At least two people in Nebraska have died in crashes that were blamed on poor driving conditions during the snowstorm.

Investigators say 63-year-old Michael Hughes, of New Hope, Minn., was killed just before 1 p.m. Wednesday on Interstate 80, near the village of Maxwell.

A dispatcher for the Nebraska State Patrol in North Platte says Hughes was a passenger in a vehicle that rear-ended a semi. His wife, 60-year-old Janet M. Hughes, was treated at a local hospital and released.

The second accident was reported at 3:20 p.m. Wednesday in Grand Island. Authorities say 34-year-old Hussein Ahmed of Grand Island was struck by a semi tractor-trailer on Highway 34 after he lost control of his car. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Authorities say both crashes were weather-related.

Today: Sunny, with a high near 36. Wind chill values as low as -7. Light and variable wind becoming west southwest around 6 mph in the morning.

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 2. Wind chill values as low as -5. South southwest wind around 5 mph becoming light and variable.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 39. Wind chill values as low as -5. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 3. North northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 34. Calm wind becoming west around 6 mph in the afternoon.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 11.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 28.

Monday Night: A slight chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 9.

Christmas Day: A slight chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 18.

Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 4.

Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 21.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 5.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 27.

Most of U.S. Interstate 80 in Nebraska remains closed as blowing snow has drastically cut visibility.

The Nebraska Department of Roads’ online map shows the interstate closed Thursday morning from Sidney in western Nebraska to Lincoln in southeast Nebraska.

Meteorologist Scott Dergan with the National Weather Service just in Valley says the blizzard moving dropped between 6 inches and 9 inches of snow along a swath that followed the interstate from central Nebraska to Omaha.

Dergan says only flurries were expected in Nebraska on Thursday morning, but that sustained winds of up to 40 mph would make travel dangerous for much of the day.

The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for Nebraska through noon Thursday. Iowa is under a blizzard and winter storm watch all day Thursday.

Nebraska officials have closed part of a major interstate due to deteriorating conditions from a major snow storm.

The Nebraska State Patrol on Wednesday night closed Interstate 80 eastbound at the Ogallala exit and westbound at the Kearney exit. The area covers a portion of western and south central Nebraska.

Spokeswoman Deb Collins says one vehicle fatality has been reported near North Platte. She says there have been reports of numerous car accidents and slide offs between the afternoon and evening, but she could not elaborate.

The National Weather Service says between 6 and 11 inches of snow are expected in parts of Nebraska. Up to a foot of snow is expected in Iowa.

Today: Sunny, with a high near 26. Wind chill values as low as -16. West northwest wind 9 to 14 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 2. Wind chill values as low as -5. West wind 5 to 7 mph.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 33. Wind chill values as low as -6. West wind 5 to 7 mph.

A Minatare man could go to trial next month on vehicular homicide and drunken driving charges he faces in a fatal crash.

The Scottsbluff Star-Herald reports that 21-year-old Drew Schmaltz also faces a manslaughter charge. Jurors in his trial would deem whether he’s guilty of vehicular homicide, the lesser offense of manslaughter or not guilty.

Police say Schmaltz was driving a vehicle carrying five other men when it went off the road and rolled three times. Five of the six people in the vehicle were ejected, and 21-year-old Taylor Magdaleno died.

Court records say that at the time of the crash, Schmaltz had a blood alcohol level of .155, nearly twice the legal driving limit.

A registered sex offender in Nebraska has entered a plea agreement in connection with charges he sent text messages to someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl.

Scottsbluff radio station KNEB reports Matthew Crable of Bayard entered a no contest plea Tuesday to a charge of enticement by electronic communication device. Child pornography charges were dismissed.

Crable was arrested in September after a state investigator posed as a 13-year-old girl and began communicating with him. He was arrested after he asked the state investigator to meet him for sex

Authorities were investigating Crable after a telephone number was traced to him that sent text messages to an 11-year-old girl.

Crable’s sentencing is set for Feb. 4. His attorney did not immediately return a message Tuesday.

A 44-year-old McCook man who pleaded not guilty to allegations that he sexually assaulted a nursing home resident has been sentenced to probation on a reduced charge.

The McCook Daily Gazette reports that Christopher Mehringer was sentenced Monday in Red Willow County District Court.

Mehringer had pleaded not guilty earlier this year to a misdemeanor charge of having sexual contact with an incapacitated person. Prosecutors say the May incident involved a male resident at Hillcrest Nursing Home.

As part of deal with prosecutors, Mehringer pleaded no contest to misdemeanor third-degree assault and was sentenced to two years’ probation.

Today: Snow likely before noon, then snow with areas of blowing snow after noon. High near 28. Blustery, with a north northeast wind 14 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 3 to 7 inches possible.

Tonight: A 50 percent chance of snow before 9pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around -2. Wind chill values as low as -17. Blustery, with a west northwest wind 17 to 22 mph decreasing to 11 to 16 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 31 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 29. Wind chill values as low as -15. West northwest wind 7 to 11 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 4. Wind chill values as low as -3. West wind 5 to 7 mph.

Congratulations!

Here are the top 3 winners in each Ward.
1st place winners will be honored at an awards banquet this Thursday.

Ward #1
1st – Ken and Pat Glass – 2213 East D

2nd – 802 E. C St

3rd –  Michelle Thiem – 521 E. G

Ward #2
1st – Jerry and Kay Bodeen – 2920 Sunset Drive

2nd – 4010 Sweetwood

3rd  – Lee and Joyce McConahay – 1601 West D

Ward #3
1st – Mike Mohr  1315 W. 6th

2nd – Daniel & Kellie Berthiaume – 1421 W. 5th

3rd – 1420 W. Short

Ward #4
1st – Melissa Miller 707 W. 9th Street

2nd – Don Shuler – 3405 W. 21st Street

3rd – 2014 W. 6th Street

County
1st – Dave and Kelly Hurt – 802 Tomahawk Drive

2nd – 8102 South Buffalo

3rd – Ted Jedrzejczyk – 6041 N. Washboard Rd.