LEXINGTON, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a woman was taken to a hospital after a fire that damaged a home in Lexington.

Firefighters were dispatched around 3:45 p.m. Tuesday to the home.

Police Capt. Paul Schwarz says a man who is a partial amputee was rescued by first responders who entered through the back of the home. He was not injured. The woman ran out the front door to safety but received minor injuries. She was taken to Lexington Regional Health Center.

The two people’s names haven’t been released.

Fire officials suspect the fire was ignited by smoking materials on the front porch.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts says he’s urging Japanese officials to talk to the U.S. about tariffs after Japan announced in July that it would impose a 50 percent tariff on frozen beef imports.

Ricketts said in a news conference call Thursday that the tariff will suppress some of the demand for beef, but that exports will continue.

His discussions about beef came during a Japanese trade mission. Ricketts says he’s confident Japanese demand for Nebraska-made beef is growing.

The U.S. and Australia account for 90 percent of Japan’s frozen beef imports.

The usual tariff rate for frozen beef imports is 38.5 percent. Under World Trade Organization rules, Japan can introduce safeguard tariffs when imports rise more than 17 percent year-on-year in any given quarter.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Faculty leaders at the University of Nebraska at Omaha want to be consulted more frequently and thoroughly by administrators on some key decisions.

The university’s Faculty Senate passed a resolution Wednesday asking administrators to “advise and consult” with the senate on budgetary matters, planning and certain hires, among others.

The resolution cites several recent developments, including budget cuts, a decision to make the Medical Center’s chancellor the Omaha campus’ interim chancellor, and the directive to share some vice chancellors between those two institutions.

A spokesman for University of Nebraska System President Hank Bounds says the president hasn’t reviewed the resolution but is “committed to shared governance and values the input of the faculty.”

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The city of Omaha has reached a $40,000 settlement with a woman who says police used excessive force when they arrested her at a downtown hotel.

The City Council voted Tuesday to approve the settlement with Jazmyne McMiller, who was arrested in 2014 at the Hilton Garden Inn.

Officer Fred Hiykel had been called to the hotel for a disturbance. McMiller says Hiykel pulled her from an elevator and violently pushed her against a wall and into the hotel’s registration desk as she tried to tell him she was a hotel guest and show him her room card key.

Hiykel denied shoving McMiller into the desk and said she screamed at and spat on him.

A charge of disorderly conduct against McMiller was later dismissed.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — An independent watchdog says Nebraska’s child welfare and juvenile justice services have improved over the last year, but some problems remain.

The Inspector General of Nebraska Child Welfare praised state officials in its annual report issued Wednesday. Inspector General Julie Rogers says the Department of Health and Human Services has completed 22 of her office’s 48 recommendations to improve safety, and is making progress on many others.

Rogers says the changes appear to have reduced the number of escapes and other incidents at the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center in Kearney.

Rogers says she’s still deeply concerned about high caseloads for child welfare workers. She also says Nebraska’s probation services have not yet adopted her recommendations intended to help children with mental health issues and developmental disabilities.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. (AP) — U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis is set to visit U.S. Strategic Command headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base south of Omaha.

Offutt officials say Mattis will make the stop Thursday and receive briefings.

The visit will be Mattis’ first trip to the StratCom headquarters since being appointed as Secretary of Defense.

StratCom employs nuclear, cyber, space, global strike, joint electronic warfare, missile defense and intelligence capabilities to deter aggression against the U.S. and respond if deterrence fails.