LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Game and Commission is offering boat decontamination training to operators of boat repair shops and marinas.

The commission is looking to partner with those operators as a way to prevent the spread of invasive species such as zebra mussels.

Operators interested in the training may contact Game and Parks’ Dave Tunink at dave.tunink@nebraska.gov or 402-471-5553 and provide contact information and information about when they would be available for training. The training likely would take place in February or March.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Iowa and Nebraska legislators are preparing a new push for gun-rights laws next year, and they may be in a good position to succeed after past failures.

Republicans will soon control both the Iowa House and Senate, and in Nebraska, a leading gun-rights advocate said he’s hopeful newly elected conservative senators will support a proposal that could overturn local gun restrictions in Omaha and Lincoln.

In Iowa, numerous attempts to pass gun-rights legislation have stalled in the Democratic-led Senate. That could change, however, once Republicans officially take the majority in January.

In Nebraska, gun-rights advocates will push again for a bill that would prohibit local governments from imposing gun restrictions that go beyond state law. A similar measure was narrowly defeated by a filibuster earlier this year.

CHAPPELL, Neb. (AP) — A former Deuel County sheriff’s deputy who was shot four times last year while serving arrest warrants is slowly recovering but still unable to work.

Hutchinson was injured on Dec. 3, 2015, while trying to arrest a suspect in Big Springs. The suspect was subsequently killed by another officer. Hutchinson left a hospital Feb. 22 and has been recovering since.

Hutchinson celebrated his 53rd birthday on Friday, but he hasn’t been cleared by doctors to work. He still has trouble sitting or standing for long periods.

The career law enforcement officer still goes to several physical therapy appointments each week. Hutchinson says his doctors have told him it will likely take two years for his body to reach some new normal level.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A legislative report says Nebraska is struggling to provide adequate mental health services to its residents and still faces challenges in its efforts to curb binge drinking and substance abuse.

The Behavioral and Mental Health Task Force released Thursday a list of 18 recommendations for better mental health services.

The report says the state, particularly in rural areas, doesn’t have a sufficient amount of mental health workers. The panel recommends publicly funded post-graduate fellowships in psychiatry for physician assistants and psychiatric nurses.

The report also recommended adopting a mental health care provider shortage emergency act to ensure that if the number of staff members at the Lincoln Regional Center falls below a certain level, a portion of vacancy savings would be used for staff retention bonuses.