LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska students will not be required get vaccinations against meningitis, despite senators who argue the disease is a public health concern.

Lawmakers rejected a bill Wednesday that would have required two rounds of meningitis vaccinations for students between seventh grade and age 16. The vote was 29-14, four votes short of the 33 required to break a filibuster and carry it to the next round.

The bill’s sponsor, Omaha Sen. Bob Krist, designated the measure his priority this session after it failed to gain approval last year. Krist says bacterial meningitis can result in loss of limbs and organ failure.

But opponents say vaccinations should be decided by parents and there have been too few cases of meningitis in Nebraska to mandate a statewide vaccination.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Adults suffering from a terminal illness would have the right to end their own life with a doctor’s assistance under a bill Nebraska lawmakers will consider this year.

Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha introduced legislation Wednesday that would allow patients to self-administer an aid-in-dying drug prescribed by their doctor.

Patients would have to request the prescription orally and in writing, with a statement signed by two witnesses. At least one of the witnesses could not be related to the patient and could not be listed as a beneficiary of the patient’s estate.

The bill would only apply to patients are believed to have less than six months to live.

MINDEN, Neb. (AP) — A Kearney man given four years of probation for arson in Buffalo County is scheduled to be sentenced in Kearney County for a similar crime.

Online court records say 35-year-old Aaron Stones was sentenced last week in Kearney for setting fire to a pharmacy in Ravenna on March 25. He’d pleaded no contest and was convicted of felony arson.

The records show he pleaded guilty to the same charge in Kearney County for starting fires at a pharmacy in Minden on March 27. An arrest affidavit says Stones admitted setting fires at the pharmacy’s front windows and rear door.

His Kearney County sentencing hearing is set for Wednesday in Minden.

No injuries were reported in either blaze.

North Platte Police are investigating after a North Platte man allegedly broke into lockers at Great Plains Health and stole numerous items, including a vehicle.

Police were called to GPH at around 6:49 p.m., on January 19. Staff at the hospital told officers that someone had rummaged through the employee lockers and several items were missing.

According to Investigator John Deal, the stolen items included cash, credit cards and prescription medication.

One employee reported that her car keys were missing and so was her 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix, which had been parked in the parking lot.

Officers viewed surveillance video and identified the suspect in the thefts as 24-year-old Benjamin Beauvais.

Investigators say Beauvais arrived at the hospital with two other people, one of whom checked into the hospital for legitimate medical reasons, then separated from his group and entered the unauthorized area.

Another witness reported seeing Beauvais enter the Grand Prix and leave.

Police say the car was recovered in North Platte on Wednesday afternoon, but Beauvais remains at large.  He is currently sought on felony theft charges, and, according to Deal, additional charges for controlled substance violations and trespassing may be added.

If you have any information on his whereabouts, contact the North Platte Police Department at 308-535-6789 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-933-TIPS.

DETROIT (AP) — U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating complaints that doors won’t latch properly on about 400,000 Ford Focus compact cars.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says on its website that the probe covers cars from the 2012 and 2013 model years.

The agency says 73 drivers have reported problems with latches including some who said the doors opened while the cars were moving. One person reported getting hurt by a door that rebounded after an attempt to close it.

The government says the problem is similar to one that caused the recall last year of more than 456,000 Lincoln MKZ and Ford Fusion and Fiesta models. Investigators will check how often the problem happens and could seek a recall.

A message was left Wednesday seeking comment from a Ford spokesman.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Lawmakers have unveiled a new plan to cover the so-called Medicaid gap population in Nebraska, but the proposal faces a steep uphill climb.

The measure announced Tuesday was hailed as a bipartisan approach to cover an estimated 77,000 low-income people, with optional job-training referrals for those who qualify.

The bill would use federal Medicaid dollars to buy private health coverage for residents without access to an employer-sponsored plan, and would pay a worker’s share of premiums if an employer does offer coverage. People deemed medically frail would receive coverage through the state’s current Medicaid program.

Sen. John McCollister of Omaha, a leading sponsor, says it would help the state economy.

But leading opponents say at least 18 senators are against the proposal, enough to block the bill in the Legislature.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A bill to permit jails and prisons to charge inmates a copayment for health care services has been rejected by the Legislature for the rest of the year.

Lawmakers voted unanimously Tuesday to hold the measure until April 20, nearly guaranteeing it will not be revisited this session.

The proposal by Sen. Tyson Larson of O’Neill would allow copayments of up to $10 for every self-initiated, non-emergency visit to a health care provider. Exceptions would include treatment for mental health, preexisting conditions, chronic illnesses and medical emergencies.

Opponents note that the Department of Correctional Services has said it would not enact the policy if the law passed. Some say a copayment could discourage inmates from seeking medical help.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A bill to outlaw small, flame-powered paper air balloons in Nebraska has sped through first round debate in the Legislature.

Lawmakers voted unanimously on Tuesday to advance the measure.

The bill’s advocates say the lanterns create dangerous fire hazards if they land in neighborhoods or dry fields. If the bill passes, violators would face a $100 fine. The lanterns are made of flame-retardant paper and lifted by hot air from open flames at their bases. They’re often released into the sky at memorials or celebrations. Hot air balloons large enough to carry people would not be included in the ban.

Sen. Jerry Johnson of Wahoo has designated the bill his priority this session.

A North Platte man who thought the parking lot of a local convenience store looked like a good place for a snooze is now facing felony charges.

On January 15, officers with the North Platte Police Department responded to the report of a male subject passed out in a vehicle in the Kwik Stop parking lot, 720 East 4th Street.

Officers made contact with the driver, Johnathan Norton, who was still reportedly sleeping inside the vehicle.

Norton was awoken and, due to his slurred speech and lethargic behavior, was suspected of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Police say Norton was given a field sobriety test, which he failed, but a breath test did not indicate the presence of alcohol in his system.

A search of Norton revealed several pills, for which he did not have a prescription.

According to Investigator John Deal, three of the pills were scheduled controlled substances, and one was not a controlled substance but required a prescription.

After further testing at police headquarters, officers determined there was probable cause to arrest Norton and charge him with three counts of felony possession of a controlled substance and driving under the influence of drugs.

Norton was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.