LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Hoping to raise people’s awareness about fuel taxes, Americans for Prosperity have paid part of what people were paying for fuel at a Lincoln convenience store.

The group paid 45 cents of the cost of each gallon pumped by the first 200 fuel customers at the U-Stop at 84th Street and Cornhusker Highway on Tuesday.

Matt Litt is Nebraska director for the organization, which advocates for smaller government. He says the 45 cents signifies what Nebraskans pay in state and federal gas taxes. The Legislature is considering a bill that would raise the state fuel tax by 6 cents a gallon over four years.

Litt says he expected the promotion would cost the group between $1,000 and $2,000.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Omaha City Council is bolstering the city’s watch over boardinghouses.

On Tuesday the council approved an ordinance that will require licensing of boardinghouses. They’ll also be subject to annual fees and regular inspections.

City officials formulated the ordinance in response to a Dec. 23 fire that fatally injured two residents of a south Omaha boardinghouse.

Under the ordinance, boardinghouses will be required to have working smoke alarms, two ways out of each sleeping room and have fire walls.

The ordinance won’t apply to properties where landlords rent to three or fewer unrelated people.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha’s mayor says she will continue to use text messaging after City Attorney Paul Kratz issued a legal opinion stating text messages are not public record.

Kratz gave the legal opinion in response to the newspaper’s request for city-related text messages to and from Mayor Jean Stothert and City Council members. Stothert says that she will be more cautious about her use of text message, but she will continue to use it because it is convenient.

Councilman Chris Jerram says he plans to use email more often so the message may be on record.

Kratz says the text messages are held by the wireless carriers the city officials have a contract with, and the carriers are not delegated authority to perform a government function.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Some officials want their community college district to open an education center in far southeastern Nebraska.

Former Auburn Mayor Bob Engles and other members of the Southeast Career Development Committee made the request at Tuesday’s meeting of the Southeast Community College board in Lincoln.

Engles say that when students from his area go to the district campus in Lincoln for classes, they end up getting jobs in Lincoln and don’t return to their hometowns in far southeastern Nebraska. He says his group members think there are good jobs waiting for trained workers in southeast Nebraska.

College President Paul Illich says the 15-county district is looking at ways to expand its reach beyond its campuses in Beatrice, Lincoln and Milford.

COLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — A 31-year-old man has been given 18 to 36 months in prison for punching his former girlfriend and running his vehicle over a man who went to the woman’s aid in Columbus.

David Tate was sentenced on Tuesday. In March Tate pleaded guilty to second offense domestic assault. Prosecutors dropped a charge of leaving the scene of a personal-injury accident in exchange for his guilty plea to the assault.

The 30-year-old woman was treated at a Columbus hospital for a bloody nose and scratches on her face and neck in the Dec. 7 incident. She says Tate tried to force her into his pickup. The 53-year-old man suffered a broken foot and injuries to his face, knees, hand and calf.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Prosecutors say a 46-year-old woman stole more than $30,000 in cash from Haymarket Park in Lincoln.

Myra Cannon, of Lincoln, is accused of taking $30,500 from the safe of Levy Restaurants, the company running concessions at the stadium, in September. Cannon was an employee when the alleged theft occurred.

Police say Cannon was one of several people with access to the safe, but interviews with investigators prompted the issuance of a warrant for Cannon’s arrest March 5. She was arrested Friday and charged with felony theft.

Online court records indicate her case was assigned to the public defender’s office, but she hasn’t been referred to a specific attorney who could provide comment on her behalf. She was released from custody Monday.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft could operate legally in Nebraska under a bill that won first-round approval in the Legislature.

Senators voted 39-1 Tuesday to advance a measure that would outline regulations for app-based transportation network companies.

The companies have been operating unregulated in Nebraska for about a year despite warnings from the Department of Insurance and Department of Motor Vehicles.

Proponents say the companies provide a new transportation alternative in a state with limited and expensive options. But some worry the bill does not require proper insurance coverage for everyone involved.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Heath Mello of Omaha, says he is open to placing additional disclosure requirements in the bill.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Omaha Public Schools board remains divided on a plan to help small, local businesses that is tied to a $421 million bond program

The board remained deadlocked after several rounds of voting Monday. The plan would develop policies to help contractors and vendors respond to more bid requests, to increase the pool of qualified businesses and to make economic inclusion a part of the bond program.

Some board members wanted to go ahead and adopt the plan, while others said they could not support it because the participation goal for small businesses is too small. The plan calls for a participation rate of 7 percent.

Businesses bidding for bond work would be asked to provide job or training opportunities for district students.

The school board is expected to revisit the plan in the coming weeks.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 37-year-old Lincoln man must serve more than six years in prison for possessing child pornography.

U.S. Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced Monday that Kenneth Charles Poston III also was ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution. He will be under supervised release for 10 years once he finishes his 78-month sentence.

Investigators with the Lincoln Police Department became aware last June of a computer sharing child pornography. They linked the computer to Poston’s address and took him into custody.

Authorities found he had about 50,000 images and almost 400 videos involving child pornography.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a 21-year-old man pushed off the convertible top of his car and swam to safety after driving into a Lincoln reservoir.

Lincoln police spokeswoman Katie Flood says Chen Dou told officers he was driving north on West Shore Drive about 12:30 a.m. Monday when he swerved to avoid two animals in his way. His car ran off the road and into Pine Lake reservoir.

Flood says Dou wasn’t injured. He told officers that he swam about 30 feet to shore.

Officers cited Dou for careless driving. His car was pulled from the reservoir later on Monday.