(AP) — Weather officials say several inches of snow could fall in Nebraska as a cold front moves through the state.

The National Weather Service says moderate to heavy snow will accumulate in the state between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Parts of southwest and central Nebraska will be affected.

Snow accumulation of less than an inch is expected in northeast Nebraska. An area along the Interstate 80 corridor could get between 2 and 3 inches of snow.

A winter weather advisory will be in effect Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Strong winds of 25 to 35 mph combined with the snow could cause a brief period of whiteout conditions for traveling. Drivers are encouraged to use caution.

(AP) — Nebraska Attorney General candidate Mike Hilgers is pledging to work closely with county attorneys and local law enforcement if elected.

Hilgers, a Lincoln attorney, formally jumped into the Republican primary race on Wednesday. He says he has already reached out to county attorneys for ideas on legislation that could be introduced as part of the attorney general’s bill package.

Hilgers is third GOP candidate to formally declare his candidacy. The others are Lincoln attorney Doug Peterson and Omaha state Sen. Pete Pirsch. Omaha attorney Brian Buescher is also looking seriously at the race.

Hilgers is a founding partner of Gober Hilgers, a firm with offices in Nebraska, Texas and Washington. He says his experience would help him find creative ways to lower costs.

(AP) — A 58-year-old Nebraska man has pleaded not guilty to charges that he killed his former wife and his former divorce attorney.

Michael Petersen, of Glenvil, entered a plea Tuesday in Hall County District Court. He’s charged with first-degree murder and use of a weapon in the slaying of 52-year-old Todd Elsbernd. Prosecutors say Petersen shot Elsbernd on Nov. 13 outside his Grand Island law office.

Last week Petersen pleaded not guilty to the same charges in Buffalo County. He’s accused of killing his former wife, Nancy Petersen, on the same date at her rural Buffalo County home.

His trial is scheduled for May.

(AP) — A bill that might keep a Nebraska veterans’ home from moving from Grand Island to Kearney has stalled in a legislative committee.

The measure failed to advance Wednesday out of the Legislature’s Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.

The bill by Sen. Mike Gloor of Grand Island would require state agencies to submit their relocation proposals to lawmakers if it costs $15 million or more.

In July, Gov. Dave Heineman announced that the state would build a new, $121 million Central Nebraska Veterans Home in Kearney. The home has been in Grand Island for nearly 127 years.

Committee members changed the bill so it would only apply to future projects, but it still stalled, 3-4. Gloor says he hopes the committee takes another vote.

(AP) — Sandhill cranes have started trickling into central Nebraska for a respite on their annual migration to arctic nesting areas.

A handful set down at the Rowe Sanctuary near Gibbon last week. They’ll be followed by thousands that will rest and feed before resuming their journeys from wintering spots in the southwestern U.S. states and northern Mexico.

Adult cranes are about 4 feet tall and have a wingspan of up to 7 feet.

• Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 59. Breezy, with a south wind 6 to 11 mph increasing to 18 to 23 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph.
• Tonight: Rain and snow before 3am, then a chance of snow. Low around 25. Blustery, with a south wind 9 to 14 mph becoming north northwest 19 to 29 mph in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 38 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 39. Windy, with a northwest wind 16 to 21 mph increasing to 28 to 33 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 44 mph.
• Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 19. Blustery, with a west wind 18 to 23 mph decreasing to 9 to 14 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph.
• Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 44. Breezy, with a west wind 11 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.

...SHORT DURATION HEAVY SNOWFALL LIKELY TONIGHT... 

.A POWERFUL COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTH 
CENTRAL NEBRASKA THIS EVENING. BEHIND THE FRONT...MUCH COLDER 
TEMPERATURES WILL QUICKLY CHANGE OVER ANY RAIN TO SNOW. SHORT 
DURATION...HEAVY SNOW IS LIKELY FOR 2 TO 4 HOURS AFTER THE FRONTAL 
PASSAGE WITH ACCUMULATIONS AROUND 2 INCHES LIKELY. IN 
ADDITION...STRONG NORTHWESTERLY WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT OF 25 TO 35 
MPH WILL COMBINE WITH ANY SNOW...PRODUCING BRIEF NEAR WHITEOUT 
CONDITIONS. WITH THE FAST MOVEMENT OF THE FRONT...SNOW WILL END 
ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA BY SUNRISE THURSDAY 
MORNING. 

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM CST /7 PM 
MST/ THIS EVENING TO 7 AM CST /6 AM MST/ THURSDAY... 

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM CST /7 PM 
MST/ THIS EVENING TO 7 AM CST /6 AM MST/ THURSDAY. 

* TIMING...SNOW WILL DEVELOP BEHIND AN EXITING COLD FRONT LATE 
THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. 

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...AROUND 2 INCHES ARE LIKELY IN THE ADVISORY 
AREA. 

* WIND...NORTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH. 

* IMPACTS...SHORT DURATION...INTENSE SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED BEHIND 
THE EXITING COLD FRONT AND WILL PERSIST 2 TO 4 HOURS AFTER THE 
FRONT PASSES. IN ADDITION TO THE HEAVY SNOW...STRONG 
NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL PRODUCE BRIEF...NEAR WHITEOUT 
CONDITIONS ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL 
NEBRASKA.

(AP) — A Nebraska lawmaker and the Department of Revenue are trying to collect taxes from Nebraskans who register their recreational vehicles in another state.

Sen. Galen Hadley of Kearney has introduced a bill that would target those who register their RVs through sham limited liability corporations in Montana, where there is no sales tax.

Hadley says there are Montana lawyers who set up LLCs for those out of state so they can license their RV in Montana and save thousands in tax.

This bill would give Nebraskans 30 days to pay sales taxes and fees if they are served with a notice by the Department of Revenue or the Department of Motor Vehicles. Those who don’t comply would face a 50 percent penalty.

A court document says a 15-year-old inmate strangled a jail guard for more than 2½ minutes after he lured her into his cell.

Scotts Bluff County jail guard Amanda Baker died Sunday after she’d been declared brain dead by doctors. The attack took place Friday.

An arrest affidavit filed by a Scotts Bluff County sheriff’s investigator says security video shows the boy, Dylan Cadeilhac, talked the 24-year-old Baker into checking something on his cell floor. The affidavit says  Cadeilhac, of Torrington, Wyo.,  pounced on Baker from behind and strangled her after she fell to her stomach on the floor.

He likely will be charged Tuesday.

A Hershey man was injured in an ATV accident early Sunday morning and authorities believe alcohol was a factor.

According to Chief Deputy Roland Kramer, deputies with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of an injury accident near Sand Road and Highway 30, just west of Hershey, at around 1:15 a.m.

Deputies and Hershey Rescue were directed to the railroad right-of-way, just south of the Highway, where they found a wrecked red Honda ATV.

The driver of the ATV, identified as 34-year-old Terry Barthel, was severely injured and could not leave the scene on his own, according to Kramer.

Deputies believe Barthel was driving westbound on the railroad right-of-way, when he lost control, rolled and was ejected from the ATV.

Barthel was transported to Great Plains Regional Medical Center for treatment.

Kramer said deputies and EMTs believed that Barthel was under the influence of alcohol, however, he refused to submit to a blood test.

As a result, Barthel was charged with refusal to submit to a chemical test.

The investigation is ongoing, and Kramer said additional charges may follow.

A mountain lion was unintentionally killed in a cable restraint trap near Sargent in Custer County on Feb. 16, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

The mountain lion was an adult male weighing approximately 150 pounds that appeared to be in good health.

The trapper called Game and Parks immediately upon discovering the mountain lion, as required by Game and Parks policy. High pelt prices have led to an increased effort to trap bobcats and other furbearers, which may have contributed to the incidental capture of the mountain lion, according to Sam Wilson, Game and Parks’ carnivore program manager.

Game and Parks requests fur harvesters immediately contact the agency if a mountain lion is incidentally trapped. Anyone with trail camera photographs or other evidence of mountain lions should contact the agency.