LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A national civil rights group says it’s increasing its advocacy efforts for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Nebraska.

The Washington D.C.-based Human Rights Campaign will form a Nebraska chapter called HRC Nebraska. Organizers say it will push for laws that protect people against discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations.

The organization says about one in five lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Nebraska report experiencing employment discrimination and about two in five say they’ve been harassed at work.

Lawmakers, municipal leaders and other gay and civil rights leaders who attended a press conference Monday said they welcome the national organization’s announcement.

It follows two legislative sessions during which gay rights legislation failed, as did legal challenges to the state’s gay marriage ban.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Ensuring new students return for their second year is one of the keys to helping the University of Nebraska-Lincoln hit its enrollment goal.

The school announced last week that its enrollment had passed 25,000 for the first time since 1982. The goal is 30,000 students by the end of the decade.

The fall figure includes more than 4,600 first-year students, but school data say the number of first-year will be trimmed by 16 percent over the academic year.

UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman says the university is making a major effort on retention, “and we would be doing these things if our retention rate was 95 percent.”

GERING, Neb. (AP) — Motions filed for a man accused in the death of a 2-year-old western Nebraska girl say the girl’s twin sister has cast blame on a different man.

Dustin Chauncey, 28, has been charged with child abuse resulting in the July 11, 2008, death of Juliette Geurts at her home in Gering. He’s pleaded not guilty.

Motions filed by Chauncey’s lawyer say Juliette’s sister, Jaelyn, shared her bedroom and say Jaelyn told her maternal grandmother, Lynn Baum, that another man had spanked her sister and killed her.

The prosecution has said it will show at trial DNA and other evidence that suggests that Chauncey committed the abuse that resulted in Juliette’s death. The other man has not been charged.

Chauncey’s trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 27.

• Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. South wind 8 to 11 mph.
• Tonight: Areas of fog after 4am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 51. Southeast wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm after midnight.
• Wednesday: Areas of fog before 10am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Calm wind becoming southeast 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon.
• Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. Southeast wind around 10 mph.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. South southeast wind 9 to 11 mph.
• Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62.
• Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s governor and first lady are urging residents to create a plan for their pets when preparing for emergencies.

Gov. Dave Heineman and his wife, Sally Ganem, stressed the need for planning during an appearance Monday at the Capitol with Snickers, the “first puppy.”

The emergency package for Snickers — a 5-year-old silky terrier and Maltese mix — includes several days’ worth of food and water, medicine, bowls, collars and leashes and a first-aid kit, among other items.

Bryan Tuma, assistant director of the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, says pet owners should plan ahead of time, as they would for any other family member. Tuma says they should also pick a friend or neighbor to help the pet in cases when an owner isn’t at home.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman says he will appoint a new lieutenant governor even though he only has about four months left in office.

But Heineman said Monday that he doesn’t expect to announce a replacement for Lavon Heidemann for several weeks.

Heidemann, a former state senator and University of Nebraska regent, resigned last week after a judge approved a protection order against him at his sister’s request.

Heineman says state law requires him to appoint a second-in-command even though he’s leaving office in January.

Nebraska’s protocol calls for the lieutenant governor to take over the governor’s office if Heineman were to die or become permanently incapacitated.

Without a lieutenant governor, the next person in the succession line would be Speaker of the Legislature Greg Adams, of York.

A North Platte mom and her son have been charged with assault following a disturbance Saturday afternoon.

At around 1:58 p.m., on September 13, North Platte Police responded to a disturbance in the 1300 block of Travis Drive.

Upon arrival, officers found 35-year-old Desirae Coffman in a heated argument with her 18-year-old son, Isaiah.

Following an investigation, officers learned that the argument started after Isaiah accused his mother’s friend of stealing property from the home.

According to Officer Rodney Brown, the argument escalated to the point that the two threw household items at each other, and Isaiah physically removed his mother from the house.

Brown said Isaiah was jailed for 3rd degree assault (mutual consent).

Desirae, who needed medical attention for an injury to her finger, was cited for the same charge and released.

Police say other children were present in the home during the argument.

A 25-year-old man is in jail on a felony charge after he allegedly threatened a transient couple with a gun.

On September 12, at around 2:44 p.m., North Platte Police met with a transient couple in the 400 block of East Leota Street.

The couple told officers that they had been on the north side of the South Platte River, when another group of transients approached them and told them to leave the area.

They alleged that one of the young men produced a gun and pointed it at them, telling them they had five minutes to leave.

NPPD officers, with assistance from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, met with a group of intoxicated young men in the river.

They located a person who matched the description of the suspect, and identified him as Nicholas Richardson.

A search of the area produced a BB pistol, which police believe was used during the incident.

Following further investigation, Richardson was placed under arrest and charged with felony terroristic threats.

He was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.

A group of North Platte residents are facing multiple felony charges after police caught them red-handed breaking into a home.

At around 2:41 p.m., on September 14, North Platte Police responded to a residence in the 2800 block of West 5th Street, after a neighbor reported seeing several subjects trying to break into the house.

Officers spoke to the manager of the property, who reported that the house was supposed to be unoccupied.

Police secured the trailer, and discovered that the rear door of the home had been forced open.

Officers made entry into the residence and located four subjects: Cody Bruce, Briana Gray, James Horn and Aaron Bosveld.

All were taken into custody for 1st degree criminal trespassing.

According to Officer Rodney Brown, a Nebraska State Patrol K-9 unit provided a dog to search the property, which led to the discovery of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

In addition to the trespassing charge, the pack was also charged with possession of methamphetamine and burglary, both felonies.

They were all transported to the Lincoln County Detention Center and jailed.

Brown said additional meth was found when Gray was booked into the jail.

On Friday, Sept. 12, Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) conducted compliance checks at 14 retail outlets in Dawson County.

During the effort, five of the 14 businesses checked were found to be non-compliant after selling alcohol to a minor.

Of the five businesses that sold alcohol to a minor three checked the minor’s identification and still sold the alcohol. The retail outlets checked included convenience, liquor and grocery stores, as well as restaurants and bars.

Law enforcement performs compliance checks to ensure that businesses are complying with the state’s alcohol laws and to decrease youth access to alcohol.

Compliance checks were conducted thanks in part to a grant from the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety (NOSH).

The following businesses were cited:

Walker’s Steakhouse
1610 8th Street, Gothenburg

Casey’s General Story #2068
609 Plum Creek Parkway, Lexington

Cenex
2700 Plum Creek Parkway, Lexington

Hi Time Liquor Mart #2
109 Cattleman Dr., Lexington

Overton Golf Course
75310 Road 441, Overton