RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A federal report says raising the legal age to buy tobacco products to higher than 18 would likely prevent premature death for hundreds of thousands of people.

The report issued Thursday by the Institute of Medicine was commissioned by the Food and Drug Administration and mandated by a 2009 law that gave it authority to regulate tobacco.

The law set the federal minimum age at 18. Congress would have to act to raise it nationally.

Most states currently have set the age at 18. Four set the age at 19 and several localities, including New York City, have raised the minimum to 21.

The report looks at the impact of increasing the age to 19, 21 or 25, but it does not make any recommendations.

GERING, Neb. (AP) — A 22-year-old Bayard man is accused of stealing nearly $3,900 while working at a co-op in western Nebraska.

Online court records say Nathan Wheeler is charged with theft. Jail records say he remained in custody on Thursday. His attorney, Todd Morten, declined to comment about the case.

An arrest affidavit says Wheeler took the money from June through early September last year when he worked at Panhandle Coop in Scottsbluff. The affidavit says Wheeler told a Scottsbluff officer that if a customer was paying cash, he would manually override the cash discount, enter a higher discount price per gallon and pocket the difference.

The affidavit says Wheeler admitted the thefts but disagreed about the total taken.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Pete Ricketts has chosen an Elkhorn emergency services official to lead the Nebraska State Patrol.

Bradley Rice will assume the new role on March 23. He currently serves as communications director for Sarpy County Nebraska E911.

Rice is a retired Nebraska State patrol commander who oversaw 23 counties in northeast Nebraska. He also spent time as a trooper, police service dog handler, sergeant and lieutenant.

Rice is a graduate of the 152nd School of Police Staff and Command at the Missouri Highway Patrol Training Academy and Nebraska State Patrol Basic Training.

Ricketts says he’s confident Rice’s integrity will direct his decisions as he works with patrol members around the state.

Rice’s annual salary will be $90,000.

North Platte Post News Director, Scott Carlson, sat down with Kris “Tanto” Paronto to discuss his upcoming presentation at NebraskaLand National Bank.

Mr. Paronto was part of the CIA Annex security team that responded to the terrorist attack on the US Special Mission in Benghazi, Libya, September 11^th, 2012, helping to save over 20 lives while fighting off terrorists from the CIA Annex for over 13 hours.  Mr. Paronto’s story is told in the book “13 Hours” written by Mitchell Zuckoff and his five surviving annex security team members.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase.  The book, “13 Hours” is the riveting story that takes readers into the action-packed story of heroes who laid their lives on the line for one another, for their countrymen, and for their country.

The event will take place on March 12, 2015 at NebraskaLand National Bank Main Branch, 1400 South Dewey.  The public is invited to join us for a Meet and Greet with Kris Paronto and a book signing from 3:00-5:00pm.  A special flag dedication will be performed at 5:30pm by members of our local VFW in memory of Cal Stratton.  Following the flag dedication, Mr. Paronto will begin the presentation, entitled “13 Hours: the harrowing, true account from the brave men on the ground who fought back during the Battle of Benghazi”.  The lecture will take place in the 3^rd Floor Banquet Room.

NP Post Podcast-Scott Carlson with Kris “Tanto” Paronto-On Benghazi, Libya Attack Sept. 11, 2012 by Scott Carlson on Mixcloud

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. South wind 6 to 8 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 38. West wind 5 to 11 mph becoming north in the evening.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. Breezy, with a north wind 13 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 27. North wind 12 to 17 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 68. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming south southwest in the afternoon.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 37.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 77

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A proposal to raise Nebraska’s gas tax to pay for bridges and roads has advanced for debate by lawmakers.

The Revenue Committee voted 5-2 on Wednesday to approve the measure for debate in the Legislature. The 6-cent increase, phased in over four years, would bring Nebraska’s total gas tax to 31.6 cents per gallon.

The bill would generate an estimated $19 million a year for aging roads and bridges. Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion describes the tax as a “user fee” for motorists, saying it’s a better alternative than tapping the state’s general fund or issuing bonds.

Smith says the bill will reduce pressure on counties that use property taxes to pay for bridge and road repairs.

A North Platte man has been charged with a felony after he allegedly assaulted his wife.

At around 3:34 p.m., on March 10, officers with the North Platte Police Department responded to a domestic disturbance at a residence in the 2400 block of West 9th Street.

Upon arrival, officers met with a female who alleged that her husband, Roger Yates, had thrown a cell phone at her out of anger.

According to police, the victim reported that the phone hit her on the foot, causing visible injury.

Police say it appears the two had been involved in a verbal argument prior to the phone throwing incident.

Yates was placed under arrest and charged with felony 2nd degree assault.

He was transported to the Lincoln County Detention Center and jailed.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Opponents of the Keystone XL pipeline are asking Nebraska lawmakers to repeal the law that allowed former Gov. Dave Heineman to approve a route through the state.

Landowners and activists squared off with pipeline builder TransCanada on Wednesday in a hearing that included several testy exchanges with lawmakers.

The 2012 state law allowed pipeline developer TransCanada to use eminent domain on holdout landowners once the route was approved.

Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha says he introduced the bill as a “shot across the bow” to TransCanada, and to give voice to landowners who continue to oppose the pipeline.

TransCanada land manager Andrew Craig says eminent domain is a tool of last resort which is needed to develop infrastructure.

DUNNING, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a 68-year-old central Nebraska man has died in a collision between his all-terrain vehicle and a semitrailer.

The accident occurred Tuesday about two miles west of Dunning in Blaine County. The Nebraska State Patrol says Gerald Springer, of Dunning, was headed south from a roadway ditch to cross Nebraska Highway 2 when his ATV struck the eastbound big rig.

Springer was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver wasn’t injured.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A bill that would have lowered the taxable value of Nebraska farmland has stalled in committee, but business owners could see a cut.

The Revenue Committee advanced a bill Wednesday that would create a tax exemption for equipment, furniture and other personal property used by businesses.

Sen. Mike Gloor of Grand Island says some of the benefit would go to Nebraska farmers who pay taxes on tractors, combines and other equipment, without rewarding out-of-state landowners.

The committee rejected a bill that would have reduced the taxable value of farmland from 75 percent to 65 percent.

Opponents say the bill, a major priority of farm groups and Gov. Pete Ricketts, would shift the property tax burden to residential homeowners and would likely prompt school districts to raise their levies.