LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Although the agricultural economy is often hurting, youthful optimism remains among Nebraska’s FFA.

Organizers of the annual FFA Convention predict a record-breaking attendance of 4,600 students, plus teachers and other guests for a total future farmers crop of more than 6,500 people.

The FFA’s state director of agricultural education, Matt Kreifels, says people are catching up with the reality that agriculture is a dominating industry in Nebraska and what it does for the state economically.

This includes the realization that the FFA isn’t just for students who want to farm, but also for young people interested in bio-energy, business management, engineering, science and other disciplines.

The state organization’s total membership has currently peaked at more than 13,000 students.

A North Platte man is facing felony charges after he allegedly took a break to smoke some meth.

On Thursday, at around 6:29 p.m., North Platte Police received a report of a suspicious vehicle parked in the 400 block of North Dewey Street.

The witness reported that the vehicle was parked in a strange manner and the man inside was seen hitting a clear glass pipe.

An officer contacted the male in the vehicle and identified him as 52-year-old Danny Reeder.

According to Investigator John Deal, Reeder admitted to smoking meth out of a pipe and surrendered the pipe and a powdery substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine.

Deal said Reeder is also a registered sex offender and the registry indicated that he lived at  a residence in the 400 block of North Dewey Street.  However, Reeder reported that he was homeless and no longer lived there.

Because he did not notify law enforcement that he no longer lived at the residence listed on the registry, Reeder was charged with failure to register as a sex offender, in addition to the felony possession of methamphetamine charge.

Reeder was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.

A 23-year-old North Platte man has been accused of providing alcohol for a minor, then raising a ruckus in the street when officers tried to issue him a summons.

At around 9:25 p.m., on April 7, North Platte Police received information that there was alcohol being consumed by minors at a residence in the 1200 block of West 10th Street.

Officers arrived at the residence and made contact with Benjamin Clark.  According to Investigator John Deal, Clark advised that he did not live at the there,  however, another subject who did live at the house gave officers consent to search.

During the search, officers located alcohol and “signs that a party had taken place” in a the garage.

Officers located a female in the garage, 19-year-old Desiray Stryker, who had allegedly been consuming alcohol provided by Clark.  Officers cited Stryker for minor in possession of alcohol and went to speak to Clark.

Deal said when officers told Clark that he was receiving a summons for procuring alcohol for a minor, he became belligerent and began yelling profanities in the street, refusing to provide information needed for the summons.

As a result, Clark was arrested and jailed instead of being cited and released.

Clark has since bonded out of the Lincoln County Detention Center.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A former Nebraska bank executive convicted of fraud and sentenced to federal prison is planning to appeal.

Attorneys for 74-year-old Gilbert Lundstrom filed paperwork Wednesday notifying the court he would appeal the jury verdict and sentence.

The former TierOne Bank CEO was sentenced in March to 11 years in prison and fined $1.2 million after he was found guilty of 12 counts related to the 2010 failure of the Lincoln-based bank.

Prosecutors have said Lundstrom and other bank officers hid losses from regulators and shareholders.

Lundstrom testified he never knowingly provided false information to investors or federal regulators.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts has signed a law to ensure that families will receive accurate, up-to-date information when their unborn or newborn child is diagnosed with Down Syndrome.

The law approved Thursday requires the Department of Health and Human Services to develop an information sheet about Down Syndrome and provide it to health care facilities and practitioners.

The bill is the culmination of effort between its sponsor, Sen. Lydia Brash of Bancroft, and Sen. Colby Coash of Lincoln.

Brasch says she introduced the bill after hearing some families have had to use online search engines to learn about what to expect when a child with Down Syndrome is born.

Down Syndrome is a genetic disorder associated with growth delays and mild to moderate intellectual disabilities.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A bill that would allow young immigrants who were brought into the country illegally to receive professional licenses has advanced to a final vote in the Nebraska Legislature.

Senators gave the measure second-round approval on Thursday, despite the looming threat of a veto by Gov. Pete Ricketts.

The bill by Sen. Heath Mello of Omaha would apply to youths who were allowed to stay in the United States through the federal deferred-action program. Supporters say it would allow them to serve as teachers, nurses, counselors, accountants and other professions that require a license.

Conservative opponents argue that the bill would reward lawbreaking by immigrant parents who brought their children into the country illegally.

A wildfire has blackened about 20 square miles of land in the western Nebraska Sandhills.

Grant County Sheriff Mike Roth says the blaze started in Grant County around noon Wednesday and stretched into Arthur County. At least 10 agencies fought the flames for more than seven hours.

No injuries have been reported, nor any damage to buildings.

Another blaze was reported Tuesday afternoon in south-central Nebraska. Authorities say sparks from a passing train ignited fires along an eight-mile stretch east of Harvard. About 80 firefighters responded, and farmers used their tractors and discs to deny fuel to the flames.

No injuries or building damage have been reported.