INDIANOLA, Neb. (AP) — Two people have died in an early morning house fire in central Nebraska.

Authorities responded to the fire about 1 ½ miles south of Indianola shortly after midnight Thursday. Indianola Fire Chief Tom Davidson says the single-story house was engulfed in flames, and firefighters spent most of the day battling the flames.

Davidson says four people lived in the home, and two were able to escape. The Indianola, McCook and Red Willow fire departments all responded to the emergency call.

Davidson says cold temperatures made it difficult to battle the fire. He says flames were coming through the roof of the home.

None of the people inside the house were identified. The Nebraska State Fire Marshal’s Office was requested for a fire investigation.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A group that supports abortion rights has unveiled a new Nebraska license plate to counter a “Choose Life” plate that lawmakers and Gov. Pete Ricketts approved earlier this year.

Planned Parenthood of the Heartland announced Thursday that it has submitted 263 applications for the specialty license plate to the Department of Motor Vehicles, surpassing the state’s requirement of at least 250 applications.

The group says the plates are an opportunity for Nebraska vehicle owners to express their opinion on issues related to women’s health.

The “Choose Life” license plates were commissioned earlier this year despite objections from some senators, who argued that the plates represent a political statement and that state government shouldn’t be taking sides.

The Nebraska State Historical Society says the city of Neligh’s (NEE’-lee’s) downtown district, the Grand Island Historic Downtown District and the Kearney Historic Downtown District have been listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The society said in an announcement Wednesday that the Neligh district contains 41 contributing resources that demonstrate the commercial development of Neligh from roughly 1887 to 1964.

The Kearney Historic Downtown District contains 99 contributing resources that demonstrate the commercial development of Kearney from roughly 1875 to 1965.

The Grand Island district contains 64 contributing resources that demonstrate the commercial development of Grand Island from roughly 1870 to 1960.

Properties listed in the register are eligible for state and federal tax incentives.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The owners of four now-closed stores that sold millions of cans of beer next to an American Indian reservation are fighting a steep Nebraska tax bill.

The Nebraska Department of Revenue says the stores in Whiteclay owe more than $600,000 in taxes and underrepresented nearly $1.7 million in sales during a three-year period.

The stores are just outside the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where alcohol is banned.

The owners of the four stores have asked a judge to review the findings. The owners say the review was based on incorrect estimates.

The stores closed in April after the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission denied the renewal of their liquor licenses following concerns that law enforcement in Whiteclay was inadequate to allow beer sales to continue.