Twenty-five graduates of the Mid-Plains Community College Licensed Practical Nursing program received their LPN pins Thursday. They were recognized during a ceremony at North Platte Community College.

Pictured back row, left to right are: Jonathan Rosenberg, Mariesha Brown, Shantel Barta and Kaylin Schultz, of North Platte; Rachel Zeigler, of Ainsworth; Katherine Nesi, of Valentine; Kimberly Starr, of McCook; Chelsey Shaul, of Ainsworth; Jeffery Walent, of Sargent; Rebecca Rossenbach, of Anselmo; Marti Turner, of Burwell and Heidi Kulp, of Arnold.

Middle row left to right are: Anessa Kivett, of Hershey; Samantha Parrett and Sophie Schreiber, of North Platte; Brooke Piester, of Gothenburg; Courtney Hallett, of North Platte; Stephenie Nelson, of Stapleton; Tasha Schroder, of North Platte; Staci Dack and Katelyn Rabas, of McCook; Daile Coleman, of Bassett; Brittany Dowse, of Sargent and Chandra Bitterman and Kelsey Hauser, of Broken Bow.

Front row left to right are MPCC nursing instructors: Addie Robinson, Marina Makovicka, Brett Niemeth, Nicole Kissinger, Lana Albrecht-Watson and Kathy Harrison.

Due to upstream water supply conditions, the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District does not plan to lower water levels at any of its lakes associated with the Supply Canal (including Jeffrey, Midway, Plum Creek and Johnson lakes) in August/September to complete the irrigation season.

Lake McConaughy’s elevation has declined only half a foot in July (from elevation 3,263.3 feet on July 1 to elevation 3,262.8 on July 30), largely due to higher than normal inflows during the month, as well as good flows in the South Platte River.

South Platte flows were sufficient to meet many downstream demands, reducing the need for releases from Lake McConaughy, which is situated on the North Platte River.

Lake McConaughy is considered full for operational purposes at elevation 3,265.0 feet.

JACKSBORO, Texas (AP) — A Texas man has been charged with stealing more than 500 cattle he was watching for a Nebraska rancher.

Jack County jail records show Tony Eugene Lyon of Perrin was being held Wednesday on a theft of livestock charge, with bond at $1 million.

The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association says a marketing agency received an order from a rancher to buy steers. Lyon was to supply the cattle. The victim paid the agency $798,000, with Lyon getting most of the money.

The rancher from Brule, Nebraska, traveled to Texas to see the steers, then decided they should be turned out on a wheat pasture until shipment.

Lyon later allegedly said he got rid of the herd to settle prior obligations.

No attorney was listed to speak for Lyon.

ROSCOE, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a 53-year-old man has died after the pickup he was driving collided with a car in western Nebraska’s Keith County.

The accident occurred around 8:20 p.m. Monday, about five miles south of Roscoe. The Nebraska State Patrol says John Lenhart was driving north when his truck rammed into an eastbound car at an intersection. The patrol says his truck ran off the roadway and rolled.

The patrol had no information on any injuries to the car driver and whether there were any passengers in either vehicle.

NEW YORK (AP) — Whirlpool is recalling more than 40,000 of its Jenn-Air brand ovens after customers reported burns due to faulty oven racks.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says the extendable rack inside the oven can fall out. Whirlpool received eight incident reports from customers, including one who reported second degree burns to the back and arm.

The recall is for Jenn-Air’s single and double wall ovens. They were sold at Sears, Pacific Sales and other stores for between $2,500 and $5,000. About 33,000 were purchased in the U.S. and 8,000 in Canada.

Whirlpool Corp., based in Benton Harbor, Michigan, says customers should stop using the extendable rack and contact the company for a free inspection and repair.

GERING, Neb. (AP) — The former police chief in the Panhandle town of Minatare has been fined $2,000 for submitting false documents to the city and the state Law Enforcement Training Academy.

On Wednesday 49-year-old Robert Regester pleaded no contest and was convicted of two counts of abusing public records. As part of an agreement with prosecutors, two more counts were dropped and one of making a false statement under oath was dropped as well. He also must surrender his law enforcement certification.

Prosecutor Doug Warner says Regester lied about completing firearms courses in September 2014. Warner says Regester also had completed only one hour of 20 hours of continuing education required by the state but lied on a form submitted to the city and the training academy that he’d completed all 20 hours.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A report shows that Nebraska public schools have reported eight serious cheating incidents by school personnel during statewide academic testing since 2010.

The Nebraska Department of Education report doesn’t offer specifics of the incidents, which it describes as security breaches. But it does give examples of what the agency considers a serious breach, including changing a student’s answers, directly coaching a student, or providing test answers to a student.

The Omaha World-Herald had sought detailed information on testing security breaches, which the education commissioner denied on an exception to the state’s public records law. He says releasing the details of security incidents could discourage local officials from self-reporting violations.

Instead, the department released the report to the newspaper Tuesday that summarized incidents statewide over the years.

A man is facing multiple charges after police say he choked his girlfriend’s dog and her at Cody Park.

At around 8:20 p.m., on July 28, officers with the North Platte Police Department responded to a camping site at Cody Park on the report of a disturbance.

It was reported that 25-year-old Seth Batson, no permanent address, was screaming and yelling at a 38-year-old female and throwing personal property from the tent.

Officers made contact with the victim, who stated that, during the argument, Batson had kicked her in the head.

Further investigation revealed that Batson gotten angry with the victim and began to choke her dog.  Police say he soon turned his attention to the female and began choking her.

He then allegedly struck the female in the head.

Batson was placed under arrest and transported to the Lincoln County Detention Center.  He’s been charged with felony 2nd-degree assault, felony strangulation, 3rd-degree domestic assault, cruelty to animals and disturbing the peace.

Police say the victim was transported to Great Plains Health, where she received treatment for non-life threatening injuries.

Police say the dog was unharmed in the incident.