LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Nebraska state officials are warning about motor vehicle crashes caused by light glare, a danger that is most common in September. A report from the state’s Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System says the number of glare-related crashes from the sun or headlights is highest this month. Most of the crashes happen during the day. Glare-related crashes accounted for about 1 percent of all crashes annually between 2002 and 2009 in Nebraska. There were nearly 3,100 glare-related crashes, an average of one per day. September has approximately three times more glare-related crashes than other months.  Officials say motorists should use polarized sunglasses, avoid high-gloss products on the dashboard, keep their windshields clean, increase following distances when glare is present, and use sun visors.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) – An attorney for a North Platte man accused of killing his wife is appealing a judge’s earlier ruling that the man is competent to stand trial. North Platte television station KNOP reports that attorney Stephen Potter thinks his client, 34-year-old Roger Diaz, needs another mental evaluation. Diaz did not speak Monday during his arraignment on a second-degree murder charge. Potter gave notice that he intends to submit an insanity defense. Police say Diaz killed 35-year-old Michelle Diaz in their backyard around 2 a.m. on June 25. An ambulance crew found her unresponsive, and she died at a local hospital. Police say Roger Diaz told officers his wife fell from the backyard steps, but later changed his story. Diaz is being held on $2 million bail.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Experts say a large grasshopper population could threaten the state’s winter wheat crop. Entomologists with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln say winter wheat, which is just now emerging, could easily be wiped out by grasshoppers.  Entomologist Jeff Bradshaw says that while grasshopper populations decline through the late summer and fall, large numbers still can remain after the first hard freeze. He says growers need to monitor grasshopper density in areas surrounding their fields before and after planting. Another state entomologist, Robert Bradshaw, says 11 to 20 grasshoppers per square yard in non-crop borders around newly planted wheat fields could be enough to cause significant loss.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Nebraska’s crops are starting to turn their fall colors, and farmers are starting to harvest some crops. The U.S. Department of Agriculture released its weekly crop conditions report on Monday. It said flooded farmland near rivers in the state has started to emerge as the floodwaters recede. The USDA says 10 percent of the dry beans and 14 percent of the proso millet have been harvested. About 76 percent of Nebraska’s corn crop is in good or excellent shape. That’s behind last year’s 83 percent rating at the same time but ahead of the average of 74 percent. The soybean crop also appears to be in good shape with 82 percent of the crop rating good or excellent. That’s better than last year’s 80 percent and the 73 percent average.

Photo Courtesy NWS

This Afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 91. West wind around 10 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 52. Northwest wind between 7 and 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. Northeast wind 5 to 11 mph becoming south.

Tuesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Southeast wind between 5 and 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 59. East northeast wind between 10 and 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.

McCOOK, Neb. (AP) – A psychiatric examination submitted by lawyers for a Bartley man says he isn’t mentally competent to stand trial on a charge that he killed a 14-year-old McCook girl. The examination was discussed during a hearing Thursday for 19-year-old Stathis Kirkpatrick. He’s pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and three lesser felonies in the death of Kailee Clapp. The teen’s burned body was found the evening of Jan. 21 in a Bartley cemetery. She had been reported missing that morning from her McCook home. Red Willow County District Court Judge David Urbom is giving prosecutors time to review the examination. He scheduled an update hearing via conference call on Sept. 19.