LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Pete Ricketts has approved changes to Nebraska’s unemployment system intended to keep it sustainable and in line with national standards.

The bill signed at a public ceremony on Wednesday would prevent people from collecting benefits if they quit their jobs without good cause. It also would allow the state Department of Labor to provide electronic notice of determinations of an unemployment claim.

Ricketts says unemployment benefits should be targeted at those who lose their jobs. The bill was sponsored by Sen. John Kuehn of Heartwell and backed by some of the state’s leading business groups.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A bill that would create stiffer penalties for people who buy and sell sex in Nebraska has advanced in the Legislature, but lawmakers say it needs more work.

Senators voted 42-0 Wednesday to give first-round approval to a bill that would increase prison sentences for sex traffickers and provide other protections for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln says the law now punishes victims and lets traffickers get away with probation if they are prosecuted at all.

Several senators say higher penalties that could result in life sentences for some traffickers don’t fit with recent legislative efforts to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences. Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha says lawmakers too often create higher penalties to appear tough on whatever crimes have gained attention.

DETROIT (AP) — Ford is recalling more than 440,000 vehicles in North America to fix problems that can cause engine fires and doors to open unexpectedly.

The first recall covers over 230,000 Escape SUVs, Fiesta ST subcompacts, Fusion midsize cars and Transit Connect vans with 1.6-Liter turbocharged engines from 2013 through 2015.

The company says engines can overheat, causing the cylinder head to crack and leak oil that can catch fire. Ford has 29 reports of fires, but no injuries.

Owners can keep driving the vehicles but should go to a dealer if the cars overheat or frequently need coolant.

The company also is adding 211,000 vehicles to a previous recall to replace faulty door latches. That recall covers the 2014 Fiesta and the 2013 and 2014 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ.

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — U.S. regulators have approved the first drug for an aggressive kind of multiple sclerosis that steadily reduces coordination and the ability to walk.

The Food and Drug Administration approved Ocrevus (OAK’-rave-uss) late Tuesday after a large study found it slowed progression of the neurological disease and reduced symptoms.

While there are treatments for the most common form of MS, there’s been nothing specifically for people with the type called primary progressive MS. That type of MS is relatively rare, affecting about 50,000 Americans.

The drug was also approved for less severe forms of MS.

It’s given intravenously every six months. The drug was developed by Genentech, part of Swiss drugmaker the Roche Group. The company says the initial list price without insurance will be $67,000 a year.

THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED

http://www.northplattepost.com/2017/03/29/2-arrested-in-connection-with-ogallala-homicide/

The Nebraska State Patrol is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a man wanted for questioning in the investigation of a suspicious death, which occurred during the morning hours of March 28th in Ogallala, NE.

The subject is believed to be in southwestern Nebraska or northeastern Colorado.  Contact Nebraska State Patrol dispatch at 308-535-8047, or 911, with any information. Please do not approach or contact the subject. If seen, contact law enforcement immediately.

No further information is available at this time.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Lawmakers have given initial approval to a measure that would ensure the state watchdog for Nebraska’s prison system can interview witnesses and would protect whistleblowers who work for the corrections department.

Senators voted 34-0 on Tuesday to advance the bill.

It also clarifies that Doug Koebernick, inspector general of Nebraska’s corrections department, should share his reports with the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee when he finishes investigating incidents such as prison riots. Two inmates were killed during a Tecumseh prison uprising earlier this month.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha, says Koebernick has had trouble investigating that riot because he has not been able to interview witnesses during an ongoing state patrol investigation.

Krist says more timely reports from Koebernick will help the Legislature review its prison overhaul efforts.

Dr. Brenda Petersen, of North Platte, was awarded one of ten National Merit Scholarships and Commendations given to Mental Health First Aid Trainers from the National Council for Behavioral Health in Washington DC. Dr. Petersen will be attending the National Council for Behavioral Health Instructors Summit and Symposium in Seattle Washington on April 2nd as well as the National Council for Behavioral Health’s National Convention from April 3rd to 5th.

“The scholarship is a huge honor and I am so amazed to have been awarded it and given this opportunity. I am anxious to become certified in the new program modules offered at the summit, and then to bring that training back here and put it to use in our community.” Said Dr. Petersen.

Dr. Petersen is the founder of an independent academic counseling firm specializing in academic achievement. She assists a large client base of students who are working to achieve their academic potential.

Dr. Petersen is currently a certified trainer for the National Council for Behavioral Health’s Mental Health First Aid traveling nationwide to build mental health literacy, helping the public identify, understand and respond to signs of both mental illness and mental health crisis.

BENKELMAN, Neb. (AP) — A Dundy County sheriff’s deputy has been accused of molesting a woman he’d put into his vehicle.

Court records say Charles Thibedeau is charged with kidnapping. A phone listed for Thibedeau in Benkelman rang unanswered Tuesday. The records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for him.

A state patrol investigator says in a court affidavit that Thibedeau told the woman March 22 that her home was involved in a drug raid and then asked to touch her breasts. The affidavit says Thibedeau drove away with the woman after she refused, telling her he’d take her to jail unless she relented. She refused.

The affidavit says he stopped the vehicle, removed her clothing and touched her.