Troopers put in 118 overtime hours March 14 through Monday to crack down on incidents of drinking and driving and to reduce the potential for alcohol-related crashes.

Troopers made 22 arrests for driving under the influence.

Twenty-seven people were cited for being minors in possession of alcohol, seven citations were issued for driving under suspension, and 31 speeding citations and warnings were issued.

Citations and warnings were also issued for other violations, including not using seat belts, possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, not having an operator's license, improper turning and careless driving.

In a separate enforcement, seven people were arrested for driving under the influence during the annual Whoopers & Hoopers basketball tournament in Hastings.

The high-visibility enforcement took place March 14 and 15 in Adams County, with 101 contacts made.

Six people were also cited for having an open container of alcohol and two citations were written for driving under suspension.

During the Saturday enforcement, troopers assisted the Hastings Police Department in responding to a crash in which a vehicle struck a gas meter on a residence. The incident resulted in a gas leak and forced the evacuation of neighboring homes.

The special enforcement is among several planned over the next three months to encourage safe driving and remove impaired drivers from Nebraska roadways.

The planned enforcement efforts were paid for, in part, with grants from the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety.