(AP) — Nebraska officials have pulled nearly 200 people out of a state program that helps pay for private health insurance when doing so is cheaper than billing through Medicaid.

The decision by the Department of Health and Human Services followed a state audit that uncovered lax oversight of the Medicaid-related program. Department spokesman Russ Reno said Wednesday that 455 cases were reviewed by the first week of July.

Of those recipients, 240 were notified that there wasn’t enough information to show that it was cost-effective for Medicaid to pay their premiums.

Reno says 186 were deemed cost-effective. The remaining 29 were disqualified from Medicaid altogether.

Reno says 75 recipients have filed appeals. Of those cases, 52 were submitted in time for recipients to continue receiving payments while their case is reviewed.

(AP) — A bankruptcy judge has approved a debt-restructuring plan for the Great Platte River Road Archway in Kearney.

The judge in federal bankruptcy court said Wednesday that archway organizers must pay $100,000 to settle the more than $20 million owed to bondholders, creditors and vendors.

The foundation that runs the attraction requested those conditions as part of its reorganization plan. The next step will involve collecting community pledges to pay the debt. Officials want to use any remaining pledges to pay legal expenses, and later boost attendance and cover deferred maintenance.

The tourist attraction that spans Interstate 80 has struggled financially for years. Officials filed for bankruptcy in March.

 

• Today: Isolated thunderstorms after 5pm. Sunny, with a high near 91. South wind 5 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 10%.
• Tonight: Scattered thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. Light and variable wind becoming north 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
• Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. North wind 10 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
• Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 43. North wind 6 to 9 mph.

FLOOD WARNING

...THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE FOLLOWING RIVERS IN 
NEBRASKA... 
SOUTH PLATTE RIVER NEAR ROSCOE AFFECTING DEUEL AND KEITH COUNTIES. 
SOUTH PLATTE RIVER AT NORTH PLATTE AFFECTING LINCOLN COUNTY. 
PLATTE RIVER AT BRADY NORTH CHANNEL AFFECTING LINCOLN COUNTY. 

.THE FLOOD WATERS ALONG THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER FROM COLORADO WILL BE 
MOVING INTO WESTERN NEBRASKA TONIGHT AS LOCATIONS IN 
EASTERN SEDGWICK COUNTY COLORADO...WERE SEEING SIGNIFICANT 
RISES IN THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER THIS AFTERNOON. LOCATIONS ALONG THE 
RIVER IN DEUEL AND WESTERN KEITH COUNTIES SHOULD EXPECT TO SEE FLOWS INCREASE 
TONIGHT...WITH FLOODING BEGINNING WEDNESDAY MORNING INTO WEDNESDAY 
AFTERNOON. 
LOOK FOR THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER TO RISE GOING DOWNSTREAM THROUGH 
KEITH AND LINCOLN COUNTIES THROUGH THE WEEKEND...WITH CRESTS 
CURRENTLY EXPECTED IN THE NORTH PLATTE AREA ON SATURDAY MORNING. AS THE 
FLOOD WATERS REACH THE PLATTE RIVER...FLOODING IS EXPECTED ALONG THE 
RIVER THROUGH EASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY. 
THE EXACT CREST STAGES ARE STILL UNCERTAIN AS THE WATERS ARE JUST 
MOVING INTO NEBRASKA. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT UPCOMING FORECASTS COULD 
CHANGE SO THOSE ALONG THE RIVER SHOULD STAY TUNED FOR UPDATED 
INFORMATION. 
THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR 
THE PLATTE RIVER AT BRADY NORTH CHANNEL. 

* FROM FRIDAY EVENING UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. 

* AT 12:00 PM TUESDAY THE STAGE WAS 2.7 FEET. 

* FLOOD STAGE IS 7.5 FEET. 

* RECORD FLOODING IS FORECAST. 

* FORECAST...RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE BY FRIDAY EVENING AND CONTINUE TO 
RISE TO NEAR 9.6 FEET BY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. ADDITIONAL RISES ARE 
POSSIBLE THEREAFTER. 

* IMPACT...AT 9.6 FEET...ON MAY 14 1973 A RECORD FLOOD STAGE WAS SET 
AS 18600 CFS WAS OBSERVED ALONG THE PLATTE RIVER AT BRADY.

(AP) — If it seems that giant lottery jackpots have people lining up at convenience stores more frequently, just wait.

Most of the attention has been on Powerball since its rules were changed a couple years ago to boost payoffs. On Wednesday, Powerball’s estimated $400 million jackpot will be the nation’s fifth-largest ever.

Organizers of the country’s other big lottery, Mega Millions, are now also planning changes to increase jackpots.

Mega Millions, which is sold in 43 states, plans to boost the initial jackpot to $15 million. It also will lessen the odds of winning jackpots and make other changes that will result in faster growing prizes to grab the public’s attention.

(AP) — Government attorneys are appealing a judge’s order to return more than $1 million seized in a Nebraska traffic stop to a California woman.

The U.S. Attorney for Nebraska filed the notice of appeal on Friday. The case will now go the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

In July, a federal judge ordered the government to return $1.07 million — plus interest — to Tara Mishra, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. Mishra sued earlier this year, saying the cash taken in a March 2012 traffic stop near North Platte was her life savings earned over years as an exotic dancer.

U.S. District Judge Joseph Bataillon said government lawyers failed to prove the money was connected to illegal drugs, as it had claimed, noting that Mishra showed she had paid income taxes on the money.

Nebraskans who live near the South Platte River are bracing for flooding later this week when the water from Colorado’s torrential rains flows into the state.

The National Weather Service is warning about flooding in low-lying along the South Platte beginning Wednesday and continuing for several days.

The river runs along Interstate 76 and then Interstate 80 when it enters Nebraska from Colorado.

Floodwaters are likely to approach or exceed record levels along the South Platte at least until after it joins with the North Platte River near the city of North Platte.

Lincoln County officials are preparing for flooding in a golf course and some neighborhoods of southwest North Platte.

The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency is sending a team to Ogallala to help local officials respond to flooding.

(AP) — The recent rain that fell in Nebraska might help some crops, but the Agriculture Department says it arrived too late to do much for the state’s dryland corn.

The USDA says the rain should help improve germination of winter wheat planted in the fall. About 22 percent of that crop has been planted.

Nebraska’s corn crop rates 63 percent good or excellent overall. About 81 percent of the irrigated corn is in good or excellent shape compared to only about 36 percent of the dryland corn.

The USDA says 60 percent of the soybeans are in good or excellent shape.

The state’s corn harvest is just getting underway with about 2 percent of the crop harvested.

(AP) — Workers in the Nebraska State Capitol have been armed with glue traps to battle an infestation of mice.

Mice have been seen scurrying along floorboards and have left droppings or raided food stores in the offices of several state senators, as well as the Legislature’s Fiscal Office and the offices of the secretary of state, auditor and treasurer.

Even the governor’s spokeswoman, Jen Rae Wang, found one in her desk.

Building maintenance workers have distributed scores of 5-by-8-inch “CatchMaster” glue boards to State Capitol offices to help combat the problem.

The unofficial count Monday was as many as 34 mice killed or captured.