LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Latest on the announcement that TransCanada Corp. will proceed with its plans for the Keystone XL pipeline (all times local):

10:55 a.m.

The Keystone XL pipeline still faces an uncertain future in Nebraska despite the developer’s announcement that it will proceed with the project.

TransCanada Corp.’s decision follows a 3-2 vote by the Nebraska Public Service Commission to approve a pipeline route through the state, but not the one the company preferred. The company said after the decision it needed time to evaluate the decision and line up potential customers.

Pipeline opponents note that the company’s announcement that it has secured enough contracts to ship 500,000 barrels of oil a day is far below the pipeline’s capacity. The pipeline was first proposed to ship 830,000 barrels a day.

Jane Kleeb, founder of the anti-pipeline group Bold Nebraska, says she doesn’t believe the pipeline will ever be built. Opponents have filed a lawsuit challenging the commission’s decision.

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9:04 a.m.

The developer of the Keystone XL pipeline says it is moving forward with its plans and hopes to begin construction next year.

TransCanada Corp. said Thursday that its decision builds on the Nebraska Public Service Commission’s decision to approve a route through the state on Nov. 20.

The company based in Calgary, Canada, says it has secured enough long-term commitments from oil companies to ship approximately 500,000 barrels per day through the pipeline.

The project faces opposition from environmental groups, property owners along the route and Native American tribes, who view it as a threat to groundwater and property rights.

The Nebraska commission’s vote to approve a route through the state removed one of the last regulatory obstacles for the project, although it still could face years of court challenges.

UPDATE (1.17.18, 11:20 a.m.)

On January 16, 2018, at 4:45 p.m., Deputies received information that a van previously operated by 28-year-old Chance Ragle was stopped on East Meadow Lawns Road (south of North Platte, NE.). Earlier in the day Mr. Ragle resisted arrest and fled North Platte Police Officers. In the process of fleeing, Mr. Ragle drug a North Platte Police Officer on the side of his van, while the officer attempted to stop the van. The officer was injured in the incident.

Deputies and Nebraska State Troopers responded to the area. They located the van now driving south on District 31 Road. The van pulled into a residence and stopped. Deputies and Troopers attempted to get Mr. Ragle to exit the van but he refused. Mr. Ragle again took off, now northbound on District 31 Road. Speeds in the pursuit reached upward of 75 miles per hour.

Nebraska State Troopers deployed spike strips and deflated tires on the vehicle. Mr. Ragle continued to head north eventually turning west on Brown Road. Just prior to Old Highway 83 Road, his vehicle became disabled. Mr. Ragle was arrested without further incident.

Mr. Ragle was transported to the Lincoln County Detention Center and charged with Felony Flight to Avoid Arrest and Possession of Marijuana. Further charges are pending from other Police agencies.

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On January 16th, 2018, at approximately 10:00 AM, officers were called to the 2300 block of east Philip on the report of a disturbance.

Upon arrival, the residents said they returned home and found 28-year-old Chance Ragle on their front porch. There is an active protection order that restricts Ragle from being on the property. Ragle left and the police were called.

It was discovered that the front door of the victim’s residence had been kicked in and some items were stolen from the house. A short time later, an officer saw Ragle driving a white 1996 Ford Econoline van.

The officer activated his lights and siren but Ragle continued driving at a slow rate of speed. The van eventually came to a stop in the 900 block of south Industrial Ave.

The officer approach Ragle who was in the driver’s seat. Ragle would not follow the officer’s orders and was argumentative. The officer told Ragle he was under arrest for violation of a protection order and attempted to take Ragle into custody.

Ragle struggled with the officer and was able to get the van into gear. Ragle tried to speed off and he continued to struggle with the officer. The van accelerated to the other side of the roadway and the officer fell free of the van as it hit the opposite curb. Ragle then left the area at a high rate of speed.

The pursuit was terminated because the officer had positively identified Ragle.

At this time, probable cause exists to arrest Ragle for violation of a protection order—misdmeanor, burglary—felony, willful reckless driving—misdemenor, and flight to avoid arrest.

The van had NE license plate 15331G. If anyone knows where Ragle can be contacted, please call the police department at 535-6789 or Crime Stoppers at 534-8400.

The officer received minor injuries

The following students qualified for the President’s List at Mid-Plains Community College during the 2017 Fall Term. To make the list, each student had to complete 12 or more applicable credit hours in college-level courses and maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 3.9 or greater on a 4.0 scale.

Nebraska

Ashby – Brook Jamison

Axtell – River Straatmann

Bellevue -Allison Tichy

Benkelman – FayeLee Sanford

Broken Bow – Jeffrey Frede, Preston Sanchez, Briana Taylor

Culbertson – Grant Wilkinson

Curtis – Rylie Brown, Colleen Mortensen

Dunning – Renee Daniel

Gothenburg – Keisha Blake, Jaime Burkink, Ty Clement, Madison Gilg, Bryce Larson

Grand Island – Chance Boersen

Grant – Whitney Spencer

Holdrege – Tatiana Young

Imperial – Abigail Almanza, Jadin Bussell

Indianola – Drew Hofman, Michaela Holdcroft, Genna Vogel

Maxwell – Will Huffman

McCook – David Brewster, Devonn Bruntz, Easton Gillen, Ahria Golden, Mary Kain, Brandon Molcyk, Tanner O’Neill, Kyli Scott, Victoria Tietz

Morrill – Kyle Meininger

North Platte – Kari Bell, Michael Bergmeier, Leslie Borges, Cristina Bravo, Terry Brown, Haley Burford, Kayla Bush, Emily Cady, Jamon Davis, Kayla Douglas, Isabelle Eisenrich, Remingten Elsen, Kelsey Epp, Jacob French, Regan Gifford, Elizabeth Goentzel, Brandon Grachek, Colleen Griffin, Cole Hall, Cody Harrison, Jonathan Hastings, Abbie Hedgecock, Colton Houser, Nadezdha Hughes, Kaile Jacobson, Anna Junker, Zane Leibhart, Rebecca Lindley, Ashley Linke, Cole Lohoefener, Hallie Malsbury, Charles Martin, Jessica Martin, Samantha Mauch, Brandon McElwee, Jayden Miles, Brian Mixer, Hannah Nelson, Jayda Paul, Madelyn Peters, Caitlynn Peterson, Haley Piper, Dalton Prokop, Ethan Ramsey, Cade Rasmussen, Hunter Rathjen, Aubri Rose, Braiden Ruffin, Jared Schaefer, Jessica Slattery, Ian Smith, Seth Smith, Nathan Snider, Ryan Sorenson, Kamrin Stacy, Alisha Starner, Mara Strecker, Shalee Taylor, Joel Van Diest, Kandace Ward, Taylor Wiese, Dan Wright, Kade Wroot

Ogallala – Justine Gall, Amanda Kroeger, Jade Max, Nasencio Rivas, Saige Skalsky

Ord – Ashley Carson

Paxton – William Babbitt

Sidney – Mikenna Curlee

Sutherland – Jocey Nelson, Scott Taylor

Tryon – Michaela Schultis

Wallace – Juan Gomez

Wauneta – Zachary Thompson

Whitman – Breanna Daly

Arizona

Scottsdale – Kali Juracek

Colorado

Beulah – Jennah Laraque

Breckenridge – Graham Gaspard

Colorado Springs – Gabrielle Enloe

Fleming – Shaylee Johnson

Otis – Antonya Schaffert

Idaho

Malad City – Taya Thorpe

Illinois

Chicago – Erin Dziubski

Kansas

Oberlin – Andrew Wade

Missouri

Rolla – Preston Parry

Oregon

Astoria – Joshua Raichl

Canada

Parksville, British Columbia – Rebecca Carpenter

Richmond, British Columbia – Kayla Harrison

Victoria, British Columbia – Emily Charchuk

Summerville, New Brunswick – Shaun Hickey

Croatia

Zagreb – Toni Kumanovic

Spain

Badalona, Barcelona – Laura Mata Garcia

Mozambique

Maputo – Nelo Nducuia

Nigeria

Kaduna – Chinedu Okonkwo

Serbia

Pančevo – Antonije Petrovic

The following students qualified for the Dean’s List during the 2017 Fall Term at Mid-Plains Community College. To be eligible, they had to complete 12 or more applicable credit hours of college-level courses and maintain an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 – 3.89 on a 4.0 scale.

Nebraska

Ainsworth – Samantha VonHeeder

Ansley – Jodi Dethlefs, Kami Nelson

Arapahoe – Edwin Aguirre Carmona

Benkelman – Zoey Ellis

Blair – Mark Starks

Brady – Stephanee Black, Jon Wardyn

Broken Bow – Elise Montgomery, Shannon Pomplun

Champion – Richard Stolz

Culbertson – Jimmy Cole, Michael Erickson, Taylor Ford, Kyle Haddix, Courtney Searcey

Curtis – Karmen Brush

Fairbury – Catherine Jurgens

Grant – Heather Cockerill, Melany Morales, Caden Picquet, Bailey Wood

Hershey – Madison Hoatson, William Schillinger

Holdrege – Brooke Kuehn

Imperial – Diana Benitez Aguilar, Kinberlyn Benitez Aguilar, Charlie Ann Carter, Cheyanne Kuhlmann, Taylin McNair, Rogelio Vargas

Indianola – Jacy Ahlemeyer, Sean Anderson, Alec May, James Sughroue

Kearney – Jessica Eckhout

Lexington – Cristian Prado

Lincoln – Avanthony Banks

Maxwell – Jesse Carlyle

Maywood – Dayne Littell, Devon Littell, John VanDrimmelen

McCook – Nicholas Bingham, Benjamin Bradley, Taye Collicott, April Doherty, Kyle Geisler, Faith Hansen, Lindi Johnson, Aaron Kotschwar, Brigham Larington, Jadyn Lofton, McKenzie Mason, Jaret Matson, Taylor Patterson, Emmerie Roth, Kacee Samway, Caleb Suda, Owen Wais, Erin Werkmeister

North Platte – Brittanya Allen, Brayden Aufrecht, Shay Bamesberger, Jaimee Barrett, Marleine Emanuel, Carl Epley, Anne Marie Finchem, Natalie Furrow, Jessica Gray, Bobbi Gustason, Marcus Gutherless, Thomas Hoatson, Bridget Jacobs-Blythman, Megan Johnson, Zachary Karre, Hunter Kelley, Stephen Kraning, Jamie Lauderdale, Justin Mayfield, Jaedyn Michaels, Heath Monie, Jade Osborn, Austin Pankonin, Robert Park, Nelson Perlinger-Jett, Bryson Phillips, Sara Simcox, Lindi Simmons, Jordynn Simpson, Shawn Simpson, Jonathan Spradlin, Skylar Stethem, Curtis Tagwerker, Brandon Tolle, Selena Venezie, Luke Walker, Erin White

Ogallala – Tara Doughty, Austin Johnson, Brandon Raffaeli, Aiden Schilz, Savion Smith, David Terry

Omaha – Tanner Cissell

Paxton – Ashley Lugar, Justin Marlow, Justin Neilsen

Scottsbluff – Alysianna Camacho, Hever Morales

Stapleton – John Main

Sutherland – Alexandra Baker

Taylor – John Schroder

Thedford – Joseph Masten

Valentine – Seth Pearson, Brittany Stone

Wallace – Abbey Rohde

Walton – Austin Jensen

Colorado

Colorado Springs – Dylann Bylund

Golden – Erin Renwick

Haxtun – Collyn Heinz

Lakewood – Chanel Siebenthal

Littleton – Haley Jacobsen

Northglenn – Sidney Kizer

Parachute – Samantha Hinkle

Windsor – Carly Moss

Yoder – Kylia Johnson

Florida

Coral Springs – Julianna Delcid-Rosado

Georgia

Macon – Aaron Ridley

Hawaii

Makawao – Maysen Medeiros

Iowa

Hamburg – Masen Nelson-Maher

Hubbard – Ricks Polk

Kansas

Atwood – Jaelynn Sis

Colby – Brooks Curry

McLouth – Brody Troupe

Wichita – Naria Hall

Kentucky

Louisville – Junathean Cunningham

Louisiana

Princeton – Moneshya Green

North Carolina

Charlotte – Grace Opufou-Wellman

Texas

Austin – Donajia Buirst

Kountze – Teran Stanford

San Antonio – Loren Lealiiee

Utah

Elsinore – Kenlee Wanlass

Gunnison – Jerusha Miner

Ogden – Brooklyn Evans

Syracuse – Alyiah Franco

West Valley City – Mikayla Gibson

Washington

Spokane Valley – Chris Nelson

Wyoming

Rolling Hills – Emmye Bruno

Australia

Bargara, Queensland – Isaiah Richardson

Canada

Mississauga, Ontario – Jacob Reid

Saint-Charles-de-Bourget, Quebec – Mathieu Tremblay

Stayner, Ontario – Tanner Zeggil

Peru

Lima – Alejandra Vivar Aguilar

Poland

Kanie – Jakub Karwowski

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers will start sifting through Gov. Pete Ricketts’ budget plan this week with an eye on the state’s projected revenue shortfall and a litany of requests from lobbyists, state agencies and senators.

The governor’s plan relies on spending cuts and a withdrawal from the state’s cash reserve. He also is asking lawmakers to tap into cash accounts held by state agencies and take back money that was appropriated but not yet spent.

The package is certain to generate opposition, particularly a proposal that would end state funding to any clinic that offers abortions. Ricketts also proposed a $35.1 million funding increase for child welfare services and a $5.8 million plan to create a 100-bed corrections dormitory to ease prison crowding.

Here some things to know about the budget:

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COULD A DIM OUTLOOK BRIGHTEN?

Nebraska’s current budget crunch stems from a projected $173 million revenue shortfall in the current two-year budget cycle, which led Ricketts to impose a hiring freeze and other cost-cutting measures.

On Friday, the state Department of Revenue reported a sudden surge in net tax collections in December. The state received $37 million more than what state forecasters had predicted, likely because of the federal tax package signed by President Donald Trump last month.

Nebraska State Tax Commissioner Tony Fulton warned the uptick may not be a long-term trend. Fulton said many Nebraska residents prepaid their taxes in 2017 in hopes of maximizing deductions that disappeared this year under the federal tax legislation. If that’s the case, Fulton said the state could see a revenue downturn in January that washes out the December gains.

“You can’t say, ‘Good times are here again,'” he said.

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WHAT, SPECIFICALLY, WOULD THE BUDGET CUT?

Ricketts is proposing across-the-board cuts of 2 percent in the current fiscal year that ends June 30, followed by another cut of 4 percent the following fiscal year. The plan would save the state an estimated $77.1 million while excluding some spending priorities, including those in the Department of Correctional Services.

Ricketts also is seeking specific, targeted cuts totaling $25.1 million. The biggest chunk would come from a reduction in K-12 public school aid in the upcoming fiscal year that begins July 1.

The governor would pull $108 million from the state’s cash reserve, commonly known as the rainy-day fund, and draw a combined $16.7 million from 21 different cash funds maintained by state agencies. Money in the agency cash funds often comes from special taxes, fees and fines.

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K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOL AID

The budget proposal calls on lawmakers to withhold some of the state “equalization aid” that was approved for Nebraska’s K-12 public schools last year.

The recommendation was made because of the complex formula that determines how the money gets distributed among school districts. Equalization aid is intended to make up the difference between a district’s needs and the revenue it can generate through local funding sources, such as property taxes.

Nebraska’s Department of Education estimated in November that schools would need roughly $977 million in equalization aid in the upcoming fiscal year, based on the current formula. That’s about $19.7 million less than what lawmakers approved last year, and the governor’s proposed budget seeks to keep that money in the general fund to help balance the budget.

Schools get different amounts based on a variety of factors, but less money would create additional pressure to tighten their budgets or raise money through property taxes.

Supporters of the budget note that spending on K-12 education has seen an overall increase of 2 percent in the current two-year budget cycle, compared to a 0.2 percent increase in general spending. Ricketts has identified K-12 education as one of his priorities, despite the budget troubles.

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IS METHAMPHETAMINE TO BLAME FOR A COSTLY SURGE IN CHILD WELFARE CASES?

One major expense for the state is the child welfare system, which has seen a sharp increase in numbers. Ricketts is seeking a $35 million increase in funding to address the problem.

In his State of the State address, Ricketts said parents using methamphetamine was a factor in one out of every three cases in which children were removed from their homes. Ricketts announced plans to form a task force to try to confirm the cause and address the problem. Ricketts said the additional money in his budget was necessary to help the roughly 485 new children who entered the system.

“We have to get to the bottom of this disturbing trend and all of the other contributing factors,” he said last week.

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VOLKSWAGEN SETTLEMENT COULD HELP THE STATE BUDGET

A national settlement with the German automaker Volkswagen could help buoy the state’s budget.

Volkswagen paid Nebraska roughly $2.8 million in fines last year for repeated violations of state consumer protection laws. In June, the company announced a more than $15 billion settlement related to allegations that it cheated on emissions tests for its diesel-powered vehicles.

The attorney general’s office placed the money in an account designated for state settlement payments, raising the total balance to nearly $6.4 million.

In his budget, Ricketts recommends a one-time transfer of $750,000 from the account to the state’s cash reserve to help balance the budget.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Federal officials are gathering information about how much it costs to farm or raise cattle in Nebraska.

The information is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual survey on the financial health of farmers. It will become part of a report next year.

Dean Groskurth with the USDA’s research department says this survey is the only one that offers a clear picture of the financial wellbeing of Nebraska farmers.

So USDA officials are encouraging farmers to complete the survey. Nearly 1,800 Nebraska farmers and ranchers will be contacted. Nationwide, 35,000 producers are included.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Some Nebraska colleges are offering tuition discounts to students from other states in the hopes of filling classrooms, balancing budgets and expanding programs.

The pool of new high school graduates in the state isn’t expected to grow much in the short term, the Omaha World-Herald reported.

Stagnant or declining state funding and population decline are two trends that will challenge enrollment and aren’t expected to go away anytime soon, said Thomas Harnisch of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

Some schools are offering nonresidents lower tuition rates with the hope of boosting enrollment.

Peru State University has been offering in-state tuition to out-of-state students since 2009.

The University of Nebraska at Kearney will offer Colorado and Kansas students who meet admissions requirements resident tuition next school year. The university’s student recruitment from those states has dropped considerably since 2012, said Ed Scantling, UNK’s associate vice chancellor for enrollment management.

University of Nebraska President Hank Bounds said enrollment is important to the university’s budget and encouraged university leaders to find bold and innovative ways of attracting students, Scantling said.

“We felt we have to reach a little further to find kids,” Scantling said.

The Midwest Student Exchange Program has offered nonresidents a rate of 150 percent of resident tuition at participating public colleges in 10 states. Many Nebraska institutions participate in the program, which has been operating for about 25 years.

While Iowa doesn’t participate in the exchange program, the University of Nebraska at Omaha has been offering Iowa students that rate since 2008.

The University of Nebraska at Lincoln hasn’t drastically lowered out-of-state tuition, said Amber Williams, an assistant vice chancellor. The university would rather use scholarship packages to attract out-of-state students, she said.

“We try to look at each student individually and look beyond the numbers,” she said.

SIDNEY, Neb. (AP) — The western Nebraska town of Sidney is working to move forward after last year’s sale of Cabela’s, but it’s still not clear how many jobs will be lost there.

The $5 billion sale of Cabela’s to rival Bass Pro has already had a significant impact on the local real estate market in the town of about 6,700 people that’s some 365 miles (585 kilometers) west of Omaha.

Home prices are falling and the number of listings has grown significantly in Sidney.

Before Cabela’s announced it would explore selling the firm, there were 60 homes on the market in June 2015. After the sale to Bass Pro was announced, that number jumped to 133. Last month, 135 homes were listed for sale.

LEXINGTON, Neb. (AP) — A Gretna man has been imprisoned for causing the Dawson County crash death of a passenger in his car.

21-year-old Elijah Helms was given six to eight years in prison at his sentencing Friday in Dawson County District Court in Lexington. He’d pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and to driving under the influence, causing serious injury. Prosecutors dropped three related charges.

The crash occurred Oct. 29, 2016, on Interstate 80 near Lexington. Authorities say Helms’ car crossed the interstate median and crashed into an oncoming vehicle. A passenger in his car, 19-year-old Lexa Douglas, of Omaha, was pronounced dead at the scene. Helms, two other people in his car and two in the other vehicle were hospitalized.

AINSWORTH, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a teenage girl died when her car collided head-on with a semitrailer in north-central Nebraska.

The accident occurred around 6:20 p.m. Thursday just east of Ainsworth on U.S. Highway 20. The Brown County Sheriff’s Department says the eastbound car crossed the center line and rammed the westbound big rig.

The girl was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities identified her as 17-year-old Chaeley Ruegge, who lived in Ainsworth.

The truck driver wasn’t injured. He’s been identified as 45-year-old Brian Warren, of Scottsbluff.

The crash cause is being investigated.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska officials will target potential sex traffickers this year with more proactive law enforcement and an ad campaign at rest stops and other places where victims are coerced into prostitution, Attorney General Doug Peterson announced Thursday.

The new “Demand an End” initiative is the latest step in a multiyear effort to stop sex trafficking, particularly when the victims are minors. Lawmakers and Gov. Pete Ricketts have increased penalties for traffickers and those who pay for sex in recent years and passed legislation intended to help those who are trafficked.

Peterson said the initiative is designed to send a message that state officials take the issue seriously and will prosecute trafficking cases. Law enforcement officers plan to focus on those who purchase sex.

“You’re going to pay a really significant price if you’re caught,” Peterson said at a Capitol news conference, where he was joined by dozens of elected state officials and advocates.

Many of the anti-trafficking advertisements will appear on YouTube and at rest stops on Interstate 80, which officials have identified as a major conduit for traffickers. They also will be posted at libraries, recreation centers, truck stops and businesses.

Peterson said the Nebraska State Patrol plans to increase its enforcement efforts later this year, and the newly passed laws will help. Soliciting a minor for sex now carries a penalty of 20 years to life in prison.

“The ball has now been handed to us,” the attorney general said.

The Human Trafficking Initiative has said 11 percent of the people sold online for sex in Nebraska are advertised as under the age of 21. In July, an Omaha man was sentenced to prison for his role in a sex trafficking ring near Offutt Air Force Base that involved a 15-year-old girl.

The campaign has attracted a broad, bipartisan coalition that includes law enforcement, advocates for women and children, nonprofits and the trucking industry.

Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln, who led the charge on several recent human trafficking bills, said the campaign will help prevent “the sale and resale of human flesh” in Nebraska.

“These people (who are trafficked) are subject to force, fraud and coercion,” she said.

Lawmakers will consider at least one bill this year designed to further restrict human trafficking. Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue has introduced legislation designed to prevent criminals from using digital currencies such as bitcoin for illegal purposes. Blood said such currencies help traffickers to buy and sell women and girls for sex.

The campaign started in Georgia and is being shared with Nebraska for free.