OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A group of area firefighters will learn more about responding to incidents involving hazardous materials at workshops in Omaha this week.

The workshops sponsored by Union Pacific and BNSF railroads and the chemical industry will focus on dealing with chlorine emergencies but they will also offer general information about hazardous materials.

Between 40 and 50 people are expected to attend the trainings on Wednesday and Thursday.

Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis says the first responders will have the chance to check out a railroad tank car and different tanks that might be used to store chlorine at a pool or water treatment plant.

These industry-sponsored trainings are staged across the country each year and often focus on a particular commodity. In recent years, crude oil and ethanol have been highlighted.

Calling all kids! The Theater Department at North Platte Community College is in search of a short boy, age 10-12, to play the part of “Theo” in the upcoming play, “Pippen.”

Some singing ability is preferred, but it’s not a requirement.

Those interested are asked to audition at 6 p.m., Friday, Aug. 28, in Room 115, of the McDonald-Belton Building on NPCC’s South Campus.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A group that wants to reinstate Nebraska’s death penalty through a ballot measure will submit its signatures to the secretary of state’s office a day early.

Nebraskans for the Death Penalty will announce the number of signatures collected on Wednesday, a day before its submission deadline. The secretary of state’s office will then send the boxes to counties, which have 40 days to verify all of the signatures.

The petition drive began after Nebraska lawmakers voted in May to abolish the death penalty, overriding Gov. Pete Ricketts’ veto.

Nebraskans for the Death Penalty will release its signature count at 3 p.m. at the Capitol. Spokesman Chris Peterson says volunteers and paid circulators have collected signatures from all 93 counties.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska public school students showed improvement on this year’s statewide proficiency tests in reading, writing and math, but held steady in science.

The state Department of Education released its results Tuesday from the annual Nebraska State Accountability exams.

The report says 80 percent of students were deemed proficient this year, up from 77 percent in 2014.

In math, 72 percent of students were proficient compared to 71 percent the previous year.

In writing, 72 percent were declared proficient compared to 68 percent in 2013. The 2014 writing results weren’t counted because technology problems rendered them invalid.

Science scores were unchanged, with 72 percent of students considered proficient.

State Education Commissioner Matt Blomstedt says parents and the public should consider the results over time, rather than in a single year.

 

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A new orientation program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is helping students who are the first in their family to attend college prepare for the rigors of higher education.

Those first-generation students often don’t have the same preparation for college life as students whose parents have a bachelor’s degree.

A University of Nebraska-Lincoln official says the school designed its First Husker program to help those students transition to life at university, where the buildings are and what’s expected in classrooms.

University officials haven’t tracked retention rates of first-generation college students at the school before but will start doing it this year. This also is the first year the school has tracked enrollment of first-generation students.

GERING, Neb. (AP) — A September sentencing has been scheduled for a 22-year-old Mitchell man who made a plea deal in a Scotts Bluff County crash death case.

Court records say Michael Fiscus pleaded no contest and was convicted last week of misdemeanor vehicular homicide. Prosecutors had lowered the charge in exchange for Fiscus’ plea. His sentencing is set for Sept. 21.

Prosecutors say Fiscus caused the death of 36-year-old Seth Thompson, of Gering.

Thompson died in September 2014 after being injured in the Dec. 20, 2013, accident. Scotts Bluff County authorities say Fiscus didn’t halt at a stop sign as he drove west on a county road, and his vehicle struck a northbound vehicle driven by Dustin Beaudette, of Scottsbluff. Thompson was a passenger in Beaudette’s vehicle.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A weekly federal report says 77 percent of Nebraska’s corn crop has been rated good or excellent.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture report says that as of Sunday, the state’s soybean crop was rated at 74 percent good or excellent, and 73 percent of the sorghum crop was rated good or excellent.

The report also said that 97 percent of the state’s oat crop has been harvested, slightly behind the average of 99 percent by the date.

A North Platte woman will spend the next three to six years in prison after she was sentenced in Lincoln County District Court, on Monday.

Sara Henderson appeared before Judge Richard Birch for sentencing, after pleading no contest to felony burglary and felony possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver.

On Valentine’s Day, a deputy with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office was on patrol whey they observed a vehicle parked in a secluded area near the Scouts Rest Ranch Campground.

As the deputy approached the area in his vehicle, the suspect vehicle left the area at a high rate of speed.

The deputy eventually got the vehicle to stop near Buffalo Bill Avenue and Scouts Rest Ranch Road, and made contact with the driver, 34-year-old Sara Henderson, and a male passenger, 30-year-old Lucas Sellers.

The deputy reported smelling burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle and said Henderson admitted that there was marijuana in the vehicle.

Following a subsequent search, the deputy located the marijuana along with a large bag of what appeared to be methamphetamine.

As the deputy attempted to detain the duo, Henderson escaped, got back in her vehicle and drove off.

She was soon located hiding in a storage shed at her residence. However, Henderson was not ready to give up and had to be pepper-sprayed before she was taken into custody.

A further search of Henderson’s person revealed a large amount of meth.  Deputies also conducted a more thorough search of her vehicle and located a large amount of cash, stolen property and stolen credit cards.

Henderson was placed under arrest and charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, flight to avoid arrest, obstructing a peace officer, criminal possession of a financial transaction device, theft by deception and theft by shoplifting.

Sellers was arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of marijuana.

Several charges against Henderson were dropped after she agreed to a plea deal.

Prior to sentencing, prosecutors asked Judge Birch to give Henderson a lengthy jail sentence, saying she put her children, the public, and law enforcement at risk with her actions.

They also said that Henderson’s attitude and behavior in court, where she could be seen smiling and attempting to communicate with people in the gallery, indicated that she didn’t take the charges against her seriously.

Henderson then read a lengthy statement to the court, stating that she was aware she was heading down the wrong path and asked for a chance to turn her life around.

Judge Birch then stated that he agreed with prosecutors that the charges against Henderson were serious and warranted a prison sentence, saying anything else would depreciate from the seriousness of the charges against her.

He then sentenced Henderson to three to six years on the burglary charge and three to six years on the meth-distribution charge.

The sentences will run concurrently.