(AP) — The condition of the corn crop in Nebraska and nationally has declined slightly as a late summer dry hot spell settles in over Midwest states renewing fears of a crop damaging drought.

The Department of Agriculture says in Monday’s weekly report that 44 percent of dry land corn is in good or excellent condition, down a percentage point from a week ago and lower than the 59 percent average.

Nebraska irrigated corn is 81 percent good or excellent compared to 79 percent a week ago.

Nationally a slightly larger percentage of the corn crop slipped into poor or very poor category.

Nebraska soybeans are now 6 percent poor or very poor, up from 5 percent the week before. A slight decline also is reported nationally.

(AP) — The Center for Rural Affairs has named a new director because its longtime leader Chuck Hassebrook is leaving the nonprofit to focus on politics.

The nonprofit said Monday that it is promoting Brian Depew to lead the Center for Rural Affairs in Lyons as executive director.

Hassebrook, who has led the center for 17 years and worked there for 36, is running for the Democratic nomination for governor.

The nonprofit’s board president Jim Knopik says he’s confident in Depew partly because he served as interim leader last year while Hassebrook briefly ran for U.S. Senate.

The Center for Rural Affairs is getting ready to celebrate its 40th anniversary this fall. The nonprofit advocates for rural communities.

(AP) — The Kearney City Council is considering a proposal to contribute $100,000 to help market the city’s new veterans home.

The Council will meet Tuesday to discuss the proposal, which would give the money to the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce to help the city market the new Central Nebraska Veterans Home.

The resolution would allow the chamber to help the city with services and initiatives to assist veterans and others with relocating from the Grand Island area to Kearney.

Kearney beat out Grand Island, Hastings and North Platte to become the new home of the veterans home. Grand Island, where the veterans home is currently located, has vowed to fight the move.

Two North Platte woman have been charged after they got stuck while driving through a farmer’s soybean field.

At around 12:05 p.m. on August 25th, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputies received a report of a vehicle trespassing in the Bignell Hill area.  A local farmer advised there was a car stuck in his soybean field.  When the farmer offered assistance, he said the two female occupants were very rude to him.

Deputies responded to location and met with 28-year-old Emily Werts and 50-year-old Amy Norrie.

Deputies say prior to getting stuck, the vehicle caused and estimated $300 damage to the soybean field.  Both Norrie and Werts were cited by the responding Deputy for Criminal Mischief and Trespassing.

Additionally, Werts had a local warrant and was transported to the Lincoln County Detention Center.

The vehicle was towed and impounded.

Deputies say alcohol was a factor.

 

Students throughout the Midwest are getting out of school early this week because of sweltering temperatures and a lack of air conditioning in some classrooms.

Schools in Nebraska, Iowa, the Dakotas and Illinois planned to release children in the early afternoon, before temperatures reached expected highs — nearly 100 degrees in much of the central United States.

School administrators in several states said they were letting school out early because of safety concerns for students and teachers. Many schools have air conditioning systems that don’t extend throughout the entire building.

The National Weather Service says a prolonged heat wave of this magnitude is unusual for this time of year, but not unprecedented.

At this point, North Platte Public Schools have not announced any plans for early dismissals.

A Sutherland man has been charged with child abuse after he allegedly handed his teenage daughter a shotgun and told her to use it to kill herself.

Shortly after midnight on August 25th, Deputies with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a female juvenile wanting to harm herself in Sutherland.  Deputies responded to a residence in Sutherland and made contact with the juvenile, her parents and several other witnesses.

Deputies spoke with the juvenile who told them she had been to the Hershey Teen Dance and met a boy.

When she arrived home, she told her father, 42-year-old Shane Halcott about the boy.  Deputies say Halcott began to berate the juvenile and told her she was not allowed to date any boys.

The juvenile became distressed and an argument began.  Authorities say at one point, the juvenile commented that she wanted to hurt herself.

The juvenile and other witnesses reported that, at this time, Halcott retrieved a pump shotgun, loaded it and tried to hand it to the girl.  Halcott allegedly told her to use the gun to kill herself on several occasions.

Deputies then interviewed Halcott who did not deny the allegations.

As a result, Halcott was placed under arrest and charged with Felony Child Abuse.  He was incarcerated at the Lincoln County Detention Center.

Deputies say the investigation is ongoing.

The newest member of the Nebraska State Patrol was officially introduced as Colonel David Sankey, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol pinned a badge on the Agency’s new mascot, Trooper Buck L. Up. The badging took place during a news conference at the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island.

“We are very excited to unveil our new mascot,” said Colonel David Sankey. “Trooper Buck will be used by our Troopers across the state promoting our agency’s mission of saving lives on Nebraska roads”.

Trooper Buck was created by Street Characters Inc., at a cost of $9,000 and was purchased for the agency by the Nebraska State Patrol Foundation, thanks to a grant from the Motorola Solutions Foundation.  He will join NSP’s current inflatable mascot Trooper Ted, who debuted in 2004.

The agency’s Community Service Officers (CSO’s) will manage Trooper Buck’s schedule as they utilize his fun presence during safety presentations at community and organizational events across the state.

Colonel Sankey said, “From the detail on his uniform to his name, it is our hope Trooper Buck will engage the young and the young at heart, as we work to encourage everyone to wear their seat belt, every trip every time”

(AP) — Authorities say more people are carrying fake guns these days.

Some are carried by people looking for a cheap way to ward off bullies or others bent on causing them harm. Sometimes criminals carry them as inexpensive ways to scare their victims into complying.

But the fake guns pose a real danger, too.

Lincoln Police Chief Jim Peschong (peh-SHAWNG’) said the danger comes from officers or civilians or even criminals who react to a fake weapon as though it were real. Deadly force could be the result.

(AP) — Dairy Queen now owns the world record for the largest fruit sculpture ever after hiring an artist to build a 10-foot-tall tree.

The restaurant chain sponsored the fruit sculpture in Calgary, Alberta, Canada earlier this month as part of a promotional event for its Orange Julius smoothies.

Sculptor Shawn Feeney used 1,200 pieces of pineapples, oranges, strawberries, peaches and mangos to build the tree.

Guinness World Record officials were present to certify the record.

The Dairy Queen chain based in Minneapolis is part of Warren Buffett’s Omaha, Neb.-based Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate.

(AP) — A state water task force is slated to study the urban and rural water needs within the Lower Platte River Basin.

The Nebraska Water Funding Task Force will meet Thursday and Friday in La Vista as part of its ongoing review of state water priorities. The meeting is the sixth time the task force has convened.

The 34-member task force was formed earlier this year. It includes state lawmakers, Natural Resources Commission members and appointees from cities, irrigation and power districts, and farms and ranches.

The group is charged with ranking the proposed projects based on which does the most to ensure water is used productively and benefits residents.