STANTON, Neb. (AP) – Authorities say a 22-year-old passenger died after a vehicle crashed off a road in northeast Nebraska.

The crash occurred around 9:15 p.m. Saturday, about 6 miles east of Stanton. Authorities say 23-year-old Tucker Lanz was driving east when his vehicle crossed into a ditch on the north side of the road, hit a power pole and rolled onto its top.

Lanz and his passenger were ejected. Lanz was taken to a Norfolk hospital before being transferred to Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

His passenger was pronounced dead at the scene. He’s been identified as Hunter Hetzler, who lived in Stanton.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha police and other law enforcement agencies have been filling their cruiser fleets with bigger, more comfortable sport utility vehicles instead of purchasing more four-door sedans.

Omaha City Council approved the purchase of 40 Ford Explorer police utility vehicles in February for about $1.1 million, the Omaha World-Herald reported. Another $1.3 million was approved to install lights, lockers, and other equipment.

The vehicles should be on the streets in the fall, said Omaha Police Capt. Edward Reyes. Officials hope to phase out the roughly 150 remaining Chevrolet Caprice patrol vehicles when they become too much to maintain and run.

Officers have a better vantage point in the SUVs and the cars have more room for equipment, said Sgt. Justin Smith.

“Getting in and out of an SUV, it’s a little bit higher up and better on your back than a low-sitting sedan,” Smith said.

Douglas and Sarpy County Sheriff’s Offices have fleets that are primarily utility vehicles.

Sarpy County began purchasing the utility vehicles in 2013, said Chief Deputy Greg London.

“Our deputies love them because they’re just more practical,” London said.

Despite the many advantages of the larger vehicles, departments across the U.S. took Explorers out of service last year after reports of dangerous levels of carbon monoxide building up in passenger compartments. The installation of police equipment may have left holes in the vehicle that weren’t properly sealed and caused the leaks, Ford said.

Ford recalled Explorers to replace exhaust tips and reseal interior panels. While Sarpy’s vehicles have been repaired, the department has installed carbon monoxide detectors in the vehicles as a precaution, said George Funderburk, Sarpy County fleet manager

Douglas County has also installed carbon monoxide monitors in their Explorers, but Omaha police have not.

Omaha’s vehicles are outfitted in a way that means no leakage will occur, Reyes said.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A judge has ruled competent for trial a man accused of abducting an 8-year-old Lincoln girl from her home and raping her in his garage.

The Lincoln Journal Star reports that 22-year-old Cody Riddle has undergone more than two years of treatment at a state psychiatric hospital. Judge Darla Ideus ruled Thursday that Riddle now has the capacity to understand his case and help his lawyer defend him.

He’s charged with kidnapping, sexual assault of a child and burglary. Police say he went to the girl’s home early on Aug. 27, 2015, to steal items. Police say he entered through an open garage, found the girl, took her to his home, where he assaulted her and threatened her.

Prosecutors say he let her go and was arrested later that day.

FREMONT, Neb. (AP) — An eastern Nebraska high school will soon welcome a new coffee shop on campus, created and run by students.

An entrepreneurship class will be bringing Deja Brew to Fremont High School this fall, the Fremont Tribune reported. The class is offered by the high school and Metropolitan Community College, but it’s the first time the business incubator has created a student-run and student-managed business.

“We came to these students with the idea, or the premise, and we let them take it and run with it,” said Matt Burg, a business teacher at Fremont High School. “They’ve done a great job with coming up with all of the ideas. They named it, created the logo, marketing concept, business prospectus; every element has been done by the students.”

The class conducted a market survey of about 400 classmates for their business plan.

“We asked if they drink coffee, their favorite kind, how often they would get coffee if it was available and a bunch of other stuff,” said student Avery Gossett.

Deja Brew will serve students and faculty before classes and during a study-hall period every day.

LaRue Coffee will provide the equipment and coffee to the student-run shop.

The high school is using an annual Career and Technical Education grant to help make Deja Brew a reality.

“We set aside $9,000 to $10,000 and we are only going to use around half of that,” Burg said. “That was the great deal with LaRue, because if we buy and sell their product they let us use some of their machines for free.”

The coffee shop will give students hands-on experience in entrepreneurship, said Dan Smith, a Metropolitan Community College instructor.

“This class is about students who are interested in running their own business, and learning about what all that entails, and what that process is like,” he said. “So to have them actually create their own business is huge.”

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Supreme Court says the case of a boy who shot at Douglas County deputies will remain in juvenile court.

Tyler Pitzl was initially charged as an adult with five felonies, including attempted murder, after the Sept. 3 incident. He is now 18 but was 17 at the time police say he shot at two deputies at his parent’s home. One deputy was shot in the hand and forearm.

The Omaha World-Herald reports Douglas County District Judge Marlon Polk ruled in November that Pitzl would be better rehabilitated in juvenile court. Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine appealed and law enforcement unions opposed moving the case to juvenile court.

Pitzl’s attorney contended he suffered a brain injury at a football game the night before the shooting and was drunk at the time.

Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol found more than $11,000 in counterfeit U.S. currency during a traffic stop in Cedar County.

The traffic stop occurred at approximately 6:30 a.m. Thursday, May 10, when a trooper clocked a 2014 Chrysler minivan traveling at 99 miles per hour in a 60 miles per hour zone on Highway 20 near the Cedar/Dixon county line.

Upon stopping the vehicle, the trooper discovered that the driver, Robert Nixon, 42, of Cleveland, Ohio, was driving under suspension. Nixon was arrested and troopers conducted a search of the vehicle. The search uncovered $11,450 in cash, which was determined by the United States Secret Service to be counterfeit. The Dixon County Sheriff’s Office also assisted in this effort.

Nixon has been lodged in Cedar County Jail and the investigation is ongoing.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A chain of Mexican restaurants has been accused of not paying employees minimum wage and overtime.

Court records say the U.S. Labor Department filed a complaint in federal court Wednesday naming the El Potrero restaurants in Lincoln and Kearney and the El Toro Mexican Restaurant locations in Hastings and Grand Island.

Alejandro Rodriguez is listed as their owner. Attempts to reach him Thursday were unsuccessful.

The civil lawsuit says that since at least May 1, 2015, the businesses have violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by failing to pay employees at least $7.25 per hour and any overtime. The lawsuit also says the restaurants didn’t keep adequate hour and pay records.

The department wants the businesses ordered to find any employees or former employees involved and pay them their back pay.

TAYLOR, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say an 85-year-old woman and her husband died after their minivan collided with a semitrailer in central Nebraska.

The accident occurred around 3:45 p.m. Tuesday near Taylor in Loup County. The Nebraska State Patrol says the northbound truck on U.S. Highway 183 struck the minivan as it attempted to turn south off Nebraska Highway 91.

The minivan was driven by 87-year-old Alphis Casteel. He and his wife, Norma, were pronounced dead at the scene. They lived in Sargent.

The truck driver was taken to an Ord hospital for treatment. He’s been identified as 62-year-old Michael Mooney. He lives in Broken Bow.

HEBRON, Neb. (AP) — The Thayer County sheriff and a deputy have captured an inmate who escaped from the county jail in Hebron.

Authorities say 29-year-old Lance Powers fled custody Monday while being escorted from his cell to another location in the jail. He ran out the front door of the Sheriff’s Office, which sits next to the courthouse, with Sheriff David Lee in pursuit.

Several people helped Lee by pointing out Powers’ path through town. Lee and Deputy Marty Rose caught him near the city swimming pool.

Powers had been jailed awaiting action on accusations of nonpayment of child support, failure to appear and driving under suspension.