LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska mom who was injured by a firework last year while shielding her 2-year-old daughter isn’t looking forward to this year’s barrage of fireworks.

Shannon Tellier has been experiencing panic attacks as this year’s fireworks revive memories of last year. Tellier is still recovering from injuries she sustained when an errant artillery shell struck her cheek.

Tellier’s jawbones were broken in three places, and she had a steel plate in her mouth for much of the past year. She continues to visit a dentist almost monthly and has pain in her mouth.

Tellier’s father, Dave O’Melia, says his daughter is coping with the injuries and the upcoming holiday as best as she can.

ASHLAND, Neb. (AP) — Eugene T. Mahoney State Park is celebrating its 25th anniversary this month.

On July 16 there will be a celebration from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Activity Center Outdoor Pavilion. There will be live music, a climbing wall and a bounce house.

Mahoney opened in 1991 and has served millions of visitors at its Family Aquatic Center, Owen Marina, ice skating rink, cabins and Peter Kiewit Lodge.

A valid park permit is required for all vehicles entering the park. Call 402-944-2523 or email ngpc.mahoney@nebraska.gov for more information.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Omaha zoo welcomed its millionth visitor of the year on Sunday — earlier than ever before.

The Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium says Morgan Owens of Minneapolis, Minnesota, became the attraction’s millionth visitor of the year Sunday afternoon.

Excitement about the zoo’s new elephant exhibit that opened this year may have helped the facility reach the milestone earlier. Previously, the earliest the zoo reached a million visitors was on July 11th in 2012.

Owens was visiting the zoo with his fiance and their three children. The family received a special zoo tour, a gift basket and a free zoo membership.

SCHUYLER, Neb. (AP) — Colfax County and the state disagree about which is responsible for the repair and maintenance of the roadway connecting Richland to U.S. Highway 30 in eastern Nebraska.

The state built the winding 1/3-mile stretch of asphalt when Highway 30 was expanded to four lanes from Columbus to Schuyler about 15 years ago.

Colfax County Highway Superintendent Mark Arps said the Nebraska Department of Roads contends the county took over ownership of the spur after it was constructed.

County Commissioners Jerry Heard and Gil Wigington disagree and say it’s the state’s responsibility to repair the road.

Both urged Arps earlier this week to meet with state roads officials on the matter.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Two Nebraska Wesleyan University students have won a competition for their stir sticks that detect the presence of date-rape drugs in drinks.

Gwen Plouzek and Stacie Skaff recently beat out eight other college teams from Nebraska, South Carolina and Estonia to win this year’s Network Globally, Act Locally competition. Along with the bragging rights comes $3,000 to use toward further development of their startup company, SipSafe.

The company produces stir sticks that, when swirled in a drink, change color if they detect the presence of ketamine, Rohypnol or GHB.

Plouzek says she came up with the idea while talking with her mom about the need for a reliable, discreet test for those drugs, which can be slipped into an unsuspecting person’s drink.

AURORA, Neb. (AP) — A judge has rejected challenges by two men charged in a murder-for-hire plot, who argue there in not enough evidence to send their cases to felony court.

37-year-old Robert Honken, of Aurora, and 30-year-old Derrick Shirley, of Bradshaw, argued prosecutors had not shown there was an agreement between them to kill Honken’s wife. A judge disagreed Thursday.

Police say Honken had hired Shirley earlier this year to kill his wife, but that Shirley had backed out. Police say Honken then tried to hire another hitman, who turned out to be an undercover officer.

Shirley is charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder; Honken faces two identical counts.

Honken is set to be arraigned July 15. Shirley’s arraignment is set for Aug. 4.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Lincoln Public Schools could lose federal funding for its preschool programs, if it doesn’t make a big change soon.

Federal officials have told the district it will need to expand its half-day preschool programs in elementary schools to full-day programs, if it wants to keep its federal funding.

District officials say the schools currently can teach 1,200 students using the half-day system. That number would be cut in half if the schools move to full-day preschool.

The funding change is set to begin in the 2017-18 school year.

Lincoln Public Schools officials say they hope to have a decision on which way to go by August.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court’s dismissal of the Nebraska State College Board of Trustees from a lawsuit over the 2010 disappearance of a 19-year-old Peru State student.

The mother of Tyler “Ty” Thomas sued the board, saying it violated Title IX, the 1972 law that prohibits sex discrimination in schools, by failing to protect Ty Thomas from harm.

Thomas disappeared after encountering Joshua Keadle, a fellow Peru State student now in prison for raping another teen. Thomas has since been declared dead.

A federal judge dismissed the college board from the lawsuit last year, saying that while officials could have done more to protect Thomas, attorneys for Thomas failed to show deliberate indifference by college officials.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed on Friday.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — State health and environment officials have issued health alerts for toxic blue-green algae at Iron Horse Trail Lake in Pawnee County and Kirkman’s Cove in Richardson County.

Officials say in a news release Friday that the alerts were issued following tests of the lake water. An alert has ended at Harlan County Reservoir.

Skin exposed to the toxin from certain strains of blue-green algae can develop rashes and blisters. Someone who drinks water containing the toxin is at risk for headaches, nausea and muscular pain.