LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry plans to hold a forum later Wednesday to discuss health care insurance.

The “Just-In-Time” forum will be held starting at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln. It’s intended to help Nebraskans make informed decisions on health insurance options.

The forum will feature information from Martin Swanson, administrator for health policy at the Nebraska Department of Insurance, and Michael Gray and Chris McPike with the Nebraska Association of Health Underwriters.

• Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. South wind 6 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
• Tonight:Partly cloudy, with a low around 47. Southeast wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.
• Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 66. East northeast wind 6 to 11 mph.
• Thursday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. East wind 8 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
• Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 59. East southeast wind around 9 mph.
• Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 40.
• Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 63.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Crime Commission wants documentation from law enforcement agencies on how it spent federal grant money.

It’s seeking records from 20 law enforcement organizations that received more than $13 million in federal grants over three years. The Justice Department says it’s money that wasn’t properly documented.

The commission, which acts as the state’s clearinghouse for grants from the Justice Department, may have to repay the money if it can’t account for it soon. If the Justice Department decides to designate the commission as a “high-risk grantee,” it could hurt future grant applications.

Lisa Stamm, head of the commission’s grants division, says the funds already have been paid out to the agencies and isn’t at immediate risk.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed Nebraska’s lawsuit against the federal Environmental Protection Agency over greenhouse gas standards for new power plants.

Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning filed the lawsuit in January, saying “the impossible standards imposed by the EPA will ensure no new power plants are built in Nebraska.”

The EPA’s proposed rule would set limits on the amount of carbon dioxide new plants will be allowed to emit, essentially requiring any new coal plants to install expensive carbon-capture technology.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge John Gerrard granted the EPA’s request for summary judgment, saying Nebraska “jumped the gun” with the lawsuit, because the EPA rule has not been finalized.

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska Panhandle man has been convicted of a felony enticement charge after texting nude photos of himself to a 15-year-old girl.

A district judge on Monday found 34-year-old William Pritchard of Scottsbluff guilty of enticing a minor with an electronic device. He faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine when he is sentenced in November.

Authorities say a woman found the messages on her daughter’s phone in April. The girl tells authorities Pritchard texted her while she was in school.

Pritchard tells police he accidentally sent the texts. Authorities say they recovered nude pictures of Pritchard that he had deleted from his cellphone.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska counties will ask lawmakers for help next year in repairing thousands of crumbling rural bridges that allow farmers to haul their products to market.

Possible options include targeted state aid for roads and bridges, or giving counties more freedom to use bonding for bridge repairs. The suggestions came during a final legislative hearing Tuesday on how to address the problem.

Sen. Annette Dubas of Fullerton, the committee chairwoman, says the issue has become a state problem because the lack of infrastructure makes it harder for farmers to do their jobs.

A national report released in July says 19 percent of Nebraska’s bridges have structural deficiencies. The bridges are generally considered safe, but they might have size and weight restrictions that prevent farm machinery and trucks from crossing.

A North Platte man has been charged with multiple felonies after he allegedly stole metal from a local business.

North Platte Police responded to the report of a theft at North Platte Metals, 1911 South Newberry Road, at around 10:00 a.m., on October 6.

Employees of the business alleged that, during the evening hours of October 5, 58-year-old William Hartman drove to where the business stores metal and loaded around $2,500 worth of air conditioner and auto radiator metal into the back of his pickup.

They say Hartman then drove away with the stolen goods.

A short time later, an employee of North Platte Metals located Hartman at a convenience store and called police.

An officer made contact with Hartman and, following further investigation, placed him under arrest for felony theft by unlawful taking and disposing of stolen property.

He was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.

Brown said the stolen parts were located and recovered at the Regional Recycling Center, 810 East 7th Street.

A 55-year-old North Platte man has been charged with child abuse after he allegedly punched a 17-year-old in the face.

At around 11:15 p.m., on October 6, officers with the North Platte Police Department responded to the report of a domestic dispute in the 2700 block of West A Street.

According to Officer Rodney Brown, a 15-year-old male called police to report that Michael Wiegand had assaulted a 17-year-old male following an argument.

The teen reported that Wiegand grabbed the boy by the neck, forced him to the ground and punched him in the face.

Following further investigation, officers determined that there was probable cause to arrest Wiegand and charge him with felony child abuse.

He was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.

 

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A proposal to increase Nebraska’s minimum wage to $9 an hour by 2016 has encountered little organized opposition this fall, but business groups remain wary of its effect on profits.

Voters will decide on the increase on Nov. 4. Besides affecting wages, the measure will likely help Democrats in other races by boosting voter turnout.

State Sen. Jeremy Nordquist says he thinks it’s time to increase the minimum wage from its current $7.25 because Nebraskans who earn that much are increasingly struggling to afford the basics.

Nordquist says several business owners have told him they can handle a gradual wage increase like the one proposed.

But Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says there will definitely be an impact on business. It’s just hard to predict how big of an impact.

• Today: Isolated sprinkles before 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. Northwest wind 7 to 11 mph.
• Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 43. East northeast wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.
• Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 75. Southeast wind 6 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
• Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 45. South southeast wind 5 to 9 mph becoming light east southeast after midnight.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 70. Northeast wind 6 to 10 mph.
• Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43.
• Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 59.