Halsey – Celebrate Arbor Day this April 24th with a trip to the Nebraska National Forests & Grasslands, Bessey Ranger District and Bessey Nursery near Halsey.

The Arbor Day Celebration starts at 10:00 am at the Visitors Center/District Office near the Forest entrance. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the celebration, which will include a nursery tour, an overview of the new Discovery Loup, and the planting and dedication of a new tree in the Arboretum.

A nursery tour in the spring is a rare opportunity to see it in full production; nursery personnel are in the midst of growing, packing and shipping hundreds of thousands of seedlings to the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Natural Resource Districts, and other government agencies.  The seedlings are used for reforestation following fire and insect infestations, wildlife habitat plantings, wind breaks, and conservation plantings.

“We’ll be shipping container seedlings of Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, Engelmann spruce, and lodge pole pine to forest sites throughout the Rocky Mountain Region this spring,” says Richard Gilbert, Bessey Nursery Manager.  “Seedlings are grown from cones gathered by Forest Service personnel and sent to us for extraction and storage until they are needed in the USFS Region 2 Seed Bank.”

“We have over 14,000 pounds of conifer seed in the seed bank,” Gilbert said.  “The container tree seedlings shipping this year were started in February 2014, packed once dormant in November 2014, stored in a freezer at 26 degrees, and thawed out in the spring and planted shortly after.  It’s gratifying to know we play a part in preserving the natural integrity of our nation’s forests.”

In addition to providing seedlings to the Forests, over 1,000,000 bare root seedlings will be lifted out of our fields and will be going out to the Natural Resource Districts in Nebraska.  In all we will ship 2 to 2.4 million seedlings this spring to the following states:  Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska.

NEW YORK (AP) — Despite what you may have heard, the nation’s teenagers aren’t done with Facebook.

According to a new study from the Pew Research Center, Facebook is still the most used social media site among Americans ages 13 to 17. And boys visit the site more often than girls do.

With the help of smartphones and other mobile devices, 71 percent of teens who were surveyed said they use Facebook. The same percentage said they use more than one social network out of the seven options there were asked about.

Half the teens said they also use Instagram. Four in ten said they use Snapchat.

The study points to Facebook as a dominant force in teens’ online lives, even as Instagram and Snapchat have gained momentum.

As far as how much time is spent on social media, the study suggests that 24 percent of teens overall go online “almost constantly,” with 56 percent saying they go online several times a day and 12 percent reporting once-a-day use.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) — A 32-year-old woman has been sentenced for her role in the western Nebraska slaying of a Colorado man.

On Monday in a Lincoln County courtroom, Maybelle Collins was given 364 days in jail and credited for 208 days she’s already served. Last month she pleaded no contest and was convicted of false reporting. Authorities say Collins was present during the attack but lied to officers when she was arrested.

Two men have been charged with killing 43-year-old Lonnie Sanchez, of Hoehne (HOH’-nee), Colorado. His body was found last September near a transient camp along the South Platte River near the city of North Platte.

Thirty-one-year-old Randy Nevsimal and 46-year-old David Saxton have pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Pregnant workers will have the right to easier workloads and modified schedules under a new Nebraska law.

Gov. Pete Ricketts signed a bill Monday to create better employment protections for expectant mothers.

The law requires employers to acknowledge physical limitations of pregnancy and make accommodations for employees. It also bars discrimination against pregnant women in employment practices such as hiring or firing.

Sen. Heath Mello of Omaha has said the bill he sponsored complies with a recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in favor of a pregnant woman who asked for job accommodations similar to those available to workers with physical disabilities.

FREMONT, Neb. (AP) — University of Nebraska’s new president is touring 20 communities in six days as he begins his tenure.

Hank Bounds began his role as the university’s seventh president this week. Bounds is speaking to local communities and residents about his background and his goals for the university.

Bounds spoke to about 35 residents in Fremont Sunday about how he will focus on ensuring access and affordability to education for Nebraskans. He also said that he will spend time speaking with high school students about how earning a degree will earn them more money over a lifetime.

The new president also talked about the need to fill jobs that do not exist now, but will in the future.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A proposed gas tax increase has advanced to a final vote in the Nebraska Legislature, despite vocal opposition.

Lawmakers gave the bill second-round approval Monday with a 27-14 vote. The measure would raise Nebraska’s fuel excise tax by 6 cents per gallon over four years, for a total state tax of 31.6 cents per gallon.

One final vote is required before it advances to Gov. Pete Ricketts, a Republican who strongly opposes the measure. Overriding a veto would require at least 30 senators.

Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion, the bill’s sponsor, says the tax increase would help chip away at a state backlog of deficient roads and bridges. Opponents say it would have a disproportionate impact on the poor, who often drive less fuel-efficient cars.

Today: Sunny, with a high near 73. Breezy, with a south wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 21 to 26 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 36 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 41. Breezy, with a south southeast wind 18 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 61. South southeast wind 15 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
Wednesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely after 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 40. East southeast wind 11 to 15 mph becoming north after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 56. North wind 11 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday Night: A 40 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 61.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A complaint sent to the attorney general’s office saying the Nebraska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission violated state open meeting laws with a hearing last month on a proposed Sioux County wastewater disposal well has been handed off to another party.

The office of Attorney General Doug Peterson said Monday that Bold Nebraska and the Nebraska Sierra Club’s investigation request will be referred to William Austin, former Lincoln City attorney. The office says the move is to avoid a conflict of interest, because Peterson is the oil and gas commission’s legal representative.

In their complaint, the two groups accuse the commission of attempting to restrict the public’s voice in deciding on a much-debated injection well proposal north of Mitchell.

Austin has been tasked with determining if any action is warranted.

North Platte Community College students hold candles during an Alpha Beta Theta induction ceremony. Alpha Beta Theta is a chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society and is the only club at NPCC that is strictly academic.

Students were selected for inclusion based on grade point average. They were officially inducted Sunday at the McDonald-Belton Theater on NPCC’s South Campus. Each received a yellow stole to wear at commencement May 8.

Dr. Pete Johnson, NPCC psychology instructor, was the guest speaker. He spoke about leading a purposeful life.

The inductees included:

• Megan Aden – Gothenburg
• Maritza Alvarez – North Platte
• Anthony Armstrong – McCook
• Isabella Berg – North Platte
• Taylor Bourge – Brady
• Joan Buck – Castle Rock, Colo.
• Angela Buesing – Gothenburg
• Samantha Byrn – North Platte
• Waylon Carpenter – Mullen
• Shelby Clark – Greeley, Colo.
• Kody Collins – Chappell
• Sarah Curtis – North Platte
• Kato Craig – Gothenburg
• Colton Dailey – North Platte
• Angela Demilt – Cozad
• Jonathan Dinkel – North Platte
• Steve Gies – North Platte
• Dylan Grieser – North Platte
• Alex Gurciullo – North Platte
• Tayler Hansen – North Platte
• Drake Heikes – North Platte
• Donna Henne – North Platte
• Shelly Hickenbottom – Lexington
• Christopher Holes – North Platte
• Djimonii Jackson – Beaumont, Texas
• Jessica Jarvis – Littleton, Colo.
• Jacob Johanson – North Platte
• Samantha Kennedy – Sutherland
• Taylor King – Fleming, Colo.
• Ryan Kuenle – North Platte
• Jordyn Lindsey – North Platte
• Sarah Mahr – Sidney
• Peyton Maline – Gothenburg
• Chelsie Markley – North Platte
• Cameron Miller – North Platte
• Samantha Morgan – Iliff, Colo.
• Valerie Most – Brady
• Caroline Motis – Geneva
• Rachel Mullen – North Platte
• Kristen Nelson – Sutherland
• Gabrielle Nickel – Axtell
• Marco Pascolo – Coseano, Udine, Italy
• Emma Petersen – North Platte
• Luke Pittle – Deception Bay, Queensland, Australia
• Ariel Quiroga – Sutherland
• Lacey Sabatka – Thedford
• Cara Sanchez – North Platte
• Michael Schneider – Wellfleet
• Joseph Shifflett – Maxwell
• Melanie Standiford – Curtis
• Stephanie States – Dannebrog
• Lindsey Taylor – North Platte
• Melinda Neill Tyler – North Platte
• Sara Villalobos – North Platte
• Clara Vinton – Mullen
• Alexandrea Weinman – Arnold

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Pete Ricketts has proclaimed April 13 Nebraska Religious Liberty Day in what he says is a call to action to publicly exercise religious beliefs without fear of legal repercussions.

Rickets signed the proclamation Monday while speaking to a crowd of about 250 people gathered at the Capitol for a service titled “Religious Liberty in the Public Square.”

Leaders from the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said people of faith have rare moral, political and charitable roles in the state, and urged the crowd to continue speaking out.

Ricketts says the proclamation is not in response to any particular legislation and does not believe Nebraska needs new religious freedom laws at this time.