CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) — The price of gasoline nationwide keeps dropping.

Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said Sunday that the average price of regular gas fell 4 cents in the past two weeks, to $2.06 per gallon. That’s the lowest price since April 2009.

Lundberg says the drop is due to another nosedive in the cost of crude oil and that prices may continue to fall.

For other types of gas, the average cost of midgrade is $2.35 per gallon. Premium averages $2.55.

In California, where prices are highest, a gallon of regular averages $2.61, with midgrade costing $2.74 and premium at $2.83.

In the Lower 48 states, the highest average price of regular gasoline is in Los Angeles, at $2.71, while Tulsa, Oklahoma has the lowest, at $1.72.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Catholic Diocese of Lincoln has surpassed its nearly two-year fundraising goal by nearly $10 million.

The church raised close to $62.5 million in cash and pledges through its “Joy of the Gospel” campaign.

The campaign’s initial goal was $53 million to help pay for Catholic schools, seminary education, priests’ retirements, local parish projects and programs supporting evangelization and outreach.

Peter Hoskow, managing director of the fundraising consultant Community Counseling Service, called the campaign “among the most successful diocesan efforts within the Catholic Church in America.”

More than 11,000 Catholic households pledged a five-year gift to the campaign. That’s roughly 45 percent of Catholic households within the diocese.

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP) — Scottsbluff police are investigating a burglary at one of the department’s storage facilities.

The offsite facility was burglarized sometime between the night of Nov. 3 and the morning of Nov. 4.

Items reported stolen include controlled substances, firearms, knives and personal items such as clothing, electronics and cellphones.

Scottsbluff Police Chief Kevin Spencer says no cases have been compromised because the evidence in the storage unit is no longer needed for cases or has already been processed.

Spencer says the department has taken measures to ensure that controlled substances and firearms are now stored onsite at the police department.

Police say the break-in may be connected to similar incidents at storage units in the village of Terrytown.

BRIDGEPORT, Neb. (AP) — Two men accused of illegally killing 25 antelope in a western Nebraska field and leaving the animals’ carcasses to rot have pleaded not guilty to charges in the case.

24-year-old Taylor Mueller and 21-year-old Brent Hoerler are each charged with hunting without a permit, hunting in closed season, wanton waste of an animal, harassment of game and hunting with an artificial light. All of the counts are misdemeanors, carrying maximum punishments of three month to six months in jail.

Authorities say the antelope were illegally shot and killed in a wheat field in early November. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission officials discovered the animals in a field after hearing reports about the killings from area residents.

An extensive investigation involving the Hitchcock and Red Willow County Sheriff’s Offices and the McCook Police Department working in conjunction with the Nebraska State Patrol has led to two arrests and additional charges against two convicted felons in connection with a series of burglaries in southwest Nebraska.

Sarah D. Nelson, 32, and Sara B. Daub, 31, both of McCook, were each arrested on warrants out of Hitchcock County in connection with a 2013 burglary involving the theft of an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) from a convenience store in Culbertson.

Nelson was taken into custody on Friday, Dec. 11, while Daub was arrested on Tuesday, Dec. 15. Both women were lodged in the Red Willow County Jail on charges to include Aiding and Abetting Burglary.

Timothy D. McMains, 40, McCook and Michael L. Sanders, 39, McCook, also face charges in connection with the Culbertson ATM burglary. Both men are currently serving time at the Nebraska Department of Corrections on previous burglary convictions out of Red Willow County.

“Through the collaborative efforts of all the agencies involved we have been able to solve more than 30 burglaries,” said Lieutenant Tim Arnold, Investigative Services Troop D-North Platte. “All of the burglaries solved occurred in southwest Nebraska over a three-year period from 2010-2013.”

In a surprise announcement on Thursday, Rail Fest Chairman Don Kurre announced that the annual event in North Platte would not take place 2016, “and beyond.”

Kurre contacted The Post Thursday morning and told staff that the event would not be taking place next year.  Kurre did not offer any details as to what sparked the decision to cancel the event.

Kurre posted the following on the event’s Facebook Page:

I’m sorry to announce that we have cancelled Rail Fest for 2016 and beyond. It has been a great 9 years. I’m thankful for all the people and businesses that made Rail Fest possible. I’m grateful for all those who attended Rail Fest. I’ve made a lot of great friends over the years. Thanks for your support.
Don Kurre Chairperson
Rail Fest

The announcement sparked a wide array of comments on social media, both in support of the decision and in opposition to it.

The Post is currently working to gather more information on this developing story and will provide further details as they become available.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A group that wants to keep Nebraska’s death penalty off the books says it will focus on the practical problems of carrying out the punishment in the build-up to next year’s statewide vote on capital punishment.

Sen. Colby Coash of Lincoln and University of Nebraska law professor Eric Berger outlined several arguments Wednesday at an event sponsored by Nebraskans for Public Safety. Nebraska’s last execution was in 1997, using the electric chair.

Gov. Pete Ricketts has said the state will not try to obtain lethal injection drugs until voters decide in November whether to keep capital punishment, but his administration is looking at changes to the protocol.

Berger says changing the protocol would be difficult, expensive and a short-term fix.