COZAD, Neb. (AP) — A December sentencing has been scheduled for a 38-year-old Cozad man who made a plea deal on charges that he sexually assaulted children while baby-sitting them.

Lael Arpan on Friday pleaded guilty to two counts of sexually assaulting a child. A third count was dropped in exchange for Arpan’s pleas. Each felony count carries a prison sentence ranging from 20 years to life. His sentencing is set for Dec. 22.

Arpan was arrested on August following an investigation by the Cozad Police Department into allegations made by two families. A court affidavit says Arpan lived with one of the families and provided baby-sitting to both of them.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A monthly economic survey index for nine Midwestern and Plains has dropped again.

A survey report issued early Monday says the overall Mid-America Business Conditions Index fell in October to 51.8 from 54.3 in September. The figure was from 57.2 in August.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says sharp declines in grain and crude oil prices drove down the overall index for the month. He says the index figure points to slow economic gains ahead.

The survey results from supply managers are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests economic growth, while a score below that suggests decline.

The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

• Today: A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly between noon and 5pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 50. Breezy, with a northeast wind 9 to 14 mph becoming north 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph.
• Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 25. North northwest wind 9 to 14 mph becoming light west northwest. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
• Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 62. West wind 6 to 13 mph.
• Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 29. Southwest wind 6 to 9 mph.
• Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 63. Breezy, with a northwest wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 19 to 24 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 33 mph.
• Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 29.
• Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 55.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — An agreement Kansas and Nebraska reached about managing the Republican River’s water this winter suggests more cooperation is possible in the long-running dispute.

The states signed a one-year deal last month that allows Nebraska to keep some water in Harlan County Reservoir this fall, so it will be there next spring to help farmers downstream.

Without the new agreement, the 1943 compact between Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado would have required the water to be released this fall when farmers couldn’t use it.

Disputes over the Republican River compact have landed in the U.S. Supreme Court several times because Kansas says Nebraska used too much water. Nebraska is entitled to 49 percent of the water, Kansas gets 40 percent and Colorado gets 11 percent.

Nebraska total voter registration figures and a breakdown by party:

TOTAL:

2008: 1,157,034

2010: 1,142,247

2012: 1,164,166

2014: 1,159,085

REPUBLICANS

2008: 558,465

2010: 549,105

2012: 558,170

2014: 559,494

DEMOCRATS

2008: 392,943

2010: 380,321

2012: 374,191

2014: 357,899

NONPARTISAN

2008: 195,507

2010: 212,501

2012: 228,563

2014: 235,984

LIBERTARIAN:

2008: 453

2010: 320

2012: 3,117

2014: 5,708

Source: Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A federal judge has cleared the way for a trial in a lawsuit challenging a Nebraska law that limits funeral protests.

Members of Topeka, Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church are challenging Nebraska’s funeral picketing law, which requires protesters to stand 500 feet from a funeral service. Westboro protests at funerals around the country, contending that U.S. soldiers and others are being struck down by God for defending a nation that tolerates homosexuality.

U.S. District Court Judge Laurie Smith Camp on Thursday denied Westboro’s motion for summary judgment. She says several issues must be resolved at trial, such as whether the law serves an important governmental interest without violating free speech rights.

TERRYTOWN, Neb. (AP) — A western Nebraska woman faces trial in March, accused of using a stun gun on another woman.

25-year-old Librada Paramo, of Terrytown, was arraigned Friday in Scotts Bluff County District Court on a second-degree assault charge.

Police say Paramo used the stun gun on another woman on Sept. 3. Paramo reported to police that the woman and a man entered her home and threatened her, and that she used the stun gun on the woman outside her home.

But Paramo’s bother told police the other woman and man never entered Paramo’s home and that Paramo stunned the woman through an open window while victim was sitting in a vehicle.

Paramo has pleaded not guilty. She faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska tourism program that encourages people to visit a variety of sites in the state recently handed out a 60-inch television and a collection of 300 scratch lottery tickets.

The Nebraska Tourism Commission says Linda Weichel of Dunbar won the plasma television worth $750.

Laura Waters of LaVista won the lottery tickets.

Weichel visited all 80 of the sites that were included in the Nebraska Passport program this year to qualify for the grand prize drawing.

Weichel says she and her oldest daughter made it a project to visit all the sites this year. The retired teacher says the two of them planned loops out of Lincoln and Kearney and spent a week in western Nebraska to see everything.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraskans and Iowans are being reminded to set their clocks back an hour before going to sleep Saturday.

Standard time returns this weekend at 2 a.m. Sunday.

The change means most Americans will get an extra hour of rest, but those working overnight shifts might toil an hour longer. It also means some will forget to change their clocks, and show up early for church or other events on Sunday.

Daylight time returns to Nebraska and Iowa in March.

Not everyone in the United States makes the switch from standard time. The exceptions are Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas.

 

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s tax revenue will grow at roughly an average pace over the next few years, but senators are still projected to face a $62.6 million shortfall in their next two-year budget.

The legislative estimates were updated Friday after the Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board approved its newest revenue projections.

Board members predicted annual growth of about 5 percent, putting the state on course to collect about $9 billion for that budget period.

Nebraska lawmakers are required to balance the state budget. Senators have signaled that they may use some revenue for prisons, a water settlement with Kansas and reimbursement to the federal government for child welfare services.

Gov. Dave Heineman has said lawmakers should limit state spending growth and focus on tax relief.