(AP) — Nebraskans are again bracing for a cold start to the week after strong winds arrived in the state Sunday.
Wind gusts of more than 40 mph were reported Sunday, and the National Weather Service warns that dangerous wind chills are possible across most of Nebraska on Monday morning.
The cold temperatures and strong winds will combine to create wind chills between 20 degrees below zero and 30 degrees below zero on Monday.
At those temperatures, frostbite is possible after just 30 minutes.
Rural businesses in Nebraska can apply for grants to help them grow.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development office is overseeing the grants that can be used in several ways.
Last year, four grants worth a total of $170,000 were awarded in Nebraska as part of the program. And a separate $99,000 grant was awarded under a similar program that’s designed to help Native Americans.
Grants are only available to businesses in areas with less than 50,000 population. Applications are due by Feb. 24. More details are available online at https://1.usa.gov/1io4ICT .
The average U.S. price of gasoline has dipped 3.5 cents a gallon in the past two weeks and prices in California have fallen nearly 8 cents in the same time period.
According to the Lundberg Survey released Sunday, the average nationwide for a gallon of regular is now $3.31. Midgrade averages $3.50 and premium is $3.65.
Of cities surveyed in the Lower 48 states, the lowest price, $2.94, was in Billings, Mont.
San Diego, Calif., had the highest price at $3.60.
In California, prices for a gallon of regular dropped nearly 8 cents to $3.54.
The average price per gallon in Nebraska is $3.11.
(AP) — A professor at the University of Nebraska at Kearney says in state and federal lawsuits that the university discriminated against her because she is disabled.
Beth Wiersma has filed lawsuits in both U.S. District Court in Lincoln and in Buffalo County District Court.
She had been hired by the university in August 2001, and in 2007 was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. Her lawsuits say she was chairwoman of the university’s criminal justice department last year when restrictions imposed on her by the university forced her to resign the post.
The lawsuits say the university repeatedly denied her various accommodations for her disability, including access ramps and a handicapped accessible bathroom.
She is seeking an unspecified amount for lost wages, attorney fees and other damages.
(AP) — The state’s Judicial Resources Commission will meet next month to determine whether retiring judges in Buffalo County Court and the district court covering a region of eastern Nebraska should be replaced.
The judgeships will become vacant with the Jan. 31 retirements of Buffalo County Judge Graten Beavers and District Judge Michael Owens. Owens’ district covers Boone, Butler, Colfax, Hamilton, Merrick, Nance, Platte, Polk, Saunders, Seward and York counties.
The hearing will be held Feb. 19 at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln. The commission will make recommendations to the Nebraska Supreme Court as to whether vacancies in those districts exists and, if so, where the primary office of those judgeships should be.
The commission determines whether judicial vacancies exist based on workload statistics.
Middle school students in North Platte are holding a food drive to help out some four-legged friends.
Adams Middle School’s Teen Outreach Program has spearheaded a dog and cat food drive to collect food for the local animal shelter.
The school program teaches teenagers life skills. Student participants in the program voted for a community service project to take on, and the elected to help the animal shelter.
The goal of the drive is to collect 1,000 pounds of food by Feb. 15.
Donors can drop pet food and treats off at Adams Middle School or the West Central District Health Department from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday thru Friday.
(AP) — Nebraskans seeking to combat human trafficking would have the help of a state coordinator under a proposal in the Legislature.
Sen. Amanda McGill of Lincoln has introduced two bills relating to human trafficking, which will be heard by the Judiciary Committee on Thursday.
One bill creates a coordinator of human trafficking prevention and rehabilitation.
McGill said there are lots of people who want to be involved but there is no one to coordinate the efforts across the state.
The coordinator would create a website and look for grants to help victims of human trafficking.
The other bill helps define human trafficking and makes Nebraska law more similar to other states.
Attorney General Jon Bruning has issued a consumer alert about a phone scam targeting Nebraskans.
The attorney general’s office said Friday that it has received complaints about automated calls from 206-958-8754. A recording tells receivers that they need to reactivate a suspended or compromised debit card.
Bruning says banks, debit and credit card numbers should never be given to unknown people or businesses. The information can be used to make fraudulent purchases or to withdraw money from the account.
Nebraskans who have responded to this scam are encouraged to use a trusted number to call their debit card issuers immediately.
Residents who want more information or to file a complaint can call the attorney general’s consumer protection division at 800-727-6432.
(AP) — A new report says Nebraska’s preliminary unemployment rate has dropped again, hitting 3.6 percent in December.
The rate was 3.7 percent in November, down slightly from 3.9 percent in October.
The state Department of Labor released the employment data on Friday.
The new figure remained well below the national unemployment rate of 6.7 percent in December, which was down three-tenths of a point from November.
