The mother of a Kearney woman killed after a dump truck crashed into her car has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.

Rebecca Addy filed the lawsuit last week in Lancaster County District Court against Carlos Lopez of Lopez Trucking and Lyle Carman. Carman was driving a truck last June when it hit 23-year-old Raven Addy-Cruz’s car on Interstate 80 in Lincoln.

Raven Addy-Cruz died days later. Her husband, Edgar Cruz, suffered eight broken ribs. Their 13-month-old daughter suffered a broken leg.

Prosecutors say Carman was under the influence of meth when his truck struck Raven Addy-Cruz’s car. Carmen pleaded not guilty last month to manslaughter in connection with the crash. He is awaiting trial.

A 13-year-old Kearney girl was treated for injuries after being shot in the foot with an arrow fired from a bow.

According to Kearney Police, the incident happened around 4:40 p.m., at Countryside Trailer Court in the west part of Kearney.  A resident in the area reported hearing yelling and screaming near his home.

Police responded and made contact with the girl who had been shot.

She was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital.  The girl was treated for what Police are calling minor injuries and released.

The shooting was considered accidental.

Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested 23 motorists for Driving Under the Influence (DUI), during statewide special enforcement efforts over the St. Patrick’s Day holiday weekend.

In addition to the 23 DUI’s, troopers issued 59 speeding citations, 10 citations for driving under suspension, and seven citations for no proof of insurance. Six juveniles were cited for being a Minor in Possession of Alcohol (MIP), and eight citations were written for open container.

Troopers also issued 38 citations and warnings for no seat belt, along with five citations for child restraint violations.

High visibility patrols and DUI selectives were held statewide from March 15-17, thanks in part to a $19,040 grant from the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety

Nebraska has officially opened its first China trade office in Shanghai.

The new office is part of a push by Gov. Dave Heineman to help Nebraska businesses tap lucrative international markets. Heineman celebrated the opening Monday in Lincoln.

Heineman says value-added agriculture exports are a key growth area between Nebraska and China.

The Nebraska Center in China represents a gateway for Nebraska companies entering and expanding in China. Services will include business counseling, promotion of products and services, and help in identifying potential business partners. The center will also concentrate on attracting more Chinese investment to Nebraska.

Grace Gui, formerly of Omaha, will serve as the office’s executive director in China. Gui served as a system and senior database administrator for Stapes in Omaha from 2001 through 2012.

A 41-year-old man has been arrested on arson and burglary allegations stemming from a fire that heavily damaged a Chadron house.

Authorities say Robert Two Dogs, of Chadron, was arrested Friday night.

No one was home when the fire was reported around 11:50 a.m. Friday, and no injuries have been reported.

Police Chief Tim Lordino says tips and leads from interviews led officers to Two Dogs, who is acquainted with the people who’d been living in the now-damaged house. Two Dogs was arrested after a search of his home.

A Dawes County jailer said Two Dogs remained in custody on Monday. Online court records don’t list the name of his attorney.

The state has decided that an assisted living facility in North Platte will remain on probation until mid-July.

The Hotel Pawnee had been put on probation in July because of 35 violations found in an inspection in May. The violations included not having enough certified staff at the facility, allowing uncertified employees to administer medications, unsafely preparing food and not properly maintaining the building.

The facility management challenged conclusions made after a follow-up inspection of the facility, and the state Health and Human Services Department heard the appeal in January.

The regulators noted progress that the facility was making in addressing the violations, but they said the probation will continue through July 17.

The facility can’t admit any new clients until May 1.

 

The Nebraska Department of Roads says drivers should be prepared for the start of construction projects on the state’s highways.

Some of the first projects will begin next month near Johnstown and Thedford, but road construction projects are common during spring and summer.

Officials say that Paulsen Inc. won a $3.3 million contract to add four inches of asphalt to U.S. Highway 20 near Wood Lake. That work will begin on April 8.

Western Engineering will begin working on a $2.35 million project on April 1 to add asphalt to 10 miles of U.S. Highway 83 north of Thedford.

Traffic will continue to move through both projects during the work, but the flow will be reduced to one lane during the day.

The Nebraska Public Power District says crews will soon begin patrolling its 4,300 miles of transmission lines in the state to trim any trees that threaten the lines.

NPPD officials have been conducting the patrols annually for several years to reduce the chances that vegetation will cause a power outage in Nebraska.

NPPD’s John Humphrey says the trimming program helps reduce outages related to trees.

When trees do have to be trimmed, NPPD follows guidelines from the Arbor Day Foundation. But the utility encourages landowners to follow its guidelines when planting near power lines to avoid problems.

An Ogallala teen is dead following an early morning car crash.

According to the Nebraska State Patrol, the crash happened just outside of Hershey at about 12:30 a.m. on Saturday.

According to authorities, a vehicle driven by 18-year-old Casey Lake of Grant was heading west on Interstate 80 when she lost control of the vehicle and over-corrected, causing the vehicle to roll several times.

19-year-old Emma Redinger of Ogallala was killed in the accident.

Troopers with the State Patrol are still investigating the cause of the crash and no further details were available.

A budget official with the University of Nebraska says the four-campus system will have to increase tuition by about 4 percent each of the next two years or make program cuts if its state funding comes in shorter than expected.

NU budget director Chris Kabourek told the NU Board of Regents on Friday that the system needs a 5.1 percent increase in state funding in order to meet its projected operating expenses for the next two years.

But the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee has proposed a 2.5 percent increase. Gov. Dave Heineman has proposed a 4.2 percent increase — or $62 million — in exchange for a two-year tuition freeze.