COLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — A medical products company has announced a $200 million expansion that officials expect will create 300 jobs in Nebraska.

BD Medical made its announcement Tuesday in Columbus. Company officials say the investment will go toward facility upgrades, equipment improvement, infrastructure and jobs throughout BD locations in Broken Bow, Columbus and Holdrege.

BD executive vice president Jim Borzi says the money also will help finish construction of the new addition at the BD Medical east plant in Columbus, as well as the installation of 100 molding machines. He says the new facility will run as a separate plastic molding plant, creating more than 100 new jobs.

BD, or Beckton, Dickinson and Co., is based in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A federal judge has lifted a temporary order that kept juvenile sex offenders off the Nebraska sex offender registry if they weren’t tried as adults.

Judge Richard Kopf denied a request Monday from an Omaha man for an injunction that would have kept him off the list. He’d been convicted as a juvenile in Iowa for sexual abuse when he was 14 but was required to register there as a sex offender. A federal court had said people convicted in juvenile courts in other states don’t have to register in Nebraska if they move here.

The temporary reprieve Kopf granted last month , pending a hearing, affected the man and dozens of other people. The State Patrol sent letters to them in September telling them they now were required to register as sex offenders because of a recent Nebraska Supreme Court decision.

The high court ruled that the Nebraska law says the registry requirement applies to anyone who, after Jan. 1, 1997, enters the state and is required to register elsewhere as a sex offender.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bob Krist has launched his first television campaign ad two weeks before Election Day.

The 30-second ad unveiled Tuesday highlights Krist’s 21-year career in the U.S. Air Force and his service as a Nebraska state senator. Krist, of Omaha, pledges in the ad to “restore leadership and hardworking Nebraska values” if elected.

The ad will run in broadcast markets in eastern and central Nebraska on Wednesday. The campaign also plans to launch radio ads in western Nebraska.

A new political action committee dubbed Republican Farmers and Ranchers for Krist also plans to launch radio ads.

Krist faces an uphill battle against incumbent Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts, who has already been running television ads.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Union Pacific will lay off 475 railroad workers and eliminate another 200 contract jobs by the end of the year to further reduce its expenses.

The Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad announced the layoffs Tuesday, and Union Pacific officials said more job cuts are likely over the next two years.

UP Chairman Lance Fritz says the layoffs will help make sure the railroad remains strong and competitive. Union Pacific is working to cut its general and administrative expenses by 30 percent before 2020.

The railroad said it will eliminate one of its three operating divisions, centralize its engineering unit and consolidate other functions as part of the cuts in the fourth quarter of this year.

Union Pacific is scheduled to release its third-quarter earnings report on Thursday.

A semi vs train accident forced the closure of Highway 23 for most of Monday night.

On October 22, 2018 Deputies were called to mile marker 50 (just east of Wallace, NE) on State Highway 23 for an injury accident. It was reported a semi-tractor trailer struck a train. Deputies arrived on the scene and found a semi, driven by 48-year-old Daniel Rollenhagen of Wallace, was westbound on Highway 23.

Deputies say Rollenhagen approached the railroad crossing and observed a train sitting on the tracks, completely blocking the roadway. He attempted to stop but could not avoid the collision with the train. This particular crossing does not have flashing lights or crossing arms.

At least two empty grain cars were pushed off the tracks and blocked the Highway for most of the night. The Nebraska Department of Roads responded to assist until the damaged cars could be removed. Mr. Rollenhagen was wearing his seatbelt but suffered what appeared to be non-life threatening injuries; he was transported to Great Plains Health in North Platte, NE. Drugs and alcohol were not suspected to be the cause of the accident. The investigation continues.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Former Democratic officeholders from Nebraska are gearing up to campaign for their party’s candidates ahead of next month’s election.

The Nebraska Democratic Party is hosting a rally Tuesday with former U.S. Sens. Ben Nelson and Bob Kerrey, former U.S. Reps. Brad Ashford and John Cavanaugh, and former Lt. Govs. Kim Robak and Maxine Moul.

The former officeholders will show their support for current candidates including U.S. Senate hopeful Jane Raybould; congressional candidates Jessica McClure, Kara Eastman and Paul Theobald; gubernatorial candidate Bob Krist and his running mate, Lynne Walz; secretary of state candidate Spencer Danner; and state auditor candidate Jane Skinner.

The rally will take place at the Venue at Highlander in Omaha.

TECUMSEH, Neb. (AP) — Two Nebraska prison staffers have been suspended following allegations of excessive force against an inmate at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution.

The Department of Correctional Services says one unidentified staffer was suspended Thursday for the incident in a restrictive housing area.

A department spokeswoman says the inmate was subjected to pressure point control tactics used by prison staff, but did not elaborate. Corrections officials say they launched the investigation after reviewing reports and video of the incident and suspended a second employee Friday.

A statement from Warden Brad Hansen says force was necessary in the incident because the inmate was “combative and aggressive,” but prison authorities are reviewing whether the level of force was appropriate.

Corrections officials say they referred the incident to the Nebraska State Patrol for investigation.

A 32-year-old North Platte woman is in jail after police arrested her on charges stemming from an incident earlier this month.

On October 10, North Platte police responded to the report of an assault that had occurred earlier in the 1500 block of East 12th Street.

Officers met with a female victim who advised that she had been involved in a verbal disturbance with her boyfriend, 28-year-old Michael Charging Elk.

The victim reported that Charging Elk forced her into his car and drove to the East 12th Street location.

Officer Beth Kerr says Jerrita Kindle was at that location and she joined in the argument between the victim and Charging Elk.

The argument escalated and became physical and Kindle began assaulting the victim.

According to Kerr, the victim stated that Charging Elk held her down while Kindle continued to assault her. Kindle then allegedly tied the victim to a chair and held a gun to her head, continuing to yell and threaten the victim.

Kerr says the victim was eventually released and left the area.

Charging Elk was arrested a short time later and jailed on charges of 3rd-degree domestic assault and kidnapping. However, officers were unable to locate Kindle until they received an anonymous on October 20, stating that Kindle was at a residence in the 1300 block of West 9th Street.

Officers responded to that location and placed Kindle under arrest.

She was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center and charged with false imprisonment, terroristic threats, aiding and abetting domestic assault and use of a weapon to commit a felony.

Kindle was also wanted on a drug distribution warrant, but police deferred comment on that charge to the County Attorney’s Office.

Police did not comment on injuries sustained by the victim.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — A Hunt Safe session will be held Sun., Oct. 28, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Lincoln County Wildlife Gun Club located at 100 Eagles Nest Rd., which is southeast of the outlet area at Lake Maloney.

Completion of a Hunt Safe session is required for anyone age 11 to 15 who successfully completes a Nebraska Hunter Education online course. Those who complete Hunter Education via a traditional classroom class are not required to take a Hunt Safe session.
Registration for the Hunt Safe session is available at outdoornebraska.gov/huntered. Those who register must bring their certificate of completion of the online test to the class, along with a parent release form.

If time allows and weather is suitable, trap shooting will take place after the two-hour session. For more information, call the North Platte Game and Parks office at 308-535-8025.

Hunters age 12 through 29 must have completed a Firearm Hunter Education course and carry proof of successful completion on their person when hunting with a firearm or crossbow. Those wishing to bow hunt must complete the Bow Hunter Education course and carry proof on their person when hunting deer, antelope, elk or mountain sheep with a bow and arrow.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Powerball jackpot will top $620 million this week because no one won Saturday’s drawing, but that may seem relatively small compared to the $1.6 billion Mega Millions drawing expected on Tuesday.

Both lottery jackpots will approach new heights this week. The Mega Millions jackpot will likely set a new record, and the Powerball jackpot will be the third largest ever for that game on Wednesday.

The second-largest jackpot was a $1.586 billion Powerball drawing on Jan. 13, 2016.

The Mega Millions jackpot has been growing since July, when a group of 11 California office workers won $543 million.

It costs $2 to play either game.

The odds of winning Mega Millions are about one in 302 million. The Powerball odds are slightly better at one in 292.2 million.