after officers went to check on her welfare. Authorities say they believe Munoz used a knife to kill May on Dec. 31.

Munoz is being held at the Scotts Bluff County jail on a $2 million bond.

AMHERST, Neb. (AP) — Officials in central Nebraska say two people have died in a rollover crash near Amherst.

The Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office says the crash happened just before 3 a.m. Saturday on a gravel road northwest of Amherst. Amherst is about 20 miles northwest of Kearney.

Investigators say a large pickup driven by a 23-year-old Amherst man and carrying five other adults left the road, entered the west ditch and rolled.

Authorities say a 21-year-old Bassett woman and a 29-year-old Kearney man died at the scene. The four others were taken to a Kearney hospital. None of their names have yet been released pending notification of family members.

Officials say autopsies have been ordered.