KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — A 125-year-old mansion on the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus will offer tours today to showcase its history.

The Frank house will be open from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, and Chancellor Doug Kristensen will speak about its significance at 1:30 p.m.

The home at the west end of campus was built by George Frank Jr. in 1889 as a gift for his parents. The family ran a successful mercantile and real estate business.

Saturday’s tours will feature several photographs and artifacts from the home’s collections that haven’t been displayed before.

The objects on display will include a dance card from 1900 and a French urn that dates back to the 1770s.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Trees will be planted in at least 40 Nebraska communities as part of a weeklong event.

A grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust will provide more than 400 trees to the communities during Nebraska ReTree week. The week runs from Saturday through Sunday.

The 10-year initiative promotes the proper planting and care of 1 million trees in Nebraska by 2017.

Jessica Kelling, the event’s coordinator, says fall is the perfect time to plant trees because cooler temperatures help them establish strong roots for spring growth.

Many of the tree-planting events seek to replace street trees lost in recent years due to drought, severe weather, invasive species and poor planting. Nebraska’s first lady, Sally Ganem, will participate in a tree-planting in Kearney.

• Nicholas James Cox, 27, Wauneta NE and Ericka Dawn Albrecht, 33, Wauneta NE

 

• Jedidiah David Bassett, 28, North Platte and Cherry Christina Miller, 26, North Platte

 

• Patrick Arthur Thompson, 27, North Platte and Casondra Rose Bihlmaier, 26, North Platte

 

• Sebastian Brugger, 25, Germany and Tia Ann Golden, 23, North Platte, NE

 

• Jeffrey Alan Rehrs, 29, Hershey NE and Kristie Lynn Slason, 29. Hershey NE

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska licensing board has proposed adding language to its rules to prevent mental health professionals from discriminating against clients based on gender identity.

The Mental Health Practice Board added language to its proposed ethics code Thursday that would prevent discrimination against people who identify with a different gender than the one they were born with.

But attorneys for the state Department of Health and Human Services have told the board the proposed rules won’t move forward if gender identity is part of the anti-discrimination list. They said it’s because that language is not found in state statute.

The board’s approval of the language likely guarantees the proposed ethics code won’t be approved.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) — Bail has been set at $2 million for two people charged with killing a Colorado man whose body was found on a western Nebraska riverbank.

A judge on Thursday also set bail at $1 million for a woman charged as an accessory in the slaying of 43-year-old Lonnie Sanchez, of Hoehne, Colorado. His body was found Tuesday along the South Platte River near North Platte.

The two men are 45-year-old David Saxton and 30-year-old Randy Nevsimal. Both are charged with second-degree murder. Both are transients. Another transient, 31-year-old Maybelle Collins, is being held on $1 million bail.

Their next court appearances are scheduled for Oct. 2.

NEW YORK (AP) — Health officials say 22 states now have confirmed cases of an unusual respiratory illness in children.

An uncommon virus — enterovirus 68 — is causing the illnesses. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said Friday that 160 lab-confirmed cases were reported in the 22 states. On Tuesday, the CDC’s count was 130 cases in 12 states.

The newest states are California, Connecticut, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Virginia and Washington.

The virus can cause mild to severe illness, with the worst cases needing life support for breathing difficulties. Kids with asthma have been especially vulnerable. No deaths were reported.

The strain is not new but rarely seen, and only a small number of labs can test for it. A spike in cases was first identified in mid-August.

The body of a missing North Platte man has been recovered.

Authorities say the body of 29-year-old Devin Burch was recovered from the Sutherland canal at the Keith/Lincoln County Line, just before 9:00 a.m., on Friday.

According to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Burch had been reported missing on Monday.

The search started four days ago just south of Paxton.

The LCSO said the investigation will be handled by the Keith County Sheriff’s Office.

No information on a possible cause of death was released.

An autopsy will be conducted.

A North Platte man has been accused of inappropriately touching the child of a family friend.

On July 29, 2014, North Platte Police launched an investigation into a possible sexual assault of a child in the 800 block of North Jeffers.

According to Investigator John Deal, a parent had contacted police and reported that their 7-year-old child had been sexually touched by a family friend.

Deal said the incident was investigated and the child was interviewed at the Bridge of Hope Child Advocacy Center.

It was alleged that 35-year-old Cris Perez had made sexual contact with the juvenile’s genital area.  Deal said no penetration was involved.

Following an investigation, investigators determined that there was probable cause to arrest Perez.

On September 18, Perez was contacted in the 2400 block of West 9th Street, and placed under arrest.

He’s been charged with 3rd degree sexual assault of a child.

Perez was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new survey suggests economic growth in rural areas of 10 states in the Plains and the West will continue slowing down in the next few months.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss said Thursday that crop prices are significantly lower than last year, and that’s a drag on the economy in rural areas.

The overall economic index from the monthly survey of bankers declined to 48.2 in September from August’s already weak 48.3 reading.

The survey indexes range from 0 to 100. Any score below 50 suggests decline in the months ahead.

The bankers continue to doubt the economy. The confidence index fell to 33.4 in September from August’s 39.9.

Bankers from rural areas of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.

• Today: Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 92. South southwest wind 7 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
• Tonight: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 1am and 2am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. South wind 5 to 9 mph becoming north northeast after midnight.
• Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. North northeast wind 7 to 10 mph.
• Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 51. North northeast wind 3 to 6 mph.
• Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. East northeast wind around 8 mph.
• Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 50.