Today's weather & top news

Today, mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 80s. North winds 5 to 15 mph. Tonight, cooler. Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 40s. North winds up to 10 mph. Friday, mostly sunny. Highs in the mid-80s. South winds up to 5 mph. ... LINCOLN (AP) — A former Dundy County deputy sheriff has pleaded guilty to charges that he bought beer for a 20-year-old woman. Attorney General Jon Bruning says 26-year-old Kristopher Rinne was off duty in November when he bought the alcohol and drank it with the 20-year-old. He pleaded guilty to attempted procuring of alcohol for a minor. Rinne was sentenced to 14 days in jail, one year probation, a $750 fine and 20 hours of community service. He resigned from the Dundy County Sheriff’s Department in June. ... NEW ORLEANS (AP) — National Guard troops stand ready, batteries and water bottles are selling briskly, and one small-town mayor has spent a sleepless night worrying. The New Orleans area is watching as a storm marches across the Caribbean on the eve of Hurricane Katrina’s third anniversary. With forecasters warning that Gustav could strengthen and slam into the Gulf Coast as a major hurricane, a New Orleans still recovering from Hurricane Katrina’s devastating hit drew up evacuation plans. “I’m panicking,” said Evelyn Fuselier of Chalmette, whose home was submerged in 14 feet of floodwater when Katrina hit. Fuselier said she’s been back in her home one year this month, and called watching Gustav swirl toward the Gulf of Mexico indescribable. “I keep thinking, ’Did the Corps fix the levees?,’ ’Is my house going to flood again?’ ... ’Am I going to have to go through all this again?”’ Taking no chances, city officials began preliminary planning to evacuate and lock down the city in hopes of avoiding the catastrophe that followed the 2005 storm. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin left the Democratic National Convention in Denver to return home for the preparations. Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency to lay the groundwork for federal assistance, and put 3,000 National Guard troops on standby.