PLATTSMOUTH, Neb. (AP) – Eastern Nebraska officials report four people have died in a head-on crash on a highway near Plattsmouth, south of Omaha.

The crash happened Sunday night on U.S. Highway 75 near the unincorporated community of Beaver Lake. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says a minivan turned onto the highway, traveling northbound in the southbound lane. The van then hit a car head-on.

Killed were 57-year-old Walter Guy Minshall, of Omaha; 49-year-old Brenda Sue Minshall, of Madison; 53-year-old Constance Joann Gillott, of Plattsmouth; and 20-year-old Taylor Grasewicz, of Beaver Lake.

The sheriff’s office says all three occupants of the van were killed, as was the driver of the car. Three passengers in the car were injured.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Authorities in southeastern Nebraska say a man has died in a two-vehicle crash just north of Lincoln.

The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Department says the crash happened Monday afternoon at Highway 77 and Interstate 80 when a small sport utility vehicle turning left on a green light at the I-80 off-ramp was hit by a minivan that had run a red light.

Emergency responders rushed two people in the SUV and three people in the minivan to Bryan Health Center West in Lincoln. A passenger in the SUV, Dennis Plautz, died at the hospital.

The crash remains under investigation. No charges had been announced by Tuesday morning.

Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol and officers from the Omaha Police Department worked together Friday evening into Saturday morning on an operation focused on excessively speeding motorcycles. During the effort, troopers arrested two riders following separate pursuits in Omaha. Air support was provided by helicopters from both NSP and OPD.

“This was a great team effort to start the summer-long enforcement campaign surrounding excessive speeding,” said Captain Jason Scott, Commander of Troop A. “The speeds we saw last night are dangerous for both the rider and other motorists. As the summer progresses, troopers will work with local law enforcement to proactively address excessive speeding.”

The first pursuit occurred at approximately 10:15 p.m. when a trooper observed a group of motorcycles with no license plates traveling eastbound on I-80 near 84th street. When the trooper attempted a traffic stop, the motorcycles accelerated to 120 miles per hour. OPD’s Able One took over the pursuit and followed one of the riders to the 7800 block of Raven Oak drive where the rider pulled the motorcycle into some bushes. The rider, Devin Gaines, 24, was arrested for felony flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, driving under suspension, and no registration.

The first pursuit began at approximately 11:30 p.m. when a trooper observed a motorcycle traveling at 120 miles per hour on west Dodge Road near 168th street. The NSP helicopter followed the motorcycle rider for several miles until it came to a stop near Riverfront Drive and 8th street. The rider, Bennett Slater, 18, was arrested for felony flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, and numerous traffic violations.

NSP is teaming up with agencies throughout the Omaha metro area this summer in an enforcement and awareness effort focused on excessive speeding

WEST YANKTON, Neb. (AP) — A boat cleaning station has been installed at Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area’s Weigand Marina in northern Nebraska.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission says Lewis and Clark Lake is infested with zebra mussels and other invasive species. The cleaning station lets people clean, drain and dry their watercrafts upon leaving the lake to prevent the spread of invasive species to other water bodies.

The station is situated in the same parking lot as the fish cleaning station, and is available for free to all boaters. It is lighted for evening and nighttime use.

HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — A lightning strike at a Nebraska fertilizer plant set off a large fire that injured three truck drivers sleeping in the parking lot and destroyed the unoccupied factory, officials said Friday.

The fire was reported about 11:30 p.m. Thursday at the Cooperative Producers Inc. dry fertilizer plant in Hastings, about 160 miles (257 kilometers) west of Omaha. Crews worked most of the night and contained the fire just before 4 a.m. Friday.

The blaze forced authorities to close U.S. Highway 6 for several hours. A release from the Adams County Emergency Management office says railroad tracks just north of the plant also were closed for a time before being reopened.

The Nebraska Fire Marshal’s office said in a news release late Friday afternoon that an investigation showed the fire was sparked by a lightning strike.

Fire Chief Bob Hansen said no one was in the building when the fire happened. The injured semitrailer drivers were treated and released from a hospital, the Hastings Tribune reported. No firefighters were injured.

Hansen said the plant was already fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. Three other departments from nearby towns were called in to help fight the huge blaze.

“We were utilizing every hydrant we could,” Hansen said.

Firefighters considered evacuating nearby mobile homes, but a shift in the wind blew heavy smoke away from them and made evacuation unnecessary. Hastings residents with health conditions that could be exasperated by smoke were urged to keep their windows closed and air conditioners off Friday.

“We’re waiting for the smoke to clear to use a drone to fly over and see pictures of the inside,” Hansen said.

The CPI plant opened last year with plans for storage capacity of 42,000 tons of product. The preliminary damage estimate for the building is $14 million. The damage to products inside the building is estimated at another $5 million, according to the fire marshal’s office.

HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — Crews have contained a large fire at a Hastings fertilizer plant.

The fire was reported about 11:30 p.m. Thursday at the CPI Dry Fertilizer Plant and was contained just before 4 a.m. Friday.

The blaze forced authorities to close U.S. Highway 6, but the road was reopened early Friday.

Authorities urged residents to keep their windows closed and turn off air conditioners if they have health conditions that could be exasperated by smoke.

No injuries were reported and the extent of damages to the plant weren’t clear.