KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska husband and wife think he and their 2-year-old son were poisoned by methamphetamine-tainted coffee he made in an Omaha hotel room.

Travis and Amber Richard and their children spent Labor Day weekend in Omaha. He says he used the coffee maker in their room on Sept. 6 and a package of coffee. He says he began to feel weird within 20 minutes of drinking the coffee and that his son Daykin, who took a sip, got sick on their drive back home. Both sought medical treatment when they got home to Pleasanton and are awaiting confirmation from tests.

Omaha police are investigating but doubt the coffee maker was used to make meth. It’s unclear whether a trace was left by someone using the coffee maker to hide meth.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A new report says an overhaul of Nebraska’s juvenile justice system has fallen short, with higher than expected costs and many youths still ending up in jails, detention centers and group homes.

The report released Tuesday also found that state child welfare workers continue to have high caseloads, despite a 2012 law that required them to be lowered.

Julie Rogers, the inspector general for Nebraska child welfare, says there are signs that juvenile justice reforms are not on the right track. The report says the Juvenile Probation Administration is still relying heavily on detention centers and other out-of-home placements for youths.

Rogers says the high child welfare caseloads prevent children and families from getting the time and attention they need to succeed.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) — A North Platte man accused of driving his car into a canal so he could collect on his insurance has taken a plea deal with prosecutors.

Thirty-two-year-old Josh Salisbury has pleaded no contest and been convicted of insurance fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 26 in Lincoln County District Court. Prosecutors dropped forgery and other charges as part of the plea deal.

Police say Salisbury reported June 28, 2014, that the car was parked in front of his home when it was stolen. The car was pulled from the canal in Lincoln County on Aug. 11, 2014. Police says investigators later learned that Salisbury drove the car into the canal and collected $27,500 in insurance.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The ride-hailing service Lyft has joined rival Uber in operating legally in Nebraska.

The state Public Service Commission approved Lyft’s application Tuesday. Uber, which had submitted its application to the state before Lyft, was given the commission’s OK on July 21.

Under a law passed by the Legislature in May, ride-hailing companies must be licensed by the commission.

The companies use smartphone applications to link motorists and people who would pay for rides. Passengers pay through the app and can even tip electronically.

Uber and Lyft are based in San Francisco.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A state audit says the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services hasn’t tried to collect potentially millions of dollars in overpayments made to recipients of food stamps and other public benefits.

A letter from the state auditor’s office sent Friday to department CEO Courtney Phillips described a backlog of more than 12,000 possible cases of overpayments that department workers reported via email to what was described as the department’s “overpayment mailbox.” The auditors say they found nearly 21,000 referral emails as of May 4, but 60 percent hadn’t been worked on. At an average of overpayment estimated at $543, that amounts to more than $6.7 million the state has not tried to recover.

Department leaders say they are addressing those and other problems with the department’s business practices.

North Platte Police are investigating after a North Platte man was seriously injured by a homemade explosive device.

At around 1:06 a.m., on September 15, an officer with the North Platte Police Department responded to the emergency room at Great Plains Health where a 24-year-old man was being treated for a hand injury.

According to police, it was reported that the victim was a passenger in a vehicle that was driving near the intersection of Philip Avenue and Newberry Access when the driver allegedly lit an explosive, described as a pipe bomb,  handed it to the victim and told him to throw it out the window of the vehicle.

Police say the victim stated that, before he could react to the situation, the explosive detonated in his hand.

The driver of the vehicle allegedly transported the victim to Great Plains Health, then fled the scene.

The victim was able to provide police with a description of the vehicle and told officers that a third person had been in the back seat at the time of the incident.  He also reported that the explosion caused damage to the vehicle’s windshield and other areas.

Police eventually located the vehicle, unoccupied, and had it towed to a secure facility.

The case remains under investigation and no arrests have been reported.

The current status of the victim is unknown, but officers say he was conscious and able to answer their questions when they last spoke to him.

Weather permitting, on September 18, construction will begin on the I-80 overpass at Reference Post 179 for Newberry Access, according to the Nebraska Department of Roads.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane controlled by temporary traffic signals.

The work will require a 12-foot width restriction and a speed reduction. This work is anticipated to be completed by November 13.

Some delays should be expected. Please travel safely

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — People who pay taxes on Nebraska land and buildings will get a tax credit of roughly $94 per $100,000 of valuation this year under the new state budget.

The Department of Revenue announced the rate Monday from the property tax credit fund. Lawmakers and Gov. Pete Ricketts approved $408 million over two years for the fund during this year’s legislative session.

Under the formula, the owner of a $150,000 home will get a $141 credit. The credit is applied to the property taxes that are owed to local governments.

Of the $204 million available this year, Douglas County residents will receive the largest share with $36.3 million. Lancaster County will get nearly $21 million.

The department says nearly $217 billion in real Nebraska property value is eligible for the credit.