LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A new report says Nebraska’s child welfare system is still struggling to serve the needs of its clients because of large caseloads and a lack of cooperation among agencies.

The problems noted in a report released Wednesday are persisting despite an increase in state funding and recent changes in state law intended to reduce caseloads.

The Office of the Inspector General of Nebraska Child Welfare says it completed investigations in the last fiscal year of 22 cases involving children who died or were seriously injured.

In addition, the agency reported an increase in cases involving medical problems and injuries, suicide attempts, self-harming behavior and children exposed to drugs.

Julie Rogers, the state’s inspector general for child welfare, says too many children involved in the system are experiencing tragic outcomes.

MINDEN, Neb. (AP) — A former Kearney Catholic High School golf coach who’d been accused of trying to sexually entice a teenager has died in a highway collision.

Authorities say 44-year-old Shawn Dowse, of Kearney, died at the scene Tuesday morning, about two miles west of Hazard on Nebraska Highway 2. Sherman County authorities say Dowse was driving a pickup west when he ran into an eastbound truck. The other driver was taken to a hospital.

Dowse was arrested last week on charges of negligent child abuse, enticement by electronic communication device and contributing to the delinquency of a child. Records in a separately filed case say the mother of a 13-year-old who obtained a protection order against Dowse said he sent inappropriate text messages to the girl.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Seven Midwest governors have sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency seeking regulation changes intended to increase sales of gasoline blended with a higher percentage of ethanol.

The governors of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota sent a letter Tuesday to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy requesting new standards that would allow stations to sell more gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol rather than the current standard of 10 percent ethanol.

The letter says the current setup “is stifling the widespread adoption” of E15 ethanol blends.

The governors — five Republicans and two Democrats — are all from leading ethanol-producing states. The letter was also sent to President Barack Obama.

A telephone message seeking a comment from McCarthy was not immediately returned Tuesday.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Children who suffer from serious emotional problems could have better access to community-based services in Nebraska under a new $12 million federal grant.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday it will receive $3 million annually over four years to continue implementing a mental health system of care.

The system of care will help deliver services to children who are considered at-risk of emotional and behavioral problems.

Sheri Dawson, the state’s behavioral services director, says the grant will help the department meet youth needs more efficiently at state, regional and local levels.

The department says more than 37,000 children in Nebraska experience behavioral health disorders.

MAXWELL, Iowa (AP) — The men and women who are growing what’s expected to be the biggest corn crop the United States has ever seen won’t benefit from the milestone.

Prices are so low that for the third consecutive year, most corn farmers will spend more than they earn. It’s a similar story for soybean producers.

That’s left farmers across the country cutting costs, dipping into savings or going further into debt to make it through the year.

Federal crop insurance and government payments will offer some help, and most farmers have an off-the-farm job or a spouse who supplements the family’s income.

But the drop in farm profits raises questions about agriculture’s boom-and-bust cycles and why people adhere to what at times is seemingly not a sustainable business model.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska has started its new fiscal year with lower-than-expected tax revenue for the first two months.

The Department of Revenue announced Monday that gross tax receipts in August totaled $468.8 million, which is 0.1 percent below the certified forecast of $469.2 million. The July gross tax receipts totaled $305 million, which was 2.2 percent below the certified forecast of $312 million.

After tax refunds, the August net receipts of $410 million was 0.4 percent above the forecast of $400 million.

The Nebraska Economic Forecasting and Advisory Board set the forecast in February.

The state has been preparing for a tight budget during the 2017 session. Gov. Pete Ricketts has directed state agency leaders to look carefully at whether new hires are necessary, to limit travel and delay some purchases.