A 24-year-old Sutherland woman is facing a misdemeanor theft charge after she allegedly stole a wallet from a vehicle Sutherland Care Center.

At around 5:00 p.m., on April 21, deputies with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of a theft at Sutherland Care Center.

Deputies met with a victim who reported that her wallet, which contained several hundred dollars in cash and credit cards, had been taken from her car.

Through their investigation, deputies were able to identify the suspect as Kaitlyn Blaesi.

Contact was made with Blaesi and deputies performed a search of her vehicle.  As a result of the search, deputies were able to located the wallet, cash and credit cards.

Blaesi was placed under arrest and charged with theft (over $500) and unauthorized possession of a financial transaction device.  Blaesi was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center and has since posted bond.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers have passed a bill that could save the state $19 million annually by streamlining the process state officials use when working with the federal government on road projects.

Senators gave the measure final approval on Monday with a 48-0 vote.

The bill by Sen. Mike Hilgers of Lincoln would direct the state to enter into an agreement with the federal government. It also would require the state to waive a small part of its sovereign immunity, giving the public a way to force state officials to conduct environmental reviews if they haven’t.

Hilgers say the agreement would eliminate some of the formal communications between state and federal officials that can add months to a project’s timeline. He says it will also save the federal government money.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s independent prison watchdog will be able to interview witnesses during ongoing law enforcement investigations under a bill given final approval from lawmakers.

Senators voted 42-2 Monday to pass the measure, which will go into effect immediately if Gov. Pete Ricketts signs it. That means corrections department Inspector General Doug Koebernick would be able to begin interviewing inmates and employees about a March uprising in which two inmates were killed.

Koebernick has had trouble investigating the uprising at Tecumseh prison because of an ongoing state patrol investigation.

The measure also protects state employees from retaliation for sharing information with Koebernick. Another bill passed 49-0 Monday provides whistleblower protections for employees who share information with the inspector general of child welfare.

SUTHERLAND, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a Washington man has died in a western Nebraska accident.

The Nebraska State Patrol says 45-year-old Nickolay Gorlov was heading west on Interstate 80 near Sutherland around 10:55 a.m. Friday when his van ran off the roadway and struck a tree.

The patrol says investigators suspect a medical condition caused the accident. The patrol says Gorlov lived in Vancouver, Washington.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “The Fate of the Furious” has sped into first place at the box office again.

Studio estimates Sunday say the eighth installment in the “Fast and the Furious” franchise earned $38.7 million over the weekend. The new competition didn’t stand a chance against the high-octane film, which had the biggest global debut of all time last weekend.

Disney’s animal documentary “Born in China” earned $5.1 million to open in fourth place, behind holdovers “The Boss Baby,” with $12.8 million, and “Beauty and the Beast,” with $10 million.

Two other new movies fared worse.

Warner Bros.’ thriller “Unforgettable,” starring Katherine Heigl and Rosario Dawson, opened at No. 7 with a $4.8 million.

The Armenian genocide drama “The Promise,” with Oscar Isaac and Christian Bale, took ninth place with $4.1 million.

CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) — The average price of a gallon of regular-grade gasoline jumped 3 cents nationally over the past two weeks, to $2.46.

Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg of the Lundberg Survey said Sunday that consumers could see price increases slow as crude oil costs drop.

The national average is 28 cents per gallon above the price a year ago.

Gas in San Francisco was the highest in the contiguous United States at an average of $3.04 a gallon Friday. The lowest was in Jackson, Mississippi, at $2.09 per gallon.

The U.S. average diesel price is $2.59, up 1 cent from two weeks ago.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers who have worked to erase a nearly $900 million projected revenue shortfall could face a new challenge next week when a state board approves new revenue estimates.

The projections set for release Wednesday could force senators to make last-minute tweaks to the $8.9 billion, two-year budget package.

The proposed budget would increase spending by an average of 1.1 percent for the next two-year cycle that begins July 1. That’s far less than average.

State revenue has fallen short of projections partly because of a sluggish farm economy. Sen. John Stinner of Gering says another drop could force lawmakers to cut more, tap the state’s rainy-day fund or pass a law to temporarily reduce the amount of money the state needs in its reserves.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — State wildlife experts are reminding people to leave baby animals alone if they find them.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission says the best course of action is to leave wildlife alone and not try to rescue the animal.

In the case of deer or other birds or mammals, the mother may be eating or drinking nearby. It is normal for a doe to leave a fawn to help keep it from being found by predators.

The commission says it’s also not a good idea to try and raise wild animals as pets. As animals mature, they become more independent and follow natural instincts to establish their territories.

And animals that have been rescued are poorly prepared for life in the wild.