GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) – A legal action has been filed against the city of Grand Island because it’s lacking a fire chief.
Wednesday’s filing in Hall County District Court asks the court to order the city to appoint a fire chief “with all deliberate speed.”
Nebraska statutes say cities with 37,500 or more residents must have a full-time fire chief.
Chief Troy Hughes resigned in October 2011. Civil service rules limit the term of the interim chief’ to only four months in a fiscal year, so he stepped down Monday.
City Administrator Mary Lou Brown says the city is following state law because there is a fire chief position that’s just vacant.

MORRILL, Neb. (AP) – Authorities are investigating a western Nebraska fire that destroyed an outbuilding, including a vintage car and a variety of workshop tools.
The Nebraska State Fire Marshal is still investigating the Friday afternoon fire, which destroyed an outbuilding and workshop north of Morrill. Turner says the fire started in the workshop, but the cause has not been determined.
Turner says the building was locked when they arrived, and firefighters had to kick the door in to fight the blaze. He says a pickup inside the building was retrieved, but a renovated 1968 Chevy Chevelle worth about $20,000 was destroyed.
The total damage is estimated at $100,000.

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP) – A 34-year-old Scottsbluff man has been convicted of first-degree sexual assault on a child and three counts of felony child abuse.
Eric Rocha was convicted Friday in Scotts Bluff County District Court.
Authorities alleged that Rocha sexually assaulted a 7-year-old child in a home and in a car. Rocha was also accused of striking three other children with a belt, and punching them in the ribs and nose.
The alleged abuse came to light after the children were interviewed by the state Department of Health and Human Services, and the Nebraska State Patrol. Rocha was in jail at the time on a domestic abuse charge.
Court documents show the four children are now in state care.

FREMONT, Neb. (AP) – Authorities say the suspect in a Fremont shooting has died.
Deputy Chief Jeff Elliott of the Fremont Police Department says officers were sent to a Fremont home a little before 9 p.m. Thursday.
Elliott says officers found a woman who had been shot in the face. She was taken to a hospital.
He says a male suspect was later found dead.
It’s believed the man and woman were romantically involved.
The names of those involved and other details have not been released.