LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A legislative committee is ending its oversight of a Nebraska public benefits program that was once plagued by problems.

The ACCESSNebraska Oversight Committee made the announcement Thursday in a letter praising the work of the Department of Health and Human Services.

The ACCESSNebraska program helps residents apply for benefits such as food stamps and Medicaid. The program faced criticism for years because of slow call response times, processing delays and lost paperwork that made it difficult for people to apply for and renew their benefits.

The seven-member oversight committee says the service is now more productive and efficient, based partly on surveys of its users and employees.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — State officials say Nebraska collected less tax revenue than expected in November.

The Nebraska Department of Revenue announced in its monthly report Thursday that the state collected $359 million, which is nearly 5 percent below the state’s official forecast.

The report says net sales-and-use, individual income and corporate income tax receipts were all lower than the state forecast. Net miscellaneous taxes were higher.

Nebraska has collected nearly $1.7 billion in the current fiscal year that began on July 1, which is more than 1 percent below the state’s certified forecast.

The comparison is based on the projections approved by the Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board in October.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A new report says programs designed to fight poverty in Nebraska aren’t working together to address the problem from all possible angles.

The legislative report issued Thursday says policymakers have traditionally focused on helping either children or adults, but not both at the same time.

The report says breaking the poverty cycle requires a focus on families as a whole through education, economic support and strengthening networks of families and neighbors. It says early childhood education should be paired with education for parents to help them find higher-paying jobs.

Sen. Kathy Campbell of Lincoln says many of Nebraska’s programs are already in place, but need to be coordinated.

Sen. Heath Mello of Omaha says many of those affected are the so-called working poor, with parents stuck in low-wage jobs.

The Dawson County Sheriff’s Office has identified the human remains found at a rural Lexington farmstead Monday as that of 37-year-old Jose Hernandez.

Chief Dep. Sheriff Mike Hudson says the preliminary results of the autopsy has ruled the manner of death as homicide due to blunt force trauma and asphyxiation.

Investigators believe Hernandez had ties to the Lexington area but, were unsure where he had been residing at the time of death.

A timeline for when the death occurred is still under review.

Hudson says Hernandez’s remains were found outside on the farmstead and under a pile of wooden pallets and fencing materials.

The investigation into the case continues.as found.

BURWELL, Neb. (AP) — A memorial service has been held for a Burwell teen killed last weekend in a rollover crash.

Authorities say 16-year-old Bryanna Izaguirre, a sophomore at Burwell High School, died after a pickup carrying her and three other teens crashed late Friday in north-central Nebraska east of Burwell.

Izaguirre was pronounced dead early Saturday at Valley County Hospital in Ord. A memorial service was held Wednesday morning at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Burwell.

Investigators say the pickup left a gravel road, rolled and hit a tree.

The 17-year-old driver from Ericson and two other 17-year-olds suffered minor injuries and were treated at a local hospital.

The crash remains under investigation by Garfield County authorities and the Nebraska State Patrol.

SIDNEY, Neb. (AP) — Cabela’s first shareholder meeting in more than a year didn’t last long, and executives didn’t address questions about the company’s proposed $4.5 billion sale to rival Bass Pro Shops.

The brief Cabela’s meeting attracted about 20 shareholders to its hometown of Sidney, Nebraska, on Tuesday.

The company plans to hold a separate shareholder meeting, so investors can vote on selling Cabela’s to Springfield, Missouri-based Bass Pro. Tuesday annual meeting had been delayed from the spring while Cabela’s weighed its options.

One of the big questions for Cabela’s is how many jobs will be lost in Sidney after the sale.

Shareholder Jean Lashley has held Cabela’s stock since it went public in 2004. The 76-year-old from Mitchell, Nebraska, says she was expecting more information.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP)–The ACLU of Nebraska says low-income offenders often can’t pay fines and bail amounts assessed in the state’s courts, effectively creating a debtor’s prison.

The organization released a 72-page report Tuesday written after a study of Nebraska’s criminal justice system and its impact on people, jails and communities. The ACLU focused on Douglas, Lancaster, Sarpy and Hall counties in its investigation.

Other findings in the report include that over half of the people in county jails are in custody because they’re waiting for trial and are unable to afford bail.

The group recommends that police issue citations in lieu of arrest whenever possible and that judges ensure attorneys are appointed before bail is set.

County jail officials say they’re trying to avoid keeping people who can’t afford fees and are associated with nonviolent crimes out of jail.

LINCOLN – The 2017 vehicle park entry permits for Nebraska state parks are now available on the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s website.

Persons purchasing these permits through the website will be able to print a temporary permit upon completion of their transaction. The physical permit will be mailed to the address provided, typically within 10 days. Temporary permits are valid through Noon, Central time, on Jan. 15, 2017.

Beginning in 2017, there is a separate permit for vehicles licensed outside of Nebraska, in addition to the one for vehicles licensed in Nebraska. Each of these permits is available in annual, duplicate annual and daily formats.

The permits, and their fees are: vehicles licensed in Nebraska – annual, $30; duplicate annual, $15; daily, $6; vehicles licensed outside of Nebraska – annual, $45; duplicate annual, $22.50; daily, $8.

Permit vendors will be receiving the park entry permits in coming weeks.

Permits may be purchased at OutdoorNebraska.org. A park entry permit is required of each vehicle entering a Nebraska state park, state recreation area or state historical park.