NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) — A Colorado man is scheduled to be sentenced next month for stealing two all-terrain vehicles and a trailer from a western Nebraska sheriff’s department.

Online court records say 37-year-old Richard Keith, of Evans, Colorado, pleaded no contest to a felony theft charge after Lincoln County prosecutors dropped a misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief. His sentencing is set for April 11.

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office says the ATVs and a trailer were taken from a county roads department lot in North Platte late on July 29 or early on July 30 last year. The items were recovered in August in the Greeley, Colorado, area.

Governor Pete Ricketts and Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles Director (DMV) Rhonda Lahm unveiled the new standard license plate, which will be issued beginning in January 2017.

“Our standard license plate is one important way we brand our state,” said Governor Ricketts. “This new plate features a simple, classic design, using the blue and gold of our state flag. One of our state’s most recognizable images, The Sower, is displayed in the background above the recognition of our state’s 150th year of statehood.”

“As the department developed the plate, our team focused on creating a simple, streamlined design,” said DMV Director Rhonda Lahm. “Nebraskans will begin to see this plate on vehicles starting next January. I encourage all Nebraskans to visit www.dmv.nebraska.gov to see the new plate and all available specialty plates.”

The top of the plate prominently features “Nebraska” in gold lettering on a blue field. Centered in the background is the watermarked image of The Sower, the sculpture which sits atop the Nebraska State Capitol. The bottom of the plate highlights the year of Nebraska’s statehood as well as the year of Nebraska’s 150th birthday.

The new design was developed by the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles. A digital copy of the design is attached for use by news media covering this announcement.

In addition to the standard issue plate, several specialty plates are available for purchase through the DMV. Interested Nebraskans can visit www.dmv.nebraska.gov for more information on how to purchase specialty plates.

A car-semi crash on Highway 26 near Mitchell in Scottsbluff County claims two lives.

The crash occurred, just before 8:30 p.m. (MDT), Monday, March 21, on Highway 26, one mile west of Mitchell, when a 2002 Mercury Cougar northbound on a county road, failed to yield to a semi traveling westbound on Highway 26.

The driver of the Mercury, John H. Russell, 21, of Scottsbluff, and a passenger Brady J. Lenz, 22, of Alliance, died at the scene of the crash. The driver of the semi, Sean R. Ash, 24, Scottsbluff was not injured. Seat belts were in use by all parties.

The Nebraska State Patrol was assisted by the Scotts Bluff County Sheriff’s Office, Mitchell and Morrill Police Departments, Mitchell Volunteer Fire Department and Valley Ambulance and Regional West Medical Center Air Link.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A forecast of up to 6 inches of snow in some parts of Nebraska has led officials to delay a statewide tornado drill from Wednesday to Thursday.

A winter storm watch will be in effect from Wednesday morning through Wednesday night and run from the southern Panhandle and southwest Nebraska to Dixon County in the northeast corner of the state. The National Weather Service says snowfall is expected to range from 3 to 6 inches in the storm watch area, with winds gusting to 45 mph.

Other parts of the state could see rain or less snow.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s attorney general says he is disappointed but unsurprised by the U.S. Supreme Court’s rejection of Nebraska and Oklahoma’s effort to have Colorado’s pot legalization declared unconstitutional.

Doug Peterson noted Monday that the court ruled on procedures rather than merits of the case, and the states now have the option to file the case in federal district court.

Peterson says filing in district court would begin a more time-consuming process to reach the U.S. Supreme Court, and the attorneys general have not yet decided if they will do so.

Peterson says he is also discussing alternate strategies with other states to raise the complaint that recreational marijuana use runs afoul of federal anti-drug laws and negatively affects neighboring states.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Legislature’s Revenue Committee has set a new public hearing on a proposal designed to address complaints about property taxes.

The hearing is set for 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday at the Capitol. It’s required because substantial changes have been proposed to the original bill introduced on Gov. Pete Ricketts’ behalf.

The new measure is intended funnel more money into a state tax credit program that offsets local property taxes. It also would impose budget restrictions on community colleges, which rely partially on property taxes.

People interested in testifying can also submit written testimony in lieu of live testimony. Written testimony must be submitted to the committee clerk, Krissa Delka, at [email protected].

Two men were injured, one seriously, during an alleged assault by a Hershey man.

At around 9:25 pm, on March 20, deputies with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Officer were advised of a large disturbance at a residence in Hershey.

Deputies arrived and located two men, who were injured, inside the residence.  Chief Deputy Roland Kramer says one of the men was unconscious and had sustained serious injuries.

As deputies investigated, they learned that both men had been assaulted by 33-year-old Clemente Carrizales.

As the seriously injured man was transported to Great Plains Health in North Platte, deputies were able to locate Carrizales and place him under arrest.

According to Kramer, Carrizales was transported to the Lincoln County Detention Center and jailed on charges of felony 1st-degree assault and 3rd-degree assault.

Deputies did not say if the other victim required medical attention.

The case remains under investigation.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — An attempt to more than triple Nebraska’s cigarette tax has stalled in a legislative committee.

The Revenue Committee rejected the proposal on Monday, with two senators voting for it and six against it.

The bill by Sen. Mike Gloor of Grand Island would have increased the tax from 64 cents to $2.14 per pack. The excise tax rate on other tobacco products would have risen from 20 percent to 31 percent.

The cigarette tax would have generated an estimated $45 million for the state’s property tax credit fund, which offsets local property taxes, and $45 million to pay for personal property tax exemptions. Another $30 million would have paid for various public health programs.

Gloor says the bill’s defeat shows the tobacco industry’s strength.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Upsets in the opening weekend of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament ensured that no Berkshire Hathaway employee would claim Warren Buffett’s big prize of $1 million a year for life.

The contest open to Berkshire’s roughly 360,000 employees offered $1 million a year for life to anyone who could pick all 48 of the opening round games perfectly.

Friday’s upset of Michigan State by Middle Tennessee ensured none of the brackets were perfect.

But two Berkshire employees will split $100,000 for picking the most games correctly in a row.

Buffett knew it was unlikely anyone would pick the sweet 16 perfectly. Two years ago, Berkshire insured a $1 billion prize Quicken Loans offered, but didn’t have to pay because no one had a perfect bracket.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has rejected an effort by Nebraska and Oklahoma to have Colorado’s pot legalization declared unconstitutional.

The justices are not commenting Monday in dismissing the lawsuit the states filed directly at the Supreme Court against their neighbor.

They argued that Colorado’s law allowing recreational marijuana use by adults runs afoul of federal anti-drug laws. The states also said that legalized pot in Colorado is spilling across the borders into Nebraska and Oklahoma, complicating their anti-drug efforts and draining state resources.

The Obama administration had sided with Colorado, despite the administration’s opposition to making marijuana use legal.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito would have heard the states’ lawsuit.