LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s corrections department has hired a county attorney to serve as its general counsel.

York County Attorney Candace Bottorf will begin her new role June 26. She will replace Julia Smith, who was appointed to a judgeship in May. Department Director Scott Frakes announced the new hire Monday.

Bottorf has worked in the York County attorney’s office for the past seven years. She was appointed county attorney in February 2012 and elected in 2014. Her work included employment issues for the county, advising the county board of civil matters and representing the state in criminal prosecutions and mental health commitments.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — An inmate is accused of assaulting two employees at a Nebraska prison.

The Department of Correctional Services says the inmate struck both employees in the head around 7:30 a.m. Monday at the Lincoln Correctional Center.

Officials say the inmate was agitated and attacked the employees as they were escorting him to a holding cell. They say the unidentified inmate was subdued with pepper spray.

The employees were assessed at a local hospital. One was given stiches for a cut above the eye and the other had no notable injuries.

Officials say the incident was isolated and did not affect the prison’s operations.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts is thanking the Trump administration for its decision to cancel a program designed to protect certain immigrants who came the U.S. illegally but have children who are American citizens.

Ricketts on Monday criticized the Obama administration program as unfair and unjust to immigrants who arrived in the U.S. legally and obtained their status through the proper channels.

The Deferred Action for Parents of Americans had been put on hold while a lawsuit filed by 26 states worked its way through the courts, so Nebraska state agencies weren’t following it. The policy’s supporters say it’s a matter of common decency.

Ricketts says he recently directed the agencies to comply with the Trump administration’s decision. State agencies check immigration status before approving public benefits.

A disturbance on Sunday morning ending with a North Platte man facing felony charges.

According to North Platte Police, at around 11:45 a.m., officers responded to the 500 block of North Adams Street on the report of an assault.

Upon arrival, officers met with a 41-year-old male who reportedly had a visible injury to his nose, which was bleeding.

The victim alleged that he had been at his residence when 42-year-old Edward Harvey kicked in his front door, came inside and punched the victim in the face, knocking him down. The victim stated that, once he was on the ground, Harvey kicked him in the ribs and back.

Investigator John Deal says the victim ran from the residence and went to the neighbor’s house, where he contacted police.

Deal says the victim told officers that he and Harvey knew each other, and he believed Harvey was upset with him over a prior incident.

Additionally, the victim discovered that his cell phone was missing and it was believed that Harvey took it.

Later in the afternoon, an officer located Harvey driving his pickup near the 2100 block of West 4th Street and initiated a traffic stop.

Harvey was placed under arrest and charged with felony 1st-degree assault and burglary. Deal says the victim’s phone was found in the pickup.

Harvey was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center. The victim received treatment for a broken nose and broken ribs.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Businesses, museums and other attractions are clamoring to get into a state program that promotes tourism throughout Nebraska.

The Nebraska Passport program has become so popular with the public that many of the 80 participating sites are seeing a surge in business as hundreds of new visitors arrive at their doors.

Nebraska tourism officials expect 40,000 people to request a passport booklet or download the app this year. The passport program lists stops throughout the state where visitors can get stamps, which they can use to collect prizes.

Nebraska Tourism Commission officials say they received 187 applications from businesses and other sites that wanted a listing.

The program started small. During its first year in 2010, 278 people participated.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lightning McQueen and his pals in “Cars 3” raced to the top spot at the box office this weekend, pushing “Wonder Woman” into second place for the first time since it opened.

Studio estimates on Sunday said Disney and Pixar’s “Cars 3” opened with $53.5 million — a low for the $1 billion series.

In its third weekend, “Wonder Woman” held strong with $40.8 million, bringing its domestic total to $274.6 million.

In third place, the Tupac biopic “All Eyez on Me” debuted with a notable $27.1 million, while the Mandy Moore shark thriller “47 Meters Down” netted $11.5 million.

The raunchy comedy “Rough Night” got off to a rough start in seventh place. Sony’s R-rated bachelorette party gone wrong pic earned only $8.1 million against a $20 million budget.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Taking pictures of Nebraska farms and ranches could win your child $1,000 in a college fund.

The Nebraska Educational Savings Trust is sponsoring the photo contest. Six winners will each receive $1,000 in a NEST 529 college savings account.

Anyone who wants to enter the contest must submit a photo by the end of June. Details are available online at www.NEST529.com.

The pictures should depict Nebraska’s farm and ranch life. The winners will be drawn from all the photos submitted with two winners in each of the state’s three Congressional districts.

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — Officials have held a dedication ceremony for the final span of hike-bike trail linking The Archway and Fort Kearny State Recreation Area east of Kearney.

The ceremony was held Saturday morning — 40 years after the trail got its start.

The final portion celebrated with Saturday’s ribbon cutting is 1.8 miles of concrete and crushed rock. The main trail from Cottonmill Park west of the city to Fort Kearny SRA east of Kearney spans 13.2 miles.

The trail got its start in 1977 with the public acquisition of the former Burlington Northern right of way near Fort Kearny SRA, and the project unfolded as trail-building funds became available.

Seconds after the ribbon was cut Saturday, bicyclists were off to pedal the completed trail.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Creighton University’s president says the school has cut 66 nonteaching jobs and frozen top administrators’ salaries.

The Rev. Daniel Hendrickson said in a letter Thursday to the campus community that half of the positions eliminated were vacant. The people who have lost their jobs have been notified. Hendrickson says Creighton is providing generous severance packages, paid benefits and support services.

The cutbacks amount to about 5 percent of the nonfaculty workforce, leaving that workforce at about 1,320.

Hendrickson says the cutbacks “are an essential component of maintaining affordability and access for future prospective students.” Last month, in announcing the pending cuts, Hendrickson said Creighton had to reduce expenses to ensure its long-term stability.

BAYARD, Neb. (AP) — The National Weather Service has confirmed two more tornadoes that touched down in the Nebraska Panhandle on Monday.

The service said Thursday that an EF-1 twister carrying winds up to 110 mph (179 kph) struck the east side of Bayard (behrd) just before 7:15 p.m., damaging the roof of a nursing home. The tornado lifted six minutes later.

The second tornado touched down around 7:20 p.m. 4 miles (7 kilometers) north-northwest of Baird and rampaged northeast before dissipating at 8:25 p.m., 8 miles (13 kilometers) east-southeast of Alliance. It damaged a farmhouse and other farm buildings and equipment. It was rated EF-2, packing winds up to 135 mph (215 kph).

No injuries have been reported.

An EF-2 twister that lifted south-southwest of Harrison on Monday was reported confirmed on Wednesday.