(AP) — The average U.S. price of a gallon of gasoline has fallen about 8 cents over the past two weeks.

The Lundberg Survey of gas prices released Sunday says the price of a gallon of regular is $3.60. Midgrade costs an average of $3.78 a gallon, and premium is $3.92.

Lundberg Survey President Trilby Lundberg says refiners are over-producing gasoline and slashing their wholesale prices to move product.

Of the cities surveyed in the Lower 48 states, Charleston, S.C., has the nation’s lowest average price for regular gasoline at $3.27 a gallon. Chicago and San Diego have the highest average price at $3.92.

The lowest average price in California is $3.72 in Sacramento. The average statewide for a gallon of regular is $3.86, down 11 cents from two weeks ago.

 

(AP) — A Kearney hospital is bursting with babies.

The Family Birth Center at Good Samaritan Hospital had its busiest month ever in July, with 117 births.

On just one day, July 16, there were seven newborns.

Nurse Patty Perry called it “wall-to-wall babies” in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit, where infants receive specialized care.

Nurse Dani Peisiger says the baby boom is a contrast to an average day, when two or three babies are born.

There are even some days when no babies are born, but that hasn’t been true lately.

Despite the busy July, the 651 babies delivered this year is seven behind last year at this time.

The hospital’s record year was 2008, when 1,117 babies were born.

• Today: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 88. South wind around 7 mph.
• Tonight: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. South southeast wind 6 to 10 mph becoming north northeast after midnight.
• Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. East southeast wind 3 to 7 mph.
• Monday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. East wind 6 to 8 mph.

(AP) — A Texas mother and son who say they were sickened at a Lincoln restaurant have filed a lawsuit against the company that owns Olive Garden restaurants in a Nebraska court.

Houston-based law firm Simon & Luke issued a news release Saturday saying it had filed the lawsuit in Lancaster County District Court on behalf of Laurenda Sanguinetti and her son, Richard Sanguinetti, both of Midlothian, Texas. The pair are suing Orlando-based Darden Restaurants, which owns both Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants.

The Food and Drug Administration has blamed an outbreak of severe stomach illnesses in Iowa and Nebraska on salad served at the restaurants.

The Sanguinettis say they were among hundreds sickened by the rare parasite cyclospora when they ate at an Olive Garden restaurant in Lincoln.

(AP) — Veterans are invited to a Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in Lincoln so they can learn more about VA services.

The event is scheduled to run from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday in the Auditorium at 600 S. 70th St.

Information will be presented on a veterans diversion program and on eBenefits, which is a veterans benefits website.

Members of the Lincoln VA Veterans Advisory Council will be present to answer questions from veterans and their family members.

Go online to https://www.nebraska.va.gov for more information about the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System.

(AP) — Visitors to Nebraska’s state parks and recreational areas are buying fewer entrance permits this year than in 2012, but the numbers are still above average after a surge in sales last year.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission had sold more than 336,000 park-entrance permits as of the end of July. That’s about 25,000 fewer than last year, but still above the five-year average.

Game and Parks officials say an unusually mild spring and a lack of rain helped boost last year’s sales. The sales have generated $4.6 million in revenue so far this year, down from nearly $4.9 million during the same period in 2012. In 2011, state revenue from the permit sales was about $3.5 million.

The revenue helps pay for park maintenance and upkeep.

(AP) — An Idaho man trampled by a steer in a western Nebraska feedlot accident has died.

65-year-old Rodney Dickensen of Nampa, Idaho, died this week after being trampled by a steer Tuesday and suffering severe head injuries.

Authorities say Dickensen was sorting cattle at the Sioux County Feedlot in rural Mitchell when the accident happened.

Funeral services will be Sunday at Dugan-Kramer Funeral Chapel in Scottsbluff.

A 16-year-old boy will stand trial as an adult in the July stabbings of two North Platte youth group home workers.

Jordan Baker waived his preliminary hearing on Thursday, and the attempted murder case was moved to Lincoln County District Court.

Authorities say two female workers were stabbed several times on July 9. Both survived.

Baker and 18-year-old Keenan Lambert were arrested later that day in the stolen vehicle of one of the workers.

Lambert is also being charged as an adult in the crime.  He will be in Court on August 16th.

• Thomas Gene Cartwright Sr., 48, North Platte NE and Tina Louise Dolan, 44, North Platte NE

 

• Scott Douglas McIntyre, 43, North Platte NE and Samantha Michelle Legas, 25, North Platte NE

 

• Juan Antonio Rosales-Rodriguez, 26, North Platte NE and Isabelle Olga Parra, 25, North Platte NE

 

• Andrew Scott Wade, 27, Hershey NE and Meaghan Brianne Evans, 25, Hershey NE

 

• Frank Daniel Katzenstein Jr, 42, North Platte and Angela Lee Reece, 43, Idaho Falls ID

(AP) — The Chadron police chief is defending his officers from criticism by a City Council member.

Chief Tom Lordino says he wants to talk to council member John Gamby about remarks Gamby made at Monday’s council meeting. Gamby said he’d heard complaints from residents about profiling by officers and heavy-handed enforcement of ordinances.

Lordino said in a news release Wednesday that officers didn’t engage in any type of profiling and work hard to uphold “the highest ethical standards.”

Chadron City Manager Wayne Anderson has issued a statement as well, supporting Lordino and his officers.