TRENTON, Neb. (AP) — Hitchcock County commissioners have named a temporary replacement for the recalled county assessor.

Pat Albro was appointed Monday to replace Marlene Bedore, who was recalled Nov. 8.

Commissioners and property owners had questioned Bedore’s assessment methods since she started the job in January 2015, after her election in November 2014. The Nebraska Department of Revenue investigated and reported that there was a pattern to suggest that properties had been adjusted with a bias, that Bedore played favorites as she raised and lowered property valuations.

In her response to the recall petition, Bedore said she followed state laws and said valuations changed in conjunction with market values.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Powerball jackpot is on the upswing again, growing to more than $400 million on the Thanksgiving holiday.

The jackpot was an estimated $403 million Thursday after no winning numbers were selected in a Wednesday night drawing. The next drawing is scheduled Saturday night, and the jackpot could grow in the meantime.

The prize is on the brink of becoming one of the largest jackpots in U.S. history if it keeps rolling with no lucky winners. A record-setting $1.6 billion jackpot was reached in January.

The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are one in 292.2 million. The popular game is played in 44 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

GERING, Neb. (AP) — The trial of a 40-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing and slashing his brother in Scottsbluff has been postponed until at least February.

The attorney for William Reed, of Alliance, was granted the continuance he’d requested so he’d have more time to prepare for a trial. Police say William Reed killed 42-year-old Christopher Reed at Christopher’s home April 22.

Court documents say William Reed twice told officers he’d stabbed his brother. Investigators say there was evidence of a fight in the several rooms in the home and outside. A knife found at the scene was seized as evidence.

Reed has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder and use of a deadly weapon.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Experts want home cooks to remember food safety on Thanksgiving.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says following a few simple steps can help keep everyone safe over the holiday.

The traditional main course at Thanksgiving, turkey, can contain salmonella and campylobacter bacteria that can cause illness if the bird isn’t cooked correctly.

The USDA recommends not washing the turkey because doing so can spray bacteria up to three feet away. As long as the turkey is cooked to the correct 165-degree temperature, any bacteria will be eliminated.

When thawing a turkey, either use the refrigerator, cold water or the microwave. The USDA says thawing in the refrigerator is safest.

Make sure to check the turkey with a meat thermometer when cooking, and use or freeze any leftovers within four days.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A new legislative review shows just nine of 78 companies receiving state tax incentives as of 2014 were new to Nebraska.

The Legislative Audit Office released an audit report Wednesday on the decade-old Nebraska Advantage Act, which is aimed at creating jobs and bringing new businesses and more financial investments to the state.

The report says the 78 businesses as of 2014 had earned nearly $736 million in benefits through the Advantage Act. The incentives are based on the dollar amount of investment in the state and number of jobs created.

Data for all 78 businesses weren’t available, but auditors estimated that 68 of them added a nearly 3,000 full-time workers between 2008 and 2014, boosting their combined workforce by 11 percent.

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP) — Officials say a program scheduled to begin in spring would provide Scottsbluff High School students a roadmap for becoming teachers who would come home to help future students.

Justin Shaddick is an assistant principal at Scottsbluff High School, and he says the Grow Our Own Teacher program is being started because Scottsbluff struggles to retain teachers.

Shaddick and other district officials are working with Western Nebraska Community College and Chadron State College to develop the pathway for prospective teachers. District Superintendent Rick Myles said incentives for those future teachers will be provided by the Scottsbluff Public Schools Foundation.

Myles says that if the students really want to be teachers, “We really want them to have a chance to stay here.”