OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A hearing next month could help determine whether the Nebraska Oil and Gas Commission will continue to regulate the mining industry in the state.
Lawmakers are considering eliminating the commission and assigning its duties to other agencies.
The commission has drawn criticism for the way it approved a proposal to allow a company to dispose of wastewater from oil exploration and production in an inactive Sioux County oil well.
The Sept. 22 hearing in Sidney will examine whether the commission’s regulatory duties should be handled by other state and local agencies.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Families that want to legalize medical marijuana are preparing for a possible petition drive to put the issue on the 2016 ballot.
Parents with sick children who lobbied for the measure that stalled during this year’s legislative session have formed a new nonprofit, and are raising money and lining up donors.
Nebraska Families 4 Medical Cannabis president Shelley Gillen says the group is still deciding whether to appeal directly to voters or to try again with the Legislature next year. She expects to have a decision by next month.
Gathering signatures for a ballot measure could be easier under a new state law that goes into effect Aug. 30 and allows petition organizers to pay circulators by the signature instead of by the hour.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Just when you thought you had gotten over last winter, be warned: The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts it will be super cold with a slew of snow for much of the country, even in places that don’t see too much of it, like the Pacific Northwest.
Of course, if you don’t want to read about those four-letter words, there’s plenty more to peruse in the annual book of household tips, trends, recipes and articles.
Otherwise, look for above-normal snow and below-normal temperatures for much of New England; icy conditions in parts of the South; and frigid weather in the Midwest. The snowiest periods in the Pacific Northwest will be in mid-December, early to mid-January and mid- to late February.
The 224-year-old almanac is 26 years older than its closest competitor, “The Farmers’ Almanac,” published out of Maine.
The Lincoln Co. Emergency Managment Department wants to pass along that there are still areas in the city of North Platte without power. If you are without power and in need of shelter, one has been set up at The Salvation Army. For more information contact the Salvation Army, The Lincoln County Emergency Managment Office or follow our post on Facebook.com for discussion
Obtaining an associate degree within 24 months is now a possibility for virtually everyone – thanks to the newest program offering from Mid-Plains CommunityCollege.
Students enrolled in MPCC’s Sunday College option will attend classes on Sundayafternoons and early evenings, starting Aug. 30. They will complete coursework online on their own time the rest of the week.
The classes are offered at all of MPCC’s six campus locations, McCook, North Platte, Broken Bow, Imperial, Ogallala and Valentine.
Among others, the program is targeted at people who work during the week at full time jobs, stay-at-home parents, high school students and current college students who want to free up their schedules Monday through Friday.
“It’s basically a mix of every type of class we offer,” said Dr. Jody Tomanek, area vice-president of academic affairs and North Platte Community College. “It’s accelerated, is a hybrid-meaning it’s offered both in a physical setting and online and is available through distance learning at our extended campus locations.”
Those who enroll will take two classes the first half of a semester then two more classes during the second half. They will also take a class during the winterim, the short period between terms.
A student enrolled in Sunday College might be closer to degree completion than the 24-month schedule. MPCC’s Sunday College allows students to transfer former successfully completed coursework into their new degree program.
If the college is accredited and the completed class fits into the Sunday College degree requirements, it doesn’t matter when or where the class was completed. A certified transcript from the former institution is all that is required to transfer in completed coursework.
The total cost of earning an associate degree through the program is approximately $8,000. That takes into account tuition, fees and books.
Because students registered in the new program are considered full-time, scholarship, tuition waiver, federal financial aid and grant opportunities may be applied, reducing the cost.
Registration is limited to five students per site. There are still openings available at each of MPCC’s campus locations.
Those interested in learning more about the Sunday College option, or who want to register for the program, can visit the college’s website at: www.mpcc.edu/sunday-college/.
They can also contact Heather Pucket, MPCC area student advisor, at 535-3710 orpucketh@mpcc.edu for more information.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Sixteen Nebraska counties have been added to the federal disaster declaration issued by President Barack Obama in June.
The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency says state officials were notified Friday. The declaration came in response to severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding that hit the state between May 6 and June 17.
The counties added to the declaration are Adams, Arthur, Box Butte, Clay, Dawes, Fillmore, Hamilton, Hayes, Johnson, Nemaha, Pawnee, Richardson, Seward, Sioux, Wayne and York.
The declaration allows federal emergency money to be used in assisting state and local government agencies and some nonprofits. The president’s initial declaration only named 12 counties.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lancaster County district judge has been chosen to serve on the Nebraska Supreme Court.
Gov. Pete Ricketts announced Friday that he has appointed Judge Stephanie Stacy of the first judicial district, consisting of Lancaster and Seward counties.
Stacy has been a judge since 2011. She previously was a partner at a Lincoln law firm and taught at the University of Nebraska College of Law.
Stacy earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and graduated with distinction from the university’s law college.
She has handled a variety of criminal, civil and domestic cases. Last year, she struck down the law that allowed former Gov. Dave Heineman to approve a route for the Keystone XL pipeline.
Stacy replaces Justice Kenneth Stephan, who retired on July 1.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska is warning a local school district about a “loyalty oath” to the United States that employees are required to sign.
The ACLU sent the letter to Hastings Public Schools on Friday after receiving complaints from employees.
The group says the pledge requirement came from a 1951 state law, and even though it’s still on the books, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that employees cannot be required to sign such a pledge. ACLU of Nebraska legal director Amy Miller says attempting to enforce the law will expose the district to a civil rights lawsuit.
Hastings Schools Superintendent Craig Kautz says the district’s attorney advised him that there are two oath requirements in state law, and one is still legally valid.
Two North Platte men are in jail on felony charges after a Sutherland homeowner found them burglarizing his house.
At around 9:30 p.m., on August 13, deputies with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office were called to a rural Sutherland residence. It was reported that the homeowner found two subjects in his house, removing items.
Deputies say, at the time of the call, the homeowner and his son were holding the two subjects at gunpoint.
Deputies arrived and placed the two men, identified as 27-year-old James Kohl and 26-year-old Seth Jackson, under arrest.
Both men were transported to the Lincoln County Detention Center and jailed. They’ve been charged with felony burglary, felony possession of burglary tools and 1st-degree trespassing.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A hearing next month could help determine whether the Nebraska Oil and Gas Commission will continue to regulate the mining industry in the state.
The Lincoln Co. Emergency Managment Department wants to pass along that there are still areas in the city of North Platte without power. If you are without power and in need of shelter, one has been set up at The Salvation Army. For more information contact the Salvation Army, The Lincoln County Emergency Managment Office or follow our post on 
