OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A letter from one of Nebraska’s biggest medical networks suggests a costs dispute with a major insurer likely will continue into next year.

UniNet Healthcare Network, the CHI Health entity that negotiates contracts with doctors and insurers, has told insurance brokers in letters that CHI Health does not expect to be in the Blue Cross Blue Shield network in 2015.

CHI Health has been out of Blue Cross Blue Shield’s network since Sept. 1, after their contract expired.

Blue Cross has said CHI Health, which used to be Alegent Creighton Health, routinely charges 10 to 30 percent more than other Omaha hospitals. CHI Health says those figures are misleading and its total cost of treatment is lower even if certain services cost more.

HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — Hastings authorities say an investigation shows the drowning of a 92-year-old man likely was an accident.

Police say Paul “Jack” Largent wandered away from his apartment at Good Samaritan Village and fell into a small pond. His body was found around 7:30 a.m. Saturday.

Hastings Police Sgt. Steven Murphy said Largent had dementia.

• Today: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 10am. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 69. South wind around 8 mph becoming north northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
• Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 38. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. Light south southeast wind becoming south 9 to 14 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
• Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 44. South southwest wind 5 to 7 mph.
• Friday: Sunny, with a high near 80. West northwest wind 7 to 10 mph.
• Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 42.
• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 77.
• Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 45

An increased Nebraska State Patrol presence will continue for the remaining Husker home football games.

Troopers and communication specialists with the Nebraska State Patrol Headquarters Troop-Lincoln and Troop A- Omaha will work overtime hours during the remaining three home games (Oct. 25, Nov. 1, 22) thanks in part to a $9,870 grant from the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety (NOHS).

The Nebraska State Patrol Aviation Support Division will also be in the air assisting troopers and providing traffic reports before and after the games.

Traffic volume increases during Husker home games. Fans traveling to and from Memorial Stadium can expect congestion and possible delays and are encouraged to give themselves plenty of time to reach their destination.

Motorists are also reminded voluntary compliance with all traffic safety laws will help to keep traffic moving smoothly. Drivers are encouraged to obey the posted speed limit, never drive impaired or distracted and make sure everyone in their vehicle is buckled up.

Nebraska’s 511 Traveler Information System, can be utilized to keep up to date with the latest weather and road conditions. Motorists can access 511 online @ < www.511.nebraska.gov > or by dialing 511 (800-906-9069) from any cellular phone when safe to do so.

Anyone who observes a reckless driver, or any one in need of non-emergency roadside assistance should call the Nebraska State Patrol Highway Helpline when safe to do so at *55 from their cellular phone or800-525-5555 from any landline. Motorists should report emergencies to 911.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The director of Nebraska’s prison system says Gov. Dave Heineman wasn’t told about a temporary inmate placement program facing scrutiny from lawmakers.

Director Mike Kenney also defended the program Tuesday in a letter to a legislative committee. Kenney says he alone created the program as part of the roundup of inmates who were released too early because their sentences were miscalculated.

The program allowed five inmates to spend the final few weeks of their sentences at home, as long as they wore monitoring bracelets and reported twice a week to a parole officer.

Some lawmakers have noted a memo by former prisons attorney which argued that state law hadn’t authorized the program. Kenney disputes that argument, pointing to a law that lets the director designate places of confinement.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Two law enforcement groups have endorsed Democrat Chuck Hassebrook in the Nebraska governor’s race.

The Omaha Police Officers Association and the Nebraska Fraternal Order of Police announced Monday that they would support Hassebrook.

The Omaha Police Officers Association represents more than 750 sworn officers of the Omaha Police Department. The Nebraska Fraternal Order of Police is made up of more than 40 lodges throughout the state. It represents more than 325,000 officers nationally.

Hassebrook is running against Republican Pete Ricketts to succeed Gov. Dave Heineman, who is ineligible to run again because of term limits.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Recent mild weather has helped Nebraska farmers make good progress on harvesting their crops.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says more soybeans are being harvested now because farmers are waiting for corn to dry out a bit more. But the corn harvest is underway.

Roughly 69 percent of the soybeans have been harvested. That’s behind last year’s 77 percent and the average of 81 percent at this time of year.

About 28 percent of Nebraska’s corn has been harvested. That’s similar to last year but well behind the average of 45 percent harvested at this point in the fall.

But the warm weather actually slowed the sugar beet harvest in western Nebraska.

NEW YORK (AP) — Staples says that it is looking into a potential credit card data breach and that it has been in touch with law enforcement officials about the issue.

The office supplier retailer said that if it turns up any data discrepancies during its investigation, customers won’t be responsible for fraudulent activity on their credit cards as long as it is reported in a timely manner.

Spokesman Mark Cautela said in a statement that “we take the protection of customer information very seriously, and are working to resolve the situation.”

Earlier this month Sears Holdings Corp. reported a data breach at its Kmart stores. Other breaches have occurred at retailers including Target, Supervalu and Home Depot.

Shares of Staples Inc., based in Framingham, Massachusetts, slipped in premarket trading Tuesday.

BROKEN BOW, Neb. (AP) — A central Nebraska school board has decided to let students pose with guns in their senior portraits.

The Broken Bow school board took the action at its meeting Monday night.

The issue arose last year when a student was denied permission to pose with a gun.

Superintendent Mark Sievering (SEE’-vur-ing) says that as district officials talked about the issue, “There was a sense that to allow a student to have a firearm, as long as it was done in a tasteful manner in terms of a hunting or sporting-type picture, that that might be OK.”

Sievering says students may not be pointing guns at the cameras in their pictures or the photos will not be used in yearbooks or other school publications.

• Today: Sunny, with a high near 76. South wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 13 to 18 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph.
• Tonight: Isolated showers and thunderstorms after 4am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 50. South southeast wind 8 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
• Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 7am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69. South wind 5 to 9 mph becoming north in the afternoon.
• Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 36. North northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm in the evening.
• Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 75. Light and variable wind becoming south southwest 6 to 11 mph in the afternoon.
• Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 44.
• Friday: Sunny, with a high near 81.