• Today: Sunny, with a high near 71. West wind 6 to 11 mph becoming south southwest in the morning.
• Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 42. West southwest wind 6 to 11 mph.
• Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 70. West northwest wind 9 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
• Saturday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42. Northeast wind 7 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
• Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely after 8am. Cloudy, with a high near 54. Breezy, with a north wind 17 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
• Sunday Night: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a low around 38. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
• Monday: Showers likely, mainly before 8am. Partly sunny, with a high near 54. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

(AP) — A new state report says Nebraska’s net tax collections in April fell more than 7 percent below projections.

The Department of Revenue said Thursday that net tax receipts for the month totaled $483 million. The Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board had set the official state estimate at $520 million.

The report says revenue from individual and corporate income taxes and sales-and-use taxes came in lower than projected. Miscellaneous taxes were higher than expected.

Renee Fry of the OpenSky Policy Institute, a Nebraska tax-policy think tank, says this year’s tax receipts are still on pace to exceed earlier forecasts, but state revenue and the economy are still underperforming when compared to historic averages. Fry says that trend is likely to continue.

(AP) — Snapchat has agreed to settle with the Federal Trade Commission over charges that it deceived customers about the disappearing nature of messages sent through its service and collected users’ contacts without telling them or asking permission.

Snapchat is a popular mobile messaging app that lets people send photos, videos and messages that disappear in a few seconds. But the FTC says Snapchat misled users about its data collection methods and failed to tell users that others could save their messages without their knowledge.

The settlement doesn’t have a financial component, but if Snapchat is found to violate the agreement, the company could for forced to pay a civil penalty of up to $16,000 for each violation.

Snapchat reportedly turned down a $3 billion buyout offer from Facebook last fall.

(AP) — The Nebraska Tourism Commission is taking advantage of Nebraska’s people and their apparent reputation for niceness in a new branding campaign.

The title is “Nebraska Nice,” and among its materials is a recommendation to “Visit Nebraska. Visit Nice.”

Commission director Kathy McKillip says in a news release that officials wanted a message “that would resonate with Nebraskans and will very quickly communicate Nebraska’s strengths to potential visitors.”

Commission vice chairman John Chapo says the new campaign evolved from intense brand research that showed one of Nebraska’s strongest assets is its people.

A commission report says “Nebraska is about genuine friendliness and relaxation across all audiences but also a fun place for nonresidents.”

(AP) — Last year’s tornado season wasn’t the worst in Oklahoma history, either in the number of twisters or the number of lives taken.

But the deadly barrage that killed more than 30 people scared Oklahomans in a way that previous storms had not, moving them to add tornado shelters or reinforced safe rooms to their homes.

There’s just one problem: The surge of interest in tornado safety has overwhelmed companies that build the shelters. Now there are long waiting lists, and many people have to endure the most dangerous part of the season with no added protection.

In 2009, just 322 permits shelter permits were issued in Oklahoma City. Since May 2013, that number has risen to more than 8,000.

Workers at Norman-based Thunderground Storm Shelters are booked solid until mid-June.

Those who are unable to attend Mid-Plains Community College’s commencement and ADN nurses pinning ceremonies in McCook and North Platte this Friday, May 9, will be able to view them live on the Internet.

The link for the live streaming can be found on the college’s homepage at www.mpcc.edu.

The nurses pinning ceremony can be viewed at: https://evideo.mpcc.edu/app/sites/index.aspx?destinationID=aPfbc1FnUEq6E9xbmZMEUQ&contentID=ydFGgXULaEaWZibqsgfABw

The McCook Community College ceremony can also be viewed at: https://coachesaid.com/videos_live_watch.aspx?id=4992

The North Platte Community College ceremony can be viewed at: https://coachesaid.com/videos_live_watch.aspx?id=4991

The live stream for commencement at McCook Community College will begin at approximately 9:45 a.m. on Friday. The live stream for the nurses pinning will begin shortly before noon, followed by the North Platte Community College commencement at approximately 2:45 p.m.

(AP) — Thirteen young entrepreneurs from across the country have won the chance to present their business ideas to investor Warren Buffett later this month.

Five individuals and three teams will be flown to Omaha for the final round of competition on May 19.

The winners will be chosen by a panel of business experts. But 20 percent of the competitors’ scores will be determined by online votes at www.smckids.com . Voting ends Monday.

Buffett donates his time to the contest and to the “Secret Millionaire’s Club” cartoon it is affiliated with to help teach kids financial principles. Buffett voices the animated version of himself that offers advice in the cartoon.

The grand prize winners will receive $5,000 apiece. The contest is sponsored by the Fairholme Foundation.

(AP) — A Kearney man has been accused of using counterfeit money.

20-year-old David Reed was arrested Monday night after he allegedly tried to use a counterfeit bill of $20 at a business.

Authorities say Reed used counterfeit money at other locations around Kearney. Counterfeit money was seized from his home.

Reed has been charged with five counts of felony forgery and one count of possession of a forged instrument. Court records do not list an attorney.

Reed remained Wednesday at the Buffalo County Jail on a $25,000 bond.

• Today: Scattered thunderstorms, mainly before 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 53. Breezy, with a north northeast wind 15 to 23 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
• Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 35. Breezy, with a west northwest wind 15 to 20 mph decreasing to 7 to 12 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph.
• Friday: Sunny, with a high near 70. West wind 6 to 14 mph becoming south southwest in the morning.
• Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 44. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
• Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. West northwest wind 13 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.
• Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46.
• Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55. Breezy.