HARRISON, Neb. (AP) – A 32-year-old Nebraska Panhandle man has been given life in prison for murdering his 8-year-old stepdaughter.
Salvador Lopez, of Mitchell, admitted killing Kerra Wilson.
Lopez was sentenced Friday in Sioux County District Court. Sioux County Attorney Adam Edmund says Lopez deserved to die in prison In exchange for Lopez’s guilty plea, prosecutors dropped a provision that could have led to the death penalty.
The little girl’s body was found Sept. 22 on remote ranchland in Sioux County.
Prosecutors say Lopez killed Wilson because she told him she was going to tell her mother that he “had touched her in a bad way.”

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Seven states are asking a federal judge to block an Obama administration mandate that requires birth control coverage for employees of religious-affiliated hospitals, schools and outreach programs.
The lawsuit in U.S. District Court of Nebraska alleges that the new rule violates the First Amendment rights of groups that object to the use of contraceptives.
The rule, announced as part of the federal health care law, has come under fire from religious groups that object to the use of birth control. In response to the criticism, Obama administration officials have said they will shift the requirement from the employers to health insurers themselves.
Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning says the proposed change still fails to address their concerns.
Joining the lawsuit are Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) – A trust has donated 1,000 acres of farmland in south central Nebraska valued at over $4 million to benefit the Nebraska Children’s Home Society.
The land in Dawson and Gosper counties is from the Nellie M. Cole Trust.
Proceeds are invested in the nonprofit’s endowment to support services to children and their families.
According to the society, Nellie Cole and her husband, Stephen Cole, started buying land in Gosper County in 1889.
Estate trustee Tom Hedstrom says Nellie Cole’s daughter, Hazel Sitlington died last year, and the instructions were the sell the land with proceeds going to the society. Those wishes were granted last month.
The agency, which has 10 statewide offices, provides a host of services, including pregnancy, adoption and foster care.

NORFOLK, Neb. (AP) – The U.S. Postal Service plans to close mail processing centers in Norfolk, Grand Island and Alliance to cut costs.
The list of the facilities the Postal Service plans to close was released Thursday.
It was not immediately clear Thursday morning what will happen to all the jobs at those centers. The Grand Island center employs 66, Norfolk has 58 and Alliance has 8.
The mail processing currently being done in Grand Island and Norfolk would be move to an Omaha facility.
The western Nebraska mail processing done in Alliance will move to a facility in North Platte.
The Postal Service is predicting it will lose a record $14.1 billion this year. The agency is dealing with declining revenue because people are switching to electronic communication tools instead of mail.

GERING, Neb. (AP) – A 28-year-old man accused of heaving a container of water at a judge has been arraigned on the new charges.
Authorities say Philip Enriquez tossed the container at Judge James Worden on Jan. 30. Worden had just sentenced Enriquez to six months in jail for shoplifting.
The container missed the judge, and Enriquez was wrestled to the floor and taken away after threatening the judge.
Enriquez was in jail when he was arraigned Wednesday via a video system. He’s being held on $500,000 bail. Online court records don’t list the name of his attorney.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Gun owners who legally transport weapons in their vehicles would have more property rights defined in Nebraska law, under a measure moving through the state Legislature.
Legislative Bill 785 would provide clear guidelines for the transportation and storage of firearms in vehicles in publicly accessible parking lots throughout the state.
Sen. Mark Christensen of Imperial says many gun owners face erratic rules and actions by employers regarding the transportation and storage of firearms in private vehicles in parking lots open to the public.
He says his bill brings a balance between private property rights and the right to bear arms for law abiding citizens.
The senator says people should be able to keep a gun safely stored in their vehicles in a public place regardless of an employer’s rules.

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP) – A woman has been given more time to file an amended complaint in a federal lawsuit accusing the Scottsbluff police chief of harassment.
Tamara Villanueva is suing Chief Alex Moreno and the city. She claims she had a relationship with Moreno after she sought police help with a domestic situation, and then he harassed her after the relationship ended.
The city’s lawyers want the lawsuit dismissed, arguing Villanueva failed to make a valid argument and didn’t follow proper procedure when she filed the lawsuit.
A federal judge on Tuesday says Villanueva’s lawsuit doesn’t include a federal claim upon which relief may be granted. The judge gave her until March 7 to file an amended complaint or the lawsuit will be dismissed.