State Patrol Troop E Captain Kyle Otte says some things still need to be worked out before the first phase of a planned statewide interoperable communications system is actually in use.

Governor Dave Heineman was in Scottsbluff six weeks ago for a ceremony to dedicate the system being operable in the panhandle, but Otte confirmed Monday Troop E is still using the old system.

Otte says the network still needs towers in the Kimball area and in Harrison. Otte did say that once they get connected on towers north of Sidney and near Oshkosh, they should be able to get most of the system operating. Otte says they hope to be able to do that by the first of the year.

Otte says everyone involved, including Motorola, meet every week to get an update on how things are progressing, but he admits it has taken longer than expected to get everything up and going.