BELLEVUE, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska man has been sentenced to prison for strangling his wife and throwing her body in the Missouri River. 

KMTV reports that Brandon Norton, of the Omaha suburb of Bellevue, was sentenced Wednesday to 41 1/2 to 62 years in prison in the June 2018 death of 32-year-old Jennifer Norton. 

He pleaded guilty in January to second-degree murder and improper disposal of a body. 

Norton was arrested after walking into the Sarpy County Jail to tell authorities that he had killed his wife the day before and dropped her body from a bridge into the river. 

He told police that he’d choked her to death after an argument.

BELLEVUE, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska man has been sentenced to prison for strangling his wife and throwing her body in the Missouri River. KMTV reports that Brandon Norton, of the Omaha suburb of Bellevue, was sentenced Wednesday to 41 1/2 to 62 years in prison in the June 2018 death of 32-year-old Jennifer Norton. He pleaded guilty in January to second-degree murder and improper disposal of a body. Norton was arrested after walking into the Sarpy County Jail to tell authorities that he had killed his wife the day before and dropped her body from a bridge into the river. He told police that he’d choked her to death after an argument.

Nebraska man sentenced for strangling wife

DALTON, Minn. (AP) - Powerful tornadoes that ripped across farmland in western Minnesota, killing one person and injuring two others, could have exacted a higher death toll if the twisters had struck a more populous area, authorities said Thursday.

Severe storms that swept through parts of the Midwest on Wednesday produced at least two tornadoes that damaged farms near Dalton, about 153 miles (246 kilometers) northwest of Minneapolis.

A 30-year-old man, Seth Nelson of rural Battle Lake, was killed when a twister destroyed a large garage in which he was working Wednesday evening, said Otter Tail County Sheriff's Lt. Keith Van Dyke.

Two others were taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, Van Dyke said. The couple, who lived in the path of one of the tornadoes, were treated for minor injuries and released.

According to initial estimates, up to seven homes and outbuildings were damaged, including shops and garages, Otter Tail County Sheriff Barry Fitzgibbons said Thursday.

Fitzgibbons said the tornadoes struck a largely rural area. "Had it been a more populated area, this conversation would be a lot different. I think we would have had a lot more injuries and potentially more deaths," he told reporters.

"There's some people that are hurting today - physically, mentally. Some tragedies took place here, with a considerable amount of damage," said County Commissioner John Lindquist, who lives less than a mile from the closest path of the tornado.

National Weather Service ground crews were working to confirm reports of additional tornadoes, meteorologist Daniel Robinson said Thursday.

"Having eyes on the ground, the survey teams can look for indicators of other possible touchdowns," Robinson said.

Kathy Long VanVoorhis, in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, said she was awakened by the storm early Thursday.

"We heard this crack outside our bedroom window and immediately got up, and we ran out and saw the tree had fallen," she said.

After that the tornado sirens started blaring, she said.

"We went outside and assessed our damage and decided there wasn't much we could do, and went to the basement. We are safe and it didn't hit our house, but hit our two cars."

The two tornadoes are believed to be at least in the EF3 category, with winds of 136-165 mph (219-266 kph), the weather service said. The twisters left a 6- to 9-mile (10- to 14-kilometer) trail of damage, with the first striking at 5:08 p.m. south of Dalton, following a tornado warning, followed by a second tornado three minutes later.

A tornado crossed Interstate 94 but no vehicles were affected, according to the weather service. Other possible tornado activity was reported Wednesday in Colorado as well as parts of Nebraska and Illinois.

Residents in much of Nebraska were cleaning up and waiting for power to be restored Thursday following high winds, hail and heavy rain. Weak tornadoes were reported in unpopulated areas near Venango and Grant in southwestern Nebraska and Thedford in northwestern Nebraska, according to the National Weather Service in North Platte. Only minor tree damage was reported from those, meteorologist Shawn Jacobs said.

In Sedgwick County, Colorado, near the Nebraska state line,&nbsp;<a href="https://kdvr.com/weather/video-shows-tornado-in-northeast-colorado-property-damage-reported/" target="_blank">KDVR&nbsp;</a>reported that video from a trained weather spotter captured a tornado that caused property damage. No injuries were reported.

DALTON, Minn. (AP) - Powerful tornadoes that ripped across farmland in western Minnesota, killing one person and injuring two others, could have exacted a higher death toll if the twisters had struck a more populous area, authorities said Thursday.Severe storms that swept through parts of the Midwest on Wednesday produced at least two tornadoes that damaged farms near Dalton, about 153 miles (246 kilometers) northwest of Minneapolis.A 30-year-old man, Seth Nelson of rural Battle Lake, was killed when a twister destroyed a large garage in which he was working Wednesday evening, said Otter Tail County Sheriff's Lt. Keith Van Dyke.Two others were taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, Van Dyke said. The couple, who lived in the path of one of the tornadoes, were treated for minor injuries and released.According to initial estimates, up to seven homes and outbuildings were damaged, including shops and garages, Otter Tail County Sheriff Barry Fitzgibbons said Thursday.Fitzgibbons said the tornadoes struck a largely rural area. "Had it been a more populated area, this conversation would be a lot different. I think we would have had a lot more injuries and potentially more deaths," he told reporters."There's some people that are hurting today - physically, mentally. Some tragedies took place here, with a considerable amount of damage," said County Commissioner John Lindquist, who lives less than a mile from the closest path of the tornado.National Weather Service ground crews were working to confirm reports of additional tornadoes, meteorologist Daniel Robinson said Thursday."Having eyes on the ground, the survey teams can look for indicators of other possible touchdowns," Robinson said.Kathy Long VanVoorhis, in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, said she was awakened by the storm early Thursday."We heard this crack outside our bedroom window and immediately got up, and we ran out and saw the tree had fallen," she said.After that the tornado sirens started blaring, she said."We went outside and assessed our damage and decided there wasn't much we could do, and went to the basement. We are safe and it didn't hit our house, but hit our two cars."The two tornadoes are believed to be at least in the EF3 category, with winds of 136-165 mph (219-266 kph), the weather service said. The twisters left a 6- to 9-mile (10- to 14-kilometer) trail of damage, with the first striking at 5:08 p.m. south of Dalton, following a tornado warning, followed by a second tornado three minutes later.A tornado crossed Interstate 94 but no vehicles were affected, according to the weather service. Other possible tornado activity was reported Wednesday in Colorado as well as parts of Nebraska and Illinois.Residents in much of Nebraska were cleaning up and waiting for power to be restored Thursday following high winds, hail and heavy rain. Weak tornadoes were reported in unpopulated areas near Venango and Grant in southwestern Nebraska and Thedford in northwestern Nebraska, according to the National Weather Service in North Platte. Only minor tree damage was reported from those, meteorologist Shawn Jacobs said.In Sedgwick County, Colorado, near the Nebraska state line,&nbsp;<a href="https://kdvr.com/weather/video-shows-tornado-in-northeast-colorado-property-damage-reported/" target="_blank">KDVR&nbsp;</a>reported that video from a trained weather spotter captured a tornado that caused property damage. No injuries were reported.

Authorities: 1 dead after tornado hits western Minnesota

PINE RIDGE, S.D. (AP) — The Oglala Sioux Tribe has suspended its tribal president for 30 days and lifted a three-day lockdown he issued to stop the potential spread of COVID-19. 

The Rapid City Journal reports that the tribal council suspended President Julian Bear Runner during an emergency meeting. 

Council members were upset they could not reach him after he imposed the lockdown that prohibited nonessential travel to or from the reservation.

  Vice President Tom Poor Bear will take over the president’s duties during the suspension. 

Bear Runner instituted the lockdown on Monday afternoon, sending all tribal employees, except emergency personnel, home on administrative leave.

PINE RIDGE, S.D. (AP) — The Oglala Sioux Tribe has suspended its tribal president for 30 days and lifted a three-day lockdown he issued to stop the potential spread of COVID-19. The Rapid City Journal reports that the tribal council suspended President Julian Bear Runner during an emergency meeting. Council members were upset they could not reach him after he imposed the lockdown that prohibited nonessential travel to or from the reservation. Vice President Tom Poor Bear will take over the president’s duties during the suspension. Bear Runner instituted the lockdown on Monday afternoon, sending all tribal employees, except emergency personnel, home on administrative leave.

Oglala Sioux Tribe suspends president, lifts lockdown

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to withhold federal funding if schools don’t reopen in the fall, and he lashed out at federal health officials over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b984f9a970d7a81a520dbd456f92cd59">school reopening guidelines</a>&nbsp;that he says are impractical and expensive.

Taking to Twitter to voice his frustration, Trump argued that countries including Germany, Denmark and Norway have reopened schools “with no problems.” The Republican president also repeated his claim that Democrats want to keep schools closed for political reasons and not because of any risks associated with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the coronavirus</a>.

“The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election,” Trump said, “but is important for the children &amp; families. May cut off funding if not open!”

He did not immediately say what funding he would cut off or under what authority.

Trump made the comments a day after launching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/be1ed8b75986393fe0385cae85b6a6c8">an all-out effort pressing state and local officials to reopen the nation’s schools and colleges</a>&nbsp;this fall. At a White House event Tuesday, health and education officials argued that keeping students out of school for the fall semester would pose greater health risks than any tied to the coronavirus.

Among those pushing for a fall reopening was the chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But Trump on Wednesday said the agency’s school opening guidelines are “very tough &amp; expensive.”

“While they want them open, they are asking schools to do very impractical things. I will be meeting with them!!!” Trump wrote.

The CDC’s director, Dr. Robert Redfield, had emphasized that his agency’s guidelines were only recommendations, and he urged schools to find ways to reopen while minimizing the spread of COVID-19.

“Nothing would cause me greater sadness than to see any school district or school use our guidance as a reason not to reopen,” Redfield said.

The CDC’s guidance recommends that students and teachers wear masks whenever feasible, spread out desks, stagger schedules, eat meals in classrooms instead of the cafeteria and add physical barriers between bathroom sinks.

Trump did not clarify which of the guidelines he opposed.

The White House’s task force on the coronavirus was meeting at the Education Department on Wednesday, emphasizing the administration’s push to reopen schools.

The Trump administration has pushed for a full reopening of the nation’s schools, with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos saying anything less would be a failure. But some of the nation’s largest districts plan to bring back limited numbers of students for only a few days a week, saying it would be unsafe for all students to return at once.

New York City announced Wednesday that most students will return to their physical classrooms two or three days per week and learn online the rest of the time. Mayor Bill de Blasio said schools can’t accommodate all their students at any one time while also maintaining social distancing.

In a call with governors on Tuesday, DeVos slammed a similar plan at Virginia’s Fairfax County Public Schools, which is asking families to decide between fully remote instruction or two days a week at school. “A choice of two days per week in the classroom is not a choice at all,” DeVos said, according to audio of the call obtained by The Associated Press.

Later at Tuesday’s White House event, DeVos said families should be able to count on having their children in school five days a week: “It’s clear that our nation’s schools must fully reopen and fully operate this school year. Anything short of that robs students, not to mention taxpayers, of their future,” she said.

Trump has also taken aim at Democrats who he says are standing in the way of a fall reopening. “They think it’s going to be good for them politically, so they keep the schools closed,” Trump said at the White House event. “No way. We’re very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else to open the schools.”

He added that parents and children want schools to reopen, declaring that “it’s time to do it.”

But that bright outlook was met with skepticism by some beyond the White House. The president of the nation’s largest education union said Trump is more interested in scoring points for the November election than in keeping students safe.

“Trump has proven to be incapable of grasping that people are dying — that more than 130,000 Americans have already died,” said Lily Eskelsen García, president of the National Education Association. “Educators want nothing more than to be back in classrooms and on college campuses with our students, but we must do it in a way that keeps students, educators and communities safe.”

Trump’s claim that Democrats are pressing to keep schools closed for political reasons has been criticized by health experts who say politicizing the issue makes it more difficult to work toward reopening schools.

“When you make it about politics and just people trying to score points and get elected, I mean, I really think it’s a disservice to how incredibly important this issue is,” Jennifer Nuzzo of&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing" target="_blank">Johns Hopkins University’s COVID-19 Testing Insights Initiative</a>&nbsp;said in an interview. “And it really distracts from what I think we need, which is real solutions and a plan in order to make this happen.”

Whether schools and colleges should open this fall and how has been a topic of growing tension as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/3a3642cb4b7244665dda34c437c87988">the coronavirus continues to surge</a>&nbsp;in parts of the United States. Trump applauded Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his state’s recent order to open public schools this fall. The president attacked Harvard University for its decision to hold instruction online for the fall term.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently issued guidelines suggesting that schools aim to start the academic year “physically present in school.” Keeping students at home can lead to social isolation, the organization said, and prevent schools from identifying learning deficits, abuse, depression and other issues.

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Donald Trump on Tuesday launched an all-out effort pressing state and local officials to reopen schools this fall, arguing that some are keeping schools closed not because of the risks from the coronavirus pandemic but for political reasons.

“They think it’s going to be good for them politically, so they keep the schools closed,” Trump said at a White House discussion on school plans for the fall. “No way. We’re very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else to open the schools.”

The White House’s round-table gathered health and education leaders from across the nation who said schools and colleges are ready to open this fall and can do so safely. They argued that the risks of keeping students at home outweigh any risks tied to the coronavirus, saying students need access to meal programs and mental and behavioral health services.

“We want to reopen the schools,” Trump said. “Everybody wants it. The moms want it, the dads want it, the kids want it. It’s time to do it.”

At the White House event, Trump repeated his claim that Democrats want to keep schools closed for political reasons and not health reasons. He made the same claim on Twitter a day before, saying: “They think it will help them in November. Wrong, the people get it!”

Trump offered no evidence for the allegation, which has been criticized by health experts who say politicizing the issue will make it harder to work toward reopening schools. Jennifer Nuzzo, of Johns Hopkins University’s COVID-19 Testing Insights Initiative, said she was “deeply troubled” by the claim.

“When you make it about politics and just people trying to score points and get elected, I mean, I really think it’s a disservice to how incredibly important this issue is,” Nuzzo said in an interview. “And it really distracts from what I think we need, which is real solutions and a plan in order to make this happen.”

Whether schools and colleges should open this fall and how has been a topic of growing debate as the coronavirus continues to surge in parts of the United States. Trump applauded Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his state’s recent order to open public schools this fall. And Trump attacked Harvard University for its decision to hold instruction online for the fall term.

“I think it’s ridiculous, I think it’s an easy way out and I think they ought to be ashamed of themselves, if you want to know the truth,” Trump said Tuesday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has sent mixed signals on the issue, saying students should return to the classroom but also noting that virtual classes present the lowest risk of COVID-19 spread. Speaking at Trump’s event Tuesday, however, the agency’s director said unequivocally that it’s better for students to be in school than at home.

Dr. Robert Redfield noted that COVID-19 cases tend to be mild in young people, adding that the greatest risk is transmission from children to more vulnerable populations. He said the CDC encourages all schools to reopen with customized plans to minimize the spread of the coronavirus while giving students access to school services.

“It’s clear that the greater risk to our society is to have these schools close,” Redfield said. “Nothing would cause me greater sadness than to see any school district or school use our guidance as a reason not to reopen.”

The CDC’s guidance for schools recommends that students and teachers wear masks “as feasible,” spread out desks, stagger schedules, eat meals in classrooms instead of the cafeteria, and add physical barriers between bathroom sinks.

Some schools have announced plans to bring students back for only a few days a week, an option that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Tuesday said was unacceptable.

“It’s clear that our nations schools must fully reopen and fully operate this school year. Anything short of that robs students, not to mention taxpayers, of their future,” DeVos said.

During a call with governors, DeVos slammed plans by Virginia’s Fairfax County Public Schools to have families decide between fully remote instruction or two days a week at school. “A choice of two days per week in the classroom is not a choice at all,” DeVos said, according to audio of the call obtained by The Associated Press.

DeVos also criticized many schools’ attempts at distance education after the pandemic prompted them to move classes online last spring. She said she was disappointed in schools that “didn’t figure out how to serve students or who just gave up and didn’t try.”

The same thing can’t happen again this fall, she said, urging governors to play a role in getting schools to reopen.

Among those joining Trump on Tuesday was the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which recently issued guidelines suggesting that schools aim to start the academic year “physically present in school.” Keeping students at home can lead to social isolation, the organization said, and prevent schools from identifying learning deficits, abuse, depression and other issues.

Students’ mental and emotional health — along with their parents’ — was repeatedly raised in the argument to reopen schools.

“Children’s mental health and social development must be as much of a priority as physical health,” first lady Melania Trump said at the round-table. “The same is true for parents. Many will be forced to make stressful choices between caring for their children and going back to work.”

But some are calling for greater caution. Arne Duncan, who served as education secretary under former President Barack Obama, has said the focus should be on making sure students can return safely.

“We all want children to go back to school,” Duncan said on Twitter. “The question is whether we care enough about our children to ALLOW them to go to school safely. Our behavior, our commitment to shared sacrifice — or our selfishness — will determine what happens this fall for kids.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594154730513.png" alt="President Trump&nbsp;and first lady Melania Trump discuss reopening schools during the coronavirus pandemic -photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Trump&nbsp;and first lady Melania Trump discuss reopening schools during the coronavirus pandemic -photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to withhold federal funding if schools don’t reopen in the fall, and he lashed out at federal health officials over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b984f9a970d7a81a520dbd456f92cd59">school reopening guidelines</a>&nbsp;that he says are impractical and expensive.Taking to Twitter to voice his frustration, Trump argued that countries including Germany, Denmark and Norway have reopened schools “with no problems.” The Republican president also repeated his claim that Democrats want to keep schools closed for political reasons and not because of any risks associated with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the coronavirus</a>.“The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election,” Trump said, “but is important for the children &amp; families. May cut off funding if not open!”He did not immediately say what funding he would cut off or under what authority.Trump made the comments a day after launching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/be1ed8b75986393fe0385cae85b6a6c8">an all-out effort pressing state and local officials to reopen the nation’s schools and colleges</a>&nbsp;this fall. At a White House event Tuesday, health and education officials argued that keeping students out of school for the fall semester would pose greater health risks than any tied to the coronavirus.Among those pushing for a fall reopening was the chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But Trump on Wednesday said the agency’s school opening guidelines are “very tough &amp; expensive.”“While they want them open, they are asking schools to do very impractical things. I will be meeting with them!!!” Trump wrote.The CDC’s director, Dr. Robert Redfield, had emphasized that his agency’s guidelines were only recommendations, and he urged schools to find ways to reopen while minimizing the spread of COVID-19.“Nothing would cause me greater sadness than to see any school district or school use our guidance as a reason not to reopen,” Redfield said.The CDC’s guidance recommends that students and teachers wear masks whenever feasible, spread out desks, stagger schedules, eat meals in classrooms instead of the cafeteria and add physical barriers between bathroom sinks.Trump did not clarify which of the guidelines he opposed.The White House’s task force on the coronavirus was meeting at the Education Department on Wednesday, emphasizing the administration’s push to reopen schools.The Trump administration has pushed for a full reopening of the nation’s schools, with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos saying anything less would be a failure. But some of the nation’s largest districts plan to bring back limited numbers of students for only a few days a week, saying it would be unsafe for all students to return at once.New York City announced Wednesday that most students will return to their physical classrooms two or three days per week and learn online the rest of the time. Mayor Bill de Blasio said schools can’t accommodate all their students at any one time while also maintaining social distancing.In a call with governors on Tuesday, DeVos slammed a similar plan at Virginia’s Fairfax County Public Schools, which is asking families to decide between fully remote instruction or two days a week at school. “A choice of two days per week in the classroom is not a choice at all,” DeVos said, according to audio of the call obtained by The Associated Press.Later at Tuesday’s White House event, DeVos said families should be able to count on having their children in school five days a week: “It’s clear that our nation’s schools must fully reopen and fully operate this school year. Anything short of that robs students, not to mention taxpayers, of their future,” she said.Trump has also taken aim at Democrats who he says are standing in the way of a fall reopening. “They think it’s going to be good for them politically, so they keep the schools closed,” Trump said at the White House event. “No way. We’re very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else to open the schools.”He added that parents and children want schools to reopen, declaring that “it’s time to do it.”But that bright outlook was met with skepticism by some beyond the White House. The president of the nation’s largest education union said Trump is more interested in scoring points for the November election than in keeping students safe.“Trump has proven to be incapable of grasping that people are dying — that more than 130,000 Americans have already died,” said Lily Eskelsen García, president of the National Education Association. “Educators want nothing more than to be back in classrooms and on college campuses with our students, but we must do it in a way that keeps students, educators and communities safe.”Trump’s claim that Democrats are pressing to keep schools closed for political reasons has been criticized by health experts who say politicizing the issue makes it more difficult to work toward reopening schools.“When you make it about politics and just people trying to score points and get elected, I mean, I really think it’s a disservice to how incredibly important this issue is,” Jennifer Nuzzo of&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing" target="_blank">Johns Hopkins University’s COVID-19 Testing Insights Initiative</a>&nbsp;said in an interview. “And it really distracts from what I think we need, which is real solutions and a plan in order to make this happen.”Whether schools and colleges should open this fall and how has been a topic of growing tension as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/3a3642cb4b7244665dda34c437c87988">the coronavirus continues to surge</a>&nbsp;in parts of the United States. Trump applauded Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his state’s recent order to open public schools this fall. The president attacked Harvard University for its decision to hold instruction online for the fall term.The American Academy of Pediatrics recently issued guidelines suggesting that schools aim to start the academic year “physically present in school.” Keeping students at home can lead to social isolation, the organization said, and prevent schools from identifying learning deficits, abuse, depression and other issues.___WASHINGTON (AP) —President Donald Trump on Tuesday launched an all-out effort pressing state and local officials to reopen schools this fall, arguing that some are keeping schools closed not because of the risks from the coronavirus pandemic but for political reasons.“They think it’s going to be good for them politically, so they keep the schools closed,” Trump said at a White House discussion on school plans for the fall. “No way. We’re very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else to open the schools.”The White House’s round-table gathered health and education leaders from across the nation who said schools and colleges are ready to open this fall and can do so safely. They argued that the risks of keeping students at home outweigh any risks tied to the coronavirus, saying students need access to meal programs and mental and behavioral health services.“We want to reopen the schools,” Trump said. “Everybody wants it. The moms want it, the dads want it, the kids want it. It’s time to do it.”But that bright outlook was met with skepticism by some beyond the White House. The president of the nation’s largest education union said Trump is more interested in scoring points for the November election than in keeping students safe.“Trump has proven to be incapable of grasping that people are dying — that more than 130,000 Americans have already died,” said Lily Eskelsen García, president of the National Education Association. “Educators want nothing more than to be back in classrooms and on college campuses with our students, but we must do it in a way that keeps students, educators and communities safe.”At the White House event, Trump repeated his claim that Democrats want to keep schools closed for political reasons and not health reasons. He made the same claim on Twitter a day before, saying: “They think it will help them in November. Wrong, the people get it!”Trump offered no evidence for the allegation, which has been criticized by health experts who say politicizing the issue will make it harder to work toward reopening schools. Jennifer Nuzzo, of Johns Hopkins University’s COVID-19 Testing Insights Initiative, said she was “deeply troubled” by the claim.“When you make it about politics and just people trying to score points and get elected, I mean, I really think it’s a disservice to how incredibly important this issue is,” Nuzzo said in an interview. “And it really distracts from what I think we need, which is real solutions and a plan in order to make this happen.”Whether schools and colleges should open this fall and how has been a topic of growing debate as the coronavirus continues to surge in parts of the United States. Trump applauded Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his state’s recent order to open public schools this fall. And Trump attacked Harvard University for its decision to hold instruction online for the fall term.“I think it’s ridiculous, I think it’s an easy way out and I think they ought to be ashamed of themselves, if you want to know the truth,” Trump said Tuesday.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has sent mixed signals on the issue, saying students should return to the classroom but also noting that virtual classes present the lowest risk of COVID-19 spread. Speaking at Trump’s event Tuesday, however, the agency’s director said unequivocally that it’s better for students to be in school than at home.Dr. Robert Redfield noted that COVID-19 cases tend to be mild in young people, adding that the greatest risk is transmission from children to more vulnerable populations. He said the CDC encourages all schools to reopen with customized plans to minimize the spread of the coronavirus while giving students access to school services.“It’s clear that the greater risk to our society is to have these schools close,” Redfield said. “Nothing would cause me greater sadness than to see any school district or school use our guidance as a reason not to reopen.”The CDC’s guidance for schools recommends that students and teachers wear masks “as feasible,” spread out desks, stagger schedules, eat meals in classrooms instead of the cafeteria, and add physical barriers between bathroom sinks.Some schools have announced plans to bring students back for only a few days a week, an option that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Tuesday said was unacceptable.“It’s clear that our nations schools must fully reopen and fully operate this school year. Anything short of that robs students, not to mention taxpayers, of their future,” DeVos said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585353417200.png" alt="Education Secretary Betsy DeVos during a Coronavirus Task Force briefing in April -photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Education Secretary Betsy DeVos during a Coronavirus Task Force briefing in April -photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>During a call with governors, DeVos slammed plans by Virginia’s Fairfax County Public Schools to have families decide between fully remote instruction or two days a week at school. “A choice of two days per week in the classroom is not a choice at all,” DeVos said, according to audio of the call obtained by The Associated Press.DeVos also criticized many schools’ attempts at distance education after the pandemic prompted them to move classes online last spring. She said she was disappointed in schools that “didn’t figure out how to serve students or who just gave up and didn’t try.”The same thing can’t happen again this fall, she said, urging governors to play a role in getting schools to reopen.Among those joining Trump on Tuesday was the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which recently issued guidelines suggesting that schools aim to start the academic year “physically present in school.” Keeping students at home can lead to social isolation, the organization said, and prevent schools from identifying learning deficits, abuse, depression and other issues.Students’ mental and emotional health — along with their parents’ — was repeatedly raised in the argument to reopen schools.“Children’s mental health and social development must be as much of a priority as physical health,” first lady Melania Trump said at the round-table. “The same is true for parents. Many will be forced to make stressful choices between caring for their children and going back to work.”But some are calling for greater caution. Arne Duncan, who served as education secretary under former President Barack Obama, has said the focus should be on making sure students can return safely.“We all want children to go back to school,” Duncan said on Twitter. “The question is whether we care enough about our children to ALLOW them to go to school safely. Our behavior, our commitment to shared sacrifice — or our selfishness — will determine what happens this fall for kids.”

Trump threatens to cut federal aid if schools don't reopen

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming coal production is down dramatically as the coronavirus exacerbates a long-term trend of diminishing demand for the fossil fuel to generate electricity. 

Preliminary U.S. government data show that Wyoming’s 16 coal mines produced 34% less coal in April, May and June compared with the same period in 2019. 

U.S. coal production as it is has been falling steadily for more than a decade because of competition from renewable energy and inexpensive natural gas. 

The coronavirus has further sapped demand for electricity and coal, with many people working from home and public places remaining closed.

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming coal production is down dramatically as the coronavirus exacerbates a long-term trend of diminishing demand for the fossil fuel to generate electricity. Preliminary U.S. government data show that Wyoming’s 16 coal mines produced 34% less coal in April, May and June compared with the same period in 2019. U.S. coal production as it is has been falling steadily for more than a decade because of competition from renewable energy and inexpensive natural gas. The coronavirus has further sapped demand for electricity and coal, with many people working from home and public places remaining closed.

COVID-19 causes dismal quarter for Wyoming coal industry

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has reimposed some regulations that were loosened during the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic. 

The Republican governor signed an executive order Tuesday rescinding previous orders she signed as part of South Dakota's COVID-19 response.

 The Argus Leader reports Noem's new order keeps a state of emergency in place for purposes of federal coronavirus funding. 

Under Noem's new executive order, South Dakotans whose driver’s licenses, permits and nondriver’s identification cards expired have until Dec. 30 to renew them. 

Anyone who was unable to take care of titling and registration of motor vehicles, manufactured homes and boats while county buildings were closed needs to take care of it by Aug. 1, under Noem's new order.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has reimposed some regulations that were loosened during the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic. The Republican governor signed an executive order Tuesday rescinding previous orders she signed as part of South Dakota's COVID-19 response. The Argus Leader reports Noem's new order keeps a state of emergency in place for purposes of federal coronavirus funding. Under Noem's new executive order, South Dakotans whose driver’s licenses, permits and nondriver’s identification cards expired have until Dec. 30 to renew them. Anyone who was unable to take care of titling and registration of motor vehicles, manufactured homes and boats while county buildings were closed needs to take care of it by Aug. 1, under Noem's new order.

Noem reimposes some regulations loosened during pandemic

TECUMSEH, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a body that was found in southeast Nebraska is believed to be a man who went missing two weeks ago.

 The Lincoln Journal-Star reports that Johnson County Attorney Rick Smith said that further testing would be done to confirm that the remains found Monday in a vehicle parked in a pasture driveway near Tecumseh were those of 56-year-old Mark Swarthout, of Beatrice. 

He said that efforts also are underway to determine the cause of his death. Smith said the sheriff’s office contacted the Nebraska State Patrol to investigate. 

He said further investigation led them to believe it was Swarthout.

TECUMSEH, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a body that was found in southeast Nebraska is believed to be a man who went missing two weeks ago. The Lincoln Journal-Star reports that Johnson County Attorney Rick Smith said that further testing would be done to confirm that the remains found Monday in a vehicle parked in a pasture driveway near Tecumseh were those of 56-year-old Mark Swarthout, of Beatrice. He said that efforts also are underway to determine the cause of his death. Smith said the sheriff’s office contacted the Nebraska State Patrol to investigate. He said further investigation led them to believe it was Swarthout.

Body found in southeast Nebraska believed to be missing man

DAVID CITY, Neb. (AP) - A Nebraska egg processing company has agreed to invest $2 million in upgrades to its facility to limit pollution and pay an $827,500 fine as part of a settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency and the state.

The EPA said that Henningsen Foods has installed equipment at its facility near David City, Nebraska, to reduce the amount of pollutants in the wastewater it sends to the city's treatment plant. The pollutants are byproducts of egg processing and a cleaning solution used at the facility.

In the past, discharges from Henningsen's operation caused David City to release too much ammonia and other substances that can harm fish and possibly people into a tributary of the North Fork of the Big Blue River on several occasions.

The upgrades Henningsen is making will help the company better monitor and treat pollutants in its wastewater. As part of those upgrades, the company is also helping pay for improvements to the city's wastewater treatment plant.

Henningsen processes roughly 1.2 million eggs per day at its facility.

DAVID CITY, Neb. (AP) - A Nebraska egg processing company has agreed to invest $2 million in upgrades to its facility to limit pollution and pay an $827,500 fine as part of a settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency and the state.The EPA said that Henningsen Foods has installed equipment at its facility near David City, Nebraska, to reduce the amount of pollutants in the wastewater it sends to the city's treatment plant. The pollutants are byproducts of egg processing and a cleaning solution used at the facility.In the past, discharges from Henningsen's operation caused David City to release too much ammonia and other substances that can harm fish and possibly people into a tributary of the North Fork of the Big Blue River on several occasions.The upgrades Henningsen is making will help the company better monitor and treat pollutants in its wastewater. As part of those upgrades, the company is also helping pay for improvements to the city's wastewater treatment plant.Henningsen processes roughly 1.2 million eggs per day at its facility.

Egg processor to pay $827,500 fine, make $2M in upgrades

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The amount of water being released into the Missouri River from a dam on the Nebraska-South Dakota border is being decreased because less water is expected to flow into the river this year, so the risk of a repeat of last year's massive flooding along the river has been reduced, officials said Tuesday.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the amount of water flowing out of Gavins Point Dam is being reduced to 30,000 cubic feet (849.50 cubic meters) per second. That's down from last month's 33,000 cubic feet (934.46 cubic meters) per second.

That reduction is possible because the region received less precipitation than expected this spring and the summer is expected to be drier than normal. The corps now estimates that 31.2 million acre feet (38.48 cubic kilometers) of water will flow down the river this year. That is roughly 1 million acre feet lower than the previous forecast although it is still above the average of 25.8 million acre feet (31.82 cubic kilometers).

Flooding caused more than $3 billion in damage along the lower Missouri River last year as releases from dams upstream combined with heavy runoff from rain and melting snow to damage levees and inundate land along the river.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The amount of water being released into the Missouri River from a dam on the Nebraska-South Dakota border is being decreased because less water is expected to flow into the river this year, so the risk of a repeat of last year's massive flooding along the river has been reduced, officials said Tuesday.The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the amount of water flowing out of Gavins Point Dam is being reduced to 30,000 cubic feet (849.50 cubic meters) per second. That's down from last month's 33,000 cubic feet (934.46 cubic meters) per second.That reduction is possible because the region received less precipitation than expected this spring and the summer is expected to be drier than normal. The corps now estimates that 31.2 million acre feet (38.48 cubic kilometers) of water will flow down the river this year. That is roughly 1 million acre feet lower than the previous forecast although it is still above the average of 25.8 million acre feet (31.82 cubic kilometers).Flooding caused more than $3 billion in damage along the lower Missouri River last year as releases from dams upstream combined with heavy runoff from rain and melting snow to damage levees and inundate land along the river.

Corps decreasing water flowing into lower Missouri River

By DAN MARGOLIES <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-07-06/trial-of-largest-sexual-abuse-scandal-in-history-of-va-begins-in-kck-federal-court">Kansas News Service</a>

A lawsuit brought by one of 100 military veterans who were sexually 
abused by a physician assistant at the VA hospital in Leavenworth will 
determine if the federal government is liable for damages in what the 
plaintiff’s lawyer described as “the largest sexual abuse scandal in the
 history of the VA.”

“Countless veterans have never gotten their 
day in court, have never gotten justice,” the lawyer, Daniel A. Thomas, 
said in opening statements at the federal trial, which began today. “And
 more importantly, not a single person from the VA has ever been held 
accountable.”

The physician assistant, Mark Wisner, was convicted 
at a criminal trial in 2017 of aggravated sexual battery and aggravated 
criminal sodomy and sentenced to 15 years and seven months in prison. 
Around 100 of his victims separately filed civil suits seeking damages 
against the federal government for his actions as an agent of the 
government.

<a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2019-12-10/u-s-pays-7-million-to-veterans-who-were-sexually-molested-at-the-leavenworth-va-hospital" target="_blank">More than 80 of them settled their lawsuits</a>
 last year for a total of $7 million. But a few of them refused to 
settle, and the trial of the first of those cases, which got underway 
this morning via Zoom video conference, will determine whether the 
government will have to pay out additional damages.

The case is 
being tried without a jury in federal court in Kansas City, Kansas, 
before U.S. District Judge Daniel D. Crabtree. The trial is expected to 
last through the end of the week.

The plaintiff in the case is identified in court documents only by the fictitious name John Doe.

The
 government does not dispute that Wisner sexually molested veterans of 
America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including Doe, by conducting 
unnecessary genital and rectal exams on them and then overprescribing 
opioids and other pain medications to make them dependent on him.

“Indeed,
 all who have heard about these matters cannot help but be outraged,” 
Justice Department lawyer Larry Eiser, who represents the government in 
the case, said in his opening statement. “A sexual predator in the guise
 of a health care provider preying upon wounded warriors – outrageous.”

But the government says that it should not be held liable because 
Wisner’s conduct was outside the scope of his employment and because the
 damages Doe is seeking – payment for a lifetime of medical treatment – 
are excessive.

“We accept that plaintiff was abused by Mr. 
Wisner,” Eiser told Crabtree. “We accept his version of the facts of his
 encounters with Mr. Wisner. We will not dispute that he was subjected 
to unnecessary, ungloved genital examinations of two to three minutes in
 duration during each and every one of his nine encounters with Mr. 
Wisner over a two-year period in 2012 to 2014.”

But Eiser said 
that the plaintiff’s damage claims were unsupported by the evidence and 
“untethered to reality” because they asked the government to pay for 
treatment of mental health conditions and other ailments that preceded 
the plaintiff’s encounters with Wisner.

Thomas, the plaintiff’s 
attorney, said that his client’s PTSD was exacerbated by Wisner, whom he
 said was the subject of numerous complaints that the VA failed to 
follow up and investigate.

One of Wisner’s patients was admitted 
to a psychiatric unit after he was overheard threatening to kill Wisner,
 Thomas said. That patient later killed himself.

“They just didn’t
 believe the victim,” Thomas said. “It’s a scenario that played out 
repeatedly with Wisner’s victims over a period of years. One hundred 
victims over six years.”

Earlier this year, another federal judge,
 Carlos Murguia, threw out the plaintiff’s claims against the government
 for negligent supervision of Wisner. Murguia found that the plaintiff 
had failed to assert that claim during an earlier, administrative part 
of the case.

The case was reassigned to Crabtree in February after <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-02-18/federal-judge-in-kansas-city-kansas-resigns-following-reprimand-for-sexual-harassment" target="_blank">Murguia announced his resignation</a> from the court following his public reprimand for sexual harassment and workplace misconduct.

Dan Margolies is senior reporter and editor at KCUR. He can be reached by email at dan@kcur.org or on Twitter @DanMargolies.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594147873004.png" alt="Mark Wisner worked as a physician assistant at the Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center in Leavenworth, Kansas, pictured here. He is now serving a prison sentence of more than 15 years. www.leavenworth.va.gov / Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center" />
 <figcaption>Mark Wisner worked as a physician assistant at the Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center in Leavenworth, Kansas, pictured here. He is now serving a prison sentence of more than 15 years. www.leavenworth.va.gov / Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAN MARGOLIES <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-07-06/trial-of-largest-sexual-abuse-scandal-in-history-of-va-begins-in-kck-federal-court">Kansas News Service</a>A lawsuit brought by one of 100 military veterans who were sexually 
abused by a physician assistant at the VA hospital in Leavenworth will 
determine if the federal government is liable for damages in what the 
plaintiff’s lawyer described as “the largest sexual abuse scandal in the
 history of the VA.”“Countless veterans have never gotten their 
day in court, have never gotten justice,” the lawyer, Daniel A. Thomas, 
said in opening statements at the federal trial, which began today. “And
 more importantly, not a single person from the VA has ever been held 
accountable.”The physician assistant, Mark Wisner, was convicted 
at a criminal trial in 2017 of aggravated sexual battery and aggravated 
criminal sodomy and sentenced to 15 years and seven months in prison. 
Around 100 of his victims separately filed civil suits seeking damages 
against the federal government for his actions as an agent of the 
government.<a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2019-12-10/u-s-pays-7-million-to-veterans-who-were-sexually-molested-at-the-leavenworth-va-hospital" target="_blank">More than 80 of them settled their lawsuits</a>
 last year for a total of $7 million. But a few of them refused to 
settle, and the trial of the first of those cases, which got underway 
this morning via Zoom video conference, will determine whether the 
government will have to pay out additional damages.The case is 
being tried without a jury in federal court in Kansas City, Kansas, 
before U.S. District Judge Daniel D. Crabtree. The trial is expected to 
last through the end of the week.The plaintiff in the case is identified in court documents only by the fictitious name John Doe.The
 government does not dispute that Wisner sexually molested veterans of 
America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including Doe, by conducting 
unnecessary genital and rectal exams on them and then overprescribing 
opioids and other pain medications to make them dependent on him.“Indeed,
 all who have heard about these matters cannot help but be outraged,” 
Justice Department lawyer Larry Eiser, who represents the government in 
the case, said in his opening statement. “A sexual predator in the guise
 of a health care provider preying upon wounded warriors – outrageous.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594147941909.png" alt="Mark Wisner, a former physician assistant at the Leavenworth VA, was sentenced to 15 years and seven months in prison for aggravated sexual battery and aggravated criminal sodomy. Atchison County Detention Center" />
 <figcaption>Mark Wisner, a former physician assistant at the Leavenworth VA, was sentenced to 15 years and seven months in prison for aggravated sexual battery and aggravated criminal sodomy. Atchison County Detention Center</figcaption>
 </figure>But the government says that it should not be held liable because 
Wisner’s conduct was outside the scope of his employment and because the
 damages Doe is seeking – payment for a lifetime of medical treatment – 
are excessive.“We accept that plaintiff was abused by Mr. 
Wisner,” Eiser told Crabtree. “We accept his version of the facts of his
 encounters with Mr. Wisner. We will not dispute that he was subjected 
to unnecessary, ungloved genital examinations of two to three minutes in
 duration during each and every one of his nine encounters with Mr. 
Wisner over a two-year period in 2012 to 2014.”But Eiser said 
that the plaintiff’s damage claims were unsupported by the evidence and 
“untethered to reality” because they asked the government to pay for 
treatment of mental health conditions and other ailments that preceded 
the plaintiff’s encounters with Wisner.Thomas, the plaintiff’s 
attorney, said that his client’s PTSD was exacerbated by Wisner, whom he
 said was the subject of numerous complaints that the VA failed to 
follow up and investigate.One of Wisner’s patients was admitted 
to a psychiatric unit after he was overheard threatening to kill Wisner,
 Thomas said. That patient later killed himself.“They just didn’t
 believe the victim,” Thomas said. “It’s a scenario that played out 
repeatedly with Wisner’s victims over a period of years. One hundred 
victims over six years.”Earlier this year, another federal judge,
 Carlos Murguia, threw out the plaintiff’s claims against the government
 for negligent supervision of Wisner. Murguia found that the plaintiff 
had failed to assert that claim during an earlier, administrative part 
of the case.The case was reassigned to Crabtree in February after <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-02-18/federal-judge-in-kansas-city-kansas-resigns-following-reprimand-for-sexual-harassment" target="_blank">Murguia announced his resignation</a> from the court following his public reprimand for sexual harassment and workplace misconduct.Dan Margolies is senior reporter and editor at KCUR. He can be reached by email at dan@kcur.org or on Twitter @DanMargolies.

Trial of 'largest sexual abuse scandal in history of VA' begins

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — A town in northwestern Wyoming will require people to wear face masks in many businesses to limit spread of the coronavirus. 

The Jackson Town Council approved the measure 5-0 in a special meeting Friday. Business owners frustrated about customers refusing to wear masks voluntarily pleaded with town councilors to pass the ordinance.

 The Jackson Hole News &amp; Guide reports the ordinance doesn’t apply outdoors except when people are waiting in line outside a business. 

Wyoming as of Monday had 1,634 reported confirmed and probable cases of the coronavirus including 1,172 who had recovered. Nine people were hospitalized and 20 had died.

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — A town in northwestern Wyoming will require people to wear face masks in many businesses to limit spread of the coronavirus. The Jackson Town Council approved the measure 5-0 in a special meeting Friday. Business owners frustrated about customers refusing to wear masks voluntarily pleaded with town councilors to pass the ordinance. The Jackson Hole News &amp; Guide reports the ordinance doesn’t apply outdoors except when people are waiting in line outside a business. Wyoming as of Monday had 1,634 reported confirmed and probable cases of the coronavirus including 1,172 who had recovered. Nine people were hospitalized and 20 had died.

Wyoming town to require face masks in most businesses

GETTYSBURG, S.D. (AP) — The City Council in a South Dakota community named for the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg says a logo that included a Confederate flag has been removed from police department cars, buildings and patches. 

A statement from the council Monday night says police Chief Dave Mogard has removed the logo from all uniforms, vehicles and buildings. Several local residents, including Selwyn Jones, an uncle of George Floyd, called for the decal to be removed because they viewed it as a symbol of oppression and hatred.

 Floyd, a Black man, died after he was arrested and restrained by police in Minneapolis. 

Local residents had earlier said that the department removed decals from its squad cars, but officials previously hadn't confirmed that.

GETTYSBURG, S.D. (AP) — The City Council in a South Dakota community named for the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg says a logo that included a Confederate flag has been removed from police department cars, buildings and patches. A statement from the council Monday night says police Chief Dave Mogard has removed the logo from all uniforms, vehicles and buildings. Several local residents, including Selwyn Jones, an uncle of George Floyd, called for the decal to be removed because they viewed it as a symbol of oppression and hatred. Floyd, a Black man, died after he was arrested and restrained by police in Minneapolis. Local residents had earlier said that the department removed decals from its squad cars, but officials previously hadn't confirmed that.

Confederate flag emblem removed in South Dakota community

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police in Omaha continue to search for a suspect in a hit-and-run crash that killed an Omaha man who was found alongside a south-central Omaha street. 

Police say the crash happened sometime before 6 a.m. Sunday, when a passerby found 26-year-old Justin Johnson unresponsive and injured on the shoulder of L Street near its intersection with 96th Street. 

Arriving medics pronounced Johnson dead at the scene. 

Police investigators determined from vehicle parts scattered at the scene that Johnson had been hit by a westbound vehicle, which then fled.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police in Omaha continue to search for a suspect in a hit-and-run crash that killed an Omaha man who was found alongside a south-central Omaha street. Police say the crash happened sometime before 6 a.m. Sunday, when a passerby found 26-year-old Justin Johnson unresponsive and injured on the shoulder of L Street near its intersection with 96th Street. Arriving medics pronounced Johnson dead at the scene. Police investigators determined from vehicle parts scattered at the scene that Johnson had been hit by a westbound vehicle, which then fled.

Omaha police still looking for suspect in fatal hit-and-run

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Omaha police on Monday cited a woman who was driving a car involved in a fatal crash in May.

Police charged Diana Ramer, 49, of Omaha, with misdemeanor motor vehicle homicide in the May 20 crash.

The crash happened just after midnight in far southwestern Omaha when a northbound car driven by Ramer turned left in front of a southbound motorcycle driven by Maksim Shcerbiy, 33, of Omaha.

Shcerbiy was taken to an Omaha hospital, where he died.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Omaha police on Monday cited a woman who was driving a car involved in a fatal crash in May.Police charged Diana Ramer, 49, of Omaha, with misdemeanor motor vehicle homicide in the May 20 crash.The crash happened just after midnight in far southwestern Omaha when a northbound car driven by Ramer turned left in front of a southbound motorcycle driven by Maksim Shcerbiy, 33, of Omaha.Shcerbiy was taken to an Omaha hospital, where he died.

Police cite woman driving car in fatal crash with motorcycle

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Many people in Nebraska celebrated the July Fourth holiday much as Americans did across the country: with a barrage of fireworks. But this year's explosive festivities came with a number of headaches.

Health officials issued a hazardous air quality warning for people in much of eastern Nebraska on Saturday night into Sunday morning after lingering smoke from fireworks become trapped near the ground by stagnant air flow pattern.

In Lincoln, a 34-year-old Exeter man was seriously injured and hospitalized after a firework exploded in his hands Friday night at Branched Oak State Recreation area, according to a release from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Investigators said the man was trying to discharge a mortar-style firework while holding it near his chest and sustained injuries to his chest, arms and hands when it exploded. Officials said he was last reported in serious but stable condition.

In Omaha, police received nearly 1,900 fireworks complaint calls in the days before and after the Fourth of July, when fireworks are legal to sell and use. That was a more than 30% increase from fireworks complaints received last year, police said. Of those calls, police wrote 14 citations for violation of the fireworks ordinance.

Those who have had their fill of the celebratory explosives can take any leftover fireworks next weekend to two collection sites in Omaha. The Omaha police and fire departments will be holding a Firework and Gun Amnesty Day on Saturday at Seymour Smith Park and the Omaha Fire Station on North 103rd Street. The event allows people to drop off unused, unwanted or illegal fireworks and gun, with no questions asked.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Many people in Nebraska celebrated the July Fourth holiday much as Americans did across the country: with a barrage of fireworks. But this year's explosive festivities came with a number of headaches.Health officials issued a hazardous air quality warning for people in much of eastern Nebraska on Saturday night into Sunday morning after lingering smoke from fireworks become trapped near the ground by stagnant air flow pattern.In Lincoln, a 34-year-old Exeter man was seriously injured and hospitalized after a firework exploded in his hands Friday night at Branched Oak State Recreation area, according to a release from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.Investigators said the man was trying to discharge a mortar-style firework while holding it near his chest and sustained injuries to his chest, arms and hands when it exploded. Officials said he was last reported in serious but stable condition.In Omaha, police received nearly 1,900 fireworks complaint calls in the days before and after the Fourth of July, when fireworks are legal to sell and use. That was a more than 30% increase from fireworks complaints received last year, police said. Of those calls, police wrote 14 citations for violation of the fireworks ordinance.Those who have had their fill of the celebratory explosives can take any leftover fireworks next weekend to two collection sites in Omaha. The Omaha police and fire departments will be holding a Firework and Gun Amnesty Day on Saturday at Seymour Smith Park and the Omaha Fire Station on North 103rd Street. The event allows people to drop off unused, unwanted or illegal fireworks and gun, with no questions asked.

Fireworks fun also brings headaches to Nebraska residents

LINCOLN, Neb.– The Nebraska Lottery recently distributed among its beneficiary funds $12,556,050, derived from a share of Scratch and Lotto ticket sales for the previous three months.

A total of $782,891,013 has been distributed in quarterly transfers since the Nebraska Lottery began operation on September 11, 1993. The latest transfer, made the week of July 3, was distributed among beneficiaries in the following manner:

Nebraska Education Improvement Fund,&nbsp;$5,587,442; Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund,&nbsp;$5,587,442; Nebraska State Fair Support and Improvement Fund,&nbsp;$1,255,605; and Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund,&nbsp;$125,561.

Amendment 4 passed by Nebraska voters in November of 2004 established the following distribution formula: Education as directed by the Legislature (44.5 percent) - currently distributed to the Nebraska Education Improvement Fund; Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund (44.5 percent); Nebraska State Fair (10 percent); and the Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund (1 percent, plus the first $500,000 in fund proceeds each fiscal year). The funds' respective totals to date are:

Nebraska Education Improvement Fund,&nbsp;$77,207,943; Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund,&nbsp;$333,899,265; Nebraska State Fair Support and Improvement Fund,&nbsp;$55,491,578; and Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund,&nbsp;$17,678,913.

Prior to July 1, 2016, the Education Innovation Fund received proceeds totaling $174,222,842, and the Nebraska Opportunity Grant Fund received proceeds totaling $100,929,476.

Prior to July 1, 1997, the Solid Waste Landfill Closure Assistance Fund received proceeds totaling $18,460,996. In 2004, the Legislature directed that a one-time transfer of $5 million be made to the State General Fund.

Criteria for proceeds distribution are established by the beneficiary funds in accordance with legislative mandates. Every county in Nebraska has received service through grants funded with Nebraska Lottery proceeds.

The Nebraska Lottery marked $3 billion in total sales (since 1993) in June 2019.

LINCOLN, Neb.– The Nebraska Lottery recently distributed among its beneficiary funds $12,556,050, derived from a share of Scratch and Lotto ticket sales for the previous three months.A total of $782,891,013 has been distributed in quarterly transfers since the Nebraska Lottery began operation on September 11, 1993. The latest transfer, made the week of July 3, was distributed among beneficiaries in the following manner:Nebraska Education Improvement Fund,&nbsp;$5,587,442; Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund,&nbsp;$5,587,442; Nebraska State Fair Support and Improvement Fund,&nbsp;$1,255,605; and Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund,&nbsp;$125,561.Amendment 4 passed by Nebraska voters in November of 2004 established the following distribution formula: Education as directed by the Legislature (44.5 percent) - currently distributed to the Nebraska Education Improvement Fund; Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund (44.5 percent); Nebraska State Fair (10 percent); and the Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund (1 percent, plus the first $500,000 in fund proceeds each fiscal year). The funds' respective totals to date are:Nebraska Education Improvement Fund,&nbsp;$77,207,943; Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund,&nbsp;$333,899,265; Nebraska State Fair Support and Improvement Fund,&nbsp;$55,491,578; and Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund,&nbsp;$17,678,913.Prior to July 1, 2016, the Education Innovation Fund received proceeds totaling $174,222,842, and the Nebraska Opportunity Grant Fund received proceeds totaling $100,929,476.Prior to July 1, 1997, the Solid Waste Landfill Closure Assistance Fund received proceeds totaling $18,460,996. In 2004, the Legislature directed that a one-time transfer of $5 million be made to the State General Fund.Criteria for proceeds distribution are established by the beneficiary funds in accordance with legislative mandates. Every county in Nebraska has received service through grants funded with Nebraska Lottery proceeds.The Nebraska Lottery marked $3 billion in total sales (since 1993) in June 2019.

$12.5 million in proceeds raised for Nebraska Lottery beneficiaries

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (NSP)-Just after 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol responded to assist the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office near mile marker 231 on Interstate 80, between Cozad and Lexington.

Deputies from the Sheriff’s Office had stopped to assist a stranded motor vehicle. A male then ran from the scene towards the Platte River. The male was identified as Shawn Erpelding. Erpelding is believed to be armed.

Erpelding is 5’11” and 145 lbs with a shaved head.&nbsp;Erpelding was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans.&nbsp;

Do not approach Erpelding if you see him. Law enforcement asks you to contact the Dawson County Sheriff’s office at 911 or 308-324-3011 or the Nebraska State Patrol at 308-535-8047.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (NSP)-Just after 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol responded to assist the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office near mile marker 231 on Interstate 80, between Cozad and Lexington.Deputies from the Sheriff’s Office had stopped to assist a stranded motor vehicle. A male then ran from the scene towards the Platte River. The male was identified as Shawn Erpelding. Erpelding is believed to be armed.Erpelding is 5’11” and 145 lbs with a shaved head.&nbsp;Erpelding was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans.&nbsp;Do not approach Erpelding if you see him. Law enforcement asks you to contact the Dawson County Sheriff’s office at 911 or 308-324-3011 or the Nebraska State Patrol at 308-535-8047.

Law enforcement seeking subject who fled from motorist assist in Dawson County

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A resurgence of coronavirus in Wyoming has prompted a U.S. Air Force base to reinstate health protection measures and limit access to watch a Fourth of July fireworks show. 

F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne boosted its public health risk level Wednesday after a month at a lower level. 

F.E. Warren oversees Minuteman nuclear missiles in Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska. 

The higher public-health level requires base personnel to limit in-person meetings and other gatherings. 

Veterans and retirees from the community won’t be allowed on base like usual to watch the city’s annual fireworks display Saturday night.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A resurgence of coronavirus in Wyoming has prompted a U.S. Air Force base to reinstate health protection measures and limit access to watch a Fourth of July fireworks show. F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne boosted its public health risk level Wednesday after a month at a lower level. F.E. Warren oversees Minuteman nuclear missiles in Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska. The higher public-health level requires base personnel to limit in-person meetings and other gatherings. Veterans and retirees from the community won’t be allowed on base like usual to watch the city’s annual fireworks display Saturday night.

Wyoming base reinstates health measures as virus cases rise

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota has tallied 35 new confirmed infections of COVID-19, but no new deaths. 

While the number of new cases reported daily has remained mostly constant over the last two weeks, the number of active cases reached above 900 for the first time since June 16, the Rapid City Journal reported. 

So far, 97 people have died from COVID-19, according to the South Dakota Department of Health. 

A total of 7,063 people have been confirmed to have COVID-19, but nearly 86% of them have recovered. 

There are currently 59 people in the hospital with the virus.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota has tallied 35 new confirmed infections of COVID-19, but no new deaths. While the number of new cases reported daily has remained mostly constant over the last two weeks, the number of active cases reached above 900 for the first time since June 16, the Rapid City Journal reported. So far, 97 people have died from COVID-19, according to the South Dakota Department of Health. A total of 7,063 people have been confirmed to have COVID-19, but nearly 86% of them have recovered. There are currently 59 people in the hospital with the virus.

South Dakota reports 35 COVID-19 cases, no deaths

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — A federal judge on Monday ordered the Dakota Access pipeline shut down pending a more thorough environmental review, handing a victory to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe three years after the pipeline first began carrying oil following months of protests. Tribal Chairman Mike Faith called it a historic day for the Standing Rock Sioux and for those who have protested against the pipeline.

In a 24-page order, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg wrote that he was “mindful of the disruption” that shutting down the pipeline would cause, but that it must be done within 30 days. The order comes after Boesberg said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/37c60bfb22580ec7921454e225ee5c1f">in April&nbsp;</a>that a more extensive review was necessary than what the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had already conducted and that he would consider whether the pipeline would have to be shuttered during the new assessment.

“The Court does not reach its decision with blithe disregard for the lives it will affect,” Boasberg wrote Monday.

“Yet, given the seriousness of the Corps’ NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) error, the impossibility of a simple fix, the fact that Dakota Access did assume much of its economic risk knowingly, and the potential harm each day the pipeline operates, the Court is forced to conclude that the flow of oil must cease,” he added.

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — A federal judge on Monday ordered the Dakota Access pipeline shut down pending a more thorough environmental review, handing a victory to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe three years after the pipeline first began carrying oil following months of protests. Tribal Chairman Mike Faith called it a historic day for the Standing Rock Sioux and for those who have protested against the pipeline.In a 24-page order, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg wrote that he was “mindful of the disruption” that shutting down the pipeline would cause, but that it must be done within 30 days. The order comes after Boesberg said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/37c60bfb22580ec7921454e225ee5c1f">in April&nbsp;</a>that a more extensive review was necessary than what the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had already conducted and that he would consider whether the pipeline would have to be shuttered during the new assessment.“The Court does not reach its decision with blithe disregard for the lives it will affect,” Boasberg wrote Monday.“Yet, given the seriousness of the Corps’ NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) error, the impossibility of a simple fix, the fact that Dakota Access did assume much of its economic risk knowingly, and the potential harm each day the pipeline operates, the Court is forced to conclude that the flow of oil must cease,” he added.The pipeline was the subject of months of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/def6d4ae9bba429a99b0a7936c589b6b">protests in 2016 and 2017,</a>&nbsp;sometimes violent, during its construction near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation that straddles the North Dakota-South Dakota border. The tribe pressed litigation against the pipeline even after it began carrying oil from North Dakota across South Dakota and Iowa and to a shipping point in Illinois in June 2017.Tribal Chairman Mike Faith called it a historic day for the Standing Rock Sioux and for those who have protested against the $3.8 billion, 1,172-mile (1,886 kilometer) pipeline that crosses beneath the Missouri River, just north of the reservation. The tribe draws its water from the river and fears pollution.“This pipeline should have never been built here. We told them that from the beginning,” Faith said in a statement.Texas-based Energy Transfer has insisted the pipeline it owns would be safe. It didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment on Boasberg’s ruling.Jan Hasselman, an attorney for the tribe, praised the court’s ruling, while noting he expects an appeal.“It doesn’t make any sense to allow the pipeline to continue operating when you’re studying whether it’s safe to operate,” he said.Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council, called the ruling “shocking” and noted that the pipeline is moving 570,000 barrels of Bakken oil a day. He also expects an appeal.“I think there’s a lot of questions about the authority of this liberal district court judge to make such a significant ruling,” Ness said of Boasberg, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama.Energy Transfer last year proposed increasing the pipeline’s capacity to as much as 1.1 million barrels to meet growing demand for oil from North Dakota, without the need for additional pipelines or rail shipments.Before the coronavirus pandemic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/eea93a3132cd3a65c10017d1e5122e34">devastated the U.S. oil industry</a>, daily oil production in North Dakota — the nation’s No. 2 oil producer behind Texas — was at a near-record 1.45 million barrels daily. The state’s output slipped to below 1 million barrels daily in May amid low energy prices and sparse demand.Permits for the project were originally rejected by the Obama administration, and the Army Corps of Engineers prepared to conduct a full environmental review. In February 2017, shortly after President Donald Trump took office, the Corps scrapped the review and granted permits, concluding that running the pipeline under the Missouri River posed no significant environmental issues.The Corps said that opinion was validated after an additional year of review, as ordered by Boasberg in 2017.Boasberg had ruled then that the Corps “largely complied” with environmental law when permitting the pipeline but ordered more review because he said the agency did not adequately consider how an oil spill under the Missouri River might affect the Standing Rock Sioux’s fishing and hunting rights, or whether it might disproportionately affect the tribal community.___Associated Press writer James MacPherson contributed from Bismarck, N.D.