LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Department of Agriculture has released the first draft of new guidelines for a standardized approach to locating and approving large livestock operations.

The Nebraska Livestock Siting Assessment Matrix was released Monday, and that the guidelines’ designers intended for the draft to be a science-based tool to balance farm growth with protecting neighbors and natural resources.

The assessment matrix is only a suggested guideline and it will be up to local and county officials to determine whether they will follow it.

The department will accept comments on the matrix through July 31. An advisory committee will review and consider submitted comments before a final publication of the assessment matrix in August.

The Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office has released more details regarding an officer involved shooting in Kearney.

According to BCSO Captain Robert Anderson, the incident began at around 7:08 p.m., on June 5, in the gravel parking lot of Johnson Lawn and Landscape, 306 East 6th Street.

Investigators say Kearney Police Department officer Derek Payton made contact with a white 1996 Pontiac 4-door in the parking lot.  Payton was alone in his patrol car, and the Pontiac was occupied by the driver, 35-year-old Rueben Klich, and 31-year-old Amanda Journey, both of Kearney.

During the contact, authorities say Klich attempted to flee the scene.  At this time, officer Payton fired three rounds from his service revolver, striking the vehicle in the windshield and rear window.  As Klich fled, he allegedly struck the corner of Payton’s patrol car.

Payton returned to his cruiser and began to pursue the vehicle.

At the intersection of 17th Street and 5th Avenue, Payton’s vehicle collided with a 2013 Dodge Dart, driven by 25-year-old Mattie Davis, totalling both vehicles.  At the same time, Klich collided with at building at 19th Street and 5th Avenue.  Klich fled the scene and Journey remained in the car.

Officers located Klich nearby and discovered that he had suffered a single gunshot wound to the torso.  He was transported to CHI-Good Samaritan hospital, as were Davis, Journey, and Payton.  Their conditions are unknown.

Authorities did not comment on pending charges in the case.

The case is being investigated by the BCSO and the South Central Area Law Enforcement Services.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — About 500 Vietnam veterans from Nebraska have returned to their home state with a warm welcome from a large crowd after they spent the day in Washington, D.C.

The Omaha World-Herald (https://bit.ly/1TX8zKB ) reports that the veterans returned late Monday to a crowd of at least 4,500 people greeting them at Eppley Airfield in Omaha.

Airport Police Chief Tim Monahan says it surpassed the largest welcome home for military groups by far, including the World War II honor flights.

A nonprofit, Patriotic Productions, raised $450,000 through 550 individual and corporate donors to cover the cost of trip.

When the group arrived in the nation’s capital, airport firetrucks saluted the planes with water cannon and the West Point Alumni Glee Club sang. The veterans spent the day touring military memorials.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A former state official has been chosen as the Nebraska Lottery and Charitable Gaming Division’s new director.

Brian Rockey, a former manager for the division, will assume his new role on July 1. Tax Commissioner Tony Fulton announced the appointment on Monday.

The 55-year-old Rockey worked in the Lottery Division in various capacities between 1993 and 2011. He then worked for International Game Technology, the Nebraska Lottery’s primary contractor.

The Nebraska Lottery and Charitable Gaming Divisions of the Department of Revenue were merged under a single administrator in July 2007.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A longtime Nebraska newspaper publisher and Lincoln philanthropist has died.

James Seacrest was 78. His nephew, Eric Seacrest, says he died on Thursday.

James Seacrest was active in the newspaper industry for 40 years, and served as president and chairman of Western Nebraska Publishing Co. in North Platte from 1968 to 2000. The company published daily, weekly and shopper newspapers in western Nebraska.

James Seacrest and his wife Rhonda were awarded the Lincoln Community Foundation’s Charity Award two years ago for their participation in several Lincoln nonprofit organizations, fundraising efforts and donations to arts and education programs.

In North Platte, he helped raise $1.3 million as vice chairman of the Great Plains Regional Medical Center expansion campaign. He also served on the University of Nebraska Foundation’s board of directors.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A village trustee in Sutherland has agreed to pay a $500 fine for failing to declare his ownership of a company that was awarded a maintenance contract.

The Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission voted 6-3 on Friday to approve the settlement agreement with John Lutz.

The commission says Lutz’s business, John’s Repair, was one of three companies that bid on a $17,300 contract to install new doors at a village maintenance shop. Lutz was accused of failing to declare on the record that he had an interest in the company and of using his office for financial gain.

Lutz acknowledges in the settlement that the commission had enough evidence to conclude that he didn’t declare his financial interest. The allegation that he used his office for personal gain was dismissed.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska lawmaker will pay a $500 fine for not disclosing that he owned stock in a company which would have been affected by legislation he introduced last year.

Sen. Al Davis of Hyannis agreed to the settlement Friday with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission.

Davis introduced and later withdrew a bill that would have imposed a severance tax on niobium while owning stock in a company that was planning to mine the mineral in southeast Nebraska. Jack Gould of the group Common Cause Nebraska argued in a complaint that Davis should have filed a conflict of interest statement.

According to the settlement, Davis says he didn’t intend to violate state law and notes that his stake in the company NioCorp Developments Ltd. was already publicly known.

HARRISON, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a Scottsbluff man has been killed in a motorcycle crash.

The accident occurred around 11:15 a.m. Saturday about 10 miles south of Harrison on Nebraska Highway 29. The Nebraska State Patrol says the motorcyclist lost control on a curve.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene. The patrol identified him a 54-year-old Marcelo Escamilla Jr.

A Denver man suffered life-threatening injuries when his pickup collided head-on with a semi on Interstate 80.

According to Nebraska State Patrol spokeswoman Deb Collins, troopers responded to an injury accident near mile marker 185, five miles west of Maxwell, at around 8:10 a.m.

According to the Patrol, 29-year-old Marc E. Strawser was driving his 2005 Ford F-150 westbound when he lost control, crossed the median and collided head-on with an eastbound semi driven by 26-year-old Mario King, of Homestead, Florida.

Strawser was ejected from the vehicle and, according to a witness, traveled approximately 40 feet before coming to rest in the roadway.

Strawser was transported to Great Plains health via ambulance with life-threatening injuries.  His condition is unknown.  Witnesses reported that CPR was performed on Strawser while he was still on the scene.  He was reportedly breathing when he was transported to the hospital.

King was also transported to GPH where he was treated and released.

The crash closed a portion of I-80 between Maxwell and North Platte for about three and a half hours.

The investigation is ongoing.