LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska lawmaker is leaving the Legislature to become the executive director of a new economic development group.

Blueprint Nebraska announced Monday that state Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion will help lead the organization. Smith has served in the Legislature since 2011 and was slated to step down in January because of term limits.

Smith is a small businessman who served as chairman of the Legislature’s Transportation and Telecommunications Committee and the tax-focused Revenue Committee. He introduced numerous bills to cut taxes during his tenure, including some championed by Gov. Pete Ricketts.

Blueprint Nebraska describes itself as a statewide, citizen-led economic development initiative. The group says it’s looking to create a proactive plan to stimulate economic growth while making Nebraska more competitive and building on the state’s strengths.

North Platte Community College will offer a Driver Education course July 23-27. Class time is from 8 a.m. to noon each day and driving sessions will be in the afternoon. The registration deadline is July 17.

Driver Education is open to students as young as 14 who have a learner’s permit. It is approved by the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles and consists of 20 hours of class time and five hours of drive time.

The instructors are: Will Winchester, Tom Allberry, Dennis Fornander, Jeff and Janet Henne, Lynn Rinehart and Bob Zohner.

Those who successfully complete the program will receive a waiver, enabling them to skip both the written test and the drive test when applying for a license. Discounts on car insurance may also apply, depending on the policy.

A $ 235-course fee, which covers the cost of a required textbook, must be paid in advance. Payments will not be accepted at the door. Registration can be done online at www.mpcc.edu/bce.

More information is available through the Business and Community Education department at NPCC, (308) 535-3678.

(LINCOLN, NEB.)  — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) took 16 impaired drivers off the road during special enforcement operations over the July 4^th holiday.

The effort, which ran from July 3-5, placed an emphasis on taking drunk drivers off the road. Troopers worked to reduce the potential for serious injury or fatality crashes in several counties identified as priority counties by the Nebraska Department of Transportation – Highway Safety Office (NDOT-HSO).

In addition to the 16 arrests for drunk or drugged driving, troopers also issued citations for speeding (432), open container (6), minor in possession (6), driving under suspensions (19), no proof of insurance (15), no seat belt (39), and improper child restraint (9). Troopers also responded to 154 calls for assistance from motorists on Nebraska roads.

This effort, which included saturation patrols and vehicle checks, was made possible thanks in part to a grant for $12,000 from NDOT-HSO.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s state parks could see faster construction of cabins, aquariums and other amenities under a new state law designed to save time on projects and possibly reduce costs.

The new law will allow the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to hire a project’s designers and builders at the same time, instead of bidding out parts of the job separately.

The “design-build” approach typically allows one firm to take on the whole project, ensuring that all players work collaboratively while avoiding last-minute design changes.

“It’s a very effective tool for specialized projects,” said Sen. John Stinner, of Gering, who introduced the law and has approved design-build projects as a former school board member. “It’s a more efficient way to get projects designed and built in a timely fashion.”

Stinner said the design-build approach particularly makes sense in rural areas that have a shortage of individual contractors. Lawmakers and Gov. Pete Ricketts approved the law in March, and it’s scheduled to go into effect later this month.

Game and Parks officials requested the law in hopes of using it on future projects, although they’ll continue to bid out some work in the traditional way, said Tim McCoy, the commission’s deputy director.

McCoy said the design-build approach tends to reduce the number of times state officials must ask for a project redesign due to problems identified by the construction firm.

“There are some places where we think this can really provide us some benefits,” he said. “I don’t know if there will be a huge dollar savings, but the efficiency is really what we’re looking for.”

One example, he said, was a recent effort to build an aquarium at Schramm State Recreation Area in Sarpy County. McCoy said the project faced additional design costs and had to be reworked because one of the contractors didn’t get input from a consultant that specializes in aquarium projects.

“The designers wished we had that ability” to offer design-build projects, he said. “It would have made it a lot easier.”

McCoy said the commission will likely use design-build for special projects, such as a planned “raging river” ride at Mahoney State Park, but will stick to traditional bidding for routine work, such as adding roofs or upgrading water and sewer systems. The latter projects need to go slower because they’re required to get permits from state health and environmental regulators, McCoy said.

The commission has been adding new features as Nebraska’s state parks and recreation areas grow increasingly popular, with a rising number of visitors. In 2015, the commission unveiled a $35 million plan to create recreational parks along the Platte River that would allow children to scale rock walls and splash around in floating playgrounds.

The new law gives greater flexibility to state officials and contractors that work on projects, said Jean Petsch, executive director of the Associated General Contractors’ Nebraska Building Chapter. Petsch said the private sector has done design-build projects for at least 20 years, and the service is also allowed for public school districts and the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

“Different projects have different schedules, different budgets and different needs,” she said. “It’s that flexibility that is the big advantage.”

FALLS CITY, Neb. (AP) — A judge has rejected the latest challenge by a Nebraska death row inmate whose case inspired the 1999 movie “Boys Don’t Cry.”
John Lotter’s attorneys had argued it would be unconstitutional to execute him because he functions intellectually as a child. The Lincoln Journal Star reports that Richardson County District Judge Vicky Johnson said Thursday that Lotter’s claim was raised too late.
Lotter was sentenced to death for his role in the 1993 killings of Brandon Teena, a 21-year-old transgender man, and two witnesses, Lisa Lambert and Philip DeVine, at a farmhouse in Humboldt, about 75 miles south of Omaha.
Lotter’s motion said IQ testing shows the 47-year-old inmate has an IQ of 67. Nebraska law says an IQ of 70 or below is presumptive evidence of an intellectual disability.
But the judge said the state’s post-conviction act is limited to constitutional, not statutory, claims that could void a sentence.
Lotter is expected to appeal.
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Information from: Lincoln Journal Star, http://www.journalstar.com

CHADRON, Neb. (AP) — Two state parks in the Nebraska Panhandle will be offering special opportunities to view bighorn sheep this month.

Hikes will be held July 13 at Fort Robinson State Park west of Crawford and on July 14 at the Wildcat Hills Nature Center south of Gering.

Participants will gather at the parks and caravan to the sheep’s present range with the help of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission wildlife technicians. The Fort Robinson group will set off from a shelter at the entrance of the Soldier Creek campground. The Wildcat Hills excursion will start at the Nature Center. Participants are asked to prepare for up to three miles of hiking with appropriate footwear, sunscreen and water.

The tours are free, but a Nebraska park entry permit is required for vehicles.

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — The district court judge for Buffalo and Hall counties has announced he will retire this year.

Ninth District Judge William Wright is retiring effective Sept. 30, after 11 years on the bench.

Wright received his law degree in 1977 from University of Nebraska College of Law. He served in private practice in Kearney until being appointed to the 9th District Court bench in 2007.

Wright says drug court, which caters specifically to non-violent, first-time offenders, has by far been “the most proactive and successful program in which I have been involved.”

The first step in replacing Wright will be for the Judicial Resources Commission to call a meeting to determine whether, based on judicial workload statistics, his retirement creates a judicial vacancy.

BAYARD, Neb. (AP) — A western Nebraska tourist attraction has made several improvements that are drawing rave reviews from visitors.

Chimney Rock National Historic Site has added interactive history displays. Areas include a small mechanical pony children can ride, a rock area where visitors can carve their names, a display of jars filled with water from the North Platte and a spotting scope.

Visitors are spending more time in the museum interacting with the exhibits, said Vicki Cobb, an employee at the museum. Many visitors have reacted positively to the new additions, she said.

“They come in and say, ‘Oh, we’re only here for a few minutes,'” Cobb said. “Then they will still be here an hour to an hour and a half later.”

The museum is continuing to add more upgrades as its renovation progresses. Sandra Reddish, the historic site’s coordinator for History Nebraska, said she hopes to get an educational cart that features items that visitors can pick up and hold.

Museum officials also plan to redo a popular wagon and supply exhibit, Reddish said. Visitors are tasked with packing the wagon while staying within the weight constraints. The exhibit can currently function fine, but needs upgrades, such as new paint.

“It’s fascinating watching kids do this,” Reddish said. “It’s giving them a challenge and they’ll work and work at it trying to get it right.”

RAVENNA, Neb. (AP) – An early morning fire has destroyed a building at a central Nebraska vineyard.

The Kearney Hub reports that fire crews responded to the Cedar Hills Vineyard near Ravenna at 5:40 a.m. Thursday. Ravenna Fire Chief DeWayne Thomsen says the building was “completely burned up” when crews arrived.

Thomsen says he believes the structure was a utility shed where the owners Clay and Heidi Schutz produce their wine.

The Schutzes said in a Facebook post that their winery/production building and guest house were affected by the fire. They say the tasting room was not harmed.

Thomsen says the Nebraska State Fire Marshal is investigating the fire’s cause.

Caden Atkinson was granted a wish on Thursday that will send him and his family to Alaska.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska revealed Caden’s “celebrity wish” to him at Stone Hearth Estates in Gothenburg on Thursday afternoon.

In 2017, Cade was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. According to mda.org, Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness. It is one of nine types of muscular dystrophy.

Cade’s mom, Lynette, started a blog shortly after Cade was diagnosed and has told the story of their journey.

Cade is a fan of the popular TV show, “Alaska: The Last Frontier.” Not only is Make-A-Wish sending Cade and his family to Alaska, but they will also get to meet the cast of the show, which is shooting now for Discovery Channel.

Cade’s Wish Grantors, Amy Williamson and Kristi Gargan, were greeted with huge hugs when the broke the news to Cade.

Gargan said Cade made his wish in November but said that Celebrity Wishes are different because they never know when the wish will be granted.  She said they don’t know whether it will take three months or three years.

In addition to the blog, Lynette also made “Cade’s Journey” t-shirts and sold them.  Gargan said Lynette told Cade he could do anything with the proceeds that he wanted, and Cade chose to give the money, $1,000, to the Make-A-Wish foundation.  He presented the organization with a check.

The Post was at the reveal and captured the amazing moment.  Check out the Facebook Live video below, as well as a link to Lynette’s blog and some other useful information.

Cade’s Journey Blog: https://cadesjourney.com/2017/10/19/welcome/

Make-A-Wish Nebraska: http://nebraska.wish.org/