LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Five years after lawmakers approved a texting-while-driving ban, advocates say Nebraska’s roads are still populated with motorists who glance down at their phones while behind the wheel.

Law enforcement, lawmakers and highway safety officials still consider it a problem in Nebraska.

Nebraska’s ban doesn’t allow authorities to pull drivers over for texting alone, because the offense is considered secondary. Officers can only stop vehicles for primary offenses, such as speeding or running a traffic light.

Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston introduced a bill this year to ban all handheld use of wireless electronic devices while driving and would make doing so a primary offense. The bill remains in the Transportation Committee. Riepe says he hopes it will go before the entire Legislature.

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — Draft horse and stock dog competitions will dominate the early events at the Nebraska State Fair.

The draft horse hitch competition will take place Aug. 28-30, while the stock dog competition is scheduled for Aug. 31-Sept. 1.

Livestock Superintendent Bill Angell says the draft horse competition comes in several forms, including single horse hitched to a buggy, four horses hitched and six horses hitched.

The number of entries in the stock dog show has its maximum. This year’s fair will feature 70 dogs and about 40 handlers. Angell says the competition is popular because audiences like to watch dogs herding cattle through gates.

GERING, Neb. (AP) — Two western Nebraska men are accused of sexually assaulting two teenage girls after supplying them with alcohol at a party.

Joseph Moore and Gage Soto are both charged with first-degree sexual assault of an incompetent person.

Authorities say a 17-year-old girl reported that she was assaulted by the 22-year-old Soto, while intoxicated. The 22-year-old Moore is accused of having sex with a 16-year-old girl.

Police say Moore and Soto both admitted to having sexual intercourse with the girls and providing them alcohol. Both are also charged with five counts of procuring alcohol for a minor. Attorneys for the men weren’t listed in online court records.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska has issued 1,300 driver’s licenses to youths who were brought into the country illegally as children since the state became the last in the nation to let them apply.

The Department of Motor Vehicles says 427 licenses were issued in Douglas County from May 29 to Aug. 5 and 133 in Lancaster County. The third-largest number issued was in Hall County.

The youths became eligible after Nebraska lawmakers voted in May to end the state ban on driving privileges for those who were allowed to stay in the U.S. under the federal deferred-action program.

Advocates say it helped put Nebraska in line with the rest of the country. Some new recipients say they’re now able to drive to work and school and feel like they’re part of the community.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is accepting recreational trail grant applications for funding in fiscal 2016.

The Recreational Trails Program is a grant program through the Federal Highway Administration that reimburses political subdivisions for up to 80 percent of the costs of trail acquisition, development, renovation and support facilities.

Application forms may be downloaded at https://bit.ly/1aFXh3b or people can contact Kirk Nelson at 402-471-5513 or at kirk.nelson@nebraska.gov for an application packet.

Applications must be submitted to Game and Parks or be postmarked by Sept. 4.

PERU, Neb. (AP) — The University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha and Peru State College have expanded their partnership in the medical school’s Rural Health Opportunities Program.

The expansion includes clinical laboratory science, physical therapy, physician assistant and radiography educational programs.

Under the agreement beginning this fall, qualifying Peru State College students may apply for admission to the Rural Health Opportunities Program.

The program began in 1990 to encourage residents to pursue careers in health care and practice in smaller Nebraska communities.

Peru State students accepted into the program will receive a full tuition waiver for their undergraduate years. Each provisionally admitted student will be appointed a faculty mentor from Peru State and a faculty mentor from the respective UNMC allied health program of study.

SIDNEY, Neb. (AP) — A judge has given a western Nebraska police chief 30 days to file a brief appealing his monthlong jail sentence.

The judge issued the 30-day timeline Friday during a brief hearing in the case of Sidney Police Chief B.J. Wilkinson.

Wilkinson pleaded no contest and was convicted last month of obstructing government operations.

The charge stems from what state prosecutors say was Wilkinson’s failure to pursue criminal charges against city Public Works Director John Hehnke, after Hehnke’s ex-girlfriend filed a complaint in January 2014 against Hehnke.

Concerns about Wilkinson’s decision not to seek charges against Hehnke were brought to the attention of the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office. Earlier this year Hehnke was charged with two misdemeanors.

NORTH PLATTE, NEB. – Beginning at 6 a.m. Monday, Aug. 10, Great Plains Health will open the first floor of our new patient tower, GPWest. At this time the old entrance will be closed, and patients and visitors will be directed to the new main entrance. Going forward, there will be four public entry doors into the hospital, and all others will be closed. The doors include:

• The new main entrance (south side), located on the first floor of GPWest. These doors will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. Please use this entrance to access all areas, except the emergency department, the Calahan Cancer Center, and the Heart & Vascular Center. A complimentary valet service is available at this entrance for all patients and visitors. Examples of what can be accessed through this location are:

Registration

Same-day surgery

Lab

Radiology

All patient rooms and ICU

Wound Healing Center

Cafeteria and coffee shop

Chapel

• The emergency department entrance (west side). These doors are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Please use this entrance for emergency services and for hospital access after-hours from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

 

• The Callahan Cancer Center (southwest side). These doors are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and are used to access the cancer center for clinic appointments.

 

• The Heart & Vascular Center (west side). These doors are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and are used to access the Heart & Vascular Center for clinic appointments.

“We will continue to serve patients in the current patient rooms until our patient floor move on Sept. 1,” says Fiona Libsack, Great Plains Health vice president of marketing and communications. “However, access to the floors will change to the new main entrance. It is only the first floor that will open on August 10.”

Please see the attached map for reference. If you have any questions, please call Fiona Libsack at 308.660.6658 or email libsackf@gphealth.org.

 

• Carson Ray Arnett, 23, Hershey and Carly Jo Luebbe, 22, Hershey

 

• Emil Laroy Kates, 23, Maxwell and Jericca Lee Lewis, 23, Maxwell

 

• Benjamin Lee Cochran, 25, Tryon and Bailey Anne Obermeyer. 23, Tryon

 

• Tanner Joseph Schacher, 28, York and Courtney Rae Willard, 25, York

COMSTOCK, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say the body of a Comstock man who’d been killed in a tractor accident was found by his son.

The accident occurred Wednesday afternoon about two miles northeast of Comstock. Custer County Sheriff’s Office investigators say 72-year-old Alan Drake was working on a road to a pasture and helping to remove trees when the tractor flipped over, pinning him underneath.

Drake’s son, Kevin, found his father’s body in the pasture.