OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Turnover is increasing among Nebraska prison guards despite the state’s efforts to improve pay.

Turnover increased to 34 percent among prison guards last year from the previous year’s 31 percent, even though the state is giving 7 percent pay increases to guards.

Nebraska’s prison system is being scrutinized closely by lawmakers and other officials because of several incidents, including two deadly riots at Tecumseh State Prison since 2015 and ongoing overcrowding throughout the system.

State prison guards are often forced to work overtime to help fill shifts left vacant because of the staff shortages. And guards with some experience can find better pay and hours by taking a job at a county jail in Lincoln or Omaha.

Recently, the Corrections Department started using a state van to drive 10 guards from Omaha to and from the Tecumseh State Prison while being paid for the time to help ease shortages. Corrections Director Scott Frakes said the van program will be expanded to 40 guards.

Frakes said increasing pay is only part of the solution. Past incidents at the prisons and assaults on staff also affect retention.

State Sen. John Stinner of Gering, who leads the Appropriations Committee, said he’s frustrated with the continuing problems at the prisons. Stinner said he thinks corrections’ long-running problems with staff turnover might not be fixable given the current budget constraints.

Stinner said he thinks the state may have to rethink its approach to the problem. A new contract with the state employees union will be negotiated later this year.

Currently, the starting wage for most prison guards is $16.74 an hour, although many new workers are being hired at the rank of corporal, which pays $18.16 an hour.

That lags behind the $20.38 an hour Sarpy County Jail guards receive and the $18.30 per hour the Lancaster County Jail pays new guards. In Lancaster County, the pay jumps to $21.22 an hour after a year.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. (AP) — The Air Force says a tornado that tore through a Nebraska base last June caused nearly $20 million in damage.

The damage included $9.4 million to Offutt Air Force Base’s buildings and trees and slightly more than $10 million to at least 10 military planes — including two of the Pentagon’s four “doomsday” planes. Those two E-4B Nightwatch aircraft serve as aerial command centers for top military officials in case of a catastrophic national emergency.

The roofs of 32 buildings on the base were damaged. Col. Dave Norton, 55th Wing Mission Support Group commander, says only 12 of the buildings received permanent roof repairs before winter set in. He says more than $5 million in repair work hasn’t been completed.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The ACLU of Nebraska wants public officials not to block critics from expressing their views on government-affiliated social media accounts.

The Nebraska ACLU sent letters to officials on Thursday encouraging them to correct problems before the organization resorts to legal action. The organization has received complaints regarding U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, the state’s congressional delegation and the York County Sheriff’s Office.

Elected officials who block people from official accounts are violating the First Amendment, said Amy Miller, the Nebraska ACLU’s legal director.

“We would not tolerate a government agency kicking a concerned constituent out of a public hearing just because they disagree with an elected official,” Miller said. “The same principles apply in the digital age.”

Officials should stop blocking access to official accounts, stop deleting critical comments and give access back to those who’d been blocked, the Nebraska ACLU said. Lawmakers can also maintain private accounts if they don’t use them to conduct official government business or can delete their official accounts entirely since there is no requirement to have a presence on social media, the organization said.

A spokeswoman for Fischer said staff members are reviewing settings on the senator’s social media pages.

Stothert said she doesn’t block people for criticizing her on Facebook, but she does hide comments and ban posters who violate her Facebook page’s terms of use. Omaha’s law department helped draft the terms, which say Stothert can remove inappropriate or offensive comments and that those who promote racism or violate the rules may be banned from posting. Some posts to her page included vulgar language and name-calling.

“I don’t want to leave these things on there,” Stothert said, noting that her page is viewed by young people.

U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith and U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse don’t block critics from their social media pages, according to spokespeople for both lawmakers.

The ACLU has filed lawsuits in Kentucky, Maine and Maryland over officials blocking constituents.

TECUMSEH, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska prison system officials say a staffer at the state prison in Tecumseh has suffered a concussion after being kicked in the face by an inmate.

A news release Friday from the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services says the incident happened Thursday night when the inmate fought with staffers.

Officials say staff members found the inmate on the floor of his cell and took him to the prison’s nursing facility. While being escorted, the inmate went limp, and then began fighting with the three staff members escorting him.

Officials say the inmate kicked one of the staffers in the face, causing the concussion.

Officials did not release the names of the inmate or the injured staffer.