At their next meeting, Nebraska Game and Parks commissioners will consider a staff recommendation to create a mountain lion hunting season.

The meeting in Chadron is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. Friday at the Chadron State College Student Center Ballroom. Public hearings for regulations regarding mountain lions are scheduled for 8:45 a.m. and 9 a.m.

Officials say mountain lions all but vanished from Nebraska by 1890. The cats have been making a comeback in Nebraska’s northwest corner and have traveled as far east in the state as Omaha. The commission estimates the Pine Ridge area has a population of 22 animals.

The commissioners also will consider recommendations on regulations for antelope, deer and elk hunting and an agreement with the city of Gothenburg to rehabilitate Lake Helen.

Eugene T. Mahoney State Park will be the site of a run to raise money for wildlife conservation next month.

The 10K Run Wild trail run on June 1 will feature participants in a wild-animal costume. Registration fees for the race are $45 through Friday. The fees include a T-shirt and park entry for the day of the race, and proceeds go to the Nebraska Wildlife Conservation Fund.

The fund helps thousands of nongame species that call Nebraska home.

For more information or to register, visit the Run Wild site online at www.RunWildNe.org.

A North Platter Veterans Group is hoping for the return of some 40 personalized bricks destined for a North Platte veterans’ memorial that someone intercepted at the memorial group’s office, then hauled off.

Someone signed for the package of memorial bricks delivered by UPS on April 25, using the name “Saelers.”

The office manager says she doesn’t know who that is. Now, she’s pleading for the return of the bricks, which each bear the name of a veteran.

Families of those veterans paid to have the bricks inscribed and installed at the memorial.

The bricks were to be unveiled at a Memorial Day ceremony.

(AP) — A 41-year-old Scottsbluff man has been accused of throwing his 6-year-old son to a floor and striking him.

Authorities say Joseph Hafner was arrested on Tuesday and charged with felony child abuse. A Scotts County jailer said Hafner remained in custody on Friday, pending $75,000 in bail. Hafner’s attorney didn’t immediately return a call from The Associated Press.

An arrest affidavit says the boy told school officials about being slammed down. A doctor at Regional West Medical Center told police the boy had bruises on his back and a shoulder and forearm.

The affidavit says Hafner told investigators that he had “lost it” when his son denied taking a key to a garage.

Authorities say Nebraska’s preliminary unemployment rate declined to 3.7 percent in April after registering 3.8 percent for four straight months.

The Nebraska Labor Department says in a report released Friday that the rate was three-tenths of a point lower than in April 2012 and less than half the national April rate of 7.5 percent for this year.

The 3.7 percent was the second-lowest state unemployment figure in the country, trailing only North Dakota’s 3.3 percent for April.

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s office is seeking the public’s help in the near-drowning case of Landon Schroeder.

A news release from Chief Deputy Roland Kramer says, “As part of a criminal investigation regarding the near drowning death of three-year-old, Landon Schroeder on May 6^th, 2013, between the hours of 12:00 noon and 6:30 PM, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance.”

The Sheriff’s Office is looking for information from any persons who may have been on the larger of two lakes in kayak’s or small boats, at the North East area of the Newberry overpass, North of the railroad tracks on this date and times.

Anyone who has any information is urged to call the Sheriff’s Office at 308-535-9519 or 308-535-9599.

On Friday, May 10, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Investigators arrested the boy’s stepfather, Trevor Perry, and charged him with Felony Child Abuse.

Through an extensive investigation, Deputies learned that Perry took Landon to a remote fishing spot near North Platte, where they fished from 12:00 p.m. until at least 6:30 p.m.

According to Deputies, at some point during the day, Perry became inattentive for an extended period of time.  He eventually found Landon underwater about 15 feet from the shoreline.

Perry told Investigators that Landon was not conscious when he removed him from the pond.

Authorities say Perry did not call for assistance, instead, he walked Landon to his vehicle, loaded his property and drove to his residence.

Landon’s mother immediately recognized that Landon was in great distress and immediately took him to Great Plains Regional Medical Center.

Landon was transported to a Denver hospital where he made an amazing recovery and is expected to return home this week.

A North Platte man has been charged with assault after he bit his step-mother.

According to a North Platte Police Department news release, Officers responded to the report of an assault in the 300 block of West 1st Street on Thursday at around 8:00 p.m.

Upon arrival, an Officer met with a 61-year-old female victim.  The victim told police that her step-son, Trevor Perry, who was currently living with her, had assaulted her.

The victim stated that Perry had appeared intoxicated or under the influence of something and was attempting to leave the residence in his vehicle.

Fearing that Perry would cause an accident by driving in his intoxicated state, the victim attempted to convince him not to drive, and even offered to drive him to his destination.

When the victim attempted to take Perry’s keys from him, he bit her on the arm causing visible injury.

Perry then left the property.

Perry’s vehicle was located a short time later in the 1500 Block of West 10th Street.  Officers responded to a residence where they took Perry into custody without incident.

Officers said that Perry appeared to be intoxicated at the time of his arrest.

He was charged with 3rd Degree Assault and taken to the Lincoln County Detention Center.

Perry was recently charged with Felony Child Abuse in the near-drowning case of Landon Schroeder.

CORRECTION: The initial release from the North Platte Police Department stated the victim was Perry’s mother.  However, it turns out the victim was his step-mother.

The American Red Cross is urging residents in Nebraska and Iowa to make sure households, schools and business are prepared for possible severe weather including rain, strong winds and possible tornados.

“Listen to weather alerts and designate a safe space where people can gather for the duration of the storm,” said Tina Labellarte, Region CEO. “The area should be a basement, storm cellar or an interior room on the lowest floor away from windows.”

Download Tornado App

The American Red Cross Tornado App is available in English or Spanish and gives iPhone, iPad and Android smart phone and tablet users instant access to local and real-time information, so they know what to do before, during and after a tornado.

The free app includes a high-pitched siren and “tornado warning!” alert that signals when a NOAA tornado warning has been issued. This feature allows users to make critical decisions and to take actions to help keep themselves and their loved ones safe even in the middle of the night. An “all clear!” alert lets users know when a tornado warning has expired or has been cancelled.

Other features of the app include:

• ·         Location-based NOAA tornado, severe thunderstorm and flood watch and warning alerts;
• ·         Enhanced weather maps and information provided by Weather Underground, a digital brand of The Weather Company;
• ·         One touch “I’m safe” messaging that allows users to broadcast reassurance to family and friends via social media outlets that they are out of harm’s way;
• ·         Preloaded content that gives users instant access to critical action steps, even without mobile connectivity;
• ·         Toolkit with flashlight, strobe light and audible alarm; and
• ·         Locations of open Red Cross shelters.

“If a tornado is threatening your area, listen for alerts and warnings, grab your emergency preparedness kit and head to your designated safe area,” Labellarte added.

The Tornado App, along with other apps, can be found in the Apply App Store and the Google Play Store for Android by searching for American Red Cross or by going to redcross.org/mobileapps. People can go to redcross.org/tornado for more safety tips.

As with any disaster, preparation can be the difference between life or death. The Red Cross recommends that individuals and families prepare for tornadoes by:

• Creating and practicing a Home Tornado Plan: Pick a “safe room” or uncluttered area without windows where family members and pets could seek shelter on the lowest floor possible: a basement, a center hallway, a bathroom or a closet.  Putting as many walls between you and the outside provides additional protection.
•  Assembling a Emergency Preparedness Kit: Kits should contain a first aid kit and essential medications, foods that don’t require cooking or refrigeration and manual can opener, bottled water, flashlights and a battery-powered radio with extra batteries and other emergency items for the whole family.
• Heeding Storm Warnings: Listen to your local radio and TV stations for updated storm information.  A tornado WATCH means a tornado is possible in your area. When a tornado WARNING is issued, go to the safe room you picked to protect yourself from glass and other flying objects. If you are outside, hurry to the basement of a nearby sturdy building. . If you are in a car or mobile home, get out immediately and head to the nearest building for safety.  If you are outside and there are no buildings, lie flat in a low lying area or ditch and cover your head with your arms and hands.
• Preparing for High Winds: Make trees more wind resistant by removing diseased and damaged limbs, then strategically removing branches so that wind can blow through. Install permanent shutters on your windows and add protection to the outside areas of sliding glass doors. Strengthen garage doors and unreinforced masonry. Move or secure lawn furniture, outdoor decorations or ornaments, trash cans, hanging plants and anything else that can be picked up by wind and become a projectile.

For more information on tornado preparedness, contact the Nebraska/SW Iowa Region of the American Red Cross at (402) 343-7700, visitwww.redcross.org/neia or call 1-800 RED CROSS.

Even though nearly two-thirds of families with small children plan on swimming in areas without lifeguards this summer, many people don’t know the right thing to do in water emergencies or how to keep their loved ones safe in the water, according to a new American Red Cross poll.

“People tend to spend more time in and around the water during the summer, so now is a great to review water safety precautions so you know what to do to stay safe,” said Tina Labellarte, Region CEO.

The survey findings show that people mistakenly believe some steps such as having a swimming buddy or flotation device will keep them safe. For example, while the Red Cross recommends that people always swim with a buddy in designated swimming areas supervised by lifeguards, buddies alone are not enough to keep swimmers safe.

Two thirds (67%) of those asked mistakenly believe that putting inflatable arm bands, or “water wings,” on children is enough to keep them safe when an adult is not nearby. These are not lifesaving devices, and children and weak/inexperienced swimmers should wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets while remaining under constant adult supervision.

The Red Cross poll found 63 percent of families with children plan on swimming in an area without a lifeguard this summer. However, nearly half of those polled had never taken swimming lessons, with African-Americans (32 percent) less likely to have received formal training.

Nearly half of Americans say they have had an experience where they were afraid they would drown, according to the findings. Hispanics reported a higher percentage (66%) of having such an experience over Whites (46%). Overall, four in 10 (41%) say they know someone who was in danger of drowning, which is an increase of 16 percentage points from a similar 2009 Red Cross survey.

Another concerning finding in the 2013 Red Cross survey was that most of those polled were unsure of the right steps to take when someone appears to be in distress in the water: More than nine in 10 (93%) people were unable to identify the correct order of actions to take to help a swimmer who may be in danger of drowning.

“The correct steps to take when you see a swimmer who needs help is to shout for help, reach or throw the person a rescue or flotation device and tell them to grab it; then call 9-1-1 if needed,” Labellarte said. “Sometimes people think that if a person isn’t actually calling out for help that they must not need help. However, it’s possible the person in trouble cannot call out because they are using all their energy to just try to stay above the water.”

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Other signs of a swimmer in trouble include:

• Treading water and waving an arm
• Doggie paddling with no forward progress
• Hanging onto a safety line
• Floating on their back and waving their arms
• Arms extended side or front, pressing down for support, but making no forward progress
• Positioned vertically in the water, but not kicking legs
• Underwater for more than 30 seconds
• Floating at surface, face-down, for more than 30 seconds

Red Cross swimming lessons help people develop skills and water safety behaviors that help people be more comfortable and safe when they are in, on and around the water. The Red Cross encourages all household members to enroll in age-appropriate water orientation and Learn-to-Swim programs. To find classes for your family, contact your local aquatic facility and ask for American Red Cross swimming programs.

An infographic highlighting survey results has been developed. People can find additional water safety information at redcross.org/watersafetytips.

Survey details: Telephone survey of 1,011 U.S. Adults 18 years and older on April 11-14, 2013 conducted in ORC International’s CARAVAN® survey using a landline-cell dual-frame sampling design.  Margin of error is +/- 3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. For comparison, this report includes findings from a 2009 Water Safety Poll–Telephone survey of  1,002 U.S. Adults 18 years and older on March 20-23, 2009 conducted by ORC International’s CARAVAN®. Margin of error is +/- 3.1 percent at the 95% confidence level