LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Endurance athletes are invited to sign up for a 191-mile race down the Cowboy Trail in May.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission says the second annual Cowboy Ultra Run will be held May 20-21 for individuals and teams.

The race will cover the entire Cowboy Trail between Valentine and Norfolk. That trail is the longest former stretch of railroad to be converted into a trail in the United States.

The event will be limited to 75 people. Registration is $70 per person.

More information is available online at http://bit.ly/2noIciB or by calling 402-432-3622.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — An effort to unite Nebraska business and farm groups behind a sweeping tax plan is on shaky ground as both sides argue over which taxes should be cut.

The state’s largest business groups are calling for income tax cuts, while some leading farm groups say lawmakers should continue their focus on lowering property taxes. Gov. Pete Ricketts is touting a plan that he says would help them both, but its fate remains uncertain.

Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion, chairman of the Revenue Committee, says he’s still hopeful the groups will reach some agreement before the session ends, but he is concerned the dispute could derail the whole package.

Some senators say lawmakers shouldn’t consider tax cuts when the state faces longer-term challenges with its prison system and mental health services.

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — Residence hall students at the University of Nebraska at Kearney recycled more than 13,000 pounds (5896.76 kilograms) of material during a six-week recycling competition between residence halls dubbed “Recycle-Mania.”

3,250 pounds (1474.19 kilograms) more was recycled this year than last year’s 9,457 pounds (4289.67 kilograms).

Associate director of residence life LeAnn Jochum says that the effort keeps waste out of landfills.

Men’s Hall won this year’s competition with an average of 15.7 pounds (7.12 kilograms) recycled per resident. The residence hall with the greatest improvement over last year was Mantor-Randall Hall, with an average of 10.7 pounds (4.85 kilograms) per resident.

UNK’s Residence Life and Sustainability Committee sponsored the event.

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — The University of Nebraska Board of Regents has approved a $6 million upgrade to the student union on the Kearney campus.

The board on Friday approved the plan, which will include the addition of a Chick-fil-A restaurant, an expansion of Starbucks, a new dining area and a meeting space at the University of Nebraska at Kearney student union.

The project is slated to begin as early as this month and will renovate the building entrance and adjacent corridors, reconfigure meeting and dining spaces, update interiors, fix issues with the heating and air conditioning systems and address lighting and sewer issues.

Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance Jon Watts says the renovation will enhance the social and student activities hub of the university.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska wildlife officials will again be collecting spawning walleyes this spring to gather their eggs for stocking purposes.

The state Game and Parks Commission says the fish collections will be done at Sherman Reservoir, Merritt Reservoir and Lake McConaughy.

That means parts of those lakes will be restricted beginning Saturday.

The collection will continue until officials have enough eggs. The eggs will be transferred to Nebraska state fish hatcheries. Adult walleyes are released back into the lake.

The commission plans to stock nearly 30 million walleye in lakes and rivers across the state.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A University of Nebraska Medical Center tower in Omaha will be lit in blue this weekend to observe Autism Awareness Month.

Officials say the Hope Tower, a 120-foot light tower located on the UNMC campus, will be cast in blue light starting Saturday night. The lights will stay on until dawn on Sunday.

The lighting event is one of many around the country participating in the Light It Up Blue effort, observed on April 2 and dedicated to raising awareness of autism. Among others participating is the White House, which will be illuminated in blue on Sunday.

About 1 in 68 school-aged children has autism or related disorders, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last year.