Police say they believe the driver of a vehicle that struck two houses and multiple other objects was under the influence of alcohol.

According to Investigator John Deal of the North Platte Police Department, officers responded to the report of a traffic accident in the 4000 block of West Parkland Circle at around 1:36 a.m., on Monday morning.

Officers made contact with the driver of a 2007 Mercury Montego and identified her as 34-year-old Jessica Pavlik.

Deal said Pavlik had visible, non-life threatening injuries and was transported via ambulance to Great Plains Health.

An accident investigation was conducted and showed that Pavlik had been traveling westbound on West 2nd Street when her vehicle veered to the right and left the roadway.

The vehicle reportedly struck a light pole and a tree in the yard of a residence.  After striking the tree, Deal says the vehicle continued to move and struck the outside wall, near the kitchen, of the residence at 4005 West Parkland Circle.  Pavlik’s vehicle then hit the neighboring residence at 4010 West Parkland Circle and came to rest in the yard.

Investigators say there were no witnesses to the accident other than Pavlik.  However, they say it is suspected that Pavlik was under the influence of alcohol.  Deal said the results of a blood draw taken at the hospital should be returned in a few days.

Investigators gave the following breakdown of the damage allegedly caused by Pavlik’s vehicle:

• Street light-$500
• Tree-$100
• Residence at 4005 West Parkland Circle-$10,000
• Residence at 4010 West Parkland Circle-$15,000

Police believe that Pavlik’s vehicle will be a total loss, and they don’t believe that a seatbelt was in use.

Charges against Pavlik are pending.

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP) — More than 150 marksmen from across the country are expected to visit western Nebraska later this month for a two-day shooting competition with some targets up to 1,400 yards away.

The competition will be one of the biggest events of its kind because few events focus on long-range shooting.

Most of the targets will be set up 400-to-800-yards away but some will be barely visible to the naked eye because of the distances involved. The competition will be held April 15-17.

This will be the third competition since Eli Grow and Travis Petersen met at a local gun show last year and started talking about long-range shooting. They formed Western Nebraska Precision Shooters to hold the events.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska drivers will soon be able to help build a real-time map of road conditions through a new data-sharing program with the Department of Roads.

The department announced a partnership with navigation app Waze on Thursday.

The Waze Connected Citizens Program will allow drivers who are logged into the app to contribute traffic and road data anonymously while driving. Drivers can also share road reports, police traps and hazards. The Waze map evolves as it receives more data points from drivers, according to a news release.

The department will provide users with government-reported construction, road closure data and advance notice of major traffic events such as parades.

Department director Kyle Schneweis says the free app will help to ease congestion and inform infrastructure in the state.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — After years of supporting tax credits for Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers, some urban lawmakers are starting to complain that other residents aren’t getting a fair share.

The dispute flared in the Legislature last week during a heated debate over Gov. Pete Ricketts’ property tax package, prompting calls for a more broad-based tax plan.

A group of urban and rural lawmakers has already started meeting to talk about a larger package that would include income tax cuts. Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion, a small business owner, says he hopes the group arrives at “something comprehensive” that will pass in the Legislature.

Smith says he supported agricultural property tax bills in the past because he recognizes the industry’s importance, but he believes small business owners and urban residents are being ignored.

SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Pete Ricketts renewed his objections to expanded gambling in Nebraska during a speech in South Sioux City, where a Native American tribe plans to open a gambling center at a shuttered dog track.

Ricketts said on Friday that a proposed ballot measure to legalize casinos in his state is a bad idea that would cost the state in social services to address abuse and embezzlement.

Ho-Chunk Inc., the economic development arm of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, plans to build a short horse track, sports bar and simulcast wagering center at the site of the former Atokad Downs.

Ho-Chunk development director Alexcia Boggs said last month that the track will be built regardless of what happens with the casino ballot issue.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska officials are giving away four $5,000 prizes to help people save for their kids’ college educations.

Anyone interested in entering the contest can do so online at www.nest529.com .

The drawing is sponsored by the Nebraska Treasurer’s office and First National Bank of Omaha, which manages Nebraska’s 529 college savings accounts.

State Treasurer Don Stenberg says his office is working to make it easy for families to save, and this prize will provide a boost to the winners.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska is halting production of a new, widely mocked license plate after officials learned that the state icon depicted at the center wasn’t drawn accurately.

The license plate is supposed to show the Nebraska Sower, a statue of a man throwing seeds from atop the state Capitol. The governor’s office said Friday that the image on the plates used elements from a different artwork.

Department of Motor Vehicles Director Rhonda Lahm says the state will redesign the plates to correctly depict the statue.

The decision was first reported by the Omaha World-Herald.

Since the design was unveiled last week, some people have called it boring. Others say the image appears sexually suggestive. The man who drew it says it was based on a nearly identical sower at Michigan State University.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A bill that would have given Nebraska state officials more power to recover Medicaid debts has stalled in the Legislature.

Senators failed Friday to overcome a filibuster on the measure, which would have closed loopholes in current state law and allowed the Department of Health and Human Services to hire more attorneys.

Opponents say the measure unfairly targets farm property, but not other assets such as stocks and bonds. Others contend that the department wasn’t designed to handle debt recoveries on a larger scale.

Lawmakers voted 29-19 to force an end to debate, four short of what was needed.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Paul Schumacher of Columbus, says he plans to introduce it again next year.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Supreme Court has upheld the conviction and lengthy sentence of a 17-year-old who killed a western Nebraska jailer.

Dylan Cardeilhac of Torrington, Wyoming, was 15 when he strangled Scotts Bluff County jailer Amanda Baker in February 2014. He was convicted later that year of second-degree murder and sentenced to 60 years to life in prison.

In his direct appeal, Cardeilhac sought a new trial because jurors participated in a reenactment of the choking of Baker during deliberations. But the high court on Friday said that did not constitute juror misconduct.

The court also dismissed Cardeilhac’s argument that his sentence was excessive.