KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — A Planned Parenthood spokeswoman says the group has dropped its plan to expand to Kearney in south-central Nebraska.

Spokeswoman Angie Remington tells the Kearney Hub (https://bit.ly/1ELp3sI ) that “the goal right now is to stabilize the organization as we wait to see how the organization will change with our new CEO Suzanna M. de Baca.”

The organization had announced in 2011 that it would open a location in Kearney and several other Nebraska communities.

Planned Parenthood currently has locations in Omaha and Lincoln.

The organization provides a variety of reproductive health care services, including abortions at some locations. It says it served 9,139 women and men in Nebraska from July 2013 through June 2014.

SIDNEY, Neb. (AP) — A western Nebraska man has won $1,000 to invest for retirement in a contest promoting investor education.

The Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance says the Sidney man was chosen randomly from all the people who answered all the investing questions correctly.

The campaign supported by the nonprofit Investor Protection Institute took place in the spring. More than three dozen libraries featured posters and information from the campaign.

IPI President and CEO Don Blandin says his group is dedicated to educating investors and helping them make sound choices.

LINCOLN – Hunters may begin donating deer to the Hunters Helping the Hungry (HHH) program Sept. 1 at 19 processor locations around Nebraska. Two additional processors will accept deer for the program starting Nov. 14. Hunters pay no processing costs for deer accepted by processors for this donation-driven program.

The HHH program provides ground venison to Nebraskans in need and is funded solely by tax-deductible contributions. Hunters should first talk with processors but may keep antlers, head and cape and donate the rest of the deer. Processors accept only whole deer in good condition to ensure a good yield of pure ground venison.

Learn more about the program and how to support it at OutdoorNebraska.org/HHH or contact program coordinator Teresa Lombard at 402 471-5430teresa.lombard@nebraska.gov.

Meat processors include Amherst – Belschner Custom Meats Inc.; Bayard – WyoBraska Wild Game Processors Inc.; Blair – KB Quality Meats; Broken Bow – Broken Bow Pack; Elwood – SteakMaster Inc.; Fordyce – T & R Butcher Block; Franklin – Franklin Locker; Humphrey – Country Butcher; Johnson – Pelican’s Meat Processing; Lindsay – Melcher’s Locker; North Bend – Bob’s Custom Meats LLC; North Platte – Kelley’s Custom Pack LLC; Oakland – Oakland Processing; Omaha – B. I. G. Meats Inc., Stoysich House of Sausage; Orleans – Harlan County Meat Processors; Oxford – Oxford Locker Inc.; Panama – Panama Locker; Table Rock – Den’s Country Meats; Ulysses – The Butchery; Wahoo – Wahoo Locker.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A math expert says proposed Nebraska math standards are aimed at providing students with a deeper understanding of the subject.

The new standards would reduce the number of skills and concepts taught in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Lincoln Public Schools math curriculum specialist Matt Larson told the newspaper that teachers would spend more time on each standard so students could acquire more than a superficial understanding. Larson says the deeper understanding would make it less likely that students would “hit a wall” when they encountered tougher math problems.

The standards are scheduled to be voted on next month by the Nebraska State Board of Education.

Eagle Radio News Director Scott Carlson sat down with Public Information Officer Rodney Brown of the North Platte Police Department to discuss back-to-school safety and the reconfiguration of the middle schools in North Platte.  Have a listen…

https://soundcloud.com/eagleradio-1/whats-your-issue-officer-rodney-brown-back-to-school-safety-aug-21-2015

A North Platte elementary school was put on alert Thursday afternoon after a man wanted on felony warrants attempted to elude police.

According to the North Platte Police Department, a trooper with the Nebraska State Patrol was patrolling in the city when he attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Richard Dale Keith.

Police say Keith failed to stop for the trooper and a short pursuit ensued.

Keith eventually abandoned his vehicle near Westfield Shopping Center and, as a result, officers notified staff at Cody Elementary School of the situation and placed the school on lockdown.  Police say the incident took place about an hour after students had been dismissed, but staff were still present at the school.

With assistance from the North Platte Police Department and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Keith was eventually found and was taken into custody.

He was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center on charges of felony operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving and criminal mischief.  Kieth also had a host of felony charges pending in both Colorado and Arizona for which he had warrants.

According to jail records, Keith is being held without bond.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The U.S. attorney’s office in Nebraska is reviewing allegations by a civil liberties group that state officials are trying to violate federal law through their attempts to import lethal injection drugs.

A spokesman for U.S. Attorney Deborah Gilg said Thursday that federal attorneys are looking over correspondence provided by the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska.

Jan Sharp, the U.S. attorney’s Criminal Division chief in Omaha, says attorneys need time to review the allegations but should decide by next week whether to act.

The ACLU of Nebraska said in a letter Thursday that state officials are actively pursuing the drugs despite federal warnings that they can’t be imported. The group opposes capital punishment.

Gov. Pete Ricketts has said state officials are working with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new survey suggests that the economic outlook for 10 Midwest and Plains states is weaker than in previous months.

The Rural Mainstreet Index sank to growth neutral 50.0 in August from 53.4 in July. The survey indexes range from 0 to 100. Any score below 50 suggests decline in that factor in the months ahead. Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says the weaker business conditions for agriculture and energy businesses accounted for the downtown.

The confidence index, which reflects expectations for the economy six months out, slumped to 42.0 from 46.6 last month.

SIDNEY, Neb. (AP) — Sidney has fired its public works director who was convicted of a misdemeanor for looking into his ex-girlfriend’s home and seeing her only partially clothed.

John Hehnke was fired on Tuesday after working for the city for 10 years.

City officials declined to comment on the firing because it is a personnel matter. The newspaper was unable to reach Hehnke Wednesday.

Hehnke’s problems stem from a January 2014 incident when his ex-girlfriend filed a complaint. He was cited that night but Sidney Police Chief B.J. Wilkinson decided not to pursue the case.

Wilkinson pleaded no contest to obstructing government operations and was sentenced last month to 30 days in jail. But his appeal of the sentence is due to be heard Sept. 28.