A bill introduced in Congress would fix the conflict between the federal government’s marijuana prohibition and state laws that allow medical or recreational use.

California Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher says his bill has three Republican and three Democratic sponsors.

It would assure that state laws on pot are respected by the feds by amending the Controlled Substances Act to make clear that individuals and businesses that comply with state marijuana laws are immune from federal prosecution. That would include marijuana dispensaries.

Eighteen states and the District of Columbia have medical marijuana laws. And Washington and Colorado last fall became the first to pass laws legalizing, taxing and regulating marijuana. The U.S. Justice Department has not said how it intends to respond to those state laws.

A Colorado teen has pleaded not guilty to murder and kidnapping in the slaying and dismemberment of a 10-year-old girl — despite police testimony that he has confessed.

Austin Sigg entered the not guilty plea Friday in the death of Jessica Ridgeway in the Denver suburb of Westminster.

Jessica disappeared while walking to school on Oct. 5, leading parents to take extraordinary precautions to keep their children safe. Residents were encouraged to report suspicious behavior by neighbors.

Sigg’s not guilty plea came despite his alleged confession and the discovery of some of the girl’s remains at his home.

He faces life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years if convicted. Sigg, who is 18, cannot face the death penalty because he was 17 at the time of the slaying.

The University of Nebraska Medical Center has found no evidence of research misconduct after questions were raised about data integrity in an academic article.

The university made the announcement Friday after conducting an internal investigation. The review came after the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care raised questions about a study it published online in February 2012. The study was done jointly by UNMC and researchers from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will review UNMC’s findings, as required by federal research-misconduct regulations. The university says it can provide another update once that review is complete.

The study in question examined the role of some proteins involved in a lung complication that is associated with the AIDS virus.

A Lincoln bus driver seen on video punching a passenger and dragging him off the vehicle has been fired from his job.

City officials announced Friday that 43-year-old Troy Fischer of the StarTran Bus Service was fired Thursday. He was cited on suspicion of misdemeanor assault in connection with the March 23 incident.

The video shows Fischer punching the passenger 18 times, and then leaving the man on the side of a road.

The city’s Public Works and Utilities Department, which runs Star Tran, says Fischer notified his supervisor that he was having trouble with a passenger. The supervisor instructed Fisher to let the passenger leave voluntarily or call police.

In the video, Fischer tells his supervisor that he put the passenger off the bus and “it wasn’t pretty.”

The doctor of a 14-year-old Ohio girl who had cerebral palsy and weighed just 28 pounds when she died has been found guilty of three counts of failing to report child abuse or neglect.

Montgomery County prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. says Margaret Edwards was found guilty Friday in juvenile court in Dayton. The Trotwood resident is scheduled to be sentenced on the misdemeanors May 16.

Edwards was Makayla Norman’s doctor from July 2010 until the girl’s March 2011 death from nutritional and medical neglect complicated by her chronic condition.

Norman’s mother and a nurse were convicted last year of involuntary manslaughter and other charges. Two other nurses were convicted of failing to provide for a functionally impaired person.

The American Red Cross is responding across the South and Midwest after a severe weather outbreak that spawned tornadoes yesterday. The series of tornadoes destroyed homes and businesses and left thousands without power in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.

“Red Cross disaster workers are providing shelter, meals and relief supplies today across five states after yesterday’s tornadoes,” said Trevor Riggen, vice president of Disaster Operations for the Red Cross. “Many homes and businesses were destroyed and we are there helping people get back on their feet.”

In Arkansas, a confirmed tornado destroyed homes and businesses in six counties. The Red Cross is distributing relief supplies and serving meals in partnership with the Salvation Army. A tornado also touched down in Kemper and Noxubee, Mississippi, destroying multiple homes and businesses. The Red Cross deployed several emergency response vehicles to the area to distribute relief supplies, food, water and begin damage assessment.

In Missouri, two confirmed tornadoes destroyed homes and businesses in the St. Louis area. The Red Cross opened a shelter there, is providing meals and has outreach teams going door to door in some areas to help determine what help people need. Red Cross workers in Louisiana are distributing relief supplies and will be doing damage assessment after a tornado struck Slidell. A tornado also touched down in Monroe County, Tennessee, damaging homes and businesses. The Red Cross opened a shelter and is distributing food and relief supplies throughout the damaged neighborhoods.

AFTER THE TORNADO As people return to their neighborhoods, the Red Cross has steps they should follow to stay safe. First, they should return home only when local authorities say it is safe to do so and listen to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio for updated information and instructions. Other safety steps include:

·         Watch out for fallen power lines or broken gas lines and report them to the utility company immediately.

·         Stay out of damaged buildings.

·         Wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt and sturdy shoes when examining your home for damage.

·         Use flashlights when examining buildings – do not use candles.

·         If you smell gas or hear a blowing or hissing noise, open a window and get everyone out of the building quickly.

 

More information about what people should do to stay safe before, during and after a tornado is available on the Red Cross web site.

 

DOWNLOAD TORNADO APP Another thing people should do is download the free Red Cross Tornado App, available in English or Spanish. The app, found in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for Android by searching for American Red Cross, includes important features like a high-pitched siren and tornado warning alert that signals when a NOAA tornado warning has been issued.

EMERGENCY SAFETY STEPS The Red Cross has information about many different disaster situations and what people can do to get prepared and stay safe should an emergency occur. There is also a Disaster Safety Library  available which features checklists and guides people can download to know what to do when disasters occur.

A Colorado community sent into a panic over the kidnap-slaying of a 10-year-old girl may learn whether a teenager charged with the crime asks for a trial despite allegedly confessing to police.

Eighteen-year-old Austin Sigg is charged with the murder, kidnapping and sexual assault of Jessica Ridgeway in Denver’s western suburbs.

The fifth-grader’s disappearance last fall sparked a massive manhunt and fear among residents of Denver’s west suburbs. Sigg was arrested after searchers found Jessica’s dismembered body in a field.

Sigg was supposed to enter a plea at a March 12 hearing. But his lawyers asked for time to review evidence and analyze his mental state at the time of the crime.

A campaign by some southeast Nebraska teenagers has propelled their teacher into the White House.

Crete High School students sent letters, emails and worked social media so civics teacher Bernie Ludvik could get to meet President Barack Obama.

Ludvik intended to attend Obama’s inauguration in January but was severely injured in a traffic accident on Nov. 26. As Ludvik recovered in a hospital, students began their campaign, appealing to several politicians. They also raised money to cover Ludvik’s trip to Washington, D.C.

Nebraska’s Sen. Mike Johanns finally wrote a letter to the White House, requesting a presidential visit for Ludvik. The newspaper says a White House staffer called Ludvik on Thursday, telling him he could meet the president on April 23.

A Northern California sheriff’s office has arrested three 16-year-old boys on accusations that they sexually battered a 15-year-old girl who hanged herself eight days after the attack last fall.

Santa Clara County Sheriff’s spokesman Lt. Jose Cardoza says the teens were arrested Thursday, two at Saratoga High School and a third at Christopher High School in Gilroy.

The victim’s family attorney Robert Allard says students shared photos of the attack on cellphones. He says the alleged victim, Audrey Pott, posted on Facebook that her life was “ruined” and that she was going through her “worst day ever” shortly before she committed suicide.

The family isn’t making statements to the media and has requested privacy until a planned news conference Tuesday.

Authorities are investigating who took thousands of dollars’ worth of aluminum and copper from heating and cooling units belonging to a nonprofit group in Omaha.

Northeast Industries reported the damage to three industrial units last weekend. Employees discovered the missing material after noticing the units were blowing cold air.

Northeast Industries houses a vocational training center that helps nearly 35 people with intellectual disabilities. It will cost the nonprofit $30,000 to replace the units, though insurance will cover most of it.

The station reports Northeast Industries may install an alarm system with motion lights and video surveillance. But officials say it would be an added expense for their tight budget.