HEMINGFORD, Neb. (AP) — The western Nebraska town of Hemingford has worked out an agreement with the IRS to pay off delinquent payroll withholding taxes owed by the Hemingford Community Care Center.

Local media says that an audit earlier this year found the city-owned nursing home was two years behind on its payroll taxes. Including interest and penalties, the city owed about $250,000.

But the management company that operates the nursing home for Hemingford negotiated a payment for $101,000.

Half will be paid off with a six-month, 4.75 percent interest bank loan. The remainder will be paid off by the village at a rate of $5,000 a month.

The management company blamed the delinquent taxes on problems using the IRS electronic transfer service.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Lincoln police have deployed a new crime-fighting tool that lets an officer keep four camera eyes out for criminals.

Local media reports that the cameras are mounted atop a sport utility vehicle driven by Officer Luke Bonkiewicz.

He says the Automated License Plate Recognition system can scan 2,000-3,000 license plates per shift, matching the numbers to a database containing information on stolen vehicles, missing people and vehicles linked to crimes or criminal suspects.

The system is credited with being instrumental in closing about 20 cases in the six months Bonkiewicz has been operating it for the department.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Teachers in Lincoln and Beatrice are among 97 across the nation to receive the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

Joan Christen of Beatrice and David Hartman of Lincoln will attend an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., this month.

Christen has taught science for grades 9-12 at Beatrice High School for the past nine years. Hartman has taught mathematics at Lincoln Southwest High School for 10 years, since it first opened in 2002.

Winners of the honor receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation to be used at their discretion.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Dave Heineman has announced a new look of the Nebraska’s government website.

Available at Nebraska.gov, the new design was developed to attract users and improve the experience of visitors to the site.

The redesign features a tile layout and unique Nebraska images.

The design elements incorporated market research and beta testing to improve user experience across various platforms, such as tablets, e-readers and smartphones.

The redesigned site launched on June 5.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Democratic Party will elect new leaders and set the party’s platform at its state convention being held in Omaha this weekend.

The biennial convention starts Friday and runs through Sunday. It’s being held at the Ramada Plaza Omaha Convention Center.

On Friday, caucus groups and organizations within the party will hold meetings. The general assembly meets Saturday to vote on platform issues, new party leadership and delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., in September.

Current state party chairman Vic Covalt is stepping down after two terms, and three people have announced plans to replace him.

Also Saturday, retiring U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson and the Democratic nominee seeking to replace him, Bob Kerrey, will address the convention.

SIDNEY, Neb. (AP) — A 33-year-old Tennessee woman connected to the beating of a hitchhiker in western Nebraska has been given five years of probation.

Stephanie O’Neal, of Clarksville, Tenn., had pleaded no contest to four counts of compounding a felony. Court records say she was sentenced on Thursday to the probation, 100 hours of community service and 90 more days in jail, which can be waived at the court’s discretion.

Prosecutors say O’Neal and a traveling companion, 31-year-old Justin Adolph, of Lynchburg, Va., picked up a hitchhiker on June 1 last year. He was found severely beaten about 12 miles west of Sidney but has since recovered.

Adolph was convicted of attempted first-degree assault and conspiracy. He was given 30 to 40 years in prison.

HARRISON, Neb. (AP) — Landowners have taken over the watch on hot spots remaining from the wildfire that blackened an estimated 5,000 acres in the northwest corner of Nebraska.

Officials say firefighters have been sent home. It’s expected that some spots will continue to smolder and smoke but won’t pose a threat of spreading outside the burned area.

It’s believed the fire began with a lightning strike Friday night about 10 miles northeast of Harrison. It was first reported to the Harrison Volunteer Fire Department at 7:30 a.m. Sunday.

There were no reports of injuries to residents or firefighters and no reports of damage to any structures.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A man has been taken to a hospital for treatment of burns following a fire that heavily damaged a house in east Lincoln.

The fire was reported around 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Some neighbors say they first heard explosions and then saw the flames.

The house and a garage were damaged, as was a neighbor’s house.

A firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion.

The fire cause is being investigated.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A highway near downtown Omaha has reopened after it was closed for nearly eight hours by cattle that escaped from an overturned trailer.

U.S. Highway 75 opened Thursday evening after wranglers rounded up the loose animals.

The accident happened about 10:30 a.m. when the truck crashed into overpass bridge and flipped, shutting down both sides of the highway.

Police say about 60 cattle were on the truck, and at least a dozen escaped. The others still in the trailer had to be transferred to another truck.

The highway reopened about 6 p.m.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha Public Power District officials remain confident in their plan to improve the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant, and they disagree with an environmental group’s petition to revoke the plant’s license.

OPPD spokesman Jeff Hanson said Thursday that the utility believes the nuclear power plant 20 miles north of Omaha is safe.

The utility also says the plant is an important part of its power-generating portfolio.

The Sierra Club of Iowa filed a formal petition with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Thursday asking regulators to revoke Fort Calhoun’s license.

David Lochbaum, nuclear safety director at the advocacy group Union of Concerned Scientists, says the NRC probably receives a similar petition about once a month.

Most of the petitions are denied, but he said they can force changes at nuclear plants.