(AP) — Nebraska’s 150th birthday is still about three years away, but lawmakers and volunteers are already starting to plan for the celebration.

The Legislature has given first-round approval to a bill that would create the Nebraska Sesquicentennial Commission. Nebraska became a state on March 1, 1867.

Sen. Bill Avery of Lincoln introduced the bill and says it will help ensure the state has an appropriate celebration for the anniversary.

Volunteers have been preparing for the celebration since 2012.

The Nebraska 150 Sesquicentennial Committee released an official seal for the occasion earlier this year. The seal includes images of sandhill cranes, Chimney Rock and the Platte River. It will be made into a collectible silver medallion.

(AP) — A May trial has been scheduled for a 24-year-old Lexington man accused of forging checks on a relative’s account.

Tyler Mills pleaded not guilty in Dawson County District Court to two felony counts of forgery. His trial is scheduled to begin May 13.

Police say Mills forged checks totaling $3,140 on 38 transactions between Oct. 16 and Feb. 2.

Four Kearney residents are facing charges after police discovered and active meth lab in a residence.

According to Captain Mike Kirkwood, officers with the Kearney Police Department responded to a residence at 187 Valley View Trailer Court, to investigate a complaint of loud music at around 11:57 p.m. on Thursday.

During the course of the investigation, officers discovered a working clandestine methamphetamine lab.

The Central Region Clandestine Laboratory Team was called to the scene and, with the assistance of the Kearney Volunteer Fire Department and Good Samaritan EMS, the meth lab was safely seized and removed.

Four subjects, Ryan Molina-Morse, 29, Brett O’Brien, 34, Heather McKinney, 23 and Andrew Erpelding, 22, were all arrested and charged with manufacturing a controlled substance, a Class II felony.

All four subjects were lodged at the Buffalo County Jail.

• Today: Sunny, with a high near 63. Northwest wind 8 to 11 mph.
• Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 27. West southwest wind 6 to 9 mph becoming south in the evening.
• Saturday: A 20 percent chance of rain after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 52. Breezy, with a west wind 8 to 13 mph becoming north northwest 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 34 mph.
• Saturday Night: A slight chance of rain before 7pm, then a slight chance of rain and snow between 7pm and 1am, then a slight chance of snow after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23. Blustery, with a north wind 17 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
• Sunday: A 20 percent chance of snow before 7am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 52. North wind 8 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
• Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 30.
• Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 66.

RISE Specialists in Nebraska are collecting books for those in need, and they are asking all Nebraskans to help.

Serve Nebraska and Americorps Nebraska are sponsoring the Cornhusker Community Book Drive.

RISE Specialists across Nebraska are working together to collect books for people in need in their communities.

RISE focuses on providing supportive services for adult and juvenile probationers in a group setting, with one-on-one sessions available as necessary.

RISE Program Specialists work with a developed curriculum targeted for specific educational and/or employment skills.  The RISE Program curriculum consists of different tracks to fit the individual probationer.

Books will be collected at drop-off locations starting March 17, and can be dropped off through Join Hands Day on May 3.

RISE Specialist for District 11 Probation in North Platte, Jessica Spoors, says books collected in North Platte will be donated to the Community Connections Mentoring Program.

“They are in need of books for children in Grades K-8,” said Spoors.  “The mentors will be gifting books to their mentees with personal notes attached.”

For more information, visit cornhuskerbookdrive.org.

Books can be dropped off at the following locations in North Platte:

McKinley Education Center
301 West F Street
North Platte, NE 69101

District #11 Probation
110 E. 3rd St.
North Platte, NE 69101

North Platte Public Library
120 W. 4th St.
North Platte, NE 69101

(AP) — Some Nebraska veterans could receive more property tax relief under a bill moving through the Legislature.

The Legislature voted 28-0 to give the most severely injured veterans, such as those who are paralyzed or have missing limbs, a full homestead exemption. Spouses of such veterans who died from their disabilities also would be eligible for the exemption.

Veterans who were dishonorably discharged would not be eligible.

Sen. Pete Pirsch of Omaha, who introduced the bill, says the measure recognizes the sacrifices these veterans have made.

Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha says the bill was politically motivated and that not everyone who served in the military is a hero. Chambers was among nine senators who declined to vote on the bill.

(AP) — Charges have been filed against a 29-year-old man shot by an officer during a standoff in Scottsbluff.

Matthew Schwab faces four felony counts of terroristic threats. His next day in court is scheduled for Tuesday.

Authorities say Schwab was shot by a Scottsbluff officer around 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 21 after holding officers at bay for nearly three hours. Schwab came out of a recreational vehicle, pointing a handgun at officers. Scottsbluff Police Chief Kevin Spencer has said his officer yelled at Schwab to put down his gun, but he didn’t. The officer then fired, striking Schwab twice.

A public phone listing for Schwab couldn’t be found. His attorney didn’t immediately return a message Thursday from The Associated Press.

(AP) — A 41-year-old man has been given 20 to 60 months in prison for setting fire to a house in the Nebraska Panhandle city of Alliance.

Isaac Gonzalez was sentenced on Tuesday in Box Butte District Court. He’d pleaded guilty to attempted arson after prosecutors lowered the original arson charge. Gonzalez was accused of starting the fire on Dec. 13, 2012, in the basement of a house he’d been renting. Online court records show a Loveland, Colo., address for Gonzalez.

Authorities say Alliance officers broke out a window and pulled Gonzalez to safety after he set the fire. He was hospitalized.

(AP) — The number of carloads of crude oil U.S. railroads delivered last year surged 83 percent over 2012 as concerns about the shipments grow.

The Association of American Railroads said Thursday the major U.S. railroads delivered 434,042 carloads of crude oil in 2013.

That’s well above the 236,556 carloads of crude oil railroads delivered in 2012. Crude oil shipments remain a relatively small part of rail traffic, but they have grown significantly since 2008 when 9,344 carloads were delivered.

Three fiery derailments involving crude oil in the past year led to increased concerns about the shipments even though railroads’ overall safety record remains good. The worst of those killed 47 people in Lac-Megantic, Quebec.

Federal regulators are also considering requiring upgrades to the tank cars railroads use.

As reports of the City of North Platte ordering that American flags be removed from all city vehicles circulate through the city, the mayor says the tale is no more than a rumor.

The Post was contacted by a concerned citizen who had heard that Mayor Dwight Livingston had issued a directive to remove the American flag from all city vehicles, including North Platte Police and Fire vehicles.

According to Mayor Livingston, “This isn’t true.”

Mayor Livingston said he believes the rumor started with a call to City Hall yesterday morning.

“We received a report that a flag on one of the city’s wood chippers was tattered,” Livingston said.  “I contacted the Supervisor of that department and asked him to replace the flag with a new one.”

Livingston added that a directive to remove the American flag would never be issued by him as long as the flags are flown appropriately.

He said the Fire Department installed flags on their vehicles following 9/11, and other city departments have followed their lead.