(AP) — Nebraska officials are warning that flooding is possible next week along the South Platte River because of the heavy rain that has fallen in Colorado.

Central Nebraska forecasters are concerned because much of the area experiencing flooding in Colorado now feeds into the South Platte River basin.

The National Weather Service predicts the South Platte will approach flood stage near Roscoe around the middle of next week.

National Weather Service forecaster Matt Masek says it doesn’t look like the river will flood at this point, but that could change if more rain falls in the basin.

Masek says the forecast will become more clear early next week.

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP) — A Scottsbluff man has pleaded guilty to charges in connection with the death of a dog he threw against a wall.

KNEB radio reports (https://bit.ly/18d0B1z ) 29-year-old Richard Mackin was arrested Wednesday night after officers responded to a domestic disturbance report.

Court documents say Mackin threw the dog against a wall, breaking its neck after becoming upset around his girlfriend’s children.

During Mackin’s first appearance Friday in Scotts Bluff County Court, he entered guilty pleas to third-degree domestic assault and cruelty to animals. Both are misdemeanors.

Sentencing is set for Dec. 4.

(AP) — A 23-year-old western Nebraska man has died after a rollover crash in western Nebraska.

Morrill County Sheriff Milo Cardenas says the body of Cutter Abel was found by Abel’s father around 6:45 a.m. Friday. Abel’s father had joined the search for his son after the crash occurred about 12:30 a.m. Would-be rescuers reported difficulty finding the driver or any other possible victims in the dark.

Cardenas says Abel was alone, headed east on Nebraska Highway 92 when his car ran across the roadway into the north ditch, which runs next to the North Platte River. Cardenas says Abel, of Broadwater, was ejected into the river. An autopsy has been ordered.

The sheriff also says speeding and alcohol use appear to have been factors in the accident.

A North Platte woman has been jailed on a felony charge after she allegedly tried to run a North Platte High School Student (NPHS) down with her car.

According to Police, Officers responded to the parking lot at NPHS at about 1:05 p.m Wednesday.  They met with several individuals who reported that Kirsten Collins nearly struck a student with her car.

The victim told Police that Collins is an acquaintance of hers, and they do not get along.

The victim stated that she had been walking in the parking lot when she saw Collins’ car in the area.  Collins allegedly stopped her vehicle, backed up and drove through the parking lot towards the victim at a high rate of speed.  The victim told Officers she had to jump out of the way to avoid being struck. Witnesses corroborated the story.

After viewing surveillance video from the school, Officers determined there was probable cause to arrest Kirsten and charge her with Attempted 2nd Degree Assault, or assault with a weapon.

Police say Collins is not a student at NPHS.

 

(AP) — Free fencing materials are available to Nebraskans who own property along U.S. Forest Service land that was burned in the 2012 wildfires.

The U.S. Forest Service is taking applications for the materials through Oct. 18 at the Pine Ridge Ranger District, less than three miles south of Chadron.

Eligible landowners have to sign an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service. They also have to meet Forest Service specifications when installing the fence, and complete the project by an agreed-upon deadline. After an inspection, land owners will assume ownership of the fences and responsibility for ongoing maintenance.

Forest Service officials say fencing materials are limited. Anyone interested can call the district office at 308-432-0300.

(AP) — Those getting an automated call from the Nebraska State Treasurer’s office in the next two weeks might want to hold the line.

State Treasurer Don Stenberg says his office will place robocalls to the home phones of thousands of Nebraska residents who own unclaimed property. The calls will begin Friday and continue for about two weeks.

The prerecorded message will include information about how to file claims with the state treasurer’s office.

The office is holding more than $125 million in unclaimed property for more than 350,000 people.

Stenberg says more than $7.4 million of unclaimed property has been returned to Nebraskans so far in 2013. That’s more than the $6.6 million that was returned in all of 2012.

(AP) — University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Harvey Perlman will deliver his 14th annual State of the University address on Tuesday.

It is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. at the Lied Center for Performing Arts.

Campus Recreation will provide free, 10-minute chair massages from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Lied Center.

The speech will be streamed live at unl.edu and televised on NebSat 105, Campus Channel 4, Lincoln Cable Channel 21 and KRNU Radio (90.3 FM).

All 13 of Perlman’s previous State of the University speeches are available online at https://go.unl.edu/stateoftheu.

• Today: Isolated showers, then scattered showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71. South southeast wind 8 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
• Tonight: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 56. South southeast wind 10 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
• Saturday: A slight chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. South wind 14 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
• Saturday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. Light and variable wind becoming north 6 to 11 mph after midnight.
• Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. North northeast wind 15 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.
• Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53.

(AP) — Students and adults are injured after a school bus and pickup truck crashed near the far western Nebraska town of Potter.

A Potter-Dix school bus and a pickup truck collided about 4:20 p.m.

Nebraska State Patrol and the Cheyenne County Sheriff’s Department officials say six children on the bus were injured, as were the adult drivers of both vehicles. All were taken to area hospitals. Their conditions were not immediately available, although officials say all of those hurt were conscious at the scene of the crash.

(AP) — Health officials say 2013 already is one of the worst years for measles in more than 15 years.

Before a vaccine became available about 50 years ago, nearly all children got measles by their 15th birthday. In those days, nearly 500 Americans died from measles each year.

Now, the nation has about 60 cases each year. But so far this year, officials have seen 159 cases. The highest count since the mid-1990s was 222 in 2011.

Most young children are vaccinated against measles. But outbreaks still occur, usually when travelers pick up the measles virus abroad and then spread it among unvaccinated people here.

Nearly all of this year’s cases have been traced to travelers.