(AP) — The marketplaces to buy health insurance under the Affordable Care Act are set to launch in Nebraska.

Consumers can to enroll online starting Tuesday, or get help from local Community Action offices, private insurance agents, some community hospitals, or the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska.

The federal government has set up a website, healthcare.gov, with links to state-specific information. Consumers can also call a toll-free help line at 1-800-318-2596.

The marketplace was created to help consumers shop for insurance, and to see whether they qualify for federal subsidies to help pay for coverage. Nebraska has opted for a federally facilitated marketplace.

(AP) — A new survey of business leaders in nine Midwest and Plains states suggests that manufacturing growth will help fuel the regional economy through the end of the year.

The overall Mid-America Business Conditions Index climbed for a second straight month in September, rising to 54.8 from 53.8 in August.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says growth among durable-goods manufacturers more than offset some pullbacks among nondurable-goods producers and value-added service firms.

The survey results are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth, while a score below that suggests decline.

The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

(AP) — Last week’s rain of an inch or more of rain slowed the planting of winter wheat across much of the Panhandle and some central Nebraska counties.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says in its report for the week ending Sunday that 65 percent of the expected crop had been planted, compared with 72 percent average by the end of September.

The USDA says, however, that the rain improved the overall prospects for the state’s next wheat crop.

The report also says about 9 percent of the state’s corn crop had been harvested, compared with 51 percent last year and 16 percent on average by this time of the year.

The soybean harvest was 13 percent complete, compared with 44 percent last year and 19 percent on average.

(AP) — The Nebraska treasurer’s office has launched a new online program to help parents and grandparents learn the benefits of its state-sponsored college-savings program.

Treasurer Don Stenberg announced the program on Tuesday. The free, interactive program on the state treasurer’s website seeks to answer common questions about the Nebraska Educational Savings Trust.

Nebraska is the second state to launch such a program. The first was Tennessee, earlier this year.

Stenberg says the program is part of a broader effort by his office to promote financial literacy and share information about tax-advantaged 529 college-savings plans.

As treasurer, Stenberg serves as trustee for the Nebraska Educational Savings Trust. The program has more than $3 billion in assets, with 206,000 accounts nationwide. More than 58,000 of the accounts have Nebraska owners.

(AP) — Chrysler says its U.S. sales rose 1 percent in September on strong performances from the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram pickup.

Chrysler says it sold 143,000 cars and trucks last month. September was the company’s 42nd-straight month of sales gains.

Analysts predict that overall industry sales dropped about 4 percent last month because the Labor Day weekend was counted with August sales. That pulled some sales from September into August.

All major automakers are scheduled to report September sales numbers on Tuesday.

• Today: Sunny, with a high near 78. North northeast wind 10 to 14 mph becoming east in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
• Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 50. East southeast wind 6 to 9 mph.
• Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 80. South wind 6 to 9 mph.
• Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. North northeast wind 7 to 14 mph.

A North Platte man is facing drug charges following a traffic stop Sunday afternoon.

According to a North Platte Police Department (NPPD) news release, a NPPD Officer was conducting traffic enforcement in the area of Birchwood and South Buffalo Bill at around 4:20 p.m., Sunday, when he observed Taylor Trembly traveling southbound on a motorcycle.   The Officer had reason to believe Trembly had a revoked license.

The Officer contacted Trembly as he parked the unlicensed bike on Cedarberry Lane.  Police say Trembly was detained due to a past flight to avoid arrest involving him and the Officer on scene.

Police confirmed that Trembly’s Nebraska Operator’s license was revoked and placed him under arrest.  Following a search incident to arrest, the Officer discovered a small baggie containing suspected methamphetamine near where Trembly had been seated in the patrol car.  A field test of the substance confirmed the Officer’s suspicions.

Trembly was arrested and charged with Possession of Methamphetamine and Driving Under Revocation.

He was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.

 

 

A North Platte man has been charged with a felony after he allegedly assaulted a nurse at Great Plains Regional Medical Center (GPRMC).

According to North Platte Police Department Public Information Officer, Rodney Brown, Officers responded to the report of a combative patient at GPRMC at around 11:00 p.m. on Friday.

Staff at the hospital told Police that the suspect, 63-year-old Huong Van Hoang, came into the Emergency Room complaining of chest pains.  They said when Hoang was cleared to leave, he refused to and became combative.

Brown says Hoang began to swing wildly at staff and, at one point, struck a 52-year-old female nurse.

Officers arrested Hoang and jailed him on charges of felony Assault of a Health Care Professional, Disturbing the Peace and 2nd Degree Criminal Trespassing.

(AP) — The Nebraska tax commissioner is resigning to take a new job with a national tax, audit and advisory firm.

Doug Ewald (EE’–wawld) said Monday that he’ll be leaving his state job on Oct. 18 to join KPMG. He says he’ll lead KPMG’s state and local tax practice in the Omaha area.

Gov. Dave Heineman’s office announced Ewald’s intention to resign, saying Ewald has been instrumental in helping move the Department of Revenue forward though the enhanced use of technology.

Ewald was appointed commissioner in November 2006 after 19 years in the private sector.

Heineman spokeswoman Sue Roush says it hasn’t yet been determined whether Heineman will name a replacement before Ewald’s departure.

(AP) — Flooding along the Platte and South Platte rivers in Nebraska should end early this week, but officials say the water contaminated with bacteria and debris could still pose a health risk for weeks.

Although the rivers surged to record heights last week, the flooding did little major damage in the state. The National Weather Service predicts that the last minor flooding should end near Kearney and Grand Island on Tuesday.

But the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality says levels of E. coli bacteria in the water remain high, so testing will continue for at least a couple more weeks.

Nebraskans are being advised not to drink any of the river water.

The timing of the flood is fortunate because fewer people are out on the water this time of year.