NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) — A North Platte man has been given 360 days in jail and a year of probation for his involvement in a pipe bomb blast last year.

Online court records say Daniel Smith was sentenced Monday in Lincoln County District Court. He’d pleaded no contest to attempted assault after prosecutors dropped a related explosives charge. He was credited for 136 days already served in jail.

Police say Smith was driving in North Platte on Sept. 15 when he handed a lit, homemade explosive to a 24-year-old passenger to throw out one of the vehicle’s windows. The explosive went off in one of the man’s hands.

Police say Smith drove the injured man to a hospital and then left.

...ELEVATED FIRE RISK THIS AFTERNOON...

EVEN THOUGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE NOTICEABLY COOLER THAN
YESTERDAY...THIS AFTERNOON WILL STILL SEE AN ELEVATED FIRE RISK.
DRY AIR IS ADVECTING INTO THE REGION AT THE SURFACE AND WILL
COMBINE WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER TO MID 50S THIS
AFTERNOON TO PRODUCE MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES NEAR
CRITICAL LEVELS. THIS WILL COMBINE WITH BREEZY NORTHWEST WINDS TO
PRODUCE AN ELEVATED FIRE RISK ACROSS THE REGION TODAY. A SLIGHT
CHANCE FOR LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS TODAY COULD PRODUCE SOME LOCALLY
STRONG ERRATIC WIND GUSTS...AND ANY SHOWER MAY CAUSE RELATIVE
HUMIDITY VALUES TO BRIEFLY RECOVER.

During Red Cross Month in March, the American Red Cross invites individuals to become everyday heroes by giving blood.

March has been recognized as Red Cross Month by every U.S. president since 1943. Red Cross Month is a celebration of supporters who are the face of the Red Cross in their communities, helping to prepare for and bringing help and hope after emergencies.

For more than 30 years, blood donor Sherri Kay has been helping the Red Cross fulfill its lifesaving mission. “Knowing that I help to save lives and make a difference through the Red Cross is one of the most significant things that I do,” she said.

Heroes of all blood types are needed to ensure a sufficient blood supply this spring. The Red Cross must collect approximately 14,000 blood and platelet donations every day for patients.

Make an appointment to donate blood by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Upcoming blood donation opportunities:

Chase County
Imperial
March 24: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Chase County High School, 520 E. 9th St.

Wauneta
March 17: noon to 6 p.m., Wauneta Palisade High School, 214 W. Wichita St.
_______________

Deuel County
Chappell
March 28: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Chappell Fire Hall, 1650 2nd St.
_______________

Furnas County
Cambridge
March 31: noon to 6 p.m., Cambridge High School, 1003 Nelson St.
_______________

Keith County
Ogallala
March 15: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Ogallala Fair Building, 1100 W. 5th
March 16: noon to 6 p.m., Ogallala Fair Building, 1100 W. 5th

Paxton
March 25: 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Community Building, 205 N. Oak St.
_______________

Lincoln County
North Platte
March 16: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Great Plains Health, 601 W. Leota
March 17: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., American Red Cross, 1111 S. Cottonwood
March 24: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., American Red Cross, 1111 S. Cottonwood
March 25: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., American Red Cross, 1111 S. Cottonwood
March 31: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., American Red Cross, 1111 S. Cottonwood
March 31: 1 – 6 p.m., Valley Christian Church, 2001 W. State Farm Road

Wallace
March 21: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Wallace High School, 151 N. Wallace Road
_______________

Logan County
Stapleton
March 22: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Stapleton High School, 702 F St.
_______________

How to donate blood
Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood donors can now save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started and learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.

Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol issued 360 citations and warnings for speeding during high visibility enforcement efforts conducted during the Boys State Basketball Tournament (March 10-12).

Troopers also issued citations for Driving Under Suspension (4), Driving Under the Influence of Drugs (4), No Proof of Insurance (2) and Reckless Driving (1). Sixteen citations and warnings were also issued for No Seat Belt and No Child Restraints (1). Motorist assistance was provided to 28 travelers.

An $8,950 grant from the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety helped to pay for the special enforcement which focused on high traffic areas in an effort to reduce the potential for serious injury and fatality crashes.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Tourism Commission has added new destinations to its yearly summertime passport program in an effort to promote attractions across the state.

The program encourages travelers to explore Nebraska by visiting 80 specific sites and collect stamps in their “passport” along the way. This year’s program features 23 new communities and salutes the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.

Commission executive director Kathy McKillip says the goal is to have people reconnect with or discover the state while supporting small businesses and attractions.

More than 24,600 travelers collected stamps in 2015. When the program started in 2010, 278 people participated.

The 80 stops are grouped into 10 themes, including “Nebraska on Film,” ”Flavors of Nebraska,” and “Find Your Park.” The program will run May 1 to Sept. 30.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Remains of Nebraska’s second Lincoln Capitol have surfaced as workers have excavated dirt in the building’s northwest courtyard for the installation of new fountains.

The workers discovered about four dozen pieces of buried limestone that probably made up a portion of the facade of the old Capitol. Before the discovery, the Capitol Commission had only one piece of stone from the old building.

Architect Matt Hansen is cleaning the decades-old, caked-on dirt and mud from the limestone. The commission will keep some of the stones in its masonry shop for people to see and touch on tours.

The second Capitol building was built from 1881 to 1888. It turned out to be too small almost as soon as it was built.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A new report says Nebraska’s unemployment remained 3 percent in January.

The Nebraska Labor Department said in the report issued Monday that the preliminary January rate was the same as December’s revised rate and was a tenth of a point higher than the revised January 2015 rate of 2.9 percent.

The new Nebraska rate remained well below the preliminary national unemployment rate of 4.9 percent in January. U.S. Labor Department figures say Nebraska’s rate was a tenth of a point higher than New Hampshire’s 2.9 percent in January and two-tenths higher than the 2.8 percent reported for North and South Dakota, the lowest rate in the nation.

UPDATE (3/14/16 3:50 pm)

Another day of searching has come up empty as authorities continue to try to locate Ronald Kubiak’s missing vehicle.

Chief Deputy Roland Kramer says Nebraska Game and Parks Conservation officers deployed a boat equipped with sonar earlier today.  Kramer said the search “did not produce any vehicles.”

According to Kramer, that section of the canal has effectively been eliminated as the possible location of Kubiak’s vehicle.

The search will resume on Wednesday, when authorities will focus their search on an area of the canal west of the Sutherland Inlet Campground.

Authorities say they are continuing to search for a vehicle belonging to a Sutherland man whose body was found in the Nebraska Public Power District canal, near the Gerald Gentleman Power Plant.

The Lincoln County Dive Team has been attempting to locate Ronald Kubiak’s 1993 Chrysler in the canal since last Thursday. Kubiak’s body was discovered in the canal by NPPD employees on Wednesday.

After an unsuccessful attempt to locate Kubiak’s car on Thursday, the search continued on Saturday but was again unsuccessful.

According to Chief Deputy Roland Kramer, the search will resume today, with assistance from a Nebraska Game and Parks Commission boat equipped with sonar, which is used to locate objects under water.

Kramer said the vehicle is possibly located in a short section of the canal, just north of the power plant.

An autopsy will be conducted on Kubiak’s body on Tuesday, in Gibbon.

Kubiak was last seen by family members in early February. Authorities say there is no reason to suspect foul play or suicide at this point.

RELATED CONTENT:

http://www.northplattepost.com/2016/03/10/updated-authorities-id-body-found-in-canal-near-sutherland/

http://www.northplattepost.com/2016/03/09/lcso-body-found-in-canal-near-gerald-gentleman-plant/

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Department of Agriculture is now seeking proposals for its specialty crop block grant program.

The program is designed to promote specialty crops such as potatoes, dry edible beans, fruits, vegetables, tree nuts and nursery crops. The submission deadline is April 1 at 5 p.m.

Director Greg Ibach says the program has proven successful in recent years, and has received grants from different parts of the state.

The program is administered by the state and funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For the 2016 program, state officials expect to receive about $620,000.

Producers, organizations and associations, state and local agencies and educational groups are all eligible to apply.

More information is available on the Department of Agriculture’s website at http://1.usa.gov/1QHj7Kx .