Toilet paper being stolen from rest stops in Nebraska, officials say

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - There's been a run on toilet paper as Americans hunker down and isolate themselves at home to avoid the spread of the new coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19.

Shelves are bare of toilet paper in many stores across Nebraska and the nation.

But some people in Nebraska are finding it -- and stealing it -- at Interstate 80 rest stops.

The rest areas are managed by the state Transportation Department. Some are staffed and some are not, department spokeswoman Vicki Kramer told the Lincoln Journal Star.

As a result of the thefts, she said, rest areas will be closed when an attendant is not present. The closures will be communicated to travelers through 511 information, Kramer said. 

Truck parking should remain open even if the rest area buildings are closed, she said.

"We're doing our best to keep them open, but we want to make sure when we do keep them open we have a safe location," Kramer said. "With that becomes maintaining it and making sure it's in a good condition."