A new coffee shop at the University of Nebraska Kearney is offering real-world business experience to students.

The new business, “Brewed Awakening,” was developed and opened as part of a student project that began two years ago. Organizers say it’s one of the first student-run businesses on campus.

Assistant management professor Jake Messersmith, who helped oversee the project, says students developed a business plan, located a coffee supplier, marketed the business and bought all the equipment needed to run it.

Messersmith says proceeds from the shop will help pay for other projects, such as revitalizing rural grocery stores. The project was coordinated by Enactus, a nonprofit that connects students, professors and business leaders in entrepreneurial projects.

The coffee shop is open weekdays, from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 46. South southwest wind 9 to 16 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 20. North wind 5 to 9 mph becoming light and variable.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 47. South southwest wind 8 to 13 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 18 mph.

Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 14. Wind chill values as low as zero. Blustery, with a north northwest wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 17 to 22 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.

Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 28. Blustery, with a north northwest wind 16 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 11.

North Platte, Neb. For the second rating period in a row, Great Plains Regional Medical Center received an A rating in patient safety from The Leapfrog Group, a national leader in hospital quality performance assessment surveys. Great Plains Regional Medical Center is the only Nebraska hospital west of Omaha to receive this distinguished designation.

“The recent rating demonstrates our shared commitment to ensuring patient safety and seeking continual improvement in the delivery of quality care,” said Pam Sweeney, Great Plains Medical Center vice president of quality.

To determine hospital ratings, The Leapfrog Group graded 2,618 hospitals across the country on an “A, B, C, D or F” scale. Hospital safety scores were determined by hospitals’ performance on 26 measures of hospital safety data from the Leapfrog hospital survey, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the American Hospital Association’s Annual Survey.

According to Sweeney, emphasis on programs developed to reduce patient falls in the hospital, reducing medication errors and implementing relevant technology have all contributed to the success Great Plains has experienced in patient safety ratings.

“I am extremely proud of the care that the people of Great Plains Regional Medical Center provide day-in and day-out,” said Greg Nielsen, Great Plains Regional Medical chief executive officer. “To have this work recognized on a national level is extremely rewarding and a tribute to the tireless work of our employees. The Leapfrog Group A rating validates our many efforts to become a regional health care leader in providing the best care and safest patient experience possible.”

The family and estate of a man killed in a January house fire has filed a $1 million wrongful death claim against the city of Scottsbluff and its fire department.

The Jan. 6 fire killed 92-year-old Salome Blanco Sr. His wife, Ramona, escaped the blaze.

The Scottsbluff Star-Herald says the family is represented by Scottsbluff attorney, Maren Chaloupka. She says in the claim that firefighters were unreasonably delayed in responding to the fire and were inadequately equipped.

The claim offers a settlement proposal of $1 million.

The claim signals the family is prepared to sue. If the claim is denied or no action is taken within six months, the family may then file a lawsuit.

Scottsbluff City Manager Rick Kuckkahn says he cannot comment on the tort claim.

The Nebraska Tourism Commission has selected Kathy McKillip to be the agency’s executive director.

McKillip has been director of the Nebraska Travel and Tourism Division since October 2011.

Nebraska Travel and Tourism, previously a division of the Department of Economic Development, became a stand-alone agency July 1. Legislation that authorized the change gave the commission the authority to hire an executive director.

Commissioner Jeff Boeka, of North Platte, says McKillip has proved “that she is aggressive in marketing the state, has moved forward with the strategic plan and has had a positive influence on tourism in the state.”

A 1 percent lodging tax provides funding for Nebraska Tourism to promote statewide attractions, attract visitors and enhance use of the state’s travel and tourism facilities.

The former Modern Muffler building embarked on it’s journey a little before 5 AM Thursday morning.

Utility workers lined S Poplar St as the building took the corner of Francis and Poplar. According to a worker on-scene, the final destination of the building is near Kelly Supply Company on East Philip. The building was required to be moved across Jeffers by 5 AM.

Today: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 46. North northeast wind 6 to 11 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 20. Light and variable wind becoming south around 6 mph after midnight.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 48. South southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest 12 to 17 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph.

A 71-year-old Gibbon man has died following a two-vehicle crash Monday night east of Kearney.

The Nebraska State Patrol says Kermit Keller was driving his pickup eastbound on U.S. Highway 30 around 6 p.m. Monday when he slammed into the back of a semitrailer that had slowed to turn.

Keller was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, where he died. Investigators say Keller was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

An autopsy has been ordered.

The 63-year-old driver of the semi was not injured.

The crash closed a stretch of the highway for about two hours.

The city council meeting on December 4^th began with a gathering in honor of the newly elected officials taking their seats on the council. Yesterday, four newly elected officials were sworn into the city council. Glenn Petersen, Andrew Lee, Brook Baker and Mayor, Dwight Livingston. The names on their chair were switched and the meeting began with a smile on the Mayors face as he did the role-call.

Dan McGuire is sad to leave the council, “A certain amount of sorrow” “I hope that Andrew does well, I’m sure he will” after 32 years on the board McGuire says he has somewhat of an empty feeling. McGuire mentioned that he would like to stay involved with the city by participating in city planning as well as other boards.

Newly elected City Council Member of Ward 3, Andrew Lee, described his feelings of confidence after his first city council meeting, “I felt pretty confident, I tried to say what I thought on one of the issues,” Lee continued, “I’ll continue to do that throughout the four years I’m on this council [for] this term.”

Humor was found when the name slides were being switched out, McGuire’s name-slide appeared stuck in place within the vote counter in the back of the room, vaguely emphasizing the length of McGuire’s time on the board.

On Monday, December 3^rd, an argument reportedly escalated to an alleged physical and dramatic situation at a residence on the 400 block of S. Cottonwood.

Police responded to the report of a male subject, 19-year-old Joseph Lemburg, threatening to harm himself with a knife, according to the news release from Officer Rodney Brown from the North Platte PD, Lemburg and his domestic partner were arguing before he grabbed and pushed her. The victim/domestic partner tried to leave with an infant but was allegedly restricted by Lemburg.

Lemburg was arrested for 3^rd Degree Domestic Assault and 2^nd Degree False Imprisonment then booked into the Lincoln County Detention Center.