CHADRON, Neb. (AP) — Officials are investigating the death of a former Chadron city manager.

Sandra “Sandy” Powell died Sunday.

Dawes County Attorney Vance Haug, acting as county coroner, says early information shows Powell likely was killed in a horse-related accident, suffering head trauma.

Powell was city manager from April 2007 until October 2011. She then went to work for Nebraska Northwestern Railroad.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers will have to watch the Big Dance after work.

Nebraska Chief Information Officer Brenda Decker told legislative and judicial administrators in an email that websites for streaming the 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament are blocked on the Capitol’s network. Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha read the message to his colleagues on Wednesday, saying the information office has received complaints about difficulties watching games online.

Decker says the state purchases bandwidth based on normal day-to-day activities. When government employees stream lengthy video, it eats into the network’s capacity for regular state business.

Decker says the state has prevented websites from showing March Madness for at least a decade as well as other major events, including Tiger Wood’s return to public competition in the 2010 Master’s Tournament.

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Ford is recalling about 213,000 police vehicles in North America to fix springs that may not keep doors closed in a crash.

The recall affects Ford Explorer and Police Interceptor utility vehicles from the 2011 through 2013 model years.

The company traced the problem to a spring that controls the interior door handles. The spring can become unseated and may become unlatched in a side-impact crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Ford said it doesn’t know of any crashes or injuries from the problem.

Dealers will inspect all four doors and fix or replace the handles if needed, free of charge.

Ford also is recalling about 6,500 Super Duty ambulance and emergency vehicles from 2011 through 2015 with 6.7-Liter diesel engines. The exhaust gas temperature sensors can malfunction.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Warren Buffett’s investments will soon include more foods that could be on a menu for his favorite cheeseburger meal once H.J. Heinz’s acquisition of Kraft Foods is complete.

Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, which owns roughly half of Heinz, will become the biggest shareholder in the new Kraft Heinz Co. in the deal announced Wednesday.

Buffett is famous for his simple tastes for cheeseburgers, steaks Coke and ice cream. Berkshire already owned Dairy Queen and Heinz, and it’s the biggest shareholder in Coca-Cola.

This deal will give him Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and A.1. Steak Sauce to accompany those meals, and it will create one of the largest food and beverage companies in the world.

Berkshire and its Heinz partner, Brazilian investment firm 3G Capital, will invest $10 billion in the deal.

SIDNEY, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has delayed a decision on a proposal for a Sioux County disposal site for wastewater from oil exploration.

The commission heard 2½ hours of public comment Tuesday at its Sidney headquarters before convening a specific hearing on the proposal from Terex Energy Corp. The Broomfield, Colorado-based company wants to truck salty groundwater and fracking wastewater that result from oil searches and production in Wyoming, Colorado and, eventually, Nebraska, to a ranch north of Mitchell, Nebraska. The water would be injected into an old oil well on the ranch.

Critics of the proposal have cited possible threats to surface water and the Ogallala aquifer. Company officials deny the plan poses any threat to water resources.

The commission has 30 days to make its ruling.

North Platte Public Schools Associate Superintendent Tami Eshleman will be recommending James Ayres to the North Platte Public School District’s Board of Education for North Platte High School principal starting in the 2015-2016 school year.

According to Eshleman, The interview team included incoming Superintendent Dr. Ron Hanson, district administrators, building administrators, building staff, and teachers. The candidates interviewed with staff, and toured the high school with students.

Certified positions are posted on the school website, as well as on the Teach in Nebraska website, CareerBuilder, Omaha World Herald and the Nebraska Council of School Administrators website.

“Staff members often turn to James for advice and support,” said recently named Adams Middle School principal, Vikki Carlson, in her letter of recommendation.  “He is the one constant that all staff members can rely on no matter if there are times of uncertainty or times of celebration. James is confident, calm, and caring.

Ayres is a graduate of Ogallala High School. He graduated from University of Nebraska-Kearney with a Bachelors of Science in Secondary Education with endorsements in History 7-12 and Physical Education 7-12.

Ayres began his teaching career with the Connestoga Middle School in 1999 and received his Master of Science in Educational Administration and Supervision from the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

He taught for five years before starting his administrative career with North Platte Public Schools, serving as Dean of Students at Adams Middle School.

Ayres has been an Assistant Principal at North Platte High School since 2006.

“Mr. Ayres is a reliable principal and is eager to take the lead of North Platte High School,” said Eshleman.  “He has established a positive rapport with students, parents, and staff.  He is a team player and has been supportive in his role as assistant principal.”

Ayres’ wife, Angie, is an elementary teacher with North Platte Public Schools. They have three children Madilyn, Brooklyn, and Jackson.

Eshleman said the recommendation will be made at the Board of Education’s meeting on April 14.

 

 

Today: A 20 percent chance of showers before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 53. North wind 11 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 24. North wind 10 to 15 mph becoming light northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph.
Thursday: A slight chance of rain and snow showers before 1pm, then a slight chance of rain showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 55. Light and variable wind becoming northwest 10 to 15 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. North wind 11 to 16 mph becoming light and variable after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph.
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 65. South wind 6 to 15 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 34.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 76.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A national group has agreed to work with Nebraska corrections officials to safely reduce the number of prisoners in segregation.

The Department of Correctional Services said Tuesday it was selected to participate in an initiative led by the Vera Institute of Justice.

Nebraska is one of five states that will receive technical assistance to analyze its use of segregated housing for inmates. The review will include recommendations by the Vera Institute, a national nonprofit.

Corrections director Scott Frakes says the efforts will ensure Nebraska’s reforms are focused, effective and research-based.

Segregation is supposed to be used to isolate inmates who are deemed threats. But corrections officials say the department has increasingly used it to punish inmates, protect the vulnerable or temporary house those who are awaiting a transfer.

 

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A U.S. Army veteran from Omaha will serve as Nebraska’s next director of Administrative Services.

Gov. Pete Ricketts announced Tuesday that he has chosen Byron Diamond as the agency’s new director.

Diamond recently retired as executive director of logistics for the Nebraska Military Department, where he oversaw the department’s supply chain and equipment maintenance programs. He also served as an executive for the department’s information technology operations.

Diamond replaces Larry Bare, a chief of staff for former Gov. Dave Heineman who served as the department’s temporary acting director.

The department includes state-government programs including accounting, personnel, and building services.

Diamond retired after 28 years of service as a U.S. Army Colonel in February 2015.

He will start March 30. His annual salary will be $115,000.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A bill to establish resource centers for Nebraska’s aging and disabled residents has advanced through first-round debate in the Nebraska Legislature.

Senators voted 27-0 Tuesday on a pilot program introduced by Sen. Kate Bolz of Lincoln. The bill would create centers to assist elderly and disabled residents and their caregivers who are navigating myriad services for long-term, in-home care.

Advocates say the measure would save Nebraska money by streamlining services and keeping elderly or disabled residents who wish to live independently safe and out of costly state facilities.

The measure would fund three centers to provide counseling on issues like public transportation, home care providers and public benefits. Evaluations will be presented to lawmakers in 2016 and upon the program’s completion in 2018.