OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Like their Republican colleagues across the country, Nebraska’s congressional delegation members are facing boisterous crowds at town hall meetings demanding answers on everything from health care to a slew of President Donald Trump’s actions since taking office in January.

U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse got a dose at constituent meetings in Omaha and Aurora on Friday. Despite the early hour of his first appearance at 8 a.m. in a west Omaha high school, about 500 people showed up to pepper him with questions and concerns. Most dealt with the GOP health care reform plan, but some people expressed outrage over Trump’s cabinet picks and habit of posting on social media.

A day earlier, U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer fielded similar crowds and questions in Holdrege and Kearney.

ASH HOLLOW, Neb. (AP) — A fire chief says dozens of firefighters have put out a wildfire that blackened an estimated 7 square miles in the southern Nebraska Panhandle.

Blue Creek Rural Fire District Chief David Dymak (DEYE’-mak) said Friday that the blaze was reported about 2:45 p.m. Thursday about 5 miles south of Lewellen. It began on an unoccupied farmstead and burned across fields of prairie grass and wheat stubble, whipped along by winds gusting to 40 mph. Dymak says some farm outbuildings were damaged as well.

He says his department was aided by nine more, amassing nearly 110 firefighters to battle the flames. Some are still on the scene, keeping watch for flare-ups.

He also says farmers aided firefighters by turning over field sections to eliminate the fuel of dried vegetation.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Supporters of a bill that would more than triple Nebraska’s tax on cigarettes say it would discourage teenagers from smoking.

Doctors and other medical professionals urged a legislative committee on Friday to endorse a bill that would raise the state’s cigarette tax from 64 cents per pack to $2.14. Revenue from the additional $1.50 tax would be split between the state’s general fund and funds used for behavioral health programs.

Retailers say the increased tax would cause Nebraska smokers to buy cigarettes in other states. They say Nebraska stores along the Iowa border saw a boost in cigarette sales when Iowa raised its cigarette tax.

Nebraska’s cigarette tax is among the 10 lowest in the country.

VALENTINE, Neb. (AP) — A South Dakota man has been sentenced to prison for the 2015 death of a northern Nebraska resident.

30-year-old Tylor Krogman, of White River, South Dakota, was sentenced Friday to 10 to 18 years. He was convicted of manslaughter in the July 11, 2015, death of 64-year-old Ed Mathiesen, of Valentine.

An autopsy showed Mathiesen died of blunt force trauma and neck injuries. Krogman told investigators that he’d gone to Valentine for a bachelor party and gotten into an altercation with Mathiesen, but couldn’t remember the details.

A North Platte man allegedly passed up on a chance to go home early this morning and instead was lodged at the Lincoln County Detention Center.

According to North Platte police, an officer was investigating a disturbance at around 1:40 a.m. near the intersection of North Willow and West 11th Streets.

Police say that as the officer was speaking to a witness involved with that investigation, a male subject, later identified as 31-year-old Asa Call, came up behind the officer’s patrol car and began “impeding the officer’s investigation,” even though he was not involved in the incident the officer was dealing with.

Call was asked to leave and complied.

The officer then transported his witness to a local motel to continue his investigation.  Once again, as the officer spoke to the witness, Call arrived on the scene and began to harass the officer.

After Call reportedly ignored several verbal commands to leave the area, the officer attempted to place him in custody.  As he did so, police say Call became physically combative and resisted the officer’s attempts.

Additional officers arrived on the scene and assisted with taking Call into custody.

In the end, Call was transported to the LCDC and charged with felony 3rd-degree assault on a peace officer, obstruction of justice and resisting arrest.

Both Call and the officer sustained minor injuries.

JC Penney has announced the latest of its stores across the country that will be closing soon and, unfortunately, it includes the North Platte location located in the Platte River Mall.

Click the link for a full list of closures:

https://eagle-post-image-archive.s3.amazonaws.com/northplattepost.com/2017/03/0317_list_of_store_closures.pdf

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers have resolved a contentious dispute over filibusters that consumed roughly one-third of this year’s session.

Senators voted 38-2 on Friday to keep the parliamentary rules they relied on last year.

Some conservative senators in the Republican-led Legislature had sought a rule change that would have made it easier to overcome filibusters. Progressive senators opposed the idea, saying it would trample on minority rights.

After nearly 30 days of debate with no resolution, Speaker of the Legislature Jim Scheer ended the discussion so senators could move on to other issues.

The rules debate was scheduled to resume on Monday, the session’s 50th day. But Scheer says senators aren’t likely to have any fruitful discussion on the issue this year, so it’s best to proceed with last year’s rules.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A bill that would allow Nebraska drivers to display their opposition to abortion on their license plates is headed for a final vote in the Legislature.

Senators gave second-round approval Friday to a bill that would require the state Department of Motor Vehicles to design “Choose Life” plates. The plates would cost $5 more than standard license plates, and revenue would supplement federal funding for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

Senators who oppose the measure say political language should not be on state-issued license plates.

Nebraska allows organizational plates if groups demonstrate 250 people would use them and pay $17,500. Bob Blank, chairman of the Nebraska chapter of the National Choose Life effort, says the group can’t gather enough signatures or money.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska has asked to drop a 10-state lawsuit it led challenging the Obama administration’s guidance on locker room and bathroom use by transgender students.

The Nebraska attorney general’s office filed the request in a motion Thursday. Chief Deputy Attorney General David Bydalek says the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education withdrew the guidance last month.

The Obama administration’s guidance had directed schools to allow transgender students to use restrooms and locker rooms according to their expressed gender. Those who didn’t would have risked a loss of federal funding.

Nebraska filed the challenge in July. It was joined by Arkansas, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota and Wyoming.