LINCOLN, Neb.-School districts across the state must work collaboratively with their teachers and other school staff to ensure a safe and successful school year, according to the Nebraska State Education Association (NSEA).

“Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, seeking input from school staff through local education associations is more important than ever before,” said Jenni Benson, president of the 28,000-member NSEA. “NSEA has been meeting with members and has been in contact with multiple groups to produce guidelines for reopening schools that are best for Nebraska students, families and school staff.”

Significant study, outreach and discussion led to recommendations from NSEA’s Continuous Learning and School Safety Committee that are being released this week, according to Benson.

Tim Royers chairs NSEA’s Continuous Learning and School Safety Committee. That committee’s recommendations prioritize health and safety for all students and staff, as well as long-term strategies for student learning and educational equity.&nbsp;

“Our goal was to determine the best practices for opening schools safely and supporting distance learning as needed,” said Royers, a teacher at Millard West High School. “We know that educators will&nbsp; return to school soon and many are concerned about their safety and the safety of their students amid the coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp; We strongly encourage every local education association to use this information to engage school district administration about the safe re-opening of classrooms.”

Royers said it is critical that educators have a seat at the table and are part of the decision-making process.

On Monday, Dr. Bob Rauner, president at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/partnershiphealthylincoln/?eid=ARADY2heXXLJdCAIjyWExriIyTvFvNJZOOjlbM6d9wxp9L_i1TpQE2XNOkzpFICqKJgEZzKa5axVd9YH&amp;timeline_context_item_type=intro_card_work&amp;timeline_context_item_source=100006507002210&amp;fref=tag" target="_blank">Partnership for a Healthy Lincoln</a>&nbsp;and a member of the Lincoln Public Schools Board of Education, participated in a Facebook Live with Benson and Royers to talk about the recommendations. Also participating were NSEA Executive Director Maddie Fennell and NSEA Director of Advocacy Trish Guinan. The event reached more than 24,000 people and generated more than 400 comments and questions.

Rauner stressed the importance of wearing masks to help prevent the spread of the virus.

“I asked our medical community about wearing masks to help prevent the spread of this virus and – in one week – 124 physicians signed on to a list supporting wearing masks.&nbsp; I’ve never gotten doctors to agree to anything – let alone that fast. There is really no debate from the medical community on the benefits. Wearing masks in schools is a good idea, obviously with limitations.”

Since early March, Rauner has regularly been posting&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdYVcGJDGEdyBOUp3G7fGhQ" target="_blank">YouTube videos</a>&nbsp;to provide information and answer questions about COVID-19.

“This guidance was crafted in response to educator concerns about returning to school and the most effective ways to ensure student success, whether it is in-person classroom instruction or remote learning,” said Fennell. “We stand ready to support the needs of students, educators and communities. The input of educators is critical to the planning of safely reopening Nebraska schools.”

NSEA is also a member of the Nebraska Child Health and Education Alliance. NCHEA, which also has representation from the Nebraska Association of School Boards, Children’s Hospital, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and others, is also working to provide health safety measure guidance for school districts, according to Fennell.

News Release NSEALINCOLN, Neb.-School districts across the state must work collaboratively with their teachers and other school staff to ensure a safe and successful school year, according to the Nebraska State Education Association (NSEA).“Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, seeking input from school staff through local education associations is more important than ever before,” said Jenni Benson, president of the 28,000-member NSEA. “NSEA has been meeting with members and has been in contact with multiple groups to produce guidelines for reopening schools that are best for Nebraska students, families and school staff.”Significant study, outreach and discussion led to recommendations from NSEA’s Continuous Learning and School Safety Committee that are being released this week, according to Benson.Tim Royers chairs NSEA’s Continuous Learning and School Safety Committee. That committee’s recommendations prioritize health and safety for all students and staff, as well as long-term strategies for student learning and educational equity.&nbsp;“Our goal was to determine the best practices for opening schools safely and supporting distance learning as needed,” said Royers, a teacher at Millard West High School. “We know that educators will&nbsp; return to school soon and many are concerned about their safety and the safety of their students amid the coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp; We strongly encourage every local education association to use this information to engage school district administration about the safe re-opening of classrooms.”Royers said it is critical that educators have a seat at the table and are part of the decision-making process.On Monday, Dr. Bob Rauner, president at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/partnershiphealthylincoln/?eid=ARADY2heXXLJdCAIjyWExriIyTvFvNJZOOjlbM6d9wxp9L_i1TpQE2XNOkzpFICqKJgEZzKa5axVd9YH&amp;timeline_context_item_type=intro_card_work&amp;timeline_context_item_source=100006507002210&amp;fref=tag" target="_blank">Partnership for a Healthy Lincoln</a>&nbsp;and a member of the Lincoln Public Schools Board of Education, participated in a Facebook Live with Benson and Royers to talk about the recommendations. Also participating were NSEA Executive Director Maddie Fennell and NSEA Director of Advocacy Trish Guinan. The event reached more than 24,000 people and generated more than 400 comments and questions.Rauner stressed the importance of wearing masks to help prevent the spread of the virus.“I asked our medical community about wearing masks to help prevent the spread of this virus and – in one week – 124 physicians signed on to a list supporting wearing masks.&nbsp; I’ve never gotten doctors to agree to anything – let alone that fast. There is really no debate from the medical community on the benefits. Wearing masks in schools is a good idea, obviously with limitations.”Since early March, Rauner has regularly been posting&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdYVcGJDGEdyBOUp3G7fGhQ" target="_blank">YouTube videos</a>&nbsp;to provide information and answer questions about COVID-19.“This guidance was crafted in response to educator concerns about returning to school and the most effective ways to ensure student success, whether it is in-person classroom instruction or remote learning,” said Fennell. “We stand ready to support the needs of students, educators and communities. The input of educators is critical to the planning of safely reopening Nebraska schools.”NSEA is also a member of the Nebraska Child Health and Education Alliance. NCHEA, which also has representation from the Nebraska Association of School Boards, Children’s Hospital, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and others, is also working to provide health safety measure guidance for school districts, according to Fennell.

NSEA provides guidance for reopening schools

LINCOLN, Neb. – Applications for paddlefish snagging permits are being accepted by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission through July 14.

Drawing results will be available by July 20. Any permits remaining following the drawing will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis beginning Aug. 17 at 1 p.m. Central time.

Applications began at 1 p.m. CT on July 1. The paddlefish snagging season is Oct. 1-31.

For more information, including an application form, read the 2020 Nebraska Fishing Guide at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA3MDEuMjM3NjgyMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vb3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi9ndWlkZXMvIn0.mcvhXo0PGHzOsCA5qg7V6nDMD5LcgFp-He_cp4TCSIg/s/401498001/br/80544747767-l" target="_blank">OutdoorNebraska.gov/guides</a>.

LINCOLN, Neb. – Applications for paddlefish snagging permits are being accepted by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission through July 14.Drawing results will be available by July 20. Any permits remaining following the drawing will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis beginning Aug. 17 at 1 p.m. Central time.Applications began at 1 p.m. CT on July 1. The paddlefish snagging season is Oct. 1-31.For more information, including an application form, read the 2020 Nebraska Fishing Guide at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA3MDEuMjM3NjgyMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vb3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi9ndWlkZXMvIn0.mcvhXo0PGHzOsCA5qg7V6nDMD5LcgFp-He_cp4TCSIg/s/401498001/br/80544747767-l" target="_blank">OutdoorNebraska.gov/guides</a>.

Paddlefish snagging permits accepted through July 14

KEARNEY, Neb.-Police in Kearney say they have arrested a suspect in the armed robbery of a pizza deliver driver.

According to police, 26-year-old Jaimee Williams, Sr. has been arrested in connection with the armed robbery of a pizza delivery man which occurred on June 24 at 6 Boa Drive in Kearney.  

Police say Williams was arrested at approximately 11:00 p.m. last night without incident on suspicion of robbery and use of a weapon to commit a felony.  

Williams is being held at the Buffalo County Jail.  

The Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office assisted in this investigation. 

KEARNEY, Neb.-Police in Kearney are investigating an armed robbery that occurred Wednesday evening.

At approximately 8:26 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25, officers of the Kearney Police Department were called to the area of #6 Boa Drive in Northwest Kearney to investigate an armed robbery that had just occurred.  A 32-year-old man said that as he was attempting to deliver pizza, the customer would not answer the door.  As the delivery man returned to his vehicle, an unknown black male subject approached him with a handgun and demanded that he give him the money.  The male suspect took approximately $60 in cash from the pizza delivery man and the suspect was last observed running South from the parking lot. 

The suspect is described as being a black male, between the ages of twenty and twenty-five, approximately 5’9” – 5’11” tall.  At the time of the robbery, the suspect was wearing a white muscle shirt, dark colored pants, and he was wearing a dark colored baseball cap.  The suspect also had a dark colored bandana on his face that he had pulled up over his mouth.  He had long hair to the middle of his back in a dreadlock style.  The suspect was armed with a multi-colored handgun. 

The Kearney Police Department is continuing to investigate this case and is asking for the public’s help.  If you have any information about this case, you can contact the Kearney Police Department at (308) 237-2104, or Buffalo County Crimestoppers at (308) 237-3424.  You may also contact us by using the P2C website (p2c.kearneygov.org), or the See Something Send Something App.  

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593625629732.png" alt="Jaimee Williams, Sr." />
 <figcaption>Jaimee Williams, Sr.</figcaption>
 </figure>KEARNEY, Neb.-Police in Kearney say they have arrested a suspect in the armed robbery of a pizza deliver driver.According to police, 26-year-old Jaimee Williams, Sr. has been arrested in connection with the armed robbery of a pizza delivery man which occurred on June 24 at 6 Boa Drive in Kearney. Police say Williams was arrested at approximately 11:00 p.m. last night without incident on suspicion of robbery and use of a weapon to commit a felony. Williams is being held at the Buffalo County Jail. The Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office assisted in this investigation. ORIGINAL STORY:KEARNEY, Neb.-Police in Kearney are investigating an armed robbery that occurred Wednesday evening.At approximately 8:26 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25, officers of the Kearney Police Department were called to the area of #6 Boa Drive in Northwest Kearney to investigate an armed robbery that had just occurred. A 32-year-old man said that as he was attempting to deliver pizza, the customer would not answer the door. As the delivery man returned to his vehicle, an unknown black male subject approached him with a handgun and demanded that he give him the money. The male suspect took approximately $60 in cash from the pizza delivery man and the suspect was last observed running South from the parking lot. The suspect is described as being a black male, between the ages of twenty and twenty-five, approximately 5’9” – 5’11” tall. At the time of the robbery, the suspect was wearing a white muscle shirt, dark colored pants, and he was wearing a dark colored baseball cap. The suspect also had a dark colored bandana on his face that he had pulled up over his mouth. He had long hair to the middle of his back in a dreadlock style. The suspect was armed with a multi-colored handgun. The Kearney Police Department is continuing to investigate this case and is asking for the public’s help. If you have any information about this case, you can contact the Kearney Police Department at (308) 237-2104, or Buffalo County Crimestoppers at (308) 237-3424. You may also contact us by using the P2C website (p2c.kearneygov.org), or the See Something Send Something App.

Arrest made in armed robbery of pizza delivery driver in Kearney

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Business leaders say the economy has begun to recover as businesses reopened in the past month in nine Midwest and Plains states, but it remains weaker than before the coronavirus outbreak began, according to a monthly survey released Wednesday.

The overall index for the region jumped into positive territory at 50.3 in June from May's 43.5. The survey results are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth. A score below 50 suggests decline.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss said the region's overall index will have to remain above 50 for many months before the economy reaches the level it was at before states began imposing restrictions because of the coronavirus.

The confidence index improved to 65.3 in June from May's 56.6 showing that business leaders expect the economy to continue improving over the next six months.

The monthly survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

Job losses continue in the region. The employment index declined to 38.9 in June from May's 40.

Businesses were paying higher wholesale prices over the past month. The wholesale price index increased to 59.7 in June from May's 48.6.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The Institute for Supply Management, formerly the Purchasing Management Association, began formally surveying its membership in 1931 to gauge business conditions.

The Creighton Economic Forecasting Group uses the same methodology as the national survey to consult supply managers and business leaders. Creighton University economics professor Ernie Goss oversees the report.

The overall index ranges between 0 and 100. Growth neutral is 50, and a figure greater than 50 indicates growth in that factor over the next three to six months. A figure below 50 indicates decline.

Here are the state-by-state results for June:

Arkansas: The state's overall index rose to 50.9 from May's 43.7. Components of the June index were: new orders at 58.7, production or sales at 55.2, delivery lead time at 47.4, inventories at 54.4, and employment at 38.8. "Since the onset of COVID-19, Arkansas has lost 88,000 jobs, or almost 7% of its employment. Our surveys point to a flattening of employment with only slight job gains in the months ahead," Goss said.

Iowa: The overall index once again slumped below growth neutral. However, the reading climbed to a weak 47.1 from 41.9 in May. Components of the index were: new orders at 50.2, production. or sales at 56.1, delivery lead time at 43.2, employment at 35.7, and inventories at 50.2. Iowa has lost 161,000 jobs, or approximately 10%, of its employment since the outbreak began earlier this year, Goss said.

Kansas: The state's index increased to 45.1 from May's 42.8. Components of the index were: new orders at 57.1, production or sales at 30.1, delivery lead time at 46.6, employment at 38.2, and inventories at 53.6. Kansas has lost more than 108,000 jobs, or approximately 7.6%, of its employment during the pandemic, Goss said.

Minnesota: The overall index increased to 45.0 from 39.8 in May. Components were: new orders at 45.4, production or sales at 56.5, delivery lead time at 40.9, inventories at 47.9, and employment at 34.0. Goss said the state has lost more than 350,000 jobs, or almost 12%, of its employment. Only slight job gains are expected in the months ahead, he said.

Missouri: The overall index climbed to 50.5 from 42.3 in May. Components were: new orders at 51.3, production or sales at 56.0, delivery lead time at 49.8, inventories at 50.8, and employment at 44.6. "Since the onset of COVID-19, the state has lost 262,000 jobs, or approximately 9.0% of its employment. Our surveys point to a flattening of employment with only slight job gains in the months ahead," Goss said.

Nebraska: The state's overall index for June rose to 52.6 from 43.9 in May. Components were: new orders at 59.1, production or sales at 55.2, delivery lead time at 55.5, inventories at 54.6, and employment at 38.9. Nebraska has lost almost 77,000 jobs, or approximately 7.5%, of its employment since the outbreak began, Goss said.

North Dakota: The overall index climbed to 51.6 from 43.4 in May. Components were: new orders at 55.1, production or sales at 55.6, delivery lead time at 57.1, employment at 37.5, and inventories at 52.6. North Dakatoa has lost approximately 41,000 jobs, or roughly 9.4% of its employment since the onset of the pandemic, Goss said.

Oklahoma: The state's index moved above growth neutral in June, to 53.1 from May's 43.0. Components were: new orders at 59.9, production or sales at 55.1, delivery lead time at 56.2, inventories at 55.0, and employment at 39.2. Oklahoma has lost almost 108,000 jobs in this period.

South Dakota: The index increased to 52.4 from May's 43.8. Components were: new orders at 57.7, production or sales at 55.3, delivery lead time at 56.7, inventories at 53.9, and employment at 38.4. The state has lost approximately 34,000 jobs in this period.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Business leaders say the economy has begun to recover as businesses reopened in the past month in nine Midwest and Plains states, but it remains weaker than before the coronavirus outbreak began, according to a monthly survey released Wednesday.The overall index for the region jumped into positive territory at 50.3 in June from May's 43.5. The survey results are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth. A score below 50 suggests decline.Creighton University economist Ernie Goss said the region's overall index will have to remain above 50 for many months before the economy reaches the level it was at before states began imposing restrictions because of the coronavirus.The confidence index improved to 65.3 in June from May's 56.6 showing that business leaders expect the economy to continue improving over the next six months.The monthly survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.Job losses continue in the region. The employment index declined to 38.9 in June from May's 40.Businesses were paying higher wholesale prices over the past month. The wholesale price index increased to 59.7 in June from May's 48.6.STATE BY STATE&nbsp;OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The Institute for Supply Management, formerly the Purchasing Management Association, began formally surveying its membership in 1931 to gauge business conditions.The Creighton Economic Forecasting Group uses the same methodology as the national survey to consult supply managers and business leaders. Creighton University economics professor Ernie Goss oversees the report.The overall index ranges between 0 and 100. Growth neutral is 50, and a figure greater than 50 indicates growth in that factor over the next three to six months. A figure below 50 indicates decline.Here are the state-by-state results for June:Arkansas: The state's overall index rose to 50.9 from May's 43.7. Components of the June index were: new orders at 58.7, production or sales at 55.2, delivery lead time at 47.4, inventories at 54.4, and employment at 38.8. "Since the onset of COVID-19, Arkansas has lost 88,000 jobs, or almost 7% of its employment. Our surveys point to a flattening of employment with only slight job gains in the months ahead," Goss said.Iowa: The overall index once again slumped below growth neutral. However, the reading climbed to a weak 47.1 from 41.9 in May. Components of the index were: new orders at 50.2, production. or sales at 56.1, delivery lead time at 43.2, employment at 35.7, and inventories at 50.2. Iowa has lost 161,000 jobs, or approximately 10%, of its employment since the outbreak began earlier this year, Goss said.Kansas: The state's index increased to 45.1 from May's 42.8. Components of the index were: new orders at 57.1, production or sales at 30.1, delivery lead time at 46.6, employment at 38.2, and inventories at 53.6. Kansas has lost more than 108,000 jobs, or approximately 7.6%, of its employment during the pandemic, Goss said.Minnesota: The overall index increased to 45.0 from 39.8 in May. Components were: new orders at 45.4, production or sales at 56.5, delivery lead time at 40.9, inventories at 47.9, and employment at 34.0. Goss said the state has lost more than 350,000 jobs, or almost 12%, of its employment. Only slight job gains are expected in the months ahead, he said.Missouri: The overall index climbed to 50.5 from 42.3 in May. Components were: new orders at 51.3, production or sales at 56.0, delivery lead time at 49.8, inventories at 50.8, and employment at 44.6. "Since the onset of COVID-19, the state has lost 262,000 jobs, or approximately 9.0% of its employment. Our surveys point to a flattening of employment with only slight job gains in the months ahead," Goss said.Nebraska: The state's overall index for June rose to 52.6 from 43.9 in May. Components were: new orders at 59.1, production or sales at 55.2, delivery lead time at 55.5, inventories at 54.6, and employment at 38.9. Nebraska has lost almost 77,000 jobs, or approximately 7.5%, of its employment since the outbreak began, Goss said.North Dakota: The overall index climbed to 51.6 from 43.4 in May. Components were: new orders at 55.1, production or sales at 55.6, delivery lead time at 57.1, employment at 37.5, and inventories at 52.6. North Dakatoa has lost approximately 41,000 jobs, or roughly 9.4% of its employment since the onset of the pandemic, Goss said.Oklahoma: The state's index moved above growth neutral in June, to 53.1 from May's 43.0. Components were: new orders at 59.9, production or sales at 55.1, delivery lead time at 56.2, inventories at 55.0, and employment at 39.2. Oklahoma has lost almost 108,000 jobs in this period.South Dakota: The index increased to 52.4 from May's 43.8. Components were: new orders at 57.7, production or sales at 55.3, delivery lead time at 56.7, inventories at 53.9, and employment at 38.4. The state has lost approximately 34,000 jobs in this period.

Business leaders say area's economy improving with reopening

Since 2005, K–12 school districts and colleges/universities across the US have experienced over 1,300 data breaches, affecting more than 24.5 million records.

Our team of researchers analyzed data over the past 15 years to find out where the hot spots are, the biggest causes of these breaches, and how many students have been affected by each breach.

*Most data breach notification laws, including those in Wyoming, were only implemented over the past few years. Breaches might have occurred before these regulations came into play and/or breaches may fall below the threshold required to report a breach (e.g. only breaches that affect a certain number of people require public disclosure).

In 2018, the US Department of Education strengthened its requirements for data breaches in colleges and universities. These institutions now have to report&nbsp;any&nbsp;breach, regardless of the number of records lost, but only if they’re a Title IV institution (they accept federal funding through the federal student aid program, which covers the vast majority of schools). The only schools that don’t accept federal student aid are a small minority consisting mostly of religious institutions.

Colors indicate the # of breaches while the size of the circles depicts the # of records affected.

California suffers the most education data breaches

If we take a look at the number of breaches by US state, we can see that California had the most by far, accounting for 157 of the 1,328 breaches (11.8 percent).

The list of worst-hit states also includes New York with 89, Texas with 79, Illinois and Ohio each with 60, and Florida with 58.

Wyoming is the only state to have had no known or reported K–12 or college data breaches over the last 14 years.

Some of these numbers are not too surprising. California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and Ohio are among the top 10 largest US states and have large numbers of students and educational institutions. It stands to reason that this would also result in a larger number of data breaches.

However, if we change the figures to look at the number of records affected by US state, the picture changes slightly.

California remains a hotspot, yet Arizona becomes one of the worst-hit states with only slightly fewer people affected in its breaches than California (2.83 million compared to 2.88 million). Washington and Georgia also display high numbers of records affected in contrast to the number of breaches with 1.3 million and 1.6 million records impacted, respectively.

Other states with high numbers of records exposed or stolen in breaches include Ohio (1.4 million), Massachusetts (1.7 million), and Florida (1.6 million).

How do these figures change if we divide them up by schools and colleges?

Colleges account for 74% of education data breaches

If we look at the hotspots for breaches in K–12 schools versus the breaches in colleges and universities, we can see that there are some significant differences.

When it comes to breaches within US K–12 schools (both public and private), California and Texas are the biggest hot spots.

Illinois and New York also have a large number of breaches but these affected fewer records than other states. In contrast, Nevada and Florida have large numbers of records affected compared to the number of breaches.

In Nevada, three K–12 breaches affecting 673,487 records were reported, while in Florida, 17 school breaches affecting 504,135 records were reported.

Nevada’s huge figures stem from two particular breaches that impacted Washoe County (114,000) and Clark County (559,487) school districts. Both were hit by the Pearson Education, Inc. data breach which affected numerous schools across the US. A student assessment tool provided by Pearson’s AIMSweb was breached, leaving some personally-identifiable student information exposed.

Many of the breaches affecting K–12 schools impact an entire school district. It’s unclear how many schools within the district may have been impacted, however, so the breach figure remains “1.” Some community college systems also have this disambiguation issue.

California remains a hot spot for college breaches, too, accounting for 12.2 percent of the 985 college data breaches and 10.6 percent of the 21.5 million records affected. New York also remains one of the places with the most breaches, having had 63 breaches which affected almost half a million records.

Texas and Illinois are no longer hot spots but Florida remains one of the states with the highest number of records affected (1.07 million — 5 percent). It is also joined by five other states in the “over 1 million records affected” category. These are:

Arizona sits at the top spot for the number of records affected in relation to the number of breaches. This arises from a large breach which affected almost 2.5 million records from Maricopa Community Colleges. The college system came under fire due to the length of time it took to notify those involved (seven months). The cleanup reportedly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2014/12/17/costs-repair-massive-mcccd-computer-hack-top-million/20539491/" target="_blank">cost $26 million</a>.

Here we can see that the states with the highest percentage of colleges affected by data breaches are Alaska, Rhode Island, Idaho, and Nevada.

Therefore, even though California is the hot spot when it comes to education data breaches, with 710 colleges and 120 breaches, only 16.9 percent of colleges in California have suffered a data breach – approximately.

Quite a large number of K–12 data breaches are recorded as impacting an entire school district versus individual schools. Therefore, we haven’t included an overall percent of schools affected by data breaches as the figures would be skewed when including private schools alongside districts.

Public institutions account for 78 percent of education breaches

Overall, 77.7 percent of the breaches occurred in a public school or college. Of these public breaches, 67.7 percent affected colleges. Private colleges were also heavily impacted, accounting for 90.9 percent of all breaches within private institutions.

The public education breaches affected 20.6 million records, around 20,000 records per breach, in public institutions. Private institution breaches affected 3.9 million records, or around 14,000 records per breach.

How do these figures compare when we break them down by K-12 schools and colleges?

The biggest-known education data breaches

According to our findings, there were 9 breaches that have affected half a million or more records. These are:

As we have seen above, there are a number of different types of breaches that occur in education facilities, from physical thefts to online hacks. Overall, though, the most common type of data breach is a hack (from an external source).

Here’s a breakdown of all the breaches by type of breach:

The remaining were unknown and 2 were card breaches.

The biggest years for K–12 school and college data breaches

If we take a look at the below chart we can see that the biggest year for breaches overall was 2008. In 2008, there were 135 breaches in total, accounting for 10.2 percent of all the breaches. It was also the biggest year for college data breaches, with 101 (10.2 percent) occurring then.

However, it wasn’t the biggest year for K–12 school data breaches. 2019 saw the biggest year for school data breaches with 60 in total.

In contrast, 2008 wasn’t the top year for the number of records affected but rather, it was one of the lowest. 2013 and 2017 were the largest years overall with 3.08 million and 2.95 million records affected, respectively. The majority of these records came from college breaches — 3.07 million and 2.9 million records affected in 2013 and 2017 respectively.

The biggest years for K–12 schools were 2018 and 2019 with 991,340 and 804,734 records affected, respectively.

There doesn’t appear to be any kind of trend in the breach numbers for K-12 schools or colleges, nor does there seem to be a pattern with college records affected. However, over the past few years, there has been a significant increase in the number of school records affected.

Some of the records included may be of employees at the facility. This is due to there being no breakdown between students and employees affected.

A vast number of the school-related breaches affected an entire school district, rather than a single school.

For the ratios, these are the most up-to-date figures, meaning schools or colleges could have opened or closed during the data breach period.

Private colleges include both for- and non-profit.

While all 50 states (and the District of Columbia) now have data breach notification laws, these may not have been in place during each year of our study. Therefore, there may be some breaches that were not reported.

When discussing the percentage of schools/colleges affected, we do need to allow some room for error here as one school district/college may have had more than one breach, but it gives us an idea as to which states have received the highest proportion of breaches to the number of institutions it has.

<a href="https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator" target="_blank">https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator</a>

<a href="https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolmap/" target="_blank">https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolmap/</a>

<a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SkrKORmWnP9LRvCXs-CeYgqQgPhtEHjWsnyl7eLDlVQ/edit#gid=278651225" target="_blank">https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SkrKORmWnP9LRvCXs-CeYgqQgPhtEHjWsnyl7eLDlVQ/edit#gid=278651225</a>

<a href="https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/index.asp" target="_blank">https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/index.asp</a>

News ReleaseSince 2005, K–12 school districts and colleges/universities across the US have experienced over 1,300 data breaches, affecting more than 24.5 million records.Our team of researchers analyzed data over the past 15 years to find out where the hot spots are, the biggest causes of these breaches, and how many students have been affected by each breach.What did we find?<ul>
 <li>California is a hot spot for both college and K-12 data breaches with the most records affected (but is also home to the most of these institutions)</li><li>Arizona is one of the worst-hit states by number of records affected</li><li>Wyoming is the only state to have no known reported education breaches*</li><li>Hackings are the most common types of breaches</li><li>2008 had the most education data breaches, but 2013 and 2017 were the biggest years by number of records affected</li><li>Public institutions are affected by breaches at a higher rate compared to private ones</li>
 </ul>*Most data breach notification laws, including those in Wyoming, were only implemented over the past few years. Breaches might have occurred before these regulations came into play and/or breaches may fall below the threshold required to report a breach (e.g. only breaches that affect a certain number of people require public disclosure).In 2018, the US Department of Education strengthened its requirements for data breaches in colleges and universities. These institutions now have to report&nbsp;any&nbsp;breach, regardless of the number of records lost, but only if they’re a Title IV institution (they accept federal funding through the federal student aid program, which covers the vast majority of schools). The only schools that don’t accept federal student aid are a small minority consisting mostly of religious institutions.Colors indicate the # of breaches while the size of the circles depicts the # of records affected.<h2>California suffers the most education data breaches</h2>If we take a look at the number of breaches by US state, we can see that California had the most by far, accounting for 157 of the 1,328 breaches (11.8 percent).The list of worst-hit states also includes New York with 89, Texas with 79, Illinois and Ohio each with 60, and Florida with 58.Wyoming is the only state to have had no known or reported K–12 or college data breaches over the last 14 years.Some of these numbers are not too surprising. California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and Ohio are among the top 10 largest US states and have large numbers of students and educational institutions. It stands to reason that this would also result in a larger number of data breaches.However, if we change the figures to look at the number of records affected by US state, the picture changes slightly.California remains a hotspot, yet Arizona becomes one of the worst-hit states with only slightly fewer people affected in its breaches than California (2.83 million compared to 2.88 million). Washington and Georgia also display high numbers of records affected in contrast to the number of breaches with 1.3 million and 1.6 million records impacted, respectively.Other states with high numbers of records exposed or stolen in breaches include Ohio (1.4 million), Massachusetts (1.7 million), and Florida (1.6 million).How do these figures change if we divide them up by schools and colleges?<h2>Colleges account for 74% of education data breaches</h2>If we look at the hotspots for breaches in K–12 schools versus the breaches in colleges and universities, we can see that there are some significant differences.<h2>US K-12 schools data breach hot spots</h2>When it comes to breaches within US K–12 schools (both public and private), California and Texas are the biggest hot spots.Illinois and New York also have a large number of breaches but these affected fewer records than other states. In contrast, Nevada and Florida have large numbers of records affected compared to the number of breaches.In Nevada, three K–12 breaches affecting 673,487 records were reported, while in Florida, 17 school breaches affecting 504,135 records were reported.Nevada’s huge figures stem from two particular breaches that impacted Washoe County (114,000) and Clark County (559,487) school districts. Both were hit by the Pearson Education, Inc. data breach which affected numerous schools across the US. A student assessment tool provided by Pearson’s AIMSweb was breached, leaving some personally-identifiable student information exposed.Many of the breaches affecting K–12 schools impact an entire school district. It’s unclear how many schools within the district may have been impacted, however, so the breach figure remains “1.” Some community college systems also have this disambiguation issue.<h2>US colleges data breach hot spots</h2>California remains a hot spot for college breaches, too, accounting for 12.2 percent of the 985 college data breaches and 10.6 percent of the 21.5 million records affected. New York also remains one of the places with the most breaches, having had 63 breaches which affected almost half a million records.Texas and Illinois are no longer hot spots but Florida remains one of the states with the highest number of records affected (1.07 million — 5 percent). It is also joined by five other states in the “over 1 million records affected” category. These are:<ul>
 <li>Arizona – 2.8 million records affected in 8 breaches</li><li>Massachusetts – 1.7 million records affected in 36 breaches</li><li>Georgia – 1.6 million records affected in 24 breaches</li><li>Ohio – 1.4 million records affected in 48 breaches</li><li>Washington – 1.3 million records affected in 15 breaches</li>
 </ul>Arizona sits at the top spot for the number of records affected in relation to the number of breaches. This arises from a large breach which affected almost 2.5 million records from Maricopa Community Colleges. The college system came under fire due to the length of time it took to notify those involved (seven months). The cleanup reportedly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2014/12/17/costs-repair-massive-mcccd-computer-hack-top-million/20539491/" target="_blank">cost $26 million</a>.<h2>% of colleges affected by breaches</h2>Here we can see that the states with the highest percentage of colleges affected by data breaches are Alaska, Rhode Island, Idaho, and Nevada.<ul>
 <li>Alaska – 100% – 5 data breaches and 5 colleges</li><li>Rhode Island – 100% – 3 data breaches and 3 colleges</li><li>Idaho – 87.5% – 7 breaches and 8 colleges</li><li>Nevada – 75% – 6 breaches and 8 colleges</li>
 </ul>Therefore, even though California is the hot spot when it comes to education data breaches, with 710 colleges and 120 breaches, only 16.9 percent of colleges in California have suffered a data breach – approximately.Quite a large number of K–12 data breaches are recorded as impacting an entire school district versus individual schools. Therefore, we haven’t included an overall percent of schools affected by data breaches as the figures would be skewed when including private schools alongside districts.<h2>Public institutions account for 78 percent of education breaches</h2>Overall, 77.7 percent of the breaches occurred in a public school or college. Of these public breaches, 67.7 percent affected colleges. Private colleges were also heavily impacted, accounting for 90.9 percent of all breaches within private institutions.The public education breaches affected 20.6 million records, around 20,000 records per breach, in public institutions. Private institution breaches affected 3.9 million records, or around 14,000 records per breach.How do these figures compare when we break them down by K-12 schools and colleges?<ul>
 <li>Public K-12 schools – 8,847 records affected per breach</li><li>Public colleges/universities – 25,312 records affected per breach</li><li>Private K-12 schools – 3,657 records affected per breach</li><li>Private colleges/universities -14,046 records affected per breach</li>
 </ul><h2>The biggest-known education data breaches</h2>According to our findings, there were 9 breaches that have affected half a million or more records. These are:<ul>
 <li>2013, Maricopa County Community College District Data Breach = 2.49 million records affected:&nbsp;A number of databases were breached and the records of nearly 2.5 million students, graduates, and staff were made available on the internet. As previously mentioned, this breach came with a lot of controversy due to the length of time it took for those affected to be notified.</li><li>2017, Harvard Computer Society = 1.4 million records affected:&nbsp;In this breach, over 1.4 million emails, which contained personal information of members of the Harvard Computer Society, were publicly available for a period of time.</li><li>2019, Georgia Tech = 1.27 million records affected:&nbsp;A central database was hacked, potentially exposing the records of nearly 1.27 million students, faculty, and staff members.</li><li>2017, Washington State University = 1.12 million records affected:&nbsp;Thieves broke into a storage locker and stole a safe. The safe contained a computer hard drive backup with over a million personal records, including social security numbers (SSNs).</li><li>2006, University of California at Los Angeles = 800,000 records affected:&nbsp;Hackers gained access to the university’s database which contained personal details on numerous people, the majority of which included current and former students and student applications. Personal details included SSNs, home addresses, dates of birth, and contact information.</li><li>2010, Ohio State University = 750,000 records affected:&nbsp;Unauthorized individuals managed to log onto the university’s server, gaining access to SSNs, date of births, addresses of current and former students, and details on staff and faculty members.</li><li>2012, University of Nebraska = 654,000 records affected:&nbsp;Hackers may have gained access to a database that contained details on current students and alumni dating back as far as 1985.</li><li>2019, Clark County School District = 559,487 records affected:&nbsp;As previously mentioned, this breach was part of the Pearson’s Education, Inc. data breach which affected numerous school districts.</li><li>2018, San Diego Unified School District = 500,000 records affected:&nbsp;A phishing attack enabled hackers to gain access to the district’s central student database.</li>
 </ul><h2>Types of education breaches</h2>As we have seen above, there are a number of different types of breaches that occur in education facilities, from physical thefts to online hacks. Overall, though, the most common type of data breach is a hack (from an external source).Here’s a breakdown of all the breaches by type of breach:<ul>
 <li>Hacking incidents = 581 (43.8 percent)</li><li>Unintentional disclosures by the institutions (i.e. attaching personally-identifiable student data to an email by accident) = 341 (25.7 percent)</li><li>Theft or loss of portable devices (i.e. USB drives or laptops) = 183 (13.8 percent)</li><li>Reports of physical data being available to unauthorized personnel (i.e. paper data being disposed of without shredding ) = 77 (5.8 percent)</li><li>Theft or hack committed by insiders (i.e. students or employees at the school taking data for fraudulent purposes) = 70 (5.3 percent)</li><li>Thefts or loss of stationary devices (i.e. desktop computers).= 52 (3.9 percent)</li>
 </ul>The remaining were unknown and 2 were card breaches.<h2>Most common breaches in colleges</h2><ul>
 <li>Hacking = 424 (43 percent)</li><li>Unintentional disclosure = 269 (27.3 percent)</li><li>Theft or loss of portable devices = 145 (14.7 percent)</li><li>Physical data being exposed = 46 (4.7 percent)</li><li>Insider hack/theft = 42 (4.3 percent)</li><li>Theft or loss of stationary devices = 38 (3.9 percent)</li><li>Unknown = 19 (1.9 percent)</li><li>Card = 2 (0.2 percent)</li>
 </ul><h2>Most common breaches in schools</h2><ul>
 <li>Hacking = 157 (45.9 percent)</li><li>Unintentional disclosure = 72 (21 percent)</li><li>Theft or loss of portable devices = 38 (11.1 percent)</li><li>Physical data being exposed = 31 (9.1 percent)</li><li>Insider hack/theft = 28 (8.2 percent)</li><li>Theft or loss of stationary devices = 14 (4.1 percent)</li><li>Unknown = 2 (0.58 percent)</li>
 </ul><h2>The biggest years for K–12 school and college data breaches</h2>If we take a look at the below chart we can see that the biggest year for breaches overall was 2008. In 2008, there were 135 breaches in total, accounting for 10.2 percent of all the breaches. It was also the biggest year for college data breaches, with 101 (10.2 percent) occurring then.However, it wasn’t the biggest year for K–12 school data breaches. 2019 saw the biggest year for school data breaches with 60 in total.In contrast, 2008 wasn’t the top year for the number of records affected but rather, it was one of the lowest. 2013 and 2017 were the largest years overall with 3.08 million and 2.95 million records affected, respectively. The majority of these records came from college breaches — 3.07 million and 2.9 million records affected in 2013 and 2017 respectively.The biggest years for K–12 schools were 2018 and 2019 with 991,340 and 804,734 records affected, respectively.There doesn’t appear to be any kind of trend in the breach numbers for K-12 schools or colleges, nor does there seem to be a pattern with college records affected. However, over the past few years, there has been a significant increase in the number of school records affected.<h2>Methodology</h2>Some of the records included may be of employees at the facility. This is due to there being no breakdown between students and employees affected.A vast number of the school-related breaches affected an entire school district, rather than a single school.For the ratios, these are the most up-to-date figures, meaning schools or colleges could have opened or closed during the data breach period.Private colleges include both for- and non-profit.While all 50 states (and the District of Columbia) now have data breach notification laws, these may not have been in place during each year of our study. Therefore, there may be some breaches that were not reported.When discussing the percentage of schools/colleges affected, we do need to allow some room for error here as one school district/college may have had more than one breach, but it gives us an idea as to which states have received the highest proportion of breaches to the number of institutions it has.<h2>Sources</h2><a href="https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator" target="_blank">https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator</a><a href="https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolmap/" target="_blank">https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolmap/</a><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SkrKORmWnP9LRvCXs-CeYgqQgPhtEHjWsnyl7eLDlVQ/edit#gid=278651225" target="_blank">https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SkrKORmWnP9LRvCXs-CeYgqQgPhtEHjWsnyl7eLDlVQ/edit#gid=278651225</a><a href="https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/index.asp" target="_blank">https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/index.asp</a>

Report: Nebraska schools leak nearly 700k records since 2005

LINCOLN, Neb. – The following is a listing of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission important dates in July.

July 1 – Select state park area service centers will reopen to the public for customer service, information and permit sales (<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA2MzAuMjM3Mjc4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vb3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi9oZWFsdGhpbmZvLyJ9.6Bbfj4YtUwmzIL29KSsGf7K3CGjscXbCpxhwsmoac8s/s/497221905/br/80511430053-l" target="_blank">OutdoorNebraska.gov/healthinfo</a>).

July 1 – Year-to-date reservation process returns for Nebraska state park area cabins, lodge rooms meeting rooms, group lodges, cabooses, pavilions, and picnic shelters

July 1 – Outdoor shooting range reopens, Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area, Gering

July 1 – Some limited educational and recreational programming at select state park areas returns

July 1 – Archery fishing of game fish is allowed statewide through Dec. 31

July 1 – Underwater spearfishing of game fish allowed in certain waters through Dec. 31 (See the 2020 Nebraska Fishing Guide at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA2MzAuMjM3Mjc4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vb3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi9ndWlkZXMvIn0.-YOUyMI7xyKpCcRUrBQNFnnNvKZkdENEFiKQFwjI33s/s/497221905/br/80511430053-l" target="_blank">OutdoorNebraska.gov/guides</a>.)

July 1-14 – Paddlefish snagging permit application period

July 1-31 – Application period for Gifford Point Wildlife Management Area special access permits for deer hunting

July 3 – Results of the draw for deer, antelope and elk permits will be available on or before this date

July 3 – Final day to apply for Nebraska Super Tag and Combo lottery permits

July 4 – Most state park swimming pools, aquatic centers and the Platte River State Park spray park will reopen to the public. Check&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA2MzAuMjM3Mjc4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vb3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi8ifQ.eVqHryKcm7sHULBDl7IQ5VGuaZRzq5_sFywYWy432rM/s/497221905/br/80511430053-l" target="_blank">OutdoorNebraska.org</a>.

July 4 – Eugene T. Mahoney State Park’s miniature golf and Owen Marina concessions and paddleboats at Mahoney and Platte River state parks reopens

July 6 – Reopening of Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center, Lincoln; Wildcat Hills Nature Center, Gering; Schramm Education Center, Gretna; Water Interpretive Center at Lake McConaughy, Ogallala; and Missouri National Recreational River Interpretive Center at Ponca State Park, Ponca

July 6 – Reopening of state historical park interpretive centers, except Buffalo Bill Ranch house, Bowring Ranch house, and Fort Hartsuff visitors’ center

July 17 – Deadline for successful applicants of elk, antelope and deer draw units to complete the purchase of their awarded permits

Amid the COVID-19 health crisis, Game and Parks continues to work on opening and allowing additional activities and events that can be conducted safely with the protection of our customers and staff.

Keep up to date on all cancellations, postponements and closures for Game and Parks at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDQsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA2MzAuMjM3Mjc4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vb3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi9oZWFsdGhpbmZvLyJ9.Ge_jjLlABopLtt0fdMTYeI53GujFKUeT9dxcNMIlMEA/s/497221905/br/80511430053-l" target="_blank">OutdoorNebraska.org/healthinfo</a>. Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDUsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA2MzAuMjM3Mjc4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vY2FsZW5kYXIub3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi8ifQ.zRyqfcwEvGDRyUlSmpAMHxOeZyJIUTAs0b7FWzurUGE/s/497221905/br/80511430053-l" target="_blank">Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov</a>&nbsp;for updates on Game and Parks’ events.

<h2>July outdoor calendar</h2>LINCOLN, Neb. – The following is a listing of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission important dates in July.July 1 – Select state park area service centers will reopen to the public for customer service, information and permit sales (<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA2MzAuMjM3Mjc4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vb3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi9oZWFsdGhpbmZvLyJ9.6Bbfj4YtUwmzIL29KSsGf7K3CGjscXbCpxhwsmoac8s/s/497221905/br/80511430053-l" target="_blank">OutdoorNebraska.gov/healthinfo</a>).July 1 – Year-to-date reservation process returns for Nebraska state park area cabins, lodge rooms meeting rooms, group lodges, cabooses, pavilions, and picnic sheltersJuly 1 – Outdoor shooting range reopens, Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area, GeringJuly 1 – Some limited educational and recreational programming at select state park areas returnsJuly 1 – Archery fishing of game fish is allowed statewide through Dec. 31July 1 – Underwater spearfishing of game fish allowed in certain waters through Dec. 31 (See the 2020 Nebraska Fishing Guide at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA2MzAuMjM3Mjc4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vb3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi9ndWlkZXMvIn0.-YOUyMI7xyKpCcRUrBQNFnnNvKZkdENEFiKQFwjI33s/s/497221905/br/80511430053-l" target="_blank">OutdoorNebraska.gov/guides</a>.)July 1-14 – Paddlefish snagging permit application periodJuly 1-31 – Application period for Gifford Point Wildlife Management Area special access permits for deer huntingJuly 3 – Results of the draw for deer, antelope and elk permits will be available on or before this dateJuly 3 – Final day to apply for Nebraska Super Tag and Combo lottery permitsJuly 4 – Most state park swimming pools, aquatic centers and the Platte River State Park spray park will reopen to the public. Check&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA2MzAuMjM3Mjc4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vb3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi8ifQ.eVqHryKcm7sHULBDl7IQ5VGuaZRzq5_sFywYWy432rM/s/497221905/br/80511430053-l" target="_blank">OutdoorNebraska.org</a>.July 4 – Eugene T. Mahoney State Park’s miniature golf and Owen Marina concessions and paddleboats at Mahoney and Platte River state parks reopensJuly 6 – Reopening of Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center, Lincoln; Wildcat Hills Nature Center, Gering; Schramm Education Center, Gretna; Water Interpretive Center at Lake McConaughy, Ogallala; and Missouri National Recreational River Interpretive Center at Ponca State Park, PoncaJuly 6 – Reopening of state historical park interpretive centers, except Buffalo Bill Ranch house, Bowring Ranch house, and Fort Hartsuff visitors’ centerJuly 17 – Deadline for successful applicants of elk, antelope and deer draw units to complete the purchase of their awarded permitsAmid the COVID-19 health crisis, Game and Parks continues to work on opening and allowing additional activities and events that can be conducted safely with the protection of our customers and staff.Keep up to date on all cancellations, postponements and closures for Game and Parks at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDQsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA2MzAuMjM3Mjc4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vb3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi9oZWFsdGhpbmZvLyJ9.Ge_jjLlABopLtt0fdMTYeI53GujFKUeT9dxcNMIlMEA/s/497221905/br/80511430053-l" target="_blank">OutdoorNebraska.org/healthinfo</a>. Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDUsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA2MzAuMjM3Mjc4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vY2FsZW5kYXIub3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi8ifQ.zRyqfcwEvGDRyUlSmpAMHxOeZyJIUTAs0b7FWzurUGE/s/497221905/br/80511430053-l" target="_blank">Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov</a>&nbsp;for updates on Game and Parks’ events.

Nebraska July outdoor calendar

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North Platte Police Call Log (June 30-July 1, 2020)

NORTH PLATTE, Neb.-The West Central District Health Department (WCDHD) reported three new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in their jurisdiction on Tuesday.

Two cases are from Lincoln County including a male in his 60s, actively isolating at home and a female in her 60s, actively isolating at home. Both of these cases are travel related.

The third case is a male in his 50s from Hooker County, this case is still under investigation. This is the first case in Hooker County.

WCDHD Dashboard:&nbsp;<a href="https://public.tableau.com/profile/sydney.keller5172?fbclid=IwAR3aY8mKFcaK4l7YxeLpvODhCHpB-PTsBrYpDhyVqmc9pHoZMtxaNpDltc0#!/vizhome/shared/CJG64N2HJ" target="_blank">https://public.tableau.com/profile/sydney.keller5172…</a>

NORTH PLATTE, Neb.-The West Central District Health Department (WCDHD) reported three new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in their jurisdiction on Tuesday.Two cases are from Lincoln County including a male in his 60s, actively isolating at home and a female in her 60s, actively isolating at home. Both of these cases are travel related.The third case is a male in his 50s from Hooker County, this case is still under investigation. This is the first case in Hooker County.WCDHD Dashboard:&nbsp;<a href="https://public.tableau.com/profile/sydney.keller5172?fbclid=IwAR3aY8mKFcaK4l7YxeLpvODhCHpB-PTsBrYpDhyVqmc9pHoZMtxaNpDltc0#!/vizhome/shared/CJG64N2HJ" target="_blank">https://public.tableau.com/profile/sydney.keller5172…</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593563038521.png" alt="" />
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WCDHD reports 2 new cases of COVID-19 in Lincoln County, 1 in Hooker County

LINCOLN, Neb.-Governor Pete Ricketts and the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) hosted a ceremony in the State Capitol Rotunda to recognize graduates from the class of 2020 who achieved a top score on their ACT or SAT college entrance exam.

“Achieving a top score on the ACT or SAT is extremely hard to do,” said Gov. Ricketts.&nbsp; “In Nebraska, 44 graduates in the class of 2020 have accomplished this remarkable feat.&nbsp; Their top scores reflect years of hard work and academic discipline, as well as the contributions of their teachers and parents.”

NDE Commissioner Matt Blomstedt joined the Governor to recognize the students for their outstanding accomplishments.

“Perhaps no class has faced more challenges than the class of 2020.&nbsp; These students have risen to the occasion and exceeded all expectations,” said Education Commissioner Matt Blomstedt.&nbsp; “Congratulations&nbsp;to the outstanding Nebraska students who achieved a top score on the ACT.&nbsp; These students are a great example of perseverance, hard work, and dedication. &nbsp;We are all proud of their accomplishments and wish them the best in their bright futures.”

This year’s number of students with top scores (44) equaled the number of graduating seniors who achieved a top score in 2019.&nbsp; The class of 2018 in Nebraska had 22 students who scored either a 36 on the ACT or 1600 on the SAT.

Elkhorn South High School had the most students with top scores in this year’s graduating class (4).&nbsp; Hastings, Lincoln East, Lincoln Pius X, Millard North, and Papillion-La Vista each had three students with top scores.

The graduating students who earned a top score are:

Drew Vuncannon, Columbus (Scotus Central Catholic)

Brayden Whitaker, Elkhorn (Mount Michael)

Luke Partsch, Nebraska City (Lourdes Central Catholic)

Keegan Nitsch, North Platte (St. Patrick’s)

Video from today’s ceremony is available by&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovernorPeteRicketts%2Fvideos%2F623551888261300%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ccio.webmstr%40nebraska.gov%7C072d465356144608f81a08d81d3cc550%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637291494129468266&amp;sdata=8nmGtVlF3zdcWM%2Fh%2BxbhxRHcmkV6QdeAz6XoPJnTlZI%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593562485709.png" alt="Gov. Ricketts, NDE Commissioner Matt Blomstedt, honorees, and guests&nbsp;at today’s ceremony to recognize students for top scores on the ACT and SAT. (Photo: Gov. Ricketts' Office)" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Ricketts, NDE Commissioner Matt Blomstedt, honorees, and guests&nbsp;at today’s ceremony to recognize students for top scores on the ACT and SAT. (Photo: Gov. Ricketts' Office)</figcaption>
 </figure>News ReleaseLINCOLN, Neb.-Governor Pete Ricketts and the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) hosted a ceremony in the State Capitol Rotunda to recognize graduates from the class of 2020 who achieved a top score on their ACT or SAT college entrance exam.“Achieving a top score on the ACT or SAT is extremely hard to do,” said Gov. Ricketts.&nbsp; “In Nebraska, 44 graduates in the class of 2020 have accomplished this remarkable feat.&nbsp; Their top scores reflect years of hard work and academic discipline, as well as the contributions of their teachers and parents.”NDE Commissioner Matt Blomstedt joined the Governor to recognize the students for their outstanding accomplishments.“Perhaps no class has faced more challenges than the class of 2020.&nbsp; These students have risen to the occasion and exceeded all expectations,” said Education Commissioner Matt Blomstedt.&nbsp; “Congratulations&nbsp;to the outstanding Nebraska students who achieved a top score on the ACT.&nbsp; These students are a great example of perseverance, hard work, and dedication. &nbsp;We are all proud of their accomplishments and wish them the best in their bright futures.”This year’s number of students with top scores (44) equaled the number of graduating seniors who achieved a top score in 2019.&nbsp; The class of 2018 in Nebraska had 22 students who scored either a 36 on the ACT or 1600 on the SAT.Elkhorn South High School had the most students with top scores in this year’s graduating class (4).&nbsp; Hastings, Lincoln East, Lincoln Pius X, Millard North, and Papillion-La Vista each had three students with top scores.The graduating students who earned a top score are:Drew Vuncannon, Columbus (Scotus Central Catholic)Ella Barnes, ElkhornDaniel Hudson, ElkhornBrayden Whitaker, Elkhorn (Mount Michael)Eugene Kim, Elkhorn SouthDerek Madden, Elkhorn SouthJoshua Oarhe, Elkhorn SouthJulia Patterson, Elkhorn SouthJacob Kosmicki, Grand Island Senior HighChase Johnson, HastingsLandon Power, HastingsCarter Wenburg, HastingsElizabeth Sasse, Home SchooledBenjamin Soria, KearneyTyler Wong, KearneyDylan Chapin, Lincoln EastCeleste Matthes, Lincoln EastPranav Palli, Lincoln EastLuke Moberly, Lincoln HighMatthew Dohmen, Lincoln NortheastGrace Driewer, Lincoln Pius XDu Duong, Lincoln Pius XLuke Tomes, Lincoln Pius XEvan Fulton, Lincoln SouthwestTuong Phung, Lincoln SouthwestIan Parmley, Millard NorthAugustus Shald, Millard NorthLucy Tu, Millard NorthLuke Partsch, Nebraska City (Lourdes Central Catholic)Hailey Bixler, Neligh-OakdaleJackson Savage, NorrisKeegan Nitsch, North Platte (St. Patrick’s)Eric Seger-Pera, Omaha CentralRichard Chapman, Omaha Creighton PrepTristan Curd, Omaha Creighton PrepRaleigh Kreis, Omaha Duchesne AcademyVictoria Fleming, Omaha Duchesne AcademyReese Pike, Omaha WestsideTheodore Jansen, Omaha WestsideBraxton Fjeldsted, Papillion-La VistaVincent Lin, Papillion-La VistaOwen Sumter, Papillion-La VistaKatherine Reisig, ScottsbluffAlyssa Gilliland, YorkVideo from today’s ceremony is available by&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovernorPeteRicketts%2Fvideos%2F623551888261300%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ccio.webmstr%40nebraska.gov%7C072d465356144608f81a08d81d3cc550%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637291494129468266&amp;sdata=8nmGtVlF3zdcWM%2Fh%2BxbhxRHcmkV6QdeAz6XoPJnTlZI%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.

Gov. Ricketts, Dept. of Education recognize 44 Nebraska students for top ACT/SAT scores

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Former Boys Town director Rev. Val Peter, who led the iconic home for troubled youth for 20 years before retiring in 2005, died Tuesday at age 85 after battling cancer, a family member said.

Peter oversaw a significant expansion of Boys Town's programs during his tenure but still managed to connect personally with many of the children who lived at the home's campus just outside Omaha, Nebraska. His sister, Mary Anne Hohman, said Peter died after struggling with cancer.

"His legacy was he had this deep love and passion for the children that were entrusted to his care," said Tim McNeil, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Omaha.

Peter managed the Boys Town organization well, but McNeil said he still made a lot of time for meeting with the kids individually. McNeil said when he spent time with Peter, it was rare not to be interrupted by a call from a Boys Town alum who wanted to seek his advice and prayer.

Under Peter's leadership, Boys Town&nbsp;<a href="https://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/nebraska/father-peter-leaves-a-bigger-girls-and-boys-town/article_c928c0ef-ed50-5a0c-a166-266a965601cc.html" target="_blank">expanded and diversified</a>&nbsp;as it grew to add locations in several states, preaching principles of self respect, personal discipline and love for others. It also includes a research hospital in Omaha, a national resource and training center and a national hotline for families.

Boys Town was founded in 1917 by the Rev. Edward Flanagan and was immortalized by the 1938 movie "Boys Town," which starred Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney.

That movie contributed to the public image of Boys Town as primarily an orphanage, although most of the troubled boys and girls living on its campus have been referred by families or social service agencies.

Hohman said her older brother was a dedicated priest and loving brother who grew up in Omaha and affected thousands of lives through his work at Boys Town.

"When they needed him, he was there," said Hohman, 77, who lives in Alexandria, Virginia.

Peter was a strong advocate for children and the institution he led. In 1994, he filed a defamation suit against the American Institute of Philanthropy over an unflattering institute report card.

"We think sometimes you have to restore and preserve your reputation," Peter said in 1996 when the suit was settled.

During Peter's tenure, Boys Town occasionally clashed with the local Roman Catholic bishop, including a dispute over the timing of Peter's retirement and whether a national search should be conducted to find his replacement. The organization did conduct a national search before choosing its current leader, Rev. Steven E. Boes, from within Nebraska.

Peter taught moral absolutes, including that lying is wrong, while also delivering his message in ways that children could understand. He also connected with donors to Boys Town and held two doctoral degrees.

"Father could speak to an 8-year-old and then go into a board meeting and speak to a Ph.D. It didn't matter what spectrum you were on. Father was able to identify with you on any level," said Terry Jones, who is a graduate of Boys Town and former teacher who is now the alumni director.

Jones told the Omaha World-Herald that Peter's "heart was just open for children."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593551820392.png" alt="Rev. Val Peter (Photo: Boys Town Alumni)" />
 <figcaption>Rev. Val Peter (Photo: Boys Town Alumni)</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOSH FUNK-Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Former Boys Town director Rev. Val Peter, who led the iconic home for troubled youth for 20 years before retiring in 2005, died Tuesday at age 85 after battling cancer, a family member said.Peter oversaw a significant expansion of Boys Town's programs during his tenure but still managed to connect personally with many of the children who lived at the home's campus just outside Omaha, Nebraska. His sister, Mary Anne Hohman, said Peter died after struggling with cancer."His legacy was he had this deep love and passion for the children that were entrusted to his care," said Tim McNeil, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Omaha.Peter managed the Boys Town organization well, but McNeil said he still made a lot of time for meeting with the kids individually. McNeil said when he spent time with Peter, it was rare not to be interrupted by a call from a Boys Town alum who wanted to seek his advice and prayer.Under Peter's leadership, Boys Town&nbsp;<a href="https://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/nebraska/father-peter-leaves-a-bigger-girls-and-boys-town/article_c928c0ef-ed50-5a0c-a166-266a965601cc.html" target="_blank">expanded and diversified</a>&nbsp;as it grew to add locations in several states, preaching principles of self respect, personal discipline and love for others. It also includes a research hospital in Omaha, a national resource and training center and a national hotline for families.Boys Town was founded in 1917 by the Rev. Edward Flanagan and was immortalized by the 1938 movie "Boys Town," which starred Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney.That movie contributed to the public image of Boys Town as primarily an orphanage, although most of the troubled boys and girls living on its campus have been referred by families or social service agencies.Hohman said her older brother was a dedicated priest and loving brother who grew up in Omaha and affected thousands of lives through his work at Boys Town."When they needed him, he was there," said Hohman, 77, who lives in Alexandria, Virginia.Peter was a strong advocate for children and the institution he led. In 1994, he filed a defamation suit against the American Institute of Philanthropy over an unflattering institute report card."We think sometimes you have to restore and preserve your reputation," Peter said in 1996 when the suit was settled.During Peter's tenure, Boys Town occasionally clashed with the local Roman Catholic bishop, including a dispute over the timing of Peter's retirement and whether a national search should be conducted to find his replacement. The organization did conduct a national search before choosing its current leader, Rev. Steven E. Boes, from within Nebraska.Peter taught moral absolutes, including that lying is wrong, while also delivering his message in ways that children could understand. He also connected with donors to Boys Town and held two doctoral degrees."Father could speak to an 8-year-old and then go into a board meeting and speak to a Ph.D. It didn't matter what spectrum you were on. Father was able to identify with you on any level," said Terry Jones, who is a graduate of Boys Town and former teacher who is now the alumni director.Jones told the Omaha World-Herald that Peter's "heart was just open for children."

Former longtime Boys Town leader who oversaw expansion dies

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (NSP)-Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) investigators have arrested a Red Willow County Sheriff’s Deputy on multiple charges following an investigation into two incidents that occurred in May.

Earlier this month, the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office requested NSP to investigate a report of the deputy, Justin Dice, 28, using his official patrol vehicle to follow a vehicle driven by his wife. During the incident, which occurred on May 31 on Highway 83, Dice reportedly drove his patrol vehicle in a manner that it forced his wife to take evasive actions in order to avoid a collision and from being forced off the road. Their two children were in the vehicle at the time of the incident as well.

During the investigation into that incident, NSP investigators became aware of another incident in which the couple was engaged in an argument on May 13. During the May 13 incident, Dice reportedly pointed his service weapon at his wife.

Upon learning of the May 13 incident Monday, investigators arrested Dice. He was lodged in Red Willow County Jail on suspicion of making terrorist threats, 3rd-degree domestic violence, official misconduct, and willful reckless driving.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593551646696.png" alt="Deputy Dustin Dice (Photo: Red Willow County Sheriff)" />
 <figcaption>Deputy Dustin Dice (Photo: Red Willow County Sheriff)</figcaption>
 </figure>News ReleaseNORTH PLATTE, Neb. (NSP)-Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) investigators have arrested a Red Willow County Sheriff’s Deputy on multiple charges following an investigation into two incidents that occurred in May.Earlier this month, the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office requested NSP to investigate a report of the deputy, Justin Dice, 28, using his official patrol vehicle to follow a vehicle driven by his wife. During the incident, which occurred on May 31 on Highway 83, Dice reportedly drove his patrol vehicle in a manner that it forced his wife to take evasive actions in order to avoid a collision and from being forced off the road. Their two children were in the vehicle at the time of the incident as well.During the investigation into that incident, NSP investigators became aware of another incident in which the couple was engaged in an argument on May 13. During the May 13 incident, Dice reportedly pointed his service weapon at his wife.Upon learning of the May 13 incident Monday, investigators arrested Dice. He was lodged in Red Willow County Jail on suspicion of making terrorist threats, 3rd-degree domestic violence, official misconduct, and willful reckless driving.The investigation remains ongoing.

Red Willow County deputy arrested on suspicion of multiple charges

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) - The Nebraska State Fair is still a go but will be scaled back considerably to protect people from the coronavirus, organizers said Tuesday.

The fair's board approved a slimmed-down schedule for this year's event, which is scheduled from Aug. 28 through Sept. 7.

Executive Director Bill Ogg said the first weekend of the fair will feature 4-H events, while the second weekend would offer FFA events. Other activities such as the Raising Nebraska Experience and Nebraska Game and Parks Display will be available during the week in between.

Fair officials said they may add other events if the fair nears. That could include the regular carnival, motor sports and other events if public health restrictions are relaxed. All large concerts have been canceled.

Fair-goers won't have to pay an admission fee this year.

The fair is in Grand Island, one of the areas of the state hardest-hit by the coronavirus.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593547205210.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) - The Nebraska State Fair is still a go but will be scaled back considerably to protect people from the coronavirus, organizers said Tuesday.The fair's board approved a slimmed-down schedule for this year's event, which is scheduled from Aug. 28 through Sept. 7.Executive Director Bill Ogg said the first weekend of the fair will feature 4-H events, while the second weekend would offer FFA events. Other activities such as the Raising Nebraska Experience and Nebraska Game and Parks Display will be available during the week in between.Fair officials said they may add other events if the fair nears. That could include the regular carnival, motor sports and other events if public health restrictions are relaxed. All large concerts have been canceled.Fair-goers won't have to pay an admission fee this year.The fair is in Grand Island, one of the areas of the state hardest-hit by the coronavirus.

Nebraska State Fair still a go, but will be scaled back

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nebraska has topped 19,000 since the outbreak of the new coronavirus began earlier this year, state health officials said.

The state's online virus tracking site showed 19,042 cases had been confirmed by Tuesday - a jump of 143 new cases from the day before. The site also showed two new deaths, bringing the state's total to 269 deaths since the start of the outbreak.

Of Nebraska's positive cases, 13,547 have recovered, the state's site said.

The state says 42% of Nebraska's hospital beds, 48% of its intensive care beds and 80% of its ventilators remained available Tuesday.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nebraska has topped 19,000 since the outbreak of the new coronavirus began earlier this year, state health officials said.The state's online virus tracking site showed 19,042 cases had been confirmed by Tuesday - a jump of 143 new cases from the day before. The site also showed two new deaths, bringing the state's total to 269 deaths since the start of the outbreak.Of Nebraska's positive cases, 13,547 have recovered, the state's site said.The state says 42% of Nebraska's hospital beds, 48% of its intensive care beds and 80% of its ventilators remained available Tuesday.For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness.

Nebraska health officials: Virus cases in state top 19,000

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is pleased to announce the continued reopening of several facilities, activities and amenities in state park and recreation areas across the state.

• Most Nebraska state park swimming pools, aquatic centers and the Platte River State Park spray park will reopen July 4. Pools will open with limited hours and operate at reduced capacity. Hours of operation can be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA2MzAuMjM3MTA4NzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vb3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi8ifQ.QM_Jfc0NUEH6RDELdSiVhbq3oQ2PTjIVSah7PlJ1aVM/s/497221905/br/80493458054-l" target="_blank">OutdoorNebraska.org</a>. The swimming pool at Niobrara State Park will remain closed. The floating playground at Louisville State Recreation Area will open later.

• Select state park area service centers will reopen to the public July 1 for customer service, information and permit sales.

• On July 4, the paddleboats at Mahoney and Platte River state parks will reopen, as will the Owen Marina concessions and miniature golf at Mahoney.

• The Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center in Lincoln will reopen July 6. The Wildcat Hills Shooting Range will open July 1 and the archery range in the Eric Wiebe Shooting Complex at Ponca State Park continues to be open.

• The Wildcat Hills Nature Center, Schramm Education Center, Water Interpretive Center at Lake McConaughy, and Missouri National Recreational River Interpretive Center at Ponca State Park will reopen July 6.

• State historical park interpretive centers also will reopen July 6. While the historical parks will be open some facilities may remain closed, including the Buffalo Bill Ranch house, Bowring Ranch house, and Fort Hartsuff visitors’ center.

A list of all services opening on July 6 can be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA2MzAuMjM3MTA4NzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vb3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi9oZWFsdGhpbmZvLyJ9.C7jrhPXD5hcMKYCLneCYyf-Z9lQgCqOgpUnMTnVCKaY/s/497221905/br/80493458054-l" target="_blank">OutdoorNebraska.gov/healthinfo</a>.

Additionally, Game and Parks will begin hosting some educational and naturalist programs on a limited basis. Contact the park or check the outdoor calendar at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA2MzAuMjM3MTA4NzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vY2FsZW5kYXIub3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi8ifQ.V75LpokrwlDYt4-QoE6BI9lPpHltCz0H0hTcoW0CLkA/s/497221905/br/80493458054-l" target="_blank">Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov</a>&nbsp;for scheduled events.

Visitors to offices, interpretive centers, education centers, nature centers and indoor events are temporarily required to wear a face mask.

Game and Parks is continuing to make services and amenities available and is committed to keeping the public and its staff safe during the COVID-19 health crisis. For more information, or to purchase a park entry permit, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDQsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA2MzAuMjM3MTA4NzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vb3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi8ifQ.88m75mjHiWNmJgxWOpHLxO7kLH4W7eVhzUKGhvbpFOU/s/497221905/br/80493458054-l" target="_blank">OutdoorNebraska.org</a>. Find park contact information at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDUsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA2MzAuMjM3MTA4NzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vb3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi9zdGF0ZXBhcmtzLyJ9.URG-_sbDXGoUTCpVTYxnYGXvOBqFnJrhpEjDAMI-uq4/s/497221905/br/80493458054-l" target="_blank">OutdoorNebraska.gov/stateparks</a>.

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is pleased to announce the continued reopening of several facilities, activities and amenities in state park and recreation areas across the state.They include:• Most Nebraska state park swimming pools, aquatic centers and the Platte River State Park spray park will reopen July 4. Pools will open with limited hours and operate at reduced capacity. Hours of operation can be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA2MzAuMjM3MTA4NzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vb3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi8ifQ.QM_Jfc0NUEH6RDELdSiVhbq3oQ2PTjIVSah7PlJ1aVM/s/497221905/br/80493458054-l" target="_blank">OutdoorNebraska.org</a>. The swimming pool at Niobrara State Park will remain closed. The floating playground at Louisville State Recreation Area will open later.• Select state park area service centers will reopen to the public July 1 for customer service, information and permit sales.• On July 4, the paddleboats at Mahoney and Platte River state parks will reopen, as will the Owen Marina concessions and miniature golf at Mahoney.• The Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center in Lincoln will reopen July 6. The Wildcat Hills Shooting Range will open July 1 and the archery range in the Eric Wiebe Shooting Complex at Ponca State Park continues to be open.• The Wildcat Hills Nature Center, Schramm Education Center, Water Interpretive Center at Lake McConaughy, and Missouri National Recreational River Interpretive Center at Ponca State Park will reopen July 6.• State historical park interpretive centers also will reopen July 6. While the historical parks will be open some facilities may remain closed, including the Buffalo Bill Ranch house, Bowring Ranch house, and Fort Hartsuff visitors’ center.A list of all services opening on July 6 can be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA2MzAuMjM3MTA4NzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vb3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi9oZWFsdGhpbmZvLyJ9.C7jrhPXD5hcMKYCLneCYyf-Z9lQgCqOgpUnMTnVCKaY/s/497221905/br/80493458054-l" target="_blank">OutdoorNebraska.gov/healthinfo</a>.Additionally, Game and Parks will begin hosting some educational and naturalist programs on a limited basis. Contact the park or check the outdoor calendar at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA2MzAuMjM3MTA4NzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vY2FsZW5kYXIub3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi8ifQ.V75LpokrwlDYt4-QoE6BI9lPpHltCz0H0hTcoW0CLkA/s/497221905/br/80493458054-l" target="_blank">Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov</a>&nbsp;for scheduled events.Visitors to offices, interpretive centers, education centers, nature centers and indoor events are temporarily required to wear a face mask.Game and Parks is continuing to make services and amenities available and is committed to keeping the public and its staff safe during the COVID-19 health crisis. For more information, or to purchase a park entry permit, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDQsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA2MzAuMjM3MTA4NzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vb3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi8ifQ.88m75mjHiWNmJgxWOpHLxO7kLH4W7eVhzUKGhvbpFOU/s/497221905/br/80493458054-l" target="_blank">OutdoorNebraska.org</a>. Find park contact information at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDUsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA2MzAuMjM3MTA4NzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vb3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi9zdGF0ZXBhcmtzLyJ9.URG-_sbDXGoUTCpVTYxnYGXvOBqFnJrhpEjDAMI-uq4/s/497221905/br/80493458054-l" target="_blank">OutdoorNebraska.gov/stateparks</a>.

Game and Parks continues to reopen pools, education centers and state park facilities

LINCOLN — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) have arrested two people following pursuits near Lincoln and Scottsbluff.

LINCOLN — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) have arrested two people following pursuits near Lincoln and Scottsbluff.At approximately 6:00 p.m. MT Monday, troopers observed a GMC Suburban, which had previously been reported stolen, traveling westbound on Highland Road, several miles east of Scottsbluff. The troopers attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle refused to stop.Troopers initiated a pursuit, which following the suspect vehicle north on County Road 27, then west on Lake Minatare Road. The Suburban then drove into a field where it became stuck. The driver, Zachary Hirsch, 36, of Scottsbluff, was arrested without further incident. Hirsch complained of breathing issues and was transported to Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff, where it was determined that Hirsch had eaten multiple grams of methamphetamine.Hirsch remained in the hospital for treatment overnight and will be lodged in Scotts Bluff County Jail for possession of a stolen vehicle, flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, possession of methamphetamine, and driving under suspension.At approximately 1:45 a.m. CT Tuesday, a trooper observed an eastbound Acura TLX sedan speeding on Interstate 80 near Milford at mile marker 382. The trooper clocked the Acura at 123 miles per hour. The trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle refused to stop and continued at a high rate of speed. The trooper initiated a pursuit.The vehicle exited I-80 on West O Street in Lincoln at mile marker 395 and began traveling westbound on O Street. As the vehicle continued at a high rate of speed, the trooper discontinued the pursuit out of caution for public safety. A short time later, another trooper located the vehicle traveling southbound at 98 miles per hour on NW 48th Street. The trooper was able to perform a traffic stop on the vehicle and take the driver into custody.The driver, Jeffrey Hackett, 21, of Glastonbury, Connecticut, was arrested for flight to avoid arrest, reckless driving, and traffic violations. He was lodged in Lancaster County Jail.

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