U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel says even the Iraqi government wants U.S. combat forces out by 2010. The Nebraska Republican repeated calls for a withdrawal from Iraq yesterday from Jordan. He's accompanying Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on an overseas trip.

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Legislative leaders will learn about state government's financial position during a meeting at the Capitol that is expected to be upbeat. Higher than expected tax collections has the state sitting on a $574 million cash reserve, its largest in state history. During the fiscal year that wrapped up at the end of the June, net tax receipts were $117 million more than projected.

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The city of Norfolk has issued $94-million in building permits so far in the 2008 fiscal year, a record in the city. Prevention Manager Scott Cordes says a big part of that is the $54-million bed tower project at Faith Regional Hospital. Another large project is the Peterbuilt Truck and Service Center under construction on south Highway 81.

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Members of the Norfolk Planning Commission agree with residents of a west Norfolk housing area that the developers should have addressed a matter of expanding the area to include multi-family housing. At a meeting Tuesday, Fox Ridge Estates Homeowners' Association President Richard Richardson said many of the residents were told that the area would remain single family residential. Richardson says they oppose plans by Carhart Lumber to amend a planned development to put two triplex units near 34th Street and Prospect Avenue. Commissioners voted 8-1 to deny Carhart's request.

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Nebraska's biggest provider of electricity is planning to help develop and buy enough wind energy over the next 12 years to power about 94,000 more homes. Nebraska Public Power District officials say they'll work with private developers on what could be more than 1 billion dollars in projects across the state. The private companies would build windmill farms that would generate more than 400 megawatts in all. NPPD would build transmission lines to them and contract for much of the electricity.

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The Norfolk Public Library Literature Festival is Saturday. Children Services Librarian Marci Retzlaff tells WJAG NEWS the festival is for anyone who loves books -- and loves to read. The Literature Festival begins Saturday morning at 9 at the Lifelong Learning Center. Advance tickets are available through Friday at 5 p.m. at the Public Library. Those needing to purchase tickets Saturday morning are urged to come early to make sure they are in the seats when the program begins.

Saying he is now a Christian and a changed man, Jose Sandoval pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of first degree murder. In Madison County District Court, Sandoval said he murdered Travis Lundell and Robert Pearson Junior. Lundell was reported missing in August of 2002 and his body was found in March of 2003. Pearson was reporting missing in January of 2002 and his body was found just one year ago. Judge Patrick Rogers sentenced Sandoval to life in prison for the two counts of first degree murder. Sandoval was also sentenced to death for his part in the September 2002 murders at a Norfolk U.S. Bank branch where a customer and four bank employees were murdered in a botched robbery attempt. Before Rogers sentenced him Monday to two life terms on top of the five death sentences he's facing in the bank murders, Sandoval indicated he's now a Christian and said "If I can change, anybody can change."

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The Nebraska Department of Economic Development is helping build 14 new homes in Woodland Park. DED Director Richard Baier tells WJAG NEWS the grant is $575,000 to build homes that will be 1,700 square feet with four bedrooms and two baths. Each will have an attached garage, playground equipment and appliances. Baier describes the project as a "rent-to-own" with rents averaging about $385 per month for families whose income is at or below 60 percent of the area median income.

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The Norfolk City Council has approved having Mayor Gordon Adams send a letter to the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission urging it to classify flavored alcoholic beverages, or alcopops such as Mike's Hard Lemonade, as distilled spirits instead of beer. The request comes from Project: Extra Mile -- a statewide network of community coalitions in Nebraska working to prevent underage drinking. Executive Director Diane Riibe -- who appeared at Monday night's City Council meeting -- said aside from the safety aspect towards young people, the Commission's ruling also means that over 2 million dollars in state tax revenue is being lost every year because of the Commission's ruling.

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There were some tense moments over the Norfolk Airport late Monday morning. A plane en route from Georgia to Alaska developed engine trouble and was diverted to the Norfolk Airport for an emergency landing. Airport Manager Gerry Adams says an oil line ruptured, and the pilot was able to land the plane safely about 11:15 yesterday morning. The plane is registered to the Blue Star Flight Club of Griffin, Georgia.

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General Motors says it's working with large utilities to figure out where it can plug in electric cars for recharging. At a conference on plug-in hybrids in California, the automaker is trying to iron out all the kinks that could arise as the Chevrolet Volt is readied for a 2010 release.

A large complex of thunderstorms moved across central, north central and northeast Nebraska late Sunday evening and early this morning. Several severe thunderstorm warnings were issued. The National Weather Service reports hail up to golf ball size fell and thunderstorm wind gusts of generally 60-to-70 miles per hour per hour were reported. Very gusty winds and rainfall of only .17 fell at the WJAG studios in downtown Norfolk as the storms passed through the community around 12:30 this morning. Other reports indicate a storage building at a lumber yard in Oakdale partially collapsed from winds from 60-to-70 miles per hour, and tree limbs up to four inches in diameter were down in the community shortly after midnight; a 75 mile per hour wind gust was detected in Neligh; and a law enforcement report indicated damaging thunderstorm winds knocking down power lines and tree limbs in Pierce.

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Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama pledged steadfast aid to Afghanistan in talks with its leader Sunday. An Afghan official says Obama also promised to pursue the war on terror vigorously if elected. The Illinois Senator Obama, Nebraska Republican Senator Chuck Hagel and Rhode Island Democrat Jack Reed held two hours of talks with President Hamid Karzai at his palace in the capital.

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Work gets underway today in Norfolk to upgrade some traffic signals, primarily along 13th Street and Norfolk and Omaha avenues. Eric Lordemann with the Nebraska Department of Roads tells WJAG NEWS the work is designed to provide back up power to the 13 signals. Motorists can expect possible lane closures through the end of August.

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A popular section of Nebraska Life Magazine is its "Nebraska Kitchens" recipe segment. Former Norfolkan Martin Shubin has one of three recipes featured in the magazine's latest edition. The recipes are those handed down from generation to generation -- and Shubin's is for Russian Chicken Kiev. Nebraska Life is published in Norfolk.

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A mock Lewis and Clark encampment is now available for rent at Ponca State Park. It features two large tents and 10 small tents set up in an early 1800s military style encampment. The riverside site is on the park's north addition on a scenic and remote stretch of the Missouri National Recreational River.

Dozens of laws passed by the Nebraska Legislature this spring go into effect today. Among them: Parents will be able to drop unwanted kids off at hospitals under a new safe haven law, and pot smokers and fast drivers will get stiffer fines. Also, uniform tests for students will make it easier to compare school districts. Another law is designed to protect desperate homeowners facing foreclosure from so-called foreclosure consultants.

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Nebraska's chief medical officer says disease prevention programs make people healthier, although she doesn't know how much money they save. A report from the nonprofit Trust for America's Health says Nebraska could save more than 102 million dollars a year on health care within five years if more money was invested in community-based prevention programs.

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In the past six years of its existence, the Elkhorn Valley Economic Development Council has been involved in projects that have made over $98 million in real estate investments and created 250 jobs in a four county area around Norfolk. Council Executive Director R.J. Baker tells WJAG NEWS one way they promote the region is through an every-other-month postcard campaign sent to site selection managers across the country. It apparently makes an impact. While in Japan last year, Baker said he talked with one such person from Cleveland who recalls receiving the postcards on a regular basis.

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The president of the Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce is among those urging city support for the proposed Riverwalk concept -- a proposed mix of retail-business, residential and recreational opportunities along the North Fork River corridor through the community. Dan Mauk told the City Council's Finance Committee this week, similar projects in both larger and smaller communities than Norfolk have proven successful.

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Last month, it was the "Little Mermaid." On Saturday, the Missoula Children's Theatre will offer its second production this summer in Norfolk -- "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." Norfolk Arts Center Assistant Director Chris Rempe says over 50 local children have been cast in this production. 86 kids auditioned on Monday. Shows will be held Saturday at the Cox Activities Center at Northeast Community College at 3 and 6 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door.

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Three Army musicians are hurt and some of their instruments are damaged after a parachutist went 50 yards off course and dropped feet-first into the 1st Infantry Division's band. It all happened during a military review yesterday at Fort Riley in Kansas.

An organizer says a fundraiser Wednesday evening with Republican presidential hopeful John McCain brought in more than $700,000. Hal Daub is chairman of McCain's Nebraska campaign. He says the fundraiser drew more than 300 people. McCain was in Ashland for the high-dollar event at the Strategic Air and Space Museum.

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The State Patrol says Nebraska has gained more than $800,000 because of an investigation of vehicles illegally registered in Iowa and South Dakota. Patrol Superintendent Bryan Tuma says two arrests were made and more than 2,500 people voluntarily reregistered their vehicles in Nebraska to comply with the law. Investigators compared the Social Security numbers of Nebraska drivers with Iowa and South Dakota's registration databases. Then more than 10,000 letters were sent to people who might have been violating the law.

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Nebraska voters won't have a say on whether the State Fair moves to Grand Island. A spokesman for the group gathering signatures to put the issue on the November ballot said Wednesday that the group didn't get enough signatures. The group needed to get roughly 60,000 signatures. Spokesman Roger Yant says the group came up a little short. A new state law authorizes moving the fair to Grand Island by 2010. That will leave the fairgrounds in Lincoln for development by the University of Nebraska.

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Area authorities arrested an out-of-state man south of Norfolk early Tuesday morning on a charge of possession of heroin with intent to deliver. Madison County Sheriff Vern Hjorth says Roberto Aguilar, 32, of Moorehead, Minnesota was taken into custody after a Norfolk Police Division drug sniffing dog discovered a 2.2 pound package of heroin in the trunk of his car. Aguilar is being held on $950,000 bond in the Madison County Jail awaiting a July 22nd hearing date.

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Nebraska courts have altered the look of protection orders issued for domestic abuse to conform with other states. The change revises the first page of the document to include important details for issuing and enforcing the order. With the change, Nebraska joins a national initiative from the National Center for State Courts to standardize protection orders.

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There's one group of Norfolk's population who has a strong interest in protecting its environment -- the children. Norfolk Public Schools Elementary Art Instructor Sue Burns appeared before the City Council's Finance Committee this week, to share her student's interest in a community-wide recycling program. The students created banners showing their support.