WOOD RIVER, Neb. (AP) — A small herd of purebred bison has been relocated to a few square miles in central Nebraska, where vast herds once roamed over the tallgrass prairie.

The 39 cows and calves arrived Saturday at their new homes on Crane Trust land southwest of Grand Island. They were trucked in from Rimrock Ranch near Crawford in the Nebraska Panhandle. Two bulls are expected to join them this week.

The animals will make their home on more than 7 square miles of prairie, most of which has never been tilled. It’s the largest piece of tallgrass and mixed grass prairie left in Nebraska.

One of Crane Trust’s goals is to restore, maintain and protect natural habitat. But experts say keeping the land in its natural state is difficult without its dominant species.

NEW YORK (AP) — Clint Eastwood’s R-rated Iraq War drama “American Sniper” opened in January like a superhero movie in July, taking in a record $105.3 million over the Martin Luther King Jr. four-day weekend.

The film’s success obliterated forecasts and set numerous box-office records. It easily surpassed “Avatar” to become the biggest January weekend ever.

This was actually the third week of release for “American Sniper,” which played in just a handful of theaters for two weeks. That release helped stoke demand for the film, in which Bradley Cooper stars as Navy SEAL marksman Chris Kyle.

The resounding wide-release opening is also tops for the 84-year-old Eastwood. And it, in one weekend, gives the Oscar best-picture race something it was lacking: a big box-office hit. “American Sniper” is nominated for six Academy Awards.

LOUP CITY, Neb. (AP) — An ice fisherman has been pulled from Sherman Reservoir in central Nebraska after he and his all-terrain vehicle plunged through the ice.

The accident happened about 7:20 a.m. Sunday. Fifty-nine-year-old Ron Devitt, of Heartwell, says other people came to his rescue, and emergency responders helped warm him back up.

Nebraska Game and Parks officials say Sunday’s accident was the third time in a week that someone had gone into the bone-chilling reservoir water.

• M.L.King Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 51. Northwest wind 7 to 10 mph.
• Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 21. West northwest wind 6 to 11 mph.
• Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 42. West northwest wind 8 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
• Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 18. West northwest wind 9 to 11 mph.
• Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 39. North northwest wind 9 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
• Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 13.
• Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 43.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) — Are you yearning for spring and gardening?

There are classes in North Platte to help get you ready. Nebraska Extension Master Gardener classes start Jan. 27 at the Lincoln-Logan-McPherson Extension Office. There are 10 over several weeks, and each costs $10.

The first class will discuss home composting systems. Other class topics include rain gardens, pruning, insects and garden technology. People may register by calling 308-532-2683 by Jan. 26. All classes will begin at 6:30 p.m.

People who want to attend the entire series and become a Nebraska Extension Master Gardener may register for $175. The fee includes the Extension Master Gardener Handbooks, state dues, an official Extension Master Gardener shirt, and name badge.

Questions may be directed to david.lott@unl.edu or by calling 308-532-2683.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Pete Ricketts says he’s confident Nebraska can balance its budget this year while chipping away at the taxes that he says are hindering job growth.

The Republican governor tells The Associated Press the state needs to continue focusing on property taxes this year, but acknowledges that the work will be ongoing.

Ricketts will present his budget recommendations to lawmakers on Thursday in his first State of the State address. Though he declined to give specifics, the new governor says lowering property taxes are his top priority.

Nebraska lawmakers are constitutionally required to balance the budget, and the state faces a projected $50 million shortfall in its next two-year budget.

Ricketts says he’s spent “easily over 70 hours” reviewing the state budget with advisers to put together his proposal.

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — A 30,000-square-foot health complex in Kearney is nearly complete.

The new $19 million Health Science Education Complex at the University of Nebraska at Kearney is set to open in August. The complex is a collaborative effort between UNK and the University of Nebraska Medical Center and will be operated by the medical school.

Officials from the two schools are now visiting with regional health care providers to share what the new facility may mean for them.

Juliann Sebastian, dean of UNMC’s College of Nursing, hopes that the new facility will keep graduates in the area and provide greater access to health care in rural Nebraska.

UNK has about 850 pre-health majors, and that’s expected to grow to 1,000 by fall 2016.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Some state lawmakers are working to again exempt cigar bars from the state’s public smoking ban despite a Nebraska Supreme Court ruling last year that declared lawmakers’ first attempt to allow cigar patrons to light up unconstitutional.

While the intent of the bill, introduced by Sen. Tyson Larson of O’Neill, is clear, its ability to stand up to a constitutional challenge is not.

University of Nebraska associate law professor Anthony Schutz says the bill could work, because courts tend to give deference to legislation when lawmakers make their intent clear, even if the reasoning behind the intent is challenged.

But Schutz says the bill would be stronger if it included language spelling out the Legislature’s intent to keep economic harm from cigar bars.

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — A central Nebraska health department has reported a case of whooping cough in a middle school student.

Two Rivers Public Health Department identified the case of pertussis, or whooping cough, at Horizon Middle School in Kearney.

Information about whooping cough has been emailed to parents and can be found at www.kearneypublicschools.org .

Whooping cough is highly contagious and is spread when infected people cough or sneeze. It starts like the common cold, but can progress into violent coughing spells.

School officials are encouraging students to wash their hands often and use hand sanitizer to keep the disease from spreading.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Another Nebraska Republican leader is calling on a state education board member to resign in the wake of bigoted comments about President Barack Obama that appeared on his blog.

U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse said it’s hard for him to see how the education board can operate effectively while Pat McPherson is still a member of it.

Sasse joined Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts in calling for McPherson to resign.

McPherson’s blog, “Objective Conservative,” had included repeated references to Omaha as a “half breed.”

McPherson has said he didn’t write the offending posts and disavowed them before taking the blog down this week. McPherson has said he will not resign.