OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Omaha Police Department is taking applications for law enforcement officers with previous experience.

The department says in a news release that it’s looking for currently certified officers to apply for a lateral transfer police class. Lateral transfers will go through condensed academy and field training.

Salaries range from nearly $44,000 to $77,000, depending on years of experience.

Applications may be submitted online at https://hr.cityofomaha.org/employment . Applications will be accepted through July 14.

ELMWOOD, Neb. (AP) — A bald eagle, the soaring symbol of America, is recovering from an injury or ailment that left its head featherless.

Fishermen spotted the bird on the ground south of Syracuse last month. On its head was what looked like a pock-marked scab.

They reported the eagle to a state conservation officer, who took it to Fontenelle Forest’s Raptor Recovery center near Elmwood. The center manager, Betsy Finch, says the injury on the bird’s head has baffled her and other raptor experts. They’re treating it with medicated ointments — so far to no avail.

The center’s goal is to release the eagle back into the wild after the mark disappears and feathers grow back. She says that could be a few months away.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The mayoral race in Omaha this spring has set spending records.

Republican Mayor Jean Stothert and Democratic challenger Heath Mello spent about $3.8 million combined during the campaign. The candidates surpassed the previous spending record for the fourth time in the past six city elections.

Outside groups, including Firefighters for Better Government, spent an additional $750,000 to sway voters.

Paul Landow is a political science professor at University of Nebraska at Omaha. He says Omaha residents can expect the cost of future mayor’s races to increase.

Landow estimates the 2021 mayoral election could top $5 million. He says the influx of money into local elections follows a national trend.

Stothert won re-election with just over 52,500 votes compared to Mello’s more than 46,700 votes.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Recreational marijuana sales have exceeded the expectations of Las Vegas area store owners.

Eager pot customers on Monday again lined up before dispensaries opened their doors. That’s after thousands swarmed the pot stores over the weekend.

Nevada on Saturday became the fifth state with shops selling pot to the public, jumpstarting a market that is expected to be fueled by the tens of millions of visitors that Sin City welcomes each year.

Jim Ferrence is the marketing coordinator for Euphoria Wellness dispensary, which had about 50 customers in line Monday morning. He says budtenders helped at least 1,000 customers during the first two days of legal recreational pot sales.

Those 21 and older with a valid ID can buy up to an ounce of pot. Consuming the drug in public remains illegal.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A northeast Nebraska community is keeping its county court judgeship for now, but the fight to do so showed a conflict brewing over whether judicial resources should go to the state’s urban or rural areas.

The state Court Administrator’s office asked the Judicial Resources Commission on Tuesday to postpone a decision about whether to fill an Eighth Judicial District vacancy in O’Neill.

Deputy Court Administrator Jennifer Rasmussen said a six-month delay would give them time to use grant funds to assess how best to serve central Nebraska’s needs.

For over two hours, the commission heard from a stream of people against the idea of losing a judge.

Commissioners voiced support for a statewide study of judicial resources, but voted 10-3 to replace the vacancy.

BEATRICE, Neb. (AP) — Those attending the Homestead Days Celebration in Beatrice this summer can learn how farmers of old ran the farm.

The festival at the Homestead National Monument of American being held this weekend will show visitors how the farming changed during the early homesteading years, transitioning from horse power to more industrialized methods. It will include demonstrations of horse-drawn haying, steam-powered threshing and gasoline-powered binding.

Demonstrations will occur throughout the day Saturday and Sunday starting at noon.

The weekend celebration wraps up at 5 p.m. Sunday.

STANTON, Neb. (AP) — Residents in the northeastern Nebraska town of Stanton have been told to boil their tap water.

The boil order was issued Thursday after testing of the municipal water system detected the presence of coliform and E. coli.

Stanton City Superintendent Ron Klinetobe says residents in Stanton should boil their water for at least one minute before consuming, or use another water source until testing shows no more contamination.

E. coli, a bacteria found in fecal matter, can be particularly dangerous to infants, young children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A fire department in eastern Nebraska is looking to hire more women and minorities as it fills paramedic positions in coming years.

Lincoln Fire and Rescue Chief Michael Despain has been ramping up the agency’s push to diversify its mostly white, male department since he took his position a year ago.

Despain says recruiting isn’t in the budget, so he’s using funds saved from open positions to help pay for marketing campaigns and recruiting efforts.

A January report from the department shows that 91 percent of the department’s firefighter and paramedic are white. Eight percent of them are women.

National Fire Protection Association data show that women comprised only 4.6 percent of the firefighting forces in the country between 2011 and 2015.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A semitrailer fire on Interstate 80 at Lincoln has backed up westbound traffic on a busy holiday weekend.

The truck caught fire around 10 a.m. Saturday just west of Lincoln, stalling traffic for miles.

Traffic was diverted north to U.S. Highway 34 at exit 395 and south to U.S. Highway 6 at exit 397 until around noon.

The Nebraska State Patrol, Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office and Lincoln Fire and Rescue were called to the scene. No injuries were reported.

SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. (AP) — A former employee at a South Sioux City school has been sentenced to 90 days in jail for sending nude photographs to a 15-year-old student.

28-year-old Cecilia Hermosillo worked as a paraprofessional at Gateway to Learning and resigned last September. Gateway to Learning is an alternative high school in South Sioux City.

Police began investigating last year when a school resource officer reported a post on Facebook referencing nude photographs sent by a school employee to a student. Police say they were able to obtain the pictures from the 15-year-old boy.

Hermosillo turned herself in after an arrest warrant charging her with enticement by electronic communication device was filed. She pleaded no contest to attempted child abuse in April.