LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A former executive director of the Nebraska Public Service Commission is reclaiming his old job.

The commission announced Wednesday that it has named Mike Hybl as its new executive director. Hybl replaces Jeff Pursley, who resigned in May following criticism of his part-time work for a telecommunications consulting firm.

The 63-year-old Hybl served as the commission’s executive director from 2007 until 2012, when he left to become chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer.

In a statement, commission Chairman Tim Schram says members are excited to have Hybl back in his old job.

Hybl will receive $135,000 a year in his job. He is set to begin on July 19.

The commission regulates oil pipelines, telecommunications, natural gas utilities, grain dealers, taxies, manufactured homes and recreational vehicles.

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — A former mental health practitioner at the state youth treatment center in Kearney has pleaded no contest to second-degree sexual abuse.

27-year-old Samantha Halstead of Pleasanton will be sentenced in August.

Halstead was charged last summer with sexual assault of an 18-year-old male being treated at the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services says Halstead quit before her arrest.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Farmers can learn more about keeping their soil healthy at one of dozens of field workshops this summer and fall.

The Soil Health Partnership is planning about 70 field days in Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The workshops will offer tips about nutrient management, tillage strategies and using cover crops.

Nick Goeser says the workshops are designed to be valuable both to novices and experienced farmers. Goeser is director of the Soil Health Partnership and works for the National Corn Growers Association.

Details about the workshops are available online at www.soilhealthpartnership.org.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Two groups are urging Nebraska’s secretary of state to reject a federal commission’s request for voter information.

The voting-rights group Nebraskans for Civic Reform and the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska sent the letter Monday to Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale.

President Donald Trump’s voting commission has asked all 50 states for voter information. Trump established the commission to investigate allegations of voter fraud in the 2016 elections, but Democrats have blasted it as a biased panel that is looking for ways to suppress the vote. Some states have said they won’t comply with the request.

A spokeswoman for Gale has said he has not yet seen the Trump administration’s request.

BROKEN BOW, Neb. (AP) — Renovations are almost finished at an iconic central Nebraska hotel after nearly 12 years of work, the latest chapter in the long history of the Arrow Hotel.

The hotel’s owners have been working to restore the old hotel back to its glory days, around the time it was built in 1928.

The hotel had fallen into disrepair over the years and had many owners. One of the former owners went so far as to convert 25 hotel rooms into more than 70 apartments.

The current owners have worked to salvage as much of the original structure as possible. They returned the hotel to 25 guest rooms. They’ve also expanded it to include an “Arrow East” addition that will open later this summer.

LINCOLN, Neb. – A 9-year-old Colorado boy was hospitalized with serious injuries following a boating accident July 3 at Lake Minatare in Scotts Bluff County.

The boy was taken by ambulance to Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff. Scottsbluff radio station KNEB reported the boy was later transferred to a Denver hospital. The boat operator, who is from Briggsdale, Colorado, is the grandfather of the victim.

Conservation officers were notified of the accident just before 1:30 p.m. Witness statements indicated that the operator pulled into the boat dock to unload a group of people and load another group. The operator put the boat in reverse to back up from the dock when the boy fell off a paddle board and was run over by the boat.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is investigating, with the assistance of the Nebraska State Patrol, Scotts Bluff County Sheriff’s Office, Scottsbluff Fire and Rescue and an area dive team.

Alcohol does not appear to have played any role in this incident.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — The trial to determine whether ABC defamed a South Dakota meat producer’s products that critics dubbed “pink slime” provided a boost to area business before it ended with a settlement.

The biggest beneficiaries from the case that lasted more than four weeks were hotels and restaurants in the Sioux City area where the legal teams for ABC and Beef Products Inc. stayed.

The trial that was held in Elk Point, South Dakota, wrapped up last week.

ABC’s team used 30 to 35 rooms at the Marina Inn Hotel and Conference Center in South Sioux City, Nebraska. Hotel manager Ralph Bobian says the trial provided a nice boost to business.

BPI’s team stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn in Sioux City.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s attorney general is asking the Trump administration to phase out an Obama-era program that was designed to protect youths who entered the U.S. illegally.

Doug Peterson joined nine other Republican attorneys general in asking the Trump administration to reverse its earlier decision to allow the affected youths to stay legally in the country. The program’s supporters expressed disappointment Monday with that decision.

More than 3,000 young immigrants live in Nebraska under the protection of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

The state attorney general asked that the program be phased out by refusing to renew or issue any new program permits.

Danielle Conrad of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska says it’s wrong to play politics with the people affected.

The Nebraska State Patrol (NSP), in conjunction with partners at the Nebraska Department of Transportation, continues efforts to educate youth on safe driving.

Troopers throughout Nebraska conducted 90 safety presentations from April through June, with a focus on seat belts and teen drivers. The presentations included the Rollover Simulator, Seat Belt Convincer and Driving Simulator, reaching roughly 30,000 people with the message that seat belts save lives.

Beginning in July and running through September, NSP will continue educational efforts utilizing grant funding from the Nebraska Department of Transportation Highway Safety Office (NDOT-HSO).

According to the Nebraska Strategic Highway Safety Plan, teen drivers ages 16-20 represent the highest number of unbelted fatalities. More than half of young drivers involved in a fatal crash were not wearing seat belts, with males representing 68% of young, unbelted drivers.

“We’re in the midst of the summer driving season, so continuing NSP’s education efforts throughout the state is critical,” said Major Russ Stanczyk, Acting Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “The programs run by our troopers show the importance of wearing your seat belt and encourage safe driving. That information, along with following traffic laws, could save lives.”

Those interested in scheduling a safety presentation can visit the Community Policing/Safety Programs page of  the NSP website for information.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Minions are still a box office force, but not Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler.

Studio estimates on Sunday say that Universal and Illumination’s “Despicable Me 3” earned $75.4 million over the weekend, while the former Saturday Night Live stars’ gambling comedy burned down.

“Despicable Me 3” easily topped the holiday weekend charts.

Edgar Wright’s heist movie “Baby Driver” coasted to $30 million in its first five days in theaters, with $21 million from the three-day weekend to take second place.

Rounding out the top five were holdovers “Transformers: The Last Knight” in third with $17 million, followed by “Wonder Woman” with $15.6 million and “Cars 3” with $9.5 million.

In sixth place was “The House” with $9 million, which is one of the worst openings of Will Ferrell’s career.