LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A bill to require meningitis vaccinations for Nebraska youths has won first-round approval from lawmakers.

The measure advanced Wednesday on a 28-3 vote, despite arguments from some senators that parents should be able to decide for their children. The measure was endorsed by public health groups and Nebraskans who were scarred by the disease.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends all students get immunized before entering seventh grade, and again after at age 16. The bill by Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha would require immunizations at both of those of points, but parents could still opt out for religious reasons.

Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte says parents should be educated about the disease but not required to have their children vaccinated.

(AP)–New numbers show that lung cancer has passed breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer death in women in rich countries.

The American Cancer Society says lung cancer deaths are rising now because of increases in smoking rates several decades ago. Lung cancer has been the top cancer killer for men globally since the 1950s.

Since then, smoking rates have been leveling off or falling in many countries and there are signs that lung cancer deaths are declining as well.

Doctors say that half of all cancers are preventable by quitting or not smoking, eating a healthy diet and getting enough exercise. Some vaccines also help prevent cervical and liver cancer.

The report was released Wednesday.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A judge has dismissed a California real estate broker’s lawsuit over a Nebraska law requiring licensing to market Nebraska homes online.

Leslie Young’s lawsuit said that advertising “for sale by owner” homes online was constitutionally protected speech. Senior U.S. District Judge Joseph Bataillon (buh-TAL’-yuhn) disagreed in a ruling issued last week, saying the issue was regulation of conduct, not regulation of free speech.

Her Elist.me website features advertisements for properties listed on ForSaleByOwner.com. The lawsuit said she merely publishes information about the listings, doesn’t get a sales commission and doesn’t provide other services to homeowners.

But Nebraska’s lawyers say in filings that she charges a fee and provides sellers with a CD containing information and web links.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — It’s been a while, but there’s a giant Powerball jackpot that’s expected to have a prize of $317 million by Wednesday night’s drawing.

The total is a return to form for Powerball, which has been known along with Mega Millions for its record-breaking jackpots in recent years. But there’s been something of a drought, with nearly a year passing since the Powerball total climbed above $300 million.

Lottery officials say there’s no particular reason for the lull.

Terry Rich, president of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries and CEO of the Iowa Lottery, says lottery jackpots are inherently random. He says the game is expected to have slow periods based on projection models.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A bill to phase in mandatory seat belts on Nebraska school buses is now in the hands of a legislative committee.

The bill by Sen. Robert Hilkemann of Omaha would require public school buses purchased after Jan. 1 to come equipped with lap-shoulder belts. Hilkemann asked the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee on Monday to advance the legislation to make school buses safer.

Dawn Prescott of Fremont urged lawmakers to pass the measure, saying it might have presented her son’s death in a school bus crash in October 2001.

A lobbyist for Nebraska school boards argues that national research hasn’t shown whether seat belts improve safety on larger school buses. The state already requires seat belts on buses that weigh less than 10,000 pounds.

• Today: Snow with areas of blowing snow before 11am, then a slight chance of snow between 11am and noon. High near 21. North wind 12 to 17 mph becoming light and variable in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Total daytime snow accumulation of around an inch possible.
• Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 7. Wind chill values as low as -5. Light south wind increasing to 6 to 11 mph in the evening.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 44. Wind chill values as low as -2. South wind 6 to 9 mph becoming west in the afternoon.
• Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 25. Light south southwest wind becoming west 5 to 9 mph in the evening.
• Friday: Sunny, with a high near 53. West wind 9 to 13 mph.
• Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 28.

...ACCUMULATING SNOW ACROSS A LARGE PORTION OF WESTERN AND NORTH
CENTRAL NEBRASKA THIS MORNING...

.A FAST MOVING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL COMBINE WITH AN
ARCTIC COLD FRONT...AND PRODUCE ACCUMULATING SNOW ACROSS A LARGE
PORTION OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA THIS MORNING. A BAND
OF HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED MAINLY BETWEEN HIGHWAY 2 AND THE I80
CORRIDOR. NORTH WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH THIS MORNING WILL COMBINE
WITH THE SNOW TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE VISIBILITES TO A QUARTER
MILE AT TIMES DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE.

NEZ022-023-035>037-057-059-041800-
/O.CON.KLBF.WS.W.0002.000000T0000Z-150204T1800Z/
GARDEN-GRANT-ARTHUR-MCPHERSON-LOGAN-KEITH-LINCOLN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...OSHKOSH...HYANNIS...ARTHUR...TRYON...
STAPLETON...OGALLALA...NORTH PLATTE
352 AM CST WED FEB 4 2015 /252 AM MST WED FEB 4 2015/

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST /11 AM
MST/ TODAY...

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST /11 AM
MST/ TODAY.

* TIMING...SNOW...HEAVY AT TIMES...WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH BY MID
  MORNING AND END BY LATE MORNING.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...5 TO 8 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS
  POSSIBLE.

* WIND...NORTH WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH THIS MORNING TO DIMINISH BY
  AFTERNOON.

* IMPACTS...THE COMBINATION OF SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL MAKE
  TRAVEL DANGEROUS ACROSS THE WARNING AREA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING.  SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF
SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN
AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT...
FOOD...AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska wildlife advocates are trying to repeal a law designed to limit the spread of black-tailed prairie dogs, a critical native species that some ranchers view as pests.

Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha presented his repeal measure Tuesday to the Legislature’s Agriculture Committee, saying the current law is too vague and runs afoul of property rights. Wildlife groups and the Nebraska Farmer’s Union support his effort, saying the law is heavy-handed.

The 2012 law gives counties the option to manage prairie dog populations when a landowner’s neighbors complain about the animals on their property. Since the law passed, only Sheridan County has created a management plan.

Larry Dix of the Nebraska Association of County Officials says the county has not fielded any complaints since the law went into effect.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A new report says groundwater levels have continued to drop in some parts of Nebraska but have risen elsewhere.

A state geologist, Aaron Young, says that from the spring 2013 to the spring 2014, groundwater levels continued to decline following the drought the state suffered from early 2012 through the summer of 2013. But he says the easing of drought conditions for the eastern half of the state and better water use practices moderated the declines.

Groundwater levels rose in some areas, however. In northern Colfax County, for example, in spring 2012 the groundwater level dropped more than 20 feet. By spring 2014, water levels had risen two to 10 feet in the same area.

CHICAGO (AP) — New research says the most common reason why many surgery patients go back to the hospital is infections around the incision.

Symptoms typically show up several days after patients go home but most infections begin in the hospital.

The study of almost 350 hospitals also found that readmission rates vary widely by surgery.

The lowest unexpected readmission rate in the study was just under 4 percent for hysterectomy patients. The highest was almost 15 percent, for artery disease patients who had surgery to reroute blood flow in the legs.

The study’s lead author says to avoid re-hospitalization and dangerous complications, patients should seek treatment at the earliest sign of an infection. That may include redness or swelling.

The study was published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Confucius says, never threaten to stab a police officer.

A North Platte man learned that lesson after he allegedly did just that early Tuesday morning.

At around 2:30 a.m., on February 3, an officer on patrol observed a parked vehicle near the main entrance to Cody Park, 1601 North Jeffers Street.

According to police, the driver, 32-year-old Eric Curtis, appeared to be unconscious behind the wheel and was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol.

Eventually, the officer was able to get Curtis out of the vehicle, and attempted to conduct an investigation for driving under the influence.  However, authorities say Curtis was too intoxicated to complete the tests as ordered by the officer.

At one point, Curtis allegedly told the officer that he had a knife and was going to stab him.

The officer called for backup after Curtis began kicking him in the chest.  He was eventually detained for transport to the jail.

Officer Rodney Brown said during transport to the Lincoln County Detention Center, Curtis continued to be aggressive and belligerent.

In the end, Curtis was jailed and charged with felony driving under the influence of liquor (3rd), driving under suspension, refusal to submit to a breath test, felony assault on a peace officer and obstructing the police.

As of Tuesday morning, Curtis was being held without bond.