(AP) — A Sidney woman accused of stealing from the Sidney Federation Wrestling Club has been given 18 months of probation.

Amanda Sykora was sentenced on Monday. She’d made a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to attempted theft. Prosecutors had lowered the charge and dismissed another in exchange for Sykora’s plea.

Authorities say the 30-year-old Sykora wrote and cashed or deposited 13 unauthorized checks totaling more than $4,500 when she was treasurer of the wrestling club. Prosecutors say she’s already paid $4,000 in restitution.

(AP) — Authorities say bigger tax bills could follow higher land valuations in Nebraska.

The Nebraska Revenue Department has reported an overall 12.45 percent increase in the state’s property valuations for 2014, pushed by a jump of more than 29 percent in agricultural land valuations. The department report is based on 2014 property abstracts of assessments filed by assessors in Nebraska’s 93 counties.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss said property tax increases just raise farmers’ and ranchers’ costs of production but don’t add anything to their bottom lines.

Local taxing bodies will have to decide whether the increased valuations will lead to any changes in local tax rates.

(AP) — They’re called leggings — popular tight-fitting pants that seem to be the favorite new target of the school dress code.

Some schools have banned leggings outright. Others, including a middle school in Evanston, have set limits.

Some parents and students are complaining — and saying more developed girls are being targeted. So in the Evanston case, the school board is reviewing the policy at Haven Middle School and other schools in the district.

Legal experts say these matters are generally settled outside the courts, unless safety is an issue. But usually, they say consistency and common sense work best when writing a policy.

They point to the case of a Colorado girl, suspended after she shaved her head to support a young friend with cancer — a decision quickly reversed.

 

A 37-year-old North Platte man who suffered a spinal injury at Lake McConaughy last summer has unexpectedly passed away.

Travis Evans was with friends at the lake on June 7, 2013, when he decided to splash a friend by jumping over her.

Evans landed on his head and suffered a fracture to his C6 vertebrae.  He immediately lost feeling and movement in his lower extremities.

Evans was airlifted to Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff, and was later transferred to Craig Hopsital in Denver, where he underwent a rigorous 12-week rehabilitation and treatment program.

By all accounts, Evans had recently made some huge strides in his recovery, and had recently posted an excited post on his Facebook page stating that he had walked 190 feet.

However, on Monday, Evans unexpectedly passed away.

Family members say an autopsy has been completed to determine what exactly went wrong, but the cause of death isn’t immediately known.

Evans is survived by his wife, Teresa, and children, Lainee and Logan Evans, all of North Platte; his father, Robert Evans, of Evanston, WY; his grandmother, Elva Evans, of Grand Island, NE; two sisters, Angie (Jeremy) Sanford, of Hershey and Tina Crowell, of North Platte; a half brother, Deric (Cassie) Evans, of Glenrock, WY; his nieces and nephews, Jessi, Alyssa, Aaron, Joey, Kelsey, Bailee and Alleana; great nieces and nephews, Aden, Carly, Jordan and Avery; his uncles, Ron (Diane) Evans, of Georgia, Denny (Vickie) Evans, of Spokane, WA, Ray Evans, of Grand Island, NE, Kim (Ellen) Odean, of Hershey, NE and Don, Jr. (Gayle) Odean, of Redding, CA; numerous cousins and other family.

Memorial service will be 10 a.m. Saturday, April 19, 2014, at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore with Pastor Dan Reimers officiating. Inurnment will follow in the Riverview Cemetery in Sutherland, NE.

Visitation will be Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore followed by cremation. Condolences may be shared at odeanchapel.com. In lieu of flowers the family has established a memorial.

 

On the eve of his 2014 Sine Die Address to the Legislature, Governor Dave Heineman made a brief stop in North Platte Wednesday to tout what he calls a good legislative session.

Heineman addressed the media and city leaders at a news conference at Lee Bird Field.

On the top of his list was tax reform.

“We are providing $412 million in tax relief to Nebraskans over the next five years,” Heineman said.  “We’ve indexed Nebraska’s individual income tax brackets for inflation.  We’ve begun the process of exempting social security income and military retirement income from taxation, and we’ve helped farmers and ranchers by eliminating the sales tax on repair parts for ag machinery and equipment.”

Another topic addressed by Heineman was legislation on water sustainability.

Heineman said the state will address water management and water quality through the new water law.

“We’ve also addressed the water sustainability issue with noteworthy legislation that preserves our water supply for generations to come,” Heineman said.  “This legislation is aimed at planning for better future water use in our state.”

Heineman also commended the Legislature for rejecting Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion and, in reference to bonding road construction projects, reiterated his belief of the importance of maintaining a pay-as-you-go, debt-free roads construction program.

In closing, Heineman thanked Senator Tom Hansen for his service to the state, and commended him on his many contributions during his time in the Legislature.  Hansen is leaving the legislature in January due to term limits.

“It’s been an honor to serve the constituents of Lincoln County, I’m very glad I did it and very glad it’s over,” Hansen said.

Authorities in southwest Nebraska have found the body of a missing 18-year-old male.

The Hitchcock County Sheriff’s Office says the body was found Saturday April 12, about four miles southwest of Palisade.

Preliminary autopsy reports, which were completed Tuesday evening, positively identified the body as that of Austin Wright.

Wright had been reported missing by is family on March 9, after last being seen in McCook on March 8.

Officials say the investigation into the matter is ongoing.

No further details, including whether or not foul play is suspected, were available at this time.

(AP) — Spring planting across the nation’s Corn Belt is sputtering because the soil remains too soggy or cold for effective seeding.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says 3 percent of the corn crop is sown. That’s half the pace of last year when one of the wettest springs on record got farmers off to the slowest start in decades.

In Illinois, just 1 percent of this year’s corn has been planted. That’s one-tenth of the average pace of the previous five years. The USDA says farmers in other key corn-producing states are equally idle.

Farmers still are upbeat, saying they still have some time to get the job done. The USDA says corn sowing traditionally begins in mid-April. It’s typically in full swing from April 21 through May 23.

NebraskaLand National Bank has been selected to receive the 2014 First Lady’s Outstanding Community Service Award in the Business Support for Education category.

This recognition is awarded annually to a business that has demonstrated community involvement by encouraging employee volunteerism and active participation in a school or school district.

Representatives from both North Platte Public Schools and North Platte Catholic Schools together nominated the Bank for this award.  Nebraska’s First Lady, Sally Ganem, honored the Bank at an awards luncheon on Friday, April 11 in Omaha.

First Lady Ganem serves as honorary chair of ServeNebraska, and is a champion of volunteering and service.

As a former elementary school principal, she has a particular affection for students, educators and service-learning projects. Given her lifelong interest and passion for education, the First Lady’s Outstanding Community Service Awards have been designed to reflect her commitment to learning.

The First Lady’s Outstanding Community Service Awards have been annually awarded since 2001.  There are 11 awards in total with two categories including education and outstanding volunteerism. Categories for awards include individuals, groups, businesses, service organizations, faith-based organizations, youth and national service members.

• Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 54. Breezy, with a west northwest wind 18 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph.
• Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. North northeast wind 13 to 18 mph decreasing to 6 to 11 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph.
• Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 56. East wind 5 to 13 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
• Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33. South wind 11 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
• Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. South southeast wind 9 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.
• Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 44. Breezy.
• Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 67.

While child abusers doesn’t pay attention to the calendar, April is recognized as National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

To usher the month of awareness out, officials at the Bridge of Hope Child Advocacy Center are conducting the second Coin Collect contest.

The event, which will be held April 30th from 3:30-5:30 at the Platte River Mall, will give participants of all ages an opportunity to win prizes while supporting the services provide by Bridge of Hope.

Organizers say participants can pay as little as $1 for a chance to choose a coin, and can purchase as money coins as they choose.  The coins collected are then redeemed for prizes.

Coins can be purchase for $1 each, or 12 for $10.  Participants who purchase 12 coins will be entered into the grand prize drawing.

For more information, visit the Bridge of Hope website, check out their Facebook page or cal 308-534-4064.