A new dining experience will soon be available in North Platte.

NebraskaLand National Bank President Michael Jacobson announced Wednesday morning that Bailey’s American Cuisine will be located inside the new bank building at 1400 South Jeffers.  The Bank will lease approximately 5,800 square feet of space to Bailey’s American Cuisine, LLC which will operate the business.  The group also operates SoZo’s American Cuisine in Kearney.

The restaurant is named after former Union Pacific President and namesake of North Platte’s Bailey Yards, Edd H. Bailey.

Jacobson said, “Bailey Yards and those who work there, continue to play a significant role in the economic vitality of North Platte and the surrounding region.”

He added, “We  felt that it was fitting to honor them through the naming of this unique new restaurant.”

The restaurant will feature an extensive menu and will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week in a casual setting on the first floor of the Bank, along with Barista’s Coffee Shop.  A convenient drive-thru window will also allow for convenient coffee on-the-run and food orders to go.  Additionally, the restaurant will also offer more “high-end” dining on the building’s third floor, with access to an open patio that will allow people to dine in a relaxing environment with a spectacular view of the city.

Executive Chef Travis Evans said they want Bailey’s to be a place where anyone will feel comfortable and welcome, whether they are just leaving the office or just getting off the tractor.

Jacobson said Bailey’s will also have space available for special events such as wedding receptions and Christmas parties and will offer catering services as well as a full bar.

Bailey’s American Cuisine is slated to open on November 1, 2013, which is also the scheduled opening for the Bank’s new location.

(AP) — The idea of eliminating the state income tax remains alive as the Nebraska Tax Modernization Committee continued its review of tax policy.

Earlier this year Gov. Dave Heineman proposed eliminating or reducing the state’s income tax. He pulled back the idea after a torrent of criticism about new taxes that would have replaced the revenue lost.

State Sen. Galen Hadley, of Kearney, wants the state to join the seven others in the nation that don’t have an income tax. He said at Tuesday’s committee meeting in Lincoln that supporters are pursuing the idea “more systematically to make sure we do it the right way.”

Sen. Pete Pirsch, of Omaha, says legislators would have to find $2.5 billion in new taxable transactions to make up for the loss of income tax.

(AP) — A man is recovering in the Nebraska Panhandle after being trampled by a steer in a cattle feedlot accident.

Mitchell Fire Chief Jon Wurdeman said the man was injured while working Tuesday morning around 10 at the Sioux County Feedlot north of Mitchell.

Wurdeman says the man was sorting cattle when he was run over by a steer and suffered severe head injuries.

The man was taken by ambulance to Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff. His name and current condition weren’t immediately available.

(AP) — No injuries have been reported after thunderstorms that spawned a funnel cloud lashed parts of the Nebraska Panhandle.

The funnel cloud was spotted near the Scottsbluff airport around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, prompting a tornado warning that expired a half-hour later.

The National Weather Service says hail up to 1¾ inches in diameter was reported northeast of Scottsbluff, and hail ranging from pea to penny size piled up to nearly knee deep northwest of Minatare.

Trees and limbs were blown down by wind gusts of over 70 mph. A grain elevator in Colton was toppled onto another, destroying both.

A weather spotter two miles west of Gurley reported that more than 2 inches of rain fell there in less than an hour.

• Today: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 9am. Partly sunny, with a high near 77. East northeast wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm in the afternoon.
• Tonight: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. East southeast wind around 5 mph becoming south after midnight.
• Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 77. Light south wind increasing to 5 to 9 mph.
• Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. Light and variable wind.

(AP) — Health officials say they have the first evidence of a national decline in childhood obesity.

A government report released Tuesday found at least slight declines in obesity rates for low-income preschoolers in 18 states. Rates went up in three states.

The report is based on the heights and weights of children in a federal food program.

Previous research suggested national childhood obesity rates were flat, though some cities have reported improvements. Nationwide, about 12 percent of boys and girls are obese.

The report didn’t answer why some states improved while most others held steady. Experts credit policies that promote breast-feeding and healthier eating.

Overweight or obese preschoolers are five times more likely than other children to be heavy adults.

(AP) — Last week’s rain and below-normal temperatures combined to raise figures on Nebraska soil moisture.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says 30 percent of Nebraska’s subsoil had adequate or extra moisture last week, compared with 24 percent the week before. Topsoil moisture was 51 percent adequate or beyond, compared with 31 percent a week earlier.

About 85 percent of the irrigated corn in the state was in good or excellent condition, compared with 76 percent average. The USDA says 43 percent of dryland corn was in good or excellent condition, compared with 40 percent the week before and much lower than the average of 64 percent good or excellent.

The USDA says about 69 percent of the soybean crop was in good or excellent shape.

(AP) — Attorneys for Nebraska have asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit over the state’s denial of driver’s licenses for young immigrants who have gotten work permits under an Obama administration policy.

The state filed the motion in Nebraska’s federal court Friday, claiming the state has sovereign immunity and that the plaintiff, 24-year-old Mayra Saldana of Nebraska City, failed to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.

Saldana filed the lawsuit earlier this year after being denied a job because of her inability to drive.

Nebraska and Arizona are the only states that refuse to issue driver’s licenses to participants in President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, enacted last summer. The program protects people brought to the U.S. illegally as children from deportation for two years.

The North Platte City Council approved the first reading of a proposed ordinance that would ban smoking within 50-feet of the Memorial Park Splash Pad.  This is just the first step, as two more readings are required before the ordinance would become a city ordinance.

The reading passed with a 7-0 vote.

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We’ve all heard the phrase, “smoke if you got em,” but this may be a phrase you don’t hear at the Betty Keenan Memorial Splash pad in North Platte’s Memorial Park.

The North Platte City Council will be considering whether or not smoking should be banned within 50-feet of the Splash Pad at Tuesday’s Council meeting.

City officials say complaints from citizens is what put the issue on the Council’s agenda.

There is a current ban on smoking in all indoor city facilities, however smoking is allowed in most areas of city parks and other outdoor areas, with the exception of the rides at Cody Park, City owned sports venues and near the Rec Center and Public Library.

The Council meeting will be held tonight starting at 7:30 at City Hall.

The Seniors Farmer’s Market Program is making it easier for seniors in the North Platte area to get fresh produce and other goods from Farmer’s Markets and road-side stands.

To be eligible for the program, seniors must be 60 years of age or older and have an income at or below poverty guidelines: $20,665 for singles and $27,991 for couples.

Each eligible senior will receive up to 16 $3.00 coupons equaling $48.00 per household.  The coupons are good through October 31, 2013.

The coupons can be used at any Farmer’s Market or road-side stand across the State of Nebraska.  However, the coupons can only be used at a certified vendor booth.  Certified vendors will have a sign posted.

Coupon distribution will be held at the North Platte Senior Center, 901 East 10th Street, and will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis.  Coupons can be picked up Monday through Friday between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm.