According to the Nebraska Department of Roads, Interstate 80 will reopen in both directions at the following locations and times: Kimball at 1:30 p.m., Ogallala at 1:45 p.m. and all other locations at 2:00 p.m.

To stay up to the minute, travelers can check on road closures and conditions by calling 511, Nebraska’s Advanced Traveler Information System. The system can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by dialing 511, or online at www.511.nebraska.gov.

A Nebraska 511 mobile app is also available to download at no cost for smartphone users. Simply search your app provider for Nebraska 511.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Passenger cars without front-end license plate brackets could drive legally with only a rear plate under a bill advanced by Nebraska lawmakers.

Senators gave first-round approval to the measure on Wednesday with a 25-3 vote.

The bill by Sen. Jim Scheer of Norfolk would allow motorists to request a decal instead that would have to be placed on the driver’s side front windshield. The Department of Motor Vehicles would charge a $100 fee when the vehicle is registered.

Nebraska requires vehicles to display front and rear license plates but has carved out numerous exemptions over the years. Vehicles that are allowed to show only one plate include motorcycles, truck-tractors, buses, dealer vehicles and registered “special interest” vehicles.

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Heavy rain prompted an apartment evacuation early Wednesday in northwest Georgia one day after storms spawned tornadoes in Mississippi and Alabama and dumped snow on places farther west.

The National Weather Service, citing a report from an emergency manager in Catoosa County, Georgia, says the apartments being evacuated before dawn Wednesday were near the town of Fort Oglethorpe, just south of Chattanooga, Tennessee. No serious injuries were reported in the flooding.

On Tuesday, tornadoes touched down in Mississippi and Alabama as thunderstorms swept through the region, while a powerful snowstorm buried parts of Colorado and Nebraska in more than a foot of snow before crawling into the Upper Midwest.

Mississippi Emergency Management Agency spokesman Greg Flynn says a confirmed tornado was reported just before 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in eastern Newton and Lauderdale counties.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Heavy snow and strong winds forced officials to close more than 100 miles of Interstate 80 in eastern Nebraska because of dangerous conditions Tuesday.

The Nebraska Department of Roads closed I-80 from Lincoln west to Elm Creek because of the hazards.

In western Nebraska, Interstate 76 was also closed between I-80 and I-70 in Colorado.

Several smaller highways in southwest Nebraska are also closed leading into Kansas.

Officials say the wind and snow are creating blizzard conditions across much of the state. So officials are not recommending travel across most of Nebraska.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A ballot measure that would let 18-year-olds serve in public office in Nebraska has won first-round approval.

Lawmakers voted 27-11 on Monday to advance the measure, which would apply to the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, the Legislature and the Supreme Court.

Two more legislative votes are required before the measure could appear on the November ballot. Nebraska imposes an age minimum of 21 for state senators and 30 to serve as a governor, lieutenant governor or Supreme Court justice.

Sen. Tyson Larson of O’Neill says voters should be able to choose anyone who has reached the federal voting age and is otherwise qualified to serve.

Some senators opposed the measure, saying it could result in governors and justices whose brains haven’t fully developed.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A free flight to Washington, D.C., has been arranged for Nebraska Vietnam veterans who want to see the famed memorials and monuments.

The June 6 excursion will be similar to the Honor Flights that carried World War II and then Korean War veterans to the nation’s capital. The flight and related events are being organized by Bill and Evonne Williams, who organized the Honor Flights.

Veterans may apply on the couple’s website, PatrioticProductions.org. The Williamses expect demand for one of the jetliner’s 135 seats will be high, so the flight initially will be restricted to combat veterans. Two Vietnam veterans will select those who will take the trip.