The Nebraska State Patrol in conjunction with the Deuel County Attorney’s Office, is investigating an officer-involved shooting in Big Springs.

Just before 12:30 p.m. (MST), deputies with the Deuel County Sheriff’s Office were attempting to serve arrest warrants out of Sedgwick, Colo. and Keith County, Neb., at a residence at 405 W. Cedar Street in Big Springs.

An altercation between the deputies and the suspect occurred during which shots were fired. One deputy and the suspect were both wounded.

Both men were transported to the Ogallala Community Hospital & Medical Center.

The suspect, identified as Neil S. Stretesky, 66, of Big Springs was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The deputy, identified as Michael Hutchinson, 52, Chappell, a 25-year law enforcement veteran, underwent surgery in Ogallala before being flown by medical helicopter in serious condition to North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley, Colorado.

The investigation into the shooting continues. Nebraska law requires a grand jury be convened anytime someone dies while in custody or in the process of apprehension.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska says it mistakenly disclosed personal dental claims information in statements to more than 1,800 customers.

The company said Thursday that a printing error caused some dental explanation of benefits forms to be sent to the wrong customers. The forms reveal treatment and services that the insurer paid on a customer’s behalf.

The company says an internal review found that 1,872 dental plan customers received mail statements that included another customer’s name, member identification number and dental claim information. The forms did not disclose birth dates, Social Security numbers, or financial or employment information.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska says it sent notice to affected customers, and the mistake applied to less than ½ of 1 percent of its total membership.

SARGENT, Neb. (AP) — The city of Sargent in central Nebraska has ordered a boil water notice after two water samples tested positive for bacteria.

Water taken from one location in September tested positive for E. coli bacteria. Another sample taken from a different test spot in November tested positive for Coliform.

The current boil notice comes two months after a previous notice was lifted in late October. City officials say the boil notice will remain in place until 10 total samples come back clean. Five samples must come from each location, 24 hours apart.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A report from the U.S. Census Bureau says Nebraska’s foreign-born population ranks among the youngest in the nation.

The bureau released the American Community Survey Thursday, listing the median age of people living in Nebraska but born in another country as 36.5. That makes the state’s immigrant population the sixth-youngest in the country. The national average age is 42.6.

The survey includes statistics from 2010 to 2014.

David Drozd, research coordinator for the Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, evaluated the data and says that Iowa has the third-lowest average age of foreign-born residents, trailing North Dakota and South Dakota.

Drozd says having a higher concentration of younger residents keeps the state’s birth rates strong.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska advocacy group has called on the state prison system to bulk up its inmate educational programs to better prepare inmates for jobs and prevent further crimes.

Lincoln-based Nebraska Appleseed released a report Wednesday urging the state to increase funding for the corrections department’s vocational and life skills training program.

James Goddard, a co-author of the report, said that it makes sense to better prepare inmates with job skills because more than 90 percent of them will return to society and Nebraska has a worker shortage.

The group made recommendations, including making college courses more accessible. The report noted that female inmates cannot take college courses and offerings for male inmates are limited.

Dawn-Renee Smith with the corrections department said that it has not fully reviewed the report, but the agency is already moving forward on some suggestions.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska lawmaker is turning to the public to build support for his bill to legalize medical cannabis.

Sen. Tommy Garrett of Bellevue visited Dakota City and Norfolk on Wednesday to make his case for the proposal.

The bill would legalize medical cannabis for patients with specific chronic or terminal illnesses, including cancer, glaucoma, Crohn’s disease and epilepsy. The cannabis could be ingested as a liquid, pill, or liquid vapor, but could not be smoked.

Lawmakers debated the measure during this year’s session but didn’t pass it. Critics have said that while they’re sympathetic to the people with debilitating diseases, they’re concerned that medical cannabis creates a slippery slope toward recreational use.

ORD, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a 32-year-old Scotia woman has been killed in a rollover accident near Ord.

The accident occurred around 5 p.m. Sunday on Nebraska Highway 11. Richanda Hurt was driving east when her vehicle crossed the center line, ran off the roadway and rolled.

A news release from the Valley County Sheriff’s Office says Hurt died later at an Ord hospital.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A former Kearney investor has been indicted in federal court on 19 counts of wire and mail fraud.

Jeffery Sikes appeared in federal court Wednesday. Court records say Sikes contacted real estate developers and falsely claimed to have tenants to rent various retail commercial properties in Kearney and Grand Island. Prosecutors say he asked for fees to be paid to him by the real estate developers for finding the tenants.

Sikes is also accused of requesting an investment of $150,000 from one investor and financing of up to $750,000 from another, for a new company based on false claims and documentation.

The Associated Press left a message seeking a comment with the Federal Public Defender’s Office, which has been appointed to represent Sikes.

A status hearing has been scheduled for January.

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