LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Two Nebraska state senators say judges should take defendants’ ability to pay into account when they set bail or impose punishments for unpaid fines.

Bills heard in a legislative committee Thursday would require courts to do everything they can to avoid jailing low-income people before their trial or because they can’t pay fines.

Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln, the bail measure’s sponsor, says courts need to make sure people jailed before trial are supposed to be there and not just unable to pay bonds. Lancaster County Public Defender Joe Nigro says the current bond system criminalizes and punishes poverty.

A measure sponsored by Sen. Matt Hansen of Lincoln would allow people who cannot afford to pay fines to do community service or pay in installments instead.

Shortly after a red flag warning was issued by the National Weather Service, fire crews from North Platte, Hershey and Wallace are battling a wind-driven grass fire near Range Road and Walker Road.

A Red Flag Warning means conditions are favorable for the rapid development of range fires.

Use caution when operating machinery, discarding cigarettes or using anything that may cause sparks.

RED FLAG WARNING

...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON...

.The Red Flag Warning will continue for southwest Nebraska and the
western Sandhills. Relative humidity has lowered into the single
digits with abnormally warm temperatures and gusts in excess of
30 mph. With the setting sun, conditions should improve.

NEZ204-206-210-219-170100-
/O.CON.KLBF.FW.W.0005.000000T0000Z-170317T0100Z/
Eastern Panhandle/Crescent Lake NWR-
Sandhills/Valentine NWR/Nebraska National Forest-Frenchman Basin-
Loess Plains-
258 PM CDT Thu Mar 16 2017 /158 PM MDT Thu Mar 16 2017/

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT /7 PM MDT/
THIS EVENING FOR WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER
ZONES 204, 206, 210, AND 219...

* AFFECTED AREA...Fire weather zone 204. Fire weather zone 206. 
  Fire weather zone 210. Fire weather zone 219. 

* WIND...West to west northwest at 15 to 25 MPH with gusts to 35 
  MPH.

* HUMIDITY...As low as 7 to 15 percent.

* IMPACTS...any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly and show
  extreme behavior.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of
strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can
contribute to extreme fire behavior.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A land-market report by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln shows a 10 percent decline in the state’s average farmland value over the past year.

The survey appeared in the Wednesday edition of Cornhusker Economics. It reveals slower bids and land sales, resulting in the value drop.

Agricultural economist Jim Jansen says Nebraska appraisers, farm managers and agricultural finance professionals replied to the survey saying low commodity prices and high property tax concerns are putting pressure on land values.

The drop marks the third consecutive year the state’s average farmland price has declined. As of Feb. 1, the average was a little over $2,800 per acre, 15 percent lower than 2014’s more than $3,315 per acre.

Waldo Realty co-owner Pat Chohon says most of the active land buyers are neighbors looking to expand their farms.

TECUMSEH, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say inmates at a southeast Nebraska prison that erupted into violence earlier this month have assaulted four staff members, including two who required outside medical care.

The Nebraska Correctional Services Department says the assaults occurred around 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution. Prison personnel used physical force to subdue the inmates. The prison has not said whether any of the inmates required medical attention.

Two inmates were killed and others were injured March 2 when inmates revolted against staff members and started a fire in a courtyard at the facility. No prison staffers were injured that day. Two inmates were killed during a May 2015 riot there.

Department of Correctional Services Director Scott Frakes has said the department is struggling to hire and retain prison employees.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new nonstop flight from Omaha’s airport to the West Coast has been announced.

Alaska Airlines will begin offering nonstop service from Omaha’s Eppley Airfield to San Diego International Airport on Aug. 28. The daily flight from Omaha will leave at 3:05 p.m. and arrive in San Diego at 5:05 p.m. It will leave San Diego at 8:50 a.m. and arrive in Omaha at 2:25 p.m.

The airline also provides service to Portland, Oregon and Seattle.

The new addition comes a week after Eppley announced another new nonstop route to Miami International Airport on American Airlines.

The San Diego flight brings the number of nonstop destinations travelers can reach from Omaha to 28.

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — A Sutton man faces at least a year in prison when he’s sentenced in May for sexually assaulting a girl in Buffalo County.

25-year-old Andrew Wortman has pleaded no contest in Buffalo County District Court to first-degree sexual assault of a teenage girl younger than 16.

Prosecutors say the offense happened between July 1 and Sept. 1. Court documents outlining the details in the case have been sealed.

In exchange for Wortman’s plea, a charge of enticement by electronic device was dropped. Wortman must register with the Nebraska State Patrol as a convicted sex offender once he’s released.

A man and woman wanted in Western Nebraska are in jail after police found them at a North Platte motel and located drugs in the man’s vehicle.

On Wednesday, an officer was patrolling the parking lot of a local motel when he ran a check on a license plate. The officer soon learned that the registered owner of the vehicle, 40-year-old Quirt Orsborn, was wanted in Scotts Bluff County.

Officers located Orsborn in a room at the motel and placed him under arrest for the warrants.

Also in the room was 31-year-old Valerie Thorpe.  Officers learned that she too had an outstanding felony warrant out of Scotts Bluff County.

A criminal history check of both Thorpe and Orsborn revealed convictions for drug-related offenses.  Because of this, the investigating officer asked for assistance from a Nebraska State Patrol K-9 unit.

The K-9 gave a positive alert on the vehicle and officers obtained a search warrant.

A subsequent search led to the discovery of several grams of methamphetamine and psilocybin mushrooms.

Orsborn was charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of psilocybin, both felonies.  Thorpe was arrested on the warrant and both were jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A new report says Nebraska’s tax collections last month were on par with the state’s financial forecast.

The Department of Revenue reported Wednesday that the state’s net tax receipts totaled $267 million in February, matching the official state projections.

The comparisons in the report were based on the forecast made by the Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board on Feb. 27. During that meeting, the board revised its forecast downward by $80 million compared to the previous estimates from October.

Nebraska lawmakers face a projected revenue shortfall of approximately $288 million, based on the latest estimates and the preliminary budget approved by a committee.