LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A study says the solar eclipse brought an estimated 616,000 out-of-state visitors to Nebraska.

The study by Dean Runyan and Associates and Destination Analysts Inc. was done for the Nebraska Tourism Commission. The study says more than 708,000 people traveled to watch the Aug. 21 event, and about 87 percent of them didn’t live in Nebraska.

The economic impact was estimated at $127 million.

Nebraska Tourism executive director John Ricks says officials hope the travelers “were inspired to share stories about their Nebraska experience and to visit again.”

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is seeking applications for the 21st annual Nebraska Young Artist Awards.

The awards go to 11th-grade students who are talented in visual art, dance, music, theater, film and new media.

Music, dance, theater, film and new media students must submit applications online, which include uploading samples of their work and recommendation letters from teachers. Full instructions are available at http://go.unl.edu/nyaa.

The visual art category is different. The School of Art, Art History and Design will again host the Nebraska Young Artist Awards/Statewide Invitational Exhibition at the Eisentrager-Howard Gallery in Richards Hall in March 2018.

Schools may nominate up to three visual art students for the exhibition.

The deadline for online applications and nominations is Dec. 8.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A persistent shortage of substitute teachers is creating challenges for Nebraska and Iowa school districts, and lawmakers who want to address the issue are still trying to pinpoint a solution.

Lawmakers from both states said the problem is most severe in rural districts. In Nebraska, senators convened a hearing last month to look for ways to minimize the time regular teachers spend out of the classroom.

The shortage is driven by a combination of trends, including mandatory teacher training during the school week and family leave policies that allow regular teachers to take off as much as 12 weeks at a time.

Iowa and Nebraska’s low unemployment rates plays a role, because fewer workers must settle for part-time jobs.

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A researcher at the University of Arizona is experimenting with a new therapy to help treat rattlesnake bites.

Dr. Vance G. Nielsen hopes once ready for humans, the therapy will be administered like an EpiPen, injected into a snakebite victim in the field to buy them valuable time to get to the hospital for anti-venom treatments.

Nielsen, an anesthesiologist at the university, says generally, venom is harmful to the nervous system and can also interfere with the normal function of blood.

In the case of blood, snake venom will either cause clotting, called coagulation, which can lead to heart attack or stroke; or it can inhibit clotting, anti-coagulation, causing excessive bleeding.

The therapy includes injecting carbon monoxide into the venom directly to block its effects.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — All across the state of Nebraska, teen drivers are being reminded about the importance of safe driving.

The Nebraska State Patrol and the state Transportation Department held 60 safety presentations across the state between July and September.

The presentations focus on seat belts and teen drivers. A rollover simulator and driving simulator are part of the events.

Accident statistics show that drivers between the ages of 16 and 20 represent the biggest portion of traffic deaths in crashes where seatbelts aren’t worn.

Nebraska State Patrol Major Russ Stanczyk says more events will be held through the school year.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The horror pic “Happy Death Day” is celebrating a first place finish at the box office this weekend while the “Blade Runner” sequel spirals downward.

Studio estimates on Sunday show “Happy Death Day,” a Groundhog Day-like thriller, earned $26.5 million for Blumhouse and Universal Pictures, the shops behind “Get Out” and “Split.”

“Blade Runner 2049” meanwhile fell to second place in its second weekend in theaters, taking in only $15.1 million from 4,058 theaters after a disappointing debut.

Jackie Chan’s “The Foreigner” opened this weekend to $12.8 million from 2,515 locations to take third place.

Other new releases landed outside the top 10. The Thurgood Marshall biopic “Marshall” took in $3 million from 821 theaters and “Professor Marston and the Wonder Woman” earned only $737,000 from over 1,200 locations.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska legislator says the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has assured him that the department “has no intention now or in the future” to interfere with state elections.

Sen. John Murante of Gretna wrote to the federal agency in March, calling for officials to reverse an Obama-era decision that labeled election systems as “critical infrastructure.”

Murante said the designation raises the potential of federal intervention in state election systems that would violate state sovereignty and increase security risks.

The Homeland Security Department says it plans to keep the designation to provide state, local and tribal governments with priority assistance in managing election security risks.

The agency also says state participation is “entirely voluntary” and that the designation doesn’t allow federal officials to access state systems without legal agreements.

CHADRON, Neb. (AP) — Four people accused of involvement in hazing at Chadron State College are no longer enrolled.

College President Randy Rhine had told students and staff in September that police and the school were investigating an off-campus incident that was portrayed as an initiation rite between members of the wrestling team.

College spokesman Alex Helmbrecht said earlier this week that the behavior violates Chadron State and Nebraska State College System policies and team rules. He declined to say whether the students were kicked out of school as punishment, citing privacy policies.

Hazing also is against state law. Chadron Police Chief Tom Lordino says his department’s investigation is continuing. Online court records don’t show any related charges against the four.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Two fights among inmates prompted officials to order a lockdown of the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln.

The incidents happened Tuesday evening, with the separate fights each involving two people.

Department of Correctional Services spokeswoman Dawn-Renee Smith says officers ultimately restrained five inmates and removed them from a penitentiary yard.

During the incident, four inmates refused to return to their cells.

Smith says the prison instituted a modified lockdown for 40 minutes and had returned to normal operations by Wednesday morning.

Nebraska corrections officials have dealt with numerous violent incidents since May 2015, including prisoner deaths and assaults on officers.

The department didn’t release information about the Tuesday fights until questioned by the Journal Star. Smith says the agency didn’t issue a new release because no staff members were seriously injured.

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A North Platte man has been charged with felony child abuse following an incident with his 10-year-old son.

According to North Platte Police, officers began an investigation into a possible child abuse on October 11.

Investigator John Deal says the principal from the boy’s school contacted police and reported that the boy had arrived at school with a bruise on his face and a ligature mark on his neck.

The victim spoke with a school counselor and reported that his father, William Hills, had caused the injuries on the evening of October 10 at the family’s residence in the 600 block of Cedarberry Court.

The victim was transported to Bridge of Hope Child Advocacy Center and interviewed.

The boy reported that Hills had struck him in the face, then used a belt to spank him.  The boy said, at one point, he tried to run away and Hills placed the belt around his neck to keep him from escaping.

Deal says the victim had bruising and other injuries that corroborated his account of what happened.

Officers made contact with Hills at the residence and placed him under arrest for felony child abuse.

It was also determined that the child’s mother, Brenda Hills, had told the victim not to speak about what had occurred. As a result, she was charged with tampering with a witness.

Deal says Brenda Hills was not present during the alleged abuse.

The victim was placed into custody with the assistance of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

William Hills was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.