• Richard Anthony Alcott, 25, North Platte NE and Amber Yvonne Housman, 28, North Platte NE

Nebraska’s assistant Secretary of State has been recognized with a national honor for outstanding service in the area of election management.

Neal Erickson, who oversees the state’s elections, was presented this week with the National Association of Secretaries of State Medallion Award. Erickson received the award at the Nebraska Association of County Officials Workshop held in Kearney.

During the ceremony, Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale cited Erickson’s longtime service to elections and civic education. Erickson began his work with the statewide election system in 1993, serving as legal counsel to the Nebraska Legislature’s Government and Military Affairs Committee.

In 1995, he was appointed as Deputy Secretary of State for elections, the position he currently holds.

(AP) — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a radioactive imaging chemical from General Electric to help screen for Alzheimer’s disease.

The drug, Vizamyl, is an injection of radioactive material designed to highlight abnormal brain plaque in medical imaging scans.

Dementia caused by Alzheimer’s is associated with buildup of the plaque, known as beta amyloid protein. However, it can also be found in patients who do not have neurological problems.

Vizamyl works by binding to the plaque and creating images that show up on positron emission tomography, or PET, scans of the brain.

The FDA says a negative scan means there is little plaque and the cause of dementia is probably not Alzheimer’s. A positive scan means the patient has at least some plaque, but does not prove they have Alzheimer’s.

(AP) — Nebraskans will likely notice a change when it comes time to renew their license plates because reminder letters will now come from the state instead of counties.

Department of Motor Vehicles Director Rhonda Lahm says having the state mail the roughly 2.1 million notices each year will be more efficient.

Lahm says her department will use an automated method that should save time and money. Previously, each county sent reminders when vehicle registrations were due for renewal.

State law was changed earlier this year to allow the DMV to take over the job of sending notices.

The change will also eventually allow vehicle owners to receive notice electronically, and the state will have access to the national address change database to help make sure notices reach the right home.

• Today: Sunny, with a high near 63. South southwest wind 7 to 14 mph.
• Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 36. Calm wind becoming north 5 to 9 mph after midnight.
• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 59. North northwest wind 8 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
• Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 31. Light and variable wind becoming south around 6 mph in the evening.
• Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 68. Light and variable wind becoming west 5 to 8 mph in the morning.
• Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 35.

(AP) — A state board is predicting modest short-term growth in Nebraska’s tax revenue.

Members of the Economic Forecasting Advisory Board offered a cautiously optimistic view of the economy at their meeting on Thursday. Board members say housing construction has remained strong in many parts of the state, and the farm economy is holding. But they raised concerns about interest rates.

The board raised its certified revenue forecast by $46 million for the current fiscal year. If that prediction holds true, that amount will automatically go into the state’s cash reserve in July 2014.

Lawmakers rely on the projections when writing and adjusting the state budget. Michael Calvert, the Legislature’s fiscal analyst, says the projected growth rate is slightly below the long-term average of about 5 percent per year.

(AP) — Residents in northwest Nebraska have created a relief fund for ranchers who lost animals in this month’s blizzard.

The fund is accepting applications and nominations. It’s set up to provide direct aid for families, carcass removal services, emergency fencing, and assistance to producers with animal health and feed issues.

The storm in early October dumped several feet of snow on the western Plains, and caused tornadoes in eastern Nebraska, South Dakota and Iowa. At least 2,200 cattle were reported dead in Sioux and Dawes counties in the northwest corner of Nebraska.

Applications for assistance are available through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s extension office in Chadron. They should be sent to the Cattlemen’s Relief Fund, P.O. Box 1125, Chadron, NE 69337.

(AP) — Nebraska-based sporting goods retailer Cabela’s Inc. says it’s planning to open new stores in British Columbia, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.

The Sidney, Neb., company says Thursday it’s planning a 50,000-square-foot store in an existing building in a shopping center in Nanaimo, British Columbia to open in 2014. About 150 workers will be hired.

The Garner, N.C., store will be a new building with construction scheduled to start next summer and opening in the spring of 2015. The store will employ about 225 workers.

The Sun Prairie, Wisc., project also is a new store to employ about 200 workers. Construction will start next year and opening is set for spring 2015.

Cabela’s operates 48 stores across North America with plans to open an additional 19 over the next two years.

North Platte Police have charged a North Platte woman with a felony after she allegedly choked her daughter.

According to Investigator John Deal, Officers responded to a disturbance in the 400 block of West 2nd at 7:36 p.m. on Tuesday.

Upon arrival, Officers learned that the victim had left the scene.  She was contacted at an undisclosed residence a short time later.

The victim and a witness told Police that she and her mother, 38-year-old Leslie Van Zee, had gotten into an argument that led to Van Zee slapping and choking her.  Deal said the victim had injuries that corroborated her story.

Van Zee was charged with felony strangulation and transported to the Lincoln County Detention Center.

The victim’s age was not given.

(AP) — A long-awaited study shows that a high-dose flu vaccine for seniors works better than the standard shot.

Standard flu vaccines are only about 30 to 40 percent effective in people 65 and older, who tend to have weaker immune systems. The new study suggests Sanofi’s Fluzone High-Dose vaccine boosts protection to about 50 percent.

The vaccine maker is scheduled to present preliminary results Thursday at a medical meeting in Atlanta.

The study was done during the past two flu seasons, and is the first to measure how much protection the new vaccine actually provides against the flu.

In younger adults, regular vaccines work better, with effectiveness of 60 percent or better. Flu vaccines are recommended for everyone except for babies under 6 months.