LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A last-ditch effort to reduce property taxes has stalled in the Nebraska Legislature after key senators failed to reach an agreement before their deadline.

Seven lawmakers met over the weekend to try to find a plan that would win enough support to pass, but remained divided over the best approach.

Speaker of the Legislature Jim Scheer convened the group last week in hopes of bringing lawmakers to a compromise. One major sticking point was funding for K-12 education, a major driver of property taxes.

The impasse is likely to give momentum to a statewide ballot measure that would use more than $1 billion in state revenue to lower property tax bills. Some conservatives, including Gov. Pete Ricketts, have said the ballot measure could require major tax increases to compensate.

ARNOLD, Neb. (AP) — A mild earthquake has rattled Custer County in central Nebraska.

The National Earthquake Center in Golden, Colorado, says the temblor struck a little after 4:30 a.m. Monday at a spot about 3 miles (5 kilometers) under the surface, 4 miles (7 kilometers) southeast of Arnold.

No damage or injuries have been reported.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — ACT exam results across Nebraska last year show that girls outscored boys overall, matching boys in science and surpassing them in reading and English.

Nebraska administered the standardized college admissions test to every junior in the state’s public schools last year.

Girls earned an average composite score of 19.6 on the 36-point exam last year, while boys scored an average 19.1. Initial results show that boys lead in math by half a point.

One year of data doesn’t make a trend, and many students likely have taken the test again to improve their scores.

All students have room to improve since less than a third of the 22,300 students who took the exam met benchmarks to predict success in typical college freshman math, science and English courses.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Officials say the Omaha veterans hospital was rated in the top 10 percent nationwide after a surprise inspection.

The Department of Veterans Affairs Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System achieved a top five-star rating. That’s up from a three-star rating in 2015.

A newly released report says the system was among the 10 best in two categories: speedy access to specialty care and low rate of readmission for the same problem within 30 days. It trailed other VA hospitals and systems in the turnover rate of registered nurses and mental health coverage in rural areas.

The audit didn’t cover unauthorized waiting lists for psychotherapy treatments at the Omaha hospital or for certain eye exams, which were discovered by Nebraska-Western Iowa VA officials last year.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Applications will be accepted starting April 17 for the 2017 bighorn sheep permit lottery.

Only Nebraska residents are eligible to apply. The lottery allows the winner to hunt for a bighorn during the season that begins Nov. 27 and ends Dec. 22.

The once-in-a-lifetime hunt includes up to four days of guide service from Nebraska Game and Parks staff and up to four nights of meal and lodging at Fort Robinson State Park. Proceeds from the lottery provide support for the management of the species in five areas of Nebraska’s panhandle region.

The application period ends Aug. 3 and the permit will be drawn Aug. 16. A $29 nonrefundable application fee must accompany each application.

Those interested can apply at a Nebraska Game and Parks office or online at OutdoorNebraska.org.

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — A new program at the University of Nebraska at Kearney is aimed at connecting aspiring entrepreneurs in settings outside the classroom.

The university’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Rural Development is launching a living-learning community next fall, hoping to foster creative thinking, introduce students to the local business community and get them thinking about starting their own businesses.

The community will have space for up to 16 freshmen and sophomores who will live together in a residence hall and take some classes together while being introduced to a range of entrepreneurial programs.

The living-learning community is modeled after a similar program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha that’s entering its third year.