(AP) — Record flooding continues in western and central Nebraska as the water that inundated Colorado flows east, but it appeared to cause few major problems because communities were able to prepare.

The National Weather Service says the South Platte River rose to 14.2 feet in North Platte to set a new record on Sunday. The previous record level of 14 feet was set in June 1935.

The river also set a record in Brady at 9.85 feet Sunday — eclipsing the previous mark of 9.6 feet.

Records were already set upstream in Roscoe, Neb., and Julesburg, Colo., late last week.

Meteorologist Shawn Jacobs says the river tends to remain high for several days after it crests in an area, so residents should continue to be careful.

(AP) — Flood worries are easing in western and central Nebraska as the swollen Platte River reaches its crest.

State and local officials continued to work Saturday after several close calls overnight. Lincoln County Emergency Management Director Dan Guenther says flood barriers helped avoid an evacuation order for 20 people in the town of Hershey. Guenther credited early warnings about the flood and assistance from state officials.

The river at North Platte peaked at 13.9 feet on Saturday, nearly 1 foot above flood stage.

Cory Martin, a National Weather Service meteorologist in North Platte, says the river flooded a local golf course and forced one street to close, but the town saw no significant flood damage. Martin says the river is expected to remain above flood stage until at least Monday.

(AP) — Nebraska residents are receiving state recognition for their emergency preparedness and response efforts.

Lt. Gov. Lavon Heidemann on Friday announced the winners of this year’s “Be Prepared,” awards. The awards are given to volunteers and community groups. They’re sponsored by the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency and the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center.

Heidemann says this year’s winners provided educational training and support to community volunteers to help them respond to emergencies.

The Excellence in Risk Communication award went to LincUP of North Platte

The Citizen Corp Council of the year award was presented to Hall County Citizen Corps of Grand Island

The 2013 Local Hero Award was given to Elaine Frasier and the Citizens of Dundee County.

The Excellence in Community Preparedness award was presented to Denise Kollath of Columbus.

The Citizens Corps Partner Program of the year was presented to Central Nebraska Medical Reserve Corps of Hastings.

The Citizen Corps Volunteer of the year award went to Patti Motl of Omaha

The Excellence in Preparedness Education and Outreach award went to Larry Mattson of Funk.

 

 

The North Platte Police Department has issued the following statement in regards to the flood’s impact on the City of North Platte:

As of 11:00 AM the South Platte River water levels were reported at 13.83 Ft. in North Platte and not expected to rise much further. There are some minor issues with storm drains backing up and flooding some streets in North Platte.  Backed up storm sewers have caused road closures at the following locations within North Platte:

McDonald & William

Cedarberry Rd & Spruce

E. Philip between Bicentennial & Welch

William & Carr

William & Union

McDonald Rd. between Phillip and Sunset

Lincoln County Department of Roads officials report some minor flooding east of North Platte in the Hidden Lakes area.  As a result, Hidden Lakes Rd. has been closed from Hadley Dr. to South Shore Drive.

As the water levels crest and begin to subside, the flood waters will dissipate and the roads will be reopened.  City and County crews will continue to monitor flooding in these areas.

There have been no reports of residences being affected by the flood waters as of 12:30 PM.

The Nebraska State Patrol is reminding motorists to use extra caution as harvest season begins.

The patrol says drivers can expect to see an increase in combines, grain carts, tractors and other slow-traveling farm equipment on the roads. The size and dimension of their loads can reduce visibility, so motorists are urged to use caution when following or attempting to pass.

Col. David Sankey, the patrol’s superintendent, says motorists should also keep watch for wildlife that may be traveling because of the increased activity.

Sankey is also encouraging drivers to buckle their seat belts.

(AP) — Federal officials are offering food safety recommendations to Nebraska residents who may be affected by flooding on the South Platte River.

The Department of Agriculture said in a news release Friday that potential power outages could compromise the safety of stored food and increase the risk of foodborne illness.

Tips for keeping food fresh during a power outage include grouping it together in the freezer to keep it cold longer. Residents should also keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.

The agency’s Food Safety and Inspection Service also says an online publication and YouTube video has instructions on keeping frozen and refrigerated food safe. Information will also be available on two Twitter feeds.

Former U.S. Congressman and Husker legend Tom Osborne will be bringing his TeamMates Mentoring message to North Platte on this Wednesday.  He will speak at a special reception at the Quality Inn from 5:00 to 6:00 PM that day.  Anyone interested in mentoring is encouraged to attend this special TeamMates presentation.  Due to time constraints, Dr. Osborne will not be able to sign autographs at this event.  Current mentors from area TeamMates chapters are being urged to attend as well, and to bring a guest along who has an interest in mentoring.

TeamMates is a school-based one-to-one mentoring program for students grades 3-12 founded by Coach Osborne and his wife Nancy in 1991.  It often is referred to as the “One Hour Difference” because mentors are asked to devote one hour per week to make a positive difference in the life of a child.  Today the program serves nearly 6,000 youth in Nebraska, Iowa, and California.

“Now officially retired from his position as University of Nebraska’s Athletic Director, Dr. Osborne is focusing his energy on recruiting more mentors for TeamMates”, said state TeamMates board member Kim Baxter,.  “A whole lot more kids are going to benefit from this program as a result of his efforts and we are thankful he has chosen to come to North Platte to spread this important message.”

Osborne has long been a strong proponent for the importance of mentoring and, while serving in Congress, he led efforts to provide more funding for these programs.

Local TeamMates Coordinator Brandy Buscher expects Osborne’s visit to result in the recruitment of many more mentors for the North Platte chapter as well as those of surrounding communities.  “Between the public reception and numerous presentations that Dr. Osborne will be making for some of our area’s largest employee groups, we know that many will hear his message and respond by stepping up to mentor a child”, she said.  “We have many wonderful young people who have asked to have a mentor and we never seem to have enough to satisfy this need.  It’s not a difficult commitment and it makes such a difference in the lives of these kids.”

If you would like to learn more about TeamMates prior to Dr. Osborne’s visit, you can log on to www.teammates.org.  At this website, you can also apply on-line to be a TeamMates mentor.

(AP) — Nebraska’s preliminary unemployment rate for August remained unchanged from July at 4.2 percent.

The Nebraska Labor Department said in a report released Friday that the August rate was two-tenths of a percentage point higher than the 4 percent in August 2012.

The Nebraska rate continues to come in well under the national rate, which was 7.3 percent for August.

In Omaha, the preliminary unemployment rate dropped to 4.2 percent from 4.6 percent in July, while the rate a year ago was 4.4 percent. Lincoln’s August rate was 3.3 percent, seven-tenths of a point lower than July’s 4 percent and below the 3.4 percent August rate a year ago.

The unemployment rates for Lincoln and Omaha are not seasonally adjusted, so they cannot be directly compared to the state unemployment rate.

• Today: Sunny, with a high near 73. Light and variable wind becoming west around 6 mph in the afternoon.
• Tonight: Clear, with a low around 48. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the evening.
• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 82. South wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 12 to 17 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph.
• Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 53. South wind 9 to 13 mph.
• Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Breezy, with a south wind 9 to 14 mph increasing to 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 34 mph.
• Sunday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 60%.