VALENTINE, Neb. (AP) — The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota is delivering some benefits for Nebraska as riders pass through Nebraska towns.

Many riders are passing through Nebraska on their way to the event. The influx of travelers provides economic benefits for many towns along the way.

Sara Ferguson, manager of the Niobrara Lodge in Valentine, says 90 percent of the motorcycle traffic she sees is coming to and from the Black Hills, including Sturgis. Ferguson says the riders help the lodge stay full. Many of the riders are from Nebraska, including some from as far as Omaha and Lincoln.

This year’s rally is projected to be somewhat smaller than last year’s event. In 2015, Sturgis enjoyed record crowds of more than 700,000 people.

COLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska State Fair organizers say they hope to expand on many of the event’s newer offerings, including outdoor concerts and a marathon race.

This year’s event will run from Aug. 26 through Sept. 5 in Grand Island, which has been home of the event since 2010.

Organizers say they plan to offer three nights of live outdoor music, building on the success of the first outdoor concert with country musician Keith Urban last year. This year’s outdoor performers include Thomas Rhett with special guest Jordan Rager, Lady Antebellum with special guest Cam, and the band Train.

The Nebraska State Fair Marathon and other races are expected to draw more than 1,000 runners. Organizers are also planning a competition between firefighters.

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CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) — The average price of gasoline in the U.S. has dropped six cents over the past two weeks to $2.16 a gallon for regular grade.

Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said Sunday that the price has dropped 21 cents since a peak June 3, though the most recent decline is slightly smaller and price drops could soon cease.

Lundberg says the average price is 55 cents lower than a year ago.

The Lundberg Survey found the average price of midgrade unleaded was $2.46 a gallon, and premium was $2.67.

The highest average price for regular gas in the contiguous U.S. was $2.70 a gallon in San Diego. The lowest was $1.81 in Jackson, Mississippi.

The U.S. average diesel price is $2.35 per gallon, down four cents from two weeks ago.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Southwest Airlines will begin offering a daily nonstop flight next year between Omaha and a small Houston airport.

The flights between Omaha’s Eppley Airfield and Hobby Airport on the south side of Houston will begin in March.

The route will be flown with a Boeing 737 that seats 143 passengers. It will leave Omaha at 10:50 a.m. and land in Houston at 1:15 p.m. The return flight will leave Houston at 5 p.m. and arrive in Omaha at 7:15 p.m.

Southwest, the largest carrier serving Eppley, offers nine nonstop destinations from Omaha, including Chicago, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Denver, Dallas, St. Louis and Washington, D.C. It also has seasonal nonstop flights to Los Angeles and Orlando.

CHICAGO (AP) — A new poll shows most young adults across racial and ethnic groups support tighter gun polices including background checks, stricter penalties for gun law violations, and banning semi-automatic weapons.

In the new GenForward poll, about 9 in 10 young adults say they support criminal background checks for all gun sales, a level of support that remains consistent across racial and ethnic groups.

Stiffer penalties for violating existing gun laws are supported by 9 in 10 young adults

GenForward is a survey by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago with the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The first-of-its-kind poll pays special attention to the voices of young adults of color, highlighting how race and ethnicity shape the opinions of a new generation.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A conservative Nebraska state senator has agreed to pay a $1,000 fine for engaging in cybersex with a woman on his state computer.

Sen. Bill Kintner of Papillion acknowledged Friday that he accepted the woman’s invitation while on a trip in July 2015. When the encounter ended, Kintner says she tried to extort $4,500 from him by threatening to release a video of him.

Kintner says he then contacted the Nebraska State Patrol and confessed to his wife.

The Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission imposed the $1,000 fine in a settlement after finding that Kintner improperly used his state computer.

Gov. Pete Ricketts and Speaker of the Legislature Galen Hadley called on Kintner to resign. Kintner says he plans to remain in office, but he could be impeached or expelled.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein has submitted three times the number of required signatures for her to appear on the Nebraska ballot.

Secretary of State’s Office spokeswoman Laura Strimple says counties must verify that the signatures submitted Monday are from registered Nebraska voters before placing her on the ballot with Democrat Hillary Clinton, Republican Donald Trump and Libertarian Gary Johnson.

A total of 2,500 verified signatures are needed, and Stein’s volunteers and staff collected more than 7,600 signatures. Jen Hansen, the Green Party’s Nebraska coordinator, says the group collected signatures in about three weeks.

If successful, Stein won’t be identified as a member of the Green Party because the state doesn’t recognize it.

She is expected to be nominated this weekend at the party’s convention in Houston.